Redemption

by Richard Stephenson

  Max walked to the front gate of the compound in the hopes that the two men standing guard there would be asleep at their post. He was still filled with rage over Harry bringing such painful memories to the surface and he was looking to take it out on someone. Max wanted to punch him in the face for being so nosy but couldn’t fault the man for being naturally curious. Chewing out the guards would satisfy the need. As he got closer to the gate he saw that his needs would not be fulfilled, as the two men were standing ready with their rifles just as they should be.

  “Mornin’, boss, you’re up early.”

  “Yeah, Andy, can’t really say I woke up. Never really went to sleep.”

  “That sucks.”

  “Anything going on?”

  “Naw, been quiet. Quiet for the past few days. Last week’s excitement seemed to be a one-time thing. I thought for sure they’d be back but looks like you were right.”

  “Well, you could end up being right, that’s why we have to remain vigilant. Six guys lookin’ to storm our gates and take what’s ours can just as easily be a scouting party for a much larger force. If we’re lucky, it was just the six guys that we scared into never coming back.”

  “We’ll be ready. Scumbags ‘round here know not to fuck with us. We’ve proven it every time.”

  “That we have, Andy, that we have.” Max smiled for the first time in days. His smile quickly faded as he looked down the long road leading to the front gate. Andy and his silent partner followed Max’s stare.

  “We have anybody out?”

  “No, boss, the recon team made it back around midnight. Everyone’s accounted for.”

  “Your eyes are better than mine, how far out do they look?” Max lied, he had perfect vision but his drunk, blurry eyes couldn’t focus.

  “I’d say a mile at least.” Andy grabbed his binoculars and studied the coming threat. “I count four torches. Two on horseback, two walking, hard to make out but maybe three more walking behind them. Say ten of them to be on the safe side.”

  Max kept his eyes on the dim light and spoke to Andy’s partner. “Whoever’s on standby, wake ‘em up and get their asses up here quick. We got maybe eight minutes before they’re in shooting range.”

  “I’m on it, boss.” Max couldn’t remember the fellow’s name but admired his sense of urgency. Four and a half minutes later the standby squad of twelve was in full gear ready to take orders from Max. “Three snipers on the gate tower, go!” The three men did not hesitate and up the stairs they went. “I want a two man team in the north tower and another two man team in the west tower, go!” Like before, the men were accustomed to quickly following directions and smartly went about carrying them out. Max looked around at the remaining five members of the standby squad. “The rest of you men, stay right here with me and Andy when we greet our new visitors. Remember, no one does a damned thing unless I say so or they fire off the first round. After that, kill every last one them.”

  “Uh, Boss, you might wanna get up here,” said Andy.

  Max climbed the ladder to the gate tower. “What? What is it, Andy?”

  “See for yourself.” Andy handed Max the binoculars. Max’s eyes were blurry, but could still make out what Andy was talking about. He counted two on top of an SUV being pulled by horses, two walking with torches, and at least two dozen men walking behind the procession. “Son of a bitch. Sound the alarm! Somebody sound the fucking alarm! Now!” Before Max could finish swearing, the large bell relocated from the church steeple to the front gate tower was being violently rocked back and forth. The racket it made was deafening. In thirty seconds, close to a hundred soldiers were in the streets ready to defend the makeshift walls of their compound.

  Max stood atop the gate tower with his arms spread wide, like a shepherd gathering his flock close to him. “Calm down everyone, just calm down! We’ve done this before many times and this time is no different. Everyone remember your training and focus. Watch each other’s backs and we’ll survive. We still have a wall protecting us so let’s not get too excited.”

  “Andy! Get over here!” Andy ran from the front of the gate tower towards Max to receive instruction. “Andy, these car batteries better have juice in them. Tell me you tested the spotlight, Andy. Andy! Tell me you tested these batteries and tell me fucking spotlights work!”

  “Yeah, boss, yeah, of course they work. We test it every night an hour after the sun goes down. You’re good to go, I swear it.”

  “All right then, Andy, they’re close enough I think. Let’s shine some light on this party.”

  A bank of twelve car batteries had been daisy-chained together to power three large spotlights that were each four feet across. All three were aimed at the coming caravan.

  “Now, Mr. Cordero,” said Max.

  Andy flipped the switch and three hundred yards away the approaching convoy stopped, blinded and disoriented from the lights.

  Max drew in a deep breath. “Drop your guns! Do it now! Drop ‘em! One of you raises a gun and you all die!”

  The men stopped and carefully placed their guns on the ground. One of the men on top of the SUV decided to speak for the group. “Max? Are you Max? What the hell is this, man? I was told you’re a reasonable guy that we could trust!”

  Max turned to Andy. “Well, this is an unexpected turn of events. You know this clown?”

  “Never laid eyes on the man.”

  “He seems to know me.”

  “Of course he knows you, you’re a celebrity. Everyone knows you.”

  “Shut the hell up, funny man.”

  “Why don’t you stop busting my balls and ask the man himself?”

  “Good idea, hadn’t thought of that, knew I kept you around for something.” Max sarcastically patted Andy’s arm and turned his attention to the man that had just spoken. “Whatever game it is you’re playing you can cut the shit right now. We’re not opening our gates. If you’re looking for a place to raid for supplies, you’ve come to the wrong place my friend. And all of you, keep your hands where we can see them!”

  “Look, Max, it’s not like that. We don’t want anything from you and we mean you no harm. We have a man here that has come a long way to make it back home to you.”

  “Bullshit. Everyone we know is inside these walls.”

  “Theodore Forrest.”

  Max rolled his eyes. “Again, bullshit. He’s been dead a long time.”

  “No bullshit. I’m telling the truth. He’s here in the SUV.”

  “Assuming you’re telling the truth, why isn’t he talking to me? Is he your hostage? Is that was this is? You want a ransom?”

  “Theo is my friend, my brother. We went through hell to get him here and lost a few good men along the way. He’s very sick. It hurts me to say it but he’ll be dead soon. He’s been barely holding on just to deliver a message to you. He won’t tell me what it is, says he’ll only speak to you. Now cut the paranoid bullshit and get down here and see for yourself. Keep your guns on us if that makes you feel better. None of us will move a muscle, you have my word.”

  Max turned to Andy. “I’m going down. Get word to the snipers to stay locked on target and not to do anything unless they make the first move.”

  “You’re actually buying this nonsense? This smells like a trap.”

  “Andy, we either shoot them all dead right now or we play this out. If Theo really is in that SUV, don’t think he’d appreciate us killing his friends.”

  “Still don’t like it.”

  “Me neither. Oh, and Andy?”

  “Yeah, boss?”

  “Make sure the horses aren’t shot, we need ‘em.”

  “Funny.”

  “Not joking. Walking sucks, especially for me.”

  “Don’t shoot the horses, got it.”

  Max climbed down the ladder to meet his nervous wife. “Max, what’s going on? Who is it? Are we safe?”

  “It’s under control. Just a group of con-arti
sts saying they’re bringing Theo home to us.”

  “You told me Theo was dead.”

  “He is dead. A trusted source confirmed as much.”

  “What are going to do?”

  “Gonna play their game for now.”

  “Wait. You’re not going out there, are you?”

  “Relax. We disarmed them and have them in our scopes. One false move and …”

  “You’re gonna kill them? Just gun them down like animals? What if they’re good people?”

  “If they’re good people we won’t have to shoot them.”

  “You know it’s not that simple. Good people get nervous and make mistakes.”

  “And I’m not letting one of our people die over a mistake. If it comes down to us versus them …”

  “I’m coming with you.”

  “What? Elizabeth, I don’t have time for …”

  “Let’s go, come on.”

  Elizabeth Harris was a stubborn woman. Max knew the only reason she was tagging along was so the strangers would stand a better chance of survival. She knew her presence would calm itchy trigger fingers. Justified or not, anyone firing off a shot and jeopardizing the safety of the big man’s wife would sorely regret it.

  “Fine. But you and I need to have a talk.”

  “Sure, when you’re sober, which will probably be, uh, never.”

  “I’m sober. Well, kinda.”

  The front gate opened a few feet to allow Max and Elizabeth to immerge. They walked down the narrow road and stood a safe distance from the SUV. Max ignored the SUV and studied the faces of everyone in the group for signs of deception. Everyone seemed calm and cooperative.

  The leader of the group climbed down from the roof of the SUV and offered his hand to Max. “Mr. Harris, I’m Isaac Lynwood. We’ve come a long way to meet you.”

  “Keep your hands where we can see them and pay more attention to the men on the wall with the guns pointed at you.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Okay, I’m here. Bring this man you think is Theodore Forrest out so I can see him.”

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible. He’s very weak and we shouldn’t move him.”

  “So you want me to climb in the back of an SUV? You think I’m stupid? I have no intention of being a hostage.”

  “Max, please. You have to trust me on this. Theo wants to see his wife Vanessa and his son James before he passes. He fought for you in the war and wants to be buried here next to Captain Tullos and Lieutenant Barry.”

  Max hadn’t for one second entertained the possibility that any of this was true. The anger and distrust in his eyes faded. Max’s mouth fell open and his wife had to prop him up to keep him from falling over.

  “They saved his life, Max. But you already know that, don’t you? Please, we don’t have much time.”

  Max fought back tears. “He’s alive? He’s really in there?”

  “Yes, and he has something very important to tell you.” Isaac looked to one of his men and nodded his head. The rear door of the SUV rose. Holding his wife’s hand, Max slowly walked around and looked inside.

  “Theo, is that you?”

  “Yes, old friend, it’s me. I’ve come a long way to tell you, Maxwell, that our old friend is up to no good and you have to stop him.”

  CHAPTER THREE

  A tall, gray-haired man in a four thousand dollar tailored suit stood outside a dilapidated shack that was trying to pass itself off as a café. He had never been a fan of St. Louis but in his travels he’d been in far worse places. He felt the eyes of everyone on the street studying him. He couldn’t have been more out of place surrounded by abject poverty. No one, including pickpockets and muggers, dared approach him. Even though he was in his seventies, he projected a sense of danger that few would dare attempt to breach.

  He scanned both ends of the busy street and walked around to the rear of the shack to inspect the exit, as had been the custom in his line of work for five decades. Satisfied with his possible route of egress, he circled back around to the front of the café and checked his watch. He had one hour before his meeting. Plenty of time to find a dining establishment that far exceeded the one he was currently surveying.

  An hour and ten minutes later two men occupied a table in the dilapidated shack. They also stood out in stark contrast to their environment. They wore clean clothes, were well groomed, and were physically fit.

  “How good is this guy?”

  “The best.”

  “Says who?”

  “You really don’t know?”

  “By all means, enlighten me.”

  “The guy’s a legend. Word around the campfire is he’s the best. The guy’s a ghost; he’s done some pretty amazing things the past few years.”

  “Like what?”

  “Who do you think brought down the Unified American Empire?”

  “Well, popular opinion says the Pacific States of America.”

  “Afraid not. He was responsible for the deaths of six of the regional governors, and then he delivered President Sterling and Jackson Butler to the PSA.”

  “Horseshit.”

  “It’s true, he was also responsible for hacking into Howard Beck’s computer and bringing down the PSA’s defenses long enough for the Chinese to get a foothold into America. Beck’s robots and drones were fighting on the side of the Chinese for a short period, gave them the advantage at the start of the war.”

  “You’re telling me one guy did all of that?”

  “I am.”

  “How will we know when he gets here? He’s already ten minutes late. What does he look like?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “Wait. You mean we don’t even have a picture of this guy?”

  “I’m not sure one exists. Remember, he’s a ghost.”

  “I think that’s him.”

  Both men looked to the doorway to find a stoic looking man scanning the café. His demeanor was intense but calm. It was as though a predator had walked in and was scanning for prey. Once his steely gaze landed on them, he immediately knew they were the men he was looking for and slowly approached them with the cordialness of a butler.

  “May I join you?”

  One of the men glared at him. “That depends, you have an appointment?”

  The older gentleman let the rudeness sink in and while his eyes conveyed contempt, he smiled. “Yes, I believe I do.”

  “Please, sit down, I’m Frank, this is Willie.”

  Knowing the most intimate details of both of the men’s lives, the silver-haired man pretended that he just heard their names for the first time. Once he had wiped down the filthy seat with a handkerchief, he sat down. “You may call me Charles.”

  Frank continued, “Charles, what brings you to our fine city?”

  “No offense intended, my good man, but what’s left of this city does not warrant compliment.”

  “It all depends on how you look at it. St. Louis ain’t no tourist attraction anymore but it’s the place men like you come to when you they’re looking for information or need a job done.”

  “Men like me? And what sort of man am I exactly?”

  “The type of man that seeks out a man like me.”

  “Well said, sir. Let’s get down to business. I have been led to believe that you have at your disposal a team of highly specialized operatives. Ex-special forces, former law enforcement, highly trained individuals, is that correct?”

  “I do. How many do you need?”

  “Twelve.”

  “That can be arranged.”

  “Excellent.”

  “What type of job are we talking about?”

  “That all depends if you can deliver on my next request.”

  “I’m all ears.”

  “I require someone with a high level of technical expertise.”

  Frank stared at Charles for a few seconds and once he realized the request was serious, bur
st into laughter. “To do what exactly? We’ve been living in the Stone Age for the last four years. What’s the matter? Generator on the fritz?”

  Charles was not amused. “If such a task is too difficult for you …”

  “Whoa, slow down. Just relax. I have just the guy in mind. About your age, used to be a big shot back in the day. Worked for one of those places with a bunch of letters, something to do with going into space.”

  “NASA.”

  “Yeah, that’s it! You’ve heard of it?”

  Charles was beginning to have doubts. “I’m surprised you haven’t.”

  “I only made it to the third grade before they made folks pay for their kids to go to school. Got two brothers. No way my mom could pay for three kids to go to school. It was free one year then not the next. Mom always said that was when things started going downhill for good. Wasn’t long after that only thing we worried about was having food and going to school wasn’t even a thought.”

  “Such a shame. I must say I agree with your dear mother’s assessment. When can I meet with this gentleman? After I’m certain he possesses the skill set I require we can move forward.”

  “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Before I arrange a meet I wanna talk payment. Not wasting my time if it’s not gonna be worth my while.”

  “Suffice it to say your payment will be substantial.”

  “How substantial?”

  “Not only will you compensated twice your standard rate in silver, you will have enough power and influence to take your enterprise to a level you never dreamed possible.”

  “I like the sound of that. It’ll take time to fetch your man. I can have him here in time for dinner tomorrow.”

  “I wasn’t anticipating such a long wait, but that is acceptable.”

  “Like I said, Stone Age, bicycles and horses are the fastest way to get around. Last I checked, the local gas stations aren’t expecting new tankers to show up and fill the pumps.”

  “If my operation goes as planned, that might change.”