Call Me Mr Smith, page 9
part #6 of The Fallen World Series
* * * * *
Chapter Ten
I wandered north, always aware, but lost in thought. I had started to rethink this whole thing. Even with a Defense Force in place, thugs extorted and stole from people. It even impacted the family of a member of the force, and he hadn’t felt comfortable enough to say anything. Or, he had, and nothing had been done. Neither was optimal. Sure, they were outside the area we had decided to establish positive control over, but if the Obsidian folks in charge wouldn’t take care of their own…one more reason not to trust them.
If the executives and other Obsidian personnel were mostly imprinted, which I figured many of them were, they were goal oriented. Based on what I knew, they couldn’t really change their programmed goals. So, it was likely their primary goal was their own survival. Of course, that was everyone’s goal, but I began to wonder what they were willing to pay for it.
The school was another perfect example of a wasted resource. There were enough solar panels to completely power the entire facility, but they weren’t using it. I made the decision to do what Obsidian hadn’t and turned back toward the school. I needed to get out of Scotia Plaza. Sure, it was nice, but it was starting to feel like I was living in a viper’s den and hoping not to get bitten. If I wanted to exert control, I needed to get to know these people, not live in the ivory tower and look down on them.
I walked back into the gymnasium where Fiona was using her good hand to stack up goods from the corner where everything had been tossed over time. Maybe she could be saved after all. She looked up, and I saw fear in her eyes. I nodded and continued walking through the gym into the hallway, then down the hall to look for the administration office.
I found it after a few minutes on the same hallway, clearing each room as I went, and followed the signage through to the principal’s office. The desk was still there, but most everything else was gone. I figured the only reason the desk had survived was because it was metal and not burnable for heat. I’d need a chair, a lock on the door, which I could easily take care of myself, and a few other things, but I could make this my base of operations.
I’d need a few locations like this around the city. Staying in one place didn’t feel right, unless it was my bunker, where I knew I was about as safe as I could be. More and more, I had the feeling I would rarely return there. I sighed as I set my ruck on the desk and walked around it. The drawers had all been ransacked for anything flammable, which I understood. What I didn’t understand was why locations like this weren’t first on Jeremy’s list of buildings to utilize.
I narrowed my eyes when I heard movement and what sounded like whispering in the hallway. They couldn’t be that stupid…
I left my ruck on the desk and crouched behind it. Since I knew I’d likely end up throwing blind, I opted for shuriken integrated into slots on my belt. I heard Fiona speaking quietly, but sound traveled on smooth surfaces, and my hearing was better than most.
“He came up this way, I’m telling you,” she said.
“Well, we’ll get rid of him, and you can get your payback.”
The second voice was Jackson’s. I assumed he’d come with a gun this time. My guess would be a shotgun. He didn’t seem the type for accuracy. I felt the metal on the desk and nodded. It wasn’t bullet-proof, but it would be enough to stop a shotgun if it wasn’t a slug, which I doubted he would use. He’d go for buckshot if he could get it.
“There’s his pack. I don’t see him though. Maybe he’s out wandering around again,” Fiona said.
“Maybe.”
I leaned down to look under the desk. There was about a three-inch gap, and I could see two pairs of feet enter the room. Too bad for them. I slowly rose back up and calculated their locations from my crouched position. I couldn’t aim perfectly from here, so I chose a few special shuriken from my belt. The edges were coated with a lab-modified version of curare, a fast-acting paralytic, and since I wasn’t using knives, I wouldn’t have to time the rotation of the blade. All I needed was one of the points to enter the bloodstream.
I slowly raised my arms and cocked my elbows back, then reached up and threw. Jackson’s reaction time was good enough to pull the trigger, and thankfully, my guess had been right. Small dents appeared in the front of the desk where small pellets impacted, but did not penetrate.
They both fell as I stood and walked around the desk to look down at them. The shurikens had hit them in the chest. They were still alive, though their breathing was already labored. I smiled down at them and shook my head.
“Curare…amazing stuff really. Don’t you think? We only had to modify it a bit in the lab to make it act even faster than it does naturally. The shelf life is remarkable. It never loses potency.”
I leaned down and plucked the weapons out of their chests and wiped the blood off on their shirts before tucking them back in my belt.
“I can even use these again. I mean, what are the odds of the same tip hitting again, and none of the others penetrating? Oh, no, you can’t talk, and soon, you won’t be able to breathe either. I’ve been told it’s an incredibly painful way to die. You want to breathe, but you literally can’t. Your lungs can’t move, your heart will stop beating. It’s just a big muscle after all.
“It’s a shame really.” I sighed dramatically. “I had plans for you. Now I suppose I’ll have to kill the rest of your crew too. I mean, if seeing what I’m capable of wasn’t enough motivation, I doubt fear of what might happen will be enough for the rest of your thugs. But that’s okay, there are plenty of people who actually want a good place to live.”
I put my ruck back on and walked to the door.
“I figure you’ve got two or three minutes left to live, so make peace with yourself. I’ll dispose of your bodies later.”
I walked back into the gym and was glad none of the other thugs were back yet. I’d handle them the easy way. I got to work preparing a welcome for the team then waited for their arrival.
Over the next fifteen minutes, the remaining seven filtered in with their empty sacks and took seats on the bleachers. Once they were all seated, I pulled a flask out of my duffel.
“How about a drink to celebrate our new partnership?” I smiled.
“Where’s Jackson and Fiona?”
“Oh, Jackson got back early, so I sent him to get Fiona some medical treatment from some friends. Don’t worry, they’ll be back shortly.”
I unscrewed the flask and handed it to the first person on the end. He sniffed it and looked up in shock.
“Yes, that’s real whiskey from my personal collection.”
He licked his lips, then took a swig. He offered it to the next person and coughed, which caused the rest of them to chuckle and make good natured jibes.
“It’s not his fault, it’s some of my good stuff.” I winked.
The flask made its way down the line while I pulled a second from my belt and took a drink, which in my case, was water. Though I gave the appearance of having taken a good drink.
“Good, now that that’s out of the way—” I took the flask and tucked it back into the ruck, “—who knew Jackson was coming back here to try to kill me?”
Most of them stared at me, but two of the men averted their eyes before they finally met mine.
“Okay, so you two knew. And you were stupid enough not to realize something was wrong when I was standing here, and he wasn’t?”
I glanced at my watch.
“So, now what?”
“Oh, now you die. Well, in about ten minutes anyway.”
“What!” He tried to stand but fell flat on his face.
The rest began to sag and fell backward against the bleachers.
“Wait! I’ll tell you who’s in charge!” the last one who took a drink said.
I was about to turn and leave, but I paused and walked slowly over to him. “Jackson is already dead…”
“Hah! He was just part of the plan; I can give you the real boss.”
“She’ll kill you and anyone you know, you idiot!” another said.
“I’m already dying, I’ll take my chances.”
I pulled a syringe case from one of my pockets, opened it, and took out a syringe. “Well, talk.”
“You save me first.” He was starting to lose control of his muscles; it wouldn’t be long now.
“No. I’m a pretty smart guy. Now that I know there’s someone else, and she’s a female, I’ll figure it out on my own.”
“Shit, it’s Star!”
I pursed my lips. “The mysterious leader of the Anarchists Legion? Is a she? What’s her real name?”
“Don’t…know…” his speech slowed as his brain began to fog from the poison he’d ingested.
“Thank you for the information.” I leaned over and injected his arm, and he started to grin.
“Goodbye,” I said and walked back to what was now my office. The morphine I’d just injected would kill him a little faster and save him some suffering.
* * *
After I took some mental notes about what I would need to secure the office and the reception area, I walked back out and over to the Marshall home and knocked on the door.
Mrs. Marshall cracked the door, then opened it when she saw it was me.
“Back so soon, Mr. Smith?”
“Yes. I just wanted to let you know that the hoodlums failed to meet my standards and have been removed from service. When do you expect your husband home?”
She leaned out the door to look up at the sun. “Should be any time now, actually. Would you like to come in and wait?”
I smiled. “That would be wonderful, thank you.” I raised an eyebrow.
“Oh. Carolyn. My dad is Donald.”
“Thank you, Carolyn.” She opened the door wider and let me in then she closed and latched it behind me.
She led me into the living room, and I felt like I’d entered a time before the war. The TV was on, with a movie playing. I smiled at the young boy, around twelve, who sat on the floor and watched Moana, a Disney movie from ages ago. The screen was degraded from time, but it was good enough.
“Your son?” I asked quietly.
She nodded. “That’s David Junior. Junior, say hello to Mr. Smith.”
He glanced up from the movie and muttered, “Hi.”
She put her hands on her hips, and I waved dismissively. “It’s okay. I was the same way when I was a kid.” I chuckled. “Interesting movie choice.”
She shrugged. “It gives hope.”
I nodded. “There is hope, Carolyn.”
She looked up at me. I could tell from her eyes that she wanted to believe me but had heard it before.
“I’m sorry, where are my manners, would you like to sit? A cup of coffee maybe?”
I blinked. “You have coffee?”
“My dad was always something of a prepper. I’ll let him explain when he gets home. He’s out walking the neighborhood.”
She motioned to the couch and stepped out of the living room.
I set my ruck on the ground and sat and watched the movie. It was near the end, and I thought about how fitting that movie was. Life from the ashes of destruction. Plus, I liked the music. My son had liked it too.
Carolyn came back a few minutes later and handed me a stainless-steel mug with steaming coffee before she sat down in a separate chair. I smelled it, and sure enough, it was strong and real. I took a sip and let out a sigh.
“Thank you, Carolyn, for your hospitality.”
I turned my attention back to the movie but could feel her eyes on me. After a few minutes, I set the mug down on the coffee table and turned to her.
“What’s on your mind, Carolyn?”
“What happened to…”
I glanced at the boy and raised an eyebrow.
“He knows what today’s world is like. There’s nothing he hasn’t seen or heard, Mr. Smith.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, but of course, you’re right. They’re all dead.”
“You killed them all, alone?”
I nodded. “Not as hard as you think, really. They were stupid and gullible.”
“Exactly what are you, Mr. Smith?”
“An interesting question, asking what I am, rather than who I am. I think, perhaps, I will tell you but after your husband and father get home. I don’t like repeating myself.”
“Oh, of course, of course,” she answered quickly.
I grinned. “It’s okay, Carolyn. You’re in no danger from me, at the moment.”
“You always qualify stuff like that?” Donald asked as he walked into the room. He had training. His approach was incredibly quiet.
“These days, Donald, I find that I have to. One’s motives are not always clear.”
He grunted as he fell heavily into a recliner and put his feet up. I could see the outline of a pistol tucked into the front of his jeans. Couldn’t blame him for that.
“You’re one to talk about that, Mr. Smith,” Donald said.
“Touché. I’ll explain a few things once…” I heard a key turn in the front door. “Well, talk about timing.”
Carolyn started to get up but seemed to change her mind and remained seated. Once the door opened and closed, and we heard the latches again, she called out. “Honey, we have a visitor!”
David edged around the corner with a shotgun in his hands and let out a sigh of relief when he saw me sitting there. “Mr. Smith, this is quite a surprise.”
“Yes, I’m sure it is. Please take care of whatever you need, but we do need to talk.”
Carolyn got up. “I’ll get your dinner, hon. Go ahead and sit.”
They hugged and kissed, then she went to the kitchen. The movie ended, and the boy got up and ran to the kitchen as well. “Mom! I want a snack!”
I chuckled and shook my head. “I’d swear I went back in time, and the war never happened.”
David smiled and sat down where his wife had been. “So, what can we do for you?”
Carolyn came back in, handed David a bowl of soup, and sat down on the other end of the couch. She was quickly followed by David Junior, who sat on the floor and faced me as well.
I nodded. “Well, to the point I suppose. First, David, why had you not done anything about the thugs who were extorting the area? I know your wife asked you not to, but you could have brought it to the attention of the Defense Force.”
He quickly drank down what was in the bowl and set it aside. “I did. Several times. I was told by, what’s her name, Bethany, that they’d deal with it.”
I nodded thoughtfully. “When was that?”
“The day we all joined a few weeks ago.”
“I was afraid of that.” I frowned.
“Why, what about them?”
“Oh, they’re all dead now.”
Donald put the foot of his recliner down and leaned forward. “What? You killed them all?”
I nodded.
“Twelve of them? All of them? Just you?”
I smiled. “I’m rather effective when I’m properly motivated, Donald. I’m here because I’m going to need help.”
“Help with what?” David asked warily.
“Doing what you were originally hired to do—defend the area—but I’m going to keep you here, in this area, if you have no objection to working directly for me. This is outside the area we’re actually trying to maintain, but there are reasons for securing it, powered buildings being the primary.”
“Why me? Why us?”
“A few reasons. First, because you’re the first people I’ve met in Cabbagetown. Second, you have a child, so I believe you’d be motivated to do the right thing. Third, you’re obviously more prepared than you like to let on, so I don’t have to worry about you stealing.” After the last, I glanced at Donald, took a drink of the coffee, and nodded. “Good coffee by the way.”
Donald stared at me. “So, what are you?”
I considered him for a moment. “I’m a man with many skills, Donald.”
“You work for Obsidian, or whatever they’re calling themselves now.”
I shook my head. “No, never.”
“Then who?”
“I was formerly employed by Teledyne Industries. Now…I’ll put it to you this way. I owe nothing to anyone, and I follow no one’s orders. So, I suppose you could say I work for myself.”
“What was your role with them?” Carolyn asked.
“I made problems go away, Mrs. Marshall.”
“Does that mean you killed people?” Junior asked.
I pursed my lips and studied the young man. I had underestimated him. “Yes.”
“Cooooool.” His eyes grew wide.
“No, Junior, killing is never a good thing,” David Senior said.
I looked back at him. “That’s a subject that can be debated until we both die of old age; however, the fact remains, that’s what I did…well, do.”
“And you want help killing people? No way, get out.” He stood up.
“Actually, I can handle that myself when it’s necessary. What I want help with is organization and keeping the peace. For some reason, which I can’t explain, I want to help people now.”
I stood up and emptied about half of the bartering supplies I’d packed, which were easily replaced back at the plaza. “Think about it. I’ll give you time to talk. I need to return to the plaza and retrieve some gear. I’ll be back in the school tomorrow sometime. Come see me if you’d like to talk more. If not, no hard feelings. You can distribute this stuff however you feel best. I have a feeling you know most of the people in the area and know who is in need.”
I walked out without giving them time to respond and began the short walk back to Scotia Plaza. Even people like me sometimes need help in this Fallen World.
* * * * *
Chapter Eleven
That night, I made room in my pack for a few of my laptops and some security equipment. I’d have to deal with locks later, but at least I could set it up so I’d know if anyone went where I didn’t want them. I didn’t sleep much that night. I couldn’t.
