She glanced up for a second then went back to monitoring a patient’s vitals.
“What happened!” he asked again, this time much louder.
The nurse removed the stethoscope from her ears and said, “There’s no need to yell. Can’t you see I’m busy? Can’t you see we’re all busy?”
The front doors to the hospital burst open.
Pablo turned around to see Mallory walking in alongside a gurney. He cocked his head hoping to see who was on it, but couldn’t make them out. He hobbled quickly back towards the operating room and asked, “Mal, what happened?”
She looked over her shoulder and said, “We found three men half buried near the foothills not too far from the north compound fence line. One was dead; the other two are alive, barely.”
Hearing those words struck fear in him; this was an uncommon emotion for him to have. He leaned to the right and got a good look at the man. It was one of the soldiers Luis had captured.
“Can I help?” he asked.
“We’ve got this. There isn’t anything you can do right now,” Mallory said then walked the gurney inside the operating room.
When the door opened, Pablo looked in and saw another soldier on the operating room table. Panic began to take over. Would these men talk? He left the hospital and stood in the cold air, thinking about what his next move would be. Should I leave? Is this it? he thought.
Next to the house he saw the Ranger; he shuffled towards it. From his pocket he took out his radio and keyed it. “Luis, you there?”
Seconds went by with no response.
Pablo made it to the Ranger and got behind the wheel. He tried to turn it over, but it didn’t start. He tried again and again, but nothing. Frustrated he cursed, “Damn!”
“Yes, sir,” Luis replied.
Annaliese suddenly ran by. “Hector, did you hear?”
Pablo lowered the radio and replied, “What?”
“Some American soldiers were brought in,” she hollered as she kept running.
“Emperor?”
“Never mind, General,” Pablo said and pocketed his radio. He stepped out of the Ranger and followed Annaliese.
Annaliese picked up her pace, not waiting for Pablo.
He hurried as fast as he could then slowed when he saw his father standing near the hospital.
Annaliese disappeared through the doors.
Pablo came to a full stop and asked, “What do you want? Huh? No, I won’t listen to you. You’re wrong, she’s good, she’s good.” He ignored the apparition and entered the hospital.
***
The hours ticked away and with it the frenzy from finding the American soldiers. One of the two had died in the emergency room, leaving one survivor for Pablo to be concerned with. He knew what he had to do; he just needed a moment alone with the man. He couldn’t risk him talking, and from the rumors, the soldier hadn’t talked to anyone—yet.
When they brought the soldier to the infirmary, a small group gathered with hopes he’d wake, Pablo was one of those. Time passed and the soldier lay unconscious, but Pablo wasn’t going to budge from his spot in the hospital.
Annaliese noticed Pablo and walked over. “You’ve been here all day. You must be hungry.”
“Fine.”
“Come, it’s getting late. Let me make you some hot tea or pour you a bowl of that split pea soup Mom made.”
“Fine,” Pablo said.
Annaliese sat on an empty bed next to him and said, “I’ve noticed your interest in this man. You seem worried.”
Pablo gave Annaliese a sharp look, which confirmed her suspicions.
“You are worried about him.”
“No,” he denied.
“Not true, you have worry written all over your face. Is it because you’re afraid the US Army is nearby and will attack your men?”
Going with this theory he nodded.
“Maybe it’s time for your army to leave altogether and head home. In fact after this we might insist on it.”
Pablo just stared. He knew she knew something.
“I wanted to be the first to tell you, but we don’t think finding these men is a coincidence. I’ve spoken to a few, including Uncle Samuel, and he suspects your men.”
“No,” Pablo denied.
“I’m not saying you did it. We just ask you to talk to your men and find out. We can’t have this happening so close by.”
“I’ll talk to General Luis,” Pablo said. He wasn’t lying, he planned on discussing this with Luis, but what he was going to say and what she thought were totally different.
“I’m tired and hungry. You sure you won’t come with me?” Annaliese asked.
“No.”
Samuel walked into the hospital and motioned for Annaliese.
“Excuse me,” she said, getting up and going to Samuel.
Pablo watched as they talked. Samuel kept looking at Pablo. By Samuel’s body language, Pablo knew he was the topic.
Annaliese nodded, gave Pablo an uncomfortable look, and rushed off.
Samuel approached Pablo and stopped a few feet away, keeping a safe distance away. “Hi, Hector.”
“Good evening.”
“I’ve spoken with the others, and I now understand that Anna mentioned it, but we feel you might know something about this.”
“No.”
“Hector, we helped you; we brought you in. Please be honest,” Samuel urged.
“I know nothing.”
“Fine, but this man here and the others, their condition isn’t a coincidence. We believe some men from your army are responsible.”
Pablo stood up. “I will find out.”
Samuel could see Pablo’s expression harden. “Well, what happened to them was a crime.”
“Yes, it was.”
“They all had been mutilated; the one we found dead in the grave even had his genitals cut off. Whoever did this was barbaric.”
“Sad.”
Samuel gave Pablo a look and said, “You don’t need to be here anymore. I’m watching the young soldier.”
This was not what Pablo wanted to hear, but he couldn’t push it. He nodded and said, “Okay.”
“The sooner you find out, the better for all of us,” Samuel said.
A strong desire came over Pablo to turn around and tell Samuel the truth and see what he would say much less do. He held all the cards. He had the firepower, the men; he could take the compound for his own in mere seconds. It was his restraint, his mercy that kept them alive. He had repaid his debt to them for saving his life, but he wouldn’t be talked to in the way Samuel was. He pushed aside this urge and left the hospital.
Outside, he pulled out his radio and said, “General Luis.”
The radio crackled to life. “Yes, sir.”
“Pick me up at the gate in the morning. We have much to discuss.”
Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
After spending most of the day in the hospital, Baxter was released with only cuts, bruises and abrasions.
Word of the altercation spread fast throughout Cheyenne.
The victor always created the history, and Baxter followed suit with that analogy by telling everyone who would listen that the same people who had blown up the church probably tried to have him killed and that his own security detail had turned on him. Of course, news that there were conspirators in the ranks put fear in many.
Along with his new protection detail, Baxter received a new vehicle; this was an armored MRAP. It was part of a massive shipment of equipment from the MPS ships taken back from Colonel Barone months ago.
Baxter had all day to think about what had happened and what he would do next. What shocked him most of all was Eli. Just like that Eli and the resistance risked it all. How stupid, he thought. He needed to meet with him again but wasn’t sure that would happen now.
“Sir, we’re at your house,” his driver said.
Baxter had been lost in thought and didn’t realize he was parked in front of his house
. “Sorry, I’m not feeling that well.”
His door opened.
He stepped out and was instantly surrounded by six armed men, who escorted him directly inside the house.
All he wanted to do was rest, and instead of his bed, the cushioned leather chair in his office sounded perfect. He made his way there to find a fire roaring in the fireplace. He poured himself a drink and sat down. In a rush to get his drink and sit he'd neglected to remove his coat. Irritable, he sat up and pulled it off. When he tossed it on the floor, he heard the rattle of the prescription pain medication he’d been given at the hospital. His entire body ached and a few pain meds along with a full glass of whiskey would do the trick. He dug in his pocket and pulled the bottle out.
Someone tapped on his door and called out, “Secretary Baxter, are you hungry?” It was Nellie, his maid.
“Come on in,” Baxter said.
Nellie entered and asked, “Shall I bring your dinner?”
“What did you make?”
“Chicken pot pie, sir.”
His mouth watered when he heard what was on the menu for dinner. “You know, I will have some, sounds delicious.”
Nellie promptly left.
He popped the lid off the bottle.
Another knock at the door.
“Yes, Nellie,” he called out.
The door opened but this time it was Ray Kersey, the new leader of his protection detail. He was a middle-aged man, with short black hair and what could only be described as an average build. “Sir, there is someone at the door, insisting on seeing you.”
“Eli,” Baxter said out loud. “Yes, send him in, but please search him thoroughly for any weapons.”
“Of course, sir,” Ray said and left.
Baxter popped two Xanax and washed them down with a swig of whisky. “I’m going to sleep like a baby,” he said after he swallowed. He rested his head back and closed his eyes.
A heavy knock on the door sounded.
“Yes, yes,” Baxter said.
The door opened and Ray stepped in. “Sir, I forgot to mention it earlier but an hour ago an unmarked helicopter made an emergency landing at the airport.”
“And?” Baxter asked, shrugging his shoulders.
“There were two passengers, a pilot and a woman. She said she needed to see you urgently. We have her on the base in interrogations.”
Baxter was exhausted and irritable. “Spit it out, man.”
“Sir, she keeps saying she knows where President Cruz is.”
“Hello, Mr. Secretary, my name is Megyn. You and I have something to discuss.”
West of Joseph, Oregon, Republic of Cascadia
Nicholas didn’t want to say anything so as not to appear weak, but his wound had opened up. He could feel the warm blood dripping down his side.
Their day had been successful. Lexi had all the information she needed for an attack. She had the route, the layout, and now a good approximate number of slavers there. From their hide position they also identified the barn as the holding location for their captives. Releasing them was a priority but not the top one for her.
Nicholas estimated they were a half mile from their house, so all he had to do was suck up the pain and weakness and he’d make it back without complaining, but that was proving to become impossible.
After departing the hide position, he peppered her with an endless barrage of quips and anecdotes, but that stopped a half mile back. The pain he could deal with, it was constant, but the heavy, almost crushing fatigue came on quickly and made it impossible to think. It impaired him so much that he grew silent.
Lexi picked up on his sudden silence and asked, “You doing okay?”
“Ah, yeah, sure, do you mind if we take a break?” he asked.
“We’re almost back; let’s go,” Lexi urged.
“Just a short break,” he begged, his tone subdued and weak.
She looked back at him and could see that his face was pale and his eyes sunken. “Sure.”
Nicholas plopped down without further delay. “This looks like a great place.”
Beau, who had been bringing up the rear, sprinted off like usual in hopes of catching dinner.
Lexi smiled when Beau happily bolted off. She then looked at Nicholas and said, “Maybe it was a bit early for you to go out.”
He pulled out a thermos of water and took a huge drink. “I’m good.”
“Well, today was a good day,” she mused.
“Yep.”
Lexi pulled her thermos out as well and took a seat next to a large boulder. She took a big gulp, wiped her mouth and said, “Well, this is a good place to rest. We’ve got cover and a good vantage point.”
He chuckled.
“What’s so funny?” she asked.
“You.”
“What about me?”
He lifted his thermos and took another drink then said, “Nothing is lost on you.”
“There’s no do-overs in this world.”
“What does that mean?”
“If you’d chosen to tap out a mile back in the open field, I wouldn’t have allowed it,” Lexi said.
“So you’re the boss now?” he joked.
“I’ve never considered myself that, much less given myself a title, but since you ask, yes, I’m the boss. This is my thing, not yours. You asked to come along, so you play by my rules.”
He chuckled again.
“What is so fucking funny?” she asked.
“You are. Oh my God, I’ve never met someone like you.”
She took a drink and quipped, “And you will.”
“What were you like before?”
She looked off not wanting to answer.
A moment passed without her response, so he said, “I bet you weren’t so tough, so rugged. That’s not saying you couldn’t handle yourself or would take shit, no, but I bet you displayed your femininity more.”
“So you’re a shrink now. You gonna analyze me?”
“God no, I just have a feel for people. I think your tough-as-nails exterior was inside of you before but you kept it packaged in a well-manicured shell until the world went to shit.”
She shot him a look and said, “Wow, you’re so wise.”
“Am I right?”
Never one to show anyone who she truly was, she answered his question with a question, “So what’s the story with the goatee?”
Nicholas had had a goatee before and had maintained it since. He never allowed a full beard to take over his face. “I like how I look with it.”
“I found your razor and shears; it’s very important for you to have that look. Weird.”
He rubbed his furry chin and said, “All the ladies like it.”
“Just an odd priority. No one gives a fuck what you look like.”
“It’s my way of being connected to the world before.”
“I’ve never much liked goatees. They’re kind of the mullets of facial hair. Either grow your beard out or not.”
“Harsh.” He laughed. He could tell she was just screwing with him.
Beau bounded over the top of the hill and came running back, a small gray squirrel dangling from his mouth.
Lexi reached out and petted him vigorously. “Good boy.”
“How did he catch a squirrel?”
“He’s a good hunter,” Lexi purred, her comment directed more to Beau than a response to Nicholas.
Beau proudly walked off.
“What happened to your sister?” Nicholas asked out of left field.
The smile on Lexi’s face disappeared instantly. She clenched the barrel of her rifle and replied, “We ran into a group of bad people, same as you.”
“Where?”
“California, around Barstow.”
“Barstow, well, that explains it,” he joked. “Did that happen right after?”
She stood up, slung her rifle and looked down at him. “Come on, we’re almost to the house.”
He nodded, gesturing more to the fact that he kne
w what drove her. The pain of her sister’s death was still very raw. Each person dealt with loss in their own unique way, and Lexi’s process was not to discuss it; that wasn’t to say she didn’t think about it constantly. He did. He thought about Stephanie almost every second since losing her and imagined he always would. He could tell Lexi was a good person. She was hard, she was ruthless to those deserving, but he knew there was tenderness still inside of her. He longed to see it but getting there meant he’d have to climb a very big wall.
Sandy, Utah
The tension in the house could be felt by all. It was so bad that Pablo grabbed his dinner and went to his room to eat. He hated having to tiptoe around most of these people; he owed them nothing and felt no true allegiance. But each time the urge to lash out came to mind, he’d think of Annaliese. She was a soft spot and was the only reason any of the others with their snarky comments and cutting eyes were alive.
It was apparent that all believed his men were to blame for the American soldiers. He’d promised to look into it, but did it matter? If he came back with word that they were innocent, they wouldn’t believe him, and if he confessed they were responsible, it would only galvanize the compound’s resolve to have all of his people leave. He was ready for that, but he was torn. He wanted to stay, he wanted to be close to Annaliese and even found enjoyment in some of the menial tasks he’d been given in the hospital, but the two worlds he was trying to live in weren’t compatible and were about to crash headfirst into each other with only one being able to remain.
He looked at his food; he’d eaten two bites and left the rest to get cold. His mind raced with what he should do. He wished an answer would just come to him.
A knock on the door tore him away from his conflicted thoughts. He opened the door, expecting Annaliese, but to his surprise it was Samuel.
“We need to talk,” Samuel said, his tone indicating anger.
“Okay,” Pablo said and took a step back to invite Samuel inside the room.
“No, in the living room,” Samuel said and stormed off.
Pablo grabbed his cane and followed. When he came into the living room, he expected to find all the important figures from the compound but the only person there was Annaliese.
The Razor's Edge: A Postapocalytic Novel (The New World Book 6) Page 13
