Mike chose a wait-and-see attitude. The admiral knew the whole thing could backfire, and that was the last thing he wanted. He pledged that if the slavers didn’t live up to their promises, it would come down on them like a tsunami. There would be no mercy next time.
Mike was also a cautious man. He learned a long time ago to wait and observe the enemy. He considered the slavers a challenge that he would scrutinize carefully, like a spider waiting in a web. He hoped things would work out okay, but only time would tell.
The slavers rode into town. It reminded some of the townspeople of the day they rode in with Bone Breaker and brought havoc with them. The memories of death and destruction were more than some could handle, so they went to their homes. It was better to be away from these scums than to stay and witness them coming and going among respectable people. Animosities ran deep.
The bikers filed in front of the town hall and parked their motorcycles. Most were dressed in freshly laundered clothing and most of the men had shaved. They looked like ordinary weekend motorcycle riders. They were unarmed, at least from what anyone could see.
The sheriff had sharpshooters posted in various observation posts around town, just in case. Everyone knew the slavers were coming well in advance because of the nearly invisible warning towers that had been erected months ago. Mike and the sheriff waited for them to park their bikes and enter the town hall. Tables and chairs were arranged to accommodate them all. The townspeople did not attend this meeting.
Slasher was in the middle of one side of the long conference table, while his men sat in a row on either side of him. Mike, the sheriff, and Marcy sat on the opposite side of the table, along with Randy Stewart, Caroline, Harlan Herrera, and Penny Rolls. Once everyone was seated, the sheriff opened the meeting,
“We’re here to listen to your long and short-term goals. As Governor of California, I will act as a chief executive for the state. As sheriff, until a new one is elected, I will maintain law and order. He looked at Slasher. You’re in my jurisdiction as a law enforcement officer. Please begin.”
“If you don’t mind could you introduce us to your people?”
Slasher inquired politely.
Mike took over.
“This is Caroline Reynolds, our medical doctor. Seated next to her is Sheriff and Governor, Bob Waters, and then Marcy Waters, Deputy Sheriff and the official scribe at all meetings. The next person is Randy Stewart, my second in command. Harlan Herrera is a trusted lieutenant, and that lady is Penny Rolls, our newspaper editor. I’m Admiral Mike Reynolds. I was commissioned by our president. Please, introduce your group.”
“My name is Alvin Cobb and I am the new mayor of our town we call Gold Nugget. It was an abandoned town we moved into and took over. These men are the various executives of our city. This is Kurt Sands, our chief of police. Shelley Givens is our comptroller. Charles Stone, our tax collector. Skipper Long, city engineer. Howard Keats is our chief of utilities, and Glenn Thomas is our jailer, Boomer here is our vice mayor.
We organized our town to model any small town in America. We have put aside those things most of you find appalling. We’ll slowly fill positions below these men. We’re in the process of looking for people to farm the land on the outskirts of our town for agriculture and cattle ranching. We started with the gifts of animals and seeds you gave us on our last visit. We ask that you, Governor Waters, sanction our town as a legal city with all of the privileges therein.”
He paused and studied their faces before continuing. It looked like they were buying his load of crap.
“We want to be good citizens and good trade partners in this new country we’re all building from scratch. We ask that you accept us and allow bygones to remain bygones. You won’t have any more problems with us. If we have a problem, we hope you will come to our aid.”
He sat down.
Mike asked permission to speak and the governor nodded.
“We accept your request. The documents to show your new town’s charter will be issued in about one week. Please send someone to retrieve them. Go in peace, and please remember, it isn’t easy to control a group of rowdy men. Good luck.”
The meeting adjourned, and they moved outside into the blazing sunshine and a beautiful blue sky. A soft breeze was blowing as they mounted their motorcycles. Slasher gave a slight nod and the bikers rolled out of sight.
The sheriff faced Mike.
“What do you think Mike? Will they live up to their word?”
Mike gazed off into the distance as the bikers disappeared.
“I sure hope so. We have lost some good people because of them. All we can do is hope for the best but remain prepared for the worst.”
At that moment, a gyro-copter flew over their heads, landed, and taxied toward them. Greg and Harlan were returning home after looking for stragglers.
Great! They could use some good news.
“Hi Mike! We found some more groups and they seem to be doing well. They’re growing their own food and have established mini-Avalon’s in their own right. They will be sending representatives to meet with us soon. They should arrive early next week. Most are traveling by horseback or walking. I told them we’ll help them strengthen their position against the slavers over the next six months.”
Mike took him by the elbow and led him to one side.
“We just concluded a meeting with the slavers. It looks like we’re making progress. For the time being, we are at peace with them.”
“Peace!?”
Greg interrupted.
“What the hell does that mean? You can’t be serious! We’ve been out telling people to be prepared to fight them. The only reason for us being late getting back is because we had some mechanical issues we had to fix, which delayed us three weeks. Are you telling me, we missed the fight and now a truce of some sort has happened?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, as strange as it sounds.”
Mike thought it sounded a little weird summed up so succinctly.
“All the same, good job, and welcome home. Why don’t you and Harlan head back up to Avalon and get some food and rest. We have a lot of work cut out for us in the upcoming days. We will fill you in on the rest later.”
Greg and Harlan got into their gyro-copter and headed toward Avalon.
Mike turned to Caroline.
“What do you say, wench? Shall we go home now?”
Chapter 25
The Spies Are Spurned
Caroline and Dana were pregnant, which ended up being more stress on Mike. Caroline had taken the lead on all medical responsibilities since the death of Dr. Dan, and Roger was training to be a doctor in his own right but had not yet achieved the same level of proficiency as Caroline. He would be delivering both babies when the time came.
Both women were into their sixth month and becoming slightly uncomfortable. Understandably, Dana had become quite dismal since her husband’s death, but she was coping as best she could. Both women were excited at the prospect of giving birth.
A crowd of people were in front of the hardware store, involved in a heated argument. The topic was the spies they had living among them, eating their food, and enjoying the protection Fitch provided, all the while wanting to sabotage the entire town.
“If it was up to me, I’d string ’em up.”
“We’re feedin’ ’em and they want to kill us. I say we kill them before they get the chance to do it to us.”
The sheriff came by on his way to the airport on the outskirts of town. He parked his car along the curb in front of the store. He got out and approached the group, numbering about ten people.
“What’s the trouble here?”
“When are you people going to do something about those spies?”
“Okay folks calm down. Getting all worked up like this leads nowhere.”
“We work our fingers to the bone to make sure we stay safe and have enough to eat. And you let those scum live among us. We’re supposed to pretend we don’t know what they
’re up to? I’m not pretending any longer! They should be driven out of town, or at the very least, locked up. We don’t need to be feeding them. They came here to kill us or make it easy for their friends to kill us.”
The sheriff tried to calm them down, but he wasn’t getting anywhere. The crowd was getting louder, and more aggressive.
“String them up from the nearest tree!”
A truck with a half dozen people came by headed to one of the cornfields on the outskirts of Fitch. They were on their way to weed and apply fertilizer to the young stalks, but with the spontaneous crowd here in the street somewhat blocking their way, they stopped to see what was going on. The men got out of the truck and listened to the argument for a bit. Then one of them shouted to the group,
“Listen to the sheriff!”
Not getting anywhere, he bellowed at the top of his lungs,
“Listen to the sheriff, damnit!”
Not getting anywhere, he yelled out again,
“Listen to the sheriff, people! This is not the way to handle the situation.”
The crowd grew quiet and the man continued,
“Yes, we all know about the spies and why they were sent here. Many of us lost people to that gang. But remember, most of those who were involved with attacking this town were killed during the first and the last battle. These are not the same people. These aren’t the ones who took our children and women captive. Let’s put the problem in perspective. We all know why that couple was sent here, but are we barbarians? The sheriff’s right.”
“How about it, Sheriff? Are we going to continue to feed these people or are we going to do something about why they were sent here in the first place?”
“Yes, of course, you’re all, correct. You have every right to be upset. I’ll call the admiral and we’ll have us a meeting in a day or two. In the meantime, let’s continue our current situation. I trust you all will control yourselves, and I hope you believe we will find a solution. Now, please go about your business and don’t cause any more disturbances.”
The people walked away, grumbling and talking amongst themselves. The men who arrived in the truck got back in and slowly drove down the street. The sheriff knew they were right, of course. But a lynch mob wasn’t the solution.
He got back in his car and went to his office to find Marcy.
“Please radio the admiral and ask him to come down here at his earliest opportunity. Tell him we have a situation here, involving the spies. We need to have a council meeting as quickly as we can get it together.”
◆◆◆
Mike couldn’t stop thinking about his friends, Dan and Sam. It was difficult to realize they were really gone. He had always confided in them and depended on their good judgment. He felt the void deep in his soul.
His mind drifted to Caroline and the baby. He secretly hoped it would be a boy, but he would be happy as long as the baby was healthy. That was very important; especially now that Dr. Dan was gone. He never imagined himself as a father before and wondered what it was going to be like to have a little person depending on him. He and Caroline were going to be parents. He felt such pride and hope for the future that it almost overwhelmed his senses. He remembered the great times he had with his father, and he was going to be like his dad.
At the same time, he was anxious about bringing this baby into such an uncertain world. Would he live long enough to watch the child grow up? Or, would he die like Dan and leave this little one without the guidance and protection of a father?
Crystal interrupted his thoughts. There was a radio message from the sheriff. Mike rose from the table and walked to the radio room with Crystal. It was Marcy.
“The sheriff wants you to come down to Fitch for a meeting as soon as it’s convenient. He mentioned something about the spies. You want me to give him a call on the radio and tell him you’re on your way?”
“Is it critical?”
“No, Sir. Just a disturbance about the spies.”
“Let him know I’ll be there in the morning.”
Mike went into the restaurant and poured himself a cup of coffee. He penciled a few notes regarding the two spies. He had hoped they would just let things ride for the time being, but it didn’t look like that was going to happen. Something was up, and it troubled him. He knew there would always be hard feelings between the townspeople of Fitch and the slavers. However, if the outlaws, or rather the former outlaws, wanted peace, they were entitled to an opportunity. They all needed to stop referring to them as slavers. Mike was hopeful the man sincerely wanted a chance to be a productive member of society. They certainly had changed the way they looked and smelled in recent days. And they made a reasonable proposal to set things straight at the meeting, or at least it appeared that way. He was keeping his fingers crossed that things would get better for everyone.
Mike looked forward to seeing people come out of hiding and help with the rebuilding of their fallen country. He longed for the days when he rode down the highway in his Corvette Stingray. What a car that was. He hadn’t thought of his car in months. He wondered if it was still where he left it in the garage; one day he would go back to see for himself.
Back to his notes. He needed to come up with a few ideas regarding the spies. As he sat there thinking about it, his friends, Sam and Dr. Dan came into his thoughts. He couldn’t help but wonder how they would have dealt with these two?
The coffee tasted good, and he wondered what life would’ve been without Avalon and the fine people that helped in putting it together. A soft hand touched his shoulder. Caroline massaged his neck gently, and it felt really good. She leaned into him. He was lucky to have found her. Now, they would soon share their love with a child. It gave him so much hope for the future.
“Whatcha doin’ sweetie?”
Caroline asked softly in her little girl voice.
“Just trying to come up with a plan for the spies that wandered into Fitch. The people down there want to banish them, or worse, kill them. I saw it coming, but I’ve been busy with other things. I sure miss Sam and Daniel. They would suggest a reasonable outcome, I’m sure. Now it’s just you, me, and the baby!”
“Yes, Michael, it isn’t easy having to make decisions for so many people. I just had to tell an old lady some bad news. She recently came into the group, just before the battle started. Do you recall her?”
“Would that be Mrs. Collin?”
Caroline nodded.
“Yes, I do. What about her?”
“She’s dying. Her cancer is spreading at an alarming rate and we have no way to treat her. Everything we once had is gone now. Poor thing; she’ll die in another month or two. All I can do is try to alleviate her pain somewhat, but that’s it.”
“We all die, Caroline, it’s simply part of life. I wonder if it isn’t the continuation of part of living.”
“What will you do about the spies?”
Her blonde hair fell into her face and she paused to put it into a ponytail as she talked.
“I think we should simply send them back to where they came from. They have been watched and monitored since they arrived. I don’t think they know much in terms of the town’s defenses or anything else of significance.”
“The woman worked in the hospital for a bit, but she wasn’t allowed to wander around by herself. I think they know that we know. Where was her husband or whatever he was to her?”
“He was doing grounds maintenance out near the airport with the others. He was never left alone, either. I think you’re right, though…about them knowing we know. In any event, their house was bugged, and the sheriff made a few recordings of their conversations.”
“Anything interesting?”
“They mentioned some names, but we don’t know for sure who those people are. We know they talked some about Bone Breaker and Slasher. Slasher is Alvin Cobb, the new mayor of Gold Nugget. We also know the spies were frustrated at being so closely watched. They figured it out after a couple of days but there wasn’t much, th
ey could do about it.”
“Sending them back is probably a good idea. The townspeople will make trouble if those two are allowed to stay. Lord knows, she’ll need a doctor once she’s a little further along.”
Caroline rubbed her stomach as she talked.
Mike stood up and put his arms around her waist. He liked to feel the baby kick inside her stomach.
“Do you have anything planned the rest of the day?”
“No, I don’t. What’s on your mind, sailor?”
“Let’s go home and talk about it. I feel like a little nap coming on.”
She laughed and grabbed his hand in hers. Then she led him out the door.
◆◆◆
The morning was cool as the sun rose over the mountains. Birds flew about in search of breakfast and their chatter filled the air as they called out to one another. Breakfast was on the stove and people were gathering to eat. Mike strolled into the dining room with Caroline in tow.
Crystal saw them walk over,
“The sheriff said he’ll be at the airport to pick you up himself. He said it’s getting hostile down there and for you to hurry.”
“Please tell him we’ll be on our way as soon as we finish eating.”
Crystal turned and went into the radio room to notify the sheriff on the radio. Randy, his wife and two kids, came over and asked if they could join Caroline and Mike for breakfast.
“Of course, you’re all welcome to join us.”
Mike invited the troop graciously.
Breakfast consisted of fried potatoes, sausage, gravy, eggs, bread-and-butter, cold milk, coffee and ice-cold juice. After breakfast, Mike drained his coffee cup and excused himself from the table to make the trip to Fitch.
“Another cup, to solve some problems,”
he made a face, and everyone laughed.
Dennis Post came in hurriedly, wasn’t watching where he was going, and bumped into Mike. He looked up and apologized.
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