Radioman (A 2/19th Spinoff) - Complete

Just Leave Me Alone

The cabin was dark, the power out. I could see the light around the edges of the door at the end of the hallway that led to the front room. It was cold inside the cabin, the baseboard heaters out now that the power was out. I wondered if they'd built a fire in the fireplace or the wood stove. With the windows busted, the wind and snow had blown in and made the inside of the cabin cold.

It was dark and cold in the cabin as I moved carefully, walking on the outside edges of my boots like they taught us in Basic Training, up to the door.

"You said that you were told to quit investigating him?" Dave's dad asked.

"Yeah. The State Department asked if he was in trouble. When I told them no, they told me to mind my own business. That his assignment was classified. I figured it was his unit, not him," The Sheriff said.

I stood there, in front of the door, still and silent, listening to them talk.

"So, Paulie isn't, like, a Green Beret or some junk?" Gail asked.

"No. He's just a radio operator. In Vietnam they could barely handle their rifles," Sheriff Wesley said.

We have learned the mistakes of Vietnam, men. The American Army lives and dies on its communication, which means you need to stay alive. You will be targeted at all times...

Advanced Individual Training

"Foster said he called an old friend," The Sheriff mused. "Maybe he's got help."

"Like a Green Beret or some junk?" Gail asked.

"Yeah. Maybe it isn't him out there," Dave said. "Paulie's always been a pussy. I can't see him doing all of this."

I opened the door silently, standing in the doorway.

Dave's father and the Sheriff were looking out the front windows at the vehicles. Dave and Gail were standing in the middle of the room, holding onto each other. His brother was standing there, a bandage where I'd laid the knife on his jaw bright white, looking out another window. I could smell the fear in the room, see their terror in their stances.

I didn't know what they were so afraid of out there. I was inside, with them, and they still all stared out the windows into the snowy night, filled with fear. Instead of paying attention to the doors and the ways to get inside the cabin, they stared outside at the winter night.

Why were they so frightened of out there?

There were no monsters out there in the dark and cold of Kansas.

I took two steps into the room and stood there silently, staring at them.

"Paulie, like, won't do anything to me. I'm his ex-wife and junk," Gail said. "He, like, wouldn't hurt a woman and junk."

I just stood there, cocking my head as I watched them talk, the brush blade heavy in my left hand, the hand-axe comfortable in my right hand.

"Sooner or later he has to try to get in," Dave's father said, straightening up from where he was looking out the window. "We'll kill him then."

He turned around and his mouth dropped open in shock as he saw me. The shotgun was held in his hands, forgotten.

"I'm out of ammo," The Sheriff said, straightening up. He turned around, the heavy revolver in his hand, and stared at me in shock.

"Holy shit!" The Sheriff yelled.

"He's inside!" Dave's father yelled.

Everyone turned to look.