I don’t even have to hotwire it. Next to the door, is a neat little row of hooks with the key dangling from it. Seconds later I’m off, and less than an hour later I am in Natchez, at Doc’s deciding what to do next. Doc gives his head a slight shake.
“Give it a few hours. You may have jumped the gun.”
“I’m telling you, Doc, something is going down. Why would they send four maximally armed MPs, to relay a message? Also, if there was a message, why wouldn’t Captain Harkins have called?”
Doc opens his mouth to speak but is interrupted when Helen comes crashing through the door.
“Turn on the TV.”
The wild eyed, panic on her face, has us complying without question.
We don’t have to find a news station, because all the channels are the same. An emergency report, the U.A. is preparing for war. Assassination attempts have been made on President Lui by operatives from multiple countries, and she has been moved to a secure facility, for her protection. Not only did the modified, corn, soy, and wheat seeds not produce expected yields, but apparently the seeds have begun contaminating other crops and either killing them or causing crop sterility. The CEO, CFO, and lead scientists of Agrisin, have all been tried, convicted, and executed. But most world leaders see Lui, as culpable as well, and want to see swift retribution. Doc turns off the TV, and he and Helen, both turn to look at me.
“I take it back…apparently you did not jump the gun. What’s your plan?”
“I’m going back to Bragg to find Abram, Weber, Crowder, Garcia and Ravani. We will try to make our way back here. It may take some time to get back here without leaving a trail.”
Helen just stares at us in shock, while Doc lets out a long exhale. He looks at her and gives her hand a squeeze.
“Go get Edie, babe…it’s time to go.”
She nods, slightly dazed, stands up and makes her way to the door. After she leaves, Doc hands me a gun, and an extra clip, then puts his hand on my shoulder.
“Be careful brother, you know where to find me, now get your ass out of here, time is wasting.”
I give him a wry smile and make my exit. As I’m leaving the trailer park, I see Helen and Edie in the side mirror of the motorcycle. Edie is walking next to Helen, and I notice they are about the same height. She is a teenager now, and not the shy small girl I first met. She should be scared of the unknown. I would expect to see her crying about leaving her dad behind. As horrible as he is to her, she still loves him. But that’s not Edie, her head is up, and her back is straight, as she carries the backpack filled with her few, personal belongings. The sun is shining on her stringy blond hair, giving her a halo effect. She looks like a little, Valkyrie going into battle.
I travel as quickly as I can, using as many back roads as possible. I stop no more than a few minutes at a time, at gas stations. After nine hours of traveling, my eyes are crossing, and I decide I need to stop. I pull off onto a deserted road and hide the bike in the shadows of the trees. It is almost completely dark so I should not be seen. I lean up against a tree and set my alarm for one hour from now.
It feels like as soon as I shut my eyes the alarm goes off. After I stand up and move around, I do feel better, and I have a renewed sense of urgency to get to my team. The last two hours of riding goes quickly. I sneak onto post in the darkness, thankfully what little moonlight there is, is being covered by clouds. I make my way to Crowder’s place and let myself in, there is a light on in his room and the door is cracked, but there is no sound. I push the door open with the barrel of the gun and see that I am too late. Crowder is face down on the bed a single entry wound to the back of his head. There is a naked blond with Crowder’s blood spatter on her face and three gunshot wounds to the chest next to him.
