Manny's Mix-up

Part Five

Something was poking Jason’s side.  He pushed it with his hand and felt cold steel.  His eyes flew open, and he turned over.  Two men stood near him armed with strange looking rifles.

“Get up,” said the one closest to him.  He was dressed in black from head to toe, and his eyes were blocked by sunglasses.

“Who the fuck are you?” Jason said, grogginess clouding his better judgment.  He also hadn’t eaten in two days, and his blood sugar had hit rock bottom.  The man raised the gun, and Jason sat up.  “Okay, okay, I’m getting up.  Can I use the bathroom?”

The man waved the gun in the direction of the bathroom and Jason stumbled across the floor.

“Keep the door open,” the man said and Jason complied.  “Get dressed.”

He had dropped his jeans on the floor and thrown Bill’s shirt on the chair.  As he put on his pants, two shots were fired.  The man next to Jason hit the floor, and the other guy landed on one of the beds.  Maddie stood at the door with a bag in one hand and a Glock in the other.

“Did they hurt you?” she said.

Jason had dropped his pants and had his hands raised.  “No.”

“Get dressed.  We have to move.”

Maddie was suddenly animated.  She moved faster and talked normally.

“You look different,” Jason said as he put on his shirt.

“That’s because I haven’t had my dose of tranqs today.  Hurry up.  We don’t have much time.”

“Where’d you get the gun?”

“Bill keeps it behind the counter.  I saw the truck when we came back, so I grabbed it.”

“Where are we going now?”

“We have to find Hannah so she can get you back where you belong.”

“She said she wanted no part of this,” he said.

“She’ll do it for me.”

“She seemed pretty sure…”

“I said she’ll do it for me.  Now let’s go.”

She looked from side to side as she walked through the door.  “I brought you food.  It’s in the bag.”  She thrust the bag into Jason’s hands.

“Great,” he said.

“Wait till we get to the truck.”

“I can eat and walk at the same time.  I can do that,” he said.

She ignored him and kept walking to the end of the parking lot.  Bill’s old truck was parked in the last spot, and Maddie got into the driver’s side.  She started it up as Jason climbed into the passenger side, and they took off.

“Is this Bill’s truck?” Jason asked as he woofed down two egg sandwiches.

“Yup.  He said we could use it.  He bought those for you, by the way.”

“Thanks, Bill.  Those eggs tasted funny.  So how far until we get there?”

“Not far.  Hannah’s place is only a few miles away.  And they’re not real eggs.  They’re made in a lab somewhere.”

“That’s comforting.  So, how do you know how to drive?” Jason asked.

“Hannah taught me.  She wanted me to know everything about this time.”

“About that, why aren’t you part of the team?  Why do you have to clean their house?”

“Clarence deemed me unfit.  He said all I was good for was cleaning up their shit.”