The Oath Keeper Pt. 01

I often ran into my kids outside of class, saw them playing on the streets on the weekends, worn tennis balls and half-inflated soccer balls flew by in all directions, children's yells filling my ears. I welcomed it, finding comfort in knowing that despite the world we lived in, kids could still be kids.

"Get the ball, Sam!" someone yelled. A ball zipped by Samuel, missing him by a good five yards, and went rolling at immense speed right out of the town. It passed the gates and came to a stop in the dirt road just outside of Braxstaff.

"It's okay," I heard Samuel say. "I'll go get it."

I paused, uneasiness filling my senses. Something wasn't right.

Samuel was still grinning when he was hit in the face with the butt end of a rifle, sending him falling to the ground. A soldier screamed at him, ordering him to get back. Blood was coming down his face in rivers.

I didn't waste another second. I ran.

"Stop!" I yelled. "Please, he's just a child!"

I got between him and the soldier, putting my arms out to protect Samuel. The soldier was a man with the expression of hatred on his face. Who the fuck could look at children like that?

"Move, Civilian," the soldier warned.

"He was just trying to get his ball," I said.

"Only authorized personnel leave this town. No exceptions."

"He didn't mean to—"

"Out of my way!" the soldier yelled, pointing his rifle at my head. I stumbled back, almost falling on top of Samuel, who grunted in pain, and put out a hand on my calf to help steady me. Then, I refused to move out of the way. Adrenaline was coursing through my veins, and that was perhaps what kept me from being scared. I was almost blind with rage.

"Who gave you the authority to harm children?" I asked. "Have you no shame?"

"SAMUEL!" A female voice screamed from behind us. I turned around and saw a woman running toward us, her face just like Samuel's, round with soft blue eyes, long blonde hair flowing behind her. The soldier in front of me fired into the air in warning, but it didn't stop the woman. She came like the wind, falling to her knees beside Samuel as tears streamed from her eyes.

"Mom, don't," Samuel protested. "Go away. They'll hurt you."

"Hush," she whispered, tearing off a piece of her shirt. She used it to stop the bleeding from his wound. He winced but said nothing, stunned into silence. The soldier looked downright evil, pointing the gun back at my head. I saw his finger hover over the trigger. I did not close my eyes, didn't beg for my life as I should have. All I felt was a numbness.

"What are you doing?" A calm voice asked. I recognized the voice immediately. It was Ana St. Germaine.

"Maintaining order," the soldier replied, closing one eye to aim.

"Nonsense, Davidson," Ana said, appearing from my right. She shoved me, turned me around, and put handcuffs on me. "Blood on the streets only gets us in trouble. I'll take this one in. You go back to patrol."

"What about the—"

"The child and his mother?" Ana laughed. "They're terrified of us. Get up," she ordered, turning to them. "Get the hell out of here, and never let me see you near these gates ever again."

"Ana—" I began to say, but she shook her head, her eyes wide in warning. I shut up.

"You're still new, Davidson. Don't get too trigger-happy," Ana said to the other soldier. "They're not worth the paperwork."

"Please, she didn't do anything," Samuel's mother said, pleading for me.

"Don't talk to me, Civilian," Ana said coldly. "Get out of here before I arrest you and your brat."

"It's okay," I said, letting Ana shove me away. "I'll be okay!"

Samuel was crying, tears streaming down his face. I wanted to comfort him, but Ana was being rough, pushing me and kicking me along, walking me down the path. I stumbled, and Ana caught me by the arm.

"Keep your head down," Ana said quietly. She jerked me down the street, turned a sharp left, and pushed me right up against a trailer.

"What is wrong with you?" she snapped, turning me around. She took the cuffs off my wrists, her touch much gentler than before.

"I-I don't understand."

"I can't bail you out again," Ana said. "Watch your back, Jaden. This place is dangerous. Imagine if I hadn't been passing by."

"Ana, why can't we leave the town? What is this bullshit?"

"It's confidential."

"We're being quarantined, aren't we?"

Ana shook her head. "It's so much worse than that," she said quietly. "Just—Just stay down, okay? I'll get you out of here when the time is right."

"Get me out of here? Ana, what the fuck is going on?"

"You're in a..." Ana paused, rethinking her answer.

"Is this a concentration camp?" I asked in horror.

"I can't say anymore," Ana said, looking over her shoulder. "It's dangerous here. You have to be careful. I'll help you, but I can't if you go get yourself killed."

"What about everyone else?" I asked. "Will you help them?"

"You know I can't. There's no way. I'd be killed."

"Help my kids. I'd rather die than see something happen to them."

Ana looked livid. "You are not allowed to die, Jaden!"

"Why do you care? Help the kids!"

"I'll explain someday," Ana said and pushed me toward town. "Go home, Jaden. Stay low."

I didn't wait for her to say it again. I walked quickly, my legs carrying me back to my trailer on autopilot. I couldn't think straight. There was too much in my head. Why was Ana helping me? And what the hell did she mean about explaining it to me someday? Explaining what exactly?

"Hi Jaden," David Hall said from outside of our trailer. He was standing there talking to a group of people, other white-collar workers. I'd meant to respond, but before I knew it, I was up the ramp and in the trailer, punching in my passcode and falling into my room. I switched my radio on, turning from station to station, trying to reach one that was outside of Braxstaff—but nothing. I couldn't find a single one. Just the same shit from Braxstaff, talking about the community activities and local news.

"What the fuck?" I hissed, turning the dial over and over. I searched for over twenty minutes, but no matter how much I searched, I couldn't find a single channel outside of Braxstaff.

It was true then. This was a concentration camp.