Taking a long draw off his beer, Roger found one thing to be true: no matter how far they traveled, they always ended up in a cage. There were rows and rows of makeshift cells. Soon after they reached the camp Aubrey and he had been escorted with the rest of the beer festival security detail into what the guards called “secured holding.”
Aubrey leaned in, talking in whispers. “Where do you think they took Shavian?”
He took another drink and frowned. He didn’t know where they took the crazy lass. But what was really bothering him was where were the others? Elliott, Junie, and the others never appeared. He thought they would have been here already, considering they had to stop to remove the hysterical girl from the truck.
When they pulled them single file from the transport they looked to be inside some large warehouse taken over as a military run transport hub. People filed cataloged and held, while others were shipped out in truck or helicopters. There were plenty of other trucks, but not Elliott’s.
He put the empty down and pulled another can out of his pocket.
“Where did you get all that beer?” Aubrey said, sounding impressed.
“Mmm? We were at a beer festival, lass. Plenty of beer,” he said dismissively.
Two men decked out in Army uniforms stopped at their cell. “Welcome to Umatilla Army Depot. We hope your stay is comfortable. If it isn’t, we aren’t going to improve it.” The people in the cell with them grumbled.
“Enough, enough,” the solder said. “Your group will be staying with us for now and not moved on to Washington. I’m going to need ID of some kind from each of you.”
Roger rose to stand face to face with the soldiers through the fencing that made the holding cell. The man looked nervous as he spoke. “Why would you keep us here?”
“Because Washington has denied entry of people the military is holding for incarceration.” Roger took a drink of his beer and the solder looked confused on how he’d gotten it, but didn’t try and take it from him with only his partner for back up.
“You’re going to hold us here for having a beer festival?”
“No, you are being held here for bearing arms against the US Army,” the man clipped back. “Present ID, or you have to fill out one of these forms.” He held up a paper that looked much like a resume. “Once you’re in the system you’ll be given a band that will be used to get your meals and where you’ll be housed.”
Roger growled and finished his can of beer, crushing it. He didn’t want to be a rat in one of their cages. He especially didn’t think the military could keep them safe. He’d seen the movies; it never lasted, not even once. He looked over to Aubrey sitting on the bench looking nervous, biting at her nails. He groaned and hung his head.
This is why you don’t become attached; it’s like an anchor that you have to pull around. Even if it was a really cute anchor. He reached down and pulled some cards wrapped in a rubber band out of his boot. He handed his ID to the solder.
“I’m going to need a nice two person suite, thanks.” Roger looked back to Aubrey who was watching him now with her clear blue eyes. Play along, for now. Find Shavian. Get out of here.
Junie can take care of Elliott.