by Shane Crosby
“If you’re going to hell, I guess we’ll be playing cards there together because I was just thinking the same thing. None of the families were home, Don. Did you catch that, too?”
“Yeah, I did. Are you looking at these neighborhoods? The ‘hood and the projects stay full. I’ll ask you again, what the exact hell is going on here?”
“I have no idea. Let’s not jump to any conclusions until we go to a few more states and cities.”
“You’re right. I’m sure there’s a good explanation.”
“They could be tearing these projects down.”
“Right, then that leaves the other two we visited. Are they tearing them down at the same time?”
“They could be, Trev. You remember how they did Cabrini Green and the other projects in Gochian.”
“As I recall, didn’t they do those all at the same time?”
“Let’s not get our guts all worked up until we go to more states and neighborhoods.”
“Okay.”
ISOLATION
SWEDEN
Mase, Dub & Scott
Once we were dropped off, we had to hike to find civilization. For two days, the only people we saw were each other. I love my brothers, but to be honest, I was getting tired of looking at them.
When we finally arrived into town, I was close to kissing everyone and everything I saw.
All we had to eat were MRE’s. They’re good when you’re in a war zone crawling around in mud, pig slop and your own excrement. But, after you’ve lived the civilian life, it doesn’t take long for you to develop a liking to having a variety of real food, with seasonings that come from real animals, vegetables and grain. If I had the energy, I would’ve skipped down through the middle of town just to get a diner rolls.
Clearly, I’ve been a part of the civilized world much too long. I’ve survived in a hole for weeks, no cable TV, not another person for a thousand miles and never complained. Now I’m belly aching about a thirty-six hour hike, my team would be ashamed. Shoot, I’m ashamed.
More than two days in the wilderness, no razor, no shower, no change of clothes. We were dirty, disheveled and I sorely missed toothbrush. We walked into the hotel looking like a group of prison escapees. The lady at the counter met us with a smile just like the guests in line before us. She didn’t even act like the smell bothered her, not one complaint, not one time did she give us the side eye. Now, that’s wife material.
“Hi, we’d like three rooms on the same floor, please.”
“One moment please.”
“We have rooms 220, 222 and 224. Have a nice stay sir.”
I took the key card and thanked her. We picked up our bags and dragged our bodies along to our rooms.
After we showered, we had to go out to a restaurant, the hotel didn’t have room service. It was like an old fashioned inn that reminded me of something you would see in Vermont or Maine.
The town we were staying in was little and very picturesque, it belonged on a postcard. The weather was cool, but the grass was thick and a beautiful green along with the color of the leaves on the trees. As far as the eye could see it was beautiful green leaves and grass thick enough that you could lie down on it and sleep peacefully. In all my travels, I hadn’t seen anything quite like this. The peace you felt walking the streets was something out of a book you were assigned to read in high school. I found myself wanting to stay here permanently. The people were friendly and willing to help us navigate around the town. They pointed us to the best equipment store in the area, where we purchased additional sleeping bags, blankets, climbing tools tents and anything else we could think of to keep ourselves alive out there. We purchased the additional equipment suggested to us and made our way back to the hotel to pack and get ready for the next day’s journey.
SWEDEN
HOTEL
Don, Scott & Mase
After hiking up what felt like Machu Picchu, when we made it to civilization, the first thing we craved was a place to rest our bodies. The entire time we were out there, walking, marching, hiking, I kept wondering how I did this when I was in the military. How did I withstand putting my body through such strenuous activity? Then, it hit me, like a sledge hammer; youth. I was young when I enlisted, got recruited by the CIA’s special enforcement division. My brothers call the kill squad. My response used to be, someone’s gotta do it so that someone might as well be me. Now, after that hike, I’m thinking it’s time to pass that baton onto someone who was me twenty years ago.
“I don’t know about you two but I’m so beat I could go to sleep sitting here.”
“I’m with you but we have to map out our day tomorrow.”
“This is a meadow here but it’s surrounded by water. We’ll need our waterproof gear to stay warm and dry.”
“I see that. What’s this right here? It looks like a steep hill at least I’m hoping that’s all it is. I know we have mountain climbing gear but none of us have any experience with that. At least I know I don’t.”
“Neither do I.”
“You were right with your first assumption; none of us do. We’re gonna have to say a prayer that it’s not a mountain and say a prayer if it is. We have to climb over it to get what we need.”
“I agree but man, a freaking mountain?
I wanna go home.”
We laughed and I tried to reassure Mase we would be fine even thought I was a little skeptical about that myself.
“So, do I now, Mase, so do I.”
“We’ll have to make camp right here. Based upon the map, I think this will be the best place. Of course, we won’t really know what’s out there until we actually get out there.”
“You’re right about that but from the map this rock will give cover from the wind. The tents won’t be blowing around as much.”
“I used to hate being in the desert and the wind blowing like crazy trying to hold that darn tent straight.
“I remember those days and not fondly either.”
“I hated being out there for weeks no shower, hot sweaty man, I couldn’t stand myself I smelled so bad”
“Those definitely aren’t my best memories that’s for sure.”
“I’m right there with you.”
“Back to the map guys, we’ll need equipment to keep us dry if it rains, sat phone and snow boots winter weather equipment. I hear it’s snowing in the mountains now.”
“A group of people were talking about it in town. And, that guy in the store was telling us we needed to be careful because the weather can change in an instant up there.”
“That’s the difficult part about it we can’t predict the weather. We need to go over the coordinates again let’s make sure we have it mapped properly.”
“I’ll make a map and you two do the same then compare again.”
“Roger that.”
“Funny.”
“Dub, always the commander.”
“Ever since we were kids, he was always the leader.”
“The oldest is always the leader.”
“Who told you that?”
“Jesus.”
“What?”
“That’s right. That breath he blew when he created me came with a little extra insight.”
“If you weren’t my brother, I’d smack you for telling that lie Dub.”
I laughed. “Everyone always hates the truth.”
“Maybe it’s your version of it.”
“The truth is the truth.”
“Aww man whatever.”
BACK DOWN MEMORY LANE
GOCHIAN
Don & Trevor
My terror and horror began in the place that we all hold so dear. The place where we experienced life for the first time. The place where we experienced our highs and lows for the first time. This place for me always represented love, until I stumbled upon that first dead body. Since then, it’s lead me down a treacherous path. One that ended in me dreading to return to a place that I once called home and could honestly never seeing mysel
f being anywhere else. That’s what these people took from me. My safety, security, my blanket so to speak. No matter what I was going through, I always knew home would be there to wrap me up on the love that I left here.
I knew, we all knew, that in order for me to find peace in this new life that I’ve been forced to live, I had to come back and face my fears.
“How you feeling about being back?”
“I was thinking about that just now. Seems empty; a city with over three million people and it’s quiet to me.”
“That’s because of everything that’s happened.”
“I lost my family, my partner nothing is left.”
“No, you didn’t. You know where Jack and your family are. They’re with you every day.”
I pointed to his chest .
“Right here. Don’t do the pity party. You have a lot to be thankful for. Don’t ever forget it. Now let’s go to the next stop.”
“You’re right, man let’s go.”
The next stop was Luscious Gardens. When we were kids, Luscious Gardens was the location where most of the drug deals, murders, robberies and any other crime you can think of occurred. Our parents wouldn’t even drive by this place. If we met someone in school who lived here or even knew someone who lived here we were forbidden to talk to them. To prevent me from remaining friends with Carl Groves, our mom took me off the baseball team and enrolled me in a different after school program. There wasn’t one thing Luscious about these projects, that’s why they gave it that name. It was the antithesis of luscious. Brown grass, broken elevators, feces in the hallways, holes in the doors and it wreaked of urine. A broken swing set, a perfect example of every kid that came out of these projects; broken. Kids don’t have a childhood here. As soon as they can walk they learn to dodge bullets. They learn to walk over crack vials and empty syringes. They’re exposed to sex too soon. They learn how to commute with drunks, derelicts and drug addicts. They become babysitters to a mom who refuses to leave the streets. And, they learn what disappointments feels like due to the absenteeism of the man who wears the label dad. I’ve long been a supporter of forced sterilization. Yeah, I know it seems harsh. But, what’s more devastating? Preventing the continuous reproduction of soulless children or continuing to allow the most innocent among us to suffer senselessly?
We arrived at the apartment of Lala Brooks. Twenty-five years old listed occupation on the police report, stripper. She’s also a drug abuser.
My brothers all know this. I’ve never liked going into the projects. I don’t care how many weapons I’m legally allowed to carry. The fact that I can shoot someone on sight doesn’t make me feel better either. The projects is a representation of all that’s wrong with this country. How it failed it’s citizens. And, the shiny definition of how it deals with a body of people it deems useless and expendable. The projects shows the uncaring heartlessness of this nation. What’s sad is that it’ll never change.
“Hey, let’s hurry up. I hate coming down here.”
“Man, you’re a police officer. You kill people for sport especially people who look like this community.”
“Not funny and not all police officers are racist pricks.”
“They’re not? Please point out the one who isn’t. One other than the one that looks back at you from your mirror every morning.”
“Don, stop playing around with the jokes and let’s go.”
“Okay man, but this is the issue the community has with the police.”
“Yeah, yeah, just go ahead.”
“What are you doing?”
“I’m standing back here just in case you need some cover.”
“Man, stop being dumb! See, this is what I’m talking about, right there.”
I knocked on the door a few times and no one answered.”
“Knock on the door like you’re the police.”
I turned and gave Trevor a glance reeking of disgust. I knocked again, harder this time. Still there was no answer. I’m starting to become very uneasy with what we’re encountering.
“Trevor, can you believe.....” Trevor interrupts...”
“No one’s home?”
“No, I can’t believe that. And, did you look when we drove up? There are barely any children out here if any at all. The population of adults lingering outside is low. Which is unheard of in the projects. There’s always a bunch of shiftless people sitting outside on the stoop. Or just loitering doing nothing.”
“I know something is definitely out of order in this city. Do you notice there isn’t anyone out here dealing drugs?”
“Surely there has to be. Just keep looking.”
“No Don. There isn’t. I’ve been looking.”
“Let’s try to find someone to ask what’s going on.”
“Do you think we could get anything out of them that made sense?”
“Probably not, not enough to help us but it’s worth a try.”
We continued to walk through the projects looking for anyone we could ask a few questions to. We approached an older gentleman. The hair peeking under his cap was grey, his face was smooth, not a wrinkle but you could tell he’d been through a hard life. He had on an older wool coat and he was slightly bent over walking on a cane.
“Hey, excuse me old timer, how are you?”
“Oh, I’m doing fine today how are you son?”
“We’re good, sir.”
“I was wondering, if you could tell us where everyone is today?”
“Is it like this every day?”
“Like what?”
“Quiet. No one’s outside.”
“You mean there’s no riff raff loitering around.”
“No offense, sir but kinda, yes.”
“Oh, I’m not offended, since I don’t drink or do drugs. Had a lot of family who did, though. Haven’t seen them in a while. Just me and my wife.”
“What about all of the other residents?”
“Do you know anything about them?”
“Can’t say as I do, son.”
“There was a lot more people living here, right?”
“Yes, quite a few more I suppose but people have been leaving here lately.”
“Is that normal?”
“Now son, you know it’s not.”
“Did they say why they were moving?”
“I don’t think they said anything to anyone.”
“What do you mean?”
“They were here and then gone.”
“Did you see who moved them?”
“I didn’t, but the talk is a white van came in and moved them. Said, it was a service offered by the city.”
“That is unbelievable.”
“That’s because you know it is. The city ain’t gon’ do nothin’ for nobody down here.”
“Did you know any of the people who left?”
“Some personally yes. My wife, she knows every damn body. You know how women are. I knew a few of the older men. They doin’ fine.”
“Did any of the families report them missing to the police?”
“Of course not. No one down here trust the police. Especially the young ones cos they always into something.”
“Yes sir, I guess you’re right.”
“No, you know I’m right.”
“Sure. Yes sir.”
“How long you been here, sir?”
“Oh, ‘bout sixty years, grew up here. Worked at the steel mill until I retired. It was a good place to live and then it started going downhill. Now, it’s a good place to live again. They talking about fixing it up and making it better to look at I assume.”
“Yes, sir, probably so.”
“Well, we don’t want to keep you.”
“Thank you for your time, sir.”
“Oh, no problem, son come on back and visit when it’s fixed up nice.”
“Yes, sir we’ll do that.”
“All right.”
“These projects were full ever since I’ve known them to be here and even before we
were born.”
“I know. Mom used to talk about them when she grew up. How bad they were and they were nothing but trouble.”
“This is the second state, city and project home. We need to go visit some more here and then onto another state.”
“I’m anxious to figure this out. The Attorney General knew something wasn’t right.”
“Too bad he’s not here to tell us exactly what that is or what he was thinking it was.”
“I know. I wish he’d told his wife. At least we could talk to her to get some sense of what he was thinking.”
“He was protecting her, I think.”
“But, from what?”
“I believe what’s at the end of this tunnel we’re in holds the answers to that very question and so many more.”
“What you’re saying is we’re going to have to keep digging.”
“Bullseye.”
READY FOR ADVENTURE
SWEDEN
Mason, Scott, Dub
We spent a couple of days in the town resting up for the next leg of our adventure. When we all got up this morning, I was rested and raring to go.
We filled up on a nice breakfast went back to our hotel room packed up our things and started out to look for the next set of clues left by the Attorney General.
When we left this morning the town was very still. Our footsteps sounded so loud against the silence of our environment. I felt like I did when I sixteen and snuck out of the house to go to Lisa French’s summer party. I did everything I could to be quiet so my parents wouldn’t' hear me leaving. It didn’t work. My dad was waiting on me at the door. I was grounded for a month.
By the time the sun greeted us this morning we’d walked in my estimate about six miles. With all of the gear and equipment we were wearing, our bodies were bogged down with weight. I was feeling fatigued and I was certain Scott and Maser were too.
“How far until we make camp?”
“I feel fine, if that’s what you’re asking. However, there may not be another place to rest for miles.”