Where I'm writing currently, Everett and Mirka are swimming from Upper Matecombe Key to Key West. Eighty miles. They will get a break halfway. After the Seven Mile Bridge is land. Even where there should be water there is land.
But, this snip is from when they start their swim.
They have run to get on a boat, fleeing the invasion force which has taken the island. They are the same people Everett once worked for.
The soldier raised his weapon.
Everett pointed the open backpack at the soldier. "I'm unarmed. I know how this works." He set the six cans of food on the ground and the uneaten granola bars.
Mirka did the same.
"Take out the rest," the soldier said as two more walked up behind him.
Mirka added the bottled water to her pile.
Everett held out the jug of tea. "We should be able to keep this. We made it. This is not the package it came in."
The soldier motioned with his gun. "Put it down."
Everett did. "This is not a valid food item for extraction."
One of the other soldiers said, "So?" then jerked in surprise. His eyes were wide. "Yes, sir." He nodded though the officer he was talking to couldn't see him. "Yes, sir." He looked at Everett. "You can keep your tea."
"Thank you." He picked the gallon of tea up and returned it to his bag. "May we go?"
Another man, older, walked up. "No, you can't."
Everett recognized the voice. Or thought he did.
The man stopped walking six feet in front of Everett. "Hi, Everett."
Everett looked to the side, shaking his head with a defeated smile. "Hello, Mr. Jordan."
"So, you're married, huh?" He nodded at Mirka. "Nice to meet you Ms. Bridges." He sighed. "Let's talk business, Everett."
"It was self defense, sir."
"Everett, I don't care if you killed those pieces of shit. If you could kill all four of them, starting unarmed and beaten senseless, then they deserved to die." He rubbed the sweat from one of his eyebrows. Two drops fell to the sand. "Where's the dog?"
"We buried Iris behind the Christian school, when you first get on the island it's on your right. There's a playground there. She's right in front of the bench."
Mr. Jordan looked past Everett to the water.
"Go." Mr. Jordan nodded to Mirka. "Nice meeting you."
Everett zipped his backpack and started wading into the water when he heard Mirka say, "Excuse me."
He turned. She was trying to get past the soldiers blocking her. She wanted back on land.
Everett called to her, "Mirka, come on."
"No, we can just walk back." He looked at Mr. Jordan. "We can walk out of your territory. We wont eat anything."
Mr. Jordan cleared his throat. "Ms. Bridges, everything south of Virginia and east of Texas is ours."
"C'mon, Mirka. C'mon."
She turned to him. "But, Everett..."
"C'mon, let's swim to the first bridge."
You sure do like to torture your characters. :) As always, I liked it!!
ReplyDeleteooooo your evil lol
ReplyDeleteI love what you put your characters through!
-geekpride
I love tales like this, where people just have to battle through whatever hopeless situation they are put in. Well, I like them when they're done nicely, and yours is. Good job!
ReplyDeleteGreat snippet. Do they want Iris's body?
ReplyDeleteVero, no. They wanted Iris alive. She was one of the last animals immune to the rain alive. But immunity to rain isn't the only thing needed to keep those species alive. They also needed to have someone to open cans for them.
ReplyDeleteI might have Everett have a chicken named Katie while Mirka's in her coma.