the Berber carpet of the room’s entrance. The rest of the building had concrete floors, and the office was the only carpeted area they’d seen inside. It was severely worn, apparently by near constant traffic. “And nothing else in this office looks used up like that. The desk doesn’t look old, and the computer’s keyboard looks brand new. And the carpet leading over to the desk doesn’t look all worn out, just up here. It’s like hundreds of people just came in here, paced in front of the desk, and then left. Doesn’t add up.”
“What are you thinking?” asked Clyde.
“That they used to walk through here a lot, because this wall wasn’t here before. Hero, you got any bombs with you still?”
“Yeah, why?”
“We’re going to blow this wall up,” said Reagan.
“And what if you’re right and we bust in on their little party,” said Billy. “I doubt we’re going to last long against them if they’re all hiding in there.”
Reagan thought for a moment and then nodded. “You’re right. No sense getting us all killed. As much as I want to go see my wife and son in heaven, I’m pretty sure they’re willing to wait. Here’s what we’ll do; let’s take out this wall,” he slapped the yellow wall behind him and then pointed across the room, “and that one too. That should give us a vantage in here from outside. It’ll be a mess of rubble and rebar, but we can try to watch for movement for a few days. Then, when we’re sure it’s safe, we can come back in.”
“You scared me, old man,” said Billy. “For a minute there, I thought you had a deathwish.”
Hero laughed, but then was sobered by Reagan’s expression. Hero was suddenly worried that Billy was right, and that Reagan really did want to die.
They set the bombs, blew the wall open, and evacuated. They found a place to camp in an apartment complex across the street. It was a comfortable apartment, still adorned with pictures of the family that had once lived there. Reagan seemed intrigued by the pictures, and spent time walking through the abode, staring at the frames as if he knew the people in them.
Hero and Reagan took first watch, using binoculars to spy on the wrecked building from their vantage. The moon was full, providing a surprising amount of light to see by.
“Getting cold out there,” said Hero.
Reagan sat on a couch by the open window, watching the building below. “Guess so,” said the old man. No one would ever mistakenly call him talkativ e when he wasn’t barking orders, but he seemed particularly distant that night. No matter what Hero said, Reagan always responded with a two or three word answer. His mind was elsewhere, and he kept staring at the pictures on the walls.
They heard shuffling from down the hall and saw Billy appear in a pair of sweats and no shirt, his white back brace strapped around his mid-section . “Howdy.”
“What are you doing up?” asked Hero.
“Couldn’t sleep,” said Billy. “My back’s acting up.”
“You should seriously think about trying to stay off your feet,” said Hero.
“Fuck, it’s cold in here,” said Billy, purposefully ignoring his friend’s advice. He took a blanket off the couch and wrapped it around his shoulders.
“You two Georgia babies don’t know shit about the cold,” said Reagan.
“And you do?” asked Hero. “I thought you lived in Georgia too.”
“I did, but I spent a lot of time up here in the mountains. Beautiful up here.”
“How come you didn’t move your family out here?” asked Billy.
“I went where the job took me.”
“You must’ve been close to retirement though, right?” asked Hero. “I mean, you’re old as balls, man.” Hero and Billy laughed.
Reagan smirked as he looked back at them. He set the binoculars on the armrest and sat down. They didn’t need to watch the building at all times, and were only looking for signs of someone clearing the debris near the site of the explosion.
“I’m not the
“What are you thinking?” asked Clyde.
“That they used to walk through here a lot, because this wall wasn’t here before. Hero, you got any bombs with you still?”
“Yeah, why?”
“We’re going to blow this wall up,” said Reagan.
“And what if you’re right and we bust in on their little party,” said Billy. “I doubt we’re going to last long against them if they’re all hiding in there.”
Reagan thought for a moment and then nodded. “You’re right. No sense getting us all killed. As much as I want to go see my wife and son in heaven, I’m pretty sure they’re willing to wait. Here’s what we’ll do; let’s take out this wall,” he slapped the yellow wall behind him and then pointed across the room, “and that one too. That should give us a vantage in here from outside. It’ll be a mess of rubble and rebar, but we can try to watch for movement for a few days. Then, when we’re sure it’s safe, we can come back in.”
“You scared me, old man,” said Billy. “For a minute there, I thought you had a deathwish.”
Hero laughed, but then was sobered by Reagan’s expression. Hero was suddenly worried that Billy was right, and that Reagan really did want to die.
They set the bombs, blew the wall open, and evacuated. They found a place to camp in an apartment complex across the street. It was a comfortable apartment, still adorned with pictures of the family that had once lived there. Reagan seemed intrigued by the pictures, and spent time walking through the abode, staring at the frames as if he knew the people in them.
Hero and Reagan took first watch, using binoculars to spy on the wrecked building from their vantage. The moon was full, providing a surprising amount of light to see by.
“Getting cold out there,” said Hero.
Reagan sat on a couch by the open window, watching the building below. “Guess so,” said the old man. No one would ever mistakenly call him talkativ e when he wasn’t barking orders, but he seemed particularly distant that night. No matter what Hero said, Reagan always responded with a two or three word answer. His mind was elsewhere, and he kept staring at the pictures on the walls.
They heard shuffling from down the hall and saw Billy appear in a pair of sweats and no shirt, his white back brace strapped around his mid-section . “Howdy.”
“What are you doing up?” asked Hero.
“Couldn’t sleep,” said Billy. “My back’s acting up.”
“You should seriously think about trying to stay off your feet,” said Hero.
“Fuck, it’s cold in here,” said Billy, purposefully ignoring his friend’s advice. He took a blanket off the couch and wrapped it around his shoulders.
“You two Georgia babies don’t know shit about the cold,” said Reagan.
“And you do?” asked Hero. “I thought you lived in Georgia too.”
“I did, but I spent a lot of time up here in the mountains. Beautiful up here.”
“How come you didn’t move your family out here?” asked Billy.
“I went where the job took me.”
“You must’ve been close to retirement though, right?” asked Hero. “I mean, you’re old as balls, man.” Hero and Billy laughed.
Reagan smirked as he looked back at them. He set the binoculars on the armrest and sat down. They didn’t need to watch the building at all times, and were only looking for signs of someone clearing the debris near the site of the explosion.
“I’m not the
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