by Marcus Sloss
I closed the transmission, closed my eyes, inhaled deeply through my nose, and let out a long exhale. The moment I opened the manager’s room in the barn, I had a line of people needing my attention. I walked through them, forcing the group to trail behind me. Perci was the first in the line.
“The team who delivered the RVs is asking for them back. Said paperwork never went through and they were sending a team to collect -”
“How old was the message?” I asked, interrupting Perci.
“An hour ago,” she replied, and I frowned.
“What else?” I asked as we left the barn. I turned left for the field where Jevon was handing out armor.
“We have no further word from Mom or others. There are people who are synced into our tower. Those communities close to us can hear a warning if you want to send one. Alvin, the delivery guy. He is synced into our tower. I am showing twelve Gpads with him. Another twenty seven not far away. They are coming through -”
“If hostiles are coming, then knock on my door, Perci. Once Harvard is here, he will be building an S2 team.” I messed with my Gpad until it found me Torrez. When I stuck my face onto my Gpad, I regretted overriding his ability to accept my transmission. He was saying goodbye to his family and I had barged in. “Sorry, I will ring next time. Need XO replaced on armor handout. Human hostiles inbound.”
I closed the link. I waved Perci out of the way. Eddy was behind her. I rolled my wrist to get him to talk.
“We are not on either roster,” Eddy said without emotion or any tell.
“What do you want to do?”
“Guard and improve.”
“Done. Next.” Eddy went to his troopers to tell them their orders. “Jacky, what can I do for you?”
“The family members are no on either -”
“Guard and improve,” I said and she nodded.
Sgt. Dedric was next. He looked at me with his dark eyes and said, “You need drivers on that list. I have a team ready. I want to be transportation -”
“Done. You are an Lt. now. I need the two RVs staged and a few electric trucks. Willow, you are the last I see. What can I do for you?”
“May I go?”
“Not this trip,” I said, and she frowned without pouting. “Soon. When one of the veterans sign off on you or the others wanting to go besides drivers, you may do so. Anything else?”
“Then I am here to kiss you goodbye,” Willow said, hands on her hips. That was the kind of moxy I lived for. I swept her up, locked our lips, and twirled her until she giggled. “Good luck, you handsome stud.”
“I got the crew, luck, and you to come back to. Come here, Perci,” I said, and Perci occupied the spot Willow seceded. I hoisted her until her legs were wrapped around my chest. We kissed fiercely, and I bit her lip a bit, causing a stifled moan, and she was disappointed when I had to set her down. “Protect the stronghold, Perci. You are in command until the XO and I return.”
“I love you, Eric,” Perci said softly, squeezing my hands in goodbye.
I spun to see Jevon, who was ready for combat. He walked the last few feet until we bonked helmets gingerly.
“I am going to tell those idiots we are going to kill them. That is why we're taking crew veterans only. I want plans for a rapid retreat at all times,” I said, patting him on the shoulder. The remaining troops were already heading to the hesco wall. Those leaving were getting into trucks, RVs, and driving ATVs into trailers. “Any questions?”
Jevon grunted in displeasure and said, “I would prefer not to kill the men coming to try to get the RVs. They want to live in them and are probably desperate for the security they provide. I understand -”
“How about we ask them?” I dialed into my Gpad and found Alvin’s Gpad. It was not hard to locate them. His group was the only set of Gpads sending a ping ten minutes south. I put my face on all their devices, enjoying the override. “Caution, you are in violation of a military zone. A single step closer to our perimeter will result in your deaths. Halt now or be removed. Return to your families while you still can.”
“Thank you,” Jevon said with his arms crossed. “Hopefully diplomacy works here. Sure as fuck did not in Saudi.”
We walked for the lead RV, waiting for their reply. The troops heard my warning. Their nods of approval were nice but not needed. I would defend me and mine without hesitation.
“Mr. Yang. Is that you?” Alvin asked.
“Correct, you are in violation of military -”
“Cut the crap. We are here to repossess those RVs…”
I cut his communication off. I linked in the twenty-plus people waiting for the men heading to our wall. “This is Captain Yang. I have fifty soldiers about to descend on your husbands, sons, and brothers. Or women…” I paused and saw the twelve Gpads were all men. “Okay, all men. They have been warned. They have been told to turn back. My soul is clear of guilt.”
I cut off the feed. My feet thudded as I went into RV two. My troops swiftly assumed their positions set up by their sergeants. I went into the booth table in the middle of the RV. Troops flowed in and out as they readied for the mission. Torrez was the last man on. He plopped beside Mclain to sit with me.
“Pirate Six, sound off with vehicle status.”
Lt. Dedric sat in the driver’s bucket of the RV I was in. We were second in the convoy behind Jevon in RV one.
The radio crackled. “One up, two up, three up, four up, five up, six up…” The inevitable pause came. “Seven up! Eight up, and nine up.”
I indented the mic trigger. “Roll out.”
The convoy lurched forward. Grim faces mixed with friendly waves as we rolled past our allies. I watched the rearview mirror over Dedric’s shoulder. The last truck passed the gate and I saw the trailer rolled onto the road.
“Halt convey,” I ordered. The long line of vehicles came to a halt not far outside our wall.
I saw the advancing twelve men with Alvin hesitated. Two broke off, heading toward the larger group. I had five incoming calls. Alvin Swanson’s wife was the one I decided to answer.
“Captain Yang…” She paused when I showed my face. I happened to be around a half dozen heavily armored men. Her throat clenched as she swallowed at our sight. “Ah, you are not bluffing. We came up here seeking those RVs to weather the proverbial storm. Alvin was in a fury when he found out you swindled Mr. Avery. Those RVs should be on the lot.”
“As sad as your story is, and I understand the fact you are upset, those RVs were legally purchased. I do have some empathy for your plight. With that being said, your husband needs to turn around immediately or face the consequences. Captain Yang out.”
I closed the communication. The timer on Xgate 232 was an hour and forty minutes. Our travel time at road speeds without issues was only forty minutes. The issue, obviously, was we were going to have to deal with problems.
The icons of the men retreating through the woods allowed me to close my eyes and release the breath I held. I understood their plight. Since they never threatened us, we might even be able to help them.
“Convoy proceed,” I ordered into my radio. On my Gpad, I dialed up Alvin. He answered while group inviting a few others to the conversation. I allowed my image to be broadcast. “Hi Alvin. I am sorry your employer sold the RVs. We are using them to fight the aliens. Believe it or not, our orders, and the purchase of these RVs came from the president.”
Alvin nodded sadly. I saw his image of him tromping through underbrush back to his family.
“They are the king editions. Figured we could squeeze into them, since you were obviously not going hunting. Is the government taking refugees? There has been zero word besides that Fort Carson is turning people away,” Alvin said, and I cringed.
A few bases had opened fire on desperate folks seeking safety. I could only imagine having to give such an order. I noticed additional faces join our call. Perci waved politely when she accepted my request.
“This is Perci. She is the officer of personne
l for Stronghold Mansion. The best I can do is patch you in with her. I have a mission to focus on. Good luck Alvin,” I said, and closed my end of the transmission. A long groan escaped my lips. Mclain put a hand on my shoulder in support. “I worry.”
“This is why you get paid the big bucks!” Mclain jokingly said.
“Five, Six.”
“Go ahead, five.”
“Thank you, five out.”
“Well, the XO likes the idea of allowing the masses in. But we got no chickens,” I said with a snicker, and the mood in the RV lightened.
My eyes saw Alvin with his crew watching our convoy ride past. The men had mostly short ranged shotguns with no armor and reflective designer sneakers. We exchanged waves instead of gunfire. That look in their eyes, the one of relief, forced me into a decision I knew I would probably regret but my soul would thank me for.
I queried the Gpads linked to our tower. Combined, there were less than fifteen hundred. At least a third of those were inside my wall already. I set a broadcast all message.
“This is Captain Yang. In less than two hours, XGate 16232 will arrive in our area. The results of these roaming gates have been overwhelmingly negative. I run a local military unit. If you are seeking refuge, head to these coordinates I am providing. When you approach the gates, do so without weapons. A bin will be set out for dangerous items to be placed in. You will be inspected and allowed in.
“If you are deemed a military asset, you may earn a weapon. That is but one of the many rules our stronghold will have. I do not have to let you in. If you fail to follow the rules set within the camp, you will be banished. If you fail to adhere to my mandate that your approach is slow, without weapons, and hands up, you will be dealt with as a hostile threat. You will be joining Stronghold Mansion. Not the US government. We are not a democracy with normal laws. If you want to learn more, I will have a posting of our rules soon. If you want to join us and rest behind our defenses, expect to work. Bring vital items. Blankets, pillows, clothing, and try to avoid useless items like your kid’s bass fishing participation trophy.
“I hope this finds the desperate people huddling in their homes, hoping for a miracle. If you are going to test our mettle or resolve by trying to exploit, rob, or infiltrate us for your gain, I should warn you now. There will be no mercy. I have given out a call of aid and a warning. I hope the good people find us. Expect a rules list soon. Captain Yang out.”
The table I sat at was full of grim faces. Mclain, Torrez, and Bonnet eyed me intently. I had not even had a chance to greet Bonnet yet since she arrived. Bonnet was a player with a pretty brown complexion, luxurious lips, and a sweet, innocent demeanor. The problem was her attitude was a cover. She was ruthless underneath. Her Saudi nickname was ‘the slayer of men’s hearts’. To me, she was an excellent machine gunner, unwavering in battle, never squeamish about executions, and a constant thorn because she loved to toy with my soldiers. I did rely on her to be my grim reaper for administration of punishment to the local Saudi’s we caught. Her trademark was kissing men before she killed them for their crimes. Unfortunately, I had no machine gun for her, but she was amazing with one.
“When did you get in?” I asked with agitation.
“Fret over it, kick your dog later, and give it rough to your lover later. Just know my cold shriveled heart thinks that was the right call. Ballsy, really, it is. So much safer to shoot first and ask questions to dead bodies,” Bonnet said, slapping the table with loud laughter. “I got in with my younger twin sisters an hour ago. My mom died trying to ask a driver to move his car over. They just shot her. No reason really. I plugged him, his buddy, and stole their off-road truck. Think it is the fifth truck in the convoy.”
“Damn, where was that?”
“Coming into Denver, I knew we should have gone around.”
My Gpad lit up with a call from Jacky. I twisted my head in confusion, but still answered it. “This is Cap, go ahead.”
“Is this thing on,” Jacky yelled loudly into her Gpad, her face way too close.
“Mom, if you don’t enable the image generator, it won’t display the Cap,” Willow said with a huff.
“I miss cell phones.”
The looks from around the table were a mix of smirks and astonishment. I had to admit, this was the oddest conversation starter while out on a mission. We jostled down the dirt road peacefully, so I let them figure it out. A moment later, Willow, Percy, Mrs. Moore, Jacky, and Eddy’s wife Miranda were sitting around a table. Ah, the ladies in charge were grouping together.
“Hey stud, we have a draft of rules ready for your approval… Hold on, I said,'' Perci said while hollering into her Gpad at a separate private call. She shifted to look at me again. “I had Jacky call you because I am handling the influx of questions coming in from the people looking for help. I need to clarify something. Are you retrieving the elderly or the disabled?”
I scoffed. My helmet came off and I ran my hands through my hair. What the fuck had I gotten myself into? The ladies saw my mood sour.
“We have some volunteers. I just -”
“Oh yes. That works. We have lots of extra cars. I can’t shift military units right now. Why not see if their neighbors can help them?” I said with a sigh. “Is your Gpad on mute?”
“Is now,” Perci replied.
“Perci. This is a tough as shit decision. I have played god. Deciding who lives and dies haunts me. Normally it was with some Saudi smelly fuck I would catch raiding or raping. What the hell are we supposed to do with people who can’t walk?”
“This is why I called. Someone has to make this decision. We have an autistic son who is eight. His mom is asking for all these variances and allowances for his behavior. I think she is used to getting special treatment. He would be breaking rules, like not being a productive worker, yelling during quiet times, and well…” Perci was starting to cry. I saw Willow comforting her. “The elderly unable to walk are one thing. This is a boy who wants to play in the sand.”
“Calm down, Perci. Tell the mom she will get an isolated tent so her son can be his normal self,” I said, while banging my head on the table. “The elderly that require care must have a dedicated caregiver. Either family or volunteer. Make rules for this stuff, babe. I’ve got a mission to focus on. You’re making my tiny heart hurt. Make it work so the community still thrives. We will raid if we have to. I think we need to maintain some semblance of civility at home. After all, having a home worth coming home to is vital.”
I closed the connection, strapping my helmet back on. Torrez let out a long whistle.
“We thought Jasmine was going to have complications. I could never imagine,” Torrez said sadly. He did look me in the eyes. “If this is your way of redeeming our souls…”
“Ahem!” Lt. Dedric sang with praise. The man started to dance his shoulders to some hidden tune. “Redemption starts by following the Ten Commandments. Maybe the savior will bless our souls and keep us out of damnation.”
Bonnet scoffed and said, “I am so fucked. Never getting into heaven if there is one. However, I do like the softer you. Those ladies are a good influence. Who knew getting the Cap laid brought out the compassionate man inside him. I personally prefer the doom and gloom version, but I can get behind the change.”
My Gpad sent me an alert. The rules had come in and, boy oh boy, were there a lot. Over a hundred rules with most being very basic things. If I had to guess at some point that Eddy and his trooper buddies added a lot of these. This would give the state troopers a purpose while preventing me from having to do updates after every problem. At the bottom of the list, a caveat was noted. Subject to change. I fired the rules out to every Gpad in the area. The responses were mostly positive. A few were negative, but that was to be expected. Not everyone would like the idea of going from a free society to being told what to do.
“Rule one, everyone must contribute to Stronghold Mansion,” Mclain said while reading out loud. “The name has a nice ring to it. Super o
ut of livable space already. Is there a plan?”
“I got all the teenagers exploring our valley with ATVs. I told them to start looking for cave openings while mapping out the area. We will adapt; there is no other option. We can convert cars, trailers, and build with salvaged stuff. Honestly, I am winging it at the moment,” I said to the table, who nodded in understanding. Jevon sent me a Gpad call that I answered with, “Hello.”
“Feedback has been positive on the whole building a better tomorrow by saving people today. We found some typos in the rules list and sent them to Perci. RV one is about to hit the county road. If we get a roadblock, are we still assessing since you sent that message?” Jevon asked, seeking clarity.
“No Gpad groupings on the road besides… Um… Shit. Harvard, his wife and two kids are up ahead on foot. I guess they can wait in my RV in the master room while we scope out the aliens. Outside of that, the rest are in homes or moving for the mansion,” I said and he scoffed.
“I forgot Perci gave you an administrator on your Gpad. Can you ask -”
“Done, you should notice when she gives you permissions. Let RV two pick up Harvard and his family.”
“Wilco.”
“They are not far?” Torrez asked.
“We have no idea what condition they are in. Nancy!” I hollered for my medical Lt. who was napping in the back. She came in, still looking gorgeous with drool on her face. The RV glided to the side of the road. I opened the door and shouted, “Hurry up—get inside!”
Harvard was a short man of Asian descent. He had dark hair, a sour demeanor, and absolutely adored his family. The entire time trying to get home, he would kiss a photo of them every chance he could. When Harvard, his wife Tara, and twin daughters entered, I smiled. His wife carried a shotgun with her black hair, brown eyes, and porcelain skin. Harvard had a ripped shirt, an illegal AR-15 with a thirty mag, and a sawed-off shotgun.
