The Razor's Edge: A Postapocalytic Novel (The New World Book 6) (17 page)

“The scar, you didn’t have that before, did you?” Autry asked.

“No, I didn’t.”

“I just arrived. Let’s get a drink later, and you can tell me all about it. It will be like old times,” Autry said.

“I don’t think that’s possible,” Gordon replied.

“I’m sure the wifey will be okay with that.”

“You don’t understand. We aren’t—” Gordon said but was interrupted.

“President Van Zandt, there you are,” Jacques bellowed. He was standing just inside the lobby doors.

Gordon craned his head and looked back.

Jacques walked towards them. He slowly removed his gloves and held them in one hand. “I see you two have met,” he said, referring to Autry and Gordon’s reunion.

“Yeah, I know this guy. We go back a bit,” Autry said.

“And I see you arrived safely, Mr. Lewis,” Jacques said, stopping just beside Gordon.

“Yes, sir,” Autry said.

“You two know each other, how intriguing,” Jacques said with an uncomfortable and crooked smile on his face.

Gordon scowled at Jacques.

“I just mentioned to Gordon that we should get a drink. Maybe you can join us,” Autry said to Jacques.

“Oh, I’m not sure that will be possible, as the president here is leaving in the morning. He’s going home tomorrow.”

“I thought we were going together?” Gordon asked.

“Change of plans,” Jacques said.

“We don’t have to make it an all-nighter. C’mon, just a few drinks,” Autry pressed.

“Not going to be possible,” Jacques replied.

Autry gave Jacques an odd look.

Gordon stood silent for fear if he blabbed out loud Jacques would just kill them right then and there.

“You know I never put two and two together, so you’re the rebel Van Zandt that I’ve heard so much about. You, my friend, have come a long way from designing websites. Your exploits are things of legend.” Autry laughed.

Gordon kept his eyes on Jacques. He didn’t like that the plan had changed.

Seeing that the conversation was done and wanting to get to his room, Autry said, “I’m bushed. Let’s keep in touch.”

“How come your president won’t take my calls?” Gordon asked unexpectedly.

“Oh, um, foreign diplomacy isn’t easy. After President Conner helped secure international recognition for the Republic of Texas, we’ve been keeping our head down. We don’t want to get involved in foreign wars and the like.”

“That’s all nice. Now if you will excuse us, we have somewhere to be,” Jacques said.

“Sure, I’ll let you guys get back to what you were doing,” Autry said.

“Want to join us?” Gordon asked Autry.

Jacques gave Gordon a look and replied, “Unfortunately, we have some things to discuss. I’m sure you understand.”

Autry nodded and said, “I understand. I’m relatively new to this diplomacy game but I know when people need to talk shop. You all go ahead.”

Seeing a way to screw with Jacques a bit, Gordon pressed, “I thought we finalized everything yesterday. How about he join us? I think it’s a brilliant idea.”

“Excuse us,” Jacques said. He grabbed Gordon’s arm and pulled him away.

Autry noticed the peculiar exchange. He sensed something was off.

“Whatever game you’re playing, it won’t fly,” Jacques warned Gordon.

“You’re the master at games,” Gordon quipped.

Jacques clenched his jaw. Gordon had successfully gotten under his skin.

Seeing Jacques squirm made Gordon feel good, but it couldn’t have been this easy. Something was bothering Jacques and it wasn’t Gordon.

“Where’s Cruz? I’d like to see him,” Gordon said, the request seemingly out of nowhere.

“You needn’t worry about anything but how you’re going to sell our deal to your council, and as far as skiing today, it’s off,” Jacques snapped. He summoned Gordon’s guards over. “Take them back to their room.”

Gordon looked back and saw Autry and his group had headed for the stairs. “Autry, hold up,” Gordon hollered.

Autry and his entourage stopped. He turned and asked, “What is it, Mr. President? Ha, that sounds so weird calling you that,” Autry joked.

Gordon pushed past Jacques’ advancing guards and bolted to Autry. He came up and immediately embraced him. “I’m being held prisoner. Help me. Room 2458.”

Autry’s eyes widened.

Gordon let go and said, “Good seeing you. I hope we’ll be able to see each other soon.”

“Yeah, sounds good,” Autry replied, his tone slower as he processed the dire information Gordon had told him.

“Don’t be a stranger. Come visit,” Gordon said.

The guards stood behind Gordon and said, “Let’s go, sir.”

Autry watched in shock as Gordon and Samantha were marched off.

Sandy, Utah

Pablo woke to yelling and commotion coming from outside. He jumped out of bed and hobbled to the window as fast as his crippled legs would take him. There he saw a few people running towards the hospital. Curious as to what might be happening, he put on his clothes and headed out.

Once he made it outside, the activity had subsided. He knew he’d find answers in the hospital, so he made for it.

He reached the front doors and was reaching for the handle when the door burst open.

“Hector, sorry, excuse me,” a woman said. Her name was Mallory and she worked as a nurse. She brushed past him and ran towards a parked truck.

“Help?” Pablo asked her.

“No time,” she said, jumping behind the wheel. She sped off, kicking up gravel and dirt.

Is there some sort of attack?
he asked himself. Needing to find out what was happening, he entered the hospital. To his right, rows of beds sat, half of them occupied with the lucky who happened to be found or came looking for assistance, many of whom now looked towards Pablo and the operating room doors. He turned and looked at the doors. Loud voices came from the other side. Something terrible had happened and he had to know what.

A man exited the room, his clothes covered in blood.

“What happened?” Pablo asked.

The man ignored Pablo and exited the hospital.

Pablo hated the way some treated him in the compound. They knew who he was but didn’t hold him in the regard his men did. Seeing a nurse next to one of the beds, he headed for her.

“What happened?” he asked, pointing behind him towards the operating room doors.

She glanced up for a second then went back to monitoring a patient’s vitals.

“What happened!” he asked again, this time much louder.

The nurse removed the stethoscope from her ears and said, “There’s no need to yell. Can’t you see I’m busy? Can’t you see we’re all busy?”

The front doors to the hospital burst open.

Pablo turned around to see Mallory walking in alongside a gurney. He cocked his head hoping to see who was on it, but couldn’t make them out. He hobbled quickly back towards the operating room and asked, “Mal, what happened?”

She looked over her shoulder and said, “We found three men half buried near the foothills not too far from the north compound fence line. One was dead; the other two are alive, barely.”

Hearing those words struck fear in him; this was an uncommon emotion for him to have. He leaned to the right and got a good look at the man. It was one of the soldiers Luis had captured.

“Can I help?” he asked.

“We’ve got this. There isn’t anything you can do right now,” Mallory said then walked the gurney inside the operating room.

When the door opened, Pablo looked in and saw another soldier on the operating room table. Panic began to take over. Would these men talk? He left the hospital and stood in the cold air, thinking about what his next move would be.
Should I leave? Is this it?
he thought.

Next to the house he saw the Ranger; he shuffled towards it. From his pocket he took out his radio and keyed it. “Luis, you there?”

Seconds went by with no response.

Pablo made it to the Ranger and got behind the wheel. He tried to turn it over, but it didn’t start. He tried again and again, but nothing. Frustrated he cursed, “Damn!”  

“Yes, sir,”
Luis replied.

Annaliese suddenly ran by. “Hector, did you hear?”

Pablo lowered the radio and replied, “What?”

“Some American soldiers were brought in,” she hollered as she kept running.

“Emperor?”

“Never mind, General,” Pablo said and pocketed his radio. He stepped out of the Ranger and followed Annaliese.

Annaliese picked up her pace, not waiting for Pablo.

He hurried as fast as he could then slowed when he saw his father standing near the hospital.

Annaliese disappeared through the doors.

Pablo came to a full stop and asked, “What do you want? Huh? No, I won’t listen to you. You’re wrong, she’s good, she’s good.” He ignored the apparition and entered the hospital.

***

The hours ticked away and with it the frenzy from finding the American soldiers. One of the two had died in the emergency room, leaving one survivor for Pablo to be concerned with. He knew what he had to do; he just needed a moment alone with the man. He couldn’t risk him talking, and from the rumors, the soldier hadn’t talked to anyone—yet.

When they brought the soldier to the infirmary, a small group gathered with hopes he’d wake, Pablo was one of those. Time passed and the soldier lay unconscious, but Pablo wasn’t going to budge from his spot in the hospital.

Annaliese noticed Pablo and walked over. “You’ve been here all day. You must be hungry.”

“Fine.”

“Come, it’s getting late. Let me make you some hot tea or pour you a bowl of that split pea soup Mom made.”

“Fine,” Pablo said.

Annaliese sat on an empty bed next to him and said, “I’ve noticed your interest in this man. You seem worried.”

Pablo gave Annaliese a sharp look, which confirmed her suspicions.

“You are worried about him.”

“No,” he denied.

“Not true, you have worry written all over your face. Is it because you’re afraid the US Army is nearby and will attack your men?”

Going with this theory he nodded.

“Maybe it’s time for your army to leave altogether and head home. In fact after this we might insist on it.”

Pablo just stared. He knew she knew something.

“I wanted to be the first to tell you, but we don’t think finding these men is a coincidence. I’ve spoken to a few, including Uncle Samuel, and he suspects your men.”

“No,” Pablo denied.

“I’m not saying you did it. We just ask you to talk to your men and find out. We can’t have this happening so close by.”

“I’ll talk to General Luis,” Pablo said. He wasn’t lying, he planned on discussing this with Luis, but what he was going to say and what she thought were totally different.

“I’m tired and hungry. You sure you won’t come with me?” Annaliese asked.

“No.”

Samuel walked into the hospital and motioned for Annaliese.

“Excuse me,” she said, getting up and going to Samuel.

Pablo watched as they talked. Samuel kept looking at Pablo. By Samuel’s body language, Pablo knew he was the topic.

Annaliese nodded, gave Pablo an uncomfortable look, and rushed off.

Samuel approached Pablo and stopped a few feet away, keeping a safe distance away. “Hi, Hector.”

“Good evening.”

“I’ve spoken with the others, and I now understand that Anna mentioned it, but we feel you might know something about this.”

“No.”

“Hector, we helped you; we brought you in. Please be honest,” Samuel urged.

“I know nothing.”

“Fine, but this man here and the others, their condition isn’t a coincidence. We believe some men from your army are responsible.”

Pablo stood up. “I will find out.”

Samuel could see Pablo’s expression harden. “Well, what happened to them was a crime.”

“Yes, it was.”

“They all had been mutilated; the one we found dead in the grave even had his genitals cut off. Whoever did this was barbaric.”

“Sad.”

Samuel gave Pablo a look and said, “You don’t need to be here anymore. I’m watching the young soldier.”

This was not what Pablo wanted to hear, but he couldn’t push it. He nodded and said, “Okay.”

“The sooner you find out, the better for all of us,” Samuel said.

A strong desire came over Pablo to turn around and tell Samuel the truth and see what he would say much less do. He held all the cards. He had the firepower, the men; he could take the compound for his own in mere seconds. It was his restraint, his mercy that kept them alive. He had repaid his debt to them for saving his life, but he wouldn’t be talked to in the way Samuel was. He pushed aside this urge and left the hospital.