Patriot of the Old Ways, Part XIV

Patriot, Kansas City, Missouri, 2208

“Double damn!” I cursed again as I heard the intermittent thrum of rotors between blaring chirps of a pair of approaching security drones. “Saint Catherine of the Wheel, I hope you have an eye on me,” I muttered as I kicked away Charlie’s feeble grip on my pant leg.

A glance around the near vacant lot made my heart sink. If I were to run away from the Megaball arena the drones would certainly catch sight of me. My only options, I felt, were to either try to outrun the drones or blend in with the crowd. Turning back to fallen men, I peeled off my dark overcoat and threw it at the recovering Charlie. As he gawked, I used the tone my drill sergeant used to use to motivate his exhausted recruits, “Swap out that Ike!”

He looked at me with a blank stare.

“Take your jacket off and give it to me,” I sighed, suddenly feeling very old. “Please,” I added.

“Yeah, man, sure. We’re sorry. Just don’t hurt us anymore.” Charlie’s jowls shook with his vigorous nods, all while he eyed the equipment I had strapped to my torso.

“Shut up, Charlie,” groaned the other bully, still clutching his throat. “He took a cheap shot at us. Grab him so the security guys can take him.”

“No way, Sammy, he’s one of them Patriot fellas. He could’ve tore us apart if he wanted.”

It was my turn to groan. I looked around anxiously as the chirps grew louder. “Now, Charlie.”

The big blond man rose to his knees and shrugged out of his brightly colored puffy team jacket. “Take it.”

“Charlie!” Rasped Sammy, as he rolled over.

“Sammy, he’s one of the good guys. One of them Patriots that roam around helping people. They fight the corp’s grip on everyone. I won’t be part of them bastards catching him.”

Sammy grunted, rising to his feet. “He’s just an old bum that got lucky, that’s all. I’m gonna teach him some respect.”

“No, you’re not,” Charlie said as he tossed me his jacket. “Go, Patriot. Go to Addison and Welch. Third floor of the old leather mill. That’s where you’ll find your friends.”

I was speechless, so I folded my beard with a curt nod and threw on his ugly jacket, scooped the cap off of Sammy’s head, and walked briskly to catch up to the last stragglers as they filed their way toward the Megaball game. As soon as the security drones thrummed overhead, I ditched the cap and jacket. Once past the market researchers I had scoffed at earlier, I peeled away from the arena and walked north.

<*>

Even from a block away, the trace smell of old leather was evident through the mixed smells of smog, street vendors, and people. The north side of Kansas City was not quite poor, but held many of the families that were heavily indebted to the corporations that they worked for. It was almost a form of civilized squalor. A fitting place for the Patriots to set up shop. Maybe that’s what put me on edge. It was an obvious location. My hackles were raised, but I had little options. I was nervous and worried about a set-up. Add the fact that a brute like Charlie had so easily recognized the pin I was wearing and I was white knuckling the hilt on a small knife in my pocket.

The broach was of made of silver. Two bull elephant heads facing one another with trunks entwined, their tusks almost touching. Large ears hung forward enough to form a solid edge between the honorable beasts. In left bull’s eye was a Star of David, on the right’s the Star and Crescent of Islam. The negative space between the animals was a rough cross. The Patriot’s pin told those who knew how to see that the bearer could minister in various faiths, that they were honorable, and they would never forget the past.

I was too nervous to head up to the third floor of the old leather mill. If it was a setup I wouldn’t stand a chance. If it wasn’t, an evening of surveillance wasn’t going to hurt anything. Crossing the street, I dodged an old electric car before settling in at a cafe with a wide window that offered an unobstructed view of the dilapidated brick mill. Despite several mugs of hot and bitter coffee, I drifted off to sleep after a few hours.