by James Hoch
"Well, for one, we heard it when we got to Albuquerque."
"When were you there? What part of the city?" Jack asked continuing his inquisition.
Jackson explained that he and the boy had stayed in the Heights area of Albuquerque, not too far from the KOA. He went on to recount how booby traps had decimated Madeline's army when they entered the old KOA. "Bobby and I watched from a hill looking down. It was sure something to see. When it was all over, there weren't many men left standing."
"What happened to them?" I asked.
"They took off running with their tails between their legs," Jackson said with a smirk.
"They didn't really have tails," Bobby offered, helping to break the tension.
"Well, you are welcome to stay with us if you'd like," Heckel said patting Jackson on the shoulder.
"I'd be glad to help cook that venison. In another life, I was a pretty good chef," Jackson said helping Jack carry the deer.
Vonnie took Bobby over to show him where he could wash up. Heckel took care of the two horses. I was about to help him when I looked over at camp. Jerky stood in front of our tent, glaring at our little gathering. Her hair was bristled along her back and I could see that she was hissing. The sight of her all riled up made my insides turn icy.
"Sela, you all right?" Heckel asked.
I was about to point to Jerky and say something when I saw the cat bolt off into the bushes. It's probably nothing, I thought. On the other hand maybe there's something to be concerned about. She is a good little warning system. "What's wrong with Jerky?"
"I don't know. Where is she?"
"She was over by the tent, but is gone now."
"Well, there's a mouse that's been bugging her for a while. I think she's determined to get it."
I stared at the bushes for the longest time.
"Sela, you okay?"
"Absolutely, perfect," I said grabbing Heckel's arm. "And tonight we have fresh meat!"
Chapter 20
The violent thunderstorm waltzed into the District of Columbia, pelting the historic buildings with dime-sized hail and sheets of cold rain. Lightning streaked across the Washington monument. Madeline could see the newly leafed-out trees being twisted and tortured as if a huge invisible hand were trying to pull them out of the ground.
"I just love a good, gale-force wind," she muttered, watching Mother Nature have her way. I wonder if I should send some testy weather out to Flagstaff and try that again? It would at least annoy the hell out of Heckel and his little band of merry men.
"Miss Madeline…um…your dinner party is assembled," a young man announced in a squeaky voice.
"Thank you. I'll be right there," she said, staring out the window to catch the next lightning flash. Ah, such power. What a sight! Suddenly, she could feel that same sense of force swirling inside her. An impish grin inched its way across her face, spreading from ear to ear. Madeline savored the power inside as if she were tasting an expensive glass of Cabernet. Each time the power made itself known, she felt as though it gained strength and her ability to control it improved. Madeline turned her palms upward to observe a blue swirling ball of energy ignite in each hand. The two orbs flared outward with small lightning flashes. It reminded her of the old dusty scientific equipment in a mad scientist's lab in some ancient black-and-white movie starring Boris Karloff.
A bright flash outside cracked a large branch off a nearby tree, causing her to regain her composure. She watched the blue orbs slowly retreat into her upturned hands. Her entire body felt like it had just been reborn; she hugged herself relishing the warm, invigorated feeling.
For dinner, Madeline was joined by several of her generals. They all stood up as she entered the long dining room.
"Good evening, gentlemen," she said as her assistant pulled her seat out, afterwards excusing himself to check on the status of dinner.
The men responded cordially and sat back down. Conversations were lively and centered mostly on the buildup of Madeline's army. A young man halfway down the table asked, "Miss Madeline, when will the battle take place?"
She admired the individual's boldness and stared at him with a contemplative expression. How much should I confide in these…peons?
The room went silent.
"What is your name?"
Sweat beaded on the young man's forehead. His hand shook as he grabbed for a glass of water. After swallowing a mouthful of water, he nearly spilled the glass. "Alan," he replied, his voice quivering.
"Well, Alan, that's an excellent question. One I'm sure that is on everyone's mind," she said, glowering at everyone seated at the table. "However, the answer is rather difficult to come up with. We are dealing with a very cunning individual. Our Mr. Casey possesses a-" Something suddenly took her speech away; she couldn't move. Madeline wondered what was happening to her.
Then she heard a voice in her head. You fool. Say nothing further. Do not show any weakness.
After a few minutes of absolute silence, Madeline regained her voice. The first words she uttered were, "The battle will end the reign of Heckel and his followers. We will crush them."
The room erupted with applause and excitement. Men pounded the table. Madeline continued her cheerleading manner, spouting sound bytes that were guaranteed to incite the simple-minded generals. She was getting so energized that the power inside her began to emerge, much like it did when she was watching the storm earlier. Madeline stood up and the blue energy orbs slowly emerged from each of her hands. The room went silent again; this time the men looked at Madeline with awe and almost worship. She spotted Alan, his hand shaking as he attempted to take another drink of water. His hand stopped in midair.
Oh, the power. It is addictive. Just look at them suspended in fear, awe and reverence, she thought, looking at each man around the table. Unexpectedly, the door to the kitchen opened and her assistant came out. Without thinking, Madeline threw one of the blue orbs at the wall next to his head. Sparks, smoke and shattered wood flew outwards. Her assistant fell to the ground, covered his head and curled up into the fetal position.
"Oops," she said sheepishly. "My bad."
Everyone in the room started laughing. Her assistant stood up and announced "Dinner is being served." Waiters began streaming into the room.
The rest of the dinner went without incident.
Later that evening, a messenger reported that Jackson and Bobby had been welcomed into the Heckel camp.
"Once the annoying little bug Heckel is squashed, my army will decimate his faithful puny followers and evil will cover the earth. Our day to rule will soon be upon us," Madeline muttered looking out at the continuing storm. A deafening crack of thunder made her smile.
The next morning Madeline sent for the messenger who had brought the news of her little moles out in Arizona. She was sitting outside finishing up breakfast when he arrived.
"You sent for me, Miss Madeline?"
"Yes, have a seat."
As the young man sat across from her, Madeline noticed one of the waiters enter. "May I clear the table, Miss Madeline?" he asked.
"Yes, thank you," she answered, brushing the crumbs off her napkin. He walked behind her and with blinding speed, grabbed her neck and twisted violently. Nothing happened. He tried again, nothing. Now he attempted to strangle Madeline as his grip tightened. The young man sitting across from her was stunned and did nothing to intervene. Slowly, Madeline stood up. She could feel the power…no, HER power inside seethe and come to life. The waiter let go of her neck and backed up in disbelief.
"You pathetic little worm," Madeline said, turning to confront the would-be assassin. Her long silky black hair billowed as if being teased by the wind. "I'll give you an A for effort, but I guess you'll have to go tell your precious Heckel that his attempt to assassinate me was futile."
"I was sent by no one. I acted alone. Someone needs to stop you," he said defiantly as he backed away.
"Well, my dear friend, it certainly won't be you," she said as
the blue orb in one hand spun faster.
The hopeful assassin twisted around and jumped off the porch. He raced across the back lawn.
"I've been wanting a little target practice," Madeline muttered. "Watch this," she said to the young man still cowering at the table.
Like a pitcher in a bull pen warming up for the big game, she hurled one of the blue orbs at the running scared assassin. The orb hit the ground slightly behind the man, knocking him to his knees. Quickly, he got up and started running toward the fence. Another ball of energy appeared in her hand. She took careful aim and pitched the orb. It slammed directly into the attacker's back as he approached the fence. The blue orb bore through the man leaving a hole the size of a small watermelon, disintegrating his internal organs and cauterizing his flesh around the gaping hole. Slowly, he turned around. His body hadn't yet realized it was missing a few organs.
"Fall over. You're dead," Madeline yelled. She looked over at the man at the table. A small puddle of urine appeared under his chair. "So, what do you think? Am I ready for the big leagues?"
He smiled nervously, nodding his head up and down vigorously. "Yes, Miss Madeline, most definitely."
Looking back out at her assassin wannabe, she saw that he had finally fallen over. "Now's the time to generate two balls of…death. Catchy…I like that." She threw them at the body on the ground.
Instantly, the remains burst into flames. The incineration left a pile of gray ashes.
Lifting her hand, she brushed the air in front of her. Seconds later, a small dust devil appeared above his ashes, dispersing them into the air. "All cleaned up," she said proudly, sitting back down at the table. "Now, where were we?"
The messenger sat in silence, staring at Madeline. She grinned devilishly at him. She so loved inflicting abject fear into men-a great way to start the day.
"Umm…you…a…sent for me?" the young man mumbled haltingly.
"Ah, yes. What was your name again?" she asked, putting her hand on his to ease the tension.
His hand was trembling and felt as if it had just been taken out of the freezer. "Roger, ma'am."
"Well, Roger, I want you to be my eyes and ears out in Arizona. What you see and what you hear out there will transmit directly to me. Can you do that for me?" she asked, rubbing his hand.
"Umm…I…well…"
Madeline stood up and walked behind Roger. Rubbing his shoulders, she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "Those who are loyal to me will know untold riches."
"Yes, ma'am. I would be honored," he said sheepishly.
"Excellent," she said, taking her fingers and pushing them forcefully into his eye sockets. A burst of blue lightning transmitted into his eyes. He screamed. Seconds later, she placed her hands over his ears and the same burst of energy flowed into the side of his head.
When the process was complete, Madeline set Roger's head gingerly down onto the table. "You'll feel better in a while, I promise," she whispered into his ear.
Slamming her fist down on the table and breaking a large chunk of the oak wood off the edge immediately caught everyone's attention.
"I want to know one thing. Did he act alone or are there others?" Madeline looked at each man for an answer. Finally, one elderly man stood up and with his head tilted down answered, "No, Miss Madeline, there was no plot from within. This assassin was a force of one. There was no connection that we have discovered to lead us to believe otherwise. There has been a thorough investigation. Just one lone crackpot."
"Thank you. You may be seated," she said calmly and completely placated.
"How many men do we have with us now?" Madeline asked.
"After the loss in Albuquerque, the last count we have is around four to five thousand," one of the generals said holding a leather-bound notebook.
"I want more!"
"Miss Madeline, from our Intel we speculate that Heckel has maybe three hundred."
"I don't care what he has. I want my army to be victorious. More men will assure this. Make it happen. I don't care how you get men in my army. Just do it. Promise them they can have anything they desire."
"Miss Madeline?" a voice from the far end of the table asked timidly. "Will you be leading us?"
Simultaneously, all the men turned their heads to stare at the individual.
Like the Cheshire cat, Madeline beamed from ear to ear. "Oh, you can absolutely bet on it. I wouldn't miss watching this for anything. This will be the crowning achievement on my journey for a new world order. I will lead you all to a triumphant and victorious outcome. Our enemies will be vanquished."
The entire room stood up and applauded. Inside her head, she heard someone with an old man's voice say one word.
Excellent.
Chapter 21
Several days had passed since Jackson and Bobby joined Heckel's group. Everyone seemed to enjoy their company and they fit in well, helping with the daily chores, hunting and cooking. Bobby especially charmed Vonnie, who practically adopted him. Oh, there was one who was not so accepting, Jerky. She bristled every time Jackson was around.
"She's doing it again," Sela whispered as she came out of the tent.
"I see her," I said as I blew on the remaining embers from the previous night's campfire.
"Any thoughts?" Sela said, standing up in front of the tent.
"Hmm, not sure," I replied as I calmly placed more kindling on the embers. The smoke increased and curled around my head. Flame slowly emerged.
"I make fire," I declared using my best caveman voice.
"Seriously, Heckel. Her behavior is…"
"I know what you're saying. She's been a trustworthy warning system and guard cat. I'm not sure how to react to it either. Maybe she just doesn't like him or something."
Sela crossed her arms, rolled her eyes, and sighed heavily. "Hmm, if that were only the case, but in reality Jerky loves everyone."
"Except Mr. Steele. Look, I'm thinking we just be a little extra cautious and keep our guard up. Look out there," I said, waving my arm out across the huge field of tents and tarps. "There are close to three hundred people camped in that field that we have to trust. It all gets down to trust. Something that over the last couple of decades or so was lost among people. Virtues like loyalty, trust-"
"And faith," Sela chimed in.
"Yes, faith. Faith and a belief in-"
"Good morning," Jack said, walking up behind us. "How are you both this fine morning?"
"Faith in our fellow man," Sela whispered as she turned around. "We're great," she said with a huge smile. "We were just having a discussion and…um…thinking about stuff."
"Well, speaking of thinking, everyone's wondering when we are leaving."
"Sounds like the group is rested and ready to head out. I guess tomorrow would be good," I said.
"Do you want to meet with everyone? The ABQ folks haven't heard you speak yet," Jack suggested.
"They haven't missed anything," I mumbled.
"That's not true. They need to hear confidence and assurance from their leader," Sela said. "And don't wince at that word leader."
I smiled with a slightly reddened face and nodded my head slowly. "You're right as usual," I muttered. Jack flashed me a grin.
"Let's get together tonight about seven. You still have that bullhorn?" I asked Jack.
"Yup. I'll have it with me."
"There it is," I said.
Jack excused himself to start telling everyone about the evening's meeting. He waved and yelled, "Have a good day."
"So is the plan to split once we hit California a good idea? I mean…" Sela asked as she gathered up the breakfast dishes to take to the stream for washing.
"Yes, the council and I thrashed this plan over and over. The ABQ group has some really good thinkers in it as well as a few old-school military types. I feel confident that the plan we've come up with is solid."
Sela set her dishes down, wrapped her arms around my neck and looked me in the eyes. "That's the assurance I'm talkin
g about." The kiss that followed made my head swim.
"Can I order a kiss like that before my speech?" I asked sheepishly.
"I think that can be arranged-that is, if you help me with the dishes."
"Deal."
After we finished cleaning up, Sela went to take care of Tempest and Hope. I went into the tent to start packing up some of our clothes.
"Hello, anyone in there?" I heard Jackson ask.
"Yeah, I'll be right out." After inching my way out of the tent, I quickly looked around to see if Jerky was nearby. But she wasn't in sight and I figured she had gone with Sela.
"Good morning, Jackson. How ya doin'?"
"Never better. I came by to thank you again for letting me join up."
"No problem. Glad to have you. You've fit in very well."
I sat down across from him and put a few small branches on the fire to stop it from smoldering so much. "How's Bobby doing?"
Jackson moved to another log to get away from the smoke. "I swear smoke has a way of following me."
I laughed and blew on the logs. The smoke abated and gave way to flames.
"Bobby's ankle seems to be fine now. He's been really enjoying Vonnie and all the affection she gives him. It's nice to see him laugh."
"Yes, we all need to laugh more."
After a few minutes of awkward silence, I asked, "So, Jackson Steele, tell me about yourself." He laughed and poked the fire.
"Well, there's not much to say," he answered nonchalantly.
"I like short stories," I said, trying to lighten the mood and get him to open up. I could tell he was a bit uneasy and reticent to say anything, so I was about to change the subject when he started his story.
"I was just in high school when everything was going south as they say."
"I was teaching high school at about that same time," I said, encouraging him.
"Yeah, it was difficult to go to school each day. I mean, there were fights, drugs, killings, not the most conducive environment for learning. Teachers and students slowly stopped going to class. Hell, they were killing each other over a pencil. Right before my senior year, my father and mother were killed in one of those church war shit storms. Remember that crap?"
