Chapter 89 Alexandria

When the woman had finished talking with Aaron, she walked in front of John and extended her hand. John grabbed her hand and she said, "I'm Deanna, nice to meet you." She observed the large man, he had a calm expression, and he was very muscular. His hair was neck length and he had stubble on his face slightly obscuring his face.

John said, "John, nice to meet you as well."

Deanna said, "Before we talk, we need to process you. We don't allow weapons within the walls."

John nodded and followed Deanna, Aaron and Eric also followed them. Deanna led them over to the armory, it was a a house. Deanna led John inside and there was a man and a woman inside.

John placed his guns onto a tray and then started walking out, but the man stopped him. The man grabbed towards the handle of John's katana; John stopped the man. Grabbing his wrist John glared at the man, the man started to yell at John to leave it.

This caused Deanna to come back into the room, John said coldly to the man, "The sword stays."

Deanna looked at this and said, "Alright calm down. John can keep his sword." John then let the man go as the man glared at John, a glimmer in his eyes.

Deanna said, "Come on John, let's go do your interview." John nodded as he followed behind Deanna. Aaron and Eric split up from them and went to one of the houses.

John and Deanna walked into one of the houses, then they walked through the house and arrived in an office like room. There were a couple bookshelves and a desk on the left side. On the right were two chairs facing each other with a nice glass coffee table in the middle.

John walked around the room, looking at the bookshelves. He saw quite the number of very sophisticated books. As John was looking around, Deanna said, "Do you mind if I film our talk?"

John said, "No, your house after all." John grabbed a book and looked at it for a while before he put it back. John then sat down in the chair across from the camcorder. Deanna turned on the camcorder before she sat down as well.

John asked, "Why film this?"

Deanna said, "We believe in absolute transparency here. How long have you been out there?"

John said, "A long time, many things have happened, and I have lost a couple camps."

Deanna asked, "Okay, so do you have anybody?"

John said, "No, I came here to help someone get home."

Deanna said, "That's very honorable."

John said, "I wouldn't say that. I wanted to check out DC anyway."

Deanna said, "So did you get that person back home?"

John nodded and said, "Yes, but the place was destroyed a couple days after we got there."

Deanna said, "Oh, my, that's terrible." John nodded.

Deanna changed the subject, she said, "I was a congress woman. Ohio, 15th district. You?"

John said, "Does it matter? -- What is this place?"

Deanna answered, "This is the start of sustainability. That's what brochures we found say. This was a planned community with its own solar grid, cisterns, eco-based sewage filtration system. Starting in the low 800,000's... If there is such a thing. They sold all of them."

John asked, "How did you find this place?"

Deanna said, "Well, my family and I were trying to get back to Ohio so I could help my district get through the crisis. And the army stopped us on a back road and directed us here. They were supposed to come later, but they never did. But there were supplies here and we made the best of it."

John said, "I'm assuming you put up the wall."

Deanna said, "Yeah. Well, there was this huge shopping mall being built nearby and my husband was professor of architecture. And who he was mattered quite a bit. He got the first sections up with my sons help and as the weeks passed more people came. With more manpower, we were able to finish the wall. We had become a community through helping each other."

John asked, "You've been behind these walls for all this time?"

She said, "We need people who have lived out there. People who have survived the harsh conditions and pulled through with iron wills. You are the first person we have considered bringing in."

John said, "You should keep your gates closed."

Deanna asked, "Why?"

John said, "Because people will do anything to survive, even if it means slaughtering the innocent. People out there are always looking for an angle, they find your weakness and strike viciously. They measure you by what they could take from you, or by how they can use you. So, bringing people into a place like this, now--"

Deanna asked, "Are you telling me to kick you out? Are you already looking after this place? Aaron says I can trust you--"

John said, "Aaron doesn't know me. I have killed many people. I don't even know how many at this point, more than 30 though. But I know why they are dead, they messed with the wrong person."

Deanna said, "Sounds like I wouldn't want to cross you then. Anyway, northern Virginia was effectively evacuated. Millions of people gone. For a long time, there's hardly been anyone here, living or dead, but still... we have lost people. And... I've done things."

John asked, "What have you done?"

Diana said, "I exiled three men who didn't work out. And we both know that's as good as killing them.

John said, "What do you want from me?"

Deanna said, "These families should be able to raise their children in a safe environment, they need a place to grow up. What do I want? I want you to help us survive. I know you can help us do that."

John said, "How?"

Deanna said, "I am exceptionally good at reading people. If I didn't win reelection, I was going to become a professional poker player." John scoffs at this.

Deanna continues, "I'm not kidding. John... it's 11:23 am, you're skeptical. You're right to be. But it's time to decide."

John leaned back and said, "I was a soldier."