by Lopez, Rob
“Hey,” he whispered hoarsely, hailing the rider. The cyclist drew up alongside and skidded to a halt.
It was Josh. Staring at his dirty face, Harvey was struck at how different the boy looked. To start with, he wasn’t a boy anymore. He looked like a hardened guerrilla.
“How are you doing?” said Harvey.
“I’m good,” said Josh, still sounding the same at least. “And you?”
“Fine and dandy,” murmured Harvey. “How far is it to this camp we’re heading to?”
“Can’t tell you, in case you get captured,” said Josh solemnly. Then he smiled, winked, and rode off.
“Son of a bitch,” breathed Harvey, unable to believe what he’d just heard.
It was gratifying, however, to see that kind of cheeky confidence. It meant they were in good hands, and Harvey couldn’t fault the organization. Somebody had indeed prepared well for this.
They next morning, they had to wait before setting off again while Red and the other guerrilla fighters — Harvey didn’t see them as a mere local militia anymore — backtracked to make sure nobody was following them. When they reappeared an hour later, the column resumed its march. Harvey felt well enough to lend a hand with carrying the stretchers. Halfway through the morning, they crested a ridge and looked down upon a wide draw with a stony creek running down the middle.
“We’re here,” said Red.
Harvey, his arms and legs aching, could only see trees.
“Where?” he said.
“You’ll see.”
They descended the slope, and the first clue that the draw was occupied was when they came across a camouflaged and covered trench, manned by a fighter with an assault rifle. Crossing the creek, the camp slowly revealed itself. There were no huts above ground, and there were no clearings. In between the trees, dwellings had been created from excavating tunnels into the slopes. Harvey was directed to carry his stretcher into one of them. Wooden supports held a wooden roof over his head, and planking had been laid down for a floor. Two bed frames had been built, with notches perfectly placed to hold the stretchers placed on them. A green tarp served as a door to the dwelling.
Sally appeared at the entrance, sporting army fatigues.
“What are you wearing?” asked Harvey.
Sally grimaced a little at her own attire. “It’s all about staying hidden. Don’t worry, you’ll be outfitted too.”
“Compulsory?”
“Yes. They run a strict regime here. No bright colors, no loud voices.”
“Yeah, I got a sense of that on the trip here. What’s this place like?”
Sally checked the temperatures of the patients and examined their eyes.
“It’s not as bad as I feared it would be. I wouldn’t call it ideal, but a lot of people here are from Bergen Mountain, and lessons have been learned about living as hygienically as possible. The good news is that the latrine pits have been situated farther down and away from the water source. The bad news is that they’re farther away, which makes nightly trips to the bathroom interesting, so don’t drink too much before you go to sleep.”
“Great way of getting lost, then.”
“No, you just follow the trench. Let me show you around.”
Sally showed him the trench network that ran through the entire complex, most with wooden duckboards to walk on, and all hidden by the ferns at their lip that had been left to grow. The excavated earth had been used to build sandbag revetments with overhead cover, in case of mortar tree bursts, like the ones that had caused them so many problems at the Battle of Round Knob. A communal cookhouse had been dug into the side of the hill, with pipes leading from the chimneys to disperse the smoke higher up the slope, away from the camp. Everybody was armed, and nobody was too far from a fighting position.
“Impressive,” said Harvey. “And two other compounds have been built like this?”
“I think so, but they may be different, as they’re for the combatants. This is for the non-combatants. It’s also the rest area when fighters want to visit their families, or, of course, get medical treatment. It’s not completely finished. I gather the greatest difficulty is in getting building materials up here. It took us half the day to walk here, even after Packy dropped us off, and supplies from other settlements have to come the same way. Our isolation is both a blessing and a curse.”
“Guerrilla fighters and camo,” mused Harvey. “This is real Vietnam War shit.”
Sally sighed. “This is what I was hoping to avoid. There are children here, although you’ll hardly see them, never mind hear them. Everyone is on a war footing, and I fear the psychological effect on the young ones. There are no yard games here.”
“You must have seen that in Africa, though, right? I mean, kids adapt.”
“Yes, they do, but not in ways you’d like. I truly hope this is temporary.”
Harvey grunted. “I been thinking that since last October. Hasn’t come true yet.”
“Well, one thing I’d definitely like to see built is a small chapel. We could all do with some prayer.”
“Talking of prayer, how’s Scott?”
“Quite well, actually. I’ll take you to see him.”
Scott had been moved into a family dwelling dug into the side of a deep trench.
“How are you doing, brother?” said Harvey, sitting on the edge of a bunk.
Scott lay down, with exposed bandages across his stomach, and although he looked pale, he seemed quite lucid. “I’m fine. Taking it easy. My head’s cleared a bit. Just starting to get a little bored.”
“That’s usually a sign of recovery,” said Sally, standing by the entrance and looking in.
April sat cross-legged on another bunk, taking a break from reading a book to Daniel and Lizzy. Harvey peered at the book’s faded cover.
“The Hobbit?” he said.
“Yeah,” chuckled Scott. “I mentioned that we were living in Hobbit holes now, so yesterday, Packy turned up with a copy. I don’t know where he finds this stuff.”
“You can be Gandalf,” said Lizzy to Harvey.
Harvey guffawed. “The fella with the beard? After what I’ve just done, I’m feeling as old.”
There were smiles all around, and Harvey felt good to see it, though he noticed the strain on April’s face. Still, with the two children together again, it lent a genuine family atmosphere to the dugout, and Scott’s recovery was reason enough to celebrate.
“Baby still okay?” asked Harvey of April.
She nodded with grateful eyes, her hand drifting to her belly. “I’ve been told to avoid any further excitement,” she said.
“Amen to that,” said Harvey. “And you too, bro,” he added, slapping Scott’s leg. “See if you can steer clear of the crazy stuff.”
“Not much chance of that here,” said Scott, though he didn’t seem that displeased with the prospect.
“Well, thank you all for inviting me into your new home,” said Harvey, standing up. “I think I’m going to get myself a wash. I don’t smell too good, even if you’re too polite to say.”
“Bye, Gandalf!” chimed Lizzy and Daniel together, breaking into a fit of giggles.
Outside, Harvey took a breath of the mountain air, appreciating the view for the first time. “They’re happy,” he said. “I’m glad of that.”
Sally nodded in agreement. “It’s a good sign.”
“You going to show me where I can get cleaned up?”
“Solar shower hasn’t been set up yet, and with this tree cover, I don’t think it would have warm water anyway. You’ll have to go down to the creek, like the rest of us.”
“Okay. Where can I find you afterward?”
“I’ll be with the patients.”
“Alright. I’ll join you when I’m done.”
Harvey tried to follow the right trench, but the system was like a maze, and he found himself going uphill instead of down. Turning back, he got near to Scott and April’s place and saw Josh. The boy had both his pellet gun
and .22 rifle, plus a small backpack, and his face was daubed with finger-streaks of mud.
“Yo, dude. How’s it hanging?” said Harvey, doing his best impression of youthful talk.
“Okay, I guess,” said Josh. His face was neutral, but his eyes showed the same strain that April had. “You made it, then.”
“I have, but my legs are still waiting to catch up, I think. You look like you’re about to go out again.”
“Uh huh.”
“So what’s your pa doing now?”
“That’s classified.”
“Right. I meant, how is he?”
“He’s okay, I guess.”
“Will you get to see him soon?”
Josh gazed off into the middle distance, his eyes glazing over. “I can’t say.”
“Right. Classified. Got that. Listen, kid. You take care.”
Josh nodded vaguely. “You too,” he said.
He seemed to have a lot on his mind, so Harvey let him be before it got too awkward. He watched Josh go to Scott’s place, and Lizzy coming out to meet him. The two exchanged a few words that Harvey didn’t catch, but he definitely heard Josh’s closing line: “Don’t worry. We’ll get Mom back.”
The two embraced for several seconds, and when Josh pulled away, Lizzy had tears in her eyes. Josh climbed out of the trench and toiled up the slope to where Red and a group of other guerrillas were waiting. All of them had bikes and packs. Josh took his bike and joined the line as they made their way up to the crest of the ridge. None of them looked back.
Josh had grown a lot, but against the other men, Harvey thought that he looked like a child again.
And Lizzy? Watching her brother go, she just looked lost.
16
For his eastern campaign, Connors opted for maximum force, stripping out the garrisons at Hendersonville, Asheville and Black Mountain, plus the half dozen smaller settlements, until he had over two hundred militia in almost forty vehicles, backed by heavy weapons. The objective was to clear the I-40 all the way to Marion and Lake James, securing the vital fishing communities there and safeguarding the rail line that would ship the precious food commodities back west. With flags flying, the juggernaut rolled down the interstate, and no resistance was given to its advance. Two large communities and seven smaller ones submitted to Asheville rule without a fight, and the fighting campaign turned into an administrative one, as weapons were collated and registered, tax values noted down, and gold confiscated in return for cash.
It was clearly an easy victory, but for Connors, also an empty one. The communities turned out to be almost unarmed, with a dearth of the semi-automatic weapons that Connors liked to use as leverage to recruit more militia. Something didn’t seem right.
“Where. Are all. Your weapons?” said Connors slowly, emphasizing each word.
Lou, sitting in his compound, signed his reply irritably.
“I’m deaf,” translated Farah. “Not stupid.”
“Look,” said Connors. “Semi-automatics.” He mimed the continuous firing of a rifle. “You have none?”
“You’re not deaf,” signed Lou, “so try listening.”
Connors leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “And you’re not stupid, so why do you expect me to buy the idea that you survived this long against raiders with just a handful of weapons?”
“What raiders?”
Connors leaned back and scrutinized him. “Well,” he said. “Seems like you’ve been blessed.”
“We get by.”
“Sure seems that way. Still, I’m concerned at how defenseless you all are. The Government of the Carolinas is keen to ensure the safety of its citizens. To that end, I intend to leave a substantial garrison in the area to protect you. That alright?”
“I’m eternally grateful,” signed Lou with a sore look on his face.
“You should be, but it’s nice to see we’re appreciated.”
Connors thanked them for their time and took his leave, walking back to where Fick and Taft waited by a newly set up militia checkpoint.
“He’s lying through his teeth,” said Connors. “Or in this case, his fingers.”
“We can lean on them,” offered Fick.
“I don’t know. We need to sort out the important stuff first.”
“This seems pretty important,” said Taft. “There also seems to be a lack of military age males in these settlements.”
“I noticed that too. Spend some time wandering around, see if you can get someone to talk. Offer some of the new currency. Any informants we find can get rich pretty quick.”
“That stuff hasn’t had time to mean anything to them yet,” said Fick. “And what’s more important than finding out where they’re hiding their weapons?”
“This,” said Connors, spreading a map out on the hood of a truck. “Rail line comes into Marion. I want you to organize garrisons at Round Knob, Old Fort and downtown Marion to protect the route. I want the fish from Lake James to get to market in Asheville while it’s fresh. We’ll do the buying and get a frontman to sell it for us. If we get a commercial industry going, we’ll get a nice cut. Noticed a few farms on the route too. We’ll requisition the empty ones, according to the new law, and sell them. We’ll charge the others protection money if they want help from the garrisons.”
“Protection from what? Haven’t seen any opposition out here.”
“Then we’ll have to create some. Barbara and her cronies might have been useful for that, if she’d been patient enough to wait, but I can think of a few characters who might be willing to step in her shoes.”
“Would they be the kind that wear red armbands?” asked Fick.
“That’s right. They’re the only ones I trust at the moment to turn a blind eye to our endeavors. I picked them carefully, and Leon and Taft here have been giving them some extra training. If the missing weapons suddenly come out of the woodwork, they’ll be able to handle it. I want this area locked tight before Jeffries sends out a mayor to run the place.”
“And when he does?”
“I’ll make sure it’s one of our guys who gets the job. Don’t worry about it.”
*
Outside Jeffries’ office, Connors was kept waiting. When the door finally opened, Jeffries shook hands with three gentlemen in wrinkled, patched suits. They left with their paperwork, and Jeffries greeted Connors.
“The bankers,” explained Jeffries as Connors watched the gentlemen walk away.
“Uh huh.”
“Come in. Take a seat.”
Jeffries was calmer than the last time Connors had seen him, and seemed to have risen to actually governing, rather than chasing emergencies. He’d grown in confidence.
“Congratulations on a successful campaign to liberate the east,” said Jeffries, sitting himself down behind the table. “I’ve read your report, and it looked touch and go for a moment until you managed to clear out those outlaw gangs. With only five casualties. Remarkable job.”
“Thank you.”
“I daresay those citizens must have been mighty glad to see the state militia marching through their streets at last, after struggling to survive against fiends for so long.”
“Oh, they were.”
“The atrocities committed against our people made for difficult reading. I understand that, as a front line man, you’re probably used to that, but, uh, it’s probably not necessary to go into so much detail. A more concise report would suit me fine.”
“Understood.”
“I did think it strange, however, that none of those outlaws surrendered to you. Are there really no prisoners?”
Connors cleared his throat and adjusted his position in the seat. “They were fanatics. They’d lived in the wild for so long they’d lost their humanity. I assume you read the part about the cannibalism?”
“Yes, yes, that was, uh, one of the more difficult parts.”
“These people didn’t want to surrender. The ones that didn’t die, escaped. They’re still out ther
e, beyond our new borders. We’ll defeat them in the end. Our troops are better than they are. They’re better trained, and with a clear sense of duty.”
“Glad to hear it. I’m pleased to say that things are going well here too. We’re hitting our targets for currency circulation, and our staff have led the way with opening accounts at the new bank. An interest rate has been set, and the bank will soon be ready to give loans. Mayor Phelps Jr. assures me that things are going well in Black Mountain too, with the old administration now cooperating with him. Things are moving in a positive direction.”
“That’s good. I’d like to make sure they stay that way. Now, as you can understand, we’ve got a lot more territory to administer now.”
“Indeed.”
“As well as having a force capable of extending beyond our boundaries, I’ve also had to establish several garrisons to guard our interior lines. This leaves me short of troops. I’d like, if possible, for you to set up a draft, with every eligible male registered.”
Jeffries looked concerned. “Seems a little sexist just to consider males. Women should have the right to serve too.”
“Of course. All eligible males and females, then.”
Jeffries tapped his lips as he thought. “Are we really getting short of personnel?”
“Yes. My troops are fully stretched. They can only maintain their advantage against the outlaws by outnumbering them in combat. That’s how we keep our casualties low. I’d like to continue to do that.”
“Mmmm. Not sure how popular a draft is going to be. I was hoping to hold elections next year, and I don’t want to ruin my chances.”
“Might be too soon for elections. Give me a chance to stabilize things first.”
Jeffries nodded. “You’re right. We’ll see how the new economy takes hold. Democracy takes time to rebuild, right?”