Big Sky Chronicles

Chapter 5: Convoy

Kinsey tramped through the woods with a huge grin on his face. Not only had he been exploring the entire cave system the entire night, he now had the opportunity to explore all of the countryside on their journey to the capital. Kinsey didn't quite understand all of Ramsey's fancy words about liberty and entropy, but he didn't care. He was the official scout of the Patriots of the 5th Midwestern District. That meant lots of exploration and time outdoors.

Meanwhile, Kristoff was counting patriots as they left the wooded area. He was tasked by Ramsey to gather and organize the troops. He surveyed the masses with laser focus and barked orders like a drill sergeant. In total there were 327 men and women, all armed and all angry. Their mission was to raid the nearest depot and mobilize 50 inquisitor vehicles for faster travel. They needed to be at the St. Petersburg Hotel on the night of July 3rd; Ramsey insisted. So Kristoff verified there were 50 vehicles to be stolen a week in advance. Kristoff got everyone's attention.

"PATRIOTS! Tonight is a new day in America. Under the leadership of Ramsey Erikson, we have a fighting chance! Our next objective is to gain control and operate 50 inquisitor designated patrol vehicles. Our scout, Kinsey Ryder, will go on before us and identify our major threats prior to the raid. Look sharp." As soon as Kristoff finished his speech, Kinsey sprung off into the night like a starved bloodhound.

Kristoff then began walking amongst the crowd, checking for any injured people, or a reason to yell at someone. Mostly everyone seemed in good spirits and healthy. That was until he felt a small tap on his shoulder from behind him. It was a young man, he had medium length black hair that was cobbled up and dirty. His posture was slumped and his eyes avoided the gaze of Kristoff. By all accounts, this boy resembled an abandoned runt. But what was most shocking to Kristoff was the authority in his voice despite his appearance.

"How did Ramsey do that... Sir." He said forthrightly.

"Young man, state your name immediately! And look me in the eyes when you speak." The boy stared at Kristoff with striking intent.

"My name is Juniper. How did he do it." Kristoff was still taken aback by his confidence. A wave of nostalgia rushed over him like a cold stream, this boy reminded Kristoff of himself when he was his age. Kristoff did his best to not crack a smile and remain authoritarian.

"Juniper... even if I knew, I wouldn't tell you. That information is the difference between whether we win this battle or not, and if word got out and fell on enemy ears, we would be sunk." Kristoff said as he looked down on Juniper. If Kristoff was honest with himself, he was just as curious as Juniper. What Ramsey did tonight was nothing short of supernatural and had to be addressed at some point. Nevertheless, Juniper shrugged his shoulders and walked off feeling indifferent.

"Young man! Wait." Kristoff yelled. Juniper spun around. "How old are you? You seem young to be involved with adult affairs."

"I'm old enough." He said back in a lazy tone.

"You seem laissez-faire! What's your reason for joining our ranks, young man!" Kristoff said with a sense of self accomplishment for using such a big word. Juniper's expression changed, his eyes were daggers, piercing into Kristoff's very own soul.

"Because it's a fight worth fighting. Ramsey said it himself, this is a battle of entropy." Juniper then turned around and disappeared from sight. Kristoff's heart swelled with pride. He just met the young boy, but he already had grown to love him. He decided that night that he would take him under his wing and treat him as if he were his own child. A wild grin spread across his face as he continued surveying the patriots.

Kinsey reached the depot in 30 minutes. Due to him memorizing the map in his head, he knew exactly where to find it. Kinsey also had an incredible affinity for remaining undetected and hiding in plain sight. It was his carelessness that got him caught in the past, but tonight was different. Tonight he was focused. As he approached the depot he saw three inquisitors smoking cigarettes by the bay doors. Each one was holding a rifle. His guess was, all of them heard the news of the party at the pits and they were waiting for the return of their contemporaries.