by Cage, Zion
Stephen was beginning to connect the dots. “The timing. It’s all too perfect. Too synchronized.”
“Exactly. Now it all makes sense what you said back then while you were still on staff. Something smells fishy. From what I heard, the planes that brought in the bombs were Russian merchant planes. That's how they gained entrance without stress. Remember when the agreement was signed between the U.S. and Russia?"
Stephen remembered all too well. However, more than the memory, a realization dawned on him. That’s why people were trying to kill him.
The agreement that had allowed free cross-migration between the U.S. and Russia had been signed towards the end of February that year. Stephen had heard the news while on lunch break with his Major and the other captains on his team. The moment Joseph, another Captain, had mentioned it, he'd become angry and began to rant about how he perceived foul play and wasn't sure what side the President was on. He'd accused the President of willingly exposing the nation to attack from outside.
The Major had ordered him to be quiet, chiding him for criticizing constituted authority. The next week, he had received the stupid test and, the week after that, he had been served the dismissal letter. Then the attacks on him had started. He’d been unto something and some of the people who had been a part of it had heard him. They had tried to kill him.
But it still didn’t make sense. What would one insignificant soldier do to thwart a plan that had been put in place by superiors? Stephen looked at Bucky.
“What do you think will happen when these people get to New York?” he asked.
“I don’t know. But our soldiers will be there, so we anticipate safety. Look, we’re not sure of anything yet, so don’t go jumping into conclusions. Things seem fishy, true. However, if the need arises, we’ll stand to defend our nation.”
Stephen smiled. “I wish I’d be part of such a war. But no, I’m going to have to go to New York as a bloody civilian,” he said, and Bucky laughed. “Hey, by the way, you guys might want to keep a lookout for kidnappers and criminals as you go on. They seem to be making the most of the situation,” he continued.
Bucky frowned.
“Why do you say that?”
“I found three kids being carried away by two men. The kids were taken in the evening yesterday. I’m guessing those guys weren’t the only ones with that idea,” Stephen said.
“Okay. I’ll tell the commander,” Bucky said. “So, you are going on to New York? Logan and I will be leading these people there. You could join us.”
Stephen thought about it. Going to New York would grant him escape from those who wanted to take his life. He could disappear completely and never be found again. However, there was the probability that the ones that sought to take his life were on their way to New York too. And then there was the uncertainty of the journey there. What happened when they got there? What game was being played?
“I guess so.” Since he’d be in the company of his fellow military, he decided that he’d be safe. Traveling alone wasn’t safe anymore. He missed his old company. He trusted Bucky. He could go with him. He put down his bag and turned in time to see the kids he had saved come running to him with their parents.
He smiled. The company felt great.
19th November, 2021
12:40pm
Danville, Vermont. USA
As she rode on her motorbike out of Vermont, she had only one name on her mind: Stephen Wallace. She had to find him. It was obvious he wasn’t dead yet. The organization’s supercomputer hadn’t shown so yet.
She wondered why she hadn’t thought about him before. All the time, she had been looking for that one prize that would give her an advantage and he’d been under her nose. It was the previous morning when two alerts came to her device that made her happy. She had found Daan’s device. It was somewhere in Chicago, Illinois. Though his death made her sad, she knew a couple of things that she could do with his device. However, she had also intercepted an update from the Headquarters to some other agents. Stephen Wallace had been found in Cincinnati. She wasn’t surprised they had finally found him. The man seemed to have a loudmouth and be lousy whenever he was around friends. If only he knew. She had less than twenty-four hours to find him, or else she'd probably find him dead already.
She brought her bike to a halt. She could hear a brawl. Then she heard a girl’s voice. It sounded familiar. She had to investigate it.
Chapter Three
He heard footsteps...
20th November, 2021
2:53 pm
Cincinnati, Ohio. USA
The group of migrants came to rest. Their trek had begun early that morning. They stopped all too frequently and so the journey was slow. They hadn’t even left Cincinnati. People moved to start fires. The weather was so cold; stopping was unbearable without something to keep them warm.
“Hey, man,” Stephen said to Bucky as they watched the group settle down to eat what they could find. “I just want to be alone a bit. I’ll be back in the next hour when we’d be moving.”
Bucky nodded. Sighing, he said, “These people are too slow. They tire easily. At this rate, we’ll get to New York on the tenth of January. I want them to move fast but even their men aren’t helping issues.”
Stephen laughed. “Well, up the game bit by bit. Reduce the resting time gradually and steadily so they don’t notice immediately,” he said, as he turned to leave.
“Great idea. Be back here in thirty minutes, ‘cos we’ll be leaving then,” Bucky said and Stephen laughed.
Whistling for Tanner, he strode into the nearby woods. When he was far enough, he stopped and took off his backpack. He needed to start a fire. It took a while because of how wet and windy the whole place was but he was finally able to start a small fire.
Then he began to think. The journey so far had been great. He and Bucky had spent the past few days reminiscing over the years in the army. It was just the way he liked to travel. However, he’d recently begun to feel a growing apprehension. The euphoria of being with old friends was gone and reality had begun to dawn on him again. Even if he had Bucky and Logan walking with him, for his protection, he was pawning their lives. He didn’t want to put them at risk for his sake. He pulled out his kit from the bag. There were bullet marks on it from his encounter with the kidnappers. Opening it, he brought out his map and compass. Bucky had told him that they were going to go through West Virginia and Pennsylvania to get to New York. It was a journey of approximately nine days. Looking at the map, he trailed his fingers through an alternate route leading straight to Pennsylvania. It would take him back where he came from, it would take longer but it would get him to New York anyway.
He threw a stone and watched Tanner run for it. The fire he had built had begun to smolder. Survival was his thing. He hadn’t always been a civilian. Once again, his mind drifted back to his days in the military. It had been a fun ride- till his mouth ruined it all.
And gained him some dangerous enemies.
He’d have to journey to New York alone if he hoped to get there alive and with a clear conscience. He didn’t want anyone to die because of him.
Just as Tanner returned with the stone, he heard footsteps. As if in confirmation, Tanner’s head perked up and he began to bark. Stephen got up and used his feet to scatter the fireplace, mixing the ash with soil.
“Shhhh, boy. Come on, let’s go,” he said to the dog. Tanner came to stand by his side, still barking in the direction the sound had come from. Stephen paused, staring into the woods before him. Running away was a bad idea. Whoever was there was close enough to get him.
“Who’s there?” he called out. There was no answer. He pulled out his gun and cocked it, ready for action. “What do you want? Come out now,” he said once again.
“Relax, Captain Wallace,” a dark lady said, coming out from behind a tree. Stephen pointed his gun at her.
“Trust me, Captain. You don’t want to get into a fight with me,” she said. “I’m not here to
hurt you. I know people are after you and I’m here to help you.”
“Oh, really? I don’t need your help. Tell the people who sent you that you couldn’t find me, okay?” he said as he curled his finger around the trigger.
“Everyone will hear your gun. Trust me, you don’t want to draw attention,” she said as she raised her hands. The dog was growling at her.
“My name is Suzanne. You can call me Suzu.”
“What do I care?” he asked.
"Earlier this year, you made some statements about the ambivalence of your President's character. Suddenly, there are attacks on your life. Towards the end of the same year, there's an EMP attack on your country. You're joining those people to go to New York, aren't you? What do you think you'll find when you get there?" she asked.
Stephen froze. Who was this woman? She seemed to know all about him. Did she have answers? There was only one way to find out.
“I don’t know. Do you?” he asked.
Suzanne smiled, sure of his attention.
“Answer me or I’ll shoot you. Your friend thought I was joking, and he laughed after I threatened him. I’m sure his corpse is still grinning,” Stephen said.
“Put your gun down if you want to know,” she said calmly, yet with authority. They stared at each other for a while before Stephen finally put his gun down. Satisfied, Suzanne spoke:
“As a matter of fact, I do. I know that people are on their way to New York for protection. I also know that it’s all a farce. However, before I get into the details, I want to know how much you know,” she said, pulling out a mini tab from inside the black jacket she was wearing. “You made these statements in March. What made you say them?” she asked as she walked up to him and handed the tab over to him.
Stephen was surprised that the lady had a device that still worked. He was going to ask about it but the video on the screen took all his attention. He watched himself the day he had spoken against the government back at the base.
I know that this President is up to something…
Back then, he’d felt he had been drawing all those lines together. However, after watching his grandma die because of him and barely escaping so many gunshots, he realized how stupid he had sounded that day.
“I don’t know why I said it. It came out on impulse. Looking back, I feel like putting a bullet through my brain,” he said bluntly.
“Wait. You mean all this came out just because you felt like talking?” Suzanne asked. Stephen nodded. Suzanne sighed in exasperation.
“And here I was thinking that you had some connections somewhere that gave you the information or that you’d overheard something somewhere. It’s the same thing the organization thinks. They were afraid you'd spread your convictions to every other soldier. I used to think you were just a loudmouthed idiot who didn’t know how to keep a secret. Now I know you’re just a plain old fool who doesn’t know how to rein in his emotions,” she said calmly. “Look, it was nice meeting you, okay? But I need to run to Chicago soon. There’s someone I need to meet up with there.” She turned to go away.
“Wait. You didn’t just come to insult me, did you? You wanted something. What was it you wanted? At least let me know what’s happening in this damned country.”
Suzanne paused. Deciding to oblige him, she turned back to him.
“Do you know what cancer is?” she asked, and he nodded.
“Malignant cells that turn against the other sells in the body.”
“Good. That’s what’s happening in your country. America’s problem now isn’t external. Whether the EMP happened or not, it would still have fallen. The wrong people are everywhere in your country. You can’t afford to open your mouth everywhere. By the way, your life is in danger. Someone in your migrant group is an enemy and has informed your enemies of you being here. You need to get out of here soon,” she said.
Stephen thought about what she had said, then, he asked:
“How do you know all this? What side are you on?” Suzanne laughed at the question.
“How is that your business? Go to New York and face your future,” she said.
“You’re trying to fight this, aren’t you? You must be part of something. Let me join you, please. There’s no place for me to go any longer.”
She shook her head.
“I don’t think it’s a great idea. I work solo,” she said as she turned away to leave. That was when she noticed the dog sniffing the air. She realized something was wrong.
The dog barked. The same second, the sound of a bullet echoed through the woods.
“Get down,” Suzanne said as she dove after Stephen.
Chapter Four
“Have mercy on me, high priestess.”
20th November, 2021
2:53 pm
Cincinnati, Ohio. USA
Stephen and Suzanne rolled over on the floor and pulled out their guns. Luckily the first bullet hadn’t hit them. Suzanne got up and ducked behind a tree. She looked to see a woman with a revolver pointed at her. Behind this woman, there was a man with a rifle. Stephen was still exposed. Suzanne held two pistols. Diverting their attention from Stephen, she shot at them, giving Stephen the opportunity to get up and take cover.
“Tanner, come,” Stephen said as he went to stand behind a tree. The dog followed him even as it barked at the assailants.
The woman shouted at Suzanne.
“High priestess, what are you doing with this man? Have you gone rogue?”
Suzanne rolled her eyes.
“Do you really think that the Ray will fulfill her promises to you? You must be naïve,” Suzanne said.
From where Stephen hid, he shouted: "You know them?"
“Now is not the time for questions, Steven. Shut your yapper and focus,” she said as she emerged from behind the tree and shot at the lady. Running quickly, she hid behind another tree.
“Adelaide, go after the high priestess. I’ll handle the soldier,” the man said. Adelaide nodded to him and moved towards Suzanne.
“Obviously, you guys don’t know me. If you did, you’d know that I should have your full attention,” Suzanne said as she shot the branch right above the man twice. Her aim was precise, and the large composite branch went down over the man.
“Marcus!” Adelaide shouted.
The distraction was well-timed.
"Go boy! Kill," Stephen said to his dog, pointing at the man under the tree. The dog went after Marcus, who was still trying to get out from beneath the heavy foliage.
Adelaide spotted the dog going towards Marcus and aimed at it.
“Hey over here,” Suzanne called out from right behind Adelaide and Adelaide turned just in time to receive a bullet between her eyes.
Marcus had only come out from under the branches when he came face to face with the angry dog. His gun had gone missing within the branches. He tried to fend off the dog with one hand while searching for his gun with the other. Tanner bit hard into the hand Marcus had used to hold him off. Marcus screamed in pain as the dog pulled on his flesh. He tried kicking but the dog wouldn’t let go.
From his already blurry vision, he saw Suzanne and Stephen come to stand over him with guns drawn.
“Please,” he begged. “Have mercy on me, high priestess.”
“Tell your dog to stop. I want to question the man,” Suzanne said.
“Tanner, stay,” Stephen said, and the dog looked up at him and whined after releasing the man. He ran to stand beside his master, who bent to pet it. “Who’s a good boy?” Stephen asked his dog, who was panting happily.
“Who are you going home to?” she asked in Russian. For the first time, she realized how young he looked.
“Hey, no fair. Speak so I can understand!” Stephen said as he stood.
Ignoring him, Suzanne said, “Talk to me.”
“My mother. And my little sister,” the man said in Russian too.
“Where did you serve while in America?”
“I served in the military. Why did you
turn, high priestess?”
“It’s a lie, Marcus. There’s no home. You’ll continue serving the organization till you die. Think of all the horrible things you’ve done already. There’s no end to it. That’s why I’m going to put you out of it now. I’ll be joining you soon. I hope you understand,” she said. Slowly, she pulled the trigger, closing her eyes before shooting.
Stephen jerked in surprise at the shooting, not understanding what had happened.
“The way you guys were talking, I thought you were going to spare him,” Stephen said.
Suzanne's eyes remained closed. Despite her attempt to fight it, a teardrop ran down her cheek.
“Hey, what’s all the shooting about?” Bucky said as he stood behind Stephen. He was panting from running. He held a gun in his hand too. “I thought you’d been attacked.”
Stephen turned to him. “I was attacked. Suzanne, here, helped me.”
That was when Bucky saw the dead man.
“Hey, this guy had asked about you just a couple of minutes ago. He claimed to be part of our travel team,” he said.
“And you led him straight to me,” Stephen said. He was becoming suspicious of Bucky. Had Bucky given him away?
“You are in the military too, aren’t you?” Suzanne said to Bucky as she turned to face him.
Bucky raised a brow at the lady. “Yes, I am. Who are you?”
Ignoring his question, she turned to Stephen. “You still want to help, don’t you?”