Eleven #3
We came around to the back door, which wasn't locked, and took a moment to listen and peek in the windows.
I could see a kitchen, which was shut down for the night from the looks of it.
There was a counter with an old man sitting behind it, looking none too happy, and a table with four armed military guards playing cards.
"I'm a bit surprised there's no one standing guard outside," I whispered.
"This time of night, they should see the headlights of anybody approaching when they pull in. Probably hear them, as well. That is why we stopped so far away after all, right?" Suzona said.
"So how do we get them out?"
"I can just knock on the door and do my 'dumb bunny' act," Evean said. "That should lure them out."
I looked at Suzona, who shrugged. "I can't do the dumb bunny. I'm too… buff, I guess? Evean exudes sex appeal; they'll trip over their tongues."
I chuckled, and Evean grinned.
"Well, let's go."
Making our way around to the front, Suzona and I hid a little ways back from the front door in the shadows while Evean shifted back into her local form, walked up to the door, and opened it.
"Excuse me, but could a couple of you fine gentlemen help a girl out? My car's out of gas, and it's just a short way down the road," she said from the doorway, looking sexy as hell, I had to admit.
"Come in here, and we'll help you out!" one of the guards yelled back.
"Now, now. I don't like the idea of leaving my sister out there all by her lonesome in the middle of the night. So how's about you follow me?" Evean said and gave a sexy nod of her head, then turned and strutted away from the door and back out into the night.
"Hey! Stop! Get back here!" a man's voice yelled, followed a moment later by the man himself running out the door. Evean turned, smiled, and punched him hard enough that he went down without a sound.
"Hey! Gimme back my shirt!" Evean yelled. "Hey! That tickles! What are—ooohhh, that feels nice!" she called out while grabbing one of the unconscious guard's arms and dragging him past us and off into the dark.
"Gavin! Get back here!" Two more came out the door.
"Oh! Yessssss! That feels so gooood!" Evean said in a husky voice.
"Bastard's started without us!" the other guard said in lower voice and took off at a trot.
"Wait up!" the other one said, running to catch up.
I got him by the throat and took him down to the ground just as Suzona got the other one.
I had him gagged and hogtied in less than a minute, then I relieved him of his rifle and ammo, as well as his wallet.
Looking up, I saw that Suzona had done the same with hers, and Evean was securing the one she'd dropped.
"So how long should we wait?"
"Ev, grab one of the rifles and go in the back door. Sue and I will go in the front. Make a slight noise to distract them, then we'll come in, guns raised, demanding to see our sister," I said while shifting back to my local form.
"You worried the old guy might try to shoot?"
"I'd rather not give him the option."
"Got it."
Suzona and I gathered up the other two rifles, checked that they were loaded, and then walked up to just outside the front door. The moment I saw the old man in the back turn his head, Suzona and I stepped in.
"Where's my sister?" Suzona said, aiming the rifle at the guard while I covered the old man, who immediately put his hands up. We moved towards the remaining guard, who was fumbling to grab his rifle.
"Drop it, or I'll shoot," Suzona said, closing the distance suddenly, and butt-stroking the guy with the rifle.
"He's clean, Will," Evean called from the back. The old man looked around at her, surprised.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"A couple of folks who ain't too keen on what's been going on around here," I told him. "Pity we're on our way to another job, or we'd take a day or two to deal with the people ordering all of this."
"I'll let the bus know it's safe to pull up," Suzona said, picking up the hogtied guard with one hand and carrying him out of the building.
"You're all champions, aren't you?"
"Yup. Portal traveler store?"
"It's around back of the garage, and it's closed right now. The owners left months ago."
"Is there any kind of guard station between here and Burrsville?"
"No, this is the first one. Since damn near everyone has to stop here to get fuel, the local guards grab 'em. If any made it past, they'd just call ahead."
"Where are the rest of 'em?" Evean asked.
"A bus'll be here with a changing of the guard just before sunrise."
"How long has this been going on, anyway?"
"Started up a couple of months ago when a new military governor was appointed. The last one hadn't been making enough progress, and this new one, well, seems he has a few ideas about how things should work."
"And nobody's done anything to stop him?"
"I'm not sure anybody knows."
"What about his superiors?" Evean asked.
"I think they'll turn a blind eye as long as they can. He's been making progress, after all."
"Think anyone outside knows?" Evean asked me.
"The ticket agents know something, or they wouldn't be telling people to come here."
"So what are you going to do with me?" the old man asked.
"Oh, we're going to hang out until just before the guards show up to make sure nobody rats out our friends who aren't all that keen about being slaves. We're going to leave after that," Evean said.
"Once your friends have left, would you mind if I went an' got my own family an' left?"
"Nope, wouldn't mind at all."
Twenty or so minutes later, Suzona came back in.
"They're all fueled up and just left. Now what?"
"Apparently, this gentleman wants to get his family and leave, as well."
"Fine with me."
"Go about it then," I told him, and he got up and quickly left.
"I wonder how many 'family members' he's got?" Evean asked after he'd left.
"Well, let's go wait someplace where we're not sitting waterfowl, okay?" Suzona said.
"Duck."
Suzona ducked.
"I mean duck, not duck!" I said, and she ducked again, then started giggling.
Evean stopped, looked at Suzona, and started laughing. "Good one."
I just shook my head and sighed.
About an hour later, a dozen cars started, came over to the fuel pumps, filled up, and then drove off in the same direction the bus had gone. Several of the cars had trailers attached, all of which looked to have been hastily loaded.
"You know, I almost wish we could do something about this," I said several hours later.
"It's not our job, and it's not our responsibility. We've already got a job to do," Suzona said.
"I have to agree with Sue, Will. There's always going to be bad things and stupid things going on.
It's not on us to fix everybody's problems. Yeah, what's going on here sucks, but if these people can't fix it themselves, well, then, I guess they deserve what's coming for them.
Besides, how well do you really know this place? "
"I guess you're right," I said with a shake of my head. "Hell of a road trip. Let's get out of here."
Standing up, I started walking off to where I could feel the portal. After a moment, the girls got up and followed. I could only hope things weren't this screwed up back at my old home.