Creeping Tyranny

by Robert Boren

  Justin was quiet for a moment.

  “You don’t think they’ll really come back, do you?” Morgan asked.

  “I doubt it,” Robbie said. “Don’t worry about it, okay?”

  “Can’t help it,” she said, getting closer to him.

  “Sorry,” Justin said.

  “Look, we’re all nervous,” Robbie said. “We’ll just have to deal with it.”

  “I know,” he said. “I’m going to bed. See you in the morning.”

  He went down stairs. Killer got up and followed him.

  “He likes to fight with everybody, doesn’t he?” Morgan whispered.

  Robbie chuckled. “Yeah, pretty much. He’s an okay guy, though.”

  “I know,” she said. “Can we go to bed now?”

  “Sure,” Robbie said. He switched off the TV and they got up. “You sure you don’t want me to stay out here? The couches are fine.”

  “No,” she said as he helped her up. “I’m not kicking you out of your room, and, besides I don’t want to be alone. It’s too scary.”

  “Okay,” Robbie said. They went into the bedroom and shut the door behind them.

  “You can have the bathroom first,” Robbie said.

  “No, you go ahead,” Morgan said. “It’ll take me a few minutes to dig through my stuff.”

  “Okay,” Robbie said. He got his toothbrush and his gym shorts and went into the bathroom. His heart was pounding. What if they do show up? He brushed his teeth, trying to push the thoughts out of his mind, but it wasn’t working. Can I protect her? He took his clothes off and put on his gym shorts, suddenly wishing he’d brought a t-shirt in with him.

  “You decent?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’ll change in there,” she said.

  Robbie took a deep breath and came out of the bathroom, heading for the bed in a hurry. He grabbed the TV remote off the nightstand and switched it on. “Mind?”

  “No, not at all,” she said. “Be back in a few minutes.”

  Robbie rolled through the channels as Morgan puttered in the bathroom, door ajar. He got out of bed and switched off the ceiling lights, then turned on her bedside table lamp and hurried back into bed. Nothing much on local TV. They were still running the video from the mall over and over. He went to CNN. They were talking about rumors that Texas would leave the Union. What?

  The bathroom door opened, and Morgan walked out in a long t-shirt with a picture of Tweety on the front. She tossed her dirty clothes on the floor, then turned to the TV and brushed her hair a few more strokes, the t-shirt lifting a little too high. Robbie tried not to look.

  “Anything on?” she asked.

  “Nothing but rehash of the mall video on the local channels. This discussion is about Texas.”

  “There’s trouble there too, I heard,” she said, turning towards him, setting the brush down on the dresser. She climbed into bed, watching him as he tried to keep his eyes off her. “Don’t be nervous, I don’t bite.”

  “Sorry,” he said.

  “Are you afraid of me?” she asked.

  “No,” he said quickly.

  She rolled onto her side facing him, studying his eyes. “You are a little. It’s okay.”

  Robbie looked at her soft, pretty face, her eyes misty. “I’m fine, Morgan. Sure you’re okay?”

  She reached out and petted the side of his face. “Think I’ll turn off the light.” She turned and reached for the light switch, shutting it off, then came back down on her side facing away from him.

  “Good night,” Robbie said.

  “Why are you so far away?”

  “I’m right here,” he said.

  “I’d feel better if you were closer. We can spoon, can’t we?”

  Robbie moaned. “If we do that, I might…you know.”

  She giggled. “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t react at least a little bit. It’s natural. Don’t worry about it.” She scooted backwards until she was against him. “See, it’s not so bad.”

  “Easy for you to say,” he said. “When you react at least you can hide it.”

  She giggled again. “You’re so funny. Don’t worry about it. I feel safe like this.”

  “Good,” Robbie said softly.

  “You aren’t reacting anyway,” she said. “I’d feel it.”

  “I’m trying really hard not to,” he said.

  She laughed. “What, are you thinking of dead puppies and grandma?”

  They both chuckled, the movement of them against each other more than Robbie could take.

  “Well finally,” she said. “I was starting to feel bad.” She reached for his arm and pulled it over herself, moving tighter against him.

  “You’re not making it any easier.”

  “Sorry.” She chuckled again, her body shaking against him.

  Robbie’s heart was racing. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

  “Yes,” she said. “Sorry if I’m making you uncomfortable.” Her hand came up and caressed his arm, still draped over her. “Thank you so much for bringing me here.”

  “No problem,” he said.

  “What if we have to leave? Will you take me with you?” Her body shook slightly.

  “Are you crying?” Robbie asked.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  He moved his hand up to pet her hair. “Of course you can come with us.”

  “I don’t want to be a burden on you guys.”

  “Why do you think you’re a burden?” Robbie asked.

  “I don’t know,” she said. “I guess because I’m somebody else you have to protect.”

  “We’ll protect each other,” Robbie said. “Don’t worry. Try to get some sleep.”

  “What if things get better? Will you leave me behind then?”

  Robbie chuckled. “You really have a bad opinion of yourself, don’t you?”

  “Sometimes,” she said.

  “I like you,” Robbie said. “Can’t you tell?”

  “All guys react when they’re up against a girl,” she said.

  “I wasn’t talking about that,” Robbie said. “You’re nice and you’re fun to talk to and you’re beautiful. We’re only just getting to know each other, but I like you a lot so far. I don’t want you to leave, no matter what happens. Okay?”

  “You haven’t tried anything,” she said.

  “Give it time. Trust me, I’m interested.”

  “Maybe a little more interested now,” she said, pushing back against him, moving her hips around.

  “That’s not fair.” Robbie chuckled. “Go to sleep. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she said.

  The closeness was helping Robbie as much as it helped Morgan. They both drifted off. Every so often Robbie would stir, feeling the warm body moving next to him. He’d had girlfriends before, but this was different. Strange and exciting and scary all at once.

  The sun came through the window, waking Robbie.

  “You’re awake,” Morgan said. He was on his back. She moved closer, resting herself against his side, her arm over him. “I haven’t slept that well in a couple weeks.”

  Robbie turned to her, their faces only inches apart as they studied each other. Then he realized that her nightgown was off.

  “I know, sorry,” she said. “I got sweaty in the middle of the night. Hope you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t mind,” Robbie said. There it was again. He felt himself. She looked at him with a knowing smile.

  “Feels like morning.” She giggled and moved her leg over his torso.

  “You really know how to torture a guy, don’t you?”

  She kissed him, just lightly, then climbed out of bed, careful to keep her back to him as she pulled her nightgown back over her head. “I’ll cook breakfast. Pancakes okay?”

  “You’re just full of surprises,” Robbie said.

  She came back over, her face serious as she bent down to him and kissed him, this time with passion.

  “What was that for?” Robbie asked as she
pulled away.

  “Partly a thank you,” she said. Then she got a sly smile on her face. “Partly to let you know I like you. A lot.”

  She turned and went to her bag, pulled out some clothes, and went into the bathroom to change. Then she slipped out of the bedroom. Robbie laid there, mind racing.

  Chapter 10 – Paseo Del Mar

  “Harry!” Sam shouted in the darkness.

  “He’s hit in the thigh,” Clem shouted. “Looks like a big flesh wound, but I’ll put my belt around it so he doesn’t bleed too much.”

  “Yeah,” Sam said. “Do that. John, help him, okay? I’ll check this vehicle out. Make sure nobody else is alive inside.”

  “Got it,” John said.

  “Damn, this hurts,” Harry said.

  “It’s going to take all three of us to get him into the back of your Jeep,” Clem yelled.

  “No problem,” Sam said. “Vehicle’s clean. It’s a frigging GAZ Tigr.”

  “What’s that?” John asked.

  “Russian version of a Humvee,” Clem said. “Read about them.”

  “Who wants to drive it back?” Sam asked.

  “I will,” Clem said. “Let’s get Harry taken care of now, though.”

  Sam rushed over and they wrestled the big man into the back of the Jeep.

  “Damn, Harry, how much do you eat?” Clem said.

  “Shut up,” Harry said, laughing. “Ouch.”

  Sam got into the driver’s seat of the Jeep. Clem rushed over to the Tigr with John. They drove to the access road. Sam stopped after they got off the highway and motioned for Clem to pull next to him.

  “You gonna lock the gate back up?” Clem asked from the driver’s seat of the Tigr.

  “No. John, call 911 okay?”

  “I don’t need no damn ambulance,” Harry shouted from the back of the Jeep. “Let Dr. Grace look at me when we get back.”

  “You sure?” Sam asked.

  “Yeah,” Harry said. “Lock the gate.”

  Sam nodded and jumped out of the Jeep, running to the gate to close and lock it. He was back in the driver’s seat in a few seconds, racing up the road with the Tigr behind him. They pulled inside the park and stopped next to the office.

  “Sam!” Connie shouted as she ran out to meet them. “Thank God.”

  “Call Dr. Grace,” he said. “Harry got shot.”

  “Oh no,” Connie said. She rushed into the office to look up his number.

  “Where’s Harry?” Nancy asked as she hurried over.

  “He got shot,” Clem said.

  “No!” she said, rushing to the Jeep.

  “Don’t worry, woman, I’m gonna be okay,” Harry said. After a delay that felt longer than it was, the retired doctor arrived.

  “Thanks, Dr. Grace,” Nancy said.

  He nodded and rushed over to the back of the Jeep, setting his black bag down next to Harry. He pulled out scissors.

  “You’re not gonna cut my damn jeans, are you?” Harry asked.

  “Yeah, I am,” he said. “Relax. If this looks even a little dicey, I’m calling 911. Oh, and by the way, you’re gonna need pain meds either way.”

  “You can still prescribe, right?”

  Dr. Grace sighed. “Yeah, but I try to avoid it. I’m supposed to be retired, remember?”

  “I know, Doc. Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he said as he cut open the jeans. He pulled out a small flashlight and took a close look. “You’re lucky. We can probably just clean up the wound and bandage it. No square dancing tonight, though.”

  Harry cracked up. “Good excuse. Nancy won’t like it.”

  “I heard that, you old fart,” Nancy said from behind Dr. Grace.

  Harry laughed hard.

  “Hold still, dammit,” Dr. Grace said. Then he stuck his head out of the back of the Jeep. “Hey, Connie, you guys have a stretcher around here?”

  “Yeah,” Connie said. “I’ll round up some of the men and bring it over. Where do you want to put him?”

  “One of the clubhouse tables would be good,” Dr. Grace said.

  “What are you gonna do to him?” Nancy asked.

  “Not much, but I want to see the other side of this. I’ll have to roll him on his side. Can’t do it back here.”

  “Here they are,” Connie said.

  Several of the men held the stretcher, as they helped roll Harry onto it.

  “Ouch!” Harry shouted.

  They got him loaded and rushed him to the clubhouse, putting him on the first table inside the door. Dr. Grace moved the bench away from one side. “Need more light in here.”

  “Okay,” Connie said. She switched on the ceiling lights. “That enough?”

  “Yeah,” Dr. Grace said. “Help me roll him on his side.”

  John and Clem leapt in to help, Harry crying out, but not as loud as when the Doc started probing the wound.

  “Harry!” Nancy cried, going over to him and petting his head as the Doc started to work.

  “This isn’t so bad,” Dr. Grace said. “You’ll be okay in a week or two. This is gonna sting a little.” He started washing the wound.

  “Ouch, shit!” Harry shouted.

  “You want an infection?” Dr. Grace asked.

  “No,” Harry said.

  “Then man up,” Dr. Grace said, squeezing the bottle again, washing the wound out. Harry gritted his teeth.

  ***

  Up on the ridge, Sid and Yvonne watched the sun come up. “Think we can go down yet?”

  “Yeah,” Sid said. “Our situation just got better.”

  “Really?” Yvonne asked. “I figured it to be worse. Won’t others come to find out what happened to those guys?”

  “They might, but they’ll run into a hail of machine gun fire if they do,” Sid said. “Maybe I ought to brush up on my archery skills. Comes in handy.”

  “You’ll still be good,” Yvonne said. “It’s like riding a bicycle, right?”

  “Kinda sorta,” he said. They climbed down the trail. “Hope Harry’s not hurt too bad.”

  “Me too,” Yvonne said. “Nancy must be beside herself.”

  “Yeah,” Sid said. He laughed.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “This will get him out of square dancing tonight.”

  “He hates it that much?” Yvonne asked.

  “Yeah,” Sid said. “Maybe I ought to get myself shot.”

  “You’d better not,” she said.

  He chuckled. “Oh, don’t worry. I usually have a good time after those dances.”

  “Shut up,” Yvonne said. She punched him in the shoulder.

  “Sid,” Sam said, walking up. “Yvonne. Nice shooting, you two.”

  “Yvonne hit the driver through the windshield,” Sid said. “Beautiful shot.”

  “Yeah, tagged him right in the head, too,” Clem said as he walked up. “Had to wipe brains out of the way before I could drive it off.”

  “Eeewww,” Yvonne said. “Don’t tell me any more.”

  “What’d you do with the bodies?” Sid asked

  “The two by the road went down the embankment,” Clem said. “They’re out of sight. Got to figure out what to do with the three inside the park.”

  “They Islamists?” Yvonne asked.

  “Looks like it,” Sam said. “Reminds me of the cretins that I fought in Iraq.”

  “They’re going to come back for them, I’ll bet,” Sid said. “We best be ready.”

  “Honey?” Connie called out from the office.

  “Coming,” Sam said. He trotted over to her. Sid and Yvonne followed Clem into the clubhouse. Harry was on the table, the doc and Nancy standing over him.

  “He gonna be okay?” Yvonne asked.

  “Yeah, he’ll be fine, but he needs some better pain meds than I’ve got. I wrote him a prescription. Need a volunteer to go get it filled.”

  “I’ll go,” Clem said.

  “No,” Sam said as he walked up. “I need you and John to help me s
et up the video cameras.”

  “I can go,” Sid said.

  “No, you’ve been awake all night,” Yvonne said.

  “I’ll go,” Connie said.

  “I’ll go with,” Nancy said.

  “Okay, girls, but be careful, okay?” Sam said.

  “We will, honey. Remember the CHP will be here soon with the coroner.”

  “Oh, that’s what the call was about, eh,” Sid said.

  “Yeah,” Connie said. “We’ll leave the gate open for them when we take off. They ought to be here in about ten minutes.”

  “Good, then they’ll get the bodies out of here,” Clem said. “Let’s go get the work started on the video system. I’ll grab John.”

  “Meet you out by the flag pole,” Sam said.

  “C’mon, Nancy,” Connie said. They walked towards the Suburban parked near the back of the office. Sarah was walking up with John and Clem.

  “Hey, can I go too?” Sarah asked.

  “Sure,” Connie said. “Glad to have you.”

  Sarah left John’s side and hurried towards the Suburban.

  “You sure it’s okay for them to go into town by themselves?” John asked.

  “They should be armed,” Sid said.

  “Connie’s got her pistol,” Sam said.

  “Sarah’s got her purse gun too,” John said. “Still worries me.”

  “There they go,” Sid said, watching the women drive off.

  “You two better go get some shut-eye,” Sam said.

  “Yeah, c’mon, honey,” Yvonne said. “I want you rested up for the square dance tonight.”

  “Can’t we just skip to the part after?” Sid said. She gave him an exasperated look as he chuckled.

  ***

  Emma and Seth were sleeping next to each other on the living room floor in front of the TV, it’s glow lighting them. The sound was on low. Jamie was in his room. Matt and Kaylee were in a guest room. Trevor and Angel were sleeping on couches in the living room. Angel awoke with a start. He shook Trevor.

  “Whaaaa?” Trevor asked.

  “Hear that?” Angel asked.

  “Hear what?” Then he heard it. Footsteps, car doors. “At the park. C’mon, let’s take a look.”

  “Careful,” Angel said. “Be quiet, dude.”

  They snuck out to the backyard and peeked over the fence. There were gang-bangers loading up the bodies, with Islamic fighters watching, AK-47s at the ready.