From Within (15 page)

“Guys, it’s Will,” Will yelled as he waved an arm over his head.

“Will!” Alejandro yelled back. “Where are the others?”

“They are back across the field,” Will answered while pointing in the general direction that he left the three. “What are you guys doing?”

“Lewis said the truck that we saw come down this way came all the way up here by his house,” Alejandro said. “I’m sure they will bring more back. We are loading some stuff to hide out for a few days. We should get the others so we can get ready quicker.”

“We might have a little bit of time,” Will said. “Those two in the truck are dead. They never made it back to their group.”

“What happened?” Alejandro asked while a surprised look formed on his face.

“The two guys in the truck spotted my Mom, Juana, and Lea and then came after them. There was some shooting and we are all okay,” Will said, purposely leaving out all the details.

“Oh man,” Alejandro said while placing his hands on his head. “I wish I would never have left them alone.”

“You couldn’t have known,” Will said. “We are still going to have to get out of here. There must have been thirty more cars and trucks show up to our place. I’m sure they’ll either search the area tonight or tomorrow for sure. Especially with losing two of their own.”

“Thirty more?” Alejandro said in disbelief.

“Yeah,” Will said, “and we couldn’t tell how many people were in each vehicle. I know it’s been a long day but we should get out of here soon. What do you think? Go further up the four wheeling road? I guess that’s a stupid question. We can’t go the other way. We’ll just run into them.”

“That’s what Lewis and I were planning,” Alejandro said. “Go up the trail to wait them out. Do you think they are going to stick around?”

“I overheard them talking about making our place a camp,” Will answered. “I’m guessing they are staying a while. They might see all these fields of food and decide to stay to harvest it. Who knows?” He looked around at the moonlit planted field. The thought of all the work they had done going to waste still depressed him. “I’ll go get the others so we can get out of here.”

He ran straight to where he left the other three. This time, he made no effort to move quietly or stay low. As Will approached the tree-line he yelled out for them.

“Alright guys, it’s safe. They’re safe,” Will said referring to Alejandro and Lewis.

He glanced back and forth along the trees waiting for them to pop out. After a brief moment, they all stepped out of the woods and began brushing themselves off.

“They are loading up Lewis’s truck,” Will said. “They think we should get out of here quickly too.”

They all walked across the field and then around the house. They all gathered together at the bed of the truck. A light from the porch illuminated them and the truck.

“Well...” Lewis began, “I loaded some camping supplies. There’s some food.” He was clearly depressed and saddened by the abrupt turn of events. He sighed. “I really didn’t want to leave my home.” His eyes appeared to be filling with tears. He didn’t look at anyone. He kept his eyes pointing towards the items in the bed. “That cooler there has a lot of that deer meat.” He nodded his head in the direction of the cooler. “Anything else you all think we should get?”

“I have my pack here,” Will said. “It has some survival gear to help get us through. A little bit of food as well. I had more stuff in the Jeep.” He let out a forced laugh. “I forgot to tell you, I hid the Jeep up in the woods up beyond our property. I grabbed this bag and left all the other stuff I had. I’m glad I didn’t try bringing the Jeep all the way back to the road. If I did...” He stopped, not wanting to bring up the shootout and death from before. “Anyway, the wheeling trail eventually cuts back higher up the mountain behind all of our land here. We might be able to sneak down at some point and try to bring it up. Or, at least get the stuff I packed in there.”

“There’s a lot of thick woods and rock outcroppings between here and the road,” Lewis said. “It’d be a bear of a job.”

“Yeah,” Will said solemnly.

“If there’s nothing else to get then let’s get going,” Beth said.

“I’ll drive,” Lewis said. “You all have been running around the woods for hours. You should try to sleep.”

“One last thing,” Will said. They all looked to him. “We need to check down the road before we drive the truck down the driveway.”

“Good idea,” Alejandro said. “I’ll run down there. Someone should stand higher up to pass on to bring the truck down.”

“I’ll go with you,” Will said.

“Ladies, you should get settled in the truck,” Alejandro said.

“Once we are on our way, you all should go to sleep,” Lewis said. “I’ll take care of it from there.”

Lewis and the three women sat quietly in the truck as Alejandro scouted their exit route. Will stood part way down the driveway waiting for Alejandro’s signal. He couldn’t see the truck from where he stood. He would have to turn back uphill and walk a bit to be able to signal the truck. He dreaded having to take a single step uphill.

Beth, Lea, and Juana were all situated in the back seat of the truck. The sudden halt of all the night’s excitement, their bodies being overcome with fatigue, all being paired with the still and quiet of the night caused their eyes to become heavy. A cool breeze swept through the valley. The comforting air passed through the open windows of the truck. Lea lay against her mother’s arm. She was already fast asleep. Beth and Juana lay against opposite doors, their eyelids shutting for longer and longer periods as sleep tried to take them. Lewis sat in the driver’s seat. He leaned forward with both forearms resting on top of the steering wheel. He watched down the hill for Will, waiting to spot his figure somewhere on the dark, tree-lined driveway.

Lewis heard a distant yell. He moved his right hand to the key in the ignition. He didn’t start the truck yet. He wanted to see Will giving them some sort of signal that they should come down the drive. He squinted and leaned forward a few inches with the hope it would help see into the dark. Now there was more yelling. It was from multiple people, none of which sounded like Will or Alejandro. Lewis’s mind clued into what was happening. He whipped his head around to see figures in the distance across his backyard. The moonlight giving just enough to differentiate the multiple figures as they emerged from several locations out of the trees. They must have sent out these search parties to comb the woods.

Lewis immediately turned the key and the large diesel rumbled to life. He quickly shifted and slammed down the accelerator. The tires spun in the dirt before grabbing and jerking the truck forward. All the women were awake again, Lea in pure confusion from being yanked from a deep sleep. Lewis could hear shots being fired. Bullets were whizzing by his window. A couple hit the truck somewhere near the rear. It made a sound like someone had taken a baseball bat and slammed it against the bed of the truck.

It didn’t matter now if this group was waiting for them at the road. There was no need to scout it out. They were either there or they weren’t. The only option now was to try. They were without a doubt behind them, now claiming Lewis’s land as their own. If they held the road as well, they had them no matter what. Lewis guided the barreling truck down the driveway, ready to slam on the brake pedal at any moment to pick up the other two.

Marcus sat in the back of a Humvee next to Blake. He turned to his right to watch the cafe pass by. He thought for only a fleeting moment that he would suggest a quick stop for coffee or a bite to eat. He would have had to make the suggestion prior to reaching the town. He would have needed a better excuse beforehand as well. Perhaps something about asking locals if they knew of the supply chain issue. Of course they wouldn’t have, it was a product of Marcus’s imagination. The cafe was already behind them. It would look desperate at this point to try to get them to turn around. Marcus settled back in his seat. He placed a hand on the breast pocket of his suit jacket, feeling the memory stick. He would have to be sure to figure out a way to stop on the way back to the camp.

Marcus focused on the Humvee. He was sure that only months earlier this vehicle was used exclusively by the United States Military. The vehicle along with every part meticulously accounted for. He knew that every single item owned by the government had a stamp or sticker indicating the owning agency and the part number. He had done a story once before on the steps used by the government to keep track of everything it owned. Marcus remembered being impressed by how well the government accomplished this task. Now, how many of those items such as this Humvee were in the possession of this new government-created corporation? This vehicle now being driven by some random corporate employee who wore some strange-looking military-like uniform.

“So, you think this maintenance facility is how we figure out if anything is going on?” Kenneth asked.

“I’m sure of it,” Marcus answered. “If there are any issues, the news will show up there.”

Kenneth had called around before they left to see what he could find out about this ‘supply issue’. His calls brought him no information. Marcus had hoped that was the case. He didn’t want Kenneth to get a report of something minor, such as a slightly delayed truck, and then call off their excursion so they wouldn’t waste time on a worthless story. He needed to get to the cafe.

They arrived at the maintenance facility a little over thirty minutes after leaving the camp. They found the man in charge. He was a rugged-looking, middle-aged man. He looked like he led a rough life that aged his body an extra ten years which would explain his haggard appearance. He became somewhat defensive after hearing the questions of the ‘issue’, most presumably because he thought they were there to blame and question him. Marcus assured him they were there only to gather information. He told him that they were doing a story on how the CMA moved goods around the region and country and thought it would be good to see how problems were handled as well. The man seemed to think for a moment.

“We had a truck break down last night,” he said. “It happens all the time, though. We sent out a tow this morning. The truck is here in the shop.” He motioned further inside the garage. “The trailer, however, is back on the road. It’s fairly common. Not something I’d expect to see in the news.” He said it almost as a suggestion.

“Well, sir,” Marcus said, “perhaps we will turn it into a story on the efficiency and expediency of your shop here.” Marcus smiled widely. “Nothing wrong with a feel-good story.” Marcus turned to Kenneth, “That must’ve been what I overheard people talking about this morning.”

“What?” Kenneth asked in an annoyed manner. “A single truck going into the shop?

“What else were you going to do today?” Marcus asked with a wry smile.

“Whatever,” Kenneth said. “I guess we can come of with something since we are out here. Like you said, a feel-good story.”

“That’s the ol’ investigative reporter I remember,” Marcus said in a sarcastic tone.

They filmed a few scenes around the facility. They interviewed the crotchety foreman. Marcus gave a wonderful speech for the camera about the shop as if he really knew something about the place. They loaded back into the Humvee and set off back for the camp. Marcus still hadn’t come up with something decent to make them stop. His mind was racing now trying to think of a reason. As they approached the outskirts of the small town, Marcus considered an idea similar to what brought them all the way to the maintenance facility. He went for it.

“I was thinking Ken,” Marcus began.

“That’s never good,” Kenneth interrupted. He shifted in the seat so he could see Marcus more easily.

“Funny,” Marcus said with a straight face. Blake laughed. “Since we are out here, how about another filler piece. We could record a little bit about this town. It could be about how the presence of the CMA in the area has boosted business around here.”

Kenneth raised an eyebrow. Marcus thought Kenneth might actually be going for the idea.

“Not a bad idea,” Kenneth said. “Think we need another filler piece?”

“I don’t know,” Marcus said. “I assume I’ll be gone for the better part of a week if I’m going out to Colorado and Utah. It’ll take some time to put together a piece out there for that story.” He paused to let the new lines sink in for Kenneth. “Plus, I could use a good cup of coffee.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Blake said. It surprised Marcus and Kenneth. Blake wasn’t one to give his opinion on much of anything.

“Why not?” Kenneth said and then sat back into his seat as if he were signaling the conversation was over.

Marcus reached forward and patted the shoulder of the CMA driver.

“Stop near that little cafe in town,” Marcus said. “We can go in there and a few of the other nearby places.”

After they parked, Blake filmed a few shots of the buildings around the area, leaving out any of the closed down businesses with boarded windows. Marcus was so excited that he almost had an extra skip in his step. He needed to calm himself. He didn’t want to make Ken suspicious of him.

“I was thinking we could get some words from the cafe owner,” Blake said. It was another surprise to Marcus. He was starting to wonder if Blake was reading his mind.

“My thoughts exactly,” Marcus said as he held the cafe’s door open so Blake could get through with the camera.

Marcus looked at Blake curiously as he walked into the cafe and headed towards the back corner. It really was as if Blake knew Marcus’s whole plan.

Blake motioned towards the back, near where Marcus’s booth sat, “We should set up back there so we aren’t in the way.”

Marcus froze in horror as he turned the corner and his booth came into view. A man sat in the seat he needed. And it wasn’t just any man.

“Anthony?” Marcus blurted out the question.

“Gentleman,” Anthony said in acknowledgment. “What are you all doing in here?”

“Oh, hey Anthony,” Kenneth said as rounded the corner behind Marcus and saw him sitting there.

“We are getting some footage of the town and we were going to do a story about how the CMA’s presence in the area has boosted the local economy,” Blake said, nonchalantly. Marcus was becoming more and more impressed by Blake with every sentence he spoke.

“Marcus,” Anthony nodded his head to him, “that doesn’t sound like a supply-chain issue.”

“We finished that one up already,” Marcus said. “Wasn’t really any issue. We turned it into a story about the efficiency of the maintenance facility. We’ll show you after editing.”

Marcus was hoping he wasn’t sweating nervously. How could Anthony be here? Not only that, how could he be in the exact seat that Marcus needed?

“Come here often?” Marcus asked Anthony.

“I’ve been here a couple of times,” Anthony said.

“I like coming here for the coffee,” Marcus said.

“Yes, I know. The General mentioned it,” Anthony said.

So the General must have told more than Marcus’s request to go out for the story. If he told Anthony that Marcus mentioned something trivial like going to the cafe in town for coffee, then he probably told him everything about their encounter. Marcus wondered what that included. What had the General seen and not given away that he knew?

“Why don’t you all join me?” Anthony said, gesturing to the empty seats.

Marcus sat down and slid up against the wall, bringing himself directly across from Anthony. He could picture the empty memory port under the table. It was probably only inches from Anthony’s knee. Marcus started to weigh the consequences of getting caught. Was it worth the risk? Was there another way? Perhaps while out in Colorado or Utah he could get to a phone that the CMA wouldn’t think to listen to and call Thomas. Marcus saw a possible flaw in that plan as well. He was supposed to be doing stories on camps out there. He would probably be on those camps most of the time out there. At least with trying here at the cafe, if he could pull it off, the CMA couldn’t monitor their system for sending messages. If they somehow retrieved the message, they didn’t have the passkey to decipher it.

The conversation turned lighter. They ended up ordering food, an early dinner, in addition to the coffee. They all chatted about mostly meaningless subjects. Blake and Kenneth mostly seemed interested in talking about their gripes with living in the camp. Marcus contributed some to the subject. He, being a well-known face in the news, made quite good money and had become accustomed to a more lavish and convenient lifestyle. He was flexible, however, having lived quite poorly for many years trying to get started in the career in smaller markets.

Marcus managed to slip the memory stick from his breast pocket. He had waited for the opportune moment. Someone had made a joke which everyone laughed at. Anthony had thrown his head back as he laughed. Marcus noticed and quickly grabbed the stick. Now the memory stick sat next to his leg, up against the wall. Maybe he should drop something? A fork? He could shift lower in the booth to pick up the fork and place the stick in its’ place.

He did so. He bumped the fork with an elbow. It tumbled across his lap and down to the floor, coming to rest by his shoe. Marcus grabbed the memory stick as he shifted himself in the seat to make it easier to reach under the table. He couldn’t see the port. Anthony had a leg propped up on the other and his knee blocked it. Was this not meant to be? He came back up with the fork and placed it on his empty plate. What to do now?

“I better be on my way,” Anthony said.

Was Marcus finally being given a reprieve? Blake, who was sitting next to Anthony, stood so he could get out. Anthony shook their hands. Blake took his seat, luckily not scooting all the way down the booth to block the port. As the focus was still on Anthony about to leave, Marcus quickly reached under the table and placed the memory stick in the port with ease. He was worried it would take him several tries. He shifted in the seat to place his back against the wall. This way he could more easily glance over casually to see the smoke detector on the wall. The red light on the left was flashing. His message was being transmitted. He wondered if they were going to be able to write and send a response before Kenneth would want them to get back to base.

“Well, shall we?” Kenneth said.

Could Kenneth have any worse timing? It seemed like everyone knew exactly what Marcus was trying to do and were setting up road block after road block.

“I was hoping to get one more top off on the coffee,” Marcus said, trying to stall. “Can’t get coffee like this at the camp.”

“We’ve been here long enough today,” Kenneth said. “Plus, you’ve had like four cups of coffee. Let’s get back. Today’s footage needs to be edited before you leave. If there are any voice-over corrections to do, I want you to do them today. You leave tomorrow, right?”

“Yes, in the morning,” Marcus answered, hiding his disappointment.

As they all stood from the table, Marcus looked over to the smoke detector. There was a steady red light on the right side which meant his message had been sent. The center green light lit up as Marcus watched. They were sending a message back already. If they leave now, it could be a week before he could see their answer. Blake took off for the restroom. Kenneth put an arm on Marcus’s shoulder and guided him out of the cafe.

“Look, Marcus,” Kenneth said in almost a whisper, “I’m glad you didn’t make a scene about what I told you. This really is a great opportunity for you and I. We are going to come out on top of a new America. We are going to be kings of the industry.”

Marcus smiled and nodded at Ken. He didn’t know what to say. They stood by the exit waiting for Blake.

“Whew,” Blake said as he walked up to them. “I definitely had too much coffee too. I was about to burst.”

“I should run back there too,” Marcus said. “I did have four cups. I’ll meet you at the Humvee.”

Blake and Kenneth exited the cafe while Marcus rushed to the restroom. Once he was done, he quickly returned to the table. The table was still covered with their plates and cups meaning the waitress hadn’t been there to clean up yet. He slid into the booth and reached under. He felt around and couldn’t feel the memory stick. He eventually bent over and looked at where the port was. The stick wasn’t there. It was gone.