door opened again and a gruff looking male soldier walked in. He strode over and yanked Evan to his feet. “I don’t know why they’re just letting you go,” he growled.
The soldier propelled Evan back down the corridors he’d come down. Outside again he was marched toward the gate. The guard pulled out a knife, but held it to his back instead of cutting the ties. “Try something,” whispered the guard. Evan held himself very still. “Pussy,” muttered the guard as he cut him loose.
“Walk through the gate,” ordered another soldier as Evan’s hands fell by his side.
Evan did as he was told, walking carefully and slowly toward the soldiers standing by with their guns at the ready. He could feel the fear rising in him, but he pushed it away and kept his eyes straight and level. He was even with the guards. Then he was past the wire and into the camp. A panorama of sorry looking people in front of him, all of them lost in their own business. Tents stretched off as far as he could see. Evan looked around him, feeling lost.
“Evan!” Damien called him, appearing out of the crowd. Damien smiled broadly, looking relieved. “I’m glad they let you go, I was starting to get worried.”
Evan looked at Damien. “I, uh, guess it took longer for me to explain than you.” He tried to get her sad eyes out of his head.
Damien noticed the passing shadow. “You okay, man? They do anything to you?”
“No, no, I’m fine,” Evan shook his head and gave Damien a smile.
“Okay.” Damien started to reach in his pocket. He looked at Evan ruefully. “This is why you don’t smoke. Took that along with the rest of my stuff. There’s a chow tent over here.”
Evan followed Damien through the crowd. The air was thick with the smell of a thousand hot, dirty people. Up ahead was a large tent with people waiting in line. Evan and Damien joined the queue. Damien shifted from one foot to the other, clearly ill at ease in the crowd. Evan felt oppressed by the crowd too, after the long quiet of the country. Between the noise and the smell it was nearly overwhelming. The line shuffled forward. Someone coughed.
The crowd drew away from the cougher in a single movement of fear. The small blond woman looked like a frightened dear as the crowd around her pulled away. Fear rustled through the crowd as a pair of soldiers pushed their way through. They took the woman by the arms and quickly hustled her away.
“What’s going on?” asked Evan.
“Someone might be sick. Can’t take the chance,” said the person in front of them.
“Where are they taking her,” pressed Evan.
“Don’t know, don’t care.” The person turned back around as the line shuffled forward again as if nothing had happened.
Evan shook his head. That wasn’t right. But, he supposed, it was only natural to fear disease with this many people jammed together. It was surprising how quickly the soldiers had responded. Since leaving the gate they hadn’t seen very many uniforms, just masses of humanity.
They reached the front of the line and each got a bowl of some sort of stew. Looking at the meat floating in it Evan had the distinct feeling that he didn’t want to know what it was. He took his bowl and sat down in an empty space a few yards from the tent. Damien sat next to him.
“Where are you from?” asked a stranger as he took a seat next to them. “Haven’t seen you ‘round here before.”
“St. Louis,” answered Evan, poking at the chunks.
“How is it there?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t there when it happened. Lucky enough to be on the road.”
“Ah, just passing through our fine city?”
“Yeah. Family in Wyoming.” Evan looked over at the stranger. “Say, do you know if anyone has seen a Japanese looking guy with a limp around here?”
“I know I haven’t. And you aren’t getting to Wyoming. This place is locked tight. For our safety of course.” The stranger slurped his stew.
“They took my stuff,” grumbled
The soldier propelled Evan back down the corridors he’d come down. Outside again he was marched toward the gate. The guard pulled out a knife, but held it to his back instead of cutting the ties. “Try something,” whispered the guard. Evan held himself very still. “Pussy,” muttered the guard as he cut him loose.
“Walk through the gate,” ordered another soldier as Evan’s hands fell by his side.
Evan did as he was told, walking carefully and slowly toward the soldiers standing by with their guns at the ready. He could feel the fear rising in him, but he pushed it away and kept his eyes straight and level. He was even with the guards. Then he was past the wire and into the camp. A panorama of sorry looking people in front of him, all of them lost in their own business. Tents stretched off as far as he could see. Evan looked around him, feeling lost.
“Evan!” Damien called him, appearing out of the crowd. Damien smiled broadly, looking relieved. “I’m glad they let you go, I was starting to get worried.”
Evan looked at Damien. “I, uh, guess it took longer for me to explain than you.” He tried to get her sad eyes out of his head.
Damien noticed the passing shadow. “You okay, man? They do anything to you?”
“No, no, I’m fine,” Evan shook his head and gave Damien a smile.
“Okay.” Damien started to reach in his pocket. He looked at Evan ruefully. “This is why you don’t smoke. Took that along with the rest of my stuff. There’s a chow tent over here.”
Evan followed Damien through the crowd. The air was thick with the smell of a thousand hot, dirty people. Up ahead was a large tent with people waiting in line. Evan and Damien joined the queue. Damien shifted from one foot to the other, clearly ill at ease in the crowd. Evan felt oppressed by the crowd too, after the long quiet of the country. Between the noise and the smell it was nearly overwhelming. The line shuffled forward. Someone coughed.
The crowd drew away from the cougher in a single movement of fear. The small blond woman looked like a frightened dear as the crowd around her pulled away. Fear rustled through the crowd as a pair of soldiers pushed their way through. They took the woman by the arms and quickly hustled her away.
“What’s going on?” asked Evan.
“Someone might be sick. Can’t take the chance,” said the person in front of them.
“Where are they taking her,” pressed Evan.
“Don’t know, don’t care.” The person turned back around as the line shuffled forward again as if nothing had happened.
Evan shook his head. That wasn’t right. But, he supposed, it was only natural to fear disease with this many people jammed together. It was surprising how quickly the soldiers had responded. Since leaving the gate they hadn’t seen very many uniforms, just masses of humanity.
They reached the front of the line and each got a bowl of some sort of stew. Looking at the meat floating in it Evan had the distinct feeling that he didn’t want to know what it was. He took his bowl and sat down in an empty space a few yards from the tent. Damien sat next to him.
“Where are you from?” asked a stranger as he took a seat next to them. “Haven’t seen you ‘round here before.”
“St. Louis,” answered Evan, poking at the chunks.
“How is it there?”
“I don’t know, I wasn’t there when it happened. Lucky enough to be on the road.”
“Ah, just passing through our fine city?”
“Yeah. Family in Wyoming.” Evan looked over at the stranger. “Say, do you know if anyone has seen a Japanese looking guy with a limp around here?”
“I know I haven’t. And you aren’t getting to Wyoming. This place is locked tight. For our safety of course.” The stranger slurped his stew.
“They took my stuff,” grumbled
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