Apartment 905 by Sahin, Ned (readnow .TXT) 📕

We pass several small towns dominated by dust balls and overgrown plants. Many buildings have been burned and destroyed.

I drive for almost three hours, but I am not tired at all. Before the pandemic, I used to drive five hours to Washington, DC, without any breaks. As long as the gas tank is large enough, I can drive five or six hours non-stop. Besides, it’s too dangerous to stop anywhere on this road. The noise of the truck’s engine can quickly draw hungry people and Ricas.

We are close to a bigger city, Greensboro. I see a Saviors’ checkpoint ahead of us.

It’s not even noon. Unless William or someone else goes to the barrack to look for me, they shouldn’t be aware of my absence. Even if they become aware of my absence and they radio the Saviors at this checkpoint, their tiny wood barricade can’t stop this truck.

I slow down as I get closer to the barricade. I see two Saviors in a sedan on the other side of the road. Another Savior gets off an SUV and walks toward us. I stop right next to him. He looks at the Savior stickers on the truck.

“Getting some good stuff to our boss?” he says with a Southern accent and a cigar between his lips. He should be around our age.

“You can’t believe what we found at a raid yesterday. We are taking them to Raleigh,” I say trying to sound as excited as possible.

“Is there a chick back in the truck?” he asks, showing us all of his front teeth with an annoying laugh.

“No hostage transfer in this delivery. Only some computer equipment if you are interested,” Toshi says. The Savior pauses for a second and stares at us. Unless he is super bored, he shouldn’t bother checking our cargo. What we carry in an official delivery is none of a checkpoint guard’s business.

“Nah, I ain’t interested in checking some stupid cable mess,” he says. He looks at the Saviors in the sedan and nods his head toward the barricade. They get out of the car and move the wood out of our way.

I drive the truck slowly and pass the guard. Before he turns back to go to his SUV, he looks at the rear of the truck.

“Hold on! Stop the truck!” he yells. Something must have gotten his attention. The other two Saviors grab the rifles that are swinging on their shoulder straps.

I think about hitting the gas pedal and flying away. I would do it if I hadn’t known an army of Saviors would be waiting for us at Raleigh. I decide to stop the truck. I open the window and stretch out my head to look at him behind the truck.

“What happened?” I say.

“It’s half-open,” he says while approaching the rear door. I remember that I didn’t have time to latch it. It must have opened on the way.

I glance at Toshi for a second. I check my 9mm glock to make sure it’s still in my belt. Toshi grabs his rifle and watches the other two Saviors.

I get off and walk behind the truck. He is about to push the door up, but I grab the door on one edge and pull it down hard. I then reach for the latch to turn it.

“Okay, brother, calm down. I ain’t touching your truck… You sure there are no chicks in there?” he says with the same annoying laugh.

“We are already late,” I say, walking back to the driver seat. Toshi puts the rifle back aside. I know that he was ready to take those two Saviors down if the guard insisted on checking the cargo.

I look at the Saviors one more time to make sure they don’t intend to do further inspection. The engine revs up as I switch the gear and move the truck. The Saviors get smaller in the side mirror as we drive away.

We approach Raleigh as the sun heats the land at the top of us. The glass exteriors of the downtown buildings are shining.

Toshi checks the external GPS device attached to the front console. “The state camp is about a mile from here,” he says. I get off the highway and stop in front of a looted local grocery store.

“I think we shouldn’t get closer while they are in the back,” I say. I get off the truck and open the rear door.

“Jesus...” Miguel says, wiping the sweat from his face. Diego seems sleepy. I help them get down and hand Toshi’s radio to Miguel.

“We are about a mile away from the state base. It’s located at Exit 287. Once we check out the base and find out where Val is, I will let you know. Please hide inside this store,” I say.

“Excelente! We will be ready. I will see my daughter soon,” Miguel says, putting the radio into his pocket and checking the magazine in his rifle. He is heavily armed with hand grenades and extra magazines on his bulletproof vest. I am sure there are a lot more in his backpack. Even Diego has a similar rifle and backpack. I wish he were carrying books and going to school right now instead of preparing for a war against a ruthless gang.

I go to the passenger side of the truck. Toshi drives to the camp. His familiarity among the guards at the gate can make it easier to enter the base.

I see the base right after taking Exit 287. It looks like a factory building. The iron gate is surrounded by sandbags on both sides while the entire building is bordered by concrete walls with barbed wire on top. There are security cameras about every 100 feet.

Even before Saviors settled in here to use the building as a state base, this factory had been most likely well-protected. It might be one of those factories that made advanced masks and other protective equipment.

Toshi stops the truck in front of the