WATCHED

GET OUT NOW!

The text message was clear enough. There was no time for argument. There was no time to gather belongings. Tabitha Spearman, Tabs to those who knew her well, was going on the run. That would be the only choice. She had to get away. Stay away. Hide.

A mere six months ago this wouldn’t have even been a consideration. There was still the freedom to say what one wanted. If you didn’t like what the government was doing, then one could protest, complain, or write a blog.

Not now. The last presidential election had been too close and when the Supreme Court finally handed the victory to the Democrats already in power, the Republicans had revolted. Seemingly overnight, they had raised their own army and were not only challenging the sitting government, but were tracking down and killing anyone who spoke out against them. They took a page from a popular science fiction movie, calling themselves the Republican Guard, and were ruthless in asserting their power.

No one wanted to take the Republican Guard seriously. After all, this was the United States. There was that whole First Amendment guarantee thing that had been weathering storms over 200 years. This couldn’t really be happening, could it? Yet, all it had taken was one blog post calling the Guard out for their vicious tactics and lies to put Tabs on their hit list. First there were threatening email, telling her to remove the blog post. Then, there were the rough sounding phone calls. Still, Tabs didn’t think they knew where she lived. Apparently, she was wrong.

Taylor Gordon was what was now known as an Occupy Guerrilla Fighter. An active participant in the Occupy Wall Street movement of 2011, Taylor and others had been the first to begin actively, physically, resisting the Republican Guard, arming themselves and conducting covert raids against Guard strongholds. The OGFs were not as large a group as the Guard, but they were more technologically advanced and were able to wreak havoc against the Guard by hacking their web sites and social media, and interrupting their cell phone calls. The Guard rarely made a move without someone in OGF knowing. Taylor had found out they were moving against Tabs and sent the text message telling her to leave.

Taylor and Tabs had been communicating via text for some time. Taylor had written an app that made it virtually impossible for their phones to be tapped in any manner, yet another advantage the OGF had. Taylor admired Tabs not only for standing up against the Guard, but for continuing to blog against them despite all the threats. Many other blogs had been shut down out of fear. Tabs was one of the few who kept writing, making sure the public knew the hideous crimes the Republicans were committing in their attempt to wrestle away control of the government.

Now, Tabs was paying the price for her stand. Taylor had already warned her that he thought she was being watched, but he couldn’t prove it. The Guard had started using more covert methods of communication, like old-school spies. OGF had intercepted some of the chatter, but not enough to make a move. Unlike the Guard, OGF rebels preferred to make sure they were targeting the correct person before storming someone’s house or apartment. Often, this meant they had little or no time to beat the Guard to the punch. This time, they’d had only a few seconds, just enough to warn Tabs to get out of her apartment.

She didn’t even bother taking her cherished laptop. She could post from her cell phone if she needed to do so. She left the apartment, listening for noises, voices, and footsteps. She had barely managed to slip away from her apartment building when Republican Guard troops pulled up in armored vehicles. Tabs felt tears filling her eyes as she listened to glass breaking inside the building. There was a loud bang, and smoke began pouring from the windows of her apartment. Nothing would be left.

Tabs knew the Guard would be upset they hadn’t found her, so she took off running. Of course, she hadn’t prepared for this kind of activity today. There had been a nice pair of cross trainers in her closet that would have been much more appropriate than the heels she was wearing. Ducking behind buildings, hiding in the shadows, climbing over discarded furniture, Tabs wasn’t even sure which direction she was going. All she knew was that she had to get away. The comfortable life she had known was over, possibly for good.

She was crouched in the shadows of an old garage when her phone vibrated with another text from Taylor. “Are you safe?” he asked.

“I’m still alive, if that’s what you mean,” Tabs typed back.

Taylor responded immediately. “Where are you?”

“No idea,” Tabs said. “I just took off and have been zig-zagging back and forth, trying to not leave a clear trail.”

“Do you think you’re far from Dig’s place?” Taylor asked. Dig was another OGF familiar with Tabs’ situation. That Dig made no secret of the fact he had a crush on Tabs made her and others uncomfortable, but his would definitely be safe place for her to hide.

Tabs looked around and tried to get her bearings. “I don’t think I’m too far … maybe a mile or so.”

“Head that direction,” Taylor instructed. “I’ll let him know to expect you.”

Tabs ran from one shadow to the next, doing her best to stay out of view. She remembered when she could walk down the street with no care as to anyone’s political beliefs. Now, that information could mean the difference between life and death. The nation had been divided ideologically before the election. Since then, those differences had solidified and become outright hatred. Neighbors banded together to run off, or even kill, those who disagreed with which ever side was dominant. Allegiances changed from one block to the next. Simple acts such as going to the grocery store could result in interrogation, detention, and even death.

Democrats in the nation’s capital had initially insisted that they would not use military force against the Republican Guard because, legally, to do so would have been to fire upon American citizens. The Guard, however, had no similar compulsion and utilized the President’s hesitation to take control of the National Guard in states with Republican Governors. This gave the Guard access to a level of weaponry and training that could take over and dominate a city within hours. Only where Occupy Guerrilla Fighters had managed to mount a sizable resistance had US troops been dispatched to restore peace and safety, and even then, defections to the Republican Guard were frequent.

Safety was an illusion visible only to the most ignorant. In most cities, schools had been indefinitely suspended, either to prevent the inevitable fighting that broke out between students, or by order of the Republican Guard, which feared liberal education tactics might undermine their attempt to take over. Conservative evangelical churches still met regularly, usually with Guard protection, but other religions had found their synagogues and mosques targets of bombing and other violence. Most were afraid to even try and meet secretly. Only the largest of businesses still limped along, their finances precarious. Non-union business fared best, but no one was buying anything so political affiliation ultimately mattered little.

Tabs listened carefully to the sound of distant automatic gunfire as she crouched down an alley toward Dig’s house. She knew the place was close, but she knew that by now the Guard would have her picture displayed prominently on the local Fox news station. That would make walking down the street deadly. The Guard had a habit of financially rewarding those who aided their cause. Killing her would fetch someone a nice bounty. Tabs had no choice but to stay out of sight.

Dig’s house was located in an older neighborhood that had yet to see any direct fighting. While his neighbors held each other in suspicion, they weren’t aggressive as other neighborhoods tended to be. Tabs slipped quietly toward the back door wondering how to let Dig know she was there. She needn’t have worried. Half-way across the back yard, Dig ran out, tossed her over his large shoulder, and carried her inside.

“Wow, that was quite a welcome!” Tabs said as soon as Dig set her down.

“Are you okay? Did those Republican bastards hurt you?” Dig asked anxiously.

Tabs laughed. “No, Taylor warned me in time. I was able to get out before they got there, but just barely.”

Dig’s face was flush with anger. “They’ve got your picture all over Fox. They’re calling you a fugitive. Encouraging people to shoot you on sight.”

Tabs eyes grew wide. ”Do they know where I am?” Am I putting you in danger?”

“None that I wasn’t in before you got here,” Dig said. “Go, have a seat. Let me get you something to eat.”

“I’m not sure I’m all that hungry,” Tabs said.

“You will be, once the anxiety settles down. Being on the run makes you hungry,” Dig remarked as he opened the refrigerator door. “I hope you like hummus.”

Tabs sank into a large chair. “Yeah, that’s fine. Anything. Thank you.” Being off her feet felt good. Fear had turned off her body’s natural pain receptors. Only now did she become aware of the cuts and scrapes she had picked up along the way. “I don’t suppose you have any clothes I can change into,” she called to Dig. “I seem to have done a number on these.”

At that moment, a young woman came in from the back. “I probably have something that will fit you,” the girl said with a smile. “I’m Taz, Dig’s sister. You must be Tabs.”

“Nice to meet you,” Tabs said as she stood. “Dig didn’t tell me he had family.”

“We don’t generally claim him in public,” Taz teased. “Yeah, I’ve got stuff you can wear. Still not the best for running, I’m afraid, but at least it’s clean and … ” she paused as she looked more carefully at Tabs, “We can treat those cuts at the same time. You managed to get a couple of deep ones. We don’t need those getting infected.”

Tabs followed Taz down the hall into a bedroom. What had once been decorated like the bedroom of any other stereotypical teenager, Taz’s room was now dominated by Occupy and anti-Guard posters. The twin bed’s mattress was placed over the window, the only illumination a small battery-powered lamp. “I’m sorry I don’t have anything more appropriate to your situation,” Taz said as she handed Tabs a skirt and blouse. “I never was the athletic type. HATED wearing pants of any kind. I’m rather regretting that now.”

“That’s okay,” Tabs said. “I’ve gotten rather accustomed to running in heels now.”

Taz laughed. “Right. Let’s hope you don’t have to run for a while. You should be reasonably safe here. Dig’s not had any problem so far.”

“Let’s hope my being here doesn’t start any,” Tabs said. “I really don’t know what to do at this point. I mean, I don’t have anything at this point. No where to go. Nothing to wear. I am so screwed it isn’t even funny.”

Tax applied alcohol to the worst of Tabs’ cuts before covering them with bandages. An especially deep wound on the girl’s rib cage already looked worrisome. Tabs flinched hard as Taz treated it. “You’re going to have to watch that one,” Taz warned. “I’m guessing you went over some razor wire somewhere?”

“I guess,” Tabs said. Fatigue was setting in fast. “I really don’t even know how I got here. I just … ran. I’ve never had to hide from anyone like that before.”

Taz nodded. “Yeah, we’re all getting a crash course in stealth tactics.” She finished applying the last bandage. “And speaking of, I need to sneak back out. We’ve got word that a new supply of ammunition is coming into the Guard depot tonight. OGF can’t let that happen.”

“I want to go with you,” Tabs said, anxious to be back in the fight.

Taz laughed. “Girl, give me a day to find you more suitable clothes, okay? There’s nothing subtle about you in that outfit. In fact, watch out for my brother in there. You know how he feels about you.”

Tabs rolled her eyes. “Please. Right now, romance is the last thing on my mind.”

The light mood of the moment was ended as a hail of automatic gun fire pelted the house. Tabs and Taz both instinctively fell to the floor and began crawling toward the kitchen. They were stopped though, by the sight of Dig’s body lying in the doorway. He had taken a stray bullet to the head. The bowl of hummus and crackers he was bringing to Tabs was scattered across the floor.

Taz screamed.

A second round of gun fire perforated the front of the house.

“We have to get out of here,” Tabs whispered.

Taz crawled down the hallway and opened the door to the basement. “Quick, down here.”

Tabs followed Taz down the stairs into the basement then watched as Taz moved what had appeared to be a very fully and heavy bookcase out of the way, revealing a long, dimly lit passageway.

“Follow this to its end. Taylor will pick you up there and get you to safety,” Taz instructed.

“Aren’t you coming with me?” Tabs asked.

Taz shook her head. “Hell no. Those damn Republicans just killed my brother. Time for a little revenge.”

“Taz, please …” Tabs started.

“Don’t worry,” Taz interrupted, “You’ll see me again, maybe later tonight. Just get going, okay? I need to seal this entrance before I leave.”

Tabs nodded and started down the hallway. She heard Taz seal the door behind her. A few minutes later, she felt the walls of the corridor shake from a powerful explosion. Whatever Taz had done, she’d definitely used the greater force. Tabs continued down the winding path until she came to a door. An old, upholstered bench and lamp sat outside it. She wondered if she should knock, and decided against it. Not having anyone know where she was could be a good thing.

Her cell phone vibrated with a new text message from Taylor. “Sit still. I’ll be after you in about an hour.”

Tabs sat on the bench and let the tears flow. It had been less than 24 hours since Taylor had told her to leave her apartment. She wondered if Dig was the only one who had died because of her. The tears came quickly as the reality set in hard.

The land of the free was no more.