Days Since...: Jenny: Day 986

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Two faint lights ahead in the distance. One for each watchtower just as he remembered. Only a while longer and the lamps would disappear with the rising of the sun. It was then he’d approach the gate. Only then. For now, the young man would continue to wait inside the woodline, obsessively tapping the envelope in his front coat pocket. He counted each tap like the ticking of a clock, wishing away what darkness remained of the morning.

Waiting…

Tapping…

Finally, it came—the lanterns pulled from the watchtowers—the gate completely visible in the daybreak. The young man emerged, one hand on his rifle’s grip which hung from its sling, his other hand, swung freely, casually as not to raise suspicion to something more sinister.

One of the Sentries stood, a pair of binoculars to his eyes.

In the other watchtower, a rifle swung toward the approaching stranger.

“Relax!” the one with the binoculars called out. “One of ours!”

“You sure?”

“Yep!”

“What’s he want?”

“How the hell should I know?”

The young man strode toward the gate, each of his steps punching bootprints into the untouched snow. He took the envelope from his coat pocket as he worked his way through the gauntlet of vehicles that surrounded the wall of River’s Edge Academy.

“What’s your name, kid?”

“Xavier.”

“Why you come out here alone?”

“I have orders.” He held the envelope up for the Sentry to see. “They’re from Haverty’s office.”

The Sentry nodded over to his partner and a bucket was pitched over the side of the tower. “Go ahead and put it in.”

Xavier’s hand shook toward the bucket, unsure if he could actually release the envelope from his grip. He knew once it slipped through his fingers there’d be no going back. That once the bucket had been lifted, the envelope and letter scrutinized, the fate of the plan would be determined right here and now.

Trembling inside, he could only stand there watching as the Sentry broke the wax seal and removed the letter.

“Took ya long enough to get here, Tommy. What? An extra day or two?”

“I’m not sure who you talked to, but we—we hit a bump in the road. Something came up. Definitely not how we planned things to happen.”

“That all ya gotta say to me, Tommy? A so-called bump in the road? That it?”

“I’m sorry, Bill, we had—”

“Maybe Bill’s a little too loose given what happened. Maybe we needin’ to tighten things up a bit. From now on let’s stick with sir or… Mr. Haverty if ya wantin’ my name in your mouth.”

“Uh, I don’t understand.”

“Tommy, ya fell into my good graces by success ‘n’ so let’s say failure’ll do the opposite. It’ll have ya removed. Truth is, ya failed, Tommy. Things ain’t so great no more.”

“It was one setback. We know where they are, we’ll go get them again. I just need more men.”

“So ya can go off ‘n’ get more of my men hurt or worse, killed? I don’t think so.”

“Give me a day to spend with Joseph, and then I’ll put a team of volunteers together. You wanted that place anyways. Let me take it for you.”

“Tommy, Tommy, Tommy, you’re gettin’ too far ahead of yourself now. All that Soldier stuff we agreed to before was contingent upon your efforts for the S.A. Well, all I can say now is that your efforts have fallen short, our agreement’s changed.”

“So… what? What’s all this mean?”

“I’ll give ya a day or two to cool down, then we’ll talk, figure this whole thing out.”

“Alright. Fair enough.”

“Oh, and Tommy, in full disclosure, we had to have Joseph moved, ya know with the whole changin’ of the agreement.”

“What?!”

“He’s back in LPH with the new trainin’ program.”

“You son of a—”

“Settle down, son. Ya need to step back. Let’s not do anythin’ brash now.”

“You took Joseph? You—you took him. Didn’t let me know.”

“I’m needin’ ya to step back there. Ya gettin’ too close over here this way.”

“I’m not listening to you anymore.”

“What ya plannin’ on doin’ with that lil’ thing there. Let’s put that knife away.”

“I’ll make sure it doesn’t hurt… unless you scream.”

“Now, let’s talk about this.”

“The agreement changed, right?”

“Well, maybe we can—”