I am Rome (Complete)

Chapter Forty-One

Joe said goodbye to Rome and then watched him disappear into the sky. As soon as Rome left, Joe jumped back on his dirt bike and headed toward the bunker. When he came over the hill, he brought the bike to a stop. A convoy of military vehicles had now occupied his property and were illegally going through his parent's house and the barn in which he lived. He watched on and wondered if he could make it to the bunker without being noticed, but it was already too late, one of the agents saw the dirt bike tracks and then saw Joe parked at the top of the hill.

"There he is!" one of the agents shouted as he pointed in Joe's direction. Joe saw the gesture, but the words were drowned out by the loud rain.

Immediately, a swarm of men piled into the full-size SUVs and made their way toward Joe. The vehicles spread out to try to trap the lone rider, but Joe knew his property better than anyone.

Not wanting to lead them toward the woods where they would undoubtedly discover the parked Jeep next to the bunker, Joe only had one way to go. He gripped the throttle and snapped his wrist downward. The back tire dug into the soaked ground and tore up a thick patch of grass. With his left foot still planted on the ground, Joe whipped the backend around one hundred and eighty degrees until he was now completely turned around. Without stopping, Joe placed his foot back on the bike and took off.

Like a horse jockey, Joe postured up to maintain his balance while the bike skipped across the ground. This was something the SUVs could not do. As a result, Joe pulled away from the pack with ease.

On the south end of the property was a rugged terrain that was mostly used by grazing cattle. It had thick bushes and narrow pathways that could not be accessed by wide SUVs. But for a motorbike, it provided a perfect escape route. Joe entered the bushed area and kept heavy on the throttle. He had to duck his head to avoid getting whipped by the long branches as he whizzed by.

He eventually emerged from the bushes and reached the edge of his property, which ran parallel to the highway. He rolled into the ditch at near full speed and came up the other side. Using the transition as a jump, Joe launched himself into the air by about six feet, clearing an entire lane. Landing on the wrong side of the road, Joe came down hard, compressing the bike's suspension to the limit.

The road was slick, but Joe managed to settle the bike and bring it to a stop. He looked up and down the highway both ways and there was no traffic in either direction. Not wanting to waste time, Joe gunned it toward the town.

When he arrived, he went to the sheriff's office. After parking his bike, Joe burst through the doors looking like a sewer rat. This gained the attention of everyone in the station.

"I need to speak with Sheriff McDaniel," Joe said urgently.

"He's not here, what's this regarding?" one of the deputies asked.

Without saying a word, Joe left the police station. Before he could get back on his bike, Joe was struck on the side of the face. The punch seemingly came from out of nowhere, causing Joe to fall to the ground. In a daze, Joe looked up and saw Sean standing over him.

"Where is she?" Sean asked, still harbouring unresolved animosity.

"Sean, we're in front of a police station you moron."

"It's okay, I'm dating the sheriff's daughter."

"Are you sure about that? Last time I checked, she was with me," Joe said as he returned to his feet.

Sean stepped forward grabbing Joe by the collar of his jacket and slugged him in the stomach. Joe went down again, this time gasping for breath as the wind had been knocked out of him.

"You want to get smart with me? Now tell me where she is?"

Meanwhile, back at the bunker, Joe's mother was busy making a pot of tea.

"What do you think is taking Joe so long?" April asked. "Maybe we should check on him."

"I wouldn't worry too much about Joseph; he can take care of himself just fine. I'm sure he and his father are gathering supplies and will be here shortly."

"I hope you're right."

Joe was reluctant to return to his feet for fear he would face another attack. Still clutching his midsection, Joe scooted backward on the sidewalk to create some distance between him and Sean.

"Do you think I'd ever live in a world where you and April are together?"

"I guess you could always kill yourself," Joe quipped.

"You think I'm playing with you?" Sean said as he reached into his jacket, pulled out a gun, and aimed it at Joe.

"Listen, Sean, I'm sorry okay, I thought we were just joking around with each other. You don't need to do this. April is at my house with my mother, I can take you there right now, just please put the gun down."

Joe casually slid his hand in his pocket and grabbed the Simbian communicator device.

"You think you're special because you are friends with an alien?"

Joe didn't answer.

"You're a freak, alien boy. I don't know what April sees in you."

Just then a truck pulled up and Sheriff McDaniel shouted, "Put the gun down, Sean!" Using the door as a shield, the sheriff had drawn his weapon and was aiming it at Sean. "I don't want to shoot you, son, but I will if you don't put the gun down now."

Sean complied with the sheriff's request and lowered his weapon to the ground. The entire time, he never broke eye contact with Joe. He placed his hands above his head and took a few steps away from the gun. The sheriff quickly rushed over with two more deputies and put Sean in handcuffs. Joe returned to his feet and thanked the sheriff.

"Are you okay, son?" the sheriff asked.

"Yes, I'm fine, but unfortunately, I can't stick around."

"I understand. Take care of yourself, Joe."

"Thanks, I will," Joe said as he winked at the sheriff.

Joe disappeared in a flash of light that streaked toward the sky, leaving everyone in awe.