A SHORT STORY | RECKLESS

A Short Story Conjured Up From A Dream.

The computer lab is abuzz with activity. My eyes sweep over the tops of the heads of my military brothers. We had one job. Find the revolutionary who had been evading our virtual blockade for months. We knew they were getting ready to launch a full offense but we didn’t know where only that it would be soon. It had been a month long treasure hunt within the forum trenches that they were known to prowl; and we’d finally triangulated onto a major online ghetto.

The thing is, I knew who it was. I had known for a while. As I sit down at my assigned desk I roll my shoulders back while I sign in under my forum alias. My stomach churns uncomfortably. By sheer coincidence my username was also my deadname. The thought of anyone finding out sending me into a mental maelstrom as I quickly decide to change it. I was sure I’d be chewed out for it later, but I couldn’t stand to look at it. I feel my nerves settle as the black letters vanish into a sea of white being replaced by new ones. My eyes drift over to the back of another man sitting perpendicular to me. His shoulders like great hills. My stomach churns again. He was right there amongst all of us. Did he know that I knew?

We all remained like this for hours. Checking forum posts, chatting with anyone who wasn’t in there to try and start a sex session. It was grueling to stare at an ocean of useless text for so long, but we stuck with it. When it was finally break time we were allowed to relax in a break room set up with a TV. My head was too filled with noise to really pay attention as my gaze drifted over to him again. The distance between us was only two other bodies; four to a couch. He seemed pretty into whatever it was we were supposed to be watching. I would later remember it was A Bug’s Life.

His hairless head was scarred with white lines visible due to his darker complexion. His large pouty lips nearly hidden behind a well groomed sheet of thick black beard hair. He was a good looking man; thick and tall. Probably could sumo wrestle a bear if he wanted. However his eyes were a dark ember that seemed to display a tired kindness; I was sure I was the only one who’d noticed. Everyone else seemed to treat him like an immovable brick wall.

My stomach twists and I look away before we can inevitably make eye contact. The right thing to do would be to report him, but I wasn’t really sure what the right thing was anymore. The situation that would have led him to become a revolutionary made sense. Our country was ready to self implode on itself. There had been many before him who’d abandoned their loyalty to our government. I had even considered it a few times. Still, the longer I waited, the sooner they’d find him. We were so close to uncovering his AO and I couldn’t understand why he hadn’t gotten out yet.

I can’t stand it any longer. I move my arm from its position next to me to reach around the two people between him and I. I tap him on the shoulder. He pulls his gaze away from the TV to look at me. I can’t describe the look he’s giving me, only that, he seems to know. I stand up from the couch slowly moving out of the room. I don’t have to look back to know he’s following me.

We melt into a dimly lit hallway as we move toward a door leading outside. We’re alone, I am not sure where everyone has gone, but it seemed like it would be the only quiet moment I would ever have with him. I feel my throat tighten as I open my mouth to speak. Only one word able to escape.

“Why?” I must sound pathetic. He doesn’t say anything. Instead he reaches into his pocket and draws out a Swiss Army knife. It swings open and he offers it to me. I take it dumbly, looking at it a moment as I watch him draw out another knife from god knows where. I could see where this was going and I quickly close the knife in my hand. “Zaheer I am not going to kill you.”

I am swiftly manhandled into the wall opposite of me; a knife blade gently kissing the left side of my face. Zaheer is so much taller than me, but I don’t shrink back from him as he scans me. His lips twitch threatening to pull into a sneer. He seems just as scared as I am, but he lets me go just as quickly as he’d grabbed me; putting the knife away and throwing the door to outside open. I am not sure where he’s going but I follow behind like a lost lamb. His swiss army knife napping delicately in my pocket.

I don’t know where our walk is leading us. It’s all a blur as we suddenly are forced to duck into a commandeered civilian vehicle. One of many that had brought some of us here. Regular cars drew a lot less attention. My voice squeaks to life again as he stares down at me, his gaze trained on me but also the windows of the tinted sports car. I can only manage to say that one word again..

“Why?” He winces as he maneuvers himself, his big shoulders hitting the roof of the car. He doesn’t really get any further away though; his chest still almost crushing me.

“Does it matter?” I know what he means. I can’t blame him.

“I..” I take a moment to collect myself. My head is straining as I glance out the window sitting up on my elbows. There really isn’t enough room for the both of us. “Right. I don’t know what I expected. I’m the one person you wouldn’t tell.” He knew just as well as I why.”I’m just the guy they send in to get people to trust me.” That was my job. I was good at manipulating people.”That’s not what I’m doing here.”

“Doesn’t really matter. I’ll be dead either way. You can’t talk me out of this.” I open my mouth to speak but the sound of footsteps near the vehicle quiet me. That and the sound of the man breathing on top of me filling my ears. They are looking for us. They know.

“Zaheer..” I’m breathless as the footsteps get further away, but I can hear voices filling the parking lot. It could be civilians but the facial expression across my fellow soldier’s face tells me otherwise. I move awkwardly and he seems intent on stopping whatever it is I’m doing but my eyes drift to the front of the car. His gaze follows my line of sight. There are keys in the ignition.

There it is, those eyes. He looks at me again, confusion filling the space where his fear had been. It was his turn.

“Why?” His voice is so soft all the sudden and I shake my head.

“Does it matter?”

He frowns at me a moment before moving just enough to allow me to move out from under him. I somehow manage to clamor into the driver’s seat. I can’t really understand what I’m doing, only that I had to do it. I didn’t know if it was out of sympathy or something else, but I knew then and there that I was about to do something reckless.