The Terminus Act

A gas station with lights that had been burning non-stop for years, a beacon of illumination that could be seen from miles around in the cool night air. A quiet desert highway, a lone car, rattling and rusted one headlight flickering every time the tire hit a bump. It slowed and dipped into the parking lot before parking next to the furthest pump to the store. Rattling engine stopped and a squeak as a weight shifted inside the cabin. With a screech the driver door open and the man stepped out into the still night air.

                Tobias Grey looked down either side of the highway before slamming the door shut, a hand grasped at wads of ones in his pocket flattening out ten on the hood of the car. It would be enough for another three gallons, maybe enough to get him to the next town. He licked his parched lips and wondered if he should get a drink but decided against it, the gas was more important. Folding the bills he strode toward the store. He took a quick glance back to read the number off the pump- even though he was sure the attendee inside would be able to figure it out.

                Artificially chilled air blasted from an overhead vent as he stepped inside, a bell ringing somewhere in the back even though the attendee stood looking extremely bored at her place behind the counter. Dull blue eyes showed no visible reaction at him, she was probably used to seeing unwashed men in dirty coats and worn shoes stumbling through at three in the morning. He didn’t say anything and neither did she, he placed the ten ones on the counter. She reached out to grab them and count them before she punched in numbers on a computer.

                She wasn’t bad looking, early twenties, and black hair with white stripes. In another life, another time he might have struck up conversation. He would have down his best to put a smile on her lips and get her number. Instead he remained quiet until she stopped punching in numbers. Without a word he stepped back out into the night air and walked back to his car. He popped the gas tank cover and put the nozzle in the hole and pulled the trigger. A pump startled quietly in the machine, it seemed loud in the silence. Gas, forced by pressure accelerated up the hose and began to splash into the pipe to the tank. It was a nice noise to hear, it meant he was one step closer to the next town.

                When the monitor read ten dollars in bright lime LEDs the pump clicked off and he shook it twice to get the extra drops out before returning it back to the cradle. The pump powered down and awaited its next usage. A different hum echoed out of the darkness out at him, it seemed far away but getting closer. He licked his parched lips again and looked down at the rust bucket in front of him. No way would it make it. He turned his head and looked back at the girl at the counter, she watched him from the window, and not that she was interested there was just nothing else for her to look at. He sighed and removed his coat, it was an old thing, picked up in some thrift store in the last town. It had a dozen grease stains that had been too stubborn to get out by whomever washed it. How had they found him so quickly?

                He kicked off his worn shoes and dropped the ripped jeans. He wondered what was going through the head of the clerk, Rebecca could have told him. His shirt was the next to go, but to keep some decency for the poor girl inside he left on his boxers, they wouldn’t come to harm he hoped. He glanced back at the wide eyed cashier who was lifting the phone to her ear as he watched. The humming grew louder and soon became the obvious noise of helicopter blades.

                Tobias walked around the trunk and out across the open road, there wasn’t a car in sight in either direction, he just hoped he could keep them away from the girl inside. As he walked the helicopter seemed to slow and he was sure it was unloading its team somewhere out there in the dark. He wondered what kind of team it would be to try and take him down. They hadn’t learned their listen in Vegas it seemed.

                A sudden spot light illuminated a bright white circle of sand and cactus and tracked towards him darting back and forth, searching. When it landed on him he felt like he could feel the heat washing off its lens, his eyes narrowed to shield themselves from the sudden overload of light.

                “Tobias Grey, stay where you are. You are under arrest for the Violation of the Terminus Act. Yield at once and you will not be harmed.” A voice crackled over a speakers on the helicopter.

                Harmed? Tobias smiled slowly at the idea that they thought they could harm him. He could hear the men now running across the sand, metallic clinks as they moved. He could see them now on the very edge of the light each man had assault rifles aimed at him. Laughter couldn’t help but escape his lips, guns? They may as well have brought water pistols to fight a forest fire. He lifted his gaze to the spotlight and shook his head slowly.

                “Take him down.” The voice crackled again.

                Tobias faced his attackers and watched as each man he could see pulled the trigger. He felt the dull impacts as the bullets tracked to him. He looked down after the impacts and could see the rounds falling away their heads flattened and crushed against his skin. Gunshots and flashes of light lit up the night air and he felt the rounds continue to pummel him before the magazines ran dry. His gaze lifted again at the men who quickly worked to reload their weapons. He didn’t want to hurt them, but he could think of no other way to escape. He lurched forward and caught the first men mid-reload, a swift strike with his elbow knocked the man unconscious.

                His next target lifted his gun to shoot and Tobias felt the barrel against his flesh when the man pulled the trigger. The first round smashed against his skin and lodged in the barrel, the next three blew the barrel apart and Tobias was blinded for a moment by the sudden light that was even brighter than the spotlight above. His attacker flinched away screaming hands grasping at shrapnel that caused blood to pour from a hundred holes in his face.

                Tobias turned to his next target and froze; a man stood in the spotlight completely encased in tactical armor. Eyes were bright red goggles and a machete was held to a young girl’s throat with white streaked hair. Tobias looked at the girl whose eyes were filled with panic and fear, he could see tears filling her eyes.

                “Let her go.”

                “Yield.”

                Tobias continued to stare into those blue eyes before he slumped his shoulders. A sudden jolt between his shoulders caused him to fall to his knees. Another caused his head to swim and he went to turn to face his attacker. He caught sight of a pole rising, its barbed tip arced with electricity before it jabbed his neck again. He yelled once before the world went dark to him.