Altered Genes: Genesis (17 page)

The driver slowed, as if to stop, and then accelerated furiously, clipping the soldier at the waist. She watched in horror as his body rolled up and over the roof of the car, arms and legs splayed out like a rag doll. His mangled body smashed to the ground behind the car.

Gunfire erupted from the machine gun on top of the APC. The thundering hail of bullets shredded metal and flesh instantly. Now driverless, the car that had hit the soldier swerved and crashed into the guard rail before rolling to a stop, on fire.

"Holy shit...Holy shit!" the cabbie yelled as he pounded the gas and accelerated away from the mayhem.

She felt a sharp pain and turned to see Lucia's fingernails digging deep into the flesh of her forearm. A trickle of blood dripped onto the car seat.

“Are you okay?”

The Latino woman flinched, and then nodded. She loosened her grip on Mei’s arm.

The cab driver pulled the car to the side of the road and popped the trunk.

"Okay, Lady...we're done. I’ve had enough...I'm going home to my wife and kids." His voice resonated with a tired determination that left no doubt their ride was over. She didn't argue and handed him the money he was owed.

"Can I ask you a question?"

He rolled his eyes and sighed. “What?”

"Where's the nearest car rental and is it on your way home?”

T
heir journey
out of the city was circuitous and slow. Every road was choked with cars, trucks, motorcycles and pretty much anything else that moved. People trudged down the sidewalks, hunched over from the weight of backpacks slung over their shoulders.

A family pushed their belongings in a ladened shopping cart. The father behind, while the mother and son worked the front, lifting the rickety trolley when its small wheels jammed in the broken concrete.

On the George Washington Bridge, a group of men, united only in their desire to keep moving, rolled an abandoned car over two sets of railings into the murky green water below. The mass of humanity surging out of the city was like nothing she had ever seen, a giant wave sweeping away everything in its path.

As they crossed over the Hudson River into New Jersey a spring poked through the torn seat cover of the Econoline van and jabbed at the flesh of her thigh. It had been the last vehicle in the rental lot. After spending nearly six hours in it, she knew why.

Tired and light-headed, she rolled down the window. The stench of car exhaust disappeared, only to be replaced by the sound of incessant honking, louder now with the window open. She rolled it back up, accepting the lesser of the two evils.

The traffic carried them along and they made slow progress, never going faster than ten or fifteen miles per hour, but more often than not stopped. As they reached the outskirts of Trenton, the soft glow of twilight turned to dusk. Soon it would be night, bringing with it, a new set of dangers.

She warily kept one eye on the road and toggled through the GPS, looking for accommodations. There were a few motels just off the highway and close to their current location. They reached the first one in just a few minutes. It was full, and so was the second, and the third, and the fourth. In the parking lot of the fifth, she began to worry they would never find a room.

"We'll sleep in the van, it won't be comfortable, but the price is right,” she said lightheartedly to Lucia. The other woman continued to stare out the window, just as she had their entire journey.

They pulled into a Walmart parking lot and parked next to a large motorhome, leaving an empty space between the two vehicles. An elderly man slowly climbed down the metal steps that hung from the side of the RV. He limped towards them with a stilted gait and a welcoming smile.

She rolled her window down as he approached and greeted him tentatively.

“Hi, can I help you?”

"Evening, would you mind moving over another spot so I can put up the awning?”

She followed his outstretched arm as he pointed towards a bundle of metal and fabric attached to the side of his vehicle. “Sure, is one enough?"

“Plenty...thank you." He turned and limped away.

The conversation was remarkable in its ordinariness and she did nothing for a few seconds until he waved his thanks, jolting her into action.

She moved the van and watched as he expertly set up the awning. Finished with that task, he retrieved two chairs from a storage compartment and placed them near a folding table.
Just like having a picnic and here comes the food. A
woman with white hair and a pink shirt, probably his wife poked her head out the screen door and beckoned to him.

As he disappeared into the motorhome, the dull ache of hunger formed in the pit of her stomach. Neither she nor Lucia had eaten since they cracked open a box of stale crackers rescued from her suitcase hours before. "Come on, let’s get something to eat and find a restroom.”

They started across the parking lot towards a cluster of fast-food restaurants but didn't get far before a voice yelled, “They’re closed."

She stopped and turned back. "Closed?"

The old man nodded. "No food delivery yesterday or today.” Disappointed, she took Lucia by the arm and walked back to the van. The woman in pink re-appeared and said something through the screen door to her husband.

He limped towards them and spoke. "If you need a restroom, you can use ours."

"Thanks, but we're good. We’ll drive around…see if we can find a restaurant," she said, hoping there was something nearby.

"Don't be foolish, not much is open, and what is, isn't any place you want to be.”

He was right. Her tiredness was deep and consuming, the kind that sucks the rebellion out of you. “Are you sure it’s not too much of an inconvenience?"

"None at all."

They followed him back to the motorhome and stopped at the bottom of the steps, waiting to be invited in. The older woman re-appeared and spoke through the screen door. "Hi ladies, I'm Barb. Come on in, I'll show you where the restroom is."

Mei stopped at the foot of the stairs.
They were still wearing their dirty clothes.
“Would you mind if I ran back and got a change of clothing for both us?”

“Not at all.”

She returned a few minutes later with clean clothes for her and Lucia. They stepped inside. The RV was cozy.
Like an apartment on wheels
, she thought as she looked around. ”I’m Mei, this is Lucia."

“Nice to meet you.” Barb guided them to the door of a tiny restroom. “Towels are on the shelf above the toilet. I'm going outside to help Don. Shout, if you need anything.”

The rank smell of sweat from the long hours spent in the van and their journey through the sewer tunnels hung in the air. Mei gently pushed Lucia into the restroom. “Wash…and not just your face,” she said through the closed door.

Alone now, she studied the family photographs that hung on the wall. One showed a portrait of a much younger Barb and Don.
In their forties,
she guessed.
They looked happy standing in front of an old farmhouse.

She listened as they chatted with each other, their conversation mostly small-talk. She smiled when it dropped to a whisper.
They’re talking about us.

The restroom door opened and Lucia stepped out. Her hair was damp and pushed back over her ears. She gazed at Mei for a fleeting moment, as if to say something, but said nothing.
At least, she washed,
Mei thought as she squeezed past and did the same.

When they finished, they joined the older couple outside. Don had found two more chairs and placed them with the others while his wife stood by a small camp stove minding a pot of water. Wisps of steam drifted up and faded in the cool evening air.

"Can I get you a cup of tea...or coffee?” she asked. "I'm sorry, we only have instant.”

"Tea would be great,” Mei answered, happy to spend even one more minute away from the van.

"How about you, dear, tea?”

Lucia nodded, surprising Mei.

They accepted the mugs that were offered and waited for their hosts to serve themselves. A cluster of stars appeared in the night's sky. Mei watched them flicker on and off as the clouds drifted by. She could hear the distant hum of traffic from the highway.
It’s almost peaceful
.

"Where are you ladies headed?”

"Washington. How about you?”

“Back to Canada,” Don answered. “We should make it home by dinner tomorrow if the traffic isn’t too bad.” Even in the dim light, Mei saw the worried look Barb gave her husband.

“Is anyone hungry?" the older woman asked, changing the subject.

"Famished. I’ll bet the girls are too."

"You're too kind. It's late, we should get going.” Mei stood and placed her mug on the table.

"Don't be silly."

The older woman was already at the bottom of the motorhome's steps. "There's plenty and I don't imagine you have a kitchen in the back of that van. Come in and help me while Don puts things away."

He stood and folded his lawn chair, making it clear that he and his wife were having guests for dinner.

Mei watched Lucia follow the older woman into the Motorhome.
Well, I guess that’s that.

Don joined them a few minutes later. He closed and locked the flimsy door behind him. “Everything's away outside...How's dinner coming?"

”Almost done…go wash-up.”

They ate quickly, filling the time in between bites with small talk. After they had finished, Barb collected the dishes and asked, “Where are you sleeping tonight...in the van?" She raised an eyebrow and looked at her husband. “We have plenty of room here, don't we, Don?"

“Sure do.”

"Thanks, you’re too kind,” Mei answered, surprised by the offer, “but we’ll be fine, really.” She reached over and tapped Lucia on the arm. “We should get going.”

She turned back to their hosts. “Thanks for the great meal and your hospitality. It was wonderful.”

Don stopped them at the door. “Just a second.” He was back a minute later with an armful of blankets. ”Take them, we've got lots. It’ll get cold tonight.”

Mei knew he was right and accepted the bundle with a smile. “Thanks”

When they reached the van, she turned and waved good night to him. He was still standing in the RV’s doorway. Only when they were safely inside, did he close the RV’s door.

Mei pushed the suitcases aside and laid the blankets out on the ribbed metal floor. She motioned Lucia to lie down and then did the same.

In the distance, the sound of car alarms and the intermittent crack of gunfire disturbed the night. It was far enough away to not be worrisome, but loud enough to keep her on edge. Sleep didn’t come easily but after a while, exhaustion took over.

"Psst..." She heard the hiss first and then felt someone shake her shoulder. Clumsy and half-awake, she jolted upright.

"What–"

"Shhhh..."

Lucia?

She was instantly awake.

"What is it?"

“I heard someone outside.”

They crawled to the front of the van and peeked out the driver's window. A pair of men stood in the shadows near the side of the motorhome. Mei watched, transfixed, as one of them tried to open the RV’s door.
She debated what she should do. If she shouted or honked the horn, she’d draw attention to the van and if she didn’t…

Squeeeeak
…the gut-wrenching sound came from behind her. She turned to see Lucia lower herself out of the van and disappear into the night, leaving the door wide open.
What the hell is she doing?

Panic stricken, she turned back to see if the men had heard the noise. They had and were looking for the source. One of them ducked down and searched beneath the motorhome while the other peered into the darkness. Unable to find a threat, they went back to fiddling with the RV’s door.

A flutter of movement caught her eye and she saw Lucia creep out of the darkness. She watched her move in short spurts, stopping and starting until she reached the shadows at the rear of the motorhome.

I have to stop her before she gets herself killed.
She bit back the terror that pulsed through her body and crawled to the rear of the van being careful not to make any noise. She stepped out onto the pavement and slowly closed the door behind her.

Squeeeeak
…the sound of the rusty hinge pierced the night. She froze, paralyzed with fear.
Maybe they won’t notice
. She didn’t believe it for a second. Her heart pounded furiously. She fixated on the approaching footsteps, ready to run.

"Well well, what do we have here?" The smirking voice came at her head-on, leaving no time to react. She saw the callous eyes first, and then the gun that was pointed at her stomach.

"What do you want?" The words caught in her throat.

"A piece of you," he said, "later maybe..."

The man grabbed her and swung her around. With the gun pressed up against the small of her back, he marched her away from the van and up the steps into the motorhome.

Barb and Don sat wide-eyed with fear at the kitchen table. With a push, he shoved her down in the bench seat. She reached over, found Barb’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

A second man sat at the table directly across from Don. His face was covered with tattoos and a stylized XVIII in black ink ran across his forehead. "Anyone else?" he asked with a strong Latino accent.

"No Jefe—just her."

The tattooed man undressed her with his cold black eyes. She knew what he was thinking before he said it. Panic bubbled in the pit of her stomach.

He smirked. “Chica, you and I are gonna have some fun, but first...the old man is gonna give me his money...or maybe I should just ask the old lady."

He moved without warning and grabbed the back of Barb's head, slamming her face down on the table.

Mei and Don both reached for her. ”Stop...leave her alone!" Don yelled as she cried out in pain. "My wallet's in the drawer of the nightstand...in the bedroom."

Jefe gave her hair one last twist. "Go look," he snapped to the other man.

The man left and returned quickly with a black wallet and brown leather purse. He placed them on the table and then respectfully stepped back.

Jefe leered at Mei. "Where's your money, Chica...in your pants?"

She recoiled as he reached across the table and tried to run his fingers across the front of her shirt.

The other man laughed. "Should I search her?"

"Si, but not now. Take her and go.”

Panic took over as the man grabbed her by the shirt collar and dragged her from the seat. She felt Barb’s hand frantically clutch at her from behind. Jefe bellowed in anger. She saw him swing his pistol and strike the older woman in the head. Stunned by the blow, Barb fell forward unconscious.

Don scrambled towards his wife, but Jefe pushed him back. "How about you...You gonna fight me, Grandpa?” He stood and darted back and forth, baiting the older man as he pretended to box. "Come on, take a swing." 

Don ignored him and lifted his wife’s limp body. Her temple was split and bleeding from the blow.

Mei twisted her body and pulled away from the man who held her. She dropped to her knees beside Barb. "Let me help her.”

The shots came without warning, one after another, thunderous in the closed confines of the motorhome. Mei recoiled in horror as blood and gore, bits of brain and bone fragments splashed across her face.

"Take her!" Jefe shouted.