Old Barn

Now Henry Bear could hear the attack helicopter drawing near. He stood alone in the old barn with plans for his Hemp Satellite spread before him on an ancient table of coarse wood. The blue print could survive the dust and discarded hay, only he would not be able to live if the war machine spinning in the air outside got its way.

He rolled up the plans, looking around the old barn that had been passed down through the generations to him. Outside a flamethrower began torching his Hemp field from the helicopter hovering 20 feet in the air. He watched the action through missing boards still attached to the skeleton of the barn.

He worked on the Hemp Satellite here, close to the crop. One of many Hemp projects and designs that occupied his time. Only now the field he cultivated took the form of orange plasma, the dry old barn attracted the heat, and the wall of flames moved toward him.

With no time now, he got on his knees, and opened the trap door under the table. Above bullets sprayed from the helicopter’s machine gun, sending debris crashing to the hard dirt floor. Safe under the table, he now descended a ladder to a dark tunnel below. As he closed the door to the light above him, he could hear a voice on a megaphone above the whirl of the helicopter’s blades.

“Henry Bear, that old barn is going to burn down soon. We can talk about your future. We’ll even give you a lift back to your family.”

The scene outside became muted as he moved down deeper into the abyss. He didn’t worry about his family because he knew they were all doing fine. His wife, twin daughters, and son had been moved to a safe house a week ago. That’s after this disagreement with Robert York escalated.

Henry Bear made it to solid ground and coolly began walking down the familiar corridor. He reached for his cell phone inside his blazer, then dialed for his ride.

“Henry, sounds like there’s trouble overhead,” answered a voice on his phone, after one ring.

Then an explosion and the sound of the old barn filling in the ladder well behind him. His escape now secure thanks to the overkill.

“Mr. Sinclair, can you meet me at The Spot? Pretty sure the ATV no longer exists. Not to mention the rude guests.”

“Already in route. That helicopter skimmed the roofs of the village and looked to be headed your way. It didn’t disappoint. Tomorrow, I’ll file a claim with the insurance company on behalf of the trust.”

“Appreciate it. See you soon old sport.” Henry Bear hung up the phone, then used the flashlight app to help navigate the passageway.

When he emerged into the open country air, the last rays of sunlight had already vanished, as stars began to appear in the sky. Only behind him, the glow of the old barn on fire heated the horizon. No sound of the helicopter.

Now the beam of headlights seemed to bounce on the small hills of the road. Soon the Bentley Brooklands came to a rest, as Henry Bear opened the rear passenger door, hopping in to the fresh leather seats of comfort.

“Guess we’ve made progress on the design,” Henry Bear said, now reaching for a seltzer water inside the small convenient refrigerator.

“I’d say it’s rather clear that you’ve made someone very angry,” said Mr. Sinclair, in his English Butler sort of way.

“It’s Robert York, I’ve no doubts about it, only why would he make such a public display? There are still Police. He must know there’s going to be an investigation. He’s obviously insane. I’ve got to get to Tokyo now. Can you make me travel arrangements?”

“Of course, that shouldn’t be a problem with the Olympics taking place there. Only they’re still on lockdowns. Even with a vaccine you might find it difficult to move around.”

“It’s alright Mr. Sinclair, I can manage the risks once I’m in the city. Only I’ve got to find a company to partner with. Liu Hui helped me create the Hemp graphene. If we’re going to continue our attempt to save the world with a sustainable resource, then we can’t stop now.”

To be continued…