all god's orphans
Chapter 67

Brian, Grey, and Raymond stood at the doorway to the room where the pilot still lay sleeping atop the counter. The women had gone off to the break room to reunite and enjoy some good times, but Raymond was a stranger to them. Brian didn’t trust him and Grey, who was happy that he had brought Kite back, was also unsure what to think of the man who had kidnapped her in the first place. Raymond could sense this unease and thought it best to address it directly.

“I just want y’all to know.” He began. “I was never going to hurt your woman.” Brian and Grey gave him nothing to indicate what they were thinking. “I just needed her to trade her for the pilot.” Brian turned to face him.

“How did you know the pilot was here?” He asked, watching Raymond’s eyes for any deception.

“I’ve been following you.” Replied Raymond.

“You set the trap, didn’t you?” Asked Grey. “Why?”

“I needed him to get past the border guards.”

“You know you killed his co-pilot?” Brian shot back and Raymond turned his eyes to the floor.

“I didn’t mean for that to happen.” He said and seemed genuinely contrite. “I thought if I cabled to the container to the ground that it would just keep the helicopter from taking off. How as I supposed to know it was going to crash?” Brian and Grey had to admit to themselves that his explanation made sense. They knew the guards were not to be trifled with and they doubted that they would have guessed that tethering a helicopter to the ground could cause it to topple over. Brian sighed.

“You got a man killed.” He said. “Why do you think this guy is going to help you?” A sharp edge glinted in Raymond’s eyes. Something hard and unforgiving.

“I have to protect my daughter.” He said. “He will help me.”

“What makes you think we will?” Grey asked bluntly. “You’ve already kidnapped two of our companions.”

“I didn’t ask for your help.” Raymond said grimly. Brian stood up straight, reminding Raymond that he was at least an inch taller than him.

“Last time I counted,” Brian said, his voice filled with knives. “We outnumber you. You might want to reconsider your position.” Grey took his cue from Brian and did his best tough guy stance. Anyone else might have laughed at it, but standing next to Brian, who was very clearly not fucking around, Grey actually did look kind of tough. They both stared at Raymond, leaving the ball squarely in his court. He averted his eyes and turned back to the pilot.

“I can bring you to a safe place.” He said after a long pause. Brian laughed.

“This shit again? Why does everyone keep telling me they have some special line on a safe place?” Grey and Raymond exchanged a confused glance.

“He’s not lying.” Said Grey.

“You mean like you were?” Brian stopped laughing.

“I wasn’t either. I have a letter…”

“Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.” Brian waved dismissive hand at him. “You have a letter.” He turned to Raymond. “What do you have? A magic monkey’s paw?” Raymond looked away again.

“He has an underground bunker.” Grey answered for him.

“How do you know that?” Raymond was genuinely shocked and then realized where he’d heard it. “Sarah told you?” Grey nodded. “That girl really needs to learn how to keep a secret.” He observed.

“His daughter told us about this way before we met you.” Grey informed Brian who now seemed to take it a little more seriously.

“I’ve been trying to get there this whole time.” Raymond told him.

“So what’s the problem?” Brian was no longer laughing.

“I can’t reach them. I’ve tried the phone number they gave me. The radio frequencies they gave me. Nothing.”

“So how do you know it’s really there?” Grey asked.

“The phones are probably all dead.” Mused Raymond. “And to reach them via the radio I have to get within three hundred miles but that would mean crossing into Kansas and I can’t do that without the pilot.” Brian was now taking Raymond at his word.

“So what exactly is this place?”

“An old missile silo.” Raymond replied. “It’s been turned into a self-sustaining bunker. If you help me get there, you can all come in with me. I’ve paid a small fortune for an apartment that should keep us all safe until this all gets figured out.” Brian thought this over for a moment.

“Can you excuse us for a moment?” He finally said to Raymond who left them to go replace a bathroom. “What do you think?” Brian asked Grey once Raymond was gone. “Should we trust him?”

“I don’t think so.” Admitted Grey. “I trust his daughter.”

“So?” Dismissed Brian. “You mean you trust her to repeat whatever her father has told her. Maybe he’s lied to her, too.”

“Maybe.” Grey didn’t necessarily believe that, but he had to admit it was a possibility. “Do you know what we should do?” He said, an idea coming to him.

“Yeah.” Replied Brian. “Ask Millie.” Grey nodded.

“Exactly.” Said Grey.

Millie leaned against the wall watching the pilot sleep. She was considering everything that Brian and Grey had told her. There had been so many disappointments since this all began. So many promises of safety that turned out to be half true or outright lies. She didn’t know if she could handle another, but she did know that she wanted to be with friends no matter what. Saying ‘no’ would mean leaving Sarah again and she didn’t want that to happen. Not only for her sake, but for Sarah’s as well. She seemed to consider Millie her new big sister and Millie found that she enjoyed that role.

“What the Hell.” Millie finally typed, the monotone computer voice finally representing her deflated emotions accurately. “What do we have to lose?”

They found Raymond outside sitting on the hood of his car.

“All right.” Brian began. “You’ve got a deal. Assuming we get across the border, of course. I mean, I don’t think they’re going to let our convoy through.” Raymond chuckled.

“Don’t worry about that.” He assured them. “I’ve got something in mind.”

After piling into separate vehicles, Brian followed Raymond back onto the highway as he headed west, right back towards the blockade.

“Do you think he’s trying to trick us?” Millie asked. “Maybe it’s an ambush.”

“I don’t think so.” Brian said. “After all, we’ve got the pilot.” Raymond kept his speed low so they could follow him. The pilot lay on the floor in the back of the van, wincing every time they hit a pothole. They had discovered that his leg wasn’t actually broken, but that he had merely injured his ankle. He’d be able to walk soon, but for now he needed their help. His arm was definitely broken, and the splint Brian had fashioned was not secure enough to handle all these bumps. Brian kept a keen eye on their surroundings and was busying himself by making plans in the even that Raymond was, indeed, leading them into an ambush.

At one of the exits, Raymond pulled off the highway and Brian followed him. He turned right onto the main street and they passed a few small shops, a gas station, and a truck stop. At the truck stop, Raymond drove around back where a few tractor-trailers were scattered around the otherwise empty lot. Near the back, he led them to a parked RV and stopped. As Raymond got out, Brian grabbed the shotgun and made sure it was loaded. He left the engine running.

“Stay here.” He said to everyone in the van before opening the door and stepping out. “What’s this?” He called to Raymond, being careful to keep his distance.

“This is my RV.” Replied Raymond. “Why are you holding a shotgun?” Raymond seemed genuinely confused and then he realized that Brian didn’t trust him. They stared at each other in tense silence for a moment before the door of the RV swung opened a clattered against the metal side of the vehicle. The sudden noise made Brian’s blood jump and he swung the shotgun towards the door as he brought it to his shoulder and his finger found the trigger.

“What’s up, faggot?” Called Wes as he stood in the door, a dopey grin smeared across his face. Relief rushed through Brian and he ran to his friend.

“You motherfucker!” Brian said as they hugged. “Where have you been? I was worried about you!” Confusion bent Raymond’s brow.

“You two know each other?”

“Yeah.” Wes smiled.

“We were in some fucked up shit together.” Brian said.

“Let’s not talk about that.” Wes grimaced. “How did you get out?”

“Like we planned. I got the van.” Wes’ smile faltered as he spotted the van parked behind the RV.

“You got my van?” He swallowed hard.

“Yeah.” Sighed Brian. “Damn thing almost didn’t start. It was scary as shit. There may be a few new bullet holes in it and it stinks like shit because there was a dead girl inside it, but it’s just how you left it.” Wes’ face hit the floor.

“Dead girl?” He choked.

“Yeah.” Brian sighed. “She must’ve run away from the camp and found the van. Tried to hide in it or something and probably died from thirst or exposure. It was fucked up.”

“Great.” He said, sounding like an actor on a children’s TV show. “So what are you doing here?”

“We’ve got a plan to get across the border.” Brian told him.

“Oh boy!” Wes said with obviously sarcastic fervor. “Wes and Brian planning shit again! That always works out so well!” They both laughed.

“Shut up, asshole.” Brian grinned.

“So what’s the plan?” Asked Wes. “And more importantly, how are we going to fuck it up this time?”