by Tufo, Mark
“No, he knew who I was and wanted to take my head clean-off and present it to his new boss, maybe curry some favor. But you’re right, just going there without thinking of anything else besides beating a confession out of him was wrong. No wonder Deneaux always has the drop on me.”
“Back the Hummer up to the house. We’re going to have to keep him here until you’re sent out.”
“What?”
“It’s the only way.”
“In a couple of days, Deneaux will be tearing this base up looking for him. Where do you think is the first place she’s going to start?”
“You better hope the colonel sends you out before then.”
I backed up to the garage and pulled Collier out then tied him to a chair with his mouth gagged. He moaned as I adjusted his nose as best I could. I didn’t want him to suffocate. Well, I did, but not in my garage. That’s a fair enough assessment. When he awoke two hours later, I was in there with him. Had the lights off. I could see him; he could not see me or much of anything unless, he and I did not share the same affliction. He was quiet as he tried to figure out exactly where he was and what was going on. And on some primitive level, he had to realize he wasn’t alone. After ten minutes, he started thrashing about, making the chair hop as he tried to get himself free. I stood, moved to get in front of him before shining my flashlight in his eyes. He shied away from the harshness of the bright LED bulbs.
“This is what’s going to happen, Collier.” I was trying to talk to him, but he was swearing incoherently under the tape across his mouth. I tapped him on the side of the face with the flat of my blade. That got his attention pretty quick. “You ready to hear this?”
His eyes blazed, but he said nothing.
“I hate that this is happening, I do. But then I realize that you put yourself in this situation the moment you made a deal with Deneaux. Unlike her, who would have extinguished your life without a second thought, I’m going to give you a chance.”
He started mumbling again; I’m sure it revolved around something about how I could go fuck myself with the trunk of an elephant or something equally as colorful. He leaned back as far as he could as I put the point of the blade close to his eye.
“Do I have your attention?” He said nothing. “Good. Like I said, I’m going to give you the chance that you so desperately tried to take away from my squad and me. For now, that’s all I’m going to say. Tomorrow I’m going to do my best to get you out of here. I’m not going to lie; it’s going to be uncomfortable as hell strapped to that chair. The best piece of advice I can give you is don’t go to the bathroom, because, well, you’re smart. I’m sure you can figure it out.”
I still didn’t know how I was going to get Collier out without raising suspicion. We weren’t due for another mission…what could I tell the colonel that would have him send us out? I didn’t wonder long, though. It’s amazing how sometimes things just naturally work out. Unbeknownst to me, Autumn had left a note in Collier’s room. I was called to the colonel’s office the next morning. I was fully expecting him to have a witness with him saying I dragged a body out of the barracks. Instead, after I saluted him, he offered a seat and pushed a note over to me.
“Sir?”
“Read it.”
“I’ve done some things I’m not proud of, attempted murder and treason being at the top of the list. There are people here who want me dead. I’ve decided to get as far away from this base as I can to protect myself.”
It was signed by Collier or a very adept forger. Who knew Harmon had that particular skill set?
“Collier?” I asked with my best “So?” tone.
“Corporal in the armory.”
“Okay, what’s this got to do with me?” My telltale heart made my ribs creak with its hammering beats.
“I need him back. Not only is he a deserter, but I want to know what this act of treason is.”
I was wondering whether the colonel was giving me this performance to gauge my reaction, or it was the truth. I wanted to believe it was the truth, but if he’d been taking lessons from Deneaux, who could say?
“You want to send us beyond the wall to bring him back?”
“I realize you just came back from a difficult mission, and you are a squad member down, but I’m sending all available raiders.”
“That’s a lot of resources for one corporal and a hastily scribbled note.”
“I wasn’t asking, Lieutenant.”
“When, sir?” I said, realizing he wasn’t looking for a debate, and truth be told, I shouldn’t have been arguing with him not to do it; this was my perfect out. I would be hauling out the very person he wanted me to haul back in. A lot can happen to a fugitive.
“Now.”
I stood. “Any idea how he got out?”
“Does it matter?”
“If you have a breach sir, I would think it mattered a lot. Or if he had help, it would be worth questioning those people.”
“Don’t know how he got out or even if. I’m considering all scenarios.”
My mouth opened.
“Don’t even say it. I realize this could all be a waste of time and we find him hiding in the commissary. Still, I have a feeling he’s out there.”
“I’ll do my best, sir,” I said before leaving. The colonel did not reply. He looked exhausted and maybe haunted; his eyes had a hollow expression. A lot of people in the apocalypse adopted that expression. It was nearly impossible to lose as much as everyone had and stay resilient, but the Old Man had been doing well; I was left wondering what had changed. What did he know, or what had he done, that he wasn’t sharing? I was terrified of finding that answer out.
“What is this shit?” My sister answered the door, she looked pissed. BT was behind her putting his pack on. “He just came back!” she yelled at me.
“We all just came back, sis,” I replied.
She softened at that.
“Dammit, Mike. Just a few days of normalcy, that’s all I’m asking.”
“Yeah, wouldn’t that be nice.” I turned off her stoop and headed back to the Hummer.
“Three Hummers?” BT asked as he hopped into the passenger seat.
“How much do you want to know?”
BT now noticed it was just myself and him in the lead vehicle. “Oh come on, aren’t we just chasing down a deserting corporal?”
“That’s the orders, yeah.”
“Did he run when you confronted him?”
“Not so much,” I replied.
BT dragged a large hand across the front of his face. “Tell me the rest.”
“Don’t have to. Move that duffel bag in the back.”
He turned in his seat, leaned over. I heard the bag move. “Jesus Christ, Mike,” he said, not turning back to me. “That who I think it is?”
“Meet Corporal Collier.”
“The Collier?”
“One and the same.”
“So…the missing corporal we’re heading out of the gate, risking our necks to retrieve, is tied up in the back of your Hummer. Wouldn’t it make more sense to bring him to the colonel?”
“Yeah. He tried to kill me, and admitted to sabotaging Stenzel’s weapon. We never got to the damaged ammunition, but I would imagine he had something to do with it.”
“And instead of bringing this to the colonel, we’re doing what?”
“Deneaux set this up.”
“Even more reason to deposit this piece of shit on the colonel’s doorstep.”
“I’m not entirely sure the colonel isn’t in on it. And even if he isn’t, the bird back there isn’t singing. Or if he does, the tale he tells will not be flattering for me. Doubtful he’d make it to testify at my trial before Deneaux offed him.”
“Why don’t you just tell me what we’re doing, and I’ll tell you the hundred different ways it isn’t going to work.”
“I’m pretending he’s a raccoon that may or may not have rabies, and I’m relocating him as far away from my home as possible to make
sure it doesn’t attack my dogs.”
“Alive.”
“Of course. I’m not a monster.”
“And if he makes it back? Then what?”
“Oh, I’m going to make it abundantly clear that wouldn’t be a wise course of action. Rabid raccoons have to be dealt with in the most extreme ways possible.”
“Makes all sorts of sense, Mike, until you realize he’s not a raccoon.”
“BT, I don’t think I need to remind you of why he is in the back.”
“No, man, you don’t.” He turned back to Collier. “Listen, you little fuck. We’re coming up on the gate and maybe you’re thinking to yourself if you make enough noise that they’ll hear and you’ll be set free. That won’t happen. If they catch wind that you’re back there, the first thing I’m going to do before I’m arrested is grab that scrawny neck of yours in my hand and squeeze until your windpipe is crushed. You’ll live for a little while, but it will be a miserable existence. Each breath you take will be a fruitless gasping for air you cannot get enough of. Do you understand?” I heard some rustling, figured it was Collier nodding.
“Good,” BT said before readjusting the duffel bag.
“Hardcore, man.”
“Little bitch tried to get us killed. He’s lucky you found him instead of me.”
“I believe that wholeheartedly,” I told him.
Didn’t have to worry about the guard at the gate as they just waved us on through. There was a thump; I think Collier figured he at least had to give it a go. We drove for five hours straight before I pulled over to the side of the roadway.
“With all due respect, sir. Shit.” Stenzel got out of her Hummer first to stretch.
“Don’t worry about her, sir. She’s just getting older.” Kirby was next out.
“Why three Hummers?” Stenzel asked, once she felt like she got her back realigned.
Gary was out next, doing the infamous pee-pee shuffle. “Goddamnit Mike! I wouldn’t have sucked down two bottles of water if I knew you were going to drive halfway across the country before stopping. You’re always telling me to stay hydrated when we go out on missions in case we have to run, so that’s what I do. And then you go and do shit like this. It’s almost like you do it on purpose. It’s like you’re trying to get me back for stuff I did to you when we were kids.”
“I told you not to mess with my toys,” I told him.
“Not for nothing, sir. But we’re out here looking for a deserter and instead of looking for clues near the base, you haul ass and get as far from it as you can. Can I ask why?” Stenzel asked.
I nodded to BT, who headed back to our Hummer. Instead of opening the back and getting Collier out that way, he yanked him out through the front and deposited him unceremoniously on the ground.
“Collier?” Grimm came over.
“You know him?”
“Yeah, we play vids all the time; we’re on the same team,” he said, looking to me with a questioning stare.
“He had a hand in setting us up.” I reached down and pulled the tape off of Collier’s mouth. He shook his head in obvious pain from the tear.
“Collier? No way,” Grimm said.
“He’s crazy!” Collier said. “Came to my room, attacked me, tried to pin this on me and then brought me out here. Grimm, help me!” Collier begged, showing his restrained hands.
“He’s kind of a dick and all, but I’m having a hard time believing he’d sabotage us,” Corporal Rose said as she looked down on the prisoner.
“He’s crazy,” Collier reiterated.
“We all know that,” BT said.
“What the hell, man?” I asked him.
“Oh come on, that’s no great revelation.”
I told the squad about what happened the night before. Collier adamantly denied every accusation.
“It’s my word against his. Who are you going to believe?” he asked. It was at this moment I had some self-doubt; what if my squad didn’t think that’s what happened, or at least weren’t sold on it completely?
Stenzel got down on her haunches, not more than a foot from Collier. “Did you remove my firing pin?” There was the slightest hesitation from Collier before he told her he hadn’t. “He’s fairly adept at lying, but he’s not perfect,” she said as she stood, apparently convinced in the truth I’d presented.
“Now what, sir?” Kirby asked. “We can’t just kill him.”
“You can’t, I’m innocent!” Collier was struggling with his binds.
“I don’t like this, sir,” Grimm said.
“Why not bring him to the colonel? Give him a trial?” Sergeant Winters asked.
“I went to his room. He’s going to say I beat an admission of guilt out of him,” I said.
“Did you?” Grimm asked.
I said nothing.
“This doesn’t sit well with me, sir,” Winters said.
“Here’s the thing. I’m not sure if Bennington is in on it or not. Even if he isn’t, Deneaux most assuredly is, and she’ll have us all fry. I bring Collier in, it’s me and then most likely all of you, that end up in the brig.”
“Sir, I’d feel much better about this if we knew for sure,” Winters said.
“My word’s not good enough?” I asked.
“He’s not saying that, Mike,” BT interjected. “But look at it from their point of view. We lost one of our squad members, and they want to make sure you’re not making Collier a scapegoat.”
Tommy placed a hand against Collier’s head. The corporal went still for a moment before sagging against the hummer.
“I fucking did it,” he admitted. “I have the firing pin in my room, under my socks.”
I had to physically restrain Stenzel from beating the shit out of him. “What!? As a souvenir? You fucking loon—you almost got me killed!” By this time, I had her wrapped up in my arms and was moving her further away from him. When I put her down, she was still stomping around until she got herself under control. “Why?” she asked. “Why would you try to get us killed? We’re all Marines!”
His head sagged.
“Tell me!” she shouted, his head whipped up in response, yet he did not answer. What answer could he have possibly given that would have been a valid justification? “I’ll shoot him,” Stenzel said, calmly grabbing her rifle out of the Hummer.
“Wait, no,” I told her, putting my hand up. “We’re already the judges and jury; I will not add executioner to that. We’re giving him a chance, one that he was doing his best to take away from us. I’m letting him go.”
I thought Stenzel was going to jump out of her skin.
“He will not come back to Etna, isn’t that right?” I asked Collier.
He nodded, more and more liking the idea of the lifeline I was throwing him.
“That’s it? He does a high crime and we let him go?” Stenzel asked.
“Killing him in retaliation will do you no good,” Tommy told her.
“I’m not so sure about that,” she replied with a twisted grin.
“It’s not going to happen,” I told her, taking her rifle away.
“I could put a little C4 in his pocket,” Rose offered. “Just a little.” She held her fingers close together to indicate the smidgeon she was referring to.
“No C4. He is banished from Etna and all of the luxuries it afforded. I think he will find the punishment very much in line with the crime,” I said.
“Fuck you,” Collier spit out. “I wanted to rig the ammunition to explode. Would have killed your high and mighty ass, spread you over an entire state!”
“We’re…we’re friends.” Grimm was having a hard time reconciling what was happening.
“Friends? Just because we played Signal of Service together? I liked you because you were good at the game. You helped me level up, that’s all. Other than that, fuck you too!”
Now that Collier knew we weren’t going to kill him, he was lashing out. I liked the kowtowed version better.
“That’s the piece of s
hit in a nutshell,” I told my squad. “He sold us out faster than Judas and with less of a payout.”
“Any of you would have done the same thing.” Spittle flew from Collier’s mouth.
“That’s how skewed your reasoning is, Collier. Maybe if you had been out in the field, in combat with a squad, you would realize how tight our bonds are. There’s not one of us here that wouldn’t die for another,” BT said.
“You’re all fools then. Dying for another, fuck that.”
“It’s like hearing a younger, male version of Deneaux. Just how much interaction did you have with the Lemon Queen?” I asked rhetorically.
“Just untie me and let me go,” he glared.
“Grimm, cut his bonds,” I said.
“With pleasure,” he said, grabbing his large knife, making sure that Collier saw the size of it before cutting through the bonds.
There was fear in his eyes, and Collier gulped until his bonds were cut through. He rubbed his wrists and ankles.
“Don’t get up,” I told him.
“You afraid I’ll beat your ass again?” he hissed.
“Is that how you celebrate winning a fight? Tie yourself up and get in the rear of a Hummer?” I asked. He said nothing in return.
I reached into the Hummer, grabbed a 1911, two magazines, and thirty rounds. I disassembled the pistol into a multitude of parts, leaving them in a pile on the roadway, then I dropped the magazines and the rounds, which went skittering around, many rolling to the far side and into the grass.
“Mount up,” I told the squad. None moved. “Now,” I said forcibly. I think, if given half an opportunity, they would have taken out all their frustration about the injured Springer on Collier, and I didn’t want the piece of shit to die just yet, I wanted him to suffer a great deal, something I was sure was going to happen. He was a dead man, not a doubt in my mind about that, but just in case, I said: “If I hear you somehow made it back to base, I’m going to slice through your Adam’s apple and pull your tongue through the opening. Don’t try me on this. Oh, and make sure you find all the bullets; pretty sure you’re going to need them.”
I joined BT in the hummer. I could see Collier in the rearview mirror, working feverishly to put the pistol back together. I should have known; a real armorer would have it done in nearly record time. We were far enough away when he stood in the roadway and pointed the weapon toward us, that I wasn’t overly concerned. I thought him an even bigger fool when he wasted five rounds in a vain attempt to inflict us harm.
