The Day Time Ran Out

by Darrel Bird

Vacations End

  Dan and Pam Ramsey had planned for two years on their month long vacation at their cabin just across the Washington state line in British Columbia Canada. They had decided on no cell phones or any other form of interruption. The only way in to their cabin was by plane. Dan had built the short runway years earlier that would accommodate their small Cessna. The plane was already packed for the return trip home to Sacramento.

  Dan turned and looked at the cabin, and wished they could stay longer, but it had been hard enough to get enough practicing dentists to fill in that long. Three dentists had promised to run his office by taking turns.

  Dan cranked the engine on the Cessna 172 and began his taxi down the short runway. The plane bounced along, the runway not exactly smooth.

  “I hate this thing!” Pam yelled above the roar of the engine as the planed picked up speed.

  Soon the plane smoothed out as the plane lifted them above the dense forest below. Pam felt bad, as usual, for complaining about her husbands beloved plane.

  “Do you remember when you got the idea to mount extra tanks and fly us to Hawaii?”

  “Probably would have made it too.” He grinned at her as he pushed the choke in on the small aircraft.

  “I'll be glad to get home. I'm going to take a nap.” She laid the seat back as far as she could against all their stuff, laid her pillow against the side of the plane, and was soon asleep.

  Dan put the plane on auto pilot and relaxed. He thought of all the times he had dragged her from one place to another in the plane. He also knew she had never cared for flying like he did, yet she loved him enough to go along with it. He looked at her relaxed face and he regretted having forced her to do something she didn't really want to do.

  I'm damn selfish is what it it, and I need to think of her more than I do. The plane droned away the miles.

  The sun was almost down when the city of Sacramento began to take shape. He looked over and saw that Pam was asleep again, and he reach over to gently wake her.

  “Are we home?”

  “About five minutes until we land. There's some coffee left in the thermos.”

  “Yekk! I want some orange juice. My mouth tastes awful.”

  Dan began to circle the plane for the end of his runway. He reached for the Radio. “Hello tower, this is Cessna 1462 requesting land on runway 34.”

  All that came back was static. “Hello Sacramento tower, this is Cessna 1462 requesting permission to land on 34.”

  He waited a full minute thinking the tower people might be extra busy, and then called again with no answer.

  “Why aren't they answering Dan?”

  “I don't know, maybe the radio has lost transmit or something.”Well, we have to land, because we are almost out of gas.” He began to loose altitude as he nosed the plane toward the end of runway 34.

  The plane bounced a little as a crosswind tried to pull his plane toward the edge of the runway. He saw why as soon as he caught sight of a wind sock. The tower usually would give him the wind direction and he felt a little eerie. The tower people had never failed to answer in all his time flying. He pulled the plane back toward the center of the runway, as the plane slowed. He taxied the plane slowly as he threaded his way to his hanger that belonged to the pilots association.

  “Hold your foot on the brake, the wind is up a little.” He exited the plane and ran to the hanger door. He used his remote, but the door didn't move. He went through the small door into the silent hanger, and walked to the big door to use the chain to pull the hanger door open. Again that eerie feeling tugged at his insides as he raised the door by hand.

  He walked out to the idling plane and revved the engine a little to guide the plane through the hanger door where he cut the engine, he got out and pushed the plane to its resting place inside the hanger.

  “I was about ready to pee my pants, I'm going to use the toilet in the front office.”

  “Ok Honey, I'll get the stuff to the car.”

  Their car was parked in the private parking lot off to the side of the hanger, and he headed for the car with a load of bags. As he began to make his second trip he heard a blood curdling shriek from the inside of the hanger. He ran through the hanger door to meet Pam running toward him.

  “What the worlds the matter?”

  “The...the...there's a dead man in there, I think it's Alvin the mechanic!”

  “Stay here, I'll go see.”

  “Don't go in there Dan!”

  “I have too... just stay here.”

  He walked through the the back door of the office and found the man in blue coverall's lying in the middle of the floor. It looked like the man had been dead for at least a week. His face was laying in vomit. He turned away quickly and the smell of death permeated the room. He walked behind the desk and picked up the phone, but only got silence on the phone.

  Pam had come to stand at the edge of the door, “He's dead isn't he?”

  “Yes, run out to the car and get the cell phone please Pam.”

  “Ok.”

  He heard her feet slapping the concrete as she ran. In a few short minutes she was back and handed him the cell which had been stored on the car battery. He flipped the cell phone open, and turned it on. “Huh.” I can't get a signal.”

  “Is the battery dead?”

  “No, its showing full.”

  “I'm scared Dan, you know that office has never been neglected even for one day.”

  “It didn't dawn on me until now, but I didn't see any movement from the air either. Something is very wrong. Where the hell is everybody?”

  “Lets just go home, I want to call Mom.”

  “Ok, go start the car while I lock the hanger doors.”

  In a few minutes Dan pulled the car out of the parking lot and proceeded toward their home which was just a mile away on 56th street. They only had to get the one freeway entrance ramp and then get off at the next ramp and follow that street a short distance to their house. It was coming on dark when they climbed the entrance ramp to the freeway, and not a car was moving, no headlights, nothing, and Dan had the eerie feeling they had been lifted off planet earth, and sat down on a strange world. He could tell that Pam felt it too as she sat looking around with her hand over her mouth, and he saw stark fear in her eyes.

  He stepped on the gas, quickly came to the exit ramp and turned north on the typical American suburbia street that led to their home. He slowed down and saw trash littering the once clean street. He saw the broken windows in what was considered homes of well to do people. He heard two gun shots that sounded like it was just a street over, and it caused him to swerve the car a little. He stepped on the gas, and quickly came to their driveway.

  He pulled into the driveway, and shut off the ignition. The silence was overwhelming. All they heard was a night bird somewhere in the trees that lined the street. Not a light shown in any house, and the street was dark as there were no street lights on. Their house looked untouched. Pam clung to him as he keyed the lock.

  He flicked the light switch, but no light. That was when his military training kicked in. He remembered the war zones, and Dan Ramsey began to get his rear wired tight.

  “Dan, I'm really scared.”

  “Lets not go panicking honey, it won't do us good. I'll get the flashlight out of the trunk.”

  He opened the door. The room smelled a little musty so he left the door open. “Sit down while I check the house.” He checked the fridge and the freezer, they both stank of spoiled food. He checked the cupboards and they were neatly stacked with canned goods.

  The house looked as if it was untouched since they left.

  He returned to the living room, and saw that Pam had closed the front door. “I can live with musty, but not with the door open.” He shined the light on her face, and saw that her eyes were tear streaked.

  “Yeah, did you lock it?”

  “Does a Bear poop in the woods?”

  “That's my brave girl.”

  �
�If I wasn't with you, I'd be running down the street shrieking my head off.”

  Dan quickly found the candles and lit four of them, and with light they both began to feel better. He pulled the curtains closed on the front window so the light could not be seen from the street. He returned to the car, and found his .45 caliber service pistol and threaded the loop of the holster through his belt. He then carted the baggage into the front room.

  He dug out the little wilderness camp stove and sat it on the table with two candles. He opened a couple cans of beef stew, and poured it into a pan, then sat it on the little stove.

  “I don't think I can eat Dan.”

  “You have to eat. I don't think we can stay here Pam. I heard a gunshot a couple blocks over. Something has happened to the authorities here, and Sacramento was already getting to be a dangerous town. We need to get out into the country.”

  “Where would we go?”

  “South on the 99 freeway if we can.”

  “Why south?”

  “I don't know, I just feel like we should go is all. Did the phone work?”

  “No.”

  After they ate Pam said, “I'm not going to bed, I'm going to lay down on the couch.”

  “Ok, I'm going to make good use of my Lazyboy recliner.”

  About an hour later he heard his wife begin to snore, even though she swore up and down she never snored. Some time during the night he slept, and when he awoke light was showing around the curtains. Pam awakened a short time later, and with water from the cartons of bottle water, she cleaned up as best she could.

  “We'll pack the car with extra cloths. canned goods, water, sleeping bags and the camp stoves. You pack our toiletries and don't forget toilet paper.”

  “Oak leaves won't do?”

  “I can tell you are feeling better. We'll leave as soon as we get the car loaded. We can always come back here, but I want to get on out into the country to see what that looks like.”

  An hour later they pulled out of their driveway. On the way to the freeway they passed a car with a dead body they hadn't seen the night before. Pam's eyes were large as she took in the condition of the neglected streets and houses.

  Dan sped the car up as they entered the empty I-5 freeway. They saw nothing but an occasional car on the side of the road. When they turned off onto the 99 freeway south, the stalled cars became more frequent. After they were on the 99 a while they came upon and overturned semi-truck. They were able to skirt around the truck, nearly scrubbing a chain link fence.

  Near the little town of Galt Dan brought the car to a screeching halt beside one of the stalled cars that had a body behind the wheel.

  “What did you stop for? You nearly ran me through the windshield!”

  “I want a closer look at the man in that car.”

  He opened the car door and walked the few feet to the other car, but the car was locked. he opened the trunk of their car and found the hammer he had stored. A hammer for every nail, as the saying goes. No, theres no saying like that...maybe tool for every job? Quit it, don't lose it now.

  He drew back and smashed the car window, and drawing on his medical gloves began to examine the mans face. There were signs of a little bleeding from the eyes, but the most telling sign was the blotchy bruising in a swelled neck and face. He sucked in a deep breathe and staggered backwards, because the stench had become to much to handle. The man had simply died in his own blood and vomit before what ever he had killed him.

  He ripped the gloves off, and cranked the car, “I think some kind of plague has killed the people.”

  “Will we get it?”

  “Maybe...probably...I just don't know. Its obvious that not everybody has died, at least yet, because whoever shot a gun last night was not dead.”

  “Dan, remember reading something like this in the Revelations, do you think it could be something like that?”

  “Could be...yeah, I think it might be. We need to find people who are not shooting at us. Maybe if we do things might become more clear. We were gone for a month, and this thing could have started the day we left for all we know.”

  When they came to Stockton they had to slow to skirt an over turned pickup. As they circled the right side of the truck, a shot rang out, and a bullet shattered the glass in the back window of the car.

  “Holy crap!” Dan yelled as he floored the gas pedal. He thought he heard another shot, but no more bullets hit the car.

  “It's not safe on this road Dan!” Pam hit him on the shoulder, she was crying.

  “Calm down, he didn't hit us.”

  “Didn't hit us? Is that all?”

  “Honey, I don't think there is a safe place any more.”

  He kept his speed at between seventy and eighty miles an hour except when it was too dangerous to go that fast. He was thinking about stopping to eat when he heard the back tire explode, and the car began to fishtail. He got the car stopped.

  “Darn it. That was an almost new tire, we must have hit something sharp. You just sit here, and I'll dig the spare out.”

  He pulled the bags out of the trunk, and found the doenut tire under the floor mat' the little jack was bolted to the top of the tire. He found the tire wrench under the tire. Finding the notch under the side of the car he began turning the handle of the jack. He stopped to listen, but heard only the leaves rustling in a nearby tree. He cursed under his breath as he remembered to start loosening the lug nuts first before he raised the car.

  He tried to turn the first lug nut, but it was turning hard, in five minutes he was sweating profusely. “If it takes me this long to turn one lug nut, we'll be here all day.”

  Pam leaned her head out the window, “Is it stuck? Do you want me to help?”

  “No, I'll get it eventually.”

  “Dan the hero.”

  He ignored the remark and kept turning the lug nut but not without great effort. He cursed the car manufacturer, their wives and their dogs. He was so busy working at it that he didn't hear the speeding motorcycle until it was almost upon them. He was on his knee's as he felt for his side arm. The man on the shiny new motorcycle stopped about ten feet away.

  Absence Of Malice

 

  Dwight cranked the chopper, and they took the exit toward Porterville. When they came to the Chevron station, it was deserted. They found the hand pump just laying in one of the lanes. He tried pumping gas and was able to fill the bike and the car.

  “Thoughtful of someone, I’m surprised there was any fuel left in the tanks.” Dwight stood by the couple’s car, “Lets roll on to Porterville, go around that and on toward Springville.”

  “Do you know the area?”

  “I was up here once. My wife and I went up above Springville camping in the red woods.”

  “Ok Dwight, we’re with you, let’s do it.” Dwight looked at Dan Ramsey, and was glad he had stopped to help them.

  When they arrived in Porterville Dwight saw a pickup parked at the lumber company, and there was a couple of people loading lumber. He decided to try approaching them as the bad ones, he’d seen weren’t interested in lumber.

  He stopped the bike in front of the truck, and a voice came from the back of a pile of lumber, “I have a rifle trained on you mister.” The other two men stopped working and came over.

  “We’re not looking for trouble,” said Dwight, “We’re looking for the decent folks; I'm Dwight Turner, and this is Dan and Pam Ramsey in the car. Do you have any news?”

  “I’m Cole Marston.” The man reached out his hand,” Where did you come from?”

  “I had a bike shop in San Francisco. You can ask Dan where they hail from; we hooked up a few miles back down the road. The only others I’ve seen shot at me. I shot back.”

  “Very nice bike, wish I had one of those to just trundle around on.” Marston grinned.

  “Why did you come this way, if I might ask?”

  “Mister, we are right in the middle of the tribulation period; we have to hole up somewhere
, and the mountains seem as good a place as any, but to tell you the truth I don’t know why I even came south.”

  Marston gave his partner a knowing look.

  “I’m going to stick my neck out and tell you something I may regret; we are building a strong hold just east of here. What did your partners there in the car do before this all started?”

  “We had a dental practice in Sacramento and Dwight there is a mechanic” Dan answered.

  “You don’t say? We have our load, if you want to follow us back to the ranch, I can’t guarantee you they will take you in, but we can try. You both have skills we need.”

  “Lead the way then.”

  Virgil Grissom rode his horse down through the draw, and remembered all the words that John had spoken to him that day, a year ago. John had died a week later of a massive heart attack. Nobody but Nell knew of his condition.

  Virgil took out the binoculars and carefully scanned the hills around him, and spotted the four wheel drive pickup climbing up the back side of a hill. There were four of them riding the pick-up bed armed to the teeth with automatic rifles. He sighed and got on the radio to the other outposts, “Dwight, get the others ready.”

  He patted the shoulder of the mare he was riding.

  “Might as well get to it, girl; we got it to do.” He turned the mare wearily down the gully. He prepared himself for battle he knew was coming. He knew he had been chosen to lead this group home, or die trying, and he knew if he died, someone else would step in and lead them home.

  The beast slithers yonder

  Virgil sat his saddle on a hill a mile from the ranch house and scanned the horizon, seeing

  no one, and he sat thinking as the horse went at the wild flowers that grew in abundance.

  The Ranch had been attacked six times in the last month with the loss of two good men, and one of the children had been hit in crossfire. The doc had saved the Childs life, but she would remain crippled as they had not had the medical facilities it took to do much for the leg that had been shattered by a large caliber bullet.

  He felt fortunate that he had Doc plus Pam and Dan Ramsey as medical people.

  The funerals were the hardest as most of the time it left grieving wives, children and always friends to take the loss, pick up and go on.

  Sometimes the weekly prayer meetings helped, sometimes it didn’t help all that much, and sometimes he wondered their purpose for further existence, at other times he just began again, taking one step at a time, putting one foot in front of the other.

  After some time thinking back over the time since they had first arrived there, he made up his mind.

  “Zack, this is Virgil, do you hear me?”

  He heard Zack's portable radio crackle to life “Go ahead; this is Zack.”

  “Zack, can you get every one of the men together at the big house for a meeting at four o’clock? Everybody but Jody and Donaldson, put them on the gate.”

  “Sure boss, what’s up?”

  “Tell you at the meeting, and quit calling me boss, I’ve told you a dozen times. Where is Dwight right now?”

  “He’s patrolling the ranch on the Porterville side, just like you told him.”

  “Dwight is a good man.”

 

  “Sure is boss, see you at four. Out.”

  He grinned. He knew Zack wouldn’t give an inch, and he wasn’t about to tackle the big man to find out, anyhow he knew if he ever did he would have Rosie to deal with, and she was one tough gal. Not that he would ever fight with either one of the couple he had come to love and respect so much.

  There were forty two men living at the ranch now, nearly a hundred people all together including the women and children. One or two of the men tended to be a little lazy, but all of them were baptized under fire to even get to the ranch, and none of them were afraid.

  As he rode his horse up to the ranch house, his eyes took in the cabins that had been quickly thrown together. They were built fast and really weren’t meant for cold weather, yet he had not heard a complaint, if they complained, it was done in private.

  He walked out on the long porch where groups of the men were gathered together talking in low voices. As soon as he closed the door the men went silent. They knew something was up as Virgil was not in the habit of leaving so much of the ranch exposed for any length of time.

  “Fellows, up until now, we’ve just been on the defensive, and they keep picking us off. It's time we did something about it. I am going to assign six men to range further out. I don’t like having to do that, but if a large group comes at us, they can wipe us off the face of the earth.”

  “We have enough horses. Zack will take two men and an extra horse in case one goes down, and I’m going to do the same. Zack will patrol toward Porterville and Bakersfield, and I will patrol toward Lake Isabella. For one thing, I want to see what’s happening out there. I also want to see who, if anyone, is in Walker Basin. Walker Basin is an ideal strong hold position, and there might be a stronghold of Christians there.”

  Dan Goldman held up his hand, “Yes Dan?”

  “There might be some bad people there too, don’t ya think?”

  “Of course, but we risk our lives every day just getting up in the morning…I think it might be worth the risk to find out. There may not be anything at all there, but if we don’t range further out the risk is even greater.”

  Another man held up his hand, “Just speak up Donaldson, this ain’t school man!”

  “What if we have to kill people?”

  “We have two choices…roll over and let them kill us, or fight, there is just no in-between measures here…is there?”

  “Yeah, but is it wrong to fight? I’m not afraid of the fighting; it’s just that I have doubts.”

  “Don’t we all have doubts? Can you sit and watch while murders, rapist and thieves come in and kill your wife and children or your friends and neighbors?”

  “I don’t reckon I can do that, it just ain’t in me to do that, it…it’s just that I have these feelings.”

  “I know, and I reckon that goes for every one of us, but if we go into a fight with doubt, someone is going to die.”

  The rest of the men were shaking their heads in the affirmative to what he said as he looked around at the grave faces, yet faces that were resolute to whatever came their way.

  “Russell, you will run the ranch operations from now on and Dave Johnson, you will take charge of the guards, pick one or two men to help with whatever the women folk need.”

 

  “Let’s get some rest boys; we are leaving in the morning at nine. Each of us will pack enough food for a week. Zack, take one shot gun and rifles for each and make sure you take enough ammo, we’ll do the same.”

  After the meeting broke up, he and Zack entered the house and were met by Rosie and Jan at the door, the both of them looking worried.

  “Now don’t you girls start in on us.” Virgil said as he sat down heavily in one of the easy chairs. Nell came in bringing coffee.

  “Virgil, I don’t like the idea of you going so far away from the ranch.” Jan looked sick with worry.

  “I know, but we have to do this, I don’t see as we have any choice, and we need to get some news about what is happening out there.”

  “Can’t Rosie and I go with you?”

  “You know you can’t, you have to watch the kids.” Rosie and Zack had adopted the boy and Jan, and Virgil had adopted the girls they had picked up along the way to the ranch.

  Rosie was her usual stoical self; she looked worried, but said nothing. Nell suggested they say a prayer before bed so the five of them prayed earnestly for their safe return home.

  The next morning they ate quickly then began to pack what they would need for a week while Curt Doyle saddled the horses and brought them up from the barn.

  Many of the people were there to wish them well, and say prayers for them, and then the people looked on as they rode away down the road.

  When t
hey got to the Porterville road, Zack turned right toward Porterville. Virgil, and his two partners went left toward the Sierra Nevada’s, they would turn southeast on the road that led past Jack Flats and on up to the Greenhorn summit.

  They stopped at the Kilgore ranch which was owned by David Kilgore and one of his four sons who had not been taken by the plague.

  They rode up the drive and tied the horses to trees in the front yard. Kilgore met them at the door with a double barreled shot gun.

  “Oh, it’s you Grissom, the next time you come up it might pay to give a shout.”

  “Hi Dave, what if you are no longer in control of this ranch, and I shout out, then what?”

  “You have a point boy, but I don’t aim to lose control.”

  Virgil knew Kilgore was a stubborn and fiercely independent man. He had tried to talk him out of the two of them living out there all by themselves, and he figured it was only a matter of time before they were both killed and the cattle taken.

  “I’ll give you boys one cup of coffee each. We are down to the last of it just now, and where are you headed?”

  “Thanks but we can share some of ours with you…do you have any tobacco? Ben there still hasn’t overcome the habit.”

  “Yeah, we have some loose tobacco, but you fellows all better break the habit because there sure ain’t none in the stores no more…or much else for that matter. Raiders from outside have been coming through here regularly.”

  “How have you kept from getting shot? We’ve been attacked at least six times in a month and a half.

  “We take off back through the trees, there’s a little cave about two hundred yards in back of the house, these men who come through here are killers, and we lose a little food to them.”

  “Some day they are going to take you by surprise Dave. You know you’re welcome to come live with us.”

  “I appreciate that Virgil, but we’ll be staying on here…Cullen, get that loose tobacco for Ben. Come on in boys and make yourself to home.”

  “We can’t stay Dave. We have to be moving along and get as far as we can before we make camp.”

  “You still haven’t told me where you boys are riding horse to.”

  “We are on a scouting trip to Lake Isabella and maybe on to Walker Basin; we want to try to find out where these raiders are holed up, and also try to get some news of what is happening in the outside world.”

  “Well, we would go with you, but we have to make ready for winter; it gets cold early up this high.”

  “Its ok, we think we will be better off with a small scouting party anyways.”

  “Ok, mount up boys and let's get as far as we can today.”

  Cullen came out of the house and handed the tobacco up to Ben, “There is some papers in there for some roll your owns.”

  “Thanks Cullen, I appreciate it, that’ll stave off the wolf for a few more days anyhow. If I run out of tobacco and get grumpy these cusses might shoot me.”

  They bid farewell to the Kilgore’s and rode on.

  “Ok boys, keep your eyes peeled for anything that moves, we don’t want to run into an ambush.”

  They rode on the shoulder of the paved road to keep the noise of the horse’s hoofs down, and the dirt shoulder was also easier on the horses steel shoes.

  They passed a few houses, but there was no sign of life in any of them. Once they got passed Jack Flats they were on a gravel road. The road was washed out in places, and Virgil was glad they hadn’t brought any of the bikes.

  Virgil stopped to open a gate into a pasture. On the other side was a good clump of trees. They could camp in the trees, and the smoke from the camp fire would be filtered through the leaves of the trees. He was hoping that would give some cover from any passers by even though they could smell the smoke from a camp fire.

  They tied the horses in the trees, then put nose bags on them and fed them oats. Afterward, they gave the horses water with the same nose bags.

  The next day by noon they were half way up the Greenhorn summit, and by dark, they were on the other side.

  They camped in an empty house that sat a way back in the trees off the road and started on at nine the next morning, giving the horses a good rest.

  There were many houses on the side of the paved road, but they saw no signs of life at all. Virgil figured any survivors were in the town of Lake Isabella.

  They stopped on a hill overlooking the town of Lake Isabella and tied the horses in some trees, then went on a way on foot. Virgil began sweeping the town with the powerful binoculars he had obtained from the sheriff's station in Porterville.

  As he slowly moved the binoculars, suddenly his muscles tightened at the sight he was looking at.

  “What do you see Virgil?” Ben asked, he had stopped rolling his smoke when he saw Virgil stiffen up.

  “I don’t know… there are some soldiers down there, but the markings are like nothing else I have ever seen.” The marking he was looking at was a red lighting bolt with a white circle over it. The trucks had the same markings, but nothing that would indicate they were U.S. Army trucks, “ Here Ben, take a look.” Ben had served in the Army for six years.

  Ben looked carefully at the markings on the trucks and the soldiers uniform, “These are not U.S. markings on the trucks or the uniforms, they look European or maybe middle East even, but they are sure not U.S…I’d stake my life on it.

  “We need to go around to the north and pick up the Walker Basin road…if there’s anyone up there, maybe they will know what’s going on. Let's get back about a mile, then cross the north fork of the Kern River above the town. Let’s go.”

  It took them two and a half hours to reach the North fork of the Kern and make the crossing because it was a slow go to avoid the town. They had to negotiate thick brush to get there.

  They watered the horses and continued on until they came to the Walker Basin road north of Lake Isabella.

  It was almost dark when they came in sight of the Walker ranch house. A man appeared out of the trees, “Hold up there, there are weapons trained on you, so don’t bother with yours.”

  “We mean you no harm. We are from the Porterville area. We wanted to find out if anybody was up here.” We thought we might get some news is all.” Virgil said.

  “Just stay right there until I get back, what is your name?”

  “My name is Virgil Grissom.”

  “Ok, I’ll be back in a few minutes, just don’t make any sudden moves and don’t go milling around. He turned to the trees, “Danny, if they try anything kill them all where they stand.”

  Virgil figured the man was going to the main house that lay up the road a piece; the main house sat on the side of the road. He could see an older bunk house and some newer buildings that had been built in the pasture; the new fence and post were obvious.

  “Looks pretty much like they’ve done what we have.” He whispered to Dave.

  “I wouldn’t bet too much on it; we need to be ready to fight if we have to."

  “I have a feeling we won’t have to, if they were predators, they would have killed us for the horses and supplies.”

  Soon they saw the man coming out of the house and in ten minutes he came up to them.

  “I’d shake your hand mister, but we are the guards, and we just can’t afford to get close to you.”

  “I understand… no problem with that here.”

  “Well, leave your weapons in that wooden box over there, then go on up. Better not be any hidden weapons on you. You will be searched and if they find any on you bigger than a buck knife, they’ll shoot you dead.”

  “Ok boys, let’s shuck our weapons…all of them.”

  As they rode slowly up to the house Willard spoke, “I don’t like putting ourselves at the mercy of anybody.”

  “I know…I don’t either, but that’s the only way we are going to get close enough to any strong hold to obtain anything these days Willard, so don’t get antsy; I think we’ll be ok.”

  They tie
d the horses to the fence and walked up to the porch. When they got to the long porch, a man came out. He had a pistol in a holster on his belt.”

  “Keep your hands where I can see them while I search you.”

  When he finished searching them, he motioned them to the door, “Open it.” The man said.

  They opened the door which led to a comfortable sitting room. There were four men sitting in easy chairs with drinks in their hands.

  A gray-haired man who looked to be about seventy years old greeted them, “Come in and sit.” He indicated the couch, “What can we do for you?”

  “My name is Virgil Grissom; this is Ben Payne, and the other is Willard Duke. We just want news of what’s happening. We have a place on the other side of the Greenhorn.”

  “We hope you understand if we can’t give you more than that about our exact location, we have people we are responsible for.”

  “We understand, but you can understand if we are very suspicious of anyone coming up this road from Lake Isabella.”

  “Because of certain markings?”

  “That might be it, yes.”

  “Do you have anything to do with those markings?”

  The mans eyes were very wary now; he glanced over at the other men, and Virgil knew it was time to fish or cut bait before these men got too nervous.

  “I’m going to be very up front sir; we think we are in the tribulation. We have several families trying to survive. Bad men have attacked us time and time again. Men who come to kill without warning or without mercy. We don’t want to harm anybody; we believe in the bible, and we are Christians.”

  The man looked sharply around the room, “Ok, what do you want from us?”

  “As I said, we just want news of what’s happening out there. We’ve reached a point that information is paramount to our survival.”

  “It sounds like you are the same as us. Ok, here is what we know. Those soldiers down there in Lake Isabella are Europeans, and they’re not friendly. They are rounding up people and embedding an electronic chip in them. If they don’t take the chip, they kill them. They were in Los Angeles first, now they have an outpost in Bakersfield.”

  “We think it is the mark of the beast the bible speaks of. The best we know is that they never get out of the main squad, which is about a hundred strong. They are well-equipped and, they all carry assault rifles. They have mortars and machine guns. They are well supplied and well trained soldiers.

  “They have their own rations, but they take by force what they find to live on. After they implant the chip…by force if they have too, they give people a book of rules; we were able to obtain some of the books. We’ll let you have one to take back with you.”

  “Are you men hungry?”

  “We brought our own food, thanks. Are there more coming from over seas do you think?”

  “We think so, the title of the book we are going to give you is ‘Plenty for all’, but we think by the time they are through, the only way you will get any of that plenty, be it buy or barter, is to get that chip.”

  “Have any of your people gotten the chip?”

  “No, we are all Christians here; we don’t want…and are not going to accept…anything these people have.”

  “You’re fairly exposed here you know.”

  “If they come, we will just fade back into these hills.”

  Virgil stood up and held out his hand, “We thank you sir; we'll go and camp back down the road a mile or two, so as to not bring you any trouble from us.”

  “None sense; we'll feed you and bed you down here for the night; I'll have one of the men bring up your weapons. You all can sleep on the rug right here; we’d give you beds if we could. You can wash up in the bathroom; it’s down the hall and to your left. We have plenty of left over for you to eat if you don’t mind them. Your horses have already been grained and watered.”

  “Not at all and thank you again.”

  They brought their gear and sleeping bags. The other men bade them good night, and they tossed their sleeping bags on the floor.

  The next morning they saddled the horses early. The man didn’t return, but a woman gave them each two sandwiches and an apple for breakfast.

  “Thank you for the food ma’am.” Virgil said as they took the sandwiches.

  “You’re welcome sir; you understand that the men are just taking precautions by not showing up to see you off.”

  “We understand perfectly, God bless you and yours.”

  “God bless you all, and God speed you home.”

  They collected their weapons, which were lying just outside the door on the porch, then mounted and rode the way they came.

  A guard came out on the road when they reached the place they had been stopped the day before, and held up his hand.

  “Mister, the boss told me to tell you to turn east when you get to the 178 highway, go east about a mile, there is an old stop sign just off the road. Then go west on the old log road that will lead you across the Kern and that will take you back to the Greenhorn summit. He says to tell you it will be safer and easier traveling for you and your horses.”

  “Thank you very much and tell your boss, we appreciate everything you have done for us.”

  The man stood in the middle of the road looking after them, he waved once and walked back into the trees.

  When they got back to the place indicated they found the old stop sign, it was rusted and full of bullet holes. They found the old log road; it was covered with trees, and the track was dim, but they were able to follow it back to the Kern and on up to Greenhorn summit.

  Virgil rode as fast as he could down the mountain to the valley below, then made a right down the dirt road that would take them past Jack Flats and Kilgore’s Ranch.

  When they got to the ranch, they saw no sign of the Kilgore’s.

  Virgil tied his horse and walked to the door and knocked, but no one came to the door.

  Virgil got a bad feeling in his gut. He had no reason to have it; the Kilgore’s could be anywhere, yet he had an oppressive feeling in his gut just the same.

  He knocked again and waited…still no sound. He started to turn the knob on the front door and door gave under the weight of his hand.

  He walked through the darkened living room calling Dave’s name, then walked on into the kitchen. Both Dave Kilgore and his son were lying on the floor in a pool of dried blood.

  He walked over and felt for a pulse, but found none.

  “Aw Dave, I wish you had come with us.” He whispered in the quiet room. Death had now taken the whole Kilgore family, just as it had so many families.

  He walked back outside to porch, “Willard…find a shovel, and Ben you can help me carry them out, both the Kilgore’s are dead.”

  ”What happened Virgil?” Ben asked.

  “Both of them have been shot; it looks like they were sitting at table having coffee, and they never saw it coming. Let’s get them buried and get on home as quick as we can. Those murderers are probably still in the area.”

  Ben help Virgil pull the two bodies out of the back door where Willard was already digging a hole in the back yard.

  Virgil found another shovel and went to work on the other grave, “Just go down about three feet; we don’t have time to go deeper.”

  Ben relieved Willard, who was already painting. After a few minutes, he handed the shovel back to Willard, “I gotta quit smoking…I ain’t worth hoot for stamina.”

  “Well don’t worry Ben. The cigarette makers aren’t making any, and it won’t be long until time takes care of it for you.” Virgil replied as he dug.

  Soon Ben and Willard relieved Virgil, and they quickly finished up the last hole. They each grabbed a body and lowered it into the holes.

  Virgil began tossing dirt over the grave when Ben spoke up, “Ain’t we going to say something over them boss?”

  “No, just get the dirt over them and let's get a move on, we’ve done all we can here. We probably should have just left th
em lay, but I just hated too, but boys, its getting to where it makes no sense at all to bury the dead.”

  They quickly finished, threw the shovels down by the grave and remounted the horses. Virgil led out kicking his horse into a trot.

  “Boss, we can’t go to fast, or we’ll wear the horses down before we reach the ranch.” Ben said as he rode along side Virgil.

  “I know it Ben, but I want to make it as far as we can before we have to stop again. We should have been home yesterday, and they might be worried, and I don’t want them to split up the ranch folk to come looking for us."

  Sixteen hours later they pulled the tired and jaded horses up to the ranch gate where Jody met them and opened it for them.

  “It looks like you boys have been riding hard.” Jody said as they walked the horses through the gate.

  “Yeah Jody, radio up to the ranch and have someone get the horses water and give them plenty of grain, then I want a meeting at the big house with everyone attending but the guards.”

 

  “The women too?”

  “Everybody but the kids.”

  “Ok Virgil, I’ll get on it. Glad you three are safe.”

  “Did Zack and his crew get back yet?”

  “Yeah, they got back yesterday, but he didn’t say what they found, said he only wanted to tell it once and would wait for you.”

  “Yeah, Zack ain’t much for words. Get a couple of the other men to stand guard when we have that meeting, I want you there Jody.”

  “Ok, I get you; I’ll get a couple of the late comers.”

  “ Jody, did I ever tell you how much I appreciate you?”

  “No need Virgil, I’ve been a ranch hand all my life, and I just work for the brand.”

  “I just wanted to say it.”

  “Same here boss, and that goes for you boys too.” He reached up to shake Virgil’s hand.

  Virgil kicked his horse to a trot toward the ranch buildings a half-mile away.

  Virgil felt the tiredness really kick in as the ranch house came into view, but then he saw Jan walking out onto the porch, and some of the tiredness fled.

  As the tired horse made the last 15 feet, he was out of the saddle with her in his arms. She kissed him almost fiercely, “Hello cowboy.” She said as she leaned back and observed his now weathered face under a one-week beard.

  “How ya doin’ cowgirl? Been ketchin’ any strays?” He said in his best John Wayne mimic.

  “I only have one stray, and he just rode through the gate. How did the trip go?” She asked seriously.

  “I’ve got news, but I’d rather tell it to everyone, I’m beat Honey, as are the boys. I’ve called a meeting for four this evening. Is Zack around? I need to talk to him first.”

  “He’s in the house with Rosy.”

  When he walked in the door, he found Zack in an easy chair with his feet up, “Hello boss.” Zack said as he came through the door.

  “Hello yourself, I see you’re making yourself comfortable.” Virgil smiled.

  “I get special privileges after riding that danged horse for days on end; I wasn’t made to ride a horse. I didn’t even know they made them any more until we got here.”

  “Why didn’t you let the horse ride you, isn’t riding him a little unfair?” Virgil laughed.

  “I suppose you want to know what we found.” Zack said, turning serious.

  “That’s the idea buddy, so what did you find down there?”

  “Well for one thing, there’s no food much left at all, and for another thing, there’s an Army in Bakersfield, and they ain’t friendly. We barely got out of there with our hides.”

  “Do you think they trailed you?”

  “No, we circled around then got on some pavement and walked the horses easy like then struck off through the hills again and circled back home. I get the feeling though that they don’t want to put too much effort into chasing just three men though, I’m thinking they are after more in numbers; I just don’t know why.”

  “I think I know why; we made it to Walker basin, and there is about a hundred soldiers in the town of Lake Isabella. I’ve called a meeting at four; you'll tie it together when I report to all the folks if it’s ok with you.”

  “Yeah, its ok Virgil, I don’t think I’m going to be pleased with the information if you’ve already called a meeting boss.”

  “I don’t guess it would do me any good to object to calling me that would it?”

  “No, you still don’t see yourself as a leader, but Gus saw it, John saw it, I saw it, and I’ll do whatever you can cook up brother, and everybody else better, or they got me to deal with.”

  Jan and Nell walked in from the kitchen with heaping plates of plain, but good food. The two ate quietly as the women went back to the kitchen to do the endless chores.

  Virgil finished eating first and mopped the last bit up with a piece of bread, then he sat back to sip his coffee; he was unaware that they were drinking the last of the coffee. Jan had found it and made sure all the men who went on patrol had some.

  Virgil looked at his watch; it was three o’clock, he knew the men would be drifting in to the porch pretty soon, “You know Zack? We haven’t thought of watch batteries, and I haven’t seen a wind up watch in ten years.

  Zack looked over his coffee cup at the man he had come to think as his own brother, “I got a feeling you won’t be needing those watch batteries Virgil.”

  “Why do you say that?”

  “I don’t know Virgil, no reason, I just got a feeling that something is going to happen real soon, and I ain’t one to put much stock in feelings either.”

  “Maybe so, we shouldn’t make ourselves comfortable; that's for sure.”

  “I don’t think there’s much danger of that, we haven’t been comfortable since the first days of the plague.”

  “Well, let's get finished up and get ready for the meeting.”

  Virgil went into the bathroom and cleaned himself up the best he could in the short time he had, then walked out onto the porch.

  The stronghold was already gathered in small groups talking quietly. Jan, Nell and Rosy followed him out of the door.

  He looked out on the faces who turned to look at him; he felt small and timid before this group, he had sworn to John to lead. He wished with all his heart that John was here. He caught himself and got rid of the wishful thinking, and that seemed to give him renewed energy and heart.

  “Ok folk, quiet down, the man has something to say” Jody spoke from where he sat on end of the porch. He threw the stick down he had been whittling on and put his buck knife back into the pocket of his jeans.

  The talking tapered off until everyone was quiet and Virgil spoke, “ Folks, the first news I have is both Dave Kilgore and his son are dead; we think raiders; they were alive when we went to Lake Isabella, but we found them dead when we came back, and we buried them out back of their house.”

  “How did they die?” Someone asked.

  “They were both shot while they were having their coffee.”

  “I’ve known Dave since we were in grade school.” Mark Braden said with tears in his eyes.

  “I tried to get them to come on down to the ranch, but he just wouldn’t, they were both very brave men; they lived independent men, and they died independent men.”

  “I reckon that’s the way he wanted it” Braden said.

  We made it clear to Walker Basin, but we found there is about a hundred soldiers in the town of Lake Isabella. We scouted around the place until we came to the Walker Basin road, we found a stronghold about like this at the Walker ranch. The men told us that the soldiers were rounding people up and injecting a chip into them, promising them plenty if they took the chip. The soldiers are killing the ones that don’t want to go along.

  “Who are these soldiers Virgil?” Gus Molloy asked.

  “We think they are a mix of maybe U.S and European troops, the men we talked to say some of them spoke perfect English and some broken English.
They have some strange insignia, a lightning bolt through a white circle. Ben says they ain’t U.S.

  “The thing is folks; they may come here, and we have to know what we want to do, either fight or run back into these mountains.”

  “It’ll be winter soon boss, and we won’t be able to survive up there, I’m tellin’ you that ain’t an option.”

  “I don’t think I know your name sir?”

  “I’m Jess Renfro; I moved over while you were gone, my wife and I had a little place just outside of Springville; she died a week and a half ago, so I decided to throw in with you folk, that is if you don’t mind, I know how to work.”

  “No I don’t mind Jess, but do you know why we’re here?”

  “Yeah, we are right smack-dab in the tribulation.”

  “Do you know these mountains well Jess?”

  “I’ve hunted them all my life, an I’m tellin’ you; you can’t survive in them. One or two men maybe could, but that would be doubtful.”

  “How many of you want to fight if the soldiers come? You heard the man; you either take the chip or fight. I have a book they are giving out; I'll pass it around for you to read…after you read it, I don’t think you will want the chip, because you are swearing allegiance to a man who claims he has come to save the world. He’s over there in Europe somewhere claiming he’s the Christ.

  “The men at Walker Basin say that when people take the chip, they then take all your food and dole it out as they see fit. You got to show the number in the chip to get your own food back. They think it’s the mark of the beast, and I personally believe they are right.”

  “Personally, I’m going to fight beside anyone who wants to fight. I’ll need an answer by tomorrow noon on who is staying and who is going. If you are not going to fight, I want you gone.”

  “I guess that’s all. I do want to say I appreciate every one of you.”

  “Do you think they will come Virgil?” Someone called out.

  “I just don’t know; I think so though.”

  Virgil turned tiredly back into the house and sat down heavily in one of the easy chairs and closed his eyes.

  August passed into September as the people worked tirelessly to get ready for the winter months. Virgil posted guards further out on the roads.

  Zack and Dwight were on the guard post that overlooked the road toward Elkhorn Mountain. They glassed the road every thirty minutes or so, but the boredom had sunken in because there was hardly any traffic on that road at all. The horses munched peacefully where they had staked them out. They each spent four hours on and four off and Dwight was sleeping soundly.

  Zack shook him awake, “Hey Dwight, what do you make of this?”

  “Huh?” Dwight said, rubbing sleep from his eyes, he rose up to take the binoculars.

  “Look at that spot that you can just see way up yonder by the Gordon place.”

  Dwight trained the binoculars on the place indicated. He stiffened up, “Looks like a jeep; I can’t make out the markings, but the man is looking through binoculars further down the road; he has a whip antenna on the jeep, and it looks like he is talking into a mike.”

  “Can you see on past him?”

  “No…wait a minute, I think I see the front of another vehicle, but it’s hidden by the trees.”

  “I'd better get Virgil on the radio; they are probably not monitoring this frequency, but I’ll use the code just in case.”

  As Dwight kept the glass on the jeep, Zack got on the walky talky. “Virgil this is Zack, do you copy?”

  In about a minute a voice came back, “Zack, this is Jan; Virgil is out back; you want me to get him?”

  “Yeah Jan, go get him, I see an Antelope.”

  In about three minutes Virgil was on the radio, “Zack, I understand you see an Antelope?”

  “Yeah, do you want me to kill it; we need fresh meat.”

  “No, just keep an eye on him to see where he gets water. If you see the herd, then call me.”

  “Dwight, when they move, try to get a count on how many trucks there are, if that’s the soldiers from Lake Isabella, we radio it in, then split for the ranch.”

  “He’s moving forward Zack, and the truck behind him has moved into view; it's loaded with men.”

  Dwight watched as truck after truck came into view, “I count fifteen trucks all loaded with men Zack, and they’re picking up speed.”

  “Ok, let's get outa here and head for the ranch, looks like Virgil was right.”

  “Virgil, this is Zack, there is a large herd heading for the river; we're breaking camp now.”

  “Ok Zack, I’ll get supper on the table.”

  As Zack and Dwight were racing toward the ranch, Virgil had already sent word to the people around the ranch and had called all the guards in except those guarding the road toward Porterville.

  He had no more than seen Zack’s horse coming up the ranch road when one of the Guards called in, “I see more Antelope boss, there is five of them, and they are fat.”

  “Ok Pablo, better come on home, the tomatos are getting ripe.” In two minutes, Pablo Garcia and Snake Johnson were running their horses toward the ranch.

  The men had gathered at the porch, and they were armed, “Boys, get the women, every able body who can shoot. We’ll meet them at the road and if shooting starts; we can fall back toward the main house. Put the children in the house behind the main house and leave one woman with them.”

  “Put the women behind the first Berm. If we fall back, then they fall back to the house and barns. Any questions? None?”

  “Ok, don’t nobody shoot unless you get my signal, or they shoot first; we don’t want to fight a war that we don’t have too, besides, we are out numbered three to one. Let's get down there and see what these idiots want.”

  The men had already dug fox holes and set up protection in the trees. When the Jeep stopped at the ranch road, Virgil stepped out to the front of the gate. He eyed the man in the passenger side of the Jeep. The man was about fifty years old, and of a medium build.

  “Good day Sir.” Said the man as he looked around him suspiciously. “Is there people at this ranch?”

  “No…just me Virgil lied.

  “I see…do you mind if we have a look?”

  “What do you want to look for, I’ve done told you it’s just me.”

  “If it proves there is anyone besides you, it will be counted against them as resistance you know.”

  “Resistance to whom, may I ask?”

  “The Army of the New World Order.”

  “And just who is this New World Order?”

  “Why the mighty king, haven’t you heard? We’ll give you a chip, and with that number that’s on it you will have plenty.”

  “What if I already got plenty?”

  “Why…uh…you share it with your neighbors of course!” The man stuttered.

  “My neighbors meaning you and that Army you have there, isn’t that right?”

  “Well…we’d be part of that of course.”

  “What if I don’t want to share it?”

  The mans eyes narrowed, “Then you’ll die.”

  “You’ll be the first one dead mister.”

  The man’s eyes went wide, and he started to raise his arm. Virgil shot him off the Jeep; the man hit the ground and grabbed his gurgling throat where the .357 Magnum bullet had torn out his throat.

  Immediately, there was a cacophony of rifle and shot gun fire as the men rose from the foxhole’s and opened up on the convoy.

  The men from the convoy exited the trucks to the other side of them and began to open fire with automatic weapons.

  The first one that fell was Jody, who got up and ran toward the trucks screaming and firing his rifle. “Darn fool!” Zack yelled.

  The firing became heavier as the soldiers began spotting the people. “Fall back! Fall back!” Virgil called, and began to fall back toward the trees, firing his weapon as he went.

  Zack calmly continued firing systematical
ly as he spotted a body to aim at and his fire was deadly accurate.

  “Fall back Zack, we gotta get them away from those trucks!”

  “I’m coming, don’t wait on me!”

  The men began falling back firing as they went. Virgil saw four men go down in the hail of bullets that followed them.

  When they got in back of the trees, they had clear ground all the way back to the first Berm. When the women saw the men coming they opened fire on the trees to provide cover for the men.

  Virgil jumped behind the Berm and saw Jan a few feet away laying behind the Berm and firing her rifle.

  He crawled over beside her and looked over the Berm. There were men beginning to come out of the trees toward them.

  “Hold your fire until you have them in your sights and don’t miss honey. Are you ok?”

  “Yes Virgil. I’m not the same person that you left Beverly Hills with.”

  “I knew that, I mean are you physically ok?”

  “With the exception of being scared to death? Yeah, I’m ok.”

 

  “Keep your head down, and start moving back toward the house with the rest of the women.”

  “I’m not moving until you move Virgil.” She stuck her rifle over the top of the berm and fired twice hitting two of the soldiers.

  “Damn woman, I sure ain’t her boss.” He muttered, and took another shot over the berm. The soldiers were meeting withering fire from the berms, and without their leader, they began to lose their will to fight. He saw a man wave his arm back toward the road, and the soldiers began moving back. The people behind the berms kept up a steady fire as they did, but pretty soon the firing fell off. “Hold your fire, hold your fire!” He called up, and down the line. He stood up, and cupped his ear, then he heard the trucks cranking up down by the road.

  The people were carrying the wounded back toward the house that could not walk. He walked over to Zack, who had stood up also, “Zack, send a few men to follow those soldiers, and make sure they keep going. I think they’ve had enough, but just make sure.”

  “What are you going to do?”

  “I’m going to see how many we lost, and how many we might loose; I don’t suppose doc can do a lot in the makeshift hospital of his.”

  “Yeah. Hey you Donaldson, grab some of the men, and come with me.” Zack called, as he glanced along the line of stretchers as wounded men were being carried toward the house; some followed limping.

  That evening he walked his horse down through the gully that led to the guard post half expecting Jody to call out, but he knew the call would not be coming. Jody was dead.

  An Accounting

  The next morning Virgil sent word for a meeting, and the men gathered in front of the porch in the cold November air.

  Virgil held up his hand, and the talk quieted immediately, as if they were just waiting for him to speak, “Men, we lost eleven including Jody, and the new man. Eight more are shot up pretty bad, but doc says he thinks they’ll live.”

  “That graveyard back there is getting mighty big Virgil.” Ben spoke up.

  “I know it Ben, but we can’t loose heart, and give up; we knew this was coming.” He saw a few of the men nodding their heads, “Boss, what we do with those dead soldiers out there? There are at least a two dozen of them.”

  “You, and Willard can take six men, and bury them in shallow graves today, meantime; I've got to send Zack, and one other man to try to sneak into Bakersfield. I don’t think Isabella will send more troops, but they might send more from Bakersfield, and anyway, I need someone to get a closer look at what’s going on down there. Let's get it done folks, we have funerals to do later today.”

  One other man spoke up, “They ain’t enough of us left to fight, if they come at us again boss.”

  “Well, let’s just see what we can learn in the near future, we may not have any choice.”

  The men disbanded to their various jobs, and Virgil walked back into the house, and sat tiredly down in one of the easy chairs. Jan came in from the kitchen, and eased into his lap. He wrapped his arms around her.

  She whispered, “Have I held up my end Virgil?”

  “Right now I’m holding up your end.” He grinned at her.

  “Silly, you know what I meant.”

  “You’ve done really great honey, more than I could have asked for. You’re some wife, did you know that?”

  She smiled, and kissed him on the cheek.

  Zack came down the stairs, and sat down in a seat across from them, “What are you two love birds up to?”

  “I’ve got to get back to being a house slave.” Jan said as she got up, and headed to the kitchen.

  “Zack, I hate to ask you, but I need you to take one man, and try to see what’s going on in Bakersfield. Do you think it might be possible to get in there, and out without getting caught?”

  “It might be possible for two of us, if we got there after dark; we could try to sneak in about sundown. What do you want to know?”

  “Can you see if you can find someone to open up to you with information?”

  “It would be risky; we would have to approach someone we don’t know, but I’ll do it.”

  “Just try to get information from the regular folk, but don’t try to talk to the military.”

  “When do you want me to go?”

  “Tomorrow, if that’s possible.”

  “Ok, I’ll try to get good night's sleep, but the boys are digging graves as we speak, and we have to bury our dead.”

  “Yeah, that. I told Ben to come get me when it’s time.”

  “Well, it looks like its time boss; he’s coming this way now.”

  Virgil arose with a sigh, “Ok, let’s get it done.”

  About that time, Ben opened the door, “It’s time Virgil.”

  The three walked out onto the front porch and down the steps, then around the house, and to the growing graveyard that sat about three hundred feet from the house. The bodies were laid out by mounds of dirt, and covered with sheets.

  The people were already gathered around the eleven grave sites. They looked at Virgil as they walked up.

  “Folks, I really am not experienced at this, and so far we haven’t had a minister, so I want to do my best. Let's pray, Lord… we commend these our friends, and brothers to you, who paid the ultimate sacrifice. Amen. Let’s bow our heads and have a few moments of silence.”

  As Virgil bowed his head, he could hear some of the people's silent weeping, and he felt worse than he had ever felt, knowing these people had grown close.

  “Amen.” He said, and turned towards the house. The same young men who had dug the graves began filling them in. He stuffed the tears back down, and he felt like an old man.

  “Who do you want to take with you tomorrow Zack?”

  “I’m going to take Willard. He don’t talk much at all, and I don’t feel like talking; I just want to get in there, and get out.”

  “It’s a risky thing I’m asking of you brother.”

  “Probably wouldn’t be worth doing, if there wasn’t any risk, you reckon?”