Muster

by Christoff Orr

  “Yes sir,” Kyle quickly responded, with an extra bit of vigor now coursing through his body, “We’ll need some help, with the digging and hauling. These aren’t your average five-gallon bucket caches, we used fifty-five gallon water barrels.”

  “Fifty-five gallon barrels? You say you have a dozen of them buried nearby?” the Commander asked surprised. “Hell, maybe I’ll give you a kiss too!” he enthused.

  “Um…” was all Kyle could get out for a second, as he appeared to be ready to turn and run for the hills. Finally he recovered and answered, “Yes sir, fifty-five gallon barrels.” Kyle continued with a big smile, "We were always taught by our elders to be prepared. You might say we took it to the extreme though.”

  Ms. White smiled at the excitement of the man, then directed her attention towards Butch. “Well, I have a team of four, headed by the Commander here, leaving at noon to meet the USS Michigan. I can get...” she paused as she turned towards Kyle again, “How many people do you think you’ll need, and how many trucks?”

  Kyle thought it over, then turned towards his older brother. The two quickly bickered amongst one another and even had to count on their fingers to try to come up with a number. Finally once in agreement, Kyle turned back towards Ms. White, “I’d say a dozen people, and three trucks should do.”

  Ms. White nodded in agreement, “You know what’s out there, so you pick the dozen people you need to help with it. I’ll get some others together to provide security. Who knows how close the King’s men are. I want to get out there, get the supplies and get back as fast as we can.” She then turned towards Butch once again, “The Michigan group will leave around noon. I say this team should head out right after sundown. How does that sound?”

  Butch nodded in agreement, then answered, “Sounds good to me. Just come see me before you leave.”

  “Will do,” Ms. White quickly responded. “Gentlemen,” she said as she extended her hand out towards the brothers, “Great job, really, you might have saved an entire nation with this.” The two brothers shook her hand vigorously and grinned from ear to ear before they quickly turned to find their dozen helpers. “Well Butch, I have to get my men ready. Is there anything we can help you with before then?”

  Butch thought for a moment, then slowly looked around the camp. The little progress which had been made in the past hour or so, though slight, was enough to put some hope back into his heart and mind. He smiled and answered, “No, I think I’m good right now. These supplies will go a long way around here, helping with morale and all. Plus it will be nice to finally get moving on the Michigan thing. Though I admit, I’m a bit cautious about it, but something in my heart tells me it will be okay.”

  Ms. White and the Commander both smiled at the comments, then they each shook Butch’s hand. After which they turned in unison and walked back to where the rest of their group was already preparing for the trip to the Michigan.

  3 Dog Whistle

  The Kings Land, Ridgway PA

  Ridgway Pennsylvania, like so many other small towns, had once experienced a life of its own. Its believed sustainable future was made up of a mixture of commerce and tourism. It had a nice small town feel to it, and with the Allegheny National Forest nearby, it drew in its share of visitors to the lush surroundings. Then there was the awe inspiring Ridgway Chainsaw Carving Rendezvous. This was considered the largest carving contest in the country. Talented chainsaw wielding artists would flock to the town to show off their skills. In today's world it would just be seen as a waste of useful firewood, especially with winter descending upon the area. Such art was just another casualty to the redistribution of goods, and Government Oversight, that deemed resources and finances would serve the new nation better if put somewhere other than Ridgway. Even the nearby Allegheny National Forest had been lost when it was renamed the King’s Woods. A not-so-subtle name assigned to it after one of the King’s many firms acquired the land rights during a government sell-off.

  Tommy looked off in the direction of those renamed King’s Woods, as he sipped his morning coffee. These were two things that Tommy hadn’t had for a very long time, a moment of quiet to sit back and relax, and a good cup of coffee. As the old saying goes, it’s good to be the King, or in Tommy’s case, it’s good to be a servant of the King. The morning air had a freshly washed feel to it, as if the night had scrubbed it clean, and was now letting it hang out to dry. The morning birds had already begun their tune and soft clouds drifted across the heavens. He knew that given his current situation, he was looking at everything anew, through rose colored glasses so to speak, but he still couldn’t help but enjoy the view he was given.

  He had been resting at the cabin assigned to him by the King’s assistant, Mr. Edict, for the past few days. All he was told to do was to relax, enjoy himself, and practice his shot. He was told he could have whatever he wanted, anything he wanted to eat, drink, or anything else. As he turned and looked back into the cabin and saw Cherry, his personal assistant, wearing nothing but an oversized hoodie, he couldn’t help but think that this was something else he hadn't had for a while. To be honest with himself, this was something he had never had. He stepped back into the cabin, putting the beauty of the world behind him. The cabin was layered in a musky smell, not necessarily bad, just unique. It was unknown how long it had been locked up and abandoned before Tommy and Cherry showed up. For a fleeting moment he wondered who the original owners were, if they were still alive. But those lingering questions only lasted a moment before they were swept aside, preventing them from staining his current world. He knew what he had was wrong in a way, but he also knew that it felt good. Sometimes it was a lot easier to do what feels good, compared to what you know is right. This was one of those times.

  As if she could hear his thoughts, Cherry turned and faced Tommy. “How’s the coffee, dear? I hope I got it right. I’m still getting used to this new coffee press,” she said as she held up the portable coffee press. She continued to look at the press, the hoodie hung loosely on her thin frame. She had the hood pulled over her hair, but several locks tried desperately to escape.

  An uncontrollable grin covered Tommy’s face as he held up his coffee cup and answered, “It’s wonderful! You’re wonderful!” The second part came rushing out, splashing past his lips and flowing out of his mouth, spilling out onto the floor before he even had time to restrain it.

  This caused Cherry to smile as she stood and placed the coffee press down on the counter before walking towards Tommy. “Aww, you’re so sweet, me Tommy Boy,” she purred as she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a passionate good morning kiss. “Now hurry and finish your coffee so we can get down to the range,” she added, her arms still around his neck.

  Tommy’s lips pouted as he let his free hand fall down Cherry’s back, until it rested on her naked legs. “Are you sure we have to go now? I mean, we can spend a little more time here, together,” he reasoned as he bent down and gave Cherry another kiss.

  Cherry politely pulled away from the kiss before looking up at Tommy and answered, “Not today, my sweet. Mr. Edict will be there. He wants to see how you are progressing.”

  This revelation caught Tommy off guard. When Mr. Edict had dropped him off here, he said that he would be back, but Tommy didn’t expect that he would be back so soon. Tommy quickly swallowed down the rest of his coffee, nearly gagging on it before he went to get his gear together. As he changed his clothes and grabbed his gear, he had a sick feeling in his gut, much like his first day at boot on the Island, back when he was young and full of dreams.

  When he had joined up, he thought for sure he was going to live a life of adventure, see the world and kick some ass. He spent the night before he reported, puking up his guts. Whenever he got nervous, even as a little kid, the anxiety of the situation went right to his stomach. This time was no different. He eagerly walked out the door with Cherry, who had also changed her clothing, by his side. As the first disturbance within his belly made itself known, he
instantly regretted the instinct to chug that cup of coffee. He paused momentarily, unsure which end it would be coming out. In the end, he decided he didn’t have time to head back in and wait it out, so he did his best to soldier up and push through it. He didn’t want to be late and wanted to ensure a good showing for Mr. Edict. He had a small taste of the good life, and he took to it a lot better than he thought he would.

  Tommy and Cherry drove in relative silence, allowing the reassuring sound of the heater to fill the void in the car. It wasn't a long drive from their little cabin in the woods to the range, but Tommy was still able to fit in a lifetime worth of worry into the short trip. Back in the days before the blackout, he used to love to go for long drives in the backcountry. When he left for the Corps he thought he was going to make a career out of it, be in it for life. Unfortunately, two tours in Afghanistan resulted in a damaged back and some major PTSD. He received a medical discharge and returned home, feeling like an abused dog, tail between his legs and head down. His parents did their best to keep him going, but they were getting up in their years, and despite their best intentions, there was only so much they could do.

  It was through his long backwoods drives with his best pal, his dog, a boxer/chocolate lab mix, that he found the best sort of medication. Those two simple, yet effective, coping methods were just two more casualties in a long list of treasures which were lost during the blackout. Up until the arrival at this cabin, he hadn’t driven a car since the lights had come back on. It was just one of many new luxuries he could no longer afford. At least not until now, and he was going to do everything in his power to keep it that way. If that meant someone else had to die, so be it.

  As Tommy pulled up to the range, his mind was made up. Starting at that moment, he was going to do whatever he had to, kill whomever he had to, and be the best that he could. He put the car in park, but hesitated a moment before getting out. The ticking sound of the motor winding down provided their temporary soundtrack. He turned towards Cherry, the words were surprisingly difficult to get out, as if they were so big he couldn’t push them out of his mouth. Finally after much effort he gently said, “Thank you.”

  Cherry smiled her naturally dazzling smile and simply asked, “What for?”

  “Just for being here, and making the past few days amazing,” Tommy replied, sheepishly.

  Cherry leaned over and gave Tommy a little kiss, then whispered, “Anything for my Tommy Boy.” She then turned and opened her door as she said, “Now let’s go. We don’t want to keep Mister Grumpy Gills waiting.”

  This made Tommy laugh hearing her use their secret code name for Mr. Edict. He opened the door, leaned down to push the trunk release latch and then made his way to the trunk to unload the rest of his gear. He slung the range bag over his shoulder before picking up the cushioned rifle bag. He reached up with his free hand and shut the trunk. Equipment in hand, he turned to greet Mr. Edict who had walked up behind him. “Good to see you today, sir. I wasn’t expecting you back in these parts so soon,” Tommy said.

  “I couldn’t let you have all of this peace and quiet to yourself,” Mr. Edict said, a smile on his face as he offered a glance skywards towards the peaks of the nearby trees. “I wasn’t planning on coming back for another week or so, but let's just say things are getting pushed forward a bit,” Mr. Edict said, then paused as he reached out and took the rifle bag from Tommy before he turned towards the firing line, “Shall we?” As he made his way towards the line, he nodded a curt nod towards Cherry as he passed.

  Tommy grabbed his backpack off the ground and readjusted his range bag which was still slung over his shoulder, before he quickly followed behind. When he reached Cherry he extended his free hand and took hers in his. They took a few steps before Tommy asked, “Do you know much about him?” as he motioned towards Mr. Edict.

  “I know enough to keep my distance from him,” Cherry quickly said as she held onto Tommy’s hand, a not-so-subtle hint of fear layered her words. She looked at Mr. Edict then over at Tommy before she spoke up again, “I like you, Tommy. You're not…”. She trailed off as if she wasn’t sure if she should continue.

  This sudden change in tone didn’t get past Tommy. He stopped instantly and turned towards Cherry and asked, “I’m not what?” He felt both concerned and a little offended at the comment, but was unsure why.

  Once she realized she wasn’t going to be able to smile her way out of this one, she looked him in his eyes and continued, “Did you know I was a post-grad student, working on my Masters in Social Psychology? I was a straight A student too.” The last part she said with a smile, proud of her academic accomplishment. Just as quickly as the smile came, it was replaced as she continued to relate her story. “Like everyone else, everything changed for me when the lights went out. When the lights came back on, things really didn’t get much better. There wasn’t much need for an almost Social Psychologist, but I still had this,” she said sarcastically as she gestured towards her body.

  Cherry stood a hand over five feet tall and narrowly tipped the scales at one hundred and some change. Her womanly assets were perfectly accentuated by her size, making her physical attractiveness of even greater value after the lights came back on. “I quickly realized when life started up again, that if I wanted to survive, I had to use what I had. So…” Cherry drawled, letting the word stretch out like freshly pulled taffy, before she finished, “That's what I did. One thing led to another and before I knew it, I was in the service of the King.” She lowered her head, feeling ashamed. As everything was happening, it had seemed like only a few mistakes here and there, a few concessions every now and then. But now, as she heard her own voice spelling it all out, she realized how far she had come. How much she had given up, for what turned out to be so little. Now as she stood there, she half wondered if it would have been better to die for a life she believed in rather than live a life she despised.

  “Hey, I know…well, I don’t really know, but I understand,” Tommy half-stammered as he gently squeezed her hand. “Look, I know you didn’t choose to be with me, and I know if we were back in the real world, like it used to be, that I would never have a chance with you. I’m not stupid,” Tommy stated.

  “Hush,” Cherry quickly intervened, “Look, what I’m trying horribly to say, is that I like you. Yes, I was assigned to you, but you’re a good guy.”

  “Are you two coming today or what?” Mr. Edict yelled, his voice reaching out and grasping both of them firmly, as he looked back towards Tommy and Cherry.

  Cherry looked over at Mr. Edict, then looked back at Tommy. “Just be careful. These people will…” she started, then hesitated to finish the sentence, fearing if she said it out loud it might come true.

  “Will what? Kill me?” Tommy said with a half laugh. “Trust me, I’ve had people try to kill me before. I’m still here and they are not,” Tommy said seriously.

  “Not kill you, Tommy, they’ll take everything you have, everything you love and ever loved. They’ll take your soul,” Cherry revealed, then stopped, fearing that this time she had said to much. She tossed a quick look toward Mr. Edict, then turned and headed towards him. “Come on, Tommy Boy, we don’t want to keep him waiting,” she said anxiously.

  Tommy turned and followed Cherry, his mind wondered what Cherry had been like before the lights went out. Looking at her now, it was hard for him to imagine her walking around some big name campus, arms full of books. All that knowledge she had, seemingly lost. The sound of Mr. Edict’s voice struck Tommy hard and brought him back to the present. He looked towards Mr. Edict before letting his gaze track down range. He quickly noticed two sets of blue water barrels, about three hundred yards away. Each set stood two barrels high, then between them was a silhouette target. He looked back at Mr. Edict and asked, “What’s this about?”

  Mr. Edict turned slightly to look at the target he had set up, then looked back at Tommy. “Just some target enhancers I had some local workers set up this morning. I wanted to start si
mulating the real-life scenario,” he explained.

  Tommy nodded but didn’t fully understand, so he inquired, “I’m sorry sir, what scenario is this? I thought I was going to be taking out the target while they were giving a speech. I mean, that’s what I assumed.”

  Mr. Edict smiled and nodded slightly as he walked towards Tommy. “An understandable assumption. The problem is too many people would anticipate that scenario. That is why we are going to change it up. We might have to wait until the Russian President is standing up and talking. That might be the only chance you have to make your shot. You know better than anyone, nothing is guaranteed in combat. You must practice for any and all situations, because when the time comes to act, the time to practice is over,” Mr. Edict explained.

  Tommy stood there for a moment and thought about it, then he quickly agreed, “Yes sir.”

  Mr. Edict laughed, something that was rarely seen or heard. “Good, now let’s get started,” he said, reaching into his front right coat pocket and pulling out a new box of 7N14 cartridges. Then he handed the box to Tommy. “Just arrived, especially for you,” he said with a flourish.

  Tommy took the box in his hand and opened it to inspect the ammunition. “Did you want me to use these today?” he asked as he picked up one of the rounds, slowly rolling the brass casing between his thumb and index finger.