by S A Ison
“What did you do to the women and children?” Bart whispered closely to the man’s ear, his hand still on the man’s leg, beginning to apply pressure.
“Raped and killed.” The man cried, and Bart grabbed onto the man’s leg with both hands and squeezed hard. Quinn could see the veins popping out from his neck. He laid a hand over Bart’s hands, the injured man now howling mindlessly.
When Bart let go, he smiled viciously at Quinn.
“I could do this all night.” Bart snarled.
“Yep, and he deserves it, but you’re going to scare the girls.” Quinn said, reminding Bart of his granddaughters, who would surely hear the man’s cries of pain. Bart seemed to come back to himself and grinned ruefully.
“Yeah, forgot about them. Sorry. What shall we do with this piece of shit?” Bart grunted, sitting on the ground.
“Go get the tractor, we’ll take them down the road, west of here. If the asshole is still alive, you can finish playing with him and then we’ll leave the two shitbags to rot.” Quinn said dispassionately, causing the injured man to groan in terror.
“Good idea Marine.” Bart sniggered. He got up to his feet and left Quinn.
“Please, please, don’t let him touch me again.” The man panted. Quinn detected the scent of urine; the man had pissed himself.
“Is that what those women and children said when you raped and murdered them?” Quinn asked conversationally and the man began to cry. A vicious smile crossed Quinn’s face. He’d help Bart with a little torture of his own.
Ӝ
Topeka, KS
Ian wasn’t sure what time it was, his body screamed for release. Behind him, he felt Megan move and shift. There was little room in the culvert, and they’d laid there for hours. Their escape had been a success, they’d moved across the field while all eyes were on Anthony and the fight. Ian heard it but didn’t dare look back. He and Megan made it to the slight gully then went to their bellies. They moved as fast as they could along the low terrain, weeds, bushes and saplings covered their retreat.
They made it to the culvert which was roughly three hundred feet from the bus. There was heavy weed overgrowth in front of the culvert and Ian had gently pushed the grasses aside. Megan belly crawled, backwards, into the culvert and Ian followed after her, going in feet first. There was barely any room inside and he could feel the rounded walls squeeze him. He was careful not to kick Megan in her face. He held his water bottle in front of him, not wanting to damage the bottle. That would be all the clean drinking water he had until they made it to his home.
Though muffled, the sound of the altercation still raged on. Other voices interjected and after about ten minutes, things quieted down. After another ten minutes, Ian heard the sound of the tillers starting up and work began on the field. The guards had not noticed their absence. His heart had been thundering and he’d felt like weeping.
“I think we’re safe, at least for now.” He’d whispered and it echoed in the close confinement. He’d felt Megan squeeze his booted foot. The culvert had been dry, for a long time. He detected no scent of moisture or mildew. They’d laid there the rest of the day, catnapping. They didn’t have food, because it would have been a death penalty, had they got caught before their escape. The day had dragged on, but then the sound of the tillers had stopped and twenty minutes later the bus had started up and then left. They didn’t move for a long time.
“I think we should get out of here, now. If they realize we’re gone, they’ll be back.” Ian said and began the slow painful crawl out of the culvert. Coming out, the sky was tinging lavender. It would be dark in another hour or so.
He bent and helped Megan out, she handed him her bottle. She smiled at him and wiped at tears, her face filthy and streaked with dirt.
“I didn’t think we could do it.” She said, looking around the empty field.
He grabbed her hand and began pulling her along, an urgency inside him. They moved to the road, where it would be easier to walk or run.
“I hoped we could. With that many people, the guards had become complacent. Once they get back, someone might notice. But, if we’re lucky, it might be a while.” Ian said and began to run, a slow jogging pace.
“Tilly will have to report us missing, otherwise, she’ll be implicated.” Megan said, keeping pace beside him.
“I know, but I think she’ll buy us a little time. All we need to do is get to a place and find some clothing that isn’t this bright freaking yellow. We’re like goddamned beacons out here.” He puffed. They stopped talking, saving their breath for the run. There were fields all around them, and it was a half hour before they saw a house in the distance. They cut across the field to get to it. Both panting heavily. When they got to the house, they slowed. Both knew this would be dangerous.
“Hello?” He called from the edge of the property, roughly thirty feet from the house. He waited, trying to get his breathing under control. He couldn’t hear much, but the beating of his heart. He sucked in a deep breath and held it, then blew it out. He wiped at the sweat, stinging his eyes.
“Hello? Anyone home? We need your help, please. All we want is clothing. We don’t want your food and we have our own water. Please, can you help us? They’re holding us prisoner at the Hive. My family’s farm is in this county, but they took me prisoner anyway. I’m just trying to get home.” Ian called, wiping again at the sweat.
“Please, please help us.” Megan called. Both waited and still nothing. Ian stepped forward and put Megan behind him. They drew near to the house.
“Hello? Is anyone home? We just need clothing. Please. We won’t hurt you; I just want to go home. I can’t do it in these coveralls.”
Still nothing and he looked at Megan and shrugged.
“I’m going in there first. Stay out here until I’ve cleared the house. If you hear any shooting, head out of here. You know about where my parent’s farm is.” Ian instructed her. He smiled at the fear he saw in her face.
“It’ll be okay Megan. We have to get out of these clothes.” Ian assured her. Turning, he went up to the house and knocked on the door. He listened intently but heard only the birds that flitted around the trees in the yard and the long grass that surrounded the home. There were insects lending their opinions and the low susurrus of the wind, that swept the land. Taking a deep breath, he placed his hand on the doorknob and turned. It was unlocked and opened easily. He blew out his breath and cautiously opened the door wider.
“Hello? I’m coming in, I’m not going to hurt you. Just looking for some clothes. I’ll give you what I’m wearing in trade.” Ian enticed, stepping into the house. The curtains were drawn over the windows and there was a heavy layer of dust on the floor and the furniture in the living room. It was dim but he could make out a couch, recliner and coffee table. He looked over his shoulder at Megan, who was clasping her hands to her chest, rocking from side to side. He smiled reassuringly and walked farther into the house. He was careful where he placed his foot. He wished he had a flashlight. He moved to one of the windows and opened the curtains. Dim light filled the room.
As far as he could tell, there was no one here, nor had there been in a long while. Perhaps the occupants of the home were now the guests of the Hive, as he and Megan had been? Poor bastards. He moved to the kitchen, and saw dishes in the sink, that had sat there for months, mold growing on the dirty plates. The water stagnant. He moved to the back bedrooms and looked around, opening curtains. He was careful not to disturb too much. They didn’t want to leave evidence that they’d come this way. He was sure that the guards from the Hive would come here, looking for them.
Going back out to the living room, he went to the door. He saw a car toward the back of the house, but there was a tarp partially covering it, and the hood was up. No use there. They’d need to keep their eyes opened for a vehicle. He wasn’t sure one would run after all this time; the gas having gone bad over the winter. But they’d try.
“It’s safe, no one is here. Let’s g
et some clothes but try not to touch anything. There is a lot of dust here and if we disturb it too much, anyone looking for us will know we’ve been here.” Ian cautioned.
“Good, I want to get these damned coveralls off. Christ, I’m tired of feeling and looking like an inmate.” Megan spat.
The couple went to the back bedrooms and carefully opened the closet. Inside were clothing for both. Ian chose a heavy cotton button up shirt, a light brown color. It was a little big on him, he’d lost a lot of weight at the Hive. He went to one of the dressers and found some jeans. He stood in the middle of the room and bent to unlace his work boots. He kicked them off and shimmied out of his coveralls. His back was to Megan. He could hear her behind him doing the same. They’d not need coats, since the weather was now warmer. But he’d get a blanket from the linen closet if they had one. They’d need something for the nights, which were still chilly.
He turned and grinned at Megan. She was also dressed in jeans, and they were large on her, but she’d found a belt and cinched her waist. The shirts they’d chosen were dull and shades of browns. They wanted to blend in with their surroundings. He bent and put his boots back on.
“What should we do with these coveralls?” Megan asked, tying up her laces.
“Let’s see if we can find a place to hide them. They stick out like a sore thumb.” Ian grinned. He rolled both of the coveralls into tight bundles. Going to the kitchen, he found a brown plastic shopping bag and shoved them into it. He tied the bag up tight. Looking around, he looked at Megan.
“Carefully see if you can find us something to eat, something we don’t need to cook. Double up a couple of brown plastic shopping bags and put the food in there. If there is bottled water, grab a couple bottles. The water we have will last, but I’d like more, just in case. Just be mindful of not leaving any indications in the dust. I’m going to hide these clothes and get us a blanket. We’ll need to get out of here quick.” He said and turned and left the kitchen. He walked back down the hall and looked into the bathroom. Going to the sink, he opened the cabinet below. He saw a couple rolls of toilet paper. The top roll had dust on it, so he carefully got the one underneath it, leaving the dusty toilet paper there.
Walking back out into the hall, he opened doors and after the second one, found the linen closet. There were several blankets and throws. He found a camel brown throw and pulled it out. It wasn’t as big as a blanket, but it would cover them adequately. It would also keep them hidden and blend into the ground. Folding the throw, he then rolled it up. He closed the closet and made his way back to the kitchen.
Megan was smiling holding a bag filled with food. He looked around and saw everything was still untouched. He looked down on the floor and saw their slight footprints in the dust on the floor. There was no help for that. He smiled and nodded.
“Let’s get out of here and head east. Do you think you can run for a while? We don’t have to run fast, just steady.”
“Do you want to see if they have bicycles? Maybe we could find us one or two along the way, at least that would move us faster.” She suggested. Ian grinned at her and waggled his eyebrows.
“That’s a damned fine idea. Let’s take a quick look around outside and around the property. Then, let’s get going.”
Closing the door to the house behind him, Ian and Megan quickly searched the exterior of the house and garage. They didn’t find anything. Ian did find an old barrel and tipped it up and shoved their bag of coveralls beneath. He grinned at Megan. Going back to the road, Ian took the bag of food and handed Megan the rolled-up throw. They began to jog at a steady pace, Ian’s eyes searching the fields around them. In the distance, he saw deer, perhaps a dozen of them.
The lavender sky was now bleeding into a cobalt blue and they could see the stars beginning to shine brighter. He looked behind him periodically, he knew their silhouettes could be seen clearly. But now, he would be able to see headlights of any vehicles approaching. Neither spoke, moving eastward. He wondered what was going on at the Hive and if Tilly were even now reporting their absence.
Ӝ
Tilly hadn’t realized her friends were missing until she’d been working for over an hour. She’d paused and had pulled her water bottle out of the side pocket in her coveralls. She had drunk a long series of gulps. She was glad that the two men fighting earlier, hadn’t spilled all the water. Then she realized that neither Megan nor Ian was there. She surreptitiously looked around, and the guards were standing in several clusters, chatting amongst themselves. She searched around but saw nothing but open fields and the other workers.
Tears filled her eyes as she got back to work, her heart breaking, because she knew she’d never see her friends again. She loved Megan like a sister and knew her life would be empty without her. She could make a new friend, but no one could ever replace Megan. She understood why Megan wanted out. She herself couldn’t leave the safety the Hive provided. Life was just too chancy out there. She’d heard tales of rape and murder outside the fence. People had turned into animals, when they should have been helping each other.
Life was easier as a cashier, but there were no cashiers in this new life. At least not at the Hive and she suspected, not out there either. Whatever news they heard was second or third hand. There was an information deficit in the Hive, and Tilly was sure most of what was going on out there, was out of her control and so she didn’t want to hear about it. No, at the Hive was routine, safety. But now, it would be very lonely without her friend.
She’d spent the rest of the day in mindless tilling, breaking for the late lunch and then back to work. She’d gotten on the bus, numb and heartsick. She would have to report their absence, or the administrators would hold her responsible and complicit in their disappearance. When the bus arrived back at the Hive, Tilly went to her room. She stood, looking around the empty apartment and broke down into tears. She went to the shower to cover the noise. She quickly cleaned up and buried her face in her towel, weeping bitter tears.
It took effort, but she pulled herself together. By now, it had been nearly an hour since their return. Her friend had been missing for hours now. She hoped it was enough time for the two to get where they needed to go. Getting dressed, she readied herself for the performance of her life and for those of her friends.
“Hello? Whoever’s listening, my roommates haven’t come up yet?”
“And this is a problem, why?” The voice asked, in a somewhat snarky tone.
“Well, I don’t know, but they are usually here about this time. Should I be worried or tell someone?” She asked, pretending annoyance and letting that seep through in her voice.
“One moment.” The voice said. Tilly went to her bed and sat on it, waiting.
“When was the last time you saw them?” The voice asked.
“This morning, I guess. I didn’t notice until now, like I said, they usually come up about now. It isn’t dinner yet, so I just don’t know.” Tilly said in her best worried voice.
“Where did you work today?” The voice asked.
“In the fields. On bus number forty-five.” She answered tiredly.
“Were they on the bus this morning?”
“I think so, I sat up front, so I could watch out the window. I also get car sick.”
“Did you see them at work?” The voice was now annoyed.
“Yeah, this morning. There were a lot of people, but I’m pretty sure they were there.” She answered, now acting annoyed herself.
“Were they on the bus back to the Hive?”
“I don’t know, I told you, I sit up front. I also fell asleep.”
“When they return, contact us.” The voice announced curtly.
“Okay. I’m going to dinner now. If I see them there, I’ll let you know when I get back.” Tilly said tiredly.
She didn’t hear any response back and flipped a middle finger to the small speaker. She didn’t want to eat, she wasn’t hungry, but she knew if she didn’t, she’d regret it tomorrow. She’d a
lready lost a lot of weight. She’d always been overweight, here though, she thought that she was perhaps too thin. She ate as much as she could and as much as the Hive would give her, but it seemed never enough. Especially, for the twelve hours of hard physical labor.
She went out of the cell and walked down the long open hall to the elevator. There were many people milling around. Some of the people stank and she wondered if they ever applied soap to their bodies. Getting onto the elevator, she rode down until she reached the ground floor. There was a line as usual, waiting to eat. They were given only ten minutes to eat their meals. The gardens up above helped supplement the food they ate. Whatever they ate, was mixed with rice or pasta. It didn’t matter. She needed the carbs anyway. There was meat, somewhere in the mixture, though, she honestly didn’t know what kind of meat it was.
There were also veggies, and she thought they were the dehydrated kind. She was given a bowl and a large scoop of the mixture. Water was the only drink offered and she took her meal to the stainless-steel table and sat on the bench. All was bolted to the floor, so she had to straddle the bench to get in. There wasn’t much chatting in the vast room, most were too hungry to talk, and they only had ten minutes to eat. The only utensil needed was a spoon, and she shoveled food into her mouth. Her mind was focused on Megan and Ian’s escape and she wondered how they were. She’d done her part in reporting it, it would be up to the Hive to figure out what they would do. She thought when she got back to the room, she’d go through their things, and take anything of sentimental value.
She didn’t notice the tears sliding down her face. Between the grief and the exhaustion of working a long day, Tilly was in a cocoon of numbness. Finishing, she got up and went to drop her bowl, cup and spoon into the large bin of soapy water. She felt the moist heat from the kitchen and was glad she didn’t work in there. Working outside was a hell of a lot better.
When she got back up to her room, her door was open. Looking in, she saw three guards, dressed in black with their yellow belts. She took a deep breath and went in to face the music.