World of Ashes II

by J. K. Robinson

  There was utter silence in the room for a moment save a single box fan that poorly circulated the stale air. “Ethan’s alive?”

  “It would seem so.” Daniel let the confirmation sink in.

  Nicole’s face was a myriad of changing emotions, first shock, then understanding, then finally a grim realization. She lowered her head just slightly and barely made eye contact now. “What did he do now? Is he a Texan or something?” It looked like she might actually cry. The first sign to Daniel that Ethan had a history of hurting the people around him.

  “He’s wanted for the murder of Army Colonel Jeffry Sharp, 1st Viral Response Brigade, and for inciting rebellion, inciting riots, treason…” Daniel slid the tablet to Nicole, who perused the top layer of the file that had been gathered on her former betrothed. “And what do you mean, ‘do now’?” Daniel wished now he’d read the entire file before he came in, because Mrs. Bolton scrolled right up to Ethan’s DD201 file, the record of all of a serviceman’s exploits, awards and failures and on one poorly photocopied piece of paper you might as well sign in your own fucking blood.

  “Right here.”

  “Just tell me in your own words.”

  “Ethan was a drunk, and a fuckup, and a drug addict… but before that he was a good man. When I met him, in high school, he was such a sweetheart. Polite, respectful to me, respectful to my father. He and his brother were… a different breed.” She smiled. “I was dating an upper classman back then, Bobby ‘Bildo’ Dav…”

  “Look, I don’t really need a How I Met Your Mother story here. I just need to know about Ethan Cally.” Daniel interrupted, which was apparently one of Nicole’s pet peeves and she stared him down.

  “…Davidson. Ethan and I were close back then, maybe even too close for a proper lady to be with a man she didn’t plan to marry at the time.” Nicole waited for Daniel to interrupt again, but he didn’t and so she went on. “We didn’t officially get together for another year after high school. I didn’t tell him how I felt before he went to boot camp, or whatever the Army calls it, and by the time I knew I wanted to be with Ethan, knew I couldn’t be with Bobby anymore, Ethan was already dating some psychotic cow he’d met at a party the day after he came home.” Nicole smiled, remembering something funny. She decided to share the secret, since why not make this as painfully boring for Daniel as the government had made it for her? “I had a lot to do with getting rid of that bitch, I’m not ashamed to say. She was a total lunatic. Stole his car the day his grandpa passed away because she thought Ethan’s cousin was some random girl he was flirting with. Like I said, bat-shit crazy. So Ethan finally gets up the irritation and courage to dump her and we live happily ever after, right?”

  “Okay…”

  “Wrong.” She interrupted Daniel this time, proving she was running this conversation. “It was great, though, at first I suppose. We couldn’t be more different on our views on politics, but that was what Ethan said made us so much fun together. We’d argue, not in a bad way, for hours and never get anywhere. One year for Christmas he gave me an embroidered patch of the Democratic Party’s ‘Official’ Seal,” She said with quotation marks in the air. “It was a crying baby’s face in the center of a blue and white circle like the Gerber Baby, only not as cute. He seriously had to have spent twenty dollars on something I lit on fire right in front of him.” Nicole smiled, letting her thoughts escape into memory land. “But one thing he didn’t change after he left his ex, was his decision to transfer from the Missouri National Guard to the Regular Army. He was adamant that it was the right decision and he even gave me a whole sales pitch when I told him to pull his transfer request… Ethan was strong headed, maybe not so much in body though. I worried about him. I loved him. I didn’t want him to go, I didn’t want him to be half a world away when I needed someone to be there. But the bonus money, twenty thousand dollars, tax free for three years of playing Army Wife? Yeah, that was a major factor for me letting him go.” A single tear rolled down Nicole’s cheek. It opened a flood gate of many more. “We were going to put a down payment on a house with it. Have a magnificent wedding, go to Hawaii for our honeymoon… And then they happened to him.”

  “Who’s they?”

  “His unit. You know, the men he was supposed to be able to trust? They hated him. He wasn’t easy to get to know, his sense of humor was hard to explain and rubbed some, well a lot, of people the wrong way. He’d call me when it was night time for him, I could hear his voice grow less and less like the Ethan I knew until one day he called me… and he was absolutely high as a kite. One of his buddies had told him you could get drunk on cough syrup. He didn’t believe me it wasn’t alcohol, I think his heart was so broken already he didn’t want to hear it.” Nicole trailed off and took a deep breath, drinking from a water bottle she’d nearly finished. Daniel handed her a fresh one from the cooler a detective in the next room had.

  “I’ve seen that before. Robotrippers.” Daniel confided. “Lots of guys in Basic used to do it on the weekends. You know, the guys who thought they could give up smoking weed for a few years and realized they couldn’t. So what happened, they caught him?”

  “Only after he tried to beat one of the other E4’s with a tire-iron. Ethan wasn’t the only person in that platoon they targeted, and he felt so betrayed by this one guy in particular. Got put in a position above Ethan’s, but without the rank, turned from his best buddy into his personal bully overnight. They butted heads over everything, including the girl he was friends with. He wasn’t trying to screw her or anything, I’m not a monster, he had pictures from home to keep him warm at night… but he felt protective over her because anyone with a brain could see she was miserable, unable to cope. Ethan was just like that. He was a moody Gothic asshole who’d throw you into a locker for scuffing his uniform boots on inspection day, but would be the first to give you a ride home if you missed the bus no matter how far into the country you lived. All the kids would party at his parent’s house on New Years because all they had to do was hand over their car keys and stay till they sobered up, no judgements, no police. His parents were kind and generous, his grandparents too. He wasn’t mentally fit to deal with their level of self-immolating bullshit.

  “And then she died. The girl he knew in Iraq, I used to remember her name, he said it a thousand times and I ignored him.” She sighed deeply with regret. “He’d call me, upset and frustrated that he couldn’t do anything to protect her after they’d sent him to another job on their base. His former friend, this backstabbing little prick named Tom Something tried to court martial him for bringing an iPod into a prison where they were guards. Ethan forgot it was in his backpack, the guy was trying to get promoted and knew it would still be in there from an overnight mission, because he knew Ethan had better things to worry about. He really fucked him over for his personal gain and they got in a fight over it. Ethan had already taken so much of their shit he just didn’t care anymore. You have to understand, getting in a fight is as far outside Ethan’s character as it gets. He and his brother used to fight, but they’re brothers. He used to get picked on for being fat, or weird, or whatever. So while they let Ethan cool his heels building boxes or peeling potatoes, or whatever it is the Army does when they hate you, the girl shot herself because there was nobody left to protect her. He thinks her sergeant put the gun in her hand because she wasn’t supposed to have a gun anymore; suicide watch. They knew she was going nuts, but somehow she was still left alone with a loaded gun? That’s just fucking stupid. So Ethan and his buddy, the one who was peddling cough syrup and moonshine to the other men, threatened the guy they thought did it, as well as his former friend Tom. They were idiots, but they used to be good men, ya know? So they went to the brig for a minute and that’s when someone went through the other guy’s room and found all the booze and drugs. So Ethan went down for it all too, guilt by association. The sergeant they thought was guilty was cleared of all charges for lack of evidence, the dick who started it all mustered out without a
scratch on his record, and Ethan became the unit’s only target. For another six months after the deployment he was their whipping boy, because he was the only one who didn’t go along with the official story. The only one who refused to trust the same sergeants when the new privates filled in the ranks of those who transferred out. By then though, I wasn’t listening to him anymore. There was always another way to handle all this, and then there was Ethan’s way.”

  All Daniel could think to say was, “…shit.”

  “And just to add insult to injury, the Army put its boot heal down on them the day before they were supposed to come home. I had to cancel my flight, the unit went home and left him and that stupid friend of his in Kuwait for two weeks until the last flight for that deployment left the country. When I got him back, finally, he was… He wasn’t Ethan anymore. His confidence, his good nature, even his sarcasm was all just… gone. He wasn’t him anymore. He was dark, not just because he wore black all the time, but it was like his soul was dead. Some skinny, blank version of my Teddy Bear was wearing his uniform, using his name… I wish he would have died over there, Agent Sawyer. And trust me, so does he.”

  “…Jesus…” Daniel took the tablet back and turned it off. He took off his earpiece and microphone and turned them off too. “I’m not trying to be a dick here, I’m former Army myself, I get that I can come across as being somewhat crass… but I didn’t even join the Army until 2015. I missed both of the wars, my job wouldn’t even have been useful overseas.” Daniel had to think about where he was going with this. “What I’m trying to say here is, I’ve seen those men before. I have been stationed under men who’s moral compass was so fucked up they couldn’t find the shitter. The good ones always leave, and the worst ones just keep getting promoted.” Daniel changed the subject after the insight into his nemesis’ mind. “Is there anything else you can tell me, anything that might not be on his 201 file?”

  Nicole shrugged. “He’s not a bad guy, Agent Sawyer. I’m sure if he killed that man he had a good reason for it. He wouldn’t just murder someone, even that Tom asshole.”

  “There is, unfortunately, no good reason under the law to murder anyone. All eye-witness accounts suggest that Mr. Cally did in fact do everything he’s accused of.”

  “Okay, but did he threaten the President? Because that doesn’t explain why the Secret Service is interested in him, just for killing a soldier. We’re at war, it’s a civil war, Agent Sawyer. Wouldn’t that be like, the FBI’s job or something? Where is Ethan, by the way? Did he make it back to Sullivan?”

  “I’m here to investigate any plausible threat to the President, including insurrectionists.”

  “Did he threaten the President?” She asked again. “He’s not a fan, granted, but threats aren’t exactly his style.”

  “What is his style then, Mrs. Bolton?”

  Nicole clammed up. “Should I be speaking to a lawyer? Because my dad’s lawyer survived. He lives in District Six. I think I’d like to talk to him before we go any farther.”

  Daniel nodded. “I understand. The political climate here isn’t what it used to be. Threats of treason are taken much more seriously now. Spies from Texas, they’re everywhere. It’s plausible that if someone like you were to still have contact with someone like Mr. Cally, the Secret Service and the United States of America would be sincerely grateful if you’d let us know about it. Remember, safety is everyone’s priority.” Daniel quoted a poster he’d read in the mail room one day. It was probably meant to remind people not to drop heavy stuff on their feet, but it worked in this situation too.

  “Shut up. Just… Shut your stupid fucking face.” The curse words were actually shocking coming from someone who looked like a librarian. “Tell me one thing. Did he move on too?”

  Daniel nodded again. “He has a wife and son listed on the census report Colonel Sharp filed before his death.”

  “A son?” Nicole smiled. “We used to talk about kids once.” Her smile faded. “I said some really nasty things to him about having kids. Said that, even if I did want kids, and I didn’t… I don’t want them with him.”

  Even Daniel had to admit that was harsh. “In your honest opinion, Mrs. Bolton, is Ethan J. Cally a threat to the President or the United States of America?”

  Nicole finally straightened up and looked Daniel dead in the eyes. “The man I was going to marry… If he broke your friend’s face in with a brick like the report says,” she gave the tablet with the report on the Battle of Sullivan back to Daniel. “…then your guy is the one who made him do it. But I wasn’t there. I won’t testify against Ethan if you bring him in, if he’s had even half the experiences I have he wouldn’t even be the same person I knew. I don’t even want him to know I’m still alive, Agent Sawyer. We were never going to make it before, but the crisis kept making me push it back, stick with him a little longer until things cooled down… now that we’ve both moved on, you said he’s a Sheriff now?, well then that means he’s better and I want him to stay that way. All I’d do is remind him of a life we both no longer live.”

  Taking a deep breath of his own, Daniel thanked Mrs. Bolton for her time and escorted her to the out-processing lobby where civilians with passes could come in and out of the bunker for work. He had to admit, whoever this Ethan guy was, he had good taste in women. Whether Nicole noticed it or not, Daniel unashamedly watched her rear in those tight jeans until she was out of sight. What did he care? He was married, he couldn’t touch anymore, so why not just appreciate the view?

  Deputy Director Locodo appeared behind Daniel. “Did you learn anything useful?”

  “I think so, ma’am.” Daniel decided it was time to manipulate the system a little. “I’ve heard recently that Senior Agents have been assigned to military units to assess threats to Potus and ensure political mandates are being met.”

  “Indeed.” Locodo nodded.

  “I’d like to request an assignment, Ma’am.”

  “I had hoped you would.” She said. “You’ll have your orders before the end of your shift.” She walked away too, not quite as pleasant to look at, like the First Lady, but shorter.

  Back home, or at least in their subterranean apartment, Kelly threw a shit-fit when Daniel told her about his day. She was military too, but she went where the Air Force sent her, she didn’t go asking for assignments in combat zones. Her argument, however, was not good enough to trump her husband’s need to go on this mission.

  “It’s not about Sharp, Kelly. I hope he’s burning in hell. I’m going because I want to know how Hugh died. I’ve lost so many friends, family. No answers anywhere. If I have a chance to bring just one person to justice, just this once, I’m going to take it.”

  “You’re in the Secret Service, Dan. Not the Marshals. Let them bring this guy in, let the system do its job.” Kelly laid down her final argument while Daniel stuffed more socks into his duffle bag. She felt like slapping him.

  “The system is broken.” Daniel hated to go down such a cliché path. “The Army only has one way of dealing with Rebels, and that’s to shoot them. If they go in and just kill everyone, I’ll never find out what happened to him.”

  “What makes you think they even know?” Kelly slapped a pair of underwear out of Daniel’s hands. “I’m not saying Hugh wasn’t important, but to them, he’d just be another man with a gun. They’ll know who Sharp was, but…”

  Daniel picked his drawers up, but hesitated before packing them. “Then at the least, I’m going to make sure there’s at least one person left alive who can tell me where Hugh’s buried. I won’t let him rot in some nameless field in a land he’s never been to before. No soldier deserves that.”

  Kelly relented. “Do you promise that’s all you want? To bring Hugh’s body home? Fuck this sheriff, he probably had a good reason. Hell, you may have helped him had you been there. This might be a chance to rekindle a peaceful relationship. If you could just-”

  Finally a smile cracked on Daniel’s face. “Yeah… To bring
Hugh home. I can do that.”

  Hugging her husband, as she felt he truly needed it, Kelly walked away with the relief of knowing she’d won the argument, even if Daniel was still going on the mission. As she headed to the next room, Daniel’s only thought was on how close he’d come to betraying his true intentions. Sheriff Ethan Cally wasn’t going to die because he’d killed Colonel Sharp. No, he deserved a medal for that. The man was going to die because he killed Daniel’s last friend.

  Notes from the Author:

  If you didn’t read World of Ashes, and thought this would make any sense to you, shame on you. There’s a reason “II” is on the cover. However, it’s not a total loss, you didn’t just skip to number “III”, so there’s still time to read the first one and figure out who Sheriff Ethan J. Cally is, and why there should have been ominous music playing during the last chapter.

  *

  I feel I should give a special mention to another author, John. H. Holmes, creator and editor of the “Even Zombie Killers Get the Blues” anthology. What ended up being World of Ashes: II was originally supposed to be a short entry into one of his independent author compilations. That story would have ended at Crystal River, but I just couldn’t let it go. I feel kinda bad about commandeering my own entry, but in the end it will be for the best.

  *

  Yes, the character of Nicole is largely based on my own ex-fiancé. No, I’m not going to tell you what happened. Mix ammonia and bleach and you’ll get the picture.

  (p.s. Don’t actually mix ammonia and bleach. That makes chlorine gas and you might die before you can read the next book!)

  Vocab

  Field Expedient Happy Sack: Slang; an improvised male-masturbation aid consisting of a sock, a latex glove, two blousing straps, and some lube. You figure it out from there.

  IR Tab: Patch of plastic material that reflects infrared light. Used by U.S. and allied nations to mark Friendly Combatants to prevent fratricide. Our heroes use them to mark zombies.