Half Past Midnight

Pulling my hand away, I saw it stained shiny and red. I held it out toward Jim, and there were more screams as people saw the crimson coating. Jim struggled back to his feet just before I fell to my face.

…so many holes..

I heard the sounds of boots approaching and resisted the urge to move. They stopped beside me, and I felt someone reach down to check my pulse. “You all right?” Ken whispered.

I answered without moving. “Just a little bruised. Forgot how much paintballs hurt at close range.”

Ken grunted. “Okay, boys, pick him up and get him back to the factory. Make sure everyone gets a good look at all the red on him when you take him back. Leeland, you’re dead. Don’t move a muscle.” Four sets of hands grabbed my arms and legs, lifting me to shoulder height. I concentrated on being dead as they bore me back toward the factory.

“The whole thing is iffy, at best,” I’d protested. “Too many things have to go just right. I mean, what if they get a good look at the pistols? What if they realize that they don’t quite sound the same as regular firearms? What if they don’t buy my acting, or Jim’s? There are so many holes in this plan that it isn’t funny, and if anything goes wrong, I’m dead. We’re all dead!”

Ken looked at me, his frustration obvious. “So you got a better idea? Nobody’s forcing you into this. Jim and I are fully prepared to do it without you. You can still bow out.”

“Bullshit! As bad a plan as it is, it would be even worse without me in it.”

“Yes, it is. But it’s like Debra said, you’ve already done more than enough for this town, especially in the last couple of days. Nobody would think any less of you if you passed on this one.”

“Except me.” I dropped my head and sighed. I looked back up at Ken. “Okay. The trick is going to be trying to keep Larry off balance. He’s too smart to fall for it if he has time to think about what’s going on.”

He nodded, relieved to see I was finally rolling with it. “Suggestions?”

“Piss him off … scare him. Do whatever we can to keep him reacting instead of thinking. Once the ball is rolling, he can’t get a second to gather his wits, or we’re all dead.”

“And how do we do that?”

“I’m going to remind him of our first meeting. I scared the hell out of him then, and it’s got to be eating away at that monster ego of his. I imagine that’s why he’s so insistent about getting his hands on me now.”

Ken nodded. “Makes sense. I take it you have something in mind?”

“Not really. Just gonna do like I did in the tank. I’ll start pushing buttons and see what happens.”

Less than a dozen people knew I wasn’t really dead, and it was all I could do to remain still as they carried me through the stunned crowd to Jim’s office. Once behind closed doors, I opened my eyes and saw smiling faces all around me.

“You didn’t tell me those things would sting so much,” Jim complained. “Still, I guess it’s better than the alternative. You look pretty lively for a dead man.”

I smiled. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”

Debra brought over a couple of wet rags and helped me out of my shirt, tsking over the welts on my chest. “I’ve never understood your fascination with a sport that causes so many bruises.” She pulled my head down and kissed me soundly. “But just now, I’m not complaining.”

As soon as I could stop grinning, I asked, “Where’s Ken?”

“Right behind you.” He closed the door behind himself as he joined us. “I’ve been busy trying to calm everyone down. Had to let one more person in on the act, too.”

I turned and found Amber staring at me as if she couldn’t decide whether to be relieved or furious to find me still alive. Finally, she decided on the former and came forward to hug me. “You scared the hell out of me!”

“Good. Everybody’s reaction had to be natural if we were going to fool Larry.”

Ken nodded. “Well, I’d say it worked. From what I could see out there, everyone is convinced you’re dead and Jim’s dying. Our people are all wondering what hit them.”

Jim grinned. “Now, how about we hit back?”

I felt the explosion more than heard it. The floor and walls shook with a ferocity that threatened to bring the building down around us and, as we ran out of Jim’s trailer, we saw that part of the building had, indeed, come down. The far end of the factory was a pile of rubble and swirling dust. People screamed and ran in all directions.

“Oh God.” Amber rushed toward the wounded.

“Leeland!” I turned and Ken tossed me my rifle.

“This way!”

I followed as he led us through the mob to one of the front bay doors. People hid behind old, rusted-out steel drums, wooden pallets, anything that presented cover while they fired ineffectually at the tank moving out onto the bridge.

Ken immediately signaled them to follow. We made our way to the forefront, and several folks did a double take when they saw two dead men walking. Smiles and muttered comments passed through the crowd as they realized that we had somehow managed to fool Larry.

A second explosion knocked me off my feet, and I saw several people thrown about like paper dolls in a high wind. Most landed without moving. The few able to move thrashed and screamed in anguish. The sounds of gunfire and screaming were once more all around me as Ken lead us to the fore of the skirmish.

“Hold your fire!” he screamed. “Hold your fire!”

I thought he was crazy at first. Hold your fire? While they bombed the hell out of us? But as more and more folks heeded his instructions, I understood. We were the only ones shooting. Larry’s goons lay on the ground on the other side of the bridge letting us waste precious ammunition. He had moved one of his tanks to the middle of the bridge, and the second was fully into the open, among his troops. The tank on the bridge was motionless and appeared to be waiting for something. When the shooting finally stopped, one of the top hatches opened, and a stick emerged waving a white rag.

“They’ve gotta be kidding!” Ken was clearly enraged. “They expect us to accept a truce after this?” He raised his rifle, but Jim put a hand on his arm to stop him.

“Wait. I need a couple of minutes. Just see what they want.” With that, the mayor pushed back through the crowd, leaving Ken and me to figure out what was going on.

“What’s that all about?” I asked, but Ken only shrugged.

“I have no idea, but let’s give him the time he needs.” He turned to the crowd. “You!” He singled out a young man in jeans and a dirty t-shirt. “I need your shirt, son.”

Without hesitation, the guy stripped off the sweaty white shirt and tossed it to Ken, who draped it over the end of his rifle and walked away.

At the beginning of the bridge, he stopped and waited for the soldier who had climbed out of the tank to walk the rest of the way to him. I watched with the others as they exchanged a few words, then the man handed Ken something and turned back to the tank.

Ken returned holding another of Larry’s radios. “His Majesty is in the second tank.” He pointed to the tank in the clearing across the bridge. “Says he wants to talk to whoever’s in charge. Wants to talk about our surrender.”

I grinned. “Well, hell! This should be fun.” I held out my hand, but Ken held back for a moment.

“Don’t push him too hard, Lee. You remember how unstable he is?”

I nodded. “I know, I know.”

“And that he has tanks?”

Again I nodded, less patiently this time. “Right, don’t piss off the crazy man with the tanks. Got it.”