all god's orphans

The men placed Grey into one of their vehicles and as it glided along, Grey marveled at the speed of it. Houses slid past the window and the distance to the makeshift camp that had taken him hours to cover was only a few minutes’ drive. Strangely, he wasn’t as scared as he had been before. The words “arrested for murder” didn’t entirely make sense to him. Nor, for that matter, did the conversation between the soldiers who were escorting him. He understood the words, individually, but when placed beside one another, they seemed to grow new meanings that were alien to him.

“Would you look at these houses.” Said one to the other.

“Ain’t none of them bought with honest wages, I betcha.”

“You said it, brother.” Try as he might, Grey could not decipher their true meaning. Whatever it was, he wasn’t thinking about it as they pulled into the parking lot and approached one of the larger tractor-trailers.

The trailer had small metal steps leading up to a door in its side and two men stood guard to either side of the steps, blocking the way. As he and his two escorts approached it, they stepped aside.

“Wait out here.” One of the men who had brought him said to his partner before heading into the trailer alone. Grey stood watching the bustle of activity hum around him. Everyone seemed to have a job to do and by the look of it, they took that job seriously. He had seen lines of people moving out of the big blue store carrying different items and loading them onto trucks. Here in the maze created by the green tents and trailers, people moved hither and thither carrying jugs of water or food. He wanted to know what they were doing, but he dared not speak.

After a while, the door in the trailer opened again and the first man beckoned them inside. The inside of the trailer was cool and bright with a large desk against one of the walls and a few small windows letting in light. There was also a low row of cabinets along an adjoining wall, covered with various maps, papers, and other items he couldn’t decipher. Behind the desk sat General Joe and behind him was a map with different colored pins stuck into it.

“Have a seat.” He said, gesturing to a chair opposite his desk. Grey’s two escorts took up positions behind him, making him uneasy. The large man lifted a glass of frighteningly bright green liquid to his lips and sipped it. “Can I get you anything to drink?” Grey took one look at the glass in his hand and declined. Whatever that was did not look natural. “Do you have a name?” Asked the General, blowing out a burp.

“Yes.” He nodded. “It’s Grey.”

“Is that your real name or did my people give it to you?”

“Your people.”

“I thought as much.” He leaned back, “They’re good folks, but not terribly creative.” He looked behind Grey to the two men behind him, “What was that one guy they named? I think it was up in Hagerstown?”

“Krispy Kreme?” offered one of the guards causing the general to burst into laughter.

“Yeah, that was it.” He chuckled. “Krispy Kreme. Gets me every time.” The general held up a square of paper. Grey recognized it as the one that had been on the table beside him when he awoke. “This letter here.” The general began. “Do you know what it is?” Grey shook his head. “I thought not. And I assume you’re not going to tell me what these numbers on the back mean either?” The general turned the letter around and showed him the concentric circles of letters and numbers. Again, Grey shook his head. “This letter.” He continued. “Instructs the recipient on proper protocol should the United States fall victim to a catastrophic event. I have reason to believe that it leads to a cache of supplies and equipment meant to defend our country in the event of an attack. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that we are certainly under attack right at this very moment. Now, I can’t say if it’s aliens, Russia, or even the Rapture, but I intend to secure my country regardless. Do you understand?”

“No.” Grey admitted. The general seemed to be expecting that answer.

“In extreme situations like this, sacrifices must be made. It’s inevitable that people will die. My boys here say they found a dead woman in your house. I suppose you don’t know anything about that either.” He focused his gaze on Grey trying to stare into his soul.

“I found her in a bed like that.” He stammered, suddenly uncomfortable. “That’s how I found her. I just put her in the…” The general motioned for him to stop.

“I understand.” He told him. “I do. Like I said, certain sacrifices must be made.” He leaned back in his chair. “I’m willing to bet that you used to work for the government. This letter isn’t something they just hand out to any Tom, Dick, or Harry. It’s high level. And my men also say that there are no photos of you in that house. Were you some kind of spy?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “It would make sense. Alexandria is real close to Washington. It actually don’t matter what you were. We’re here now and I think I can use a guy like you, even in the state you’re in.” The general stood up and walked around to his side of the desk, sitting on the edge. “You were a patriot before, I’m betting. And I’m also betting that somewhere inside you beats the heart of a patriot, still.” Grey twisted in his chair at that. He didn’t know what those words meant in this context. If he was a patriot, it was news to him. “I’m offering you a place here with us. You’ll be safe. You’ll have plenty of food and your choice of newly single women. Don’t you want that?” Grey discovered that he did, indeed, want that. Not so much the women, though it did have a certain allure. No, he just wanted to call it quits on all the other stuff. Being afraid all the time. Being hungry and not knowing where to find his next meal. He nodded.

“Yes.” He finally admitted. “I do want that.” The general smiled and stood up.

“Good.” He said. “I’m glad to hear that. Now all I need from you is the code that goes along with this letter.” Again he held up the back so Grey could see the rings. They were still indecipherable to him.

“I don’t know it.” He stammered. “Believe me, if I did, I would tell you. I want to be safe. I…” The general held up a hand to stop him from talking and Grey obeyed.

“Do you have any idea how bad it is out there?” He asked, his face darkening. Grey shook his head. “People are dying out there. By the thousands, Hell, probably the millions. Rapists. Killers. Thieves. Without us, this country is going to fall in just a matter of weeks. The only safe place to be is with us.” Grey wanted nothing more than to give him the code.

“I want to help.” Grey’s earnestness was acute. “I really do, but I don’t know the answer.” The general sat in silence for a few moments before finally hoisting himself from his perch on the edge of his desk which creaked with relief as he stood up.

“Maybe your memory just needs to be jogged, huh?” It was a rhetorical question. “Come with me.” He ordered and Grey followed him out of the trailer and across the parking lot into one of the stores. It was cavernous inside and Grey couldn’t understand why it needed to be so tall. There were shelves, but they weren’t much taller than him. Why waste all that space, he wondered. Everything had been pushed against the walls leaving a large empty area in the middle. The general’s men were still working, moving things and carrying other things out. He saw balls everywhere, of all shapes, colors, and sizes. He didn’t have time to ponder what this meant as they hustled him along into the back of the store.

It was darker back here as there were no windows and what little light made it this far into the store was blocked by the two large doors that led into this space. They led him to a door with a small window. Inside, the tiny room was filled with monitors and filing cabinets. In the center of the room, a figure sat, tied to a chair with a cloth sack covering her face. The sight of her made Grey’s stomach turn.

“Like you,” said the general. “That woman is a condemned criminal. There can be no place for her in this new world and sometimes justice must be quick and brutal. In the old days, we could let people wait out their sins in prison, and maybe let them out after a while, but we can’t do that no more. We don’t have the time or the resources.” He scrutinized Grey’s face for any hint of understanding. “Tomorrow she will be shot.” Continued the general. “You will stay in here with her tonight and if you still won’t give me the code in the morning, you will also be shot. We have to make an example.” The general stepped back out of the small office and stood in the door. Grey’s brain exhausted itself trying to keep up.

“I don’t understand.” He said. The general locked eyes with him before shutting the door.

“Understanding is a luxury we can no longer afford.” The general announced. “If I were you, I’d spend my time thinking about that code.” With that, the door shut and clicked. Grey was left behind, a condemned prisoner who was going to die for some reason he couldn’t even comprehend.