Frank Klus - Azaleas Don't Bloom Here

“I’m fine right here,” he said.

“Terry, help him find his seat.” Addressing Nate, “I didn’t ask you to take a seat, I told you to sit there. Now, tell me, Nate, how did you spend our money?”

“I have people to pay off: police, community leaders, citizen patrols, etc. Then there’s my own expense. I get paid five hundred an hour.”

“How do you explain those two yokels who met us at the end of the woods?”

“Somebody must have paid them more.”

“So you take no responsibility?”

“What does it matter? You overpowered them.”

“It doesn’t explain what happened. Nevertheless, those guys provided some useful information for us.”

“Care to tell us about it, Nate?” Wrenn said.

“I don’t know what you want me to say.”

“Terry, search his files for anything we need. Jack, keep an eye on Nate. Keep after him to tell the truth. Me and Joanne here are going to go out to the outer office and have a talk.”

Joanne was crying. They walked back to the outer office, closing the door behind them. “Please don’t kill me. I have a husband and a six year old son at home.”

Just then a customer entered the office. Armstrong turned toward him. “Office is closed. Get out!” The man hurried out.

“Can you lock that door?” Chad suggested putting a sign on the door. She did so.

“Good. Now we can have some privacy.”

“Please, don’t hurt me.”

“Is your boss even a real lawyer?”

“Yes,” she sobbed.

“Tell me about his clients.”

“Mostly people like you. They’re looking to escape the country. There desperate. Nate preys on them.”

“That so? How many clients does he have?”

“I don’t know—a lot.”

“Dozens?”

“Yes.”

“A hundred?”

“More.”

“Two hundred?”

“He might, but I don’t think there’s that many.”

“Shall we say one fifty.”

“About that.”

“Do any of them make it to the other side?”

“No.”

“None?”

She just shook her head. “That fence is not really a border fence. Nate and about a dozen other men just put it up.”

“Well, well, well,” Armstrong said, wearing a sly grin. “Not even a real border fence. How far is the real border?”

“About five miles.”

Armstrong was surprised. “Then how do people die of exposure? One of those yokels who tried to get the drop on us said a few people escape, but it was about twenty-five miles to civilization, if you knew enough to go the right way. Now you tell me it’s only five miles away.”

“He probably believed it. They think that fence is the real border. Only a couple dozen people or so know the truth.”

“What about the people who were supposed to have died from lack of food and water?”

Joanne hesitated. “They were shot.”

“Who double-crossed us at that pretend border fence?”

She hesitated again. “It was Nate.”

“So Nate took a hundred grand from us to cross a fence that had nothing to do with the border, then he betrays us, and what… shared the bounty with the civilian patrol?”

“Yes, though he pockets most of the money.”

“Thank you, Joanne. Let’s go inside and see what my partners found.”

“Chad,” said Foote, “you should see the shit old Nate’s got here. Everything we need. Maps, citizen patrols, where everyone lives, who’s involved; even where the watch patrols are, and when the shifts change.”

Chad turned to Wrenn. “So, what has Nate to say for himself?”

“I can speak for myself.”

“Then speak.”

“It isn’t just me. You kill me and it won’t change anything. I’m easily replaced, and wherever you go you’ll run into civilian patrols.”

“You’re their leader?”

“One of them. People with money and resources organize other civilian patrols up and down the border.”

“You mean the real border or just that fence?”

Nate just glanced over to Joanne.

“I told him. He said he’d kill me if I didn’t.”

Nate was very unhappy about that. Chad delivered a right hook to the schnoz. Phillips’ nose began bleeding and he just sat there holding it. Armstrong told Foote to grab the documents he found.

“That’s theft,” Phillips said.

Armstrong just spun around toward the lawyer. “That’s real sick, coming from you. After all, when it comes to theft, you’re a real pro. Now, if either of you are thinking of going to the police, I’ll send one of my men here to burn your office to the ground, with both of you in it.”

Eugene and Sandy went to a restaurant across from the motel for some lunch while Hayfield ordered takeout from another restaurant and ate his lunch at poolside. No one was standing guard anymore.

Armstrong learned of a conference room not in use, and so that afternoon Armstrong, his two buddies, Pamela Piper, the O’Reilly’s, and Senator Moore went over Moore’s maps, and the maps and reports that he took from Phillips. They spent the first two hours going over everything to see what they had. Then they began throwing out ideas and options. “With this information,” Ray said, “getting across should be easy. All that’s left is picking the easiest way.” When Sandy and Eugene got back, they decided to see what their leadership had come up with. Eugene knocked on the door and Wrenn answered it. “Gene, my man, and Sandy.” “Come on in, folks,” Chad said. “What… you didn’t bring your buddy Haystacks with you?” mocked Terry Foote. Wrenn let out a laugh, and the others joined in. Pamela was on the phone with her brother, Henry, Mayor of Piper City, formerly Baker City, Oregon. “Okay, but Chad Armstrong wants to speak with you. Hold on.” Pamela gave the phone to Armstrong. “Okay, Henry, what’s your recommendation?” Everyone waited. There was a long pause while Chad heard Henry’s arguments, but Chad started shaking his head and the group was ready to hear some bad news. “No, Henry, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It may be secluded, but the thought of children being present isn’t good. Look, I’ve been studying the maps and I think the best way in is on Highland Avenue.” There was another pause, and then, “Hold on, Henry. Let me relay that to the group. Hey, Pamela, does this have a speaker phone?” “I think it does, but I’m not sure how to use it.” The phone was military and used by anyone connected to the government when they needed advanced encryptions. “It does,” Ev Moore said. “Let me show you.” “Okay, Henry, can you hear me?” “Loud and clear.” “Good. You’re on speakerphone. The whole group is listening in. Now, tell me again what you just said.” “I said I don’t think Highland is a good idea. It’s too open.” “Well, Henry, that’s why you’re in administration and I’m in the military. Where you see open spaces, I see hills. Ever read about Waterloo?” “No. Is that where Napoleon was captured?” “You know how?” Chad said, smiling. “No.” “Hills, my man. Even Napoleon didn’t see them. They’re subtle. The British lied down and the French couldn’t see them. Same thing. Plus, we’ll be there late at night. No traffic on the cross street, two guards my sharpies can see, but won’t be seen. They’ll be taken out, the lock on the gate broken, and we’ll go right through. Then about seven miles to the border. Can you meet us there? We may need your help getting through.” “I hate bloodshed. Can’t you bribe them to let you through?” “No. In the first place we’ve tried that before and it was a disaster. They just double-crossed us. In the second place, we’re all broke. I’m not sure what’s going on. I mean no one knows for sure why there is so much incentive to stop us, even after taking bribes. Senator Moore thinks the government may be bribing them to stop people from crossing as well, but he isn’t sure. It may be NOGOV.” “Okay, we’ll do it your way, Chad. What time can we expect you?” “12:15 A.M.” “We’ll have a couple militiamen at the border.”