by D A Carey
They were also in negotiations with a company that made fold-out solar panels for small electronics. Louis found them while purchasing a dozen crates of the devices to be shipped to each of the chartertown locations. The company was a small family-owned business in Georgia. While they didn’t want to sell out entirely, they were open to selling a majority stake to Cavanaugh Corporation. It was a great opportunity for the Georgia chartertown location if they could move the small factory closer to the Hollis Q Lathem reservoir.
Revitalizing
“A heart well prepared for adversity in bad times hopes, and in good times fears for a change in fortune.”
- Horace
<
Ellie’s home in C-town was gorgeous. It was built to replicate some of the great old Charleston, South Carolina, townhomes with the wide porches. Ellie assumed Dave was behind getting them into such a nice home, trying to make her comfortable enough to stay, and she told Malcolm as much.
“Baby, I’m good whatever you like,” he said in his practical way. “The home is great.”
“It isn’t our home in Chicago where you’re from. You’ve been so good fitting in here and making this work.”
“It’s not bad. I’m happy here. We’re safe, and we have work and plenty of everything we need. That’s all good.”
“Don’t you miss Chicago?”
“Not yet.”
“Not yet?”
“I’m not looking forward to going home and cleaning up, especially after hearing from Jeremiah. Perhaps I’m getting older, but the hassle of the city, traffic, and crime stresses me out more now than it used to. I’m having fun here. Mike has a great auto shop, and he appreciates when I have time to give a few hours. He’s mostly bringing some classic cars and trucks back to life, and I dig that. I’ve been able to add a huge value to the business just by going up to French Lick and trading with Gus. We have even worked on a couple of boats from Bert’s people over in Hanover.”
“Bert was great to us on the way down here. I need to make a trip over there and visit them.”
“Yeah, but besides all that, I’m not convinced yet that if we went back to Chicago things wouldn’t go to hell once more. We might not make it out next time.”
“You’re sounding more and more like Vince,” Ellie remarked wryly.
“I don’t think Vince loves the chaos as much as you think he does, even though he does appear to revel in it, if you know what I mean.”
“I do, and you’re right. ‘Revel’ is probably the best word.”
“I hate it. I try to be calm on the outside, but I need to know where my food is coming from each day. I need to be able to flip a switch and see the lights come on. I like a cold beer on occasion. More than anything, I’m a deep, sound sleeper.”
“I get all of that. This country air helps me sleep sounder, too.”
Malcolm laughed in a deep, satisfied, grumbling way. “No, baby, you don’t get it. That’s not it at all. If the world is in chaos, I have this hidden fear that sound sleepers will be the ones who get killed and their families ravaged. Every time I go to sleep, I worry I’ll wake up some night to a thug like Malik standing beside my bed or murdering my family while I slept through it all. If we are in the woods or on the road, I worry my snores will give away our hiding spot. I’m a sound sleeper, and I can do that here without worry. Vince doesn’t sleep soundly at all. He’s always at the edge of wakefulness and ready to fight.”
“When we were married, he used to wake at night and walk through the house. Or if Kate wanted something she would come in our room without making a sound, and he would speak softly to her so as not to wake me. They had that in common.”
“That’s what I mean. I’m not that sort of man. The world of chaos is for Vince’s kind. C-town may not be home like Chicago was for me, but I can do my day job remotely, and I get to work on old cars and trucks in my spare time. I’m making friends here, and best of all, I can sleep soundly and snore with no worries about bad guys hearing me.”
Ellie couldn’t find the words to reply, so she just hugged him.
<
“Hello.”
“Hey, buddy, it’s your Uncle Dave.”
“Good morning, how are you?”
“You sound tired. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, I’m good. Thanks for asking. It’s early here, and I’ve been going on set to help Liz with her movie, and then they always have a bar or restaurant to go to after they wrap shooting for the day. They run in packs.” Vince chuckled.
“How are you recovering from your surgery?”
“That’s probably part of it, too. I still feel tired a lot, and I’m cold sometimes even though it’s warm here. My strength is coming back even though I sleep a lot. My doctor said I’m cold because my body is regenerating some of the blood I lost in the surgery.”
“Does Liz know? I don’t think she would keep you on the run this much if she knows it’s wearing you out.”
“I didn’t want to say much. She’s been great, and I really am enjoying myself and relaxing some. She knows I sleep a lot.” Vince snickered. “She probably thinks it’s my age.”
“Perhaps hanging out in southern California with a beautiful starlet is just what you need. She is smarter than you give her credit for, though. If you’re tired, say something.”
“I will. Is that why you called me?”
“Not entirely, but I will make sure to keep an eye on the tabloids and see if they get some pictures of you and Liz hitting the local hotspots. I wonder what headlines they will make up.” Dave’s mirth was evident.
Then Dave heard Liz’s voice in the background asking if Vince wanted to go get breakfast. When Dave got quiet, Vince responded, “It’s not what you think. We got home late and were talking and fell asleep. Nothing happened.”
“It might not be the worst thing for you if something did happen, despite the way it might complicate things. I’ll trust your judgment. However, my main reason for calling is to talk to you about our expansion of the footprint of the chartertown communities. We are talking about one down in Florida. It’s only in the planning stage. We have one in Georgia making good progress and another in Utah getting underway. The one in Texas is progressing well but worries me some. When you’re back on your feet, I’d love for you to spend some time there if you don’t mind. I want to send you a map of the locations and contact information for key suppliers and supporters of the program. Please do me a favor and print a hard copy and keep it in your go bag.”
“Okay. I don’t have much of a go bag here because of the restrictions on what I could bring on the plane. Liz is stocking a great panic room that any prepper would be proud of, though. I can raid some of her stash if I need. It sounds like you’re worried about something.”
“Nothing I can put my finger on,” Dave said, sounding distant and unsure. “I’m just uncomfortable with this recovery from last year and how blasé people are about how good things are going. I want you and a few of my key people to have hard copies of safe locations and supply caches. Whether you’re ready to accept it or not right now, you need to know if something ever happened to me, people will look to you for leadership on this whole thing.”
“Whoa, Uncle Dave! That’s not what I want at all. You have a whole staff of executives who can do this better than me. I love you, and I’ll do anything for you, but I’m not good at that part of the business.”
“They can run the rest of the business, even though it will be yours when I’m gone. This chartertown thing will be all you. You can’t run from this responsibility.”
“Right now, that’s a lot to think about. You know I’ll always do what I can to help.”
“Don’t worry too much, Vince. Get some rest and have fun. Keep your go bag ready and recover your strength.”
“I’m getting stronger every day.”
<
Vince had to admit he was enjoying his time in Hollywood. He’d expected some snide rem
arks from the Hollywood crowd because he was from Kentucky. However, he was surprised at how supportive the cast and crew had been to his suggestions. Even with their support, Vince tried to be somewhat subdued and didn’t push his ideas too hard. He merely waited to be asked and then offered his opinion. At first, no one appeared to know why he was there. He sat and observed production, receiving polite nods and smiles as people walked by. Later, Liz stopped the shooting briefly to ask Vince to confer with a small group, including the producer and director, and Vince offered some suggestions that greatly improved the authenticity of the scene. After that moment, people began casually asking Vince for tidbits of information from both in front of and behind the camera. They were starved for accuracy and his perspective from a military side. A stylist asked him about regulations on haircuts, and a couple of actors even asked what a soldier might be thinking at a certain time. Vince would have assumed that they had ready access to many people with his background living in the area. It was as if it hadn’t occurred to them how many of the small details they were missing.
When Vince first arrived, the days were long, and he was exhausted when the set shut down each night. At that time, he was early in his recovery and walking with a cane. The crew was concerned about their schedule and eager to get as much done as possible. At the end of those days, Vince and Liz went to their separate rooms and slept like the dead after a hasty dinner.
Later on, as it was getting close to the end of the shoot and the confidence level of meeting their deadline increased, they began getting off the set earlier. Everyone was exuberant over a nearly completed project and wanted to kick up their heels. Vince’s strength was returning, and he no longer walked with a cane.
On one of those nights, a group of the cast was going out to party and hit up a few trendy Hollywood nightclubs. Vince didn’t love the party scene as much as he had when younger, and he’d kicked the heavy drinking habit he’d sunk into after his divorce. Liz was pushing hard for him to go, and since he was enjoying his stay in southern California, he agreed.
There were three cars and a few security men. Liz was definitely the star of the group. While some of the younger actresses were gorgeous in their own way, they didn’t have the skill and fame that Liz did. Everywhere they went, someone was ready to take their pictures. Liz took it all in stride; Vince thought it a terrible invasion of privacy. He was careful to stick close to the security folks and blend in with them while photos were being taken. Liz said he shouldn’t worry; she didn’t care what the tabloids wrote. They were friends. Yet Vince thought too much of Liz to want to see her picture on the front page of a tabloid linked to a grumpy old ex-soldier.
<
“It’s a tradition, Vince. Relax, have some fun.”
“I am having fun. I’m watching you all.”
“Well, you need to lighten up then. Bill is driving my car. Junior will be driving Ava, Kaley, and Tyler in another vehicle. Everyone is safe. Shooting is close to wrapping up, and the movie is going so well with your help.”
“I didn’t do much to help,” said Vince, “only a few words of advice here and there.”
“Sometimes, that’s all it takes to transform a movie from silly to serious.”
“Thanks, Liz. I’m having a good time and making some money. I owe it all to you.”
“No, I owe you from last year. But let’s stop all this talk of owing. We’re both from Kentucky, and friends don’t keep track of who owes who.”
“You’re right.” Vince stuck out his hand in a mock “let’s shake on it” pose.
Liz moved past his hand for a hug. “Okay, we’re leaving this place and going somewhere else.”
“Liz, we’ve already had a huge dinner and been to three places. How long does this all go on? You’re killing me.”
Liz’s immediately got serious. “Are you hurting or tired? Should we go home?”
Seeing her this concerned and willing to change her plans for him tore at Vince’s heartstrings, making him more determined than ever to push through and make this night fun despite the fact that he was tired. While his stamina was returning, it wasn’t quite up to snuff yet. “I’m good. What’s next?”
“Are you sure, Vince? I don’t mind going home. We aren’t going to stay out all night. We still have some work to do. The all nighters are for after shooting wraps.”
“Yes, I’m good. Let’s go. I’m glad we aren’t out all night. Hopefully by then, my strength will be back.”
“There is a place off the strip that has some of the best up and coming bands. These are bands you’ll hear all over the radio next year, and we get them live here first in an intimate setting.”
“Okay.”
“After that, we’ll go dancing. That place doesn’t heat up till after midnight. After a few hours dancing, we’ll head home.”
“And this is not an all-nighter?” Vince said incredulously.
“No, silly. I promise I’ll have you home before dawn. Shooting will begin late tomorrow. It’s all good.”
The bands were fabulous, and Vince had a bit more to drink than he’d planned. They stopped for food at a place Liz knew and headed over to the dance club.
<
Standing on the top of Lewis Peak, Levi could practically see the East Canyon State Park and reservoir. There were a few buildings and the communication towers on Lewis Peak. Even though Levi wasn’t sure how the knowledge might be useful down the road, he enjoyed the hike and didn’t have anything pressing at the moment. By staying in Utah, he had been able to accelerate the project start. Now that Robert Lewis, Jeff Granger’s right hand man, was on site, it freed up Levi to do some hiking and explore the area.
With Robert’s arrival came the construction trailers and building permits. Large earth-moving equipment was already at work digging basements. Robert had come with drawings and plans of what it would look like when complete, yet he had the freedom to make changes to the plans as he saw fit. Levi instructed Robert to move the underground storage bunkers to the top of the list. Dave was antsy about his sense of urgency on this project, and the feeling was infectious. Levi’s plan was to get the bunkers built first so they could store vital equipment and supplies.
A few hours later, Levi made his way to the east bank of the reservoir to the parked jon boat. He hadn’t bothered to try and hide it that well because the area was uninhabited, and he hadn’t planned on being gone that long. He landed on the west bank of the reservoir where the docks would soon be built, the community on the rise less than a hundred yards away. Saddle Rock Mountain rose behind them a short hike away.
“Robert, how are things going?” Levi asked jovially.
“Great. This is a prime location if Dave can get the investors. I love it here, and this is going faster than any we’ve done so far.”
“That’s great. Louis told me that Dave asked Andrew Ballard to spend some time in Salt Lake City working through potential investors in the area. But mostly I stopped by to let you know I’ll be out of the area today. I’m headed down to the Orem and Provo area to meet with some farmers. I have a lead on one man who raises hogs and another who has goats. I’m thinking about getting some of those herds up here if we can get some fencing installed and hire some men to take care of them.”
“They’re called a swine or sounder, and tribe or trip.” Robert smiled.
“What?”
“You said herd when talking about the hogs and goats. Technically, a group of hogs is called a swine or sounder and a group of goats a tribe or trip.”
“Are you sure?”
“I’m fairly certain. I grew up in a farming community. You could Google it, though.”
“I guess it doesn’t matter. Besides, what will the world do when you can’t Google everything from how to make concrete to what mushrooms are edible to what a group of hogs is called?”
“I don’t know. I hadn’t thought much about it until last year.”
“That reminds me, I better order some f
oxfire, home remedy, and edible plants books while I’m driving. Are you set up with a P.O. box at the local post office?”
“Yeah, it’s not that local, though. We have to go to the post office in Morgan a ways away from here.”
“Okay, I’ll order them Prime. We can pick them up whenever. No need for a special trip.”
<
“Mr. Goldman, you don’t have to push so hard. We are on the same side here. I am moving people and supplies to Utah as fast as possible. You must understand that this is not officially a chartertown yet. We haven’t even done a presentation or worked with any investors yet.”
“Louis, when you use my last name, I know you’re upset. I’m sorry for pushing so hard. I love this spot and feel a sense of urgency I can’t describe.”
“I understand. You’re not competing for manpower or supplies with C-town, SOP-town, or the Texas location. Those are locations well forward in progress and becoming self-sufficient. You are competing with the Georgia location. They’re erecting buildings and walls as we speak. Some of the early adopters have already moved in, and many of the supplies are already there. I did get Jeff’s assistant sent to Utah and some construction trailers and crews out there. They should be digging basements and underground bunkers right now.”
“I’ve seen them, and I appreciate that. The main reason I called was to see if we can get food, ammunition, supplies, and a couple security people sent out here?”
“That’s a little premature, don’t you think?”
“No, things are coming together nicely here. I have a line on someone who is going to bring in some goats and hogs. I want to offer a deal for a family that works for the goat herder a place here in return for maintaining the livestock. We can bury some of the shipping containers of food and supplies until better bunkers are built.”