Post-Pandemic: A New World

Chapter Seven: The Deal

Bridge held up the letter that had been written by Phinehas's uncle John some time prior and read from it "Bridge, Phinehas, I don't know if you two are alive. But if you find this letter, then it means I've been captured by the Rikers. For months now, a gang of Rikers has been capturing people across the city and selling them as slaves, now the group is trying to capture me! They are trying to break down the door and they'll soon catch me. If they do catch me, then head to the Westin Jersey City Hotel, it's where their headquarters is. Hurry, BREAK ME OUT!!!!!"

Bridge dropped the letter to the floor and said "We have to save him and anyone else they've captured". Anna was stunned and asked "How do you expect us to defeat a band of escaped convicts who are in possession of police and army weaponry?" Bridge paced up and down the trailer for a minute or two and figured it out. He turned back to his friends and said "We buy them". Michelle looked at Bridge with wide eyes and said "What?" Bridge cleared his throat and said "If we can get something that the Rikers want, we can trade it to them and get Uncle John back". Phinehas thought for a moment and said "Okay then, but these are Rikers, what would they want?" Bridge scratched his head and said "I'm not sure, there's only one way to find out".

About twenty minutes later, they had arrived at the Westin Jersey City Hotel and it was obvious that the Rikers now owned the place. A massive banner with the letter R written in orange was above the front entrance to the hotel and two Rikers were present at the entrance. Bridge slowly drove the R.V up to the parking lot next to the hotel and the two Rikers were quick to notice them. As Bridge got out from the R.V, the two Rikers aimed their stolen rifles at him and he raised his hands in the air. Bridge started to slowly walk towards them and three more Rikers appeared from out of the entrance, aiming their rifles at him. The Rikers were dressed in police uniforms that had been painted orange and had the letter R painted on the back of each uniform. Bridge looked the Rikers up and down, was silent for a moment and said "How many slaves do you have?" One of the Rikers lowered his rifle and said "Oh I see, looking to buy huh? Well listen pal, we've got six of em and if you want them, give us cocaine. Two bags for each slave". Bridge raised his right eyebrow and asked "Just where are we going to find a drug that was highly illegal before the Fall and was almost completely snuffed out by the Drug Enforcement Agency?" One of the Rikers looked visibly annoyed as he said "Where do ya think? This gang at the Port has plenty. Steal it from them by tonight and the slaves are yours, you don't make it here past sundown and they're all gonna be sleeping with the fishes". Bridge nodded and said "Don't worry, we'll have your drugs and those people will be free". One of the Rikers laughed as she said "Oh I see, you're one of those idealists who wants everyone to be free. Well guess what kid, this is our city now and we say what happens here". Bridge had a semi hostile look as he said "Trust me, primitive things like slavery will only make this situation worse, see ya when I get back with your powder" and walked off back to the R.V.

As Bridge got back into the R.V, Phinehas got up and asked "Did they agree to let him go?" Bridge sat down on the couch and said "They did, along with every other slave. But they want cocaine in exchange". Anna was disgusted and said "Why on Earth should we give them that soul destroying toxin?" Bridge answered in a stern tone "If we don't get them two bags of cocaine for each captured person by sundown.... those people are all gonna die". Phineas gasped and said "How are we supposed to get bags of cocaine by sundown?" Bridge looked at Phinehas and said "There's this gang of Rikers at the port who have plenty, apparently the Hotel Rikers want us to get twelve bags in exchange for the people they've enslaved". Michelle did the math in her head and said "So we're going to save six people? Only eight people can sleep in this R.V and there would be like ten of us. Where are the other three gonna sleep?" Bridge thought for a moment and said "We'll use the sleeping bags, that'll have to do". Anna looked over at the sun and said "We must hurry, if I'm not mistaken, we have only a few hours before the sun goes to sleep for the night". They all looked through the window and saw that the sun was beginning to set and was right above the buildings in the horizon. As Bridge saw the sun begin to set, he quoted something he had heard from one of Shakespeare's plays "A glooming peace this morning with it brings. The sun for sorrow will not show his head".

Half an hour later, the group were now close to port and were in a hurry to get the cocaine before the sun went down. Bridge parked the R.V in the parking lot and said "You all stay here while I scout ahead". Bridge unbuckled his seatbelt and quickly put on his bag that had his axe inside. Bridge got to the door as his friends sat down at the kitchen table and said sternly "Stay here and be as quiet as possible, if you talk, keep it to a whisper". Michelle looked at Bridge and said "Don't worry if I end up going into labour, Anna told me that she would help deliver the baby". Anna nodded and said "Yes, you need not worry". Bridge then exited the R.V with a duffle bag in hand and began making his way to the pier. It was a small pier with a single ferry attached. There was a pile of cocaine bags inside and it didn't seem like there was anyone on board. Bridge stealthily made his way to the ferry and walked across the white wooden pier. The wood creaked quietly as he walked across and Bridge didn't hear anything coming from the ferry. As he made his way to the small boat, he saw a red liquid on the wall that made his head fill with fear: blood. As he got closer, he smelt something terrible and it made him want to vomit. When he finally entered the ferry, he almost screamed as he saw the cooked and chewed up remains of the Rikers.