AUTOMATIC GUNFIRE

The last time I saw live fire from an automatic weapon was back at the martha school, converted from an elementary school in the before-times. The play-field outside was excellent for salvagings and particicutions.

You just don't expect it at a Commander's home. None of us knew what was going on, just that bullets were flying in the kitchen window, shattering glass everywhere.

I don't know why, but I ran upstairs. Safety was the basement, but me I went up! Me, I worried for the Handmaid. I shouldn't have. Adding to the uniqueness of the day, there she was in the Missus's bedroom, in her underthings, arms held above her head. The Commander's wife looked to be fitting the Handmaid with some sort of corset. But it was not a corset. It was a sling on her back, where some sort of huge gun was slung - the Handmaid was holding a small pistol in her hand above her.

The Commander's wife stepped back to inspect her work, then motioned for me to pass to her the Handmaid's red uniform, then the cloak. Which I did. She dressed the girl, then stood back again to inspect, then said, "Ok, hurry. To The Commander's office. Quickly." At that the girl left the room leaving the two of us, Missus and me, standing staring at each other.

Bullets then broke in through the window, glass was everywhere.

It was then that I panickedly made my way to the basement. There must have been another 1/2-hour of fighting, although it seemed endless. At last the noise stopped. I heard boots on the the floorboards above, then stairs coming down, I stood and had my hands in the air even before the young Guardian spotted me. He roughly ushered me upstairs, then outside. On the parking pad was a Guardian's prisoner's wagon. Despite my panic, they did not put me into it.

The Commander came out just ahead of a Guardian I did not recognize. The young man was not from our house, nor from the street. The Commander had his hands zipped-tied behind his back. He said to this young Guardian, "Do yourself a favour, son: ask yourself, do you know who you're working for?" The Guardian was polite but firm, said, "That's not my place, sir.

At that, his radio crackled. He i.d.'ed himself, I heard his name but now cannot remember. The voice on the radio said, "Take package to airport. South terminal. Signed, Nick Blaine. Out." At that The Commander was put into the prisoner's wagon, the Guardian turned to its driver, and said, "You heard the man."

I definitely remember Commander Blaine's name being used. He'd been at the house many times. I'd once attended my Commander and Wife to the Blaine estate, with his crippled wife. It was just him, Rose, his martha Beth, and a very young Guardian. Come to think of it, the same Guardian who had arrested our Commander. For marthas it was best not to get involved.

It was at that point that I became jittery about the Handmaid's location.

MEANWHILE, BACK IN PRISON

Growing up, my brothers and I had tussled all the time. Not like this. Of the three I was by far the oldest and biggest. They used to try to tag team me, it was hilarious at the time. Good timing in leaving home when I did, they were both just getting to the size where they could hold their own. They also less and less were fooled by my fakes.

In here? Prison? Full on beatings. I should have stayed home at least a while longer, it would have prepared me for those times when I was out of my league. Like now.

Where was Kunaar? I couldn't imagine him in one of these cells. If that were true, I really was screwed. Where was dad? Each time the cell door clangs shut, I'm paralysed that that may be the last time it was open. The food is shit. The bucket in the corner, it too is shit. I held it for two days until I couldn't anymore.

This used to be the Tennessee State Prison, a century and a half old, once closed but repurposed by Gilead. I had just had a class in civil engineering and buildings built for institutional purposes. Let's just say that that institution meant to hold 1,400 was not meant for the 3,000 who were there. The laws of Gilead were outside and ended at the walls. The guards and the inmates - well, let's just say that none of them were pious Gileadens. No early morning Matins.

Ok, the beatings. I thought that my upbringing would spare me. Ha! Being a Commander's son meant I had a target pinned on me. I'd spent the first days in isolation because of it, but was then put in the general population. I'd rather not recount that.

Where was Kunaar? For that matter, where was my father? Everything was so immediate here. My threats to turn my father on them seemed to have no effect. Just the opposite.

One minute I was playing hall hockey. Next minute I was here. No one told me what was going on. Father used to hit. At least with him I knew why. But the punches and slaps in here were something else. No point in complaining about a loose tooth.

THE TRIP NORTH

My good Lord. Praise Jesus, my saviour. It was Kunaar. I'd been roused in my cell. I messed myself when they woke me and pulled me to my feet. It had never happened to me, but it always had been the middle of the night when guys were taken down to the hole. Always came back worse for wear.

I had thought this was my turn. I was still struggling from the fight in the yard the previous afternoon. Guards hadn't bothered to break it up - was one of the few times I had bested anyone, although the bruises and such meant the decision was a little more mixed.

So seeing Kunaar, not only were my pants all shitty, I started to cry. Full on bawl like a baby. First time in years. Me, big tough guy crying for my martha.

They settled me in the middle of the warden's outer office, I barely managed to stand. I thought I'd been in better shape. All Kunaar was doing was pushing paper at the guard at the desk. Kunaar then said to the guy, "Yes, I know. My billet has been changed. Check it. Again. Commander Nick Blaine. New Gilead District. Commander Blaine. Check it!" Kunaar was almost shouting at that point.

Would someone tell me what was going on?

He turned my way, but quickly turned back to the guy at the desk, "I'm not taking him like that. Get him cleaned up. As the Lord provides, he needs a shower, he's going to be in a Commander's vehicle. Get him back in normal clothes." At that I was dragged back through the secure door to the shower, petrified at the wrong direction they were taking me. Usually there were 30 guys in the shower, but at that hour it was just me.

Yet the hose they turned on to me was just as cold.

However long it took (I must have passed out) I was back in the office. Dressed, Kunaar still there. He came over, grabbed me by the upper arm, turned to the guy at the desk and asked, "Are we good?" It turned out we were. For the first time in….. well, in however long it had been, I was in father's SUV being driven away. Middle of the night. Still had that new-car smell. Far better than the smell of my cell.

Apparently, I passed out asleep in the back seat.

FIRST LIGHT

My senses returned as it got light outside. We were still rolling along the road - the rising sun to the right of us.

Kunaar must have seen me in the mirror, he said, "Good morning, m'lord." After all I'd been through since playing a harmless game of hall hockey, truly that was the first time it dawned on me that something was wrong.

Finding renewed confidence (!) I replied, "Kunaar, I like you. But don't give up on convention. You can call me, 'sir'."

I could see the smile in the mirror as his eyes never left the road, he said, "yes, m'lord."

I'd been calling out for Kunaar, and there he was. "Can you please tell me what this is all about? Is Gilead under attack?"

Kunaar smiled again, "Gilead, m'lord, is just fine." He started slowing for the checkpoint up ahead. He said, "Look, if you want to live, let me do the talking. You need to know that if it goes sideways up ahead, I'll be fine. You won't. You'll be back at that facility by evening. Are we good?"

As he stopped we were four vehicles back from where the inspectors were. He repeated, "Are we good?"

"Yes, we're good," was the only reply I could manage.

The lie that Kunaar told the Guardians at the checkpoint was both brilliant as well as bizarre. Me, I behaved myself.

But now that we were up to speed, I said with as much force as I could, "Kunaar, right now you're going to tell me what is happening. Either that or my father gets wind of all this."

"Ha!" Kunaar blurted out with a big smile. I liked Kunaar, but he was bordering on insubordination. I felt quite powerless to do anything about it. Maybe at the next checkpoint I should just insist on speaking to The Commander. Leave Kunaar out of it.

"We're into Louisville in a minute. There's a place we can pick up breakfast, but we have to keep moving."

"Look, Kunaar, we have a lot to catch up on," I switched tactics. "Sure, I'd like breakfast. Orange juice if they have it."

FLEEING KUNAAR? WHAT WAS I THINKING?

Twenty-minutes later we were in the city. Not much traffic, quite unlike Boston at this time of year. But more checkpoints than at home. In fact, it was immediately after the last one, that Kunaar turned into a house. He turned off the SUV, said to me, "Stay here, I'll make sure you get some O.J.," then got out and headed in.

Me, I went where fools feared. After Kunaar was out of sight, I got out, went back out onto the road and approached the checkpoint behind us. One of the Guardians there noticed me, took out his pistol and walked towards me, pistol pointing at the ground.

He said, "Can I help you?"

I told him who I was, and that I needed to speak to my father, a Commander, in the New Gilead District. He held up his hand, said, "Wait right there. Please, do not move." At that he holstered his weapon, and went back to the checkpoint.

Not three minutes later, Kunaar walked up and stood right beside me. He had his packet of credentials out. That packet had got us through this very checkpoint not 5 minutes previous. As the Guardian got out of the post, weapon now out again and pointed to the ground. Kunaar said to me in a quiet voice, "that's the last orange juice you get."

The Guardian stood about 10 feet from us, and asked Kunaar, "Is this Commander Tiafor's son?" It was a giant stress reliever to finally be identified as to who I was! At that, Kunaar told me to go back to the SUV. Which I did. I then distinctly heard the other guy tell Kunaar, "you know Tiafor's been arrested?"

I jumped into the SUV, quite frozen just like prison. Kunaar just stood there talking with the other Guardian. I started to shake, not knowing what was going to happen. Until the guy holstered his weapon and motioned Kunaar away.

Kunaar got in, started the SUV, and said, "you do that again and I'll shoot you myself."