Inescapable History, Inescapable Fates

Rule Number One

Alex lit the fuse.

"Run." He said even though they were already taking off towards Pez.

Boom. The heat hit their backs and burned even though they were a safe distance away. Henry added explosives to the list of things Alex excelled at. Shooting and explosives. Pez had always said he had a thing for boys who were bound to hurt him.

Pez led them into a cellar and then a drainage tunnel. He skillfully avoided the water in the center of the tunnel, bouncing from one rounded wall to the other. Henry sighed, watching him, and trudged into the shallow stream with a wince.

He dialed for Bea as he walked. He could hear Alex behind him, scuffling side to side like Pez.

"Look Bea, I don't have time to explain, but the world is going to think I did something terrible and I need you to know I didn't."

"Henry, what's the matter?" She said, alarmed. Fair response.

"No matter what happens, I am the brother you know."

Alex ran up and took the phone from his hand.

"Hey Bea, this is Alex."

"Who?"

He kept talking, "I know this makes no sense. But I am going to give you a number. Do you have paper?" Alex waited a moment, "No one can know about this number. No one can know you have a way to contact your brother. In a few months, once the investigation is over, go to a library far from your home and log into Signal. Signal is a secure messaging platform. The number is plus sign, fifty two, Five five five five, thirty three, nine six four five."

They had stopped trudging while Alex articulated the instructions. Henry stared at him, shaking. He was the traumatized version of star struck.

"Read it back to me." Alex said, "Yes. Message that number 'Children Of The Star Naomi Klein,' Ok? It is your code phrase. 'Children of the Star Naomi Klein.'" Alex gave Henry a little nod, "Here," He handed the phone back.

"Are you safe?" Bea asked. "Is Alex... taking you."

"No! Well- yes. Bea, I chose this, I did. I love you. I need to go."

"I love you, no matter what," She replied. Without hesitation.

Henry gave Alex his phone. "Thank you." He breathed. "Really." They walked quickly through the pipe to catch up to Pez. Alex had stepped into the drainage water to take the phone, so they were equally soaked now. The dirty water pulled at their pant legs.

"My sister and dad disappeared." Alex said. "No warning, no trace. I can't put someone else through that. Even if it's a terrible idea that could get us caught."

"Well, so far so well, I guess." Henry pointed out. Ahead of them, light streamed down from a vertical tunnel. The first access point from the street, their escape. Pez had reached it and started climbing a rusty ladder to street level.

Before they caught up with him, Alex whispered, "Ask Rafael for his Roberto Quieto speech sometime. I mean, now that you're an official member of the ERP." Henry looked up towards the light and grinned despite everything. There were butterflies in his stomach like he was fifteen. He floated up that access tunnel to safety.

Pez and Rafael Luna pulled him out and into the Aldi's parking lot. Alex came next, and then they replaced the drainage grill.

"Nice to meet you two," Rafael Luna said, with a smile that could melt butter and win elections, "Rafael Luna." He shook their hands. Henry temporarily lost all ability to speak.

Luckily Pez was made for this. He matched Rafael's smile, "Percy Okonjo, at your service and very pleased to be rescued."

"Anytime kiddos." Rafael unlocked a Subaru Forester with a flourish, "Hop in."

For a moment, in the car, Henry just watched. He watched Alex, in the passenger side, immediately pull out the stolen documents to pore through. Rafael handed him reading glasses from the glove department while readjusting the mirrors. Henry watched Percy lean forward to talk international military exchanges with Rafael Luna; "Well these programs are just a modern extension of HMOCS. Everyone knows that, we just pretend things have changed." And Henry watched Rafael's easy smile, his hand on the wheel. And Henry wondered at how easily they had fit into this... this domestic terrorist force? Guerrilla do-gooders? Into whatever the ERP was.

It was a golden moment. Later, Henry learned to notice these and hold onto them tightly. But he was new to the ERP, so he let these observations slip into and out of his mind.

"Listen up," Rafael said, pulling their attention back to him. "The Nigerian embassy is airlifting their students out of the country, and, as a courtesy for locating one of their students, they are going to take me and Alex too."

"What about me?" Hery piped up.

Rafael smiled and pulled into a luggage store. "Give me just a minute."

Rafael walked out of the store with the largest suitcase Henry had ever seen and dumped it on Pez and Henry's lap.

"This must be a joke." Henry said from under the luggage.

"Welcome to the ERP prince charming." Rafael laughed, "Where everyones gay and no one dies... mostly." He got into the drivers side and pulled out of the parking lot.

Henry and Pez glanced at each other. "How long is the flight?" Henry asked

"Six hours," Rafael flicked on his turn signal, "more or less,"

"How shall I... relieve myself."

Rafael tossed an empty pepsi bottle into the back seat.

Pez burst into laughter

Henry stared at it in disgust. "I absolutely will not."