by Ken Barrett
Lisa blinked and seemed stunned at the revelation. “Is your name fake too?”
“Yes honey, it is. I’m sorry for not telling you, but my name is Rose Collins. I taught history at Flatiron University.”
“Oh,” Lisa answered. “I won’t tell anyone, especially the girls. At their age they’re not good at keeping secrets.”
“I’m not a scientist, just an engineer,” Liam corrected.
“Sure ok,” Rose continued. “He was an engineer at the university. He did something with the navigation system for a space probe that went to some star that’s really far away.”
“I was working for Pike City then,” Liam added.
“Yes, yes… shut up a minute, will you?” Rose shook her head in exasperation. “The guard said that Ron Castro is working on your project and he’s getting nowhere with it.”
“Not surprising,” Liam responded. “Ron’s a Materials Science guy, as far as coding goes, he couldn’t find his ass even if he used both hands.”
“Ron’s in big trouble with his boss; some lady named Julee Garcia. Anyway, that navigation thing you did for them is a really, really big deal.”
“Huh,” Liam grumbled. “I wonder if this has anything to do with all the technology that’s being shipped south?” He thought a moment; every bit of new knowledge provides an opportunity.
“The deal Ron made to get sanctuary here included you,” Rose said.
“What was he going to do, kidnap me?”
“Maybe, but I think that’s why they were looking for you when they invaded,” Rose answered.
“There may be a way to turn this to our advantage,” Liam said. “Give me some time to think about it.”
“Did you hear anything about Becky?” Keith asked.
“The guard mentioned that Ron’s living with his sister. That’s all I know, but she’s probably fine.”
Keith sat back and whispered, “I worry about her sometimes.”
“She’s probably better off than we are,” Rose said.
*****
Joe was waiting for them when they returned home. Liam’s mind was preoccupied, spinning with ideas of how to use what he had learned about Ron to their advantage, but was startled back to reality when Keith suddenly spoke.
“What happened to Eric?” Keith’s voice had a dangerously hard edge to it. Liam instantly became alert and quickly glanced around the room. Eric was lying on his bed with a tangle of blankets pressed against his face. The body wasn’t moving; it looked like he was dead.
“Eric caught on to what you guys are up to,” Joe answered.
“And what’s that?” Keith asked.
“Black market food, that’s gotta be it.” Joe stood up and walked toward them. “He was gonna report you to the guards, so I offed him for you.”
Keith pointed to the listening device by the door. “They’ll come for you now.”
“Nah,” Joe retorted. “That thing never worked. Kept that a secret ‘til I knew what you folks was all about.”
Keith put his hands on his hips and stared at the body. “We’ll have to do somethin’ with that.”
“Yeah, no problem,” Joe said. “We can toss him off the roof. I’ve done it before. Ain’t nothin’ behind this place but an empty lot.”
“Show us,” Keith ordered.
“Sure, but everythin’ has a price,” Joe replied with a twisted grin. “I want in on whatever you’re doing, otherwise I’ll use Mother’s Ears to report you; I’ll tell ‘em all about how you killed my best friend, poor old Eric.”
“Yeah, ok,” Keith answered. “There’s more than enough to go around.” He lifted Eric’s lifeless body off the bed and threw it over his shoulder and walked to the door. “Now show us.”
Joe led them up two flights of stairs to the roof. The lot behind their building was completely hidden from the street and tangled with weeds. Keith easily tossed the body over the edge and they all watched it fall.
“So, how’re you guys workin’ the scam?” Joe asked with a grin.
“It’s pretty easy,” Keith said as he turned toward their new conspirator. Then in a single rapid motion, Keith grabbed Joe’s head and violently twisted, breaking his neck. A second later Joe’s body was flung over the edge to join his onetime friend.
“Remind me to not get into a punching match with you,” Liam said.
“Yeah, that wouldn’t be a good idea. But I figured that I’d have to do somethin’ about these guys sooner or later,” Keith said as they descended the stairs.
*****
A plan was slowly forming in Liam’s mind, but knowledge could sometimes be dangerous, so he kept his ideas to himself. He secretly accessed the city’s databases through his palm chip and made a few subtle changes to their identities, jobs, and background clearances. A week later he and Rose were selected to drive in the next truck convoy south.
Over the next few nights at the Last Lantern, Carolyn became much friendlier, confirming his suspicions about her government allegiance. The revelation made him sad though, she was a lovely and engaging woman, and it was a pity to have to count her among his enemies. Every circumstance can be turned into a tool though, and he realized that his feigned ignorance of her subterfuge could be useful later.
Chapter 11: South
“Looks like we gotta couple newbie drivers with us for this run.” The Dock Foreman wiped the sweat from his bald head with an already damp rag. What hair he did have was cut short and it appeared that he hadn’t shaved in at least a week. He was a sloppily dressed overweight man, which was unusual because so many in the city were starving.
Liam and Rose stood with a group of other men and women under a wide metal awning beside four unloaded big-rig trucks. The corrugated roof amplified the heat and in combination with the constant humidity, just breathing took an extra effort.
“You think this is miserable weather? Just wait, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” a big rough looking woman with blonde hair said.
“Shut up Peggy,” the Foreman cautioned. “They don’t know where we’re goin’ yet.”
The size of the big-rigs was intimidating; they dwarfed the huge flatbed military vehicles that were used against Flatiron, and Liam’s delivery van looked like a child’s toy next to them. He had never piloted anything so large before, and Rose had never driven at all, so taking this job was a huge risk. Of course, neither the Foreman or the other drivers knew of their inexperience, but considering the trucks all ran on electric motors and had automatic transmissions, Liam figured they could handle it.
“You two are on the roster today ‘cos you passed the background check and you’ve been workin’ here for a while,” The foreman continued. “Drivin’ south is the highest security job in the city; no one knows, and no one will ever know where we’re goin’ or what we’re delivering. Telling anyone about any of it will get you chained to the cross and eaten by the birds, you get that?” The fat man glared at them both for a long moment.
“We understand,” Liam said, answering for them both.
“Ok then. Just so you know, we’ll be taking some flack along the way from the savages, but we’ll have an army escort and the truck cabs are as secure as we can make ‘em,” he shook his head. “But them fuckin’ railguns are tough; they’re bad news.”
“I saw a military flatbed get cut in half by one of those,” Liam said.
“Yeah, them fuckers mean business. All I can tell you is to just keep your head down and hope for the best.” The foreman paused for a moment. “It’s nasty work, but the pay’s good and you get extra days off. So, go home and get some sleep everybody, ‘cos we’ll be drivin’ straight through; the project’s nearly done and Mother wants it finished and buttoned up pronto. Now get the hell outta here, and I’ll see you in two days.”
*****
“Why’d you get me mixed up in this?” Rose asked as she paused along their walk home to retie her boot laces. “I hate these things,” she mumbled. “Whoever thought that plastic shoe
laces were a good idea ought to have their head examined.”
“Everything comes down to a choice.” Liam smiled and knelt down beside her. “We could keep our heads down and try to play nice in hopes that we’ll somehow get out of this mess alive, or we could do something to avenge what they did to us in Flatiron and then escape and be on our own.
“Right now, we’re stuck between two sides that are set on killing each other,” Liam continued. “The Tribes might be better than the Socialists, but there’s no way of knowing for sure. What I’m certain of, is that this city is a death trap and we need to bring it down and get away. Something important is happening down south, and we need to learn what it is because I feel it’s the key to finally ending the wars forever.”
“But why not have Keith go with you on this drive instead of me?”
“You said you wanted in… you have thorns, remember?”
“Yes, I suppose I did,” his sister answered. “It’s one thing to think about it, but another to really get involved and know that people will be shooting at me.”
“I know,” he said. “Keith has ties to the rebels, so he needs to stay here and keep the line of communication open. When we get back, he has to be under no suspicion so he can make a report.” He thought for a moment, and then sighed. “I need you to come with me so you can tell Keith what we learn, in case I get picked up after we get back.”
Rose stared at him. “There’s a chance of that?”
“More than a chance, It’s part of the plan.”
“But we gave false names when we came here; my last name is the same as yours, won’t I get in trouble too?”
“I changed your last name to ‘Smith’ when I hacked our records, so you’ll be fine.”
“Ok big brother,” Rose said softly. “You’ve always looked out for me, so I’ll just trust you again.”
*****
The next night, Liam sat alone at the bar at the Last Lantern. He was deliberately staying away from Keith and Rose, who were at a table near the stage listening to the band. For his plan to work, both of them needed to be completely free of suspicion, and yet he had stupidly placed his sister in jeopardy; he hoped that wasn’t a mistake.
Changing her name at the last minute was dangerous. When they first arrived, he had no plans to bring down the city, so taking on identities not associated with the university seemed to be all that was necessary to maintain their safety. To disable the government and derail whatever was going on in the south required facing danger and even risking death. What he was about to do was his decision, and he wanted none of its shadow to fall upon his sister or their friend.
“Well hey there!” Carolyn’s soft and sultry voice called.
He smiled and turned toward her. “Hey there yourself.”
“If you keep nursing that ale all night you’ll put me out of business!” She sat down beside him then playfully laid her head onto his shoulder. “But that’s ok, you’re so handsome that all the girls will wanna buy you a drink.”
He laughed and looked around. “Yeah, there’s a line forming around here somewhere.”
Carolyn smiled. “It’s good to see you tonight, but I hear you’ll be away for a while.”
How did she know? That confirmed her ties to the government, and he realized that he was being tested. “Yeah, I’m doing some overtime at the motor-pool, and will probably be so tired after work that I’ll just stagger back to my nest and pass out.”
“Well, if you can manage it, I hope you’ll stop by.”
“I’ll try.” He glanced at Carolyn and smiled. She was an exquisitely beautiful woman, but the problem was that she used it too much to her advantage. “Are you going to play your fiddle for us tonight?”
“Maybe, would you like to hear me play?”
“I would.” Now was the time to bait his trap. “Music is a special thing; there’s a mathematical precision to it that mimics the heartbeat of the universe.” He had thought about how to gently arouse suspicion about his identity for a long time; it had to be subtle, and just enough to hint that he was more than he appeared. If his bait was too heavy handed they would arrest him before he left to go south, and he believed it was critical to know what was going on down there. Hopefully Carolyn would wonder about what he said and would mention it to her handlers after he left.
“That’s such a beautiful thing to say,” she said with a slight frown.
He grinned in return, hoping that the hint he provided was just enough.
*****
Liam stood in the open lot of the motor-pool beneath a hard-white sky that was painful to his eyes; the heat that fell from it had a weight that threatened to push him straight into the ground. Beside him was a line of big-rig trucks attached to long flatbed trailers, each loaded with a massive fusion reactor.
The power plants were Ron Castro’s work. While gazing at them he wondered why the traitor felt it was necessary to destroy Flatiron rather than just travel to Pike City on his own? The Technology Center would certainly have employed him, why did so many people have to die?
Rose had arrived earlier and was running through a checklist beside one of the trucks. Liam deliberately walked to a different vehicle and began to stow his jacket and a change of clothes inside.
“Hold on Jack!” the Foreman said as he waddled across the yard. “You and Sarah are newbies, so I want you two together and drivin’ at the center of the pack.”
“Ok boss,” Liam said and began retrieving his gear.
“This could get rough,” the Foreman muttered. “The savages will probably hit you in Santa Fe, Trinidad, and maybe even Pueblo. The army beat them fuckers outta Pueblo a bunch of times, but they’re like fuckin’ cockroaches and keep comin’ back.”
“What do we do if that happens?”
“Keep your head down and keep goin’. Let the military take care of ‘em, that’s their job.” The big man stepped back and glanced around suspiciously. “This is a critical delivery. If somethin’ goes wrong the old woman will have us all on the cross.”
*****
The cab of the truck was longer than it was wide; to start their journey Liam sat in the single forward driver’s seat, and Rose took the slightly elevated position in the rear. The batteries were charged and the low hum of the electric truck motors filled the air as they waited for their military escort to take up positions around them. “I wonder how long we’ll be gone?” he asked idly.
“I was told two days each way,” Rose replied. “That means we’ll have to stop to either recharge or pick up new batteries somewhere in the middle.”
“Huh,” he grunted while tapping his ear to indicate there might be a listening device in the cab.
“Yes, I’ve been thinking about that too,” Rose replied cryptically. “I’ve checked the equipment, so I think we’ll be ok.”
They both slipped their radio head gear on and waited. The forward military vehicles slowly moved out, and like tumbling dominos, the rest of the group followed. Peggy’s rough voice suddenly grated in his ear. “Keep it tight assholes, it’s a long ride and it ain’t gonna be easy.”
Liam gently applied the accelerator and closely followed the truck in front of him through the south city gate. The roadway was cracked and buckled in places but he managed to keep up and move with the rest of the convoy onto the ancient interstate highway. As the city wall fell back into the distance, rolling grasslands opened up ahead. It was empty country with scarcely any sign of the destruction of war.
As a group they kept a brisk pace and arrived at the outskirts of Pueblo roughly an hour and a half after starting out. “Catchin’ some flak up here,” a male voice said in Liam’s ear. “Second drivers, keep your heads down; this could get nasty.”
Rose leaned forward in her seat and ducked down behind Liam. “How can the resistance be so close to Pike City?” she whispered.
Liam was concentrating on staying close behind the truck in front of them but managed to cover his headset microphone with one
hand. “Maybe the rebels are more of a threat and are closer than the government admits.”
There was a sudden pop as a small projectile punched right through the cab. “Shit, shit, shit,” he said as he leaned forward onto the steering wheel.
“Number 3, are you hit?” Peggy’s voice sounded in his ear.
He glanced back and saw that Rose was unhurt. “We’re good; just a little added ventilation.”
“It’s about time you lost your virginity.” Peggy laughed. “Keep it tight; the road takes a couple sharp turns ahead.”
“T-12 falling back,” a male voice stated. His designation indicated that he was in the rear military vehicle. “Gonna rip ‘em a new one, that way they won’t bug us on the way home. I’ll catch up with you guys in Holbrook.”
“T-1 here. Catch you at the recharge buddy,” the lead military vehicle answered.
The convoy stayed tight and moved fast until they passed by the ancient steel mill that was south of Pueblo and at last escaped the city. “That was pretty scary,” Rose said when she finally sat back up in her chair.
“You’ll be all right honey,” Peggy’s voice somehow managed to sound gentle. “We still got a couple nasty spots ahead, but just keep your head down and you’ll be fine.”
*****
The landscape north of Trinidad was scarred with the shattered vestiges of buildings and the rusted remains of ruined vehicles. Warfare had so destroyed the area that nothing grew there; sand dunes lined the sides of the old roadway and blowing scree obscured their path in places. Given enough time, would the entire Earth resemble this place? Humankind had taken paradise and rebuilt it in their own image, mirroring the chaos and destruction that lay at the depths of their soul.
“Tighten it up. It could get nasty when we roll through town,” Peggy said over the intercom.
“Nearly a hundred years ago, a war was fought right here,” Rose said quietly as she looked through the side window.
“You’re right Sarah,” Peggy answered. “It was the battle for the La Veta Pass, the quickest way south into New Mexico. It was a nasty business.”
