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

I see a few ranches with farmers working on the land and feeding their animals. There is a drive-through fast food restaurant with a big “Open” sign in front of it. I even see an operational gas station with a few people filling their vehicles. The life on the other side of the checkpoint looks a lot more civilized than the inner states.

After being on the road for two hours, I see the casinos in Reno’s skyline.

“Casinos are under lockdown. They got hit hard by the virus… I think they still haven’t been cleaned out. We are going to the City Hall that is used as the command post for the Republic,” Crypto says. He hasn’t moved the briefcase away from his lap even for a second during the entire trip.

We pass another checkpoint before entering the city.

The city streets are nearly empty. Only a few people are walking on the sidewalks. Even though it’s almost deserted, the streets look like they are well taken care of. There are no overgrown plants or flying plastic bags. It’s nowhere near the abandoned messed up cities that are partially destroyed and burned.

We switch to another SUV at the command post. A different militia gets in the driver seat. Crypto still sits in the passenger seat. They are talking about some preparations in the Republic. It sounds like the militia force is getting ready for war by recruiting more people and doing tactical drills. I wonder who this war is going to be with. With another country?

After another two hours of driving, we arrive at Sacramento. The trip after the checkpoint has been a lot less stressful than I thought. We enjoyed going through the Tahoe forest and watching nature around the lakes. Most of California we have seen so far looks like there hasn’t been a pandemic at all.

California’s state capital is now the capital of the Highland Republic. People in masks and protective suits are walking around, shopping, lying in the downtown parks, and just moving along in their daily routines.

I see numerous militia members patrolling the streets. It reminds me of the Saviors. I remember watching them for weeks while hiding in my apartment.

The driver doesn’t stop at any red lights. There are a significant number of cars in the city, but two cars rarely come across each other at an intersection.

We stop in front of an office building that is about twenty stories tall and covered with black reflective windows. Its ugly look distinguishes the building from every other structure in the city.

Crypto opens his door. He turns to us before getting off the SUV.

“This is the end of the trip for me. He will take you to San Francisco and drop you off at your parent’s house. It was a pleasure meeting both of you… Stay safe,” he says and smiles. He definitely returned the favor we had done for him in Salt Lake City.

“You too, buddy. Thank you for the ride.” I wave goodbye.

“I hope you reunite with your sister soon,” Kathleen says with a nod and a warm smile.

I hope he gets his sister out of Alcatraz soon too. I can’t believe that we will be in San Francisco soon. I honestly didn’t think I could make it this far. Doing a cross country trip in a world filled with a deadly virus and deathlier creatures sounded impossible in the beginning, but I made it. I can’t wait to see my parents and brother soon.

“How do you feel?” Kathleen asks. She must have sensed my excitement.

The SUV shakes us as it goes over a huge pit on the road. Even buckled up, we still shift from our seats. Kathleen holds on to my leg as I hold her arm unintentionally.

“Sorry… I didn’t see it,” The driver says by glancing at us in the rear mirror.

“It’s…hard to explain… I’ve been waiting for this day too long…” I say. My eyes fill with tears, blurring my vision. This is the day. It was worth going through all the trouble.

I hope that they didn’t get infected. My father is the most cautious man I’ve ever seen. If there is one person who would avoid the virus at the expense of starving at home, it would be him.

My mom is the master of stocking up and rationing. I am sure she had stocked enough supplies at home to get through at least a year. She can make a gourmet meal out of almost everything. Thanks to her cooking skills, I am sure my father and brother were happy to spend months at home.

My brother has a strong personality to endure even the toughest mental and physical conditions. He used to tell me bits and pieces about his military training during rough conditions in the mountains. I have no doubt that he protected our parents no matter who the enemy was. The Republic’s ruler, Weck Highland, should be afraid of him.

We pass the Bay Bridge and enter downtown San Francisco. As soon as we go down the ramp, some people start throwing whatever they have in their hands. I see water bottles, lighters, and vegetables hitting our car. I hear them booing and showing their middle fingers.

“Go to hell!” a guy says while punching the driver’s window. Apparently, the Republic’s militia force is not very popular here.

The militia doesn’t show much of a reaction. He briefly looks at the frustrated people around and turns his eyes back to the road. He seems to be used to this kind of welcoming ceremony.

“Is it okay if I leave you here? It will be more dangerous to go further,” the driver says while looking at us through the mirror.

“Yes, it’s fine. Thank you,” I say.

He turns to an alley to be able to hide from the people yelling at us. We get off the car without being seen. The militia backs off and speeds up