My sleep is interrupted again. It seems to be shortly after I curled in the middle of my parents' king size bed and dozed off, soothed, fed and much happier than I had felt in years, despite the burns and my damaged vision. It doesn't take much to wake me up, even more so now, when thousands of questions about the kind, mysterious man who lives in my house are running through my head. I am used to being constantly on my guard. Any noise, even the slightest, would send me on alert. It is a lifesaver, especially if you are trying to keep out of sight, hidden among the branches, on top of a fifty-foot tree, or a vicious, mutated predator is lurking around, looking for its dinner. 

   This time, though, I am truly dumbfounded. I could swear I just heard a phone ring. How can it be? There are no telecommunications. There is no internet. There isn't even electricity. What the hell? I am more than sure it was not a dream or a hallucination. I am not imagining, not after the fabric softener, the coffee and the seasoned, cooked food which were all beyond belief and  yet so damn real. But how is this possible? Potatoes... cabbage... irrigation solution... in the middle of nowhere, after a cataclysm that nearly destroyed everything on the planet... and now this... a telephone?! 

   The decision to stay still and wait to see what happens next seems the most reasonable one. I continue to breathe evenly, lying on my stomach without moving a single muscle, pretending that I am sound asleep. A few seconds pass in tense anticipation and then I hear it again, a distinctive, sharp beep which can be produced by nothing else, but an electronic device and more precisely a cell phone. The hairs on my skin prickle. This is too much for my dizzy mind to grasp. The fact that I am temporary blind does not make things better either. 

   I am all ears, straining to catch the slightest sound. The device must be somewhere on the first floor. I hear hurried footsteps and muffled noises, indicating that Deon is searching around the living room. I caused the man too much trouble. He has most probably forgotten where he left it. A barely audible curse, muttered under his breath, is followed by a soft click, showing that my new, unexpected tenant managed to pick up a moment before the next ring. 

   The greetings are quick and stark, like in the army. I am getting more and more curious. It is totally unhealthy and I am well aware of that, but I just can't control it. Deon talks in whispers. It is impossible to understand what the conversation is about. This whole situation is too odd. I need to know what is happening. I can't just stay motionless, sprawled on the sheets, and do nothing. It is against my nature. So, I decide to take my chances and slide out of bed as carefully as I can. Luckily, I don't make any noise. My extensive experience in sneaking into close proximity to deadly dangers undetected definitely helps. I crawl on all fours towards the nearest wall, feeling a bit more confident in what I am doing, then follow it to the door which leads to the staircase. It turns out to be open. That's good. It gives me the opportunity to roll silently over the doorstep, drag myself across the narrow landing and crouch down behind the solid, wooden railing.

   A sigh of relief escapes my trembling lips when I am finally curled up in my spy hideout. It must be very early in the morning, meaning the house is dark. But then again, I can't be sure of that with the blindfold covering my eyes. I carefully lift it up and stare into the empty space in front of me. There is not even a faint hint of light, no blurry images, just pitch black. So, I am right. If Deon had decided to look up, he wouldn't have seen me, even if I hadn't managed to make myself invisible in my secluded spot.

   "No, Sir," he suddenly grumbles. "There is a change of plan. You can't call me anymore. You'll wait for me to contact you from now on."

   There is a short silence. The person on the other end of the line is speaking. Deon's breathing slightly quickens. Maybe, he is excited or rather doesn't like what he is being told.

   "General, I assure you the new circumstances will not jeopardize the schedule. I strongly advise you to take no actions and keep your men as far from the agreed perimeter as possible... No... I am convinced we'll have the expected results soon... I... Well..." The hesitation in his voice is unmistakable. He takes a few deep breaths as if to gain more time, but finally adds unwillingly, "I am not alone. I found a man. He'll be staying with me... Not in a very good shape... Yeah, he needs medical treatment... No, I disagree... This is a decision only I have the right to make. Do not try to nose in my private life, if you want our cooperation to continue successfully... I said, NO!"

   The last sentence is almost yelled. The other man is agitated too. I can hear his angry voice booming through the receiver. Apparently he is trying to persuade Deon to change his mind. I feel this is somehow related to my unexpected appearance. Maybe, my presence is interfering with their plans.

   Deon sighs deeply and says in a softer voice, "I know what is at stake, Sir. You don't have to remind me. I would give anything to forget it, but unfortunately, it is the only thought my brain can focus on. I will not break my word. Just stay out of the way... Goodbye, General. I'll call you in a week."

   I throw myself to the bedroom door the moment it becomes clear that the conversation is over. Not that I am afraid. If he wanted to harm me, he wouldn't have spend hours in treating my wounds, cooking for me and trying to comfort me. I am actually ashamed. Sneaking in the dark and eavesdropping on other people's conversations isn't something that makes me proud of myself. It was pretty obvious the general didn't want me around. Deon was defending me. He doesn't deserve to be repaid this way.

   It all makes a bit more sense now. This must be a military operation. There are special forces. They have resources. In fact, they control all the resources available, governing them under strict rules, so that the shelters can function as long as possible, protecting the last survivors. I've heard of an active satellite. That would explain the phone. The soldiers do not stay in the shelters. They have missions to explore the land and find uncontaminated areas where food can be still grown, to look for fuel, to chase the monsters away. They also do scientific research in an attempt to restore the environment. It requires some of them to travel to distant, uninhabited regions, considered dangerous and restricted to civilians. This in turn could explain why Deon lives here alone and how he has things that can only be found in the refuges. I should've guessed from the beginning, but I couldn't think straight because of the shock.

   Yes, the puzzle seems to be coming together. There is, however, something not quite right. The way Deon was talking to the general, as if he wasn't one of the military, but rather an outsider doing them some kind of a favor. He didn't sound like a soldier reporting to his superior. It was more than clear that my new acquaintance was the one setting the terms of their collaboration. Who could be higher in rank than a general, or at least more important to the mission? A scientist? In any case, I'd rather he doesn't find out what I've done.

   I climb on the bed and take my previous position. My heart will jump out of my chest. It's difficult to calm down and breathe normally hearing his quick steps up the stairs. It becomes quiet again. I can sense him standing in the door frame and staring at me.

   "Relax. Don't be afraid," he says softly. "I know you are not sleeping. We need to talk."

Photo 245320249 / Man © Volodymyr Tverdokhlib | Dreamstime.com

Photo 249430211 / Man © Volodymyr Tverdokhlib | Dreamstime.com

A/N

Hello at the end of chapter 5!

Thank you for reading and supporting! ❤❤❤

Who do you think Deon is - a soldier, a scientist or something else?

Any guesses on Deon's mission?

Chris has no idea what his companion looks like. 

Maybe it's time for him to get some idea.

Are we ready to 'see' Deon? 😁

Share your thoughts. I appreciate constructive criticism and will answer to all your questions.

And don't forget to vote, if you enjoyed the chapter.

Love: Anny