With the sun sinking into the afternoon sky, just barely giving off streaks of orange, I pulled into the yard. Pulling the tractor into the shed I sat there for a minute, using a shop towel from a box we keep in the tractor to wipe my face off. Dried tears, dirt, ash, and a little bit of blood greeted me when I looked at the towel.
Shutting off the ignition I climbed out of the tractor, closing the shed doors before slowly making my way back to the house. Each step felt heavier than the last and by the time I got to the side door I was barely standing.
Exhaustion washed over my body, the events of the day, the loss of my family, and the just physical tiredness of being thrown through a building by an explosion….
Really takes a toll on a guy.
After walking in the door, the first thing I saw was Mom's stool by the island, and her mug she always drank from sitting by chair.
….
….
I just….
Broke….
I stood there staring at the spot, my face blank and eyes dulled. I slowly walked past the spot, moving down the stairs and into my room. After entering I stripped my clothes and immediately went to the bathroom, turning on the shower. I stepped under the warm water, letting it run over and down my body. I was like a zombie, everything I did was in slow motion.
After turning the water off and stepping out of the shower, I dried myself, throwing on some underwear and just falling into bed.
I couldn't sleep, the moment I lost my family was playing on repeat in my head. The scared look on my brother's face, the tears in my mom's eyes, and the sad look on my father's face as he mouthed I love you.
It's burned into my memory, something that I know I'll see for the rest of my life. I laid face down on the bed, trying to close off any semblance of reality and forget it.
The hours passed and somehow, I fell asleep, if only for a while. Until my phone started ringing at 6 am.
"Who in the flying fuck is calling me this early?"
I grabbed my phone, plugging in the charger that I forgot about last night and answered without even looking at the name.
"Hello?"
"Hey Ayden!"
A woman's voice greeted me, instantly, I could recognize it as Abbi.
"Hey Abbi, what's up?"
"I know, I'm sorry for calling this early, I just wanted to let you know of a movement that my father and I, well, our whole family has joined and I was just wondering if you'd like to join it too?"
Really? I mean, I can't just say, 'Oh yeah? By the way, my whole fucking family was killed right in front of me by a psycho terrorist not even 24 hours ago. Yes, I'd love to hear your sales pitch…. But, if you say anything about an extended warranty we are done.'
"Oh? And what would that movement be?"
She sighed, "Don't be mad but my family joining it was a way to stop Elon from trying anything."
…
…
…
I just about put a hole in the god damn wall.
"Ok, I see…. Why Elon's dad though? I thought your dad was against him?"
"Well, you see, Elon's dad runs the movement, or he's a big shot in the organization, who knows… but anywho, the movement's name is Knights of the New World!...."
…
…
I didn't hear a single thing she said after that…. I only regained my hearing when she was going on about all the good things they are doing for less fortunate people in different parts of the world and how the world governments are trying to stop them.
"Abbi…. Shut the fuck up…."
"H-huh?"
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO FUCKING IGNORANT??? They are KILLING people Abbi, they are revolting and causing widespread war and revolution in nearly every country on Earth!!"
…
…
…
"So what? The system is broken, and if a few people need to die… then what does it matter."
…
…
…
That was it… the last straw… the one that broke the proverbial camels back… that broke me.
"Abbi… if you join that organization…"
She quickly responded, "I'm already a part of it, so what? Nothing will change that. I believe in what they are doing, and I think you should too.."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing, how in the hell did it end up this way.
"Abbi…. It's… over…"
Silence followed that statement… I could almost tell that her eyes widened and her heart stopped beating.
"Wha… what do… you mean.."
Her voice, shaky and uncertain, came over the line.
"Abbi… I am not joining the organization… that killed my family…"
"Wh-…"
Before she could reply, I ended the call. I couldn't deal with it, with her, someone who believed that innocent people needed to die to bring about change. That isn't how it works, the only thing senseless death brings is more of the same.
My phone started ringing almost immediately after I hung up, without even looking at the name I hit the block caller button and opened my phone. I went to every social media app I had and disabled my accounts, deleting them off of my phone. I switched my email, and basically did everything but change my phone number.
Call me crazy or stupid, but right now… I don't want to speak or talk to a single fuc-…
*Ding*
Person…
…
…
God damn it…
"I swear on all that is unholy in this world, I you fuckers ask me, 'Have you heard of our lord and savior Jesus Christ?', I'm going blow your kneecaps off and watch you bleed out!"
After saying some very choice words the door rang again, and a guff voice responded.
"Mr. Barnett, I assure you, we aren't here to sing hallelujah, in fact, if you decide to follow up on your threat, I can promise you that your body will be full of lead before you even knew what happened."
After hearing that, I realized that it wasn't some dude thumpin the good book… this was serious.
I walked to the door and opened it, and what greeted me was a tall black man in a slick black suit. Behind him were two other guys in what looked to be military contractor gear. Body armor, magazine bandoliers, side arms strapped to their legs, and maroon berets on their heads.
"May we come in, Mr. Barnett?" the black dude asked me with a courteous smile on his face.
"Yeah, yeah, sure. Ayden is fine though, Mr. Barnett… was my father…"
He nodded and entered the house with the other two following close behind, scanning corners and dark rooms in the hallway like they were clearing a building in the Middle East.
I led them to the kitchen, making sure to put a stack of papers on the chair my mom always sat on, I went to the counter.
"So, can I get you guys anything? Cup of coffee, water, a beer maybe?" I said while opening the fridge.
The black man chuckled, "No no, I am good, and so are my companions. We just wanted to stop by and give you an offer."
I turned to face him, "Offer? If it starts with, 'New World'… you'd better hope your boys there are quick draws cause I'll put a bullet in your head."
He smiled and raised his hands, "Relax, we aren't with those damned terrorists. In fact, we are here because our employer has specifically wished to bring upon the downfall of these bloodthirsty animals."
Now, with that statement I raised my eyebrow.
"Oh? And who would this employer be?" I asked while my eyes narrowed a bit. We are talking about a world wide organization that has its hands in damn near every country, causing upheaval and chaos on a scale we haven't seen before. We've had world wars….. but those didn't have every single country on this planet as an active battleground.
He looked at me then looked down while chuckling. "Ayden Barnett, if I tell you this and you don't accept my offer, we might have to kill you due to the personal connections you have."
"Personal connections? What do you mean?"
I swear I saw his ears perk up, "Well," He placed 4 photos in front of me on the island. I could instantly recognize them, "These personal connections."
Staring back at me in intelligence black and white were the faces of Abbi, Elon, Nolan, and Marie, they looked to be at the party, all dressed up and looking like they were having a good time.
"What do they have to do with it?" I looked at him with a confused look on my face, trying to put the obvious together.
"These four, themselves and their parents, are either directly connected to, or are part of leadership of the Knights of the New World."
Hearing that, my mind went completely blank. I couldn't even formulate a response as I looked at him. Finally, my head started moving again and the smoke cleared a bit, and a fire was born in my eyes as it seemed to dance in the sea of green that contained my pupils.
"I'm in…. tell me everything…"
He looked at me with a hint of surprise, "Are you sure? If you go down this path, there is no going back…. And this will result in one of two ways… Either with the four of them dead…. Or you dead."
That hit me.
When death stares you in the face, will you shy away? Let it take you without a fight? No struggle as you leave your fate up to powers that are nowhere near your control. When the gates of Heaven and Hell open, which path will I be destined for? Taking this path will undoubtedly lead me to one of these final destinations…. The Reaper is in the man's shadow, lying in wait, and my soul is next on his list….
…
…
Fuck it… why not?
The only thing holding me to this world is the land, the land that is my family's legacy. Our mark on this world, the proof that we existed. It all flashes through my mind, giving me a sense of buyers remorse, but… without them… all it is… is some fucking dirt and rock.
The man, noticing the look on my face smiles, "Don't worry, this farm will be run by those that are too old to fight, they will take care of it and run it like you would… Like your father would…"
I look up and am about to question how in the world he knew but he raises his hand.
"We know what happened to your family, that and some results from a neuro test you took this past semester at school are the reasons we are here. You are what we are looking for. A man with the resolve and the physical traits we need."
"You must be joking on the physical trait thing, I know for a fact that I am not in the peak male body. Hell, I'm probably an extra cheeseburger away from being obese," I looked at him, trying to read the blank expression on his face.
'Guess I wasn't meant to be a poker player.'
He chuckled, "Don't worry Ayden, it isn't the body we are looking at. While you do possess exceptional strength, that can be attributed to genetics and growing up on a farm. However, what we are really interested in is your mental strength. You see, you have an abundance of neurons in your brain we like to call, BCX, or 'Brain Cell X'. It is a neuron that allows for hyper-direct absorption of information, allowing for the transfer of info from one place to another at incredible speeds. In fact, every human has these neurons but they are used for processing sound we hear with our ears and then giving information back with our mouths. With you having an abundance of BCX in your head, you are a prime candidate for the 'Neuro-Link Project'."
I give him a look, "Wait, do you mean those educational helmets that can copy/paste information straight into your head, without having to be taught it?"
He smiled once more and nodded, "Yes, you're correct. However, this also will allow you to make use of a new communications and locating tech that has been in military development for a while now…"
Letting it process through my head, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It's real? The tech to make humans instantly learn topics that take years of study, turning the dumbest man on Earth into Einstein's high school rival. I shook my head and realized the last part of what he said.
"Wait a minute, you said something about a communications device, some tech that the military has been working on but hasn't fielded yet, right?"
He rolled his shoulders, placing his elbows on the counter as he responded, "Yes, I did say that."
I nodded, "What's it called?"
That earned me a smirk and a nod from his head.
"Mockingbird…"
…
…
I smell an opportunity…