G Hopf: The Long Road

“You’re not Conner?” the man said.

“No. He’s dead. I’m President Cruz, his replacement.”

The man looked at Cruz with his head cocked in curiosity, then said, “President Cruz, I’m Colonel Barone. Welcome to the Pacific States of America. You’re now my prisoner.”

Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado

“General Baxter, we have a situation,” a tech sergeant reported.

“What do you have, Sergeant?” he asked.

“Here,” the tech sergeant, said, then pointed to the main screen. He had been monitoring the outside perimeter cameras when something caught his attention.

“Looks like we have visitors. Nothing new,” Baxter replied, shrugging off the people on camera.

At least once a week since the attacks, people would gather at the base entrance. Of course everyone at the base would ignore them, and eventually they’d leave.

“No, sir, look here,” the tech sergeant said, zooming in the camera on a tall bald man holding a sign that read, open up or we kill him.

“Okay, so what?” Baxter asked. He looked at the video feed, and all he saw was a man holding a sign above a hooded person.

“Just that we’ve never had this happen. It’s strange.”

“Sergeant, everything is strange now. Get used to it.”

Baxter returned his attention to the logbook and walked off.

Moments later the tech sergeant yelled out, “General Baxter, look!”

Startled, Baxter turned, and what he saw on the screen shocked him. “Send a tac team topside with me ASAP!”

Baxter followed closely behind his six-man tactical team as they stepped beyond the large blast doors of Cheyenne Mountain.

The bright sun and brilliant blue sky seemed more intense since they had not seen the literal light of day for weeks.

His tactical team members spread out and waited at the ready.

Baxter walked past them and stopped a few feet short of the bald man.

“We want to make a deal,” the bald man said with a deep baritone voice. “This man for food, water, and a vehicle.”

“I don’t know who you are, but we don’t make deals with people like you. Now just hand over our man and we will let you go without any trouble,” the general replied.

“Hmm. You don’t seem to know who we have here. This isn’t one of your soldiers who you keep sending in on a regular basis.” The bald man chuckled. “Why don’t I have him tell you himself who he is?” The man ripped off the hood.

Baxter’s eyes widened, and the blood , drained out of his face when he saw who was kneeling just feet away from him.

The bald man roughly tore off the duct tape that sealed the man’s mouth shut. He then smacked him in the back of the head and said, “Tell him.”

The man squinted and blinked rapidly, trying to adjust his eyes to the bright sunlight. He looked around at everyone in front of him, focused his attention on Baxter, and said, “General, I’m Brad Conner, the President of the United States. Please do whatever this man says.”

East of Austin, Nevada

Nelson was tired after a long drive. They had covered more than four hundred miles since yesterday. He was happy, but he wouldn’t feel secure until they reached Idaho.

He wondered what was in the envelope Gordon had had him give to Samantha. He assumed it was a letter, but what did it say? What could it possibly say to ease her mind? He just didn’t understand his friend. He knew the loss of Hunter was weighing heavy on both of them, but Samantha didn’t quit.

She hadn’t left her trailer since they departed yesterday.

Haley was the only proof of life to have come from the trailer when they had stopped during the long drive.

Nelson knew time healed all things, but how long would it take for Samantha to heal from this?

He would never forget the look in Gordon’s eyes as he told him what he was doing. Different scenarios ran through his mind now that it had all passed. Each one resulted in the same outcome.

Samantha hadn’t asked him further questions about Gordon since he gave her the news. He was afraid that one day he’d have to answer those questions. But until then he would save those moments. That last night with Gordon was between him and his old friend, wherever he was now.

The tap on his truck window startled him. He sat up and tried to see who it was, but the darkness outside made it impossible.

“Yeah,” he called out.

“It’s Lexi, you awake?”

Exhaling deeply, he opened his truck door.

“What’s up?”

“Do you have a minute?”

Remembering how short he’d been with her the day before, he decided he wouldn’t be now. “Sure. You want to sit in here?”

“If you don’t mind; it’s chilly out,” she said and stepped inside the truck, closing the door behind her.

Nelson took out his lighter and lit a small candle he had in a tin can on the dash. The soft light illuminated both of them.

“So what’s—” he tried to ask before she interrupted him.

Lexi looked at the tin can and the orange glow that emanated from it. Next to it sat the key she’d seen him use yesterday to unlock the supply trailer.

Making a mental note, she said, “Hey, I never really got a chance to thank you. I now realize how bitchy I was. You guys have helped me a lot, and I can never repay you for that.”

“Of course. No worries.”

“That’s why I think I owe it to ya’ll to tell you.” She paused for a moment, then continued. “To tell you that I’m gonna take off in the morning.”

“What? Where? Why would you do that?” Nelson asked. He was truly concerned for her.

“You don’t know me. The thing is, I have something to do.”

“What could you possibly have to do?” he asked as he watched her nervously scratching her arms.

“Where you found me wasn’t just a labor camp; it was more like a concentration camp. The man who ran it is a cruel, sadistic fuck. He murdered my sister in cold blood. My baby sister, who did nothing wrong but fight back after refusing to be raped for the hundredth time by them. They beat her, took her out to a cross, and stabbed her in the heart. He’s a sick fuck, and I’m going to hunt him down. I’m gonna kill him.”

“I’m sorry for your loss, but how are you going to find him, and even if you do, how will you kill him? This all sounds like suicide. Look, you have a chance with us. A new chance at life in Idaho.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really.”

“No, really? Do you think you can hide from these types of people? They’re probably everywhere now, feeding off the anarchy. If you think you’ll go to Idaho and live this peaceful life with unicorns and rainbows, you’re kidding yourself.” Lexi paused to catch her breath. “I may not survive this whole thing, but I will kill as many of those types as I can along my way.”

“I see you’ve thought about this.”

“Before all of this craziness, I was just a young, stupid girl who was living in a small apartment. I worked as a human resources assistant. Spent my weekends partying with my friends and just not caring about much. My sister, Carey, had come out to see me when all of this shit happened.”

“Just give it a day or so before you leave.”

“No. I thought I owed it to you to let you know. I also wanted to ask you something. I know it’s a lot, but, hey, you don’t get what you don’t ask for.”

“And what’s that?”

“Can I take a pack, food, water, and a couple of guns?”

“Is there anything you forgot on that à la carte menu?” he asked sarcastically, accompanied by the old Nelson grin.

Lexi looked at him, then turned away when she saw he was grinning. “So that’s a yes?”

“I think we can do that, but on one condition.”