minutes he was brought before the truck. They had all but stripped the clothes from his body. He had never been so thoroughly frisked without trading a substantial amount for the pleasure.
A guard held him under each arm, while a third kicked at his knees to keep him off of his feet. They dragged him before an open doorway at the side of a trailer.
He protested, “Guys, it’s okay. I’m happy to see you.”
No response came from the guards.
A man with white hair appeared a moment later. His massive build filled the doorframe.
“What’s this?”
“A scavenger, Major,” one of the guards said.
“What’s your name?”
Emerson hesitated. Any enthusiasm he held waned in the presence of this man with an eye patch. Instinct told him to stand and run, but the guards continued to hold his arms and knock his feet from under him.
“Emerson … sir.”
“Where are you coming from, Everson?”
“I’m from Michigan originally …”
The major stepped from the trailer and approached the captive. “Michigan. Really?” He held up his right hand and pointed to the open palm “Which part?”
Gregory smiled and began to point towards the open palm to indicate his hometown.
The palm came crashing down with such speed that Gregory Emerson flinched well after it had struck him.
Blood rushed to the surface of his skin and he felt the sting on his cheek.
“Where were you last, Eberson?” The major held his hand up again, not as a map, but as incentive to answer quickly.
“Uh, New Hope. About a week ago.”
“Where is it?”
“Five days, that way.” He shrugged. “On foot. About ten miles off the highway.”
The major nodded and stepped back into the trailer. A guard closed the door behind him.
The guard behind him stopped kicking at his knees and drew a pistol. Gregory Emerson didn’t see the gun. He didn’t feel the bullet. Then, he felt nothing at all.
The door opened again and the major reemerged. “Another thing, Everman …” He looked at the body on the ground. “Why is this man dead?”
“You nodded, sir,” the guard with the smoking gun responded.
“So?”
“Well, usually when you nod, it means kill something.”
“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d be so quick about it.” The major stepped from the trailer and stood over the body of Gregory Emerson.
“I … I don’t know what to say.”
“I figured you’d at least drag him to the side of the road. I mean, look at this! You got blood and brain all over the truck.”
“I’m sorry …”
“You had better hope this comes out.” The major pulled the guard closer, grabbed the man’s sleeve, and tried to rub the blood from the black paint of the trailer. He succeeded only in smearing it around. Dropping the guard’s arm, he yelled, “Get this cleaned up and get rid of that body.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And from now on, when I nod, yes, kill something, but take it away and kill it.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard signaled to the others to dispose of the body as he set to spitting at the splatter on the trailer.
“Not like that, get some water. Take it out of the prisoners’ rations.”
“Yes, sir.”
The guard hurried off as the major yelled after him.
“I want this road cleared STAT. We’re heading to New Hope.” He stepped back into the trailer and shut the door.
The wrecking crew, having stopped to witness the execution, returned to their task.
Coordinated as their efforts were, the pileup was extensive. Wrecks of rusted cars were twisted together as one. Torches, jackhammers, and more would take days to clear the wreckage. A respect for the dead would cost them weeks. This would not be a factor.
Sparks flew as they began their work.
SEVEN
“What do they want?”
“Food, provisions, men, women, and children.”
“Women and children?”
“They’re collecting slaves. They kill most of the men and place the women and children in this trailer here.” Logan pointed to a crude illustration of
A guard held him under each arm, while a third kicked at his knees to keep him off of his feet. They dragged him before an open doorway at the side of a trailer.
He protested, “Guys, it’s okay. I’m happy to see you.”
No response came from the guards.
A man with white hair appeared a moment later. His massive build filled the doorframe.
“What’s this?”
“A scavenger, Major,” one of the guards said.
“What’s your name?”
Emerson hesitated. Any enthusiasm he held waned in the presence of this man with an eye patch. Instinct told him to stand and run, but the guards continued to hold his arms and knock his feet from under him.
“Emerson … sir.”
“Where are you coming from, Everson?”
“I’m from Michigan originally …”
The major stepped from the trailer and approached the captive. “Michigan. Really?” He held up his right hand and pointed to the open palm “Which part?”
Gregory smiled and began to point towards the open palm to indicate his hometown.
The palm came crashing down with such speed that Gregory Emerson flinched well after it had struck him.
Blood rushed to the surface of his skin and he felt the sting on his cheek.
“Where were you last, Eberson?” The major held his hand up again, not as a map, but as incentive to answer quickly.
“Uh, New Hope. About a week ago.”
“Where is it?”
“Five days, that way.” He shrugged. “On foot. About ten miles off the highway.”
The major nodded and stepped back into the trailer. A guard closed the door behind him.
The guard behind him stopped kicking at his knees and drew a pistol. Gregory Emerson didn’t see the gun. He didn’t feel the bullet. Then, he felt nothing at all.
The door opened again and the major reemerged. “Another thing, Everman …” He looked at the body on the ground. “Why is this man dead?”
“You nodded, sir,” the guard with the smoking gun responded.
“So?”
“Well, usually when you nod, it means kill something.”
“Yes, but I didn’t think you’d be so quick about it.” The major stepped from the trailer and stood over the body of Gregory Emerson.
“I … I don’t know what to say.”
“I figured you’d at least drag him to the side of the road. I mean, look at this! You got blood and brain all over the truck.”
“I’m sorry …”
“You had better hope this comes out.” The major pulled the guard closer, grabbed the man’s sleeve, and tried to rub the blood from the black paint of the trailer. He succeeded only in smearing it around. Dropping the guard’s arm, he yelled, “Get this cleaned up and get rid of that body.”
“Yes, sir.”
“And from now on, when I nod, yes, kill something, but take it away and kill it.”
“Yes, sir.” The guard signaled to the others to dispose of the body as he set to spitting at the splatter on the trailer.
“Not like that, get some water. Take it out of the prisoners’ rations.”
“Yes, sir.”
The guard hurried off as the major yelled after him.
“I want this road cleared STAT. We’re heading to New Hope.” He stepped back into the trailer and shut the door.
The wrecking crew, having stopped to witness the execution, returned to their task.
Coordinated as their efforts were, the pileup was extensive. Wrecks of rusted cars were twisted together as one. Torches, jackhammers, and more would take days to clear the wreckage. A respect for the dead would cost them weeks. This would not be a factor.
Sparks flew as they began their work.
SEVEN
“What do they want?”
“Food, provisions, men, women, and children.”
“Women and children?”
“They’re collecting slaves. They kill most of the men and place the women and children in this trailer here.” Logan pointed to a crude illustration of
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