Parchman, стр. 25
‘Don’t make me spell this out to you son,’ said the Captain.
The soldier next to Max nudged him. ‘Some states aren’t deemed worthy enough to be protected.’
‘Don’t make this a race thing Williams. This isn’t about white privilege, it’s about not wanting to send valuable assets into cities that are alreadykilling each other,’ replied the Captain.
‘But it just so happens that these are all black neighborhoods?’ said Max.‘What about the innocent people in these neighborhoods?They don’tdeserve to be protected?’
‘It is what it is son. Don’t shoot the messenger. The reason you are here isto give you the opportunity to go home and protect your own family. Thishas come from the very top,’ he replied.
‘So we either get posted to some wealthy rich white person suburb or weget kicked out the army back to where we came from?’ said the soldiernext to Max. The Captain shrugged.
Max thought about this to himself. ‘Wait Captain, what if I can put a teamtogether of my own who are willing to go into these neighborhoods toprotect them?’
The Captain sat down at his desk. ‘Look Max, I was born and raised inHarlem Park. I know itisn’t all drug corners and gang bangers down thatneck of the woods. But people were being murdered there long before theystarted fighting over food. Best thing you can do is take your leave and go get your Momsand get her to somewhere safe. Baltimore is not that place.’
‘Captain, her friends are there. She doesn’t know anywhere else. There’sas much chance of me getting her to leave that house as there is of me meeting the President. If I go back there alone thenwe die together.’‘That’s your choice Max. The alternative is L.A. and you hope your Momcomes out of this mess ok. NowI know that isn’t you either. Hey, look,you can take five men, but they have to want to go. It has to be their choice.But that’s it,’ said the Captain.
‘Five men?’ replied the soldier next to Max. ‘You know as well as I doCaptain that the Baltimore police will be long gone. Five men to patrol thewhole of that neighborhood.That’s suicide.’ The man looked at Max.‘Your Mom right?’
Max nodded.
‘Name’s Denzel, like the actor,’ said the soldier. ‘My brother’s down inDayton, he’s strung out on heroin. I love him man,but I can’t save him. You want me with you then I’m there.’
Max shook his hand. ‘Appreciate it.’
‘Three to go,’ said the Captain. ‘You got the rest of the day to find them.’
The men in the office turned and left the office one by one. Max andDenzel returned to the common room. ‘He’s right,’ said Max. We headinto Baltimore with just five of us and we may as well paint a bullseye onour backs. Maybe he’s right. Maybe some neighborhoodsaren’t worth fighting for.’
‘Don’t talk crazy man. How long has your Mom beenliving there? That’sher home. And she ain’t the only innocent one there. If we save one lifethen we’ve done our job right.Now let’s get some more bodies on thisteam.’
Just at that moment Jake peered aroundthe corner. ‘So?’ he asked.
‘Don’t ask,’ replied Max. ‘We got a choice. Go protect some wealthyneighborhood or leave with honorable discharge to protect our families.’
‘Can’t you just get put on the detail posted to your own neighborhood,’ said Jake naively.
‘Nah man, you don’t get it. There is no detail in my neighborhood. It’s notdeemed worthy of protection,’ replied Max.
Jake looked in shock. ‘No way. So what you going to do?’
‘What choice have I got? Leave my Mom? Captain said I can take fivemen to cover the whole of Baltimore. This is Denzel. That makes two. Noone is going to want to help and I get it. It’ll be a warzone.’
‘I’m in,’ said Jake.
‘What?’ replied Max.
‘I’m in man. We came up in this together and we stick together. SemperFi,’ said Jake.
‘Look Jake, I love you man. I mean that and I appreciate it, but you walkout into that neighborhood and you are going to stick out like a sorethumb,’ said Max.
‘I joined the army to fight for my country. Whether that be on tour or onhome soil I swore to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves. I’m inall the way brother. Oorah!’
‘Oorah,’ said Max, standing and bumping chests with his comrade.
Just at that moment two more men came through the door. ‘You arelookingfor help I hear?’ said one of them. ‘I’m Keshawn and this here isSantiago. He don’t say much. I hear you’re taking a team down toBaltimore and we want in. My baby sister down there on her own and wewant to help.’
‘This is the teamKeshawn,’ said Denzel. ‘This is CaptainGradel. He’s leading us into war,’ he said looking at Max. ‘Hey, may as well promoteyourself if this is a oneway mission.’
‘Only five us of?’ he said raising his eyebrows. Then looking at Jake ‘Witha white boy? In Baltimore?’ his eyebrows going even higher. ‘You lot arecrazy,’ he looked to Santiago and they high-fived. ‘When do we leave?’
Next morning the five of them set off towards Baltimore, Maryland, notknowing what the future held. The country was going to Hell and thePresident, Nathaniel Mathers, had made the decision that Baltimore wasone of many states that were clearly on their own.
In truth the President had had no input or knowledge in which states themilitary had been posted. That lay completely with Commander GeneralRoderick who had deemed the wealthier states were more worthy thanthose already in decline due to crime and now lack of food.
As they drove through the neighborhood upturned cars littered the