John O'Brien - Taken

Yes, I brought some. Force of habit I guess. We always brought some on missions and took them when there was a threat of action. That way you wouldn’t feel the damage and could keep going. I thought I had left those habits behind - the habits of mission preparation. I really thought that part of my life was over. I was happy living the relaxed life and those habits returning so readily and easily is not a comfort.

The murmuring from the upper gym increases. I send Gonzalez and McCafferty to calm and quiet them. The night runners know we are in here but there’s no use advertising our presence loudly. Plus, the people need some reassuring. Their lives have been turned upside down quite a bit in the past months and this is just one additional episode. They can’t be having very warm, fuzzy feelings right now. I don’t want them thinking they’ve gone from one armed group to another with the same intentions.

As the two women make their way to the side doors, a gentleman exits and passes them intent on coming to our little group. Gonzalez looks back and I nod. They let him continue. The man, dressed in jeans and a plain gray sweatshirt, makes his way to us. He looks to be in his late forties or early fifties and is in a modicum of good shape. His salt and pepper hair is cut short with what once must have been in a professional manner but now has tufts sticking out as if he has just risen from bed; which, he has. I rise and make room for him sweeping my arm in an inviting manner. He works his way through the cots and team members. I introduce myself and those around.

“Bob,” he says shaking hands. He sits.

“What’s the plan with us, young man?” Bob asks addressing me. If Lynn had been drinking milk, it would have flown out through her nose.

“We have a place built just north of Olympia and you’re welcome to come with us if you want. You’ll be free to go your own way but you are invited to come,” I answer ignoring Lynn’s, um, startlement. “That is when morning arrives. Our plan for now is to wait out the night and hope the night runners don’t find an alternate way in. Do you know this place well?”

“Night runners huh? Innovative and it fits. We’ve just taken to calling them demons. And yes, I know this place well. The only ways in that I know of are the pool and main entrances,” he answers. “And, I just wanted to make sure we weren’t being held here. There’s a lot of talk about ‘out of the frying pan and into the fire’ so to speak.”

“No one is being held against their will. I mean, we’ll have to stay in here tonight but come morning, everyone is free to do their own thing,” I state.

“I’m glad you fine folks happened along. What brought you here if you don’t mind my asking?” Bob asks.

I reach over and pat Robert and Bri, making sure to avoid hitting her arm, on the legs. “They took my kids,” I answer. Bob nods. No other explanation is necessary.

“So, what happened here?” Lynn asks.

“That is a long, sad tale,” he answers and proceeds to tell us.

The gist of the story is that the townspeople, or what was left of them, gathered together. They held up in the auditorium at night, built the fences and scrounged for food, water, and supplies during the day. They constructed the towers and accumulated firearms to protect themselves. They sealed the auditorium doors in much the same manner we did with the gym. Then, when they felt secure enough, they cleared the area as best as they could; bringing in the lights and generators and manning the perimeter at night. It was hard going but eventually the ‘demons’ started leaving them alone. The townspeople started building a farm on the outskirts of town.

Then the others came. Just a couple of them arrived at the gates. They seemed friendly at first and were invited in for a meal. They were invited to stay but said they had other friends to check on but that they might be back. That was the last they saw of them until one day, they returned from working on the farm and they were there in force. They had come in during the day, killed or captured everyone left behind, and waited for the others to return. There wasn’t much resistance as they were surprised and the marauders had planned the ambush carefully. After that, they were forced to work in the fields.

A few tried to escape early on but were summarily gunned down. They separated the men from the women knowing the men would never leave without their kids, spouses, or loved ones and vice versa. They would go out and bring in others from time to time. That’s the way it has been until we arrived.

The soldiers gathered just shake their heads. For the life of me, I can’t figure people out sometimes. I mean, a forced labor camp when we’re in the midst of this world changing event where our very survival is in jeopardy. How do they not see beyond their own noses? Seriously, wouldn’t it have been easier just working together? Once a bully, always a bully.

“Well, I guess I had better get back to the folks upstairs and tell them what’s up. I wouldn’t want anyone doing anything stupid. We have a couple of hotheads there,” he says rising after finishing his story.

“It’s a pleasure, Bob,” I say rising and extending my hand. “We’ll talk more in the morning.”

“I look forward to it,” he says taking my hand and heads to where the others are waiting. He passes Julie who has entered the gym and makes her way to sit by Bri. A soldier moves over for her. Julie doesn’t even look my way as she pulls Bri close and starts a whispered conversation. Robert rises and sits next to his mom. Silence descends on the group. Lynn looks my way with her eyes squinting in a quizzical manner. I merely raise a brow and shrug. Yeah, this is going to be interesting. Well, I’m just glad the kids have their mom back. I can’t even imagine the stress, worry, fear, and sorrow they’ve been keeping inside. Julie and the kids rise and start away from our little gathering. I can tell Julie is uncomfortable being around the others, especially seeing I’m a part of them and leading.

“Don’t go far,” I say to their retreating backs. Julie ignores me but Robert and Bri turn to give an, “Okay, Dad.”

We continue sitting on the cots, wary of our situation but feeling a little more secure than we were just a short time ago when the lights begin to flicker. It’s dim inside to begin with but it’s definitely a noticeable change. First, it’s just a quick flash of the lights going off and then back on. Then, they begin to flicker in earnest with the dark winning out over the light. The darkness comes in longer intervals casting the entirety of the gym in an inky blackness with short glows of light in between.

“Goggles on. Greg, take your team and cover the far doors and keep an eye on the entrance doors as well. Lynn, take Black and do the same for this end,” I say. Clicks of goggles being set in place are the only response.

“McCafferty, tell those up there that it’s just the generator powering this place running out of fuel,” I tell her over the radio.

“Will do, sir,” she replies.

I am hoping it’s just the generator going out and that the night runners haven’t figured out how to manipulate them or gnaw through electrical lines — that move will be a self-critiquing one for them if they do try something like that. The knowledge and ability to manipulate machinery wouldn’t bode well for us at all. The gym is plunged into darkness as the generator, or whatever caused the loss of power, gives up entirely. The murmuring that was prevalent before falls to an eerie silence. It’s the silence of knowing something is about to happen. Nothing moves in the green glow as we observe the area beyond our little hideout.

Only the slight rustle of cloth rubbing and boots squeaking on the hardwood floor is heard as team members shift positions. Not knowing where or when the night runners are going to come from is driving me crazy. There’s not a sound or sight of anything. I’m sitting with Lynn waiting for the first shriek of discovery. The thought that this could go on for an eternity, this worrying about night runners, is not a pleasant one and makes me even more tired than I already am. Is this to be our new life for all time - this sitting in wait and worrying about a night runner attack? This is definitely a different feeling than sitting all cozied up at Cabela’s with tall walls all around us. I’m going to have to accept that the night runners are now just a fact of life. Marauders of the type we just rescued the others from, well, I guess rescue isn’t the right word just yet, will unfortunately be a part of this world as well.