Dodo Tales S4 Ep3

Henry felt the cold, dry floor and sat up to see bars and concrete walls around him.

"Don't try to bargain or beg; you're our nightly entertainment."

"Who are you?" Asked Henry, watching a dark figure stare directly at him.

"Don't ask questions either."

Several lights were turned on simultaneously, bringing light to the darkness of midnight. Several men stood around the the first figure, hardly moving. The figure who had first spoken's face was illuminated slightly, but his gaze did not change, his left hand raised to adjust his smooth mustache, which was smooth and gray, almost silver.

The torchlight was reflected in his eyes and his soul as a burning hatred. Henry stared at the man's eyes for only a moment. "You don't have to do this." Henry tried. There was a long silence.

"I know."

His expression was hard to read, but had a sort of bitterness and unenthusiasm that felt psychopathic.

Henry desperately tried to escape, pulling the steel bars in front of him, but could not.

"You want to know how you'll die?" The figure asked. Henry recognized that the figure was only trying to make him more miserable. "Don't hurt the kid. Kill me instead."

The figure completely ignored him. "We'll feed you to the rock drakes. It'll be painful; it's always more brutal the hungrier they are." Henry stared at the figure directly in the eyes again.

"The kid will be first so you can watch him be teared limb from limb." The figure said, causing Henry to pointlessly attempt another escape. "Why are you doing this?! Shouldn't we be working together like sensible and functioning humans?" Henry desperately tried. "Human nature is not to make a utopia or to entirely 'work together', human nature is tribalism." After a long period of silence, the man continued. "Anyway, before we continue, we have a special surprise for you." Several men walked to Henry, quickly dragging him across the hard floor. They released him from his handcuffs, and brought him to a table, closing the cell door to prevent John from escaping. "It's nothing personal, although I am a bit of a sadist to be honest." Said the man as the others secured Henry to the table. "We just need you to tell us everything you know. It's for the protection of my people — you'll be an unsung hero."

"Nothing justifies torture."

"Are you religious?"

"Protestant."

"There is no God here."

Several Hours Earlier

Jerry and Jefferson trudged

through thick mud, eventually arriving at a heavily reinforced metal gate. "Do we really need a little detour? Can't we just go around?" Jefferson asked as Jerry knocked on the gate several times. "This place is right in the middle of our path. It's either this or several miles through ravager-infested forests." Jerry replied.

A small slit in the door slid open, and someone on the other side peered through. "What's the password?"

"A password?"

"No."

"You just said there's a password."

"There is a password, it's just not 'a password'."

"Can you please explain this coherently?"

"How much simpler could it get?"

"Look, we're just passing through, so I'd appreciate it if you could just open the-"

"I can't let you in until you tell me the password! I'm just doing my job."

"Let me try." Jefferson said, pushing Jerry and walking forward.

"What's the password?"

"Could you give me a clue?"

"No."

"Did you take that as a question or as another guess?"

Jerry became frustrated, and pulled something from his leather bag; a c4 charge. He placed it on the metal door and grabbed Jefferson. Pressing the detonator, Jerry stood and watched as a large hole was blown through the gate. He stepped through it as the smoke cleared, Jefferson behind him. Dozens of people stared at him in shock, the room silent. Finally, one older man pulled a revolver and aimed at them. Jerry could tell that he wasn't the type to hesitate. "We're just passing through. We're trying to save our friends. We lost track of them a couple of miles that way." Jerry pointed in what he believed to be the proper direction. "West?" Said another man. "West is trouble. Hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your friends are likely dead." A relatively tall and well-dressed man suddenly walked in front of the others, signaling for them to calm down. "Let's not blow this out of proportion now. Ever heard the saying 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'? Well that applies here." The man said, putting his arm around Jerry from behind in a friendly manner. "How would you like to hear my speech tomorrow morning? I'll give you a front row seat!" Said the man enthusiastically.

"Oh my god-" started Jerry, recognizing the man. "John F. Kennedy?"

"Well yes-"

"Who's John F. Kenny?" Asked Jefferson, who was from the 19th century. Everyone could tell by his clothes.

"Kennedy. He was the president in the 60's...until the CIA killed him." Jerry replied, not realizing that Jefferson didn't know what the CIA was either.

"What? The CIA? I knew I should've dissolved them. Well gentlemen, I'm disappointed, but not surprised."

Jerry shook JFK's hand. "Jerry."

"You already know my name."

JFK smiled.

"I hope to see you at my speech tomorrow."