A Place Worth Living

by B D Grant

  Tony pokes his head out the back. "We aren't done yet." Ben ignores him.

  "Just a minute,” Bryant tells Tony then frowns at Ben, "You couldn't finish helping him first?"

  Ben looks back at the car. "I did the hard part.” He turns back to me, “He can finish." There's a loud grunt from Tony and the car shakes from him moving something heavy. Bryant looks at Ben as Ben looks at me ignoring the struggle going on inside the van. Bryant shakes his head in frustration and goes to Tony's aid.

  "You picked a bad day to want to go hunting,” Ben tells me.

  “I’m not here for that. Where’s Dillon?”

  Ben seems to deflate a bit. "Your boyfriend’s busy. You should go to class like a good little girl." He can't stand it that I don't fawn over him like the other girls my age. Tony waves to Ben's back. I point Ben in his direction. "You're wanted. They must not be able to do it without you,” I say sarcastically.

  He takes my sarcasm as a compliment. "Of course they can’t.” He turns to them. "I'm coming,” he says.

  I follow him to the back and watch them finish loading the van. When another group wearing the same stuff pours out of the faculty housing I get behind Ben. They don't seem to notice me standing as hidden as I can behind Ben pushing cargo around as Bryant and Tony organize it.

  Tony’s grumbling about today's lazy generation to Bryant, who encourages his complaining. I know Tony’s talking about me. “Old man could be dying of thirst right in front of them and they wouldn’t offer so much as the backwash from their sodas.”

  The people load into one of the front vans and drive off. Tony’s still yapping. “In my day there were boundaries. I didn't cross them without receiving my father’s wrath. He would’ve killed me if he knew I blatantly disregarded authority."

  Bryant joins in. “I hear you. All my father has to do is touch his belt and I get flash blacks from my childhood." Bryant looks over at me, grinning.

  "I think parents nowadays are slacking," Tony adds. He doesn't look at me or he would see me rolling my eyes.

  Dillon walks out with the next group. Two of the people with him I recognize from my speech. They’re parents. John’s the last to emerge. They open the back of the van parked in front of the one I’m standing behind. I look through the van’s windshield, watching them at the back of their van. The father opens a box similar to the ones being stacked up in Tony's van when his wife throws her arm over it, whispering in his ear, and motioning for him to look behind him. He does and when he sees me he takes his hands off the box. Dillon, who’s beside them, turns to look at me. He isn’t happy to see me. John notices me too. No one else acts upset by my presence.

  "Oh, crap,” Tony says, hearing the people at the other car. He hops down and joins them. They shut the back doors of the van and start getting in as Tony speaks with the gentleman on the front, passenger side.

  John walks up to me. “I have to say good job last night. No one saw that coming.” “Thanks,” I tell him dryly. He doesn’t have to rub it in.

  “You were a motivational speaker last night. Mr. McBride only expected enough volunteers for 3 or 4 squadrons but every single one of them wanted to contribute in some form in today’s efforts,” he says talking about the parents.

  Ashley was right. They didn’t think I was some stupid kid wasting their time. Cassidy can suck it! I’m not a terrible public speaker.

  “Did he tell them everything?” I ask hoping John will fill me in if I act like I already know what’s happening today. John glances over at the others at the van. Tony looks to be receiving some news he doesn't like. Dillon shakes the parents' hands. The woman pulls him into a hug.

  John gets closer to me as he answers, “Only a little was shared with everyone. Some of them had questionable responses during the entrance questioning.” Questionable as in what, they were hiding something? Does that mean there were possible Rogues here yesterday? I don’t want to interrupt him in fear he’ll stop talking. “Others weren’t physically capable for what we’ll need down in south Louisiana so he gave those, in either category, offsite duties for today where they can help while being watched by him. The real meeting occurred a couple hours ago.”

  “Why would he let the people he doesn’t trust help?” I ask.

  “Keeping his enemies close I guess.”

  Someone calls for John at the other van.

  “Stay alive,” he says before walking away.

  “You too.”

  They get in the van and Dillon walks over to us. Tony stays by the van with disappointment written all over his face.

  "You shouldn't be here,” Dillon tells me.

  "I had to. I know what's going on."

  Ben and Bryant look at Dillon, who continues looking at me. "No she doesn’t,” Dillon says looking at me, but talking to Ben and Bryant. "If she did than she would know there’s no chance in hell anyone with sense would let her be a part of it.” I hear the van ahead of ours start up and pull away. Tony rejoins us drawing the attention away from me.

  "Why aren't you going with them?" Ben asks Tony.

  Tony looks accusingly at Dillon. “That's a good question."

  Dillon notices. “What, you think I had something to do with it?"

  "Someone gave them the impression that the remaining staff couldn't take care of themselves."

  "I was asked who was left and I told them. Whatever decisions they made from those facts have nothing to do with me. I want to be there too.” Dillon and Tony stare at each other like their waiting on the other to make a move.

  “I think," Bryant says, moving slightly between them. "That they know how good of friends we are, Tony, and they knew I would throw a fit if I was stuck here without the pleasure of your company."

  Ben rolls his eyes. With a smile, I do too. Why aren't more people like Bryant? “They trusted you enough to give you a radio,” Bryant says, about the big contraption in Tony’s hand. It’s the same one as the man had that stopped me at the front of the building.

  Bryant’s talking seems to calm Tony. He steps away from Dillon saying, “Finish getting the van ready. I'll be in my office." Tony turns the large radio on then departs, heading for the building. Bryant looks around at everyone like he deserves a ‘thank you’ from all of us.

  “He knows we have a radio already,” Ben says quietly. The three of them load up the two remaining boxes into the van.

  “I think we’re finished,” Ben says leaning against the van.

  Dillon looks in the back with Bryant. "I think it's fine.” Dillon tells me, “That was the last squad. This is just extra in case more people showed up."

  Bryant closes the back. I stare down the dirt road in the direction the van left. “That was a big van for only four people.”

  “Extra space for the prisoners we get out,” Bryant says.

  “Or the Rogues they capture,” Ben adds.

  “She doesn’t need to hear any of that,” Dillon tells them.

  Bryant changes the subject, “Since when did Tony get a office?"

  "He means his room. No one would give that big arse an office,” Ben spits.

  “Language,” Dillon warns him.

  “She knows I’m kidding.” Ben looks at me and winks.

  Dillon gives Ben an irritated look saying, "We should straighten up inside.”

  Ben reluctantly gets off the van and follows Bryant inside. Before leaving Dillon says to me, "See you later kid. We're too busy to hang out today."

  I stand by the van watching them file inside, leaving me like a lost puppy to fend for myself. I don't want to go back to the school. By the angle of the sun shining through the trees it tells me class will be starting soon. My stomach lets out a slow growl reminding me I haven’t eaten breakfast. It'll be too late to get something from the cafeteria by the time I make it back. I stare at my reflection on the side of the van. Why couldn’t my parents have given me a book on how to hot-wire a car? I walk up to the passenger side window and pretend to fix my hair in the rear
view mirror in case anyone’s watching me. I take a good look inside. No keys are visible. I bend down and tie one of my shoes a little tighter while I work up the courage to follow the guys inside the faculty only building.

  Faculty housing has more of a comfy feel to it inside compared to student dorms. The walls are painted warm, welcoming colors. It smells less like a school and more of a place people live. All of a sudden I hear static followed by a voice coming in over a radio, “Three, all quiet. I repeat, three, all quiet.” I turn around and come face-to-face with Tony.

  He turns the volume down on the radio hooked onto his belt. He’s fully dressed in the military style gear now with the helmet hooked on his belt behind where the radio’s hanging. That has got to be uncomfortable having all the bulky stuff hanging off his belt.

  “What are you thinking coming in here?” He hisses. “What part of no students allowed, don’t you get?”

  “I was.. I was looking for you.”

  “What? Was I not outside with you just five minutes ago?”

  He doesn’t have any van keys that I can see. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others. I have to write something really good for my English class. This assignment is a biography of sorts but it can’t be on ourselves.”

  “And?” he asks impatiently.

  “And I wanted mine to be about you.”

  He looks at me suspiciously. “I doubt they want you to cut class and break into a restricted area for homework.”

  “You’re probably right but I’m already here… and class already started.”

  “What’s your first class?”

  “Human Anatomy.”

  He winces a little. “Your second class?”

  “College Algebra.”

  “You’re one of those smart kids, huh?”

  “Not by choice. My parents made sure I did my best. I got a “C” twice on my report card in middle school and it wasn’t pretty.”

  He nods as if he knows all about it. “My parents were hard on me too. You’ll thank them one day. Take my word for it.”

  We stand in silence.

  “So you think I can observe you for a little bit and get a brief background history from you?” He better have the van keys. If not I am punishing myself for no reason.

  “Getting a good foundation is vital for college. Missing class is for the slackers, not for people like you and I. I made the Dean’s list my entire college career.”

  He stops talking but seems to want to talk more about himself. That’s got to be a good sign.

  “Could you at least give me a late excuse for first period?”

  He pushes past me, “Come with me.”

  I stay close behind him watching his pockets for any evidence of keys. He sees me looking at his pants as I’m thinking about the possibility of having to sneak my hand in his pocket for van keys. That would be so awkward. I look up and give him an innocent smile. Maybe he’ll think I was staring off into space.

  He goes into a medium sized room that has three office desks. His pants swipe the corner of the desk that he walks around. The pocket that hits the desk is the one I was thinking could maybe have keys in them but it doesn’t make a sound.

  He gets a single sheet of paper out. He jots down a couple sentences and hands it to me. The paper is an excuse for not only first but also second hour.

  “You’re awesome,” I tell him.

  He nods in agreement. “Don’t think you’re going to be my shadow for two hours. I have stuff to do. You can interview me another time. We’re going to find the other campus security.”

  “I didn’t get breakfast this morning. Could I get something to eat?”

  “I’m sure there’s something in the kitchen.”

  My idea to get breakfast leads us to Dillon, Bryant, and Ben hanging out in the kitchen. I get a paper plate and fill it with cold scrambled eggs wishing Ben hadn’t loaded his plate with the last of the bacon. I pop my plate in the microwave. Then, with warmed eggs I join the guys at the table.

  “I’ll be back in time to bring you to class,” Tony tells me. He grabs one of Ben’s pieces of bacon on his way out.

  “Hey!” Ben yells but Tony is already out the kitchen.

  Ben and Bryant’s banter is forced while we eat. Dillon shifts constantly in his chair, not adding much to the conversation. Bryant’s legs are bouncing under the table. With everyone sitting I can’t tell if any of them have the van keys.

  An hour into hanging out in the kitchen, Tony rushes in. “You’re early,” I tell him. I still have at least half an hour before I have to head back for third period.

  He looks at Dillon raising the radio in his hand. “They need us,” He says. They all jump up like firefighters when the station alarm sounds. I get up along with them. Bryant and Ben turn the radios on that are hanging on their belts. I watch Tony in frustration as he waves the van keys dangling around his pointer finger.

  On the way out to the van Tony tells me, “You need to get to class.”

  “Not a chance. I’m going with you.”

  “She’s good with a gun,” Ben tells him.

  “This isn’t somewhere you want to go. It isn’t safe,” Dillon tells me.

  Tony steps closer to Dillon saying, “They called for all able hands.”

  “So what? They didn’t mean a kid,” Dillon tells him.

  “I’m only a couple years younger then you,” I say but get ignored.

  Ben asks, “Did they tell you what’s going on? We weren’t suppose to get called in.”

  “No, the signal was jammed once I responded to the call.” Tony unlocks the van. Once he’s inside the van Ben goes to the back. Tony’s in the drivers seat, Dillon the passenger seat, and I climb in the back behind Bryant.

  “What are you doing?” Bryant asks when he starts to shut the door behind him but finds me in the way.

  “I’m coming.”

  Dillon turns around in his seat. “I can’t let you come with us.”

  “If she wants to go and she can shoot, she’s coming,” Tony tells them.

  “I don’t know,” Bryant says.

  “I have orders to follow and I’m giving you one,” Tony tells them. “Stop wasting time. Let her get in the van.”

  “Alright,” Bryant says less than enthusiastically. He moves to the side allowing me to take a seat.

  Ben has one of the containers in the back of the van open. He takes out a large caliber weapon. He passes it to Bryant, who passes it to Dillon. Ben continues passing weapons forward until every one has one except for me.

  “Pay attention,” Bryant tells me as Ben tosses him two magazines.

  “The two magazines have different bullets in them. One has tranquilizers and the other, regular bullets.” He shows me the small switch my trigger finger can easily flip to change from bullets to tranqs.

  “How will I know which ones to use?”

  “Only shoot if you absolutely have to. If you aren’t a hundred percent positive which one to use than stick with tranqs and one of us can make the final decision.”

  “I’m putting you in the back so you’ll only have to use it if we’re in serious trouble,” Dillon says from up front.

  “I’ll just leave it on bullets then,” Bryant says, handing me the gun. I carefully set it by the door. Ben passes me a bulletproof vest, jacket, and helmet from one of the boxes.

  He moves to the seat behind mine and asks, “How far do we have to go?”

  “We’ll be at the half-way mark in less than an hour. We should be able get instructions from there,” Tony tells him.

  I put on all the gear Ben gave me reeling over what I’m hearing. Rogues have been so close this whole time and we’re just going to drive up in the middle of the day. I don’t know what I was expecting but this seems too easy. “How big is this place?” I ask.

  “The halfway mark is a small church. The reverend there is a Seraphim, but there may be civilians around so we have to be low key.”

  Bry
ant looks down at himself. They are all wearing the same cool gear all the others that left before us had on. “We look totally low key.”

  “No, I meant the Rogues’ hideout,” I tell Tony.

  When he doesn’t answer me Dillon does. “It’s a school.”

  I look around at all of them. “What?” I ask incredulously.

  Ben props his foot on my armrest. “Mind blown, right?”

  I shove his shoe off, reclaiming my armrest. “Rogues have a school where they’re teaching kids to be Rogues?”

  “Intelligence has told us it’s a school. What they do exactly at the school we don’t know,” Tony tells me as he presses on the gas to pass a sedan.

  “We don’t know,” Dillon clarifies. “but I’m sure your uncle knows more, a lot more. Another part of the intel they shared with us is, I’m sure why you were so adamant about coming. They’re also holding people there against their will.”

  “All I want to do is break my dad out. It doesn’t matter from where.” But I never would have guessed a classroom of first graders would be their cover. “A school doesn’t exactly give off the evil organization feel.”

  We pass the car in front of us. After passing the car we don’t slow down very much. Tony looks at me in the rear view mirror, “That might have something to do with them not being found until now. I know I wouldn’t look for wolves surrounded by sheep.”

  Bryant chuckles, “Our high school must have had the same thing going on because it sure felt like a jail.” Dillon shakes his head as he stares out the window.

  I look around my headrest at Ben. He’s managed to fall asleep in the most uncomfortable position. His face is pointed up at the roof. He’s too tall for the headrest to support it. His mouth is partially open. It is going to be a better car ride with him asleep. I won’t have to fight him continuously propping his foot on my armrest.

  Bryant’s leg is bouncing again, this time at a much calmer rate. He pats the side of his gun keeping beat with a song that only he can hear. Dillon mumbles something to Tony. Tony lets off the gas a second to drop the speed.