Eliot Strange and the Prince of the Resistance

52) Nothing on Me

I am awake but somehow stuck in quicksand, no wait, it is not quicksand but a giant, fluffy, purple, velour beanbag chair. When you are deep in one of these chairs, there is no graceful way to escape. I fight it with both arms and my legs and push and grunt and finally roll out onto the floor with a thud. I am embarrassed but grateful there is no witness to my shameful dismount.

Thank goodness the machine gun fire is coming from the TV, or I would be a goner. B-rad is saying the most famous line from the movie:

"King Kong got nothing on me," I say with him as I pretend to shoot my gun in the air too. I plop back in the beanbag, though not quite as deep this time, and finish the movie while sipping on the rest of my hot Coke.

I have to pee so I open the door to go down the hall to the bathroom. The person/guard must be on break, or I am more trusted than I thought, because there is no one in the hall. After I pee, I open the door to peek and still there is nobody guarding me or taking my requests. Dang, I could use a fresh Coke.

I decide to go exploring in Ninja mode. I quickly learn that my Ninja skills are not needed when I run into some soldiers who don't pay me much mind at all, other than to nod in my direction. One younger soldier looks me in the eye and smiles bigger than the others. I should be creeped out by these evil wrongdoers, but they seem like normal guys, one is even flirting with me, I think.

I walk all the way to the lobby before I am stopped by, of all people, a soldier who is a girl. She looks like she might be in charge of the front door comings and goings.

"Where you going ma'am?" she asks me.

Ma'am? I would bet we are about the same age. She has the most beautiful long blonde hair I have ever seen. It is pinned up all official and military-like, but I bet if it was let loose, it would go past her waist.

"Oh," I say, "Just heard there was a prince here, just trying to catch a glimpse of him."

Like all of Torin's fan club, she melts when I say "prince". She starts gushing like we are both in love with him.

"Oh my goodness, I saw that dreamboat yesterday. I heard he was under arrest. The general has been looking for him everywhere. He was with another guy who is just as gorgeous."

"Under arrest?" I ask innocently. "Is the prince a prisoner?"

She thinks about this, "Naw, probably not because I heard the general himself was so glad to see the prince that he shook his hand and the other guy's hand too. I heard there is a big supper tonight in the prince's honor. A big to do. Fancy, kind of. Heard, there was going be steaks, and I heard the general is going to have something special for us too in honor of the prince coming to visit. I am so excited. Can't wait to see what it is. Are you new here? I never seen you before."

I nod. "I'm new. My name is Carli," I lie. "I like your hair. It is beautiful. How long is it?" 

She grins. We are new best friends, and she says, "If I let it down, which I can't do now because I'm a soldier, but if I let it down, it is past my butt. I can sit on it."

"Wow," I say because that is amazing. "What's your name? How long you been with the army? How old are you?"

"I'm Beth," she smiles. " I'm 16. Nice to meet you. I been a soldier for three days. They said join or die, and I sure didn't want to die, so I joined. Though I don't know if that part is true or not because pretty much everybody left still in town, joined. We were starving before they got here, and now we been eating three meals a day. It takes some getting used to, eating again, but I am sure liking it."

Beth stops talking long enough to rub her stomach and continues, " Do you think we'll see that prince again tonight? I'm supposed to be on guard duty here tonight too. I hope I get to see him. He is soooo cute. I hope I get to hear him say something too. I love an English accent, don't you?"

I respond by imitating Torin and his accent, "Oh yes, I do, my lady."

We both laugh. It feels good to be a girl again.

Since Beth seems sure that the prince is the special guest tonight, I decide not to jeopardize the upcoming dinner. He must be safe if he is the special guest. I return to my room.

I don't feel like watching another movie and definitely have had enough junk to eat. Even junk food, as glorious as it is, should be eaten in moderation. Everything in moderation. Steven's Nana used to say that. My full, rolling stomach sure agrees with her. I have indigestion. I can't quit burping. All the Coke, I guess. I feel bloated. Damn, I hope I fit in that dress without having to hold my stomach in all night.

I am bored and amazed that I am bored. It has been a long time. I kind of missed boredom.

I go to the window and look out. I have a great view. Everywhere I look people are bustling about like it is typical downtown day of business. I would bet that Stuart never has this many people in town on a typical day though. Everyone seems to have a purpose, a job. I look closer and notice that there are a handful of people who look out of place and almost awkward. Probably, the newly recruited. They haven't had time to turn completely evil yet. Get your belly full and then turn evil - I guess that is the usual order of things.

I do see some people who look like they have not completely bought into the idea of a new world order of evil yet. They probably believe they are hiding in plain sight, gathering intel as my dad calls it, but from this angle, I can see who they really are. They won't last long if they don't quickly figure out how to blend in better. The middle age man and two women at the corner need to kick a dog or smack an old person because, to me, they stand out like a sore thumb. They look scared. And scared will get you killed in this town now.

Some of the townspeople have mastered the look of - we belong. I guess the solders on the ground are too busy to notice either way. I look closer at a couple who look familiar. They are holding hands, and then I notice that twitch and see some soldiers turn to watch her. One must have whistled because the man pulls her closer as if to say "this is my property". He must say something too because at least one of the men looks as if he is apologizing.

The man says something again, and the group disperses.

Carli and Jack keep on walking like they are on a Sunday stroll.

They blend right in.

I hope no one notices that the prince's twin is in town. Hopefully, his ball cap hides his face. I wonder if Jack has mastered a southern accent? I've never heard him use one.

I guess the reinforcements have arrived because I watch them stroll the streets and stop and talk to an older man. Except for the fact that Jack and Carli are talking to him, Agent Lancaster would blend right in to the landscape. He is draped in "One Nation" flags and a toolbelt like he has been hanging flags all over town. I bet he has too. He hands Jack and Carli a flag and some nails and a hammer, and they go their separate ways.

Agent Lancaster walks to the front of the building across the street. The building looks imposing and official, and even from here I can see a small sign that says "Sheriff's Office." He stops and talks to another man, and when I see that it his son, Gus, I say a quick prayer:

"Oh Lord, please let Agent Lancaster still be on the side of good and right. Please."

They talk for a minute, and I see Agent Lancaster turn and look up to my window. I think about jerking back so he doesn't know I have been spying, but I don't. I stand my ground. He sees me and waves. Just a little wave, but it feels like a signal.

Like my mom, I believe that Agent Lancaster is on the right side.

I wave back.

Gus never looks up. I guess he has decided who he will serve, and it is the devil himself.