Walking Dollar Bills

Chapter 19: The Things I'll do for a Friend

Eighteen sand paddle tires violently rotate through the desert terrain. Traveling at eighty miles per hour, the locomotive contraption devours the distance between the sixth ring of the Benevolent district and the Northern base. Made with aluminum and carbon composites, the desert vehicle effortlessly glides through the sand. Sleek black paint camouflages the eighty-foot long vehicle. On the sides of this vehicle is the painted image of a red bird feather.

Triangular windows line up along the sides of the desert vehicle. Through the window, Amara sits in a private cabin and faces a mirror. She slides her shirt collar down her arm exposing her back shoulder, where a freshly inked red bird feather is tattooed.

Amara fixes her shirt collar concealing the tattoo. She understands that the tattoo represents a new chapter in her life. Now, Amara has an opportunity to battle against the injustices that oppressive regimes perpetuate. Before, she could only participate in these exploitative systems, which resulted in the suffering of the people she cherished: Gumbo, Earl, and Zala.

The thought of Gumbo sends an electric pulse throughout Amara's body. It finally hits her that she's heading towards the same location as Earl. There's no doubt in her mind. Earl wanted to revive Gumbo, so naturally he would retrace his steps back to the place where Gumbo was slain.

Even more, Amara realizes that the Nationalist's Northern base is where she and Gumbo found the divinity pills. The crazy scientist must have been Icarus: a co-founder of the Nationalist Party. As she looks up at the stars, she wonders if this was all in the stars.

Is this fate?

To unknowingly get caught in the crossfires of a war between the Crimson Brigade and Nationalist only to become a member of the Nationalist party, and return to the site of their first encounter. Questions begin to swell in Amara's head; How is Zala? How close is Earl? Is Gumbo already alive?

A knock on the door causes Amara to lose her train of thought. She shifts her focus to the door of the cabin that quietly cracks open. Byrd enters her room with Twister behind. The pigeon, Scarlet, perches on Byrd's shoulder.

"Hey, Amara! I hope I didn't startle you" says Byrd.

"It's got to be lonely being cooped up in here" says Twister.

Amara sends them a mirthful smile.

"No, it's perfectly fine. I was just thinking" says Amara.

"Well, I hope you were thinking about how to best engage the enemy" says Byrd.

Byrd moves her index finger near Scarlet, who latches onto her finger. Byrd smiles as she holds Scarlet into the air.

"Tiff got back to us alarmingly quick considering when she left," says Byrd.

"Right. And that suggests that things are getting pretty nasty" adds Twister.

Scarlet leaps off of Byrd's finger and flutters around the room. The three watch in amusement. Twister leans against the wall and examines the private cabin.

"Thank goodness for Icarus, even if he isn't currently with us," says Twister.

Amara takes her eyes off of Scarlet and turns to Twister with a frown.

"What do you mean?"

"Icarus built this vehicle. He named it the 'Freedom Flyer.' It's a locomotive that can travel through the deep deserts of Mao country at speeds of 100 miles per hour" says Twister.

"With this baby we should have no problem catching up to the rest of the Nationalist" says Byrd.

Twister nods.