by Daniel Smith
They watched as one of the soldiers motioned them to come closer and seemed surprised when they did not move after a couple moments he shouted out.
“All right what do you want.”
Dan interned shouted back to the guards at the gate.
“I have a message for Mr. Pennington,” Dan yelled trying to sound bored. He watched as the two guards exchanged looks.
“Give it to us we will pass it on to him,” one guard responded.
Dan took this opportunity to study the guard for some reason he seemed oddly familiar but he could not place him. Dan took the moment to exchange an amused look with Katrina. He lifted his tan bush hat to run his hand threw his short hair turning his attention back to the guards at the gate.
“My message is for Mr. Pennington and there is a time limit on how long I will wait if he doesn't want to receive it I will leave now,” Dan yelled back sounding irritated.
They watched as the guards exchanged looks then one that seemed rather familiar reached up with his hand to key the radio he wore. Dan wondered what he said because in less than two minutes they spotted two people walking hurriedly out of the apartment. The people moving in a hurry as they approached the gate. As they approached, Dan recognized one of them as Mr. Pennington immediately. The khaki pants with loud print Hawaiian shirt and a long blond ponytail was a dead giveaway.
“How many of those ugly shirts does he have,” Katrina asked looking at the colorful shirt.
Dan smiled as he looked at the man with him wearing the black suit with dark sunglasses and brown shoulder length hair he could not identify.
They patiently watched and waited as both of them stopped at the gate and Mr. Pennington motioned them to come over. Dan and Katrina stood were they were ignoring the gesture as a slight smile played on both their lips. Watching they saw the friction grow between the two men that they were not coming over. They watched as one of the guards started opening the gate at a spoken command from Mr. Pennington. The other man and one soldier fell into step behind him as they started walking out towards them. The group stopped a few feet away from Dan.
Mr. Pennington looked tired dark circles sitting under his pale blue eyes.
“What is it you want now,” his usually mellow behavior seemed tense now. Before Dan could answer the question, the person standing next to him in the black suit spoke up.
“So you’re the infamous Dan.”
Dan looked at the man in his late thirties or early forties and while his tone was not accusatory, it was not friendly either. Dan but spared him a glance before ignoring him as he turned his attention to the familiar looking soldier. He could not place him but the look on the soldiers face was of concentration as if trying to remember something. Now in turn ignoring him as he turned his attention back to Mr. Pennington.
“Commander Hudson sent me to give you a message,” Dan started before Mr. Pennington could reply the man in the dark suit spoke up again.
“So you're now a messenger boy,” he said rather sarcastically. Katrina looked at the man.
“What’s your problem old man,” her slow southern draw making it sound more sarcastically than it should have.
Dan had to hold back a smile as he saw the man react to it he tensed turning his attention towards Katrina.
“What you hang out with a thief and kidnapper so you think you’re a badass,” he said rather menacingly as his hand moved towards the side of his open jacket. Katrina shifted the iron bar she carried slightly in an equally menacing manner.
“Now Agent Johnson,” Mr. Pennington said trying to interrupt but Dan had enough of the man's attitude.
“I don't know who you are but you have some nerve calling me a thief and a kidnapper,” Dan said rather tensely.
“We have video footage of you looting a biomedical lab in Memphis and the incident with Captain Jones,” he stated firmly before he could continue Dan cut him off.
“If looting is what you call the government’s form of payments to their employees then I guess you do have footage of me doing that from a lab in Memphis. I was working under a government contract taking an expedition there. Part of the contract was all the salvage I could carry.”
Agent Johnson was about to say something but Dan cut him off rather rudely.
“As for Captain Jones she shot me and left me for dead. When she found out she failed she then tried to ambush me later and failed again. I did not kidnap her I left her right where she tried to ambush me,” Dan said suddenly changing back to a more friendly tone.
“You didn't find her did you,” he said as a smile crossed his face.
“I have had just about enough of you,” Agent Johnson said as his hand moved inside his jacket.
“Now everyone,” Mr. Pennington stated sounding nervously as the guard that was with them started moving his hand towards the stock of his M-16 rifle. Dan's voice was cold as he spoke and stop both of them in their tracks.
“You will never reach the gun alive,” Dan stated. “Commander Hudson sent a force of his best people with me and you’re standing in the wide open street talking to me.”
Dan stopped and left the rest of the sentence hanging unspoken. He could visibly see agent Johnson tense at his words and started looking around nervously. He watched as agent Johnson slowly moved his hand from out under his jacket and Mr. Pennington spoke trying to sound lain-back but the nervousness in his voice came out.
“How many of his people,” he asked. Dan waited a moment before checking his watch and saying.
“That's his business Commander Hudson sent me here with this message I was to give it to you and wait exactly fifteen minutes from the time I walked up to your gate before leaving. He says he knows you're harboring the family members of Council member Jarvis and the others that are trying to stage a coup at City Hall.”
Agent Johnson and Mr. Pennington tried saying something with Dan cutting them off as he continued.
“He says if you're representing the US government. You must turn them over to him the legal police agency of this town. If you refuse his offer he has no choice but to believe that you are part of their coup. And he will treat you and your people as accomplices and deal with you as he sees fit. In addition,” Dan said after making one last check of his watch before he continued.
“You’ve already wasted seven and a half minutes of your time.”
Mr. Pennington looked down before regaining his composure and looked at agent Johnson then back to Dan and Katrina.
“We need to discuss this,” he said easily as they turned to head back towards the gate.
“I wouldn't go in that direction I don't think Commander Hudson’s forces will let you make it back there I would move in any other direction but that way,” Dan said rather coldly.
He watched a nervous exchange of looks between the two of them before they moved off several feet in the direction away from the gate before starting to talk in low animated tones. Dan started turning his attention back to Katrina when the familiar soldier spoke.
“You haven't changed a bit you're still playing the bad ass,” he said sarcastically.
Dan turned to look at him and studied him hard for the first time he seemed only a few years older than he did and while he did look, familiar he could not place him.
“Do I know you,” Dan said rather unconcerned. His words took the soldier by surprise.
“You don't remember me from Baton Rouge you broke my shoulder,” he said rather angrily.
Katrina turned her green eyes towards Dan who had a blank look on his face before it change to one of realization.
“Oh you,” Dan said rather anticlimactically. Before the soldier could respond Mr. Pennington and Agent Johnson approach them passing right by Dan and Katrina and went straight to the soldier.
“Give me that radio,” Mr. Pennington said rather abruptly before stepping off a few feet to speak into it before abruptly handing it back to the soldier.
Both Mr. Pennington and Agent Johnson turn
ed their attention to Dan who could only described the looks on their faces as ugly.
“Have it your way they're coming out,” Mr. Pennington said rather rudely. Dan said nothing as he watched several soldiers force a group of around twenty people out of the gates. None of the prisoners looking happy as they pass through the gate stopping a few yards away from them, Agent Johnson turned to speak to Dan.
“Now what,” he said looking at him expectantly for him to speak. A voice coming left of them caused them to turn their heads.
“We happen next,” a commanding voice came from a man standing up from behind a bush near an abandoned home only twenty feet away.
A high-powered rifle with a large scope held loosely in his hands. They watched as several more figures appear from various locations around the street surrounding the newcomers. Mr. Pennington, Agent Johnson and the soldiers seemed startled by their sudden and close appearances of these people and their weapons. Dan shrugged his shoulders and turned towards Katrina.
“I guess that's our cue to leave,” he said as he turned to leave as Agent Johnson spoke up stopping them.
“Wait a minute.”
Dan turned to look at him Katrina watched interested in Commander Hudson's men yelling at the newcomers.
“All right strip down to your underwear if you do not comply we will shoot you immediately.”
Katrina watched as the group slowly did as commanded.
“What do you want,” Dan said grabbing the attention of Agent Johnson.
Agent Johnson turned his attention to Dan and spoke.
“You took several brown seed packages from the biolab in Memphis. I want them,” he said in a tone that was more demanding than asking.
Dan hoped the blank look he had on his face stayed in place as he purposely waited a few moments before speaking. He knew what seeds the man wanted the ones genetically changed to grow quickly and he was using them in league with a farmer to make an excellent profit. Dan made a face trying to look thoughtful.
“Oh those I tossed those long-ago when I was making my way out of Memphis. I needed room for ammunition and food after Captain Jones stranded me there,” he said slowly. Suppressing a smile that wanted to break out as he watched a deflated look cross agent Johnson’s face.
“Where in Memphis,” agent Johnson asked carefully. Dan hoped he looked like he was thinking about it.
“On the freeway someplace,” he finally said.
Agent Johnson looked upset but before he could say any more. Katrina gently grabbed Dan by the arm and motioned for them to leave. Before either Mr. Pennington or Agent Johnson could say anything. Dan turned and simply held up his hand waving it in a gesture of good-bye and started walking away leaving the two men standing in the middle of the street. They watched as Commander Hudson's forces made the group of people now in their underwear start marching down the street at a fast pace. They had made about two streets away before Katrina turned her attention back to Dan and asked in her southern drawl.
“Why did you break his shoulder.”
Dan rolled his eyes as he started taking in a breath and slowly releasing it before he started to speak.
Highway Ten turned into a two-lane road divided by a downward sloping overgrown grass medium ending in a drainage ditch. Filled with brackish water, flanked by a sparse tree line hiding open areas that were slowly going back to a wild state. An occasionally home or abandon business with a driveway connecting it to the road. Approaching the Mississippi river the medium dividing the roadway was going from open ditch to trees dividing the roadway as they approached Highway 1. A set of train tracks appearing alongside the highway to the south side of the road. As they approached the massive Highway 1 interchange, the road opened to a multilane highway.
Dan blinked his eyes in amazement as he saw another car come onto the highway from an onramp and a speeding truck passed them bye. These where the first cars he had seen in months. Approaching the upward sloping highway supported by concrete pillars they could see the truck that had sped past slow down to start maneuvering through a series of concrete roadwork dividers. Following they made their way slowly down the winding path to the bridge stopping in front of a barbwire-covered gate. Dan could see from the passenger seat several camouflage clad soldiers moving along the fencing and green sandbag wall.
Watching several soldiers sitting behind machine gun emplacements near different types of military trucks. What surprised him was no zombies on the roadway.
“Better let me handle this,” Manny said calmly as the approached the gate.
“Fine,” was all Dan said, as he looked stunned at all the people in cars and trucks moving on the highway.
Dan started to get anxious as the minivan slowed to a stop at the first gate, he watched as it opened outwardly as several camouflage-clad soldiers poured from it. Forming a semi-circle around their van while they made no hostile movement, he was aware that they all were wearing body armor and carried M-16 assault rifles. He sat quietly in the passenger seat as one soldier motioned for them to stop with this handheld up. Manny pulled the minivan to a stop as he pushed the small black rocker switch on the armrest and the driver window started down with a slight whirling sound.
“Good morning Corporal,” Manny said cheerily as Dan watched the other soldiers fanned out around the minivan.
“Good morning, sir where are you coming from and where are you headed for,” the soldier replied. Manny still smiling replied.
“On our way to Mississippi,” Manny said calmly. ‘Started in Texas.”
Dan noticed a slightly puzzled look on the soldiers face.
“Mississippi,” a new voice stated as Manny looked at the speaker.
“Yes Lieutenant,” Manny said looking at the new speaker. “We are going to a farm outside Fayette.”
Dan was taking all this in as he hoped the racing feeling inside his chest did not show on his face. He tried to look casually across the driver seat past Manny to see the man referred to as Lieutenant. The man lowered his head slightly to look in the car. All he could see of him was a set of large dark sunglasses and the camouflage Kevlar helmet on his head. He studied Manny for a second before turning his attention to Dan.
“Can you shut the car off and have the young man exit the car please,” the Lieutenant said politely enough as he motioned to Dan.
“No problem,” Manny said still smiling as he reached up and switched the ignition key to the off position.
Dan was starting to feel nervous now as he looked around at the soldier standing around the minivan. A female soldier had shifted the assault rifle she carried so her hand was now on the black pistol grip of it. He felt something was wrong.
“I would rather stay in the car,” Dan said as he turned his head from watching the female soldier to the man staring at him through the dark color sunglasses.
The Lieutenant hesitated at what he had said giving him a chance to look at Manny who still had a pleasant smile on his face. Manny slightly turned to face him nodding his head slightly.
“Do as he says,” Manny told him calmly.
Dan paused for what seemed like several minutes when it was only a couple seconds before he used his right hand and pulled the car door handle. Pushing open the door as he started climbing out of the van noticing a couple of the soldiers gripping their weapons tenser than they were previously.
Standing up outside the car between the car and the open door as he watched the Lieutenant. Started walking towards the rear of the minivan.
“Can you come over here please,” the Lieutenant said looking at him.
Dan had just started to move to the rear of the minivan when he heard.
“He is carrying a weapon Sir,” the voice that spoke it sounded as it was just an insignificant piece of conversation no hint of warning or threat.
Dan turned his head slightly to see a younger soldier with no visible markings on his uniform looking at him as he turned his head to look back at the Lieutenant. The man just nod
ded his head slightly at what the soldiers had said. As Dan walked back to the rear of the van, he took a second to size up the man he was approaching. They were the same height as him being larger Dan was not sure if the body armor he wore caused it. The Lieutenant regarded him for a moment before speaking in a friendly tone.
“Where are you headed?”
Dan paused for a second he had just asked Manny that question he thought before answering.
“My uncle's farm,” Dan replied in what he hoped was a normal sounding voice.
“That is where,” the Lieutenant asked probing him.
“Outside Fayette,” Dan replied looking at the dark shade of the sunglasses wondering where the Lieutenants eyes were.
“And the man you're traveling with,” the Lieutenant asked him. Dan kept looking at the Lieutenant resisting the urge to turn to look to see if Manny was looking at them.
“He is a friend of my family and is helping me get to my uncle's farm,” Dan said. Hoping the panic he felt starting to rise in his chest was not showing on his face and in his voice.
“And where are your parents,” the Lieutenant asked him while his voice was still calm and friendly sounding. Dan got uneasy his eyes drop from the dark sunglasses to the ground in a slightly strained voice he spoke.
“Dead,” he said as his eyes shot up from the ground back to the dark sunglasses. An angry reflection of Dan’s face looked back at him from the lenses of the sunglasses. Why did the man ask him that, why did he make him remember, Dan fought for control of his emotions. Was it a sad look on the Lieutenant’s face Dan saw as he regained control of his emotions. The Lieutenant waited on him before asking calmly.
“You're traveling with him of your own free will?”
“Yes,” Dan replied looking at the dark lenses.
The Lieutenant sighed softly studying Dan for a few moments as if he was weighing the answers he had given him.