Black Box 86ed (24 page)

“So what about you guys, any war stories?” I ask him.

They seem to mull this question over. Louie’s head flings up suddenly, “operation
breakfast!” He almost yells at Billy.

He responds with a large grin and head nod.

“Breakfast?” I ask.

“Ya, you know, the most important meal of the day!” He laughs to us.

“I don’t follow.”

“Well the top-secret operation known as breakfast
was introduced to me an Louie here in the great battle for the north side of Chicago. Happened just a day an a half ago. Now me
a
n Louie here was trying to flush out some stragglers in this littler suburb. We had thought there be only three guys. I guess you could say we were getting a little cocky, might have been just a little too careless. But before we knew it me, Louie and bout five of my men were ambushed. Bout half a platoon of traitors were hiding out in a strip club as we were walking past. They started firing tore up three of the guys before we even knew what hit us. We took shelter in this piece of shit house preparing to meet the good lord himself ya see.”

“Yep those bastards got me so surprised I damn near pissed myself,”
Louie interjects. “Bullets flying through the walls while I got my
Johnson in one hand all while still holding my pistol in the other just standin there pissin away
in the corner of the living room.”
      

“Haha
that’s right. I thought for sure you were gona get that thing shot o
ff. Now
I’d ran into the backroom, and I shit you not there's this guy propped up against the wall. A big ole bag o PCP in one hand an a needle in the other. That idiot was in that house just getting high and didn't even know there was a fucking war going on. Now Louie, this beautiful son of’ve a bitch gets the idea to convince this guy they were coming for him. That a shootout was the only way he could make it. I emptied the needle in his arm put a gun in his hand an we had a battle fit for the coliseum. I swear those traterin motherfuckers didn't know what slice of hell was running at em. His guns just blazing,
barely even firing at em.” Billy breaks out into laughter. “They musta thought the god dam zombie apocalypse was happening. They filled that guy with more lead then a dam pencil, an he was still goin. Sombitch let us take out half the platoon before they got em down. Me, Louie, and Watchtower just watched as the rest of the guys hightailed it outta there. It was a Christmas miracle I tell you what and when I finally get up to the good lord God almighty, I’ll give him my best words for saving our hides.”

“Who knew that PCP actually saves lives,” Louie interjects. “I can see the commercials now PCP, an army of one,” crazy laughter breaking into uncontrolled high pitched whoops. “Wait, wait PCP…” we wait in silence for his next joke. “PCP… Aawww fuck I lost it.
Anyways…
”

A knock on the door, the entirety of the house freezing at once. Followed by the familiar sequence of knocks Louie did.

A collective exhale across three floors.

The doorman opening well the door, a pair of arms instantly wrapping him in a hug.

“Cavalries here
,” the guy shouts.

“Shut your dam mouth,” the door man barks.

“O please if twenty guys can make it through the Chicago streets without as much as firing a bullet, I doubt we’re being listened to.”

T
wenty men filter into the dusty living room.

“Where’s the VP?”

“He’s busy,” Billy tells him sternly.

“Well I need to talk to him.”

“I just told you son VP’s busy, now if you mind telling me why you think you an twenty other guys find it appropriate to rank an file into the house with the most wanted man in America?”

“What you talking about Bill we didn’t see shit coming down here.”

“I ask if you seen shit? You think just cause you ain’t see shit don’t mean the government ain’t hiding up your fucking asshole?”

“What the fuck you say to me?” The man crosses the room to about an inch in front of Billy’s face.

“Hello boys,” the authoritative calming voice of Landen
Paul comes from the top of the stairs.

“Sir,” the man says nodding to him, “we’re ready when you are.”

“Excellent, I’ll be making my final preparations and will let you know.” He motions for us to follow him, as he descends the stairs.

Filling back into the basement he turns to us, his face a stone.

“You must be wondering, what now.”

“It’s crossed my mind,” Roger answers.

“Well given the state of things, we won’t be able to escort you out of the city.” A disappointed sigh from all of us. “I wish I could I really do,
but it would be putting my men at an unnecessary risk just to help out four stragglers. I have however spoken to my people stationed across the Wisconsin border and have convinced them to ferry you out of the city, you will just have to get yourselves there.”

The group quickly sucks
back in the former disappointed sighs.

“You told us about the falling satellite and its approximate location and for that I am grateful. I’m sorry that this is all I will be able to do for you.”

Bill comes back in to the room his face solemn holding a computer. “It’s
Ronald,” he tells him, “he wants to talk.” He turns the computer around and the sunken face of Ronald
Paul the commander in chief of all rebel forces is on the screen.

“Hello Sir,” Landen
says.

“Hello son, how’s Chicago.”

“Well we forgot to account for Murphy’s Law if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Now when I sent you there we could not have known the Government would have gone to such great
lengths to close down Chicago.
Per our discussion last night I have come to agree with you. You will stay in Chicago and fight instead of the rescue mission we had planned
.”

“Good I knew you would come around.”

“Well our larger forces will be making their push to Chicago in the coming hours. The Koch brothers and I have finally come to an understanding and they will finance arms purchases. As long as you can stay off the front lines we will get you home to Kentucky.

“How much soul do you got left Sir?”

“Promises have been made, but the Cox
brothers and I do have a lot to agree on when it comes to the economy. We are still waiting to hear from the oil companies and the larger banks, but it looks like we have the private sector on our side in this one. Has the first group gotten there yet?”

“Yes sir.”

“I’ve given them direct instructions that your safe return is a priority and that you are in complete control of this operation. That being said, our freedom fighters will be attacking from the north, all 2,000 troops from the Milwaukee area. Now what we need is for a few of the men I sent you to scout the upper north side for anything the government would have to surprise us. It’s a craps shoot for what they have up there but I suspect they will be expecting us from the west and south not the north.”

Footsteps rush down, “we got company.” The door man yells.

“I have to go dad,” he clears his throat, “uh Sir we have Company knocking.”

“Knock em dead son.”

“Will do sir.”

CHAPTER…

The early morning sun just barley showing thought the windows of the main floor as we following Billy up the stairs. Louie stands
at the top handing all four of us handgun ammo.

“Now I know you ain’t got the shiniest toys but we can’t go round giving refugees top o the line material.”

“Let’s go check out our welcoming party boys!” Billy yells over the men.

“Hoooraah!” they chorus back. I turn to Grace, wrapping her in my arms.

“Now don’t be scared. I won’t let anything happen to you I swear.”

“You can’t say that. You know you can’t.”

“I know but I mean it, doesn’t that count for anything?”

She nods her head as my hand slips down her arm grasping her middle and index finger.
      
“Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she leans kissing me on the cheek.

Making our way upstairs each step creaking under our weight. Reaching the top I hear a helicopter overhead shouting orders to us.

“Come out with your hands up and stars showing, if you do not immediate do so you shall be fired upon.” Its repeats becoming more bone chilling with each verse. The rebels each take a covered window.

“What’s the situation?” Billy yells upstairs.

“Pretty fucked,”
someone whom I assume to be Watchtower yells down. “Looks to be about thirty guys all taking positions, plus the helicopter.”

Billy stands next to us at the top of the stairs. “Looks like we are going to have a fun morning boys.”

Something’s off though. Everyone seems to feel it at once. A slight rumble comes over the house. It’s as if it’s possessed begging us to leave before this shit storm levels it.

“
Whoa shiiittt,” we hear Watchtower yell from upstairs. “We got heavy artillery coming straight down the block. Looks to be a tank and bout ten more troops with it!”

“Shit,” Billy exclaims.

“Exit the building with your hands in the air and stars out or you will be fired on!” the voice from above blares down at us almost pleading.

“Back door, back door get your asses moving, Watchtower get down here now”. Billy orders, “Where’s
Landen?”

“You got one of those RPGs?” Watchtower asks walking down the stairs, and although he’s obviously native his face is ghost white.

“What the hell you talking about?” Billy asks.

“Listen with that tank one shot an this house will fall on all of us. Then none of us are getting out of here. I’ll disable the tank while you guys fight your way out the back.”

“That’s suicide!”

“Hell no, you get out circle back around and clean up, piece of cake. I’ll keep em as busy as long as I can.”

“Jesus Christ you sure got a sac on you.”

“J
ust short a few brain cells.”

“That still ain’t gona work they’ll be concentrating
on you, won’t last a second.”

Louie walks up. “I’d say operation breakfast
sounds about right for a situation like this.”

“Don’t seem to be
much of a choice right now.
Need four guys
for a genuine suicide mission.
Who’s got the stones and a reservation at the lords’ table?”

A shuffling of feet, “We’ll all die if no one steps up and step up right now. F
inally four guys walk up rolling up their sleeves.

Billy takes a case out of his pocket, removing a vile of clear liquid. “Well here goes nothing.” Filling the
needle, he injects each of the four men with what looks to be enough PCP to kill them. Finishing the last man he says, “Ok, now it’s just gona take a minute till we make our move. I want five men assisting in cle
aring the front and side yards.
Everyone else will be exiting the house through the backyard.
Landen is our priority;
we stop for no one until he is clear the hot zone. Once the back yard is clear we will have men return to the front of the house and assist.”

I look to the men now, the affects of the drug seem to be hitting. Their eyes almost looking beyond the walls of the house and they float away into euphoria.

One of the men’s head snaps back yelling at the ceiling. “Then what?!” He looks almost completely different, his eyes not really registering what’s even happening around him.

We’ll come back for you.” Billy responds.

“Then what!?” He asks again as if he didn’t even register that his question had been answered.

“WE, will come back for you.”

“THEN WHAT!!” He yells at the top of his lungs while stamping is foot for emphasis.

“WE, WILL…” Billy starts to yell but the man turns from him as if they weren’t even talking. Walking to the wall, he stops and just kinda stairs at it. “Then what?” He asks a bit more calmly as he takes off his shirt “hot” he repeats mumbling almost to himself between outbursts
. His eyes never wavering from the plain white wall as he continues to take off his pants. “THEN WHAT?” He yells again directly at the wall as he rips off his green underwear.

The men shuffle around him taking their positions around the front and back windows. Billy motioning us to the wall. “You stay right
behind me. I mean right behind
,” he tells us. “I’ll take your to as safe a place I can find when we are outside.”

“Ok,” I tell him. O God, please don’t make me go through this. Please, I swear I’ll give up everything I own change my name to Teresa and just help the poor, anything I don’t want to die. Please God don’t let me die.

“We’re not going to make it, are we?” Grace asks. “How can we make it, it’s the army. They literally do this for a living. I just make Sandwiches.”

I smile.

“What’s so funny?”

“But you make the best sandwiches!” I tell her. I get a slight smile.

“THEN WHAT?!” the drugged man yells stealing my attention, I now notice all the injected men are tripping now.

“Louie, get em ready!” Billy orders.

He nods and walks up to the men whispering something. They just kinda stare at him not really listening. The now naked man in the corner swinging his arms back and forth, looking at the ceiling.