Note: See Part 1 for disclaimers.
THE ONLY EASY DAY IS YESTERDAY
"The Journey of Jeremy Keller"
By Old Scout
Part 7
The old tractor-trailer rig pulled up to the deserted intersection.
It was 8 o'clock in the evening and the bright orange sun settled on the
horizon glaring through the tractor's windshield. The driver had long
graying black hair and a thick beard. His face was rough from a life
time working in the elements. The man chomped on the stub of a cigar
that hadn't seen a flame in hours.
"Here's were I turn south." the driver said to his passenger.
The passenger opened his seat belt and buttoned his denim jacket
then reached behind the seat and grabbed his green duffel. "Otto, thanks
for the lift." Jeremy said to the driver.
"Us vets gotta stick together." the driver said then smiled "even
with you navy punks."
Jeremy laughed "Well the Navy's a dirty job, but somebody's got
to have the balls to do it."
"Take care friend." Otto said and shook Jeremy's hand just before
he jumped from the cab.
Jeremy watched the eighteen wheeler rattle down the road away
from him. He turned to the west and stared toward the distant horizon.
The smell of the diesel fuel that still hung in the air took Jeremy back to
another place and time......
After recovering from the gun shot wounds, Jeremy was much
more receptive to what Aziz had to tell him. The man had laid it all out,
about something called "The Game", the life force he could feel in other
immortals called "quickening" and other aspects of life as an immortal.
"Of course your safe from the game here." Aziz said.
"Safe, why is that."
Aziz waved his hand at the surrounding country side. "The whole
Kingdom is considered Holy ground. No immortal would dare take your
head within the borders of Saudi Arabia."
"How convenient."
"There's only one draw back."
"And what's that?"
Aziz smiled "Saudi Arabia is one of the few countries left in the
world that executes people by beheading. Get into trouble here and a
death sentence really could be one."
"Tell me something, Abual."
"Yes my friend."
"About this game, what's the truth behind it? It just sounds like
a myth, or perhaps a religion. No concrete proof, just stories and
tradition. Has there ever been anybody who totally ignored the rules of
the game?"
Aziz seemed to get very serious. "Jeremy, take heed my advise.
Even if the Game is a myth don't break its rules. If you do, every
immortal out there will be looking for you. There are many very strong
and powerful immortals who would never hunt a man just for his
quickening, but ignore the rules and you'll be the target of some of the
most skilled warriors who have ever walked this earth."
"Do you really believe in the 'Game' and the 'Prize'?"
Aziz turned and walked away for a few steps then turned back
toward the young man with him. "There was a time once, before the rise
of current civilization when man reached a similar but different peak.
There are a few relics from this age around now. Just hints of it in the
ruins of ancient cities.
"In these times, Immortals were known and integrated in the
societies. Some places worshipped our kind as gods, others as royalty.
To some we were just a commodity, good warriors and expensive
gladiators. After the great catastrophe, many people survived, but the
great civilization was destroyed. Humans were back to hunting and
gathering, everything was gone.
"In a few places like Egypt and other fertile lands a few people,
mostly immortals, with the skills of the ancients tried to bring man back
to his feet. This is when immortals went into hiding and handed off the
rebuilding of the human race to others. Sometime, the Game came into
being. I don't know when it started or how it started. One story says
that an immortal saw the ever growing number of new immortals and in
his infinite wisdom developed the Game. However it started, it has
condemned immortals to life in the shadows. Passing through the
centuries watching mortals living and dieing natural deaths all the while
trying to kill each other off."
"So we went from being one of the major influences in human
civilization, to living secret lives bent on self annihilation?" Jeremy
asked.
"That's about it."
"Aziz, are you one of the Ancients?"
Aziz smiled "Does it matter?"
Later that day, Aziz drove Jeremy to Dhahran to rejoin the
American forces. He was dropped off down the road from a US
compound on the out skirts of Dhahran called Kobar Towers. Kobar
Towers was a large complex of 7 story apartment buildings built by the
Saudis for the Bedouins. The Bedouins, however, weren't interested so
the complex had stood empty for many years.
Jeremy approached the heavily fortified entrance to Kobar
carefully. He still wore the sandals he had been given and the long
sleeve white shirt but had changed into levis to look less Saudi. The
MPs on duty watched him carefully as he approached, always keeping
several loaded weapons on him.
A Sergeant approached "Halt, identify yourself."
"My name is Lieutenant Keller, U.S. Navy." Jeremy then handed
the Sergeant the small cloth bag he was carrying which held his
remaining gear, including weapons.
"I'm Master Sergeant Murphy." the man said as he looked in the
bag and took a quick inventory of the gear. He recognized the remains
of Keller's wet suit and the special forces weapons. "Come with me."
The MPs then escorted Keller into the guard booth.......
Jeremy approached a small bar several miles from where Otto
had dropped him off. Motorcycles and old trucks sat parked outside and
the remains of a neon sign flickered in the evening sun. The place
appeared to be a one stop shop for low end travelers. The main building
was a bar / restaurant, behind it was a run down garage with broken
windows and towering old gas pumps. All around, the remains of
forgotten cars sat sinking into piles of rust.
"Looks harmless enough." Keller thought to himself then shifted
the bag on his shoulder and headed in.
to be continued..................