by Sally Six
Matt smiled at this and the man smiled back.
“Well your right,” said Matt. “We’re just plain people trying to get to my grandfathers. We are not meaning anyone any harm. Is there any way that we can just get by instead of having to back track?”
“Just a minute.” The guy said and turned and went back to the roadblock. He didn’t go back around, but stopped in front of it and yelled to someone.
“Hey Clem,” he yelled.
“What?” Yelled the man who had to be Clem.
“Watch my back will you guys. I am headed over to talk with this man and his people. I will be right back.”
A dark haired man who must be Clem stood up from behind a truck along with three other men.
“Andy are you sure that’s a wise thing to do?”
“I hope so Clem, but I have an idea everything is fine. These folks are just like us. Just trying to keep our people safe. Like I said, I will be right back.”
“Your wife is gonna knock you a good one Andy,” a blond bearded man said next to Clem.
“Only if one of you tells on me,” he yelled back and turned back walking towards Matt.
Matt could hear chuckling from behind the trucks as he turned also to head back to his people. “His people,” he thought. “How did that happen?”
Andy was beside Matt by now. “I am Andy Fitzgerald. You are?”
“Matt Graham, Andy good to meet you, I hope.”
That got a chuckle from Andy. “Know what you mean son. Odd times, isn’t it?”
“You can say that again. We now live in interesting times.”
The others saw them coming, but stayed close by the truck waiting for Matt and the man with him to get close to them. They wanted to stay as much as possible out of the line of fire.
Matt and the other man stopped right at the driver’s side door.
Matt said. “Everyone this is Andy Fitzgerald. Andy this is Gary.” Gary nodded. “This is my oldest son, Leroy, our friends Gale and Tracy O’Conner and my wife is back in the van. The rest of my family are back there in the van as well.”
“Howdy folks, Matt here says you people are trying to get further north. You mind telling me about where?”
Leroy spoke up without thinking. “We’re going up to my Granddads by Badger,” he said. Then he got all red in the face and said. “Oops, maybe I shouldn’t have said that.” As he looked at his dad.
“It’s okay this time Leroy,” said Matt. “I have already trusted Mr. Fitzgerald with that information.” As he turned to look at Andy Fitzgerald. “I hope that trust isn’t mislaid.”
“Not one bit,” said Andy. “You all look and sound like pretty honest people to me. I am afraid that it may be a hard thing to tell just by talking to someone soon. People will start to get desperate as the days, weeks and months go by. I had tried to prepare for something like this. So as soon as the balloon went up, I started to get my neighbors on the ball. Well I tried before that too and a few listened with some just halfheartedly. I will tell you most are listening now. There are still a few holdouts that think the Government is going to roll in and take care of them. The rest of us asked them how in the world that would work with so many in trouble and a lot of our cities in ashes. No way that they were going to come to this neck of the woods to take care of anybody.”
Matt admitted something he hadn’t said out loud the last few days. “My dad tried to tell me this may happen too or something like it. I didn’t listen either even though I was raised preparing for anything that could happen and learning how to cope and take care of ourselves. I finally started to open my eyes, but not soon enough. So now we hope Granddad will be able to take us in. If I know my grandfather, the more the merrier. After all, he’s the one that taught my dad everything he knows.”
Andy got this far away look in his eyes and then asked Matt. “I would like to know if things get bad here. Is there any way my wife and I could follow you later? If that would be all right, we can pull our own weight.”
“Well that is a possibility, Andy. I don’t know what it is about you but here goes. Yes if you need to, come on ahead, but the people up there may not tell you where my grandfather’s place is especially in these conditions. We need a code of some kind. My grandfather’s name is Louis Graham and Grandma’s maiden name is McNeil. Only people that know the family know that. There are McNeil cousins all over the place up around Badger. Someone will tell you where to go. How’s that?”
“That sounds like a plan. Thank you Matt and the rest of you too for not saying no to me. I will go get you all clearance to get through our roadblock. You folks, go with God.” Andy told them as he turned to head back to the roadblock.
Gary went over to Matt and asked him if the guy seemed legit. “I am not putting down your feelings or decisions on this, but I know we have to be careful of who we trust.”
“Your very right Gary, but I just got this gut feeling about that guy. Don’t ask me to explain it right now. I don’t know if I ever could. I just know he is okay. From now on, I will make sure that I get your opinion also. I apologize for just taking over that decision.” Matt told him.
“Thanks Matt. I accept that. Looks like he is almost to the roadblock. Time to rock and roll again.”
“All of you,” Matt was telling them. “Make sure you’re all paying good attention when we roll through the opening in the road block. Make sure your pistols are unsnapped from their holsters and ready to go if need be. Make sure those of you that are riding shotgun keep extra alert for anything. I will tell Cass the same.”
All of them headed back to their vehicles and buckled in. They made sure their pistols were ready to go if need be. Without even thinking about it, they made sure that they had a rifle where they could grab it also if it came to that.
What was going through Gale’s mind was. “I am not going to be caught flat footed like we had been again. No way, no how. They would have to take us out first.”
Gary who was still in the lead saw the roadblock open up by the men that were guarding. They were taking the saw horses off to the side and pulling their trucks back.
“Well here goes.” Gary said to Leroy who was riding shotgun.
Leroy just looked over at Gary and shook his head which of course Gary didn’t see as he was so focused on the roadblock opening up and where the men were that were doing so.
He started his run through the trucks with Matt in the middle and Gale and her sister taking up the rear. Since Matt had the younger kids in the van. It made sense for them to stay in the middle where they were the safest. Gary hadn’t realized that he was pretty much holding his breath until he was all the way though the roadblock without any trouble. He looked over to the left side of the road to see Andy waving at them and Gary even decided to wave back.
“I guess I am gonna have to learn to listen to your dads gut feelings, I reckon.” He said to Leroy.
Leroy just got a big grin on his face. “Me too Gary, me too.”
From here they would take County Road 2 north up to State Route 2 that runs east and west. The would then make a left and west heading for the turn off onto State Road 59 north close to the town of Thief River Falls. There they would take Route 32 North to Greenbush where they would take Route 11 east to the area of Badger. All they prayed and hoped was they would not run into any more trouble. Everyone’s nerves were getting pretty thin. All Matt could think of was if they had delayed even another day or two that they may have never even made it this far. The small towns that they ran through seemed quieter then he thought they would be.
“Everyone must be in shock yet,” he thought. “It won’t take long for that to wear off and the food to run out in their homes and the stores. Then watch out world. The crap really begins then.”
A few hours later, they turned off onto County Highway 2 East at Badger. “Spitfire to Manic, over.” Matt said into his radio.
“Manic here Spitfire. I guess it’s time you took the front, isn’t it.”
Matt replied. “Yep it is, good buddy.”
Gary pulled over a bit and let Matt pass him. Then pulled back onto the road. They had traveled all night. Dawn was upon them as they traveled down the dusty road.
About 12 miles later, they turned onto a small dirt road that looked like it was hardly in use at all. The trees were bending over the road and it made the road seem dark and foreboding. A few more miles down the road Matt made a left turn to the north on dirt road that only had a red double arrow’s pointing both left and right. This took up the last few miles of their journey. The road kept going, but Matt turned right at a huge old gnarled Oak tree with a strange symbol carved into it.
Gary didn’t get a real good look at the symbol when he drove by. It seemed to him to be a five-foot Scottish Knight, helmet, Kilt and all but nah. Couldn’t be?
The driveway wasn’t what you would call inviting. It was rough and had large boulders on both sides here and there down alongside it. It did look like most of the trees had been cut back from it a long time ago, but there were a few bushes here and there along it also. The driveway was very long. They made several turns. When they came to a densely forested area which they drove through for about two miles, there nestled in what seemed like a hollow was the nicest little farm Gary had ever seen. Off 500 feet from the house on the right by pasture was a medium sized two sided saltbox type barn and several outbuildings stationed here and there around the farm site. He noticed as they drove up, a porch on the house that went around three sides of the two-story farmhouse. There was an old fashion well sitting about 20 feet from the house in the left side yard with a hand pump sitting off to the side of that more towards the house. It looked like someone was now building a small building around the well and pump.
Matt pulled up to a stop and honked the horn on the van. Three honks, wait four seconds and then two honks. Matt then got out of the van and just stood there without moving. Gale and Gary both got the idea they had best stay right where they sat for now.
Gary turned and looked at Leroy. “Leroy, do you know what’s going on?”
Leroy grinned. “Well as far as I know. It’s something my dad and Grandpa worked out for when we come out to visit. We go through this every time.”
Gary got bugged eyed. “You’re kidding right?”
“No way Gary, Grandpa is something of a, well I guess I used to think he was paranoid, but now I think I will have to change my mind on that one.”
From a small shed on the right about 50 feet from the house an older gentleman came out the door with 30.06 in hand that he lowered after he walked out the door of the shed. He was about 100 feet from Matt. Then from the house came an older woman that had to be Matt’s grandmother also with a rifle in hand. Grandpa Graham made his way closer to the house. When he got even with it, Grandma Graham stepped down off the porch. Gary could see both had smiles on their faces as they made their way closer to the van and Matt.
Grandpa Graham was the first to speak. “Good to see you boy. I see you also brought us some more company.”
Grandma Graham just came over and gave Matt a big hug and ran to Cass who was coming around the van by that time with the children behind her. Everyone else was by this time getting out of their respective vehicles and joining Matt and his family.
“We sure were praying you young’uns would be smart enough to head for here. We kind of hoped your sister, Elizabeth, Bill and the children would be coming too. But with her in the Military and who she works for, that I am sure is too much to hope for.” Grandpa said.
Matt told him. “We never even heard from her granddad. Things must have been more than out of hand for her at work. We just hope she and her family made it to safety.”
Grandma was done with her hugging and said to Matt. “You need to introduce us to these folks that you have brought with you Matt.”
“First off.” Matt said to his grandparents. “Do you have enough room for us for an extended stay and our new extended family here?”
“How can you ask such a thing Matt?” his granddad said. “The more we have the better off we will be. We will need guards and people to help with food production and to help on the farm. The more people we have the easier it will be for all of us.”
Matt turned toward Gary and said to his grandparents. “This is Gary Lopez, a very good friend. He has watched my back like a brother. We would never have made it here as fast as we did or at all if it hadn’t been for him. The foresight that he had to gather the supplies and gas that he has on that truck of his made a big difference. He gave me the parts that I needed to fix my van when I was stranded in Winchester and the gas to get home to the family.”
Gramps looked up at Gary. “Good to meet you son. As far as I am concerned you’re now family if that’s all right with you. You can call me Grandpa along with the others.”
Gary who thought of himself as a macho man had tears in his eyes as he shook Granddad Graham’s hand.
“I would be pleased to sir. Just a second, I think I have something in my eyes.” He turned around to wipe his face.
It didn’t do him any good though because Grandma Graham came up and gave him a big hug. He started to cry all over again.
“The young ladies here are Gale and Tracy O’Conner. We came upon them in the lower part of the state. They were sort of tied up at the time.” Matt was saying.
Gale added. “What Matt is trying to say is we had been tied to trees and were going to be used as slaves. Matt, Gary and Leroy rescued us from the scum that had us. There is no way to repay your family for all they have done for us. We have no other family. There are just us two. Matt and Gary let us tag along to help keep us safe.”
Gale and Tracy were standing side by side and both were openly crying. Grandma came over to give both the women a hug and tell them welcome to the family which made them cry all the more.
“All right, that’s enough of all this mushy stuff.” Grandpa said. “It’s time to get everyone inside. Ma you need to get some breakfast going. I bet these folks are hungry and tired.”
Cass said. “You don’t have to worry about the kids being tired. They slept all night, but the hungry part is right.”
After a good breakfast of eggs, home fired potatoes, bacon, sausage, jam and homemade rolls right out of the wood stove, Grandpa gave Gary, Gale and Tracy a tour of the farm. They could hardly believe the setup that the older Grahams had.
“This is great.” Gary said. “It looks like you have been planning for a very long time.”
“Well, this started with my father. He didn’t like all the new-fangled things that were being put into everyone’ farms. He saw their bills going up and abandoning the old ways. Then the Great Depression hit and he was so glad he had kept all his wind mills to pump their water and his spring house for keeping things cold. I was just a small boy, but I remember the lessons from those years. I continued on with them even after things got better. I then taught Matt’s father what I had been taught. Now I know he has depended on more modern things than I, but I hope and pray what I did pass on has and will pull them though all this.”
Granddad took them 200 feet behind the house. Sitting into the hill surrounded by trees was a door. He opened the door and turned and said. “Come on folks.” He turned back and went down some steps. They were all three coming down the steps when he pulled a lantern off a hook hanging from the ceiling and lit it. There in front of them all was another door, it looked old and the paint was peeling and he was unlatching it. He got a big smile on his face and said. “Come in said the spider to the flies.”
He liked being dramatic. He held the door open for them. They slid in ahead of him and he closed the door behind him as he stepped in. They looked around. Gary had begun after that remark from Granddad Graham to wonder if maybe Grandpa was a bit off when Gary saw that it just looked like a very old fashioned ordinary root cellar to him. Granddad walked over to a shelf that was full of home canned fruit and undid something at the back edg
e of one of the shelves. Then he swung the shelves out toward him.
Gary couldn’t believe his eyes. Five feet from the now opened food shelves was another door. It also had peeling paint and looked ancient, but Granddad reached over and knocked on the door. It was metal, a heavy metal door painted to look like an old wood door. Granddad then went to the corner of the little room with the metal door. In a crack in the right back corner, he fetched out a key which he used to unlock the metal door. They found themselves in another small room about 6 by 8 with a shower head and drain on the right with a metal wash tub on a stand and a hand pump mounted above the wash tub. There was a toilet beside that with another lantern hung in here.
“It’s the only place I could think to put another bathroom at the time.” Granddad said.
He opened the metal door and there was the best fallout/storm shelter Gary had ever seen. Well he hadn’t seen that many, but it sure looked great. A small kitchen came next with lots of shelving with canned goods on them all over the place. Next was bunk beds down both sides. As they walked down the aisle, he could see a storage room off to the left after the bunk beds. There were eight sets of them one right after the other. Air vents could be seen at different places in the shelter opening and closing with another bathroom at the back which had a large utility room off of it further into the hillside. Granddad went into the utility room and pulled on a handle that was on a hot water heater that was on a small platform and then that swung out. “Escape hatch to the other side of the hill.” He said and closed it back up.
“I have three large 1000 pound propane tanks buried out there to supply this place. I may be old, but I’m not stupid. Some modern things come in handy if for any reason we have to hole up. I wanted to have a good place to do it in.”
“You old dog you.” Gary said. “I never imagined this could be down here.”
“That’s the idea Gary. I hope no one else does or can either”.
They all made their way back out and Louis Graham locked up behind them as they went.