by Akart, Bobby
To the west of the settlement was the Shillalah Creek Trail. Stretching eleven miles from the settlement to the newly formed river, it was primarily used for hiking, backpacking, and nature trips up the ridge until it ended at the top of Brush Mountain and the Hensley Settlement.
Tommy, Kristi, and Jesse joined him as they made their way down the ridge on horseback. Occasionally, they came across a fallen tree that they had to navigate around. The heavy rains of weeks ago had taken their toll on the steepest sides of the ridge as erosion destabilized the ground around the trees’ root systems.
They took care not to create too wide a path, as they didn’t want to make it easy for anyone to drive an operating vehicle up the trail. They rode down the entire length of the trail until they came to State Highway 217 that used to lead to Middlesboro. After a short ride in that direction, they saw the road had been turned into what could best be described as a boat launch. The two-lane highway and its double yellow line sloped gently into the new river until it disappeared from view.
However, on the upslope of the highway at the base of the ridge was a gravel road bordered by a three-rail brown fence. A block and stone entry monument referred to the development as Shillalah Village.
“Dad, whadya think?” asked Jesse as he turned his horse a few paces up the driveway. “Shouldn’t we check it out?” Like father, like son.
Levi shrugged. “That’s why we’re here. Let’s go.”
Without asking Tommy’s and Kristi’s opinions, Levi and Jesse charged ahead up the road, which led toward the ridge they’d just traveled down. They continued for half a mile before coming upon the first home.
Levi motioned for Kristi and Tommy to continue up the hill. They drew their rifles out of their scabbards and laid them across their laps. Jesse was told to wait at the driveway in case he saw anyone run out of the side of the house or attempt to encircle them.
Levi dismounted and tied his horse off to the mailbox. With his rifle cradled in his arms, he slowly approached the front door and knocked. He immediately stepped back and to the side of the entry in case the occupants decided to shoot him through the door.
Nobody answered.
He knocked harder this time and announced himself, even using his name to show he had no ill intent. Again, there was no reply.
He glanced back at the rest of the riders, who were all waiting for a signal from him. He held his hand and index finger in the air, indicating he needed another minute. He walked around the side of the house to the carport and found it empty. Then he began to peek in the windows of the home, looking for any signs of the owners. It looked unoccupied.
A few minutes later, he’d returned to the group and mounted his horse. He waved Jesse up the hill to join them.
“Nobody home, I guess. Or they’re hiding. The thing is, the place looks like it hasn’t been lived in. You know. Neat. Tidy. Unused.”
“What should we do?” asked Kristi.
“Let’s check out the rest of the neighborhood before we decide.”
They rode up the only other street in the largely undeveloped rural subdivision. There were three other homes, each located along the base of the ridge. None of them appeared to be occupied or tampered with.
“So weird, right?” asked Kristi after they left the last home. “Where did these people go?”
“There could be a couple of explanations,” offered Tommy. “First, and this is just my opinion, but these homes looked to be occupied by elderly people. Looking through the windows, I’ve seen décor and things that gave me fond memories of going to my grandmother’s house when I was little.
“Second, the occupants were probably like us. They saw the water rising and swallowing their neighbors’ homes. All of the cars are gone except for one, the older Buick at this last house. Again, Buicks are driven by old people, you know?”
They rode back to the intersection of the only two streets in the small subdivision. The waters had risen up to the fence line that surrounded the front and west side of the development.
Levi pointed through the trees to the rear of the home where they stopped to talk. “I can see why they evacuated. The backyard of this house is right at the edge.”
“Plus, we really don’t know if the water will continue to rise,” continued Tommy. “If Chapman and Isabella are right, the Arctic ice and the glaciers will continue to melt, driving the water levels higher and higher.”
Kristi agreed and made an additional point. “Don’t forget the possibility of rain. It’s been dry for a while now, but that Svensmark thing could happen at any time. A few more weeks of rain and these guys are under water like the rest of those rooftops over there.”
“Good point,” said Levi. “I mean, honestly, I saw these four houses and thought we should consider moving in. The thing is, will the water keep comin’? If we get run out of here by flooding, somebody might’ve taken over the settlement in the meantime. We’d be screwed.”
The four of them dismounted and weighed the pros and cons until they reached a consensus. There was a reason somebody came up with that old saying about a bird in the hand being worth two in the bush.
“Okay, it’s agreed,” said Levi. “We’ll stay put. I’m sure Carly will agree.”
“Mom too,” said Kristi, and then she laughed. “She’d be pissed if we asked her to leave.”
“Yeah, she’s pretty happy,” added Jesse.
Tommy wandered toward the driveway of the house in front of them. “Hey, I know we’ve kinda talked about this before. You know, the whole foraging versus stealing thing. Honestly, I was uncomfortable with the thought of taking people’s belongings, but that was before what we’ve been through.”
Levi joined his side, and his comment was intended to sway the group’s decision. “The place is abandoned.”
“This house is the closest to being taken by the water,” added Kristi.
Levi nodded. “Listen, y’all, you don’t have to convince me. I’m all about taking care of this kid and the rest of my family. If there’s nobody here to stop us, I think we should take what we need.”
Tommy looked at Kristi and she agreed. It was decided, and the four of them rode to the back of the house and tied off their horses. Tommy quickly pointed out the small single-axle utility trailer propped up against the back of the carport. Its tailgate was partially submerged in the rising waters.
“Do you think the horses can pull that?” he asked Levi.
“Oh, yeah. It’s got wheels and we have a paved surface for most of the way up the trail. If we don’t overload it and make multiple trips, we can walk them up the ridge and even help pull.”
Tommy gestured toward the sliding glass doors leading onto a wood deck behind the house. Levi took the lead, using the butt of his rifle to gently break out the glass. After reaching in to unlock the door, he pulled it open and made way for Tommy to charge in with the barrel of his rifle leading the way. While Jesse watched the backyard, the three adults quickly cleared the one-story rancher to confirm it was empty.
“Clear!” shouted Levi from the master bedroom.
“Clear!” responded Tommy, who quickly checked out the two guest bedrooms, one of which had been turned into a sewing and craft room.
“Bingo!” shouted Kristi. “The kitchen’s stocked with food!”
After helping themselves to a snack, they planned their return trip up the ridge and prioritized what they would take back with them. It was unanimous that they’d focus on food and medical supplies. Anything else was considered a luxury, although they planned on returning the next day to fill up another load, which would include the bedding.
Just as the sun was setting, they appeared in the clearing at their new home, immediately drawing the attention of Chapman and Isabella, who were patrolling the perimeter. The entire family met in the center of the settlement near the apple orchard to discuss their find and enjoy a treat. The owners of the home were fans of Honey Bunches of Oats cereal, so several boxes were passed
around to enjoy a handful.
Meanwhile, a set of eyes, or two, was watching the joyous celebration from a rock outcropping on the ridge above the Hensley Settlement.
Chapter 44
The Hensley Settlement at Shillalah Creek
Cumberland Mountains
Southeast Kentucky
That night, the group enjoyed their best meal since before the power grid went down. The home they’d broken into had cast-iron cookware to supplement what Sarah had brought with her in the wagons. Kristi cooked a large pot of rice on her cast-iron stove together with skillet cornbread. Sarah made kidney beans and collard greens from the canned goods found at the home. They all shared bags of peanut M&M’s that were apparently a favorite of the elderly woman who had lived in the home alone.
Early the next morning around four o’clock, Chapman and Isabella relieved Tommy and Kristi, who’d taken the midnight patrol shift. Levi warned them repeatedly not to become complacent and too comfortable in their surroundings. With each passing day, those who’d survived thus far would be desperate for food or a place to live. Despite the fact they were tucked away in this unique location, they were subject to being discovered.
Against that backdrop, Chapman and Isabella split up during their patrols for the first time. The settlement was very large and oval shaped. In the time they took to walk the perimeter together, someone could easily infiltrate their settlement and wreak havoc.
It was Levi’s stern warning and their decision to split up that averted an unnecessary crisis that morning.
A sudden fog had swept through the valley atop Brush Mountain. Colder, fall-like air had swept down the ridge and collided with the warmer air hovering over the newly plowed fields at the Hensley Settlement. A light fog formed in the low spots, hampering visibility as dawn approached.
Unbeknownst to the Boone family, they’d been watched for two days by a man and a woman who’d created a campsite atop an outcropping known as White Rocks. Just off the Shillalah Creek Trail that traversed the ridge, the rocks jutted out over the face of the ridge, allowing visibility for miles. The two people had followed the trail toward the southwest and happened upon the White Rocks, where they discovered the Boones’ new home.
Before they reported their findings back to their group, they wanted to get a better look at the buildings below. Their plan was to enter the open space on the open side of where the two-man patrol was located. However, the fog obscured their view, and Chapman’s splitting up with Isabella left him in position to intercept them as they came out of the woods.
He’d just rounded the cross fence near the apple orchard when he saw the two figures appear at the edge of the woods. Rather than sound the alarm, he waited for them to be closer to the small Gibbons farmhouse just below the apple orchard.
Chapman moved toward the tree line to use it as cover. As they walked slowly across the unplowed field, he circled around to cut off their escape into the woods. Once he was in position, he was ready to make his presence known.
“Hold it right there!” he shouted just before firing a single gunshot into the air.
The two panicked and became confused. They started running directly toward Chapman, searching for the path they’d used onto the property.
Chapman fired again. The report of the rifle reverberated off the steep ridge and sent the animals into a frenzy. Brooke’s chattering could be heard in the distance, as could the rest of the family.
“Where are you?” shouted Isabella.
“Small Gibbons farm!”
Isabella repeated Chapman’s location so the others could hear.
“On our way!” Levi’s voice boomed from near the cemetery. The sound of his horse’s hooves pounding the road through the fields could be heard in the distance.
“Run!” the female shouted to her partner as she took off across the field toward the barn. The male stood still with his hands up as Chapman moved closer with his gun. The sun had risen just enough so silhouettes and shadows could be seen.
Another gunshot rang out, this time coming from Chapman’s left.
“Stop! Now!”
It was Isabella. She’d come down the road bisecting the property and caught the woman running away.
“Okay! Okay!” the woman responded.
Levi burst around the house on his horse and pulled back on the reins before he ran into the man Chapman held at gunpoint.
“Where’s the other one?” he asked excitedly.
“Toward the big house,” replied Chapman. “Isabella just shot at her.”
Levi pulled on the reins to turn his horse in that direction. He dug his heels into his horse’s sides, which immediately responded. Seconds later, he arrived at Isabella’s position, where she, too, had captured the trespasser.
Soon, the entire Boone family had arrived on the scene, with Brooke leading the way, teeth bared and vociferous as always in the face of danger. It took Kristi longer to calm her down than the humans who were at risk.
Suddenly, Levi shouted, “Stand down! Everybody, stand down. It’s all right.”
“What?” asked Chapman. “Are you—?”
“Yeah, I know this girl.”
Chapman’s captive began to lower his arms. Chapman barked at him, “Put ’em back in the air! Now!”
“But—” he began before Chapman menacingly pointed the rifle at his head.
“You heard me!”
The sun began to burn off the light fog, and the family gathered around the small Gibbons farmhouse, where Chapman continued to hold the young man at gunpoint. A moment later, Levi walked his horse alongside Isabella and a young girl.
Levi arrived and motioned for Chapman to lower his rifle before he explained, “Everyone, this is Fairy. She was the teenage girl at the FEMA camp who helped me that night.”
Chapman was still on edge and not sure if he cared what she’d done in the past. He was interested in their intentions at this moment. “What are you doing sneaking around here in the wee hours of the morning?”
She was quick to reply. “Um, we’ve been watching you for a couple of days from a ledge up there.” She pointed up the ridge past the creek.
“Why?” asked Chapman.
The young man spoke up. “Mayor Rogers told us to explore the mountains to see what we could find. You know, houses or other places to live. We’ve got too many people and not enough places to sleep.”
Chapman still seemed agitated, so Levi joined his side and patted him on the shoulder to reassure him. He asked about the conditions of Camp S-53, unconcerned about their intentions.
“How are you comin’ along over there?”
“It was okay at first,” began Fairy. “Everyone felt good about being free, but soon the realities set in. We were still living on top of each other in those tents. The food supply was going down, and when FEMA didn’t show up for several days for the resupply, a lot of people began to get antsy. That’s why Mayor Rogers sent us out here to, you know, find food and houses.”
Chapman furrowed his brow and pointed his rifle a little higher. “So you were scopin’ us out. What were you gonna do, go back and tell them what we have so they can rob us like a bunch of thieves in the night?”
“No, no,” the young man tried to defend their actions. “Nothin’ like that. I swear.”
“You’re lyin’!” shouted Chapman.
“No, sir. We ain’t lyin’,” said Fairy. “We don’t do that. All of us remember what it was like to be held against our will and have our things taken from us. But this is such a big place, and I thought maybe you might have room for some more. That’s all.”
Sarah stepped in to calm everyone down. “Fairy, is it?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Interesting name.”
“Yes, ma’am. My father’s name is Peter, and my mom always liked the idea of calling her daughter Tinker Bell. Dad kinda drew the line on that, but he went along with Fairy. I don’t know, I guess it kinda fits, you know?”
“Yes, it appears so. Will you and your friend join us for breakfast before you leave?”
“Yes, ma’am,” exclaimed the young man. “We’ve been eatin’ snack bars for two days, and I’m powerful hungry.”
“We’re gonna feed—” began Chapman before Sarah cut him off.
“Yes, son, we are. They’re hungry and may have a long trip ahead of them today.” She turned her attention to their new guests. “How long did it take you to get here?”
“About five or six hours. We walked along the trail at the top of the ridge and then followed a path down to a big cave full of sand. Then we decided to sleep for the night on those white-colored rocks. The next morning, we saw your camp.”
Sarah continued her seemingly innocent questions. Like Chapman, she was concerned that their new home had been discovered. Regardless of what the people at the FEMA camp had done to help Levi, they were still a potential threat as far as she was concerned. She intended to get these kids to let their guard down while they enjoyed a hot meal. Then she would send them on their way but not alone.
Levi and Carly would be going with them, and so would Sarah.
Chapter 45
The Greenbrier
White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia
The mood was subdued as President Houston and his vice president greeted the new arrivals in the lobby of the Greenbrier. The nation’s intelligence agencies and the Secretaries of Defense and State were confident that no national security threat existed from the nation’s adversaries. Like the United States, the world’s major military powers, and even rogue nations, had their hands full in dealing with the catastrophe.
Therefore, the military used its transportation assets that had been hardened against EMPs to gather up the president’s cabinet, their chiefs of staff, and leading members of Congress to the new location of the federal government—the Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia.