by Phoenix Hays
Patrick raised a hand to his face.
What am I supposed to do? All of the new jobs have been filled already.
“Does his story check out?” Patrick asked.
“I’m not sure, Patrick,” the man said. “I’m not authorized to run a random background check.”
A muffled sound of talking came through the intercom.
“He says that he’ll pass a background check.”
After pausing for a second, Patrick responded. “Run it. If his story checks out, I’ll be down to talk to him.”
Patrick found himself on a slow elevator ride down to the lobby. He looked at his reflection in the metal.
If this man moved his whole family down here from Ohio, he deserves at least to be heard.
He looked up and saw the numbers change from 3 to 2 and finally to L. The elevator halted, and the doors opened with a ding. Walking out, he greeted the security team member at the reception desk. Patrick saw the man’s name badge.
“Good morning, Mr. Roberts. Where is the gentleman you called me about?”
“Good morning, sir,” Roberts said. “He came in with a firearm and backpack that had a hand ax and hunting knife on it. We confiscated those items and have him in the office to the right.” Roberts pointed to an office.
Patrick looked past the pointing hand and saw a man sitting at a table. He was leaning forward with his arms resting on his legs. His hands were clasped together and his head was bowed slightly.
Patrick walked up to the office door and greeted the security guard standing outside. This guard’s badge said, “Williams.” Next to Williams was a table with the items that the man at the front desk mentioned. Dust, dirt, and age had faded the backpack’s black material.
Williams interrupted his inspection of the items. “Do you want me to come in with you, sir?”
“I’m sure you can rush to my aid from here, Mr. Williams. Thank you.”
Patrick opened the door and walked into the room. The man sitting there looked up with hope in his eyes. He smiled and stood up.
“Thank you for seeing me!” He reached out to shake Patrick’s hand.
Patrick shook the man’s hand and smiled warmly.
“Please. Sit down,” Patrick said. “It sounds like you’ve been through quite a bit of traveling.” He walked around the table to sit facing the man. “Why don’t you tell me who you are?”
“Of course, sir,” the man nodded.
“Please, call me Patrick.”
“OK, Patrick,” the man said. “My name is Victor Bayham. I saw the announcement that Space Vision was hiring, so my family, and I made the trip down here from Ohio.”
“Aren’t there places you can find a job closer to home than here in Memphis? Especially where you could avoid such a trip with your family?”
“I don’t know,” Victor said. “Maybe. But I never thought twice about it. When I saw Mr. Evensen’s announcement, I knew it was something I had to join. Space Vision is doing something special here. I could tell by the look in the man’s eyes.”
“Duke certainly has that way when he’s doing something he believes in.”
“So I’m right!” Victor leaned forward. “He’s not just offering token jobs. He’s got a plan for the Oppenheimer String, doesn’t he?”
“I’m sure you can understand that I can’t discuss company projects here.”
Patrick saw Victor’s enthusiasm drop a few levels.
“I understand,” Victor said.
“My security staff tell me you brought a firearm with you. Did you think you really needed that?”
“I’d rather have one and not need it than need one and not have it.”
“Fair enough. Tell me a little more about yourself,” Patrick said.
“Let’s see. I worked as a mechanic most recently. I had been doing that for a little over 15 years before I was fired a few weeks ago.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. I know there’s a lot of that happening.”
“We passed a number of protests and demonstrations on the way here,” Victor said. “I can only imagine what they are going through.”
“And you? How is your family capable of making such a trip while avoiding getting wrapped up in protests like that?”
“Honestly, Patrick. When I saw Mr. Evensen on TV, I could hear the determination in his voice. I believe he is working on something really important and I want to help. My family is calling on our experience from camping in the woods and we’re trying our best to treat this just like another vacation at the lake.”
“But it’s not just another vacation at the lake, is it? What would you say if I told you all of the roles that Space Vision had planned to hire for were filled earlier in the week?”
Victor stared at Patrick. His mouth said no, but no sound came out.
“I’m sorry, my friend. But it is the truth. We have filled all the positions that we were looking to hire for.”
“Please, sir, there has to be a way. We have no other option.”
“I’m sorry, Victor. We are at maximum capacity and I don’t have any authority to add positions here.”
“I understand.”
Victor’s shoulder’s slumped with the weight of the reality.
Patrick stood up and rounded the table. He placed his hand on the man’s shoulder. “I wish there was something I could do,” he said. “I really do.”
Victor stood and turned to Patrick. “I came here to provide security for what you all are doing here. Is there any way that I could come on a volunteer basis and help with the crowds outside?”
“I would love to be able to accept your help, but our security is a tightly managed team, and I couldn’t give permission for an outsider to be on this side of the protest. It’s just outside of my purview.”
Victor reached out his hand and shook Patrick’s. “Then I thank you for your time, Patrick. It’s been a pleasure meeting you.”
“Good luck to you and your family, Victor.”
As the two men exited the room, Williams stopped Victor from collecting his things by placing a hand over them.
“Give him his equipment,” Patrick said. “We don’t have anything to worry about with this one.”
The guard looked at Victor. “Your handgun is unloaded and inside your backpack. We can’t have you walking around in our building with it.”
Victor nodded.
Patrick walked with Victor a few steps and stopped. As Victor continued to the door, he began putting on his backpack. He stopped to snap the support straps across his stomach and chest. As the second snap echoed in the lobby, Patrick spoke up.
“Victor,” he said.
Victor turned to face Patrick. “Yes, sir?”
“Please take care of yourself. Protect your family.”
Victor locked eyes with Patrick. “Patrick, my family is in a safe spot. I’ll be down here every day on the other side of the street. You may not be able to hire me, but I know you are doing something important here. Those people out there won’t give up and neither will I.”
Victor turned and opened the front door to walk out into the midday light. The glare in the lobby was blinding for a split second as the door closed, but the tinted windows regained their control over the room once it did. Patrick stepped forward to watch Victor walk away. As the man approached the crowd, their chanting and yelling were momentarily directed at him. Victor didn’t react and tried to step past the people in front. A man stepped in his way and blocked Victor’s path. Victor tried to step to the side and the man moved, blocking his way again. This time, the man pushed Victor. His foot caught on the ground and he stumbled backward landing on his rear. Cheers erupted from the crowd.
Patrick could now see the protester. He was much larger than Victor and his torn shirt barely covered his gut. One of the Fatalist masks covered the majority of his face. Below the edge of the mask, a beard covered his jaw and a curved scar drew a line through the left side of it. Patrick turned to call for security. T
he guards were at the reception desk watching the scene unfold with amusement. He turned back to watch.
The people around the large protester were cheering him on, anticipating a fight. He circled to the right as Victor got up and slowly turned to face him.
Patrick opened the front door. “Victor! Come back!”
Victor looked over to Patrick and held his hand up, waving him back.
Is he smiling?
He watched Victor turn to lock eyes with the Fatalist. In a flash, the man stepped toward Victor and swung his fist. Victor dropped his head and let the man’s hand crash into the top of his head. The man screamed in pain. Victor stepped forward, kicking the side of the man’s knee with a crushing blow. Another scream rang out and the crowd got quiet. Victor knocked his assailant to the ground with an upper cut to his jaw.
A couple of people left the crowd to come to the unconscious man’s aid. As they did, Victor released his pack and swung it around. He removed his holster and slid it in place on his hip. He took the pistol, slid a magazine into the handle, loaded a round, and dropped the gun into the holster. Victor stepped forward, and the crowd parted to let him pass, and he disappeared from Patrick’s view.
CHAPTER 17
“And after the scuffle, Space Vision offered me a position in the security division,” Victor lied.
“Wow, that’s awesome, Dad!” Joe said with a smile, and Ayrin nodded along with him.
Mary’s eyes narrowed, and she crossed her arms. “And what does this job entail, exactly?”
“They have asked me to join their security team and help guard the main entrance,” he said. “So I’ll head down each morning, and then I’ll be back before dark.” Victor looked at his family, then around at the camp they had there. “You’ll be safe here. This is out of the way and we’ve got fresh water. Now, enough talk about my new job. Let’s get dinner fixed.”
Mary opened a bag from their food storage and started boiling water to prepare a chicken and rice meal. The Bayhams sat and ate quietly. As darkness fell, they headed into the tent.
The next morning, Joe and Ayrin woke up just in time to see Victor gather his things. They raised their heads and watched him get ready for work. Victor slid his holster on allowing the clip to grab his belt. He placed the pistol in it. Grabbing his backpack, he picked up his rifle and headed out of the tent with Joe and Ayrin following him. Once outside, Victor put the backpack on, clipping the support straps together in front of him. He set off to his new job, but he looked back at the tent just before he lost sight of it. Victor waved and disappeared into the trees.
That evening, Joe and Ayrin waited to greet Victor upon his return. Ayrin spent much of the time with her head resting on her fist while she drummed her fingers on the log they sat on. There was a collective sigh of relief at the sight of the man emerging from the underbrush. The Bayham family was reunited.
“I want to go with you tomorrow,” said Joe as Ayrin sat straight up at the request.
Victor looked over at Mary, and she shook her head while mouthing the word “no.”
He turned back to Joe. “Maybe you can come with me later this week if I get a chance to get the OK from my boss tomorrow,” Victor said.
CHAPTER 18
Between meetings, Patrick walked to the lobby and scanned the crowd of protesters across the street.
I wonder if our volunteer is out there and living up to his word.
Beyond the Space Vision guards and the sawhorses, people continued to march back and forth chanting something about “God has chosen.” The mass of people behind the marchers were screaming the chant as well. Some were holding signs with messages about Oppenheimer and the end of days. He noticed that a few of the Fatalists stood out thanks to their black half masks that covered everything from their nose upward. Their eyes were surrounded by white patches on either side of the red stripe going up and over their heads. A masked person marched into view further up the street, leading a handful of people toward the throng in front of Space Vision.
Those Fatalists seem to be organizing the protest. No sign of our volunteer, though.
Patrick walked up to the stairs leading to the balcony above the lobby. Just before he turned to head back upstairs, something caught his eye. He noticed a solitary person in the shadow of the building catty corner to Space Vision. He leaned forward, squinting to make out the details.
Red baseball hat, worn T-shirt, black backpack and rugged jeans. It’s him.
Patrick smiled. He stood there another second to watch Victor’s stoic presence and then headed toward the elevator.
CHAPTER 19
After a week of being at the camp, the Bayhams had organized it into a home. The campfire area took up more space as the family used it more regularly. A clothesline stretched across a few trees off to the right of the tent. Joe had built a makeshift fort made out of branches to the left. It was large enough to allow both he and Ayrin to sit under it without being seen. The place looked less like a random spot in the woods and more like a campsite, but relaxation never really arrived. Their attention was drawn to every sound because each one represented anything — from an intruder to Victor coming back from “work.”
Victor returned after a “shift” at Space Vision, and Joe pleaded with him using the same request he had greeted the man with all week.
“Please let me go with you tomorrow!”
Victor looked at Joe. A small smirk started at the corner of Victor’s mouth. He looked over to Mary.
Her eyes were daggers.
“I got the approval today to bring the whole family,” Victor said. “It’s about time you get to see what I do to help Space Vision.”
“I think I’ll stay here, and you should, too,” Mary said, looking over where the kids were standing.
“No, Mom. It’ll be fine,” Joe said.
“I don’t like it, Victor,” Mary said. “Aren’t you there to protect that building?”
“We’ll be safe, Mary,” Victor said. “Anybody that is down there to protest is just there to yell at a building. They don’t even pay attention to me.”
Mary frowned, left the conversation, and headed into the tent.
Victor nodded in the kids’ direction. Holding a hand up to signal “stay there,” he headed into the tent and a semi-heated conversation ensued. The kids were far enough away that they couldn’t hear the actual words.
Then the camp grew quiet.
ZIIIIIIIPP! The door to the tent opened, and the kids turned to look. Victor stepped out – he had a smile on his face and Joe smiled back. Ayrin crossed her arms and lowered a brow wondering what he had said to convince Mary.
CHAPTER 20
Joe felt a push on his shoulder and blinked a couple of times in the early morning light. He saw his dad above him and sat up. Ayrin did too. Joe sat there for a moment watching Victor carry out his morning routine. He slid his pistol into its holster, put his backpack on and snapped its clasps in front of him. Victor pulled the rifle’s strap over his head.
“Get your socks and shoes on,” Ayrin said, looking down at Joe’s bare feet.
Victor stopped at the door and looked at Joe. “Come on, get dressed,” he said and left the tent. Joe did so and then walked over to his mom and hugged her.
“Be careful. Keep your eyes open and stay out of trouble,” she said.
“I will, Mom. Love you,” he said.
Ayrin followed Joe through the door to join Victor outside of the tent.
Victor led them away from the campsite, out of the woods and onto the shoulder of the highway. Their walk began in silence. Victor’s eyes were constantly scanning from one side to another as if a threat could present itself at any time. They reached an exit ramp and used it to get to the surface streets. Broken glass and trash littered the sidewalk. The crunch of it under their feet was the only noise for a few blocks. Joe looked through one building’s broken windows to see empty shelves disappearing into the darkness further inside.
Vi
ctor turned right at an intersection and the noise of voices shouting in the distance hovered in the air.
“What is that sound?” Joe asked.
“Those are the protesters outside of Space Vision,” Victor said. “This way.”
After turning another corner, the volume of the crowd dropped off and then slowly grew again as they passed each building. After a couple of blocks, Victor turned once again and the noise rose sharply. They passed a few more buildings and Victor turned again. The noise grew to a level louder than before. He pointed down the road. Joe and Ayrin looked and saw the edge of the group of protesters. They were facing a towering office building.
“Is that Space Vision?” Joe asked.
“Yes. Now stay close to me,” Victor said. He led them across the street so that they were now just a few hundred feet away from the crowd. “From here, we can watch most of the people protesting.”
Joe looked at the protesters. The mass of people stretched out in front of a few buildings across the street from Space Vision. Marchers were carrying signs with various messages about God, Oppenheimer, and Space Vision. The few that he could read were all negative about the company. They crossed back and forth in front of the crowd. One of the protesters knocked a sawhorse aside and tried to cross the barricade but was immediately grabbed by a pair of security personnel and shoved back into the crowd. As Joe scanned the rest of the people, he saw a man emerge from the front of them. Joe recognized the black mask with red stripe he wore, thought of the confrontation back on the highway and froze.
“What is it?” Ayrin asked, noticing Joe had tensed up.
“Dad...” Joe whispered.
He reached up to his dad’s arm and pointed to the person who had captured his attention.
“Put your arm down, Joe. They’ve been around since I came down here the first time.”
They watched the man with the black mask position himself between the mob and those marching. He raised his hands up to his mouth and started yelling something at the protesters. At first, it was impossible to make out what he was shouting against all the noise being made by the crowd. Slowly, beginning with the people closest to him, the protest began shouting a single chant.