by Connor Mccoy
“I was going to tell you that later.” Nguyen backed up as he talked.
“When you had a gun to my head? Or after you killed John?”
“John? Who the hell is that?”
“Pummel! The man that asshole Falcon just shot like a dog! John was Pummel’s real name. Did you know about this? Did you tell John to shoot Goat?”
Nguyen continued retreating from Jacob. “No! I didn’t! I didn’t give any orders to kill anyone. I swear it!”
“But you knew about this! You must have! You’re the one filling your brother’s head with all these ideas. What did you tell him to do?”
“Calm down!” Nguyen started hyperventilating. “Please. You have to believe me. I never meant for things to get this far. It’s out of my control now! I never told Trang to do all of this!” The doctor cringed. “But, he did get the idea from me.”
He stopped trying to get away from Jacob. The man seemed at the end of his rope. Still, even if Doctor Nguyen had not intended for Middleburg to spawn a regime of murderers, the doctor bore some accountability for it. Jacob wanted to learn how far it went.
Sitting in the grass, Jacob listened as Doctor Nguyen told his story.
“I had talked with Trang about my travels for years before the EMP even hit us. About ten years ago, Sam and I helped a community in northern Cambodia set up its own water supply. What we didn’t know was that the area was under the thumb of a small junta. The name would be translated in English as ‘Sons of Chen.’ Chen was a Communist warlord who operated in Cambodia in the 70s. The Sons of Chen carried on his legacy after his death in the 80s.”
Nguyen closed his eyes. “Chen pioneered the concept of culling the weak from the population. He developed it into an art form. Chen would enslave people, send them to the fields, tell them they would receive a large share of their labors, but what they didn’t know was Chen would have agents within the parties. Chen earmarked certain men for death. When the labor was complete, the agents would carry out their tasks. Ten would go, five would return. If five would leave, two would return. And if a pair would leave, only one would come back.”
Nguyen turned to Jacob. “The Sons of Chen operated in the same way. I saw their deeds up close. The villagers never knew who among them was an agent. They were so paranoid they started killing each other before they could be killed. Sam and I would find the bodies.” A quiver ran through his face. “The bodies. Some didn’t have their heads.”
The doctor took a moment to compose himself. “Not long after we left, the Cambodian military raided the area and took many of the Sons of Chen captive. But I heard little of the matter afterward. I don’t know if they ever were brought to trial. In any case, I wanted nothing more to do with venturing overseas. I came home and tried putting those days behind me.”
“If it was that terrible, why the hell is your brother copying that?” Jacob asked.
“I never should have told him about it. I thought he would be as repulsed as I was. After the EMP shut everything down, I told him things would change for the worse, and that our only hope was to get control of the town and build a strong civilian force that could keep order. If the U.S. government had been put out of commission, we had to maintain order ourselves. But we couldn’t hope to sustain a democratic form of government. We had to give orders from the top, and those orders had to be obeyed. To that end, we would choose men who would be totally loyal to us and carry out secret orders within the civilian force. If there were troublemakers, the loyalists would deal with them.”
Doctor Nguyen sighed. “Trang took my instructions a step too far. He remembered what I told him about the Sons of Chen. He thought we had no choice. He was terrified there would be a run on the city hall. Starving people would be desperate for food. So, Trang decided to thin the herd. He organized our work force to make sure at least one person who was weak, old, or sick was part of the resource running teams.” He winced. “By now, I’m sure almost all of the ones earmarked for death have been…culled.”
Jacob swallowed hard. The pain in the doctor’s voice was undeniable. “He didn’t listen to you.”
Nguyen shook his head. “He made it plain that this was the only way to sustain the rest of the town. Middleburg has been spared riots and desolation. It’s going to be an attractive place for refugees. Trang believes Middleburg won’t survive. Nothing I’ve said has mattered. And I’m afraid it’s only getting worse. I don’t know if I truly can reach Trang any longer.”
“You came with me for a reason. I get the feeling it wasn’t just to warn me,” Jacob said.
“It was my only way to escape.” Nguyen rubbed his right fingers together. “I believe Trang marked me for the reapers. If he didn’t do it today, he would do it eventually. Our latest disagreement was too heated, and I’ve heard certain rumors floating around the camp. I’m afraid, in his mind, culling me from the rest of the town would be the logical thing to do.”
“His own brother,” Jacob said, with shock and disgust. “I hate to say it, but this guy doesn’t sound like he was alright upstairs.”
“I never thought he was capable of this. Perhaps I was a fool not to see it. Or maybe, once the world changed and took away his job, his purpose, his whole way of life, something inside him snapped. I’d like to believe that the man he is now wasn’t how he used to be.”
Jacob kept his peace while Nguyen paused from his long talk. It was almost unbelievable to think about, how civilized men could fall into despotism and murder. And yet, such things had happened even before the EMP hit. It did not take a mass upending of the world to produce such evil. But unfortunately, a catastrophe could unleash such evil to a greater extent. It provided an opportunity for those who wanted to indulge their wicked desires but feared the long arm of the law.
He thought of the bike he had to “borrow” from that house along the way to Middleburg. The act gave him such qualms because he feared it set him on a slippery slope. If he could be okay with taking property from the home of another human being, what else could he justify to save his family?
“I am sorry for what I put you through,” Nguyen said in a hoarse voice. “I do not blame you for being angry with me. I have been the cause of so much horror over the past few days. I do not deserve anyone’s help.”
“Your brother is responsible for all those deaths, Doctor. Own what you own. You don’t own the reapers.” Jacob looked to the sky. It had remained clear all day. “Come with me to Trapp. Let’s get away from Middleburg and your brother. I’m sure Doc Sam would be happy to see you again. But I still have to find his supplies. I’m going to have to find some other town.”
A soft rustling drew Jacob’s attention. Doctor Nguyen had placed his backpack onto the grass and unzipped it. All of the supplies Jacob had gathered were inside! The doctor actually had brought Jacob’s backpack with him. “I made sure to bring all your stuff, including everything you had gathered.” He reached inside and pulled out a plastic doll. “This, too. I assume it’s for your daughter.”
Jacob was overjoyed. The doll looked out from big black button-like eyes and flashed a dark-inked smile. She was dressed in purple boxing trunks and sported red boxing gloves over her hands. It was the Cutie Bruiser doll that he had found in the pharmacy when he was gathering Doc Sam’s medical supplies. Cutie Bruiser was a popular doll at one time and always been a favorite of Jubilee.
Now Jacob had everything he needed for Doc Sam. He even would be able to give his daughter this wonderful little present. Clutching the doll, he uttered, “Thank you, Doctor.”
After a short meal, Jacob and Doctor Nguyen were back on the road. “So tell me, what did you think when you saw Sam’s home?” Nguyen asked as he rode close to Jacob.
“His home? Oh, you mean the bags.” Jacob laughed.
“It must have been a hell of a strange sight,” Nguyen said. “I always wonder what people think when they meet Sam. He was like that even in the old days.”
“He’s definitely a creative mind. Bu
t he’s a good person. I owe him a lot.”
Jacob looked up at the sky. He was on track toward Trapp, but it was now the afternoon. If he had started off in the morning, he surely would have reached Trapp before sundown. He doubted he would be so fortunate now.
“Doctor, do you think you can kick it into high gear?” Jacob asked. “I want to try reaching Trapp as soon as we can.”
“I’m no spring chicken, but I’ll give it all I can,” Nguyen replied.
“That’s all I can ask for.”
Jacob accelerated, but only enough for the doctor to keep pace with him. Every now and then Jacob would steal a look to make sure Nguyen did not slip farther behind. The doctor appeared to struggle, with his cheeks puffed out and sweat pouring down his face, but he did not complain.
He knows he’ll be free in Trapp. He won’t have to worry about his brother.
Jacob looked up at the sky again. A few small clouds had gathered. Nothing to worry about. It was unlikely a storm would sideline them.
As he pedaled, he thought of Domino, Brandon and Jubilee. Were they doing alright? And had Jubilee finally awoken from her sleep?
Chapter Eight
Brandon stood up. “There we go!” With the small plastic mat set down on the tarp that made a floor for the tent, plus the pillow and blankets on top of the mat, the interior of the tent appeared ready for Jubilee to relax in. The space to the mat’s left remained empty, but Domino would be bringing along her own sleeping mat, as would Brandon. The tent was big enough for all three of them, but only just. Doc Sam did not have anything bigger except a large quarantine tent that would be too cumbersome to set up and excessive for their needs in any case.
Jubilee stood in the open tent flap. She overlooked the whole arrangement with a smile. “This looks cool.” She winced and then held her wounded arm. “Guess we’re going camping tonight. We were going to camp in the woods this weekend, remember?”
Brandon remembered that their father had proposed a camping outing in their backyard for the upcoming weekend. Their dad thought an outdoor overnight would be a perfect time to enjoy the air before the cooler weather arrived. Just one more thing that the EMP had delayed or perhaps permanently cancelled.
“Oh!” Brandon knelt down and fished out something he had been concealing underneath the pillow. “I have something you can tape to the wall so you have some decoration.” He handed a piece of paper to Jubilee. “Here you go!”
She held up the paper. “Cutie Bruiser!” Jubilee showed the most excitement since she had woken up. Brandon knew that a drawing of her favorite childhood character would bring her happiness.
“I’m glad you liked it.” Brandon exhaled a long breath. “Took me four tries to get it right. I actually colored her with red boxing trunks the first time.”
Jubilee giggled. “Her cousin wears red trunks! Don’t you remember? Billie Boxer?”
Brandon frowned. “Sorry, I never watched the cartoon. I barely remember Cutie.”
“Well, it’s cool. Thanks.” Jubilee smiled awkwardly. “I would hug you, but I can’t walk very fast.”
“It’s okay.” Brandon approached her so she could hug him. He was struck by how weak her hold was. He never knew his sister to be anything other than strong. The injury clearly had taken its toll and it would be a while before he would be helping her with her MMA training again.
Brandon wondered about Mister Valance. He was Jubilee’s martial arts instructor. He frequently came by the house to train Jubilee. What had happened to him and his family? Were they okay? Would they ever see him again?
More names and faces flashed through Brandon’s mind. He thought of friends and acquaintances. He shuddered as he realized he might not see most, if any, of them again. Some of them lived on farms, much like him, but others resided in suburbs or small towns. They would have to find out how to survive without access to grocery stores. They may find help from other farms. Perhaps some of them, knowing he lived on a farm, would come to their home looking for help.
“Are you okay?” Jubilee asked.
Brandon put on a smile. “Sure, Jubes.” He laughed.
“You’re not okay.” Jubilee frowned. “I know you when you’re hiding something.”
Brandon turned from her gaze. “Just thinking about our friends,” he said quickly. “That’s all.”
“You’re worried about them,” Jubilee said. Brandon just nodded. “I am too,” she added.
Brandon sighed. He really didn’t want to talk about this any longer. “Hey, I almost forgot about the, uh, the food. The cooking gear. Yeah! You want to cook some noodles for dinner?”
“That sounds cool,” Jubilee said.
Brandon, happy to have the distraction, marched out of the tent. Then he ran toward the house, hoping to outrun the grief he felt over the possible loss of his friends.
Brandon sorted through the cans on the sofa. “This should do it.” He stuffed them back into the gray sack along with the kindling. He was looking forward to a nice hot dinner under the stars.
After slinging the bag over his shoulder, he turned toward the door. However, the sound of footsteps from the hall drew his attention. “Mom?” He was eager to see how she was progressing with the preparations for their campout.
However, he was somewhat horrified by what he discovered upon sticking his head into the small corridor. Evander was wandering down the hall from the bathroom with a towel draped around his waist and his shirt slung over his left shoulder.
Holy shit! Brandon held his mouth. The sight of the man topless was a real gross-out. His body was so thin that Brandon could make out his ribs. Sores dotted his skin, along with a series of red and black bruises, perhaps caused by his battle with the robber.
It was too late for Brandon to dash out of there. Evander had seen him. The man’s grin, once again, showed off his lack of teeth.
“Hey, little man.” He laughed. “Really like the shower. Thank the doc for letting me use it.”
I hope Doc Sam burns that towel you’re wearing, Brandon thought.
Evander walked toward the door to the room he was staying in. But then he stopped and looked at Brandon. “Hey. Your mom. She single?”
“No,” Brandon said as forcefully as possible.
Evander raised an eyebrow. “Ah. Guess she would have a guy, because you had to come from somewhere.” With another sickening chuckle, he spun around and walked into his room.
The jolt of his turn ejected something from under his shirt. It was a small plastic vial that bounced across the floor, stopping at the tip of Brandon’s shoe.
What is that? Brandon knelt down and scooped it up. The vial, sealed with a cap, contained a small bit of white powder.
This didn’t look good. He retreated from the hall and looked around even more intensely for his mother.
Doc Sam checked inside the treatment room again. Zell had been stirring for the past hour, but now he was groaning. His eyes also were fluttering. Soon he would be awake. Domino had just arrived in the hall, but Evander also just had shown up. Thankfully, he smelled a lot better now.
Doc Sam kept what he was about to say to Domino to himself and quickly said to Evander, “Looks like your cousin is coming out of it. If you want to pay him a visit, go right ahead. Just don’t get him too excited. He’s lost some blood. He’s liable to be weak for a while.”
Evander gnawed on his lower lip with one of his few remaining teeth. “You did good plugging him up, Doc. Much thanks to ya.” With a wave of his hand, he walked through the door.
Doc Sam stole a minute to watch Evander sit down next to his cousin. Evander said “Hey, Zell,” but that was it. Zell did not answer, though he did tilt his head in his cousin’s direction.
“I’d like a moment,” Doc Sam said quietly to Domino.
She followed him down the hall to his bedroom. Once they slipped through the doorway, Doc Sam slid the door shut except for a crack. “Looks like our guest is going to live, thankfully. Though I have to say,
I can’t say much for their life choices.”
“What do you mean?” Domino asked. She also kept her voice low.
Doc Sam folded his arms. “The two of them looked like they’ve skipped a few meals, don’t you think?”
“No kidding,” Domino said, “maybe that’s what happens when you can’t run out to Winn Dixie anymore.”
“Well, hold on. The EMP only hit a few days ago. Even if these two were trim to start with, they wouldn’t start looking that bad off in two days. And then there’s the sores. You probably noticed Evander’s sporting a number on his face. Well, his cousin’s got several more.”
“Did they get in a fight?” Domino then winced. “Shit. Of course they were in a life and death fight before they got here. I meant, before that.”
“If you’re wondering if they got the sores from physical alterations, I don’t think so. You take their weight loss, the sores, and their lack of teeth, and it all fits.” Doc Sam’s frown deepened. “Those symptoms are consistent with methamphetamine use.”
“You mean meth?” Domino asked, “You think those guys are meth users?”
“It’s very possible.” Doc Sam nodded. “Which raises the question, ‘What are the Lutz cousins going to do when they recover?’ Meth use can produce violent, aggressive behavior. I have to imagine they will get defensive if I ask them about their possible hobbies. Also, in this new environment of ours, getting crystal meth is not likely to be easy. If they’re hooked on it…”
“And they can’t find any, they’ll go crazy. Doc, maybe you should toss them out.”
“Well, wait a moment. They are patients, especially Zell, and they have been through a near death experience. I have my concerns, but I can’t throw them out…” His eyes suddenly widened. “Say now. That tent you’re putting up outside. Maybe we should consider a change in use.”