by D A Carey
“Okay. I don’t know why you’re so hell bent on getting this site going so fast, but I’ll help you on one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“You get Mr. Cavanaugh on board. If he likes it, then we are all in.”
“You know he’s in,” Levi pressed. “He paid for the property and sent me in.”
“He’s paid for dozens of properties around the country. That doesn’t mean he is as hell bent on barreling forward as you are. Get him on board with your pace and I’m in too.”
“I was going to call him after you. There are some people around here asking about how to buy in. I know you and he keep a list of potential investors nationwide.”
“We do.”
“Are any of them in this area?”
“I’m sure there are. I’d have to check with Andrew Ballard to be sure. We have a lot of potential investors all over the country after what happened last year, and a place like Utah would be a natural.”
“I’m going to ask him if he can stop here on his way home from his current trip and hold one of his investor summits or send in Andrew to get the ball rolling.”
“Knowing Dave, he will probably agree, so I’ll get things set up on this end.”
“Thanks, Louis!” Levi’s boyish enthusiasm was evident. “What about the trucks of supplies and security people?”
“Yes. But don’t think you talked me into that. We’ve had a lot of supplies rolling into the Colorado location, and the old mines are almost full. Dave and I had already talked about disbursing supplies to some of the locations like Texas, Georgia, and Kentucky. We have trucks and shipping containers, so I can get them sent out in the next couple of days.”
“Why not tomorrow?”
“Dang, you’re pushy.”
“I was teasing.”
“Okay, tomorrow.” Louis laughed. “We’re staged to ship things out to the other locations, so I’ll go ahead and add you to the list.”
“What about the security folks?”
“No promises there. There is a group that recently finished training. As you know, they get their pick of where they want to go after training. Until now, they only thought they had this place, Kentucky, Georgia, and Texas to choose from. I’ll ask and see if anyone is interested in Utah.”
“Thank you!”
“Don’t thank me yet. They may not choose Utah. You don’t even have buildings up. All you have are some foundations, boat docks, and a road in.”
“Don’t forget the goats and hogs and supplies you promised me!”
“You’ll get the supplies, livestock, wranglers, and construction workers. I know for a fact Dave wants you back here in Colorado, though. He’ll probably agree with what you want as long as you agree to come back here with him and leave getting that location up and running to the professionals.”
“I will. I’m only in a rush to get things going so this doesn’t die. It’s too good of a location to squander.”
“We will. I happen to know Dave has some extra time in his schedule on his way back. If you and Andrew could get the people to attend soon, he could do a small meet and greet on short notice.”
“Let’s try and make it happen. Then I’ll fly back with him, I promise.”
Life is Good
“We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.”
- Winston Churchill
<
Life at the Carrollton location had settled into a routine. Even though the community school was open, many residents opted to send their kids to the county or private schools considering the renaissance America was experiencing. Businesses were operating normally near the town site. Malcolm was working with an old friend of Vince’s at a mechanic’s shop mostly specializing in old cars and trucks when not working remotely at his normal day job and was making regular trips to visit Gus and his junk fortress to trade food supplies for auto and machine equipment.
Ellie spent her days working remotely at her job in Chicago and evenings arranging the community schedule, organizing things like the community gardens inside the walls and field work outside. There was small business work to be done and administrative work to be arranged. She was rapidly becoming one of the community leaders because of her willingness to dive in and get things done. Ellie had arranged to turn a few buildings on the edge of the property by the blue bridge at the conflux of the rivers into a combination strip mall and farmer’s market. The community could trade things from their gardens in the markets. One of the new residents had his federal firearms permit and sold and traded guns. Louis had arranged for the Chartertown Corporation to buy a fifty percent share in his business so they could buy extra firearms and ammunition to store. The other communities would buy from him at a small profit to store in their bunkers.
Louis had approached Ellie about taking on the role full time for the Chartertown Corporation for a salary so she could extend her efforts to other communities; however, Ellie wasn’t ready to take that step yet. She continued to hold out hope of returning to Chicago.
Deep down, she knew that day needed to come soon. She was falling back in love with Kentucky. She liked the small town feel of walking inside the community or getting out and walking the fields or along the river.
There was a feeling of abundance here. Even though they didn’t have more money, what they did have went further. They cooked at home more and ate out less. Simple pleasures like walking to a friend’s home for a beer on the front porch counted as a night out. Sometimes the kids would put on a play at the outdoor theater. Life was better than she wanted to admit because she stubbornly held on the thought of moving back to Chicago.
<
“Malcolm, can I ride with you when you go up to see Gus?” Kate asked when she saw Malcolm loading the SUV.
“That’s where I am going to go today, as a matter of fact. Your mom is going too. She wanted to visit with Gus’s wife Mary. They bonded when we stayed there on our trip down from Chicago. I also think Mary loves the company. Aside from some family they’ve taken in, Mary doesn’t get out much.”
“I know. I heard you and Mom talking. I liked Gus and his fortress of junk, and Mary was wonderful to us. I’m getting kind of bored here, too. Will we have time to swing by and visit Bert and his family?”
“Not this trip, but I know your mom wants to soon. You’re welcome to come, though. I like your company. So it’s fine by me if it’s okay with your mom.”
As they drove across the bridge from Milton, Kentucky into Madison, Indiana, Kate couldn’t shake a surreal feeling. The trip only took minutes, and everything was so normal. Despite the normalcy and feeling of safety, Kate noted that Malcolm had his shotgun handy, and she had her Bersa 9 mm close at hand.
After passing through Madison, it took barely an hour to reach French Lick and Gus’s fortress of junk. Malcolm had been here several times and called ahead so Gus was waiting for them.
“I see you haven’t dismantled your fortress yet,” Malcolm teased when Gus walked out, waving.
“Why, heck no, you young whipper snapper! Do you think I’m crazy? I knew I needed it before all that stuff last year, and I’m doubly sure this year.”
“How can you be so sure? Everything is going great in the country. Industry is booming, and the stock market is on the rise,” Kate said.
“Young lady, you’re smarter than that. Your great uncle said it best. The lives of nations move at a different pace than humans. This country is old and brittle and has rot at the core. We didn’t fix none of that. We just put lipstick on a pig. Don’t get me wrong, I love this old nation. It’s one of the best this world has ever seen, but it’s got one Achilles heel, and that’s that it will always be as strong or weak as its people are ethically and morally. People didn’t get more ethical or moral in the last year; they’re just partying like some old fashioned Roman orgy. The economy is driven by the reconstruction business and by people’s enthusiasm. Soon someone will recognize we’re just as
weak and immoral as we were before and decide to attack us or we’ll just attack ourselves again. It could be weeks or it could be years like your great uncle said. In either event, it will happen, and until it does, I’ll keep my walls.”
“You make it sound dire,” Kate said, unable to hide her dismay.
“Well, young lady, your generation could prove me wrong. You all got to set aside the need to be deceitful in the quest for power. You all could ignore the politicians, colleges, and news sources that lie to you and manipulate you. You could be free thinkers and hard workers and promote news sources that do the same. You could get back to some of the basic ethical values that people clung to in my grandfather’s time and turn this whole thing around. What do you say? You know your peers. Do you think they have it in them? Or will they follow the example of their parents and my generation and consume fake news and sip wine and play music while this titanic of a ship sinks below them?”
“I don’t know.” Kate just wanted out of the conversation to think. She loved Gus, but this side of him scared her.
“Malcolm, why don’t you and Gus go tag the engine and body parts you need him to send to C-town while Kate and Mary and I catch up? I’m sure she’ll have some things she wants sent back with the return shipment,” Ellie said.
“Yes, ma’am,” Gus said contritely before Malcolm could respond, sensing he’d gone too far. Mary was constantly warning him how he could get too passionate on certain topics.
On the trip back, Kate asked her mom if she believed all that Gus had said. Malcolm gripped the wheel tighter and drove on.
“Gus is probably worried and exaggerating,” Ellie responded. “He and your dad belong to a group of Americans who prep and plan for the worst. If they didn’t believe in things, like Gus said, it might take away all they’ve believed in for so many years and make their life lose meaning.”
“Do you think people like Gus and Dad are wrong?”
“No, honey. Last year is proof that bad things can happen. I just don’t think it’s that easy or that it would be so bad we can’t recover from it like we did last year.”
“But Gus is right.” Kate shook her head. “Our ethics are more like the decadent Romans than what our founding fathers planned for, and what Gus mentioned could happen?”
“Yes, I suppose it could happen.”
Kate looked out the window at the scenery of the country homes, fields, and farms, deep in thought. Gus’s words had disturbed her at a time when she was happy and thought things were going well. She and Matt were taking classes at the University of Louisville with some other young people from the community. They normally drove themselves, enjoying the freedom of a drive in the country or staying downtown to go to a club. The C-town community didn’t have the parties and excitement the young adults craved. The vibe at the nightclubs downtown and in the hip “New-Lou” area of town had been strong since the chaos of the previous year ended, and the parties raged into the wee hours of the morning. Kate and Matt were good students and didn’t go all in for the party scene, yet it was hard not to get caught up in the infectious atmosphere that a student of history would have likened to the post-World War I and II celebrations.
Just the previous weekend, Kate and Matt had been talking.
“Matt, I miss my dad. Do you think he is okay?”
“Sure he is. He’s tough. Besides, he’s with Liz Pendleton. She has tons of money, and the parties there probably put these to shame.”
“My dad’s not much of a partier,” Kate deadpanned. “I doubt he is getting that wild.” Kate had no way of knowing Vince was indeed partying with some of Hollywood’s most well-known and desirable people.
“You said he used to be a hellion and ladies’ man.”
“He got over that when he stopped drinking. When he and my mom divorced, a lot of the joy left him. He’s different now.”
“He would be missing out then. The whole country’s ready to party right now. It’s a good time to be alive, an age of prosperity after last year’s chaos.”
“I guess so.” Kate’s thoughts drifted back to her dad. “My dad and Gus have both said this is the time to prepare for the next event. They don’t think we’ve fixed anything.”
“Your dad’s cool. We all like him. However, he worries about everything. All the experts are predicting a golden era of prosperity now, just as we plan to graduate and be doctors and lawyers and make the most of it. Life is good. We should be enjoying it, not hiding in a compound in the country.”
“I guess you’re right. Where are we going tonight?”
<
Luke had been recognized at work and was working long hours in downtown Louisville to continue to build his reputation and position himself for rapid career growth. The economy had been strong since the country rebounded from the national chaos, and the future was bright. Luke was all in.
“Cindy, things are going great at work. There is a promotion I believe I can get with some extra effort.”
“You deserve it. I’ve said for a long time that you’re better than they know. You could have left and made more money somewhere else.”
“I know you always have my back, baby. I like what I’m doing and make good money. Louisville is a great place to raise kids.”
“Perhaps. There are lots of good places to raise kids, though. We don’t have family in this town and could go anywhere. We’re young enough to make the move and start over to move up and make more money if we want.”
“It’s not all about money,” Luke said under his breath. He didn’t want to have this conversation once more. Cindy only wanted what was best for them. The kids deserved the best schools, and they couldn’t provide them if he didn’t make more. Yet sometimes he felt they were too driven by money. They had moved around quite a bit, and he liked Louisville and this company a lot.
“I’m doing more strategic stuff for the bigwigs. With Vince being out, I’m picking up some of his work. Honestly, they love what he does, but he doesn’t care about it much sometimes. He’s hard to figure.”
“I know you two are friends. That doesn’t mean you have to try and be like him, though.”
“What’s that mean? Even though he’s a good guy, I’m not trying to be like him. Why would you care anyway?”
“He is divorced and probably running around with different women. He is always shooting or hunting, he’s grumpy, and you can almost smell the testosterone dripping off him. It’s offensive.”
“I didn’t know you felt that way. I guess I don’t see him like that. He’s always been good to me and helped me with my career. I won’t be around him for a while anyway because he’s in Hollywood with Liz Pendleton.”
“That’s good. He won’t be pushing you to go shoot something or scaring you with predictions of the next national catastrophe.”
“Well, he was right with the last prediction.”
“If you go around predicting doom and gloom all the time, something bad is bound to happen sometime. Even a broken clock is right twice a day.”
“Well, I’m my own man and can reason things out for myself. Besides, like I said, I won’t be around him for a while. He’s in California.”
“Hopefully, some of the West Coast’s more progressive world views will rub off on him. It’s too easy to insulate yourself here among people who want to horde food and guns and chant for a literal interpretation of the Constitution.”
“Yes, dear.”
“Don’t yes dear me! You know I’m right.”
“Yes, dear, you are. I didn’t want to get into this. I only wanted to talk about work and how well things were going.”
“I love you, and I’m proud of you. Go make good things happen. I’m sorry. Sometimes I get worked up over men like Vince. It’s like he should be a caveman carrying a club. I know some women go for that. I’ve never uderstood it.”
“Okay.”
“I love you for who you are. Don’t try to be him and change your political views. Be you. Besides,
who knows what kind of stanky women he runs around with? That’s probably why he is divorced.”
“I don’t think he runs around, but I thought we were done talking about Vince.”
“We are, I’m sorry.” Cindy gave him a kiss and a onceover to make sure he was dressed sharply.
Disruption
“How could a readiness for war in time of peace be safely prohibited, unless we could prohibit, in like manner, the preparations and establishments of every hostile nation?”
- James Madison
<< Vince >>
Liz and Vince were dancing. It was a group party, and admittedly they were all a little drunk. Nearing the end of shooting was always cause for celebration among the actors, actresses, and support people. It had gone well, and they knew it.
Through the night, people had peeled off one at time, some to go to another club or party, others to go home after too much to drink.
Liz was letting off some stress. After he decided to relax and go with the flow, Vince began to enjoy himself. It was fun, and they were the center of the party wherever they went. He didn’t like to be on display like this but was too lightheaded from the alcohol to care. Liz was used to it. The thumping rock and pop music had been going all night, and while Vince didn’t consider himself much of a dancer, Liz wouldn’t let him stay at the table. He got used to moving and grinding, and they both had fun with it. As the night wore on, he began to feel less clumsy and more at ease. Earlier, he’d felt older than the people in this crowd and somewhat apprehensive. After a few drinks and some prompting from Liz, he no longer cared.
The music changed from the fast-paced, hard-thumping music to something slower. Vince glanced around and saw others grinding hard against each other in a pseudosexual way. Vince motioned to Liz that he wanted to head back to the table. She shook her head and pulled him into an embrace. They held each other and danced slowly. To a casual observer their dance and kiss might have appeared more chaste, yet it was somehow more intimate and sensual than the others who grinded in a more overtly sexual way. Vince liked the feel of the small of her back under his hand, her chest against his, her cheek resting on his chest. He took a deep breath, and the scent of her hair wafted into his nose, filling his chest with happiness and nervousness all rolled into one.