by Joe Nobody
“Robin Hood?” Jack asked.
She smiled and nodded, “I suppose that is a fair comparison. At least at first.”
“So, what happened?” Jack continued. “How did you end up here?”
“It wasn’t long before the local cartel took notice of my activities. They weren’t happy that I was competing within their home turf, but I was lucky. The men running my part of Mexico City were more businessmen than gangsters. They realized I could be a valuable asset, and asked me to become associated with their operation. I agreed.”
Jack grunted, “Let me guess, you worked your way up the ladder and eventually graduated to human trafficking?”
A grimace crossed Carmen’s face, her lips pulling tight. “What you call human trafficking, Commander Cisco, might be described as an employment broker. A nurse in Mexico earns less than half of what a teenager flipping burgers in Phoenix brings home. I offered a placement service for the brightest nursing students from the poorest families. We farmed them out to wealthy American clients as nannies or for elderly care. Many of my girls sent significant portions of their paychecks back home to help their siblings and parents.”
“And the narcotics?”
She peered down again, obviously feeling guilty about that aspect of her arrangement. “I needed the cartel connection and Norval as well. My knowledge of pharmaceuticals proved helpful, and in the end, I rationalized that we were doing a lot more good than bad.”
Jack acknowledged her story with a neutral, “I see,” and then turned back to packing his gear.
“You never answered my question,” she said. “Do you really expect Norval to let you walk out of here?”
Shrugging, Jack said, “I saved the man’s life. Why not let me leave? What purpose would it serve to hold me prisoner or kill me?”
Shaking her head, Carmen said, “I don’t think you know who you’re dealing with, Jack. Norval’s mind has been working in … well… bizarre ways lately. That’s why I’m so desperate to get out of here.”
“And what are going to do once you’re out?”
The simple, logical, question seemed to take Carmen by surprise. “I’m going to make my way back to Mexico,” she eventually stated. “I have friends in Juarez.”
The innocence of her plan made Jack laugh out loud.
“What?” she protested, seemingly insulted by his reaction. “I can take care of myself … have been for years.”
“You have no idea what it’s like out there,” Jack responded. “I have no doubt you’re one tough lady, but seriously, the world that exists beyond these stone walls bears no resemblance to what you knew. I’ve encountered everything from painted tribes of high school students carrying AKs to cannibals who use sophisticated booby traps to lure human quarry. There is no food, no water, and damn few people left. Most of those who still walk the earth survive by preying on others.”
“Then why are you so anxious to leave this underground paradise if the planet has evolved into this hellish world you describe?” she countered.
“Because I am determined to find my family and see this through together with them. I am going to make it to Texas or die trying.”
She studied him for a moment, Jack fighting the urge to squirm given the intensity of her scrutiny. “Those are noble words, Commander Cisco. Your loyalty to your family is touching, but shortsighted, I fear.”
She then stepped toward him, drawing uncomfortably close and gently draping a hand on his shoulder. “I came here with six, tough cartel men, and they remain loyal to me,” she continued in a seductive tone. “With your leadership and experience, combined with my men and a few of the others, we could remove Norval from the picture. You could stay here and help us survive this ordeal. Later, perhaps, you could take some of the men and retrieve your family if they are still alive. Didn’t you say we had the best survival environment you’d encountered? Don’t you think your wife and daughters would find the confines of these caverns more comfortable than some Texas ranch that is knee deep in ash?”
Her offer wasn’t unexpected.
After eavesdropping on her conversation with Norval, Jack had spent a considerable amount of time contemplating Carlsbad’s future.
The electric lights, something he’d always taken for granted, were an amazing luxury in this day and time. Being able to saunter around the subterranean community without carrying a weapon or wearing a mask was a huge bonus, as were unlimited drinkable water and the safety of the rock walls. It would be difficult to imagine a better situation to raise and protect his daughters given the challenges of a post-Yellowstone world.
As Jack contemplated his response to her offer, Carmen sweetened the deal. He sensed her hand reaching for his, and then was shocked when she slid the cold grip of a pistol into his palm. “You must trust me,” she whispered.
Not sure how closely they were being watched by the constantly hovering rangers, Jack tried to be smooth as he casually tucked the weapon into his belt. “Thank you,” he mouthed. “Any idea where Norval has stashed my ammo?”
She nodded, whispering, “Your ‘supplies’ are in the cabinet behind his desk. It is locked, but the key is hidden behind the lamp to the right.”
Jack had to laugh, somewhat relieved that Ms. Legs had apparently been planning her escape for some time. It engendered a level of trust, but the commander still wasn’t ready to put his life entirely in her dainty, but obviously manipulative hands.
“Ranger Pickett will be coming for me soon,” Jack whispered. “Find me after he and I have had our little powwow. I will have made my decision by then.”
“Sir, Ranger O’Brian has been killed,” reported one of Norval’s men.
The news seemed to take Pickett by surprise. “What? How do you know this? What happened?”
“When he didn’t report back in, we waited two hours and then sent out a search party. We discovered his body three miles outside the entrance to White’s Cave. He had been shot, sir.”
Rather than concern over his fallen man and the family he left behind, Norval’s mind went to Keith and his pesky followers. “So now he knows we’ve been watching them.” Then, almost as an afterthought, he asked, “Any sign that O’Brian had been tortured?”
“No, sir, but his weapon and ammunition were missing. His pockets had been searched.”
Norval rubbed his chin for a short time and then barked, “Move every man to the north entrance. Now!”
“What? Sir? You want us to leave the other openings unguarded?”
“Why are my orders constantly being second-guessed around here?” the head ranger exploded in a furious rage. With his arms flaying in wild, swinging motions, he screamed, “I’m getting sick and tired of my every decision being questioned, despite the fact that I’ve kept all of your sorry asses alive!”
Before the stunned subordinate could blink away his shock over the outburst, Norval reverted back to a calm and collected demeanor. “Of course I want all the men assigned to the north entrance. That was the weakest point in our defenses, and Keith now knows that. That is exactly where he will attack. Now, please execute my command.”
Confused and wanting not to provoke Norval further, the ranger left in a rush to implement the boss’s orders.
Satisfied that he had yet again outsmarted his opponent, Pickett pivoted and strolled with confidence from his office mumbling, “Now, to address our new commander.”
Norval found Jack sitting on his cot and studying a map. “I wish to have a word with you, Commander Cisco. I apologize for the short notice, but there is an impending battle ready to shift into high gear, and I haven’t much time.”
Jack sensed instantly that something was off with the head ranger. Norval’s behavior and tone were broadcasting warning signals that made the commander’s blood run cold. Somehow, he managed to keep his cool. “Sure, Ranger Pickett. You’ve been such a gracious host. Whatever I can do to help.”
Norval led the way back to his office, offering Jack a seat and
then heading to the metal cabinet where the commander knew his ammunition was stored. He couldn’t help but try to sneak a glance at the contents, just to be sure.
Producing a bottle and two shot glasses, Pickett was all smiles. “We are going to have a great victory today, Commander. While I’m a practical man who doesn’t generally count his chickens until they hatch, I’m confident in our ultimate success.”
“Congratulations,” Jack said, lifting the small glass of amber liquid in a toast.
Answering with a nearly identical gesture, Norval continued. “Now, on to a subject that has been on my mind since your arrival, Commander.”
“How can I be of service, sir?” Jack asked, hoping to simply placate the unbalanced man standing before him.
“You see, Jack, we here at Carlsbad find ourselves blessed with a unique opportunity. I believe strongly that we hold the future of mankind in our hands, and I fully intend to lead our species in the right direction.”
Norval paused to sip his whiskey, his expression indicating that he was also giving Jack time to digest the magnitude of his words. The commander struggled to keep a deadpan face, his brain a swirl of activity. Mental alarm bells were clamoring at the sound of the ranger’s words. Cisco had studied men like this when he was in the Academy – leaders who felt duty-bound to create a master race, justifying ethnic cleansing and genocide as a means to an end. But in all his dealings with the head park ranger, Jack had never envisioned him as the new Adam, the new father of humankind. It was all the commander could do to keep from laughing in his host’s face. Instead, he offered, “Please go on, Ranger Pickett. You certainly have my attention.”
Jack expected more of the man’s unhinged manifesto, or perhaps an indulgent recounting of why Norval was qualified to be the new and omnipotent ruler of the known civilized world. The head ranger offered neither.
“You see, Commander, you are the first person I have allowed to join us here in our little community. Many have sought shelter here, some even resorting to violence in an attempt to gain entry. But God granted me his wisdom and guidance, and because of that divine gift, we have managed to prevail. I had been praying for a sign to begin the next phase of our recovery. When you saved my life back at the spring, I realized you were the man who could help me to accomplish our goals. Your heroic actions convinced me to bring you into our fold.”
“Thank you,” Jack answered, now completely baffled about where Norval was going, thinking that this unbalanced man might self-destruct before his eyes. Could such a fellow be a real threat? Hitler was able to grab power during the chaos of an economic depression in Germany, and many very good people ignored their instincts and followed him, he reminded himself. Better to keep my friends close and the deranged megalomaniacs closer, Jack determined, committed to intently listening if for no better reason than to keep an eye on Pickett.
“You’re an experiment, Jack, a lab rat of sorts. I know good and well that eventually I am going to have to recruit others to my cause. The scope of my ambitions, combined with the pure logistics of the situation, will eventually require more manpower than my small group of followers could possibly hope to produce. That means we need talented, brave men like yourself if we are to further my agenda. I have selected you to be my test case, Commander.”
Not knowing what to say, Jack merely nodded and mumbled a weak, “I see.”
Taking the response as an endorsement, the disturbed ranger continued without hesitation. “For years, I have watched the dredge of mankind visit our park. We explain to visitors why they shouldn’t smoke inside of these ancient formations, go into great detail about how the crystals won’t grow if coated in tar. Yet, time after time we catch them sneaking a cigarette or lighting up a pipe. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve found some tourist from Toledo chipping off a hunk of a 100,000-year-old stone straw to take back to their miserable condo as a souvenir. We have evolved into a self-centered, uncaring virus on this planet, and for one, I’m glad mother nature has finally extracted her revenge via Yellowstone’s eruption.”
“So, you believe people are the problem?” Jack asked, now curious how far this power-hungry leader would go to purge the earth of those who did not meet his standard.
“Absolutely!” Ranger Pickett answered without pause. “There are too many of us! We have bred and multiplied to the point where our existence is unsustainable! God has seen fit to take the first steps in clearing the slate, and has bestowed me with the tools necessary to finish the job and begin rebuilding society as it should have been!”
When Jack didn’t respond right away, Norval took it as a sign that he should continue. “We have raped the earth of its resources. We have ignored global warming and its impact on our ecosystem. We have waged war on our world’s natural resources. Now the planet has struck back and extracted her revenge. Now is the opportunity for those of us with a superior mindset to rebuild and not repeat the mistakes of the past.”
Norval’s rant was so repulsive, Jack felt his stomach begin to hurt. Only the comfort of Carmen’s pistol, still tucked into the small of his back, allowed the commander to sit calmly and listen.
“Eventually, the air will clear,” Pickett stated. “Eventually the earth will begin to heal. When it does, I want to be ready. I want our people to start repossessing the empty cities and towns. I want our forces to spread out and bring our way of life to an ever-expanding sphere of control. We will do it the right way, this time, Commander. We won’t allow human beings to ruin things a second time.”
“So, if you need people, why not welcome in the group I saved you from?” Jack asked in innocence.
Noval’s hand sliced through the air in a dismissive wave. “Keith Meyer and his followers aren’t qualified to survive. They are nothing more than a microcosm of what went wrong before. They are weak, old, and tired. Their leaders are narrowminded and intent on only saving their own asses. They can see nothing of my vision or the future that I demand.”
Jack understood. The men outside the cave had strong leadership that would challenge Norval’s megalomania, and that just wouldn’t do. The commander’s confirmation of that fact did prompt another question into his mind. “So why are you interested in having me join your ranks?” he asked, reaching slowly for the pistol.
“Because I believe military men understand serving the greater good. You have spent your adult life protecting others and have sworn loyalty to a cause that you believe is larger than your own petty existence. Those are the values I seek in recruiting new followers. Men who will put aside their own insignificant egos and strive for the advancement of our kind.”
“So, you’re just going to let the others die?” Jack asked, his hand now having casually worked its way to his hip without Norval taking notice.
The head ranger grunted and then broke out into an evil grin. “Yes, they deserve it. They are the problem, Commander, and I believe we will continue to encounter others like them as we expand. For that, I am going to need men like you. We will only accept the best and brightest, those survivors who see the wisdom of our vision for society. The rest will be left for God to judge.”
You mean those survivors who agree with your bullshit will be allowed to live, and the rest will be killed, Jack thought. He was quickly growing tired of Norval’s raving words and reached for the gun.
Before Jack could close his hand around the pistol’s grip, two new rangers came rushing into Norval’s office. They stopped, panting, just behind the commander’s chair.
“Sir, our apologies for barging in, but we have just had a report that the men at The Simpson are forming up. It looks like they’re going all out this time, bringing every available weapon, and even the women and children are armed.”
Norval nodded calmly, his response then taking Jack completely by surprise. “I anticipated as much,” he stated with a nonchalant tone. “Take our friend the commander down to the immigrant room, and make sure he’s locked inside. I don’t need any distractions until
this business is finished.”
Then Pickett turned to Jack and said, “We’ll finish our conversation later, Jack. Until then, wish me luck.”
Chapter 30
Keith watched the bustle of activity, his heart soaring with pride at how the people were reacting.
Not since they had been preparing The Simpson for the avalanche of death that was about to fall from the skies had he seen such energy and drive from the team.
More and more, he was beginning to include all of the survivors at the hotel as part of his inner group. They had earned it.
He and his men had the benefit of military combat under their belts, that experience helping Joe, Ham, and Jimmy prepare for what might be the last day of their lives. The others, however, were all civilians, many of them having been stranded in New Mexico and having no hope of ever returning to their homes or families.
Together they had endured all the hardships – food rationing, restricted freedoms, and the pain of seeing their loved ones taken one by one. They all knew the future would be bleak; they were all well aware that the world would probably not return to normal, in their lifetimes.
Yet, they kept on going. Scrambling, fighting, clawing, and contesting every obstacle and bit of bad luck the world could throw at them. “Yellowstone has provided the most grueling boot camp the world has ever seen,” he’d once told Ham. “These people, if they survive, are going to be as tough as iron spikes.”
It wasn’t lost on Keith how his own attitude had changed as well.