Flowertown

by S. G. Redling

  “What?” Bing looked over his shoulder and saw Ellie hefting a metal chair. “Wait! What the hell?”

  “Just hold the box by the edges so it covers the glass. That will help muffle the sound.”

  “Are you going to hit me with that?”

  Ellie grinned. “Trust me, Bing. Chair-slamming is one of my specialties.” She swung the metal chair over her head, hoping she had the precision she had promised Bing, and brought it down with all her might. The glass, the cardboard, and the chair flew out of the room. Bing caught Ellie as she nearly sailed along behind them and her right hand scraped along the jagged glass in the bottom of the broken window.

  They froze where they stood, listening for any commotion that might arise. Ellie pressed her shirt along the bleeding cut on her right hand and leaned far out the window. She tried to count to twenty but only made it to ten. “There’s nobody coming. Let’s go.” She heard Bing swearing under his breath as she swept the glass away with her wrapped hand and climbed out the window. He folded and unfolded himself through the opening and pressed himself beside her against the building. She could see his eyes widen in the darkness.

  “We are going to get shot out here.”

  Ellie could hear her heart hammering in her chest. “Think we’ll do better inside?”

  “Not now,” Bing hissed. “Now that we’ve tried to escape.”

  “Well then, let’s not try. Let’s escape.” She led him along the edge of the building. At the corner, they ducked behind a dumpster loaded with trash and boxes. Ellie peeked inside the metal container, pushing aside some of the cardboard boxes on top.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Looking for something to use.”

  “Like what? A car?”

  Ellie climbed up and leaned deep into the dumpster, then slid out with a thud. She held two boards from a broken loading pallet and handed one to Bing.

  “What’s this for?”

  “In case somebody tries to stop us.” She hefted the board in her hand. The wood was rough, and she could feel splinters in her palms, but it felt solid. At three feet long, it would also give them a little swinging distance. “I told you, Bing, I’m getting out of here no matter what.”

  They dashed across the narrow opening between buildings, staying low until they had a building at their backs. Bing held onto the wood as if it would turn on him. “I guess I should be glad you didn’t find any guns in there. I’d probably shoot myself.”

  “Don’t worry, Bing. I’ll do the hitting. You just keep that as backup.”

  “Great.” They ducked beneath the windows of the classroom building. “Any idea where we’re going?”

  “If memory serves,” Ellie peered around the corner to check for guards, “the building where Guy questioned me should be straight ahead. Past that was the picnic area where we waited for the trucks. So that must be the road out of the compound. Shit!” She ducked back, flattening herself against the wall. She and Bing held their breath as footsteps approached. They were farther from the barrier fence and the grounds were well lit. Ellie was counting on their sliver of shadow to conceal them.

  A radio crackled and a tinny voice asked a garbled question less than three feet away from where they stood. Ellie drew back the board, ready to swing, then forced herself to exhale as she listened to the guard answer. “Unit Nine checking in. Everything’s quiet. Over.” She heard static as he turned off the radio. “Of course it’s quiet, you dumb piece of shit,” he muttered to himself. “It’s always quiet in this filthy hellhole.” He took a step closer, and Ellie could hear the sound of plastic rustling. The guard was leaning against the wall just around the corner, inches from her face.

  A light flared and Ellie could smell the unmistakable smell of a joint catching fire. She risked a glance at Bing, who rolled his eyes in disbelief. Smoke your bone and go, she urged the guard silently. She heard a few soft coughs and a whistling exhalation as a long plume of smoke caught the faint light. There were footsteps and gravel crunching and Ellie started to relax, hoping he was heading away from them. Instead the lighter flared once more, directly in front of them, as the guard stepped around the corner to take another hit.

  He saw Ellie half a second after she saw him, dropped the joint, and reached for his weapon. Ellie swung the board around hard, catching him on the ear and jaw before his weapon cleared its holster. He staggered, gripping his head as he hit the wall, and Ellie brought the board down hard on the top of his skull.

  She felt like she was moving through mud, and she had no other thought than putting the man down. He fell forward from the blow to his skull, and Ellie brought her knee up hard, smashing into his nose. She had a vague sensation of wetness as she clawed at the back of the guard’s shirt. He fell to the side in a heap, and Ellie kicked him hard in the gut, doubling him up. She wanted to stomp him again and again, but Bing pulled her off.

  “He’s down. Ellie. He’s down.” He shook her by the shoulders until she focused on him.

  “Okay. Let’s go.”

  She had to consciously fight to relax her grip on the bloody board. She didn’t plan on leaving it behind, but she knew her grip would tire. She could hear Bing breathing hard behind her as they ran, crouched low, from the classrooms to the freestanding cinder block building. Trucks were rolling close by, and Ellie heard several voices in the picnic area.

  “Shit,” Bing whispered, peering over her head. “Don’t these people ever sleep?”

  “They’re busy. They’ve got a long night of arresting people.” Ellie spied another squat cinder block building to their right, away from the activity in the picnic area. She and Bing hurried across the shadowed space between buildings and ducked against the wall. Ellie listened for voices or movement. She was getting very good at hearing over the sound of her own heartbeat. Rising up a bit, she peeked in the window of the little building. It, too, was empty.

  Bing had crept ahead and rounded the corner of the building. Ellie followed him and saw a row of Feno trucks ahead, their cargo holds open and at varying degrees of fullness. She had no doubts anymore: Feno was on the move. That didn’t help them right now, however. Ellie looked around, trying to find a way out.

  “There.” Bing pointed to a row of smaller trucks lining the road out. “If we can get to them, it doesn’t look like there’s much activity beyond.” Unfortunately, between them and the trucks was fifty feet of open, well-lit space, with a dozen or so black-clad guards running around talking into radios. Bing looked at Ellie. “Do you trust me?”

  “Do I have a choice?”

  “We are going to stand up and walk right across that field.”

  Ellie stared at him. “And then what? Shoot ourselves?”

  “No, listen to me.” Bing grabbed her arm. “These guards are busy, but they’re alert. They’re going to be looking for anything suspicious. If we creep around in this light, they’re going to see us. We need to act like we belong here, like we have all the time in the world to stroll over to those trucks.”

  Ellie peered out once more at the guards and at their large guns. “I don’t think we blend.”

  “Trust me. These guys respond to authority and smell fear. If we act like we belong, they won’t look at us twice.”

  “Can I bring my board? I’m not going without my board.”

  Bing nodded. “Yeah, just keep it to your side, out of sight along your leg. Just in case, you know…”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “Ready? Wait.” Bing reached into his pocket and pulled out a bent cigarette pack. “This will make us look more at ease. Like we’re not trying to hide.” Ellie saw his fingers tremble as he brought the lighter to the tip, but when he exhaled he did look more relaxed. “Okay. Now.”

  Ellie followed his lead, standing tall and trying to take relaxed steps out into the pool of light. Bing kept his head down, but not too far down, and gestured with his smoking hand as if he were making a point. She felt her neck stiffen up as she resisted the urge to look
in every direction. Bing kept his voice low, urging her to relax and slow down, but all Ellie could hear was the alarm she was sure would be raised at any second. The board against her leg reassured her, its splintery thickness solid in her hand. She knew it was an illusion, but the row of trucks seemed to be moving away from them the more steps they took.

  And then they were there. Ellie was afraid to breathe as they passed the bumper of the first small truck. The shadows were darker here, but still Bing urged her to stroll. “Just a little further.” Two trucks, three trucks, and they could see the road opening up before them. When they were four trucks down, they came to a gap, and Bing blew out a nervous breath.

  “Holy shit, I can’t believe that worked.”

  “Now you’re uncertain?” Ellie asked, collapsing against a truck. “I’m having a heart attack here.”

  “Tell me about it.” Bing scanned the shadows. “We’re not out yet, but I’ve got to take a piss.”

  “Are you kidding me? Now?”

  “Well excuse me, Mr. T. I’m not used to watching my friend beat a man to death with a board. It’s taking its toll on me.” Bing turned his back and unzipped his fly.

  “I’ll skip this part, if you don’t mind.” Ellie peered into the shadows up the road. A grove of young trees clustered ahead, blocking out the light. “I’m going to look ahead and see if there’s any kind of gate. Meet me up there.” She could hear Bing relieving himself as she muttered under her breath. “And I didn’t kill that guy. I just hit him.”

  The light from the compound dropped off quickly as Ellie slipped in under the trees. There were still plenty of small Feno trucks parked along this road, and she wondered what they were for. Did every Feno employee get a truck? Crossing the road and slipping into the darker shadows on the other side, Ellie trotted, wanting to clear the compound and put distance between herself and Carpenter. Her fingers were trailing along the bed of a truck as the interior burst into light and two men climbed out of the cab.

  Ellie ducked down, bunched small at the tailgate of the truck. She considered climbing under the truck but was afraid she would make too much noise. There was little light out on this stretch of road. It would be noise that gave her away. Holding her breath, Ellie bunched down into as tight a ball as she could manage, breathing softly through her open mouth as the two men grabbed duffels from the bed of the truck. She thought she could feel the wind of one bag as it swung out over her head, but, like the guards in the open area, the two men didn’t notice her, talking instead about who would unload what. She waited until their footsteps faded in the darkness before she dared lift her head.

  The road was dark once more. “My luck can’t hold like this much longer.” Her voice, even whispered, reassured her, and when she straightened she was happy to learn her legs didn’t tremble as much as she feared they would. She wanted to call out to Bing, to tell him to hurry his ass along, but she was afraid the guards were still within earshot. Instead she slipped to the driver’s side of the parked trucks and hurried along in the grass. As the trees grew thicker, the grass lane grew narrower, and Ellie felt safer knowing she could duck into the trees should someone else pop out of a truck.

  She just didn’t think that someone would pop out of the particular truck she was passing. Once again the cab illuminated just as Ellie cleared the gas tank, only this time she was on damp grass, not asphalt, and her feet slid as she tried to backpedal. She hit the ground hard and tried to crabwalk backward, but the light from the cab flooded the ground and she knew she would be spotted. Ellie grabbed for her board, but the man before her was faster. Unlike the guard behind the classroom, he had his weapon out and trained on her before she even saw his face.

  “Aw shit, are you the only person that works here?”

  Guy squinted into the darkness, trying to see Ellie’s face in the shadows. “Stay where you are.”

  “I’m on my ass in wet grass.”

  “Put down your weapon.” Ellie sighed and his voice got louder. “Put it down.” She threw the board into the light, letting it skitter at Guy’s feet. “What are you doing here?”

  Ellie climbed slowly to her feet. “I think you know what I’m doing here.”

  “Carpenter reported you had been picked up.”

  “Yep, that’s about the size of it. That and he tried to beat the shit out of Bing.”

  With the light from the cab behind him Ellie couldn’t read his expression. She could see his gun, though, and could see it never moved an inch. “So what are you doing here?”

  “Running away.”

  “Ellie, I can’t let you do this.”

  “Then you’d better shoot me, because I’m going.”

  “I shouldn’t have let you slide this evening at the bust. I should have taken you in then. I gave you the benefit of the doubt. Don’t make me regret that.”

  “It’s a little late for regrets, don’t you think?” She took a step toward him, and he raised the gun.

  “Stay where you are.”

  “I can’t.”

  A spring wind whispered through the trees, and part of Ellie’s brain wondered at the complete lack of night sounds. When a town was surrounded by three miles of pesticides, crickets were a sound of the past. Instead there was only the rustle of young leaves. Ellie took another step forward, stepping fully into the light, hoping Guy would see her, would know her.

  Guy sighed. “I keep telling myself you have no idea what you’re getting involved in. You couldn’t. You wouldn’t.”

  “I don’t know exactly what you’re talking about, Guy, but I am getting out of here.” She looked over his shoulder into the shadows down the road.

  “Ellie, I love you.” He slid back the action on the gun, chambering a round, and readjusted his aim. “But if you try to break containment, I will shoot you.”

  “Containment?”

  Before he could explain, Bing stepped out from the darkness behind Guy and brought the board down hard on his skull.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Guy fell to one knee, dropping the gun, and Bing reared back to swing again. Ellie screamed, kicking her foot into Guy’s chest, sending him reeling backward. Scrambling to her knees, Ellie grabbed the dropped gun as Guy grabbed for Bing’s feet. Bing swung the board, hitting Guy on the back and shoulders, slowing him down but not incapacitating him, and soon both men were on the ground. Ellie saw fists flying and knew Guy was taking the upper hand. She kicked Guy hard in the ribs once and then again, and when he pulled back from a very bloody Bing, she pointed the gun at his chest.

  “Stop. Stop hitting him.”

  Guy was on his knees, palms up. His voice was soft. “Don’t do this, Ellie.”

  “You’ve got this all wrong. Nobody’s trying to break quarantine. Why would I do that?”

  “I want to believe you, Ellie, but you have to give me that gun.”

  “Get off of Bing. Let him get up.” Guy kept his hands out before him as he leaned back. Bing rolled to his side, clutching his ribs, and climbed onto unsteady feet. “We’re going to go.”

  Bing leaned on Ellie’s shoulder. “Shoot him.”

  “I’m not going to shoot him, Bing.” Guy began to rise to his feet, and she tightened her grip on the gun. “Unless I have to. I’ll shoot you if I have to, just like you were going to shoot me. It’s an ugly sight, isn’t it? A gun pointed at you by someone you supposedly care about?”

  “Don’t do this. You don’t know what you’re getting into.”

  “Shoot him.”

  “Shut up, Bing.”

  Bing leaned in close behind her, and she could smell the blood in his mouth. “All he has to do is yell or pick up his radio and every goon in town will be here. You have to do this.”

  “You don’t have to do this, Ellie. You don’t have to do what he says.”

  “I don’t have to do what you say either.” The breeze blew Ellie’s hair into her eyes, and she shook her head to clear her sight. “Where are all the guards? How did we make
it this far, Guy? Why are all these trucks lined up? Is Feno pulling out? Where are you going?”

  Bing squeezed her shoulder. “Do you think he’s going to tell you the truth? He tried to shoot you. He wants to arrest you, both of us, so Carpenter can beat the shit out of me.”

  Guy looked at Bing. On his knees with his hands held out, he still looked like the calmest person in the group. “If anyone’s going to beat the shit out of you, it’s me.”

  “Oh, you’re a real tough guy, aren’t you?” Bing spit a bloody wad at his feet.

  “Tell me the truth, Guy.” She heard Bing swear behind her, spitting more blood out of his wounded mouth. “Why would you think I would break quarantine?”

  Guy stared at her for a long moment and then shook his head. “We know about the plan, Ellie. We know about tomorrow. We know about Horizon. If you’ve been told something different, you are being lied to. Listen to me.” He put one foot on the ground before him and started to stand slowly. “If you’re not involved in this, you need to tell me what you know, because if you think these people are—”

  Bing lunged from behind her shoulder and swung the board into the side of Guy’s skull. Guy deflected part of the blow, but Bing swung again, this time connecting to his jaw, and Ellie could see Guy had fallen unconscious. Bing moved for another strike, and she charged into his chest, knocking him backward, her arm fumbling for the board.

  “What the hell are you doing? He was telling us something!”

  “He was telling you bullshit.” Bing spit blood into her face, and Ellie saw tears streaking his swollen cheeks. “He was distracting you like he always does so he could grab the gun. For fuck’s sake, Ellie, when are you going to learn that you can’t trust him?” He struggled to get past her to kick at the unconscious man, but Ellie pushed him back.

  “Leave him alone, Bing. He’s down. He’s out.” She wanted to check to see if Guy could breathe facedown like that, but knew Bing would stop her. She knew they were running out of time. “Let’s go. We’ve got to get the hell out of here before someone tries to radio him.” Grabbing Bing by the arm, she dragged him after her until they were both jogging, Bing struggling to take in air through his swollen nose.