The Escape: Chapter Eleven: The Death

I froze. While I hoped it was one of the homeless, I couldn’t convince myself of it. I turned.

A member of the border patrol stood with his rifle aimed at me, right at my chest. His stance was perfect, his posture relaxed enough. He was about sixteen.

“Well,” he said. “This is a surprise. Hello, Overseer.”

Alaina grabbed JJ and stood behind me. I held my rifle in my right hand. In the time it took me to raise it, he could kill me. The soft breeze turned stifling. The young man took a step toward us. I held up my left hand. “Guardian, we can talk about this.”

“All I need to know is the Grand General wants you dead.”

He squared his shoulders, ready to fire.

“Wait,” I said. “I’m not a threat. Just a man with his family. I’ve got my young son with me.”

“That doesn’t matter. He's to die as well.”