by CJ Davis
Reese considered the situation. The hum of the refrigerator filled the silence.
“Well, you have to let me get involved,” Reese said at last.
“I can’t, they’re going to kill her!”
“Call them back, and give me the damn phone!” Reese said.
Reese watched Pancho dial the number. The man’s hands were shaking so badly, that he almost dropped the phone.
“It’s ringing,” said Pancho tersely, shoving it towards Reese.
Reese took a deep breath and put the phone to his ear. The ring was a dry staccato. An international call.
“Hola.” The voice was deep and raspy.
“This is Reese Hawthorne, a very close friend to Pancho,” Reese declared. “I’m getting on a plane with a million dollars in cash tonight. I want you to tell me where to meet you, so we can make this exchange.”
“Suddenly Pancho has the money?”
“Don’t worry where the money is coming from,” Reese said.
The man didn’t say anything. Reese gripped the phone so tightly that his knuckles were white.
No response.
“Listen, you can either get paid tomorrow, or kill a helpless young girl, what’s it gonna be?” Reese demanded.
Pancho gripped his knees so tightly that he looked like he was going to rip holes in his raggedy jeans.
Reese scrambled to think of something else to say. Just when he thought he’d lost the call, the man responded. “5:00 o’clock in a white building six miles East of Cheran,” The voice was loud, almost angry. “Take the road by the cemetery. Don’t be late.” There was a click and the line went dead.
Reese felt a shot of adrenaline shudder down his spine.
“What, what did he say?” Pancho asked. He shot up out of his chair with his hands on his head. His fingers dug through his salty black hair.
Reese tossed the phone back to Pancho.
“It’s time to pack my bags, Coach,” Reese declared. “I’m going to Mexico to get your daughter back.”
Chapter 3
Afterlife - Present Day: It took a long minute for Reese to get his bearings after they stepped out onto the street. He was in the middle of the city, but the air had the fresh tingly feel of a cool breeze sliding off a mountain stream. The sun momentarily blinded him as it reflected off the white pristine skyscrapers all around him, towering so high above, that he had to crane his neck to see the tops. Hundreds of people, dressed in varying shades of green, filled the sidewalk and spilled into the streets. Reese had to move quickly to stay out of their way. He quickly realized it was going to be a lot harder than he thought to find his Dad.
Seemingly oblivious to him being a little overwhelmed, Marquis dragged Reese across a wide street, narrowly missing collision with a battered hover car that appeared suddenly from around the corner.
"This is amazing," Reese said in awe. “It’s not what I was expecting at all.”
"Yeah, not even close I imagine,” Marquis replied. “I’ve yet to witness a soul that didn’t have the same look on their face that you have right now, after seeing Asgelot for the first time."
Strange noises filled the area. Reese’s head swiveled back and forth as he tried to identify everything in the area. Suddenly he crashed into a woman, knocking her down. Embarrassment throttled his mind.
Reese stretched his arm out to the frail woman to help her up. Before he could apologize she glanced nervously at Marquis’ red armband, and stood without accepting Reese’s aid. She walked toward a long line of people, who were pulling packed carts filled to the brim with common household items.
“You gotta watch where you’re going pal,” Marquis said with a smile.
“Thanks for the tip, say where are they going?” Reese asked. He pointed at the group with carts.
His face cloaked with discontent, Marquis swayed his hand at them.
“Those fools are just skittish Greens, and are scared of a war breaking out between the Blues and the Reds,” Marquis said. “They’re getting as far away from this part of the city as they can.”
Reese raised both eyebrows. He looked closer at the fleeing people and noticed fear and despair on many of their faces.
"What’s a Green?" Reese asked.
“A Green is everybody in the Afterlife, other than the souls who have special powers, also known as the Reds and the Blues,” Marquis replied. “I have no respect for the Greens, because they won’t pick a side. The significant amount of people in the Afterlife are Greens, upwards to 95 percent."
“Advanced groups?” Reese asked.
“Yeah, there really is a lot for you to learn and you’re an inquisitive one,” Marquis said with a chuckle. He squinted his eyes as he looked at Reese. “Along with spending time with a transition guide, I would highly recommend checking out the History Archives. It’s a great place. I like to go every once in a while. Over the years they’ve updated their entertainment value to really spice up the presentation. They’ve even incorporated animatronics acting out some of the events in the Afterlife history, for nostalgia reasons. It’s an homage for those from the second half of the twentieth century who loved Disney World rides. It’s just flat out cool.”
Reese was definitely interested in the History Archive. He was trying to imagine what the animatronics would look like, when Marquis distracted him from his thoughts. He navigated Reese around a sharp corner toward a larger street filled with an even bigger crowd. The intense sounds and sights from the busy city plaza threatened to blur his senses. He took a deep breath and refocused on the moment.
In the distance a massive red structure caught Reese’s eye. He could not take his eyes off the ancient building, which had an ornate blend of Indian and Arabian architecture. Sunbeams shot through many of the angular pillars and towers.
"That’s the Red temple," Marquis said with a hint of awe in his voice. "Reds are one of the advanced groups you were asking about. We all have the opportunity to one day be Reds.”
Marquis dipped his head slightly. “I hope to someday join the Red order. I will do anything to be a Red. This is why I’m wearing this red armband. I’ve made a pledge to the Red order. After my pledgeship, if I prove myself worthy, I will join their ranks."
"Why is it so important to you?" Reese asked. The ambient sound of the crowd around them made it difficult for him to hear Marquis.
"When I first arrived in the Afterlife I wanted more than anything to be with my wife again. I was certain that we were Inseparables, but when I finally saw her again, I learned she had fallen in love with another man and married him after I died on Earth. She and this other man are now together in the Afterlife.”
“That’s terrible,” Reese said. The awkwardness was palpable.
“I love her more than anything,” Marquis continued, not making eye contact.
Reese shook his head as he empathized with Marquis. The thought of a man's wife being with another man made him slightly sick to his stomach.
“To make matters worse, this man happens to be a very powerful Red, named Kublai,” Marquis said. “He’s one of the highest in the order, and somehow my wife fell in love with him. Can you believe that? Talk about awful luck.”
“I want to be more powerful than Kublai someday so that I can have my wife all to myself," Marquis declared.
"Well it sounds like anything is possible here," Reese said, trying to lift Marquis’s spirits.
“Well, it is what it is,” Marquis replied. He lifted his head and walked again with bolstering confidence.
“You know, you seem like an all right guy,” Marquis said. “Would you be interested in coming with me to a play tonight? The performers are amazing, and the production quality is always outstanding. The play is being held to honor the opening ceremonies of the Centennial,”
Reese barely knew this guy, but realized it was the perfect opportunity to learn more about this world, and maybe even find his Dad.
“Come on man, you don’t really want me to join you?
” Reese asked.
“No of course,” Marquis replied. “You seem like the kind of guy that would fit in nicely with my crew.”
"Sure, I can go with you,” Reese said, shoving his uncertainties aside.
“Great,” Marquis said. “You’ll not regret it.”
Suddenly, out of his peripheral vision Reese saw a sickly man falling almost right on top of him. He was glad when Marquis reached over him and shoved the grotesque man away in disgust.
“Get away from us, vermin!” Marquis yelled. The man muttered incoherently and stumbled away a few feet before he fell down on the street. The mindless foot traffic went around the man like a stream flows around a dead branch.
Reese was surprised that nobody went to the man’s aid.
“That’s a man on the verge of becoming a Lost Soul,” Marquis said.
“What’s a Lost Soul?” Reese asked.
“It’s simple. We all need to grow spiritually or mentally in the Afterlife and some people just give up.”
“Huh?” Reese asked. “But how could anybody let themselves turn into a Lost Soul?”
“Constantly keeping your soul in a state of growth seems very easy to do, but much more difficult to carry out while facing eternity,” Marquis said. “After a while some souls just cannot stay focused anymore. Usually it’s a slow decline, but sometimes they get really violent. They usually get banished outside the city walls before they become too dangerous, but you’ve gotta stay on your toes if one of them starts to follow you. You’ll get flashed for sure.”
“Flashed?” asked Reese.
“Yeah, you know,” Marquis gave him a puzzled look, “Okay, maybe not. You die on Earth, you come here, but if you die here?” he makes an open handed gesture. “It’s all over.”
Reese had so many questions in his head, but was interrupted by the hum of several hover cars swooshing by. They had finally arrived at the processing center. Reese had to duck as one car flew just over his head as it landed. The wind from the car pushed him forward, and a shock of adrenaline flooded his body.
“You gotta stay on your toes around here,” Marquis said.
“Easy for you to say,” Reese said. “I’m still getting used to the idea of their even being hover cars.”
“Well, you better learn quickly,” Marquis said. He turned and pointed at Reese and winked. “So I’ll meet you in front of the building at 8:00 sharp. Don’t be late.”
“I won’t!” Reese shouted as Marquis disappeared into the crowded street. Hundreds walked toward the processing center from the street all around Reese.
The area amazed him. He got dizzy looking up as he tried to spot the top of the futuristic skyscraper. It was so tall that the tip disappeared into the clouds. People were bumping into him as they tried to get around him.
“Hey, you can’t stand there!” A man yelled at Reese. He was posted at the door. He wore a green uniform that said Asgelot Processing Center across his chest in dark green letters. “Keep on moving in an orderly fashion into the processing center!”
“Can you believe these noobs?” One of the uniformed men screamed to the other.
“They seem to get dumber by the minute,” the man replied, followed by a chuckle. Reese watched the men sway their arms systematically as they directed traffic into the building.
Reese dropped his shoulders and joined the masses of people filing though the doors. He glared at the men as he walked by them. He recognized their demeanor. They were a lot like Ivan.
Chapter 4
Mexico - The Recent Past: A single drop of sweat trickled down Reese’s forehead and dripped into his eye. The salt stung, but he resisted the urge to lift his arm. He didn’t want to give the four heavily armed men standing on the other side of the dirt road a reason to pull their triggers.
Reese gripped his handgun tightly, and forced himself to aim it towards the ground.
“You must be Reese,” The only man without a machine gun said. He had jet-black hair and Ray Ban sunglasses. His loose button-down cotton shirt swayed in the dry wind. “My name’s Hector.”
Reese nodded. He recognized the man’s voice as the one he talked to over the phone. There was no warmth in the voice, only a frightening flatness.
“Is Jessica in the van?” Reese asked.
“Of course she is,” the man replied. He inspected his fingernails casually.
“Get her out of the van,” Reese demanded. It took conscious effort to breathe slowly, to stay calm.
“First things first,” Hector said. “We both know there’s no way you have a million dollars in that bag.”
“I have $50,000, and I’ll tell you were the rest of the money is as soon as Jessica’s safe,” Reese replied.
A moment passed. Reese heard the screech of a large bird circling high above the barren landscape.
“Are we just supposed to take your word for it?” The tone was almost mocking.
“I’ll take you to the money,” Reese replied. “Now let Jessica out of the van.”
Hector shook his head slowly. “She’s not able to walk very well.” Hector shrugged. “You’re going to have to go to her.”
Reese’s thumb traced the edge of the pistol grip. If he shot now, Hector would be dead, but there was no way to know what might happen to Jessica.
Reese dropped the bag and walked cautiously towards the van. The dried up mud crunched under his shoes. Above him, the Mexico sun gave no quarter.
“You have nothing to worry about Reese,” Hector said. “We just want your money.”
Reese ignored him as his tactical training took over. He looked for blind spots after every single step, and kept the armed men under constant vigilance.
After walking though some tall grass, Reese finally reached the white construction van. He peered in the back window and kept his gun pointed in the general direction of the men. He saw a figure completely wrapped in a blanket, and crouched down in the far side of the van. He opened the door and crawled in the van while still facing the men. The inside of the van smelled like old dirt and dried up vegetation.
He glanced around the area one last time. His vigilance remained focused on the men outside the van. With his free hand Reese guided his way back taking backward steps until he felt the grimy blanket just behind him.
”Jessica it’s Reese. Can you walk?”
Without warning Reese felt a sharp hot pain in his back, and heard a zapping noise. He instantly lost control of his body when the volts of electricity shot through his nervous system.
The next thing he remembered was being kicked out of the vehicle, hitting the hard dusty ground with a thud. He no longer had his gun.
Reese rolled over to his front. The shock had left his ribcage numb. He struggled to grasp for air.
In less than a heartbeat, the rest of the guerillas were upon him, kicking him and pummeling him. He did the best to shield his head with his arms, but it was not enough. A heavy boot struck the back of his head, causing his ears to ring. Twice he tried to cry out to make them stop, but the metallic taste of blood in his mouth made him sputter.
Abruptly it was over. Curled into the fetal position, with his hands protecting the back of his neck, Reese froze, motionless.
“Ring the bell, “Hector said. “This match is over.” He crouched over he was laughing so hard. “This is one fight you should’ve avoided, and to think my men were so nervous about capturing such a skilled fighter.”
Circled around Reese, Hector’s men were panting heavily and sweating profusely.
“We don’t just want a measly million dollars from you,” Hector added. “Now that the famous and wealthy Reese Hawthorne is involved we know we can get a heck of a lot more than that.”
Reese felt one last hard hit to the head, a bright flash filled his mind, and the world around him turned to gray.
***
The drone of countless insects filled Reese’s ears. His head throbbed. Following a frivolous attempt to sit up, sharp pains shot through most
of his body.
A damp cloth was pressed to his forehead. He opened his eyes, only to find the concerned face of a woman gazing down at him. He closed his eyes long enough to realize two things; his head was resting on what could only be a lady’s lap, and even in the muted shadows, she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.
A figure shuffled across the other side of a dark room appearing only for a moment in the illuminating moonlight. As he watched, they eased down to the floor to sit next to somebody leaning up against a cement wall that was smattered with cracks and dark stains.
“Who are you?” Reese asked.
The woman only shook her head, and pressed her slender fingers across his lips. “They beat us if they hear us talking, so we have to be very quiet,” the woman whispered. “My name is Kate.”
“Where’s Jessica?” Reese said softly.
“They took her away to call her dad,” she replied. “Wait, how do you know Jessica?”
“I’m an old family friend,” Reese whispered. “I came to Mexico to pay off her ransom, and they jumped me.”
Kate, or was it Katrina? The woman shrugged and bowed her head, as though she were going to speak. The flicking light from some kind of fire outside caught her face. Young, then, with fine hair that has seen better days.
“God, you’re beautiful,” said Reese, and he meant it.
That evoked a small grin. Without warning, she cupped his chin in her hand and nudged him until he looked up into her eyes. The critical look that he found there reminded him of his fighting days when a doctor would look for signs of a concussion. He got the feeling she knew what she was doing.
“I’ve been here a few days.” She whispered back. “You’ve been badly beaten.”
“I’ve had it worse,” Reese muttered.
Reese felt stupid after saying it. Kate clearly wasn’t the type of girl to be impressed by tough guys.