all god's orphans
Chapter 26

“I thought you said the radio was working.” Complained Daniel as he flipped through the stations getting nothing but static. His mother was asleep on the backseat and the truck was so comically big that he couldn’t reach her from the passenger seat. Every time he thought about the gargantuan conveyance that his boyfriend had chosen, he had to suppress a laugh.

“I said the classic rock station was working, but that was fifty miles ago. You know they put those stations on autopilot and just let them run off a hard drive filled with every song from the sixties to the eighties.”

“So nothing new?”

“Who needs it?” Daniel sighed and slumped down in the La-Z-Boy recliner that this monster truck called a passenger seat. Brian regretted being so dismissive. “Tell you what.” He said by way of an olive branch. “The next place we pass that has CD’s or something, we’ll stop and get some new tunes.” Daniel folded his arms.

“Nobody sells CD’s anymore.” He moaned.

“I could sing to you.” Offered Brian. Daniel’s look was withering.

“No thanks. I want to still respect you in the morning.” Brian chuckled and turned his attention back to the road. The land was getting flatter and there were fewer trees. He found that somewhat odd. It was almost like Kentucky wasn’t just another state, but an entirely different world from Tennessee. Everything else looked the same, of course. The same shopping centers had the same stores with the same restaurants dotting the parking lots, but the landscape had shifted and made everything seem a little out of place.

Brian had noticed that there were fewer people here than he’d gotten used to seeing. There were no stragglers at all and at several places, they saw what looked like the remnants of a county fair or something. Places where the grass was trodden into dirt and there was litter everywhere, but no sign of what had caused it. Every so often, a squadron of helicopters would fly overhead and Brian thought this was a good sign. At least he’d been right about Ft. Campbell being used as a military hub. They would be able to replace help there.

The gently rolling hills began to give way to large swaths of flat ground where they could see all the way to the horizon. Brian understood why this area had been chosen as a home for the Army’s vaunted 101st Airborne Division. He’d even briefly considered joining after high school, but had decided against it, much to his father’s consternation.

They came off of Interstate 24 and glided past a large Flying J truck stop. The large, flat road led away from the highway and into the country. There was a Sonic drive-in and, as always, a Wal-Mart. Out here, there was no one. No signs of erstwhile county fairs, either. Not a single straggler crossed their path, which made Brian feel better. He assumed they had all gone into the base for protection. After just a few minutes, Brian turned right onto a small road right in the middle of the “town” and there was the gate. It all looked tiny to Daniel.

“This is the main gate?” he asked incredulously.

“No.” Replied Brian. He stopped the truck and hopped out. A black gate spanned between the columns of a modest concrete entry gate. Above the portal was a sign. “Welcome to Ft. Campbell. Home of the Screaming Eagles.” Concertina wire grew like weeds from either side of the structure and ran as far as he could see in both directions. The guard box was empty. Beyond the gate, about a thousand yards ahead, there were trucks and tanks parked across the road, their guns all staring right at Brian. He squinted, but could see no movement. He briefly considered using his rifle’s scope to improve his vision, but pointing a weapon at a bunch of soldiers seemed like a bad idea.

“Hello?” He shouted through cupped hands. “We need medicine!” There was no answer nor any movement. Brian stepped to the side where the pile of concertina wire started. He tried to move it with his hands and a booming voice startled him.

“KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF OF THE FENCE!” Shouted a voice through loudspeakers. Brian jumped. He looked again but still could not detect any movement. “THIS AREA IS OFF LIMITS. USE OF LETHAL FORCE HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED. I SUGGEST MOVING ON TO SOMEWHERE ELSE.” The voice seemed to fill the air with its volume.

“We need help!” He shouted again, but having heard the power of their speakers, he felt tiny and weak. Overcome with helplessness, he kicked the bars of the gate.

“LET ME EXPLAIN.” The voice began. “RIGHT NOW YOU HAVE SEVERAL .50 CALIBER WEAPONS TRAINED ON YOU. MESSING WITH THAT GATE IS A BAD IDEA. I REPEAT; MOVE ON.” Brian spat between the grating and walked back to the truck.

“I can’t believe they’re not going to help us.” Daniel said glumly.

“Don’t worry.” Brian promised. “We’ll replace someone who will.” Daniel didn’t seem to be buying it. “Hey, look at me.” After a moment, Daniel turned his eyes toward

Brian. “It’s going to be okay.” He told him. Daniel wanted to believe it, but hope was fading.