The Benefactor

by Jake Aaron

  Brock’s and Sondra’s ears almost burned, literally. Their ears became bright red with blood flow as both tried to hide their discomfort.

  “It is so tragic that those two could be so inconsiderate and selfish,” Sondra spoke in a hollow voice meant to deflect eyes about to turn accusingly toward her.

  “Yeah,” Brock followed with too much bravado, “they should have known better!”

  Lee took the pressure off the embarrassed twosome. “Zeke, how can you explain your cell phone giving you the message about the huckleberries, much less how your cell phone was even working?”

  “I don’t know, Lee. You’re the IT guy,” Zeke returned the serve, proud of his footwork.

  “The slim IT guy! I've lost a few unwanted pounds on the 'gridless diet.' Anyway, I guess I’m just thinking out loud, Zeke. I do know cell phones can be controlled by an outside actor with the right technology — even when they’re turned off. A smartphone can even act as a camera or listening device for such an actor.”

  The group automatically turned to Anne as a second source for a technological explanation.

  She shrugged, “What he said!”

  “You know, group,” Karen began, “The theft of those huckleberries might have been prevented with some basic rules to live by …”

  Sondra: “Here we go again with the damned rules …”

  The philosophic discussion ran for fifteen minutes. Positions didn’t change. Advocates dug in. The only agreement was to defer the matter for the future.

  Dysfunction, thy name is group, Zeke reminded himself. He ended the meeting, “We’ll put that one in the hangar for the time being then. Put a pin in it!”

  Karen walked away mumbling to herself, “We’re going to run out of pins on that one.”

  *****

  In their bedroom, Zeke and Keala rehashed some of the high points of their visit to the B & B.

  “Zeke, it’s hard to believe how justice changes with circumstances. A month ago, I would have considered ostracizing Wesley and Donna as cruel and unusual. Yet, here and now, I totally agreed with ousting them. Trust is absolutely necessary under our present trying conditions.”

  “I couldn’t agree more, Keala. When you think about it, their conniving calls into question the disappearance of the husband of Cap’s current partner. Remember, the husband went out hunting with Wesley — and mysteriously didn’t come back. Circumstantial, I agree, your honor. I rest my case on the huckleberry deception.”

  Zeke analyzed the situation in a millisecond. We’re straying back into the realm of grim reality, he thought. He wanted to tweak that. Keala had done more than her share of supporting him and lifting him up. It was his turn. He lightened the atmosphere with humor and hope.

  Zeke: “Hmm, huckleberry deception, sounds like a Robert Ludlum novel. Makes me think of summer in the Bitterroot Mountains. That’s a glorious time of year, Keala — something to look forward to. We’ll go huckleberry picking this summer. We can go up the Bass Creek Trail. It parallels a beautiful, idyllic gurgling creek. We’ll stuff ourselves on those sweet-tart blue gems and bring quarts of them back to Denton. You will love it! Of course, we’ll have to watch out for bears. We’ll be stealing their food.”

  “Zeke, I do look forward to that. Except the bear part. I can’t wait! But something Cap said is nagging at me: The husband of Cap’s mate was a pilot. Pilot out, pilot in at the B & B?”

  Zeke felt the chill of another coincidence. He wondered who had the invisible hand orchestrating events, the overlord making things happen.

  January 14

  At the compound, Jenny kissed Marsh after breakfast. I know you got a text. What are the ‘requests’ for the day?”

  Marsh kissed her back. “You're the best thing that ever happened to me — right next to the 50-year-old scotch.”

  “Well, you just might only be the wiser man in the world in that case!”

  “Just kidding, love. You know, I’ve texted back to the Benefactor in the past with no replies. This time, I explained that our five groups are getting increasingly curious and that I need to start coming clean on what I know.”

  “Marsh, you’ll have mass rebellion if they know how well we’re living!”

  “The Benefactor seemed to understand all of that, and didn’t seem surprised. He said to let them know more, but not everything. I can tell them as much as I need to. The text closed, ‘Use good judgment.’ Very helpful!” he said sarcastically. The last boss I had who said that was a scoundrel who wanted to sound profound, didn’t have a clue as to what to do, and shifted all of the responsibility and accountability to me.”

  “That was it?” Jenny was conscious of Marsh’s habit of omitting critical details. “He just said use good judgment?”

  He added, “Pretty much. And good performing groups like the Denton one will start getting periods of electricity. Starting today, the Denton bunch gets two hours a day from 1 PM to 3 PM. I’m taking them material to make night curtains — no explanation. Presumably, a carrot to imply eventual night power, assuming good compliance.”

  Jenny feigned offense, “So, I’ll be out there freezing in the woods today while you ride in again as the conquering hero?”

  Marsh reacted defensively, “No, no, you can be the one to ride in if you want. I’m an ass for not taking you into the warm sooner …”

  “Well, I’ll be darned. I finally got you, William Marshall! I’ll provide cover for you anytime, especially if it keeps you safe. For the time being, let’s keep me a secret. Freezing for a few hours is a small price to pay for your survival. Besides, I’m building up the so-called brown fat that makes my body metabolize better.”

  “I read about that before New Year's. Jen, didn’t the test subjects have to get past the point of shivering in the cold to produce more brown fat?”

  “They did, Marsh. Brutal test. Military ‘volunteers,’ I believe. They suffered in the cold long enough to stop shivering. At that point, their percentage of efficient brown fat increased significantly. It’s a benefit I remind myself of when I’m outside in the winter.”

  “Jen, you’ve got to come inside with me from now on …”

  “Did it!,” she laughed. “I got you again, Marsh man. No, I’ll increase my brown fat and keep my figure, thank you.”

  *****

  The Denton crew gathered firewood and performed morning chores. After several hours, most went inside to warm by the hearth. Zeke and Lee purposely remained working outside.

  “Follow me when we go back in,” Lee whispered bending over to pick up dead pine limbs. His warm breath created telltale fog around his head as it met the freezing air.

  Zeke mirrored the stealthiness. He bent over as well to gather a gall rust ball on a dead pine limb. “Okay!”

  They headed to the woodpile next to the house in tandem. After depositing their loads, Lee opened the steel door fashioned into the large upside-down silo. Denton had apparently had the silo modified to be a playhouse for the children of houseguests.

  Lee switched on a flashlight. “Might as well use the batteries while they last. Zeke, I’ve listened to the stories about cell phones coming to life, spontaneous appropriate messages, and coincidental appearances. Clearly we’re being watched. I didn’t want to rile the group up by dwelling on it.”

  Zeke: “I’m glad you didn’t. We’re a millimeter from the mystery becoming a conspiracy theory, which may be a conspiracy fact. So, my guess is that we’re not observable in here, and we’re not hearable since this metal silo acts as a Faraday cage.”

  “Exactly, electronic transmissions won’t be going out or in. Shouldn’t matter if you have a cell phone with you or not. I don’t, do you?”

  “No, Lee, I didn’t see the purpose of carrying it, other than that Marsh told me to carry it the other day. Frankly, I’m sure the others are almost as suspicious as you. I’m thinking we shouldn’t do too much ducking in here to talk in the future. Someone obviously has impressive aerial capability, based on th
e stories about the trip to Idaho.”

  “Drones, Zeke?”

  “Probably. For future reference, if you need to talk to me out here and we’re in public, just tap twice on your right ear.”

  They left the metal silo and headed for the ranch house. Lee stopped walking, “Zeke, before we go in, what’s your secret? We’ve been hauling firewood steadily over an hour. My energy flags. You just keep going.”

  “Lee, you’ll hate me after I tell you. I hum ‘Mull of Kintyre,’ a bagpipe tune. It’ll keep you going strong and steady. For me, it’s also an earworm. Sometimes I can’t get it out of my head.”

  “Hum a few bars for me.”

  Zeke did.

  Lee hummed the melody he had just learned. “Oh, that’s catchy!”

  “It is,” Zeke replied. “It speaks to me at some primal level. No wonder the Brits used bagpipes in wars. It put their troops in a trance state to march into battle.”

  Opening the door for them, Cody overheard their words, “Fascinating really. The role of the bagpipers for the British Army in World War I was to fight on the battlefield using only their bagpipes. Some 500 of those pipers died; 600 were wounded. To show their extra value, the pipers were paid one cent more per day than their peers.”

  Zeke stood in awe of the man’s knowledge. “Cody, do you play the bagpipes?”

  “Not yet, Zeke. It’s on my bucket list!”

  *****

  From her window, Sondra saw Marsh at the gate. “There he is, Brock. Our tyrant on horseback!”

  Marsh got off his horse and pulled a tin of ham from his bulging left saddle bag. He handed it to Zeke. “How’s that grab you?”

  Zeke couldn’t believe their good fortune. “Christmas in January! Cup of coffee?”

  “Yeah, that’d be great. Take the edge off this bitter cold.” A twinge of guilt ran through Marsh's spirit as he thought of Jenny hiding in the cold. “I’ve got some materials for you in the other saddle bag. I’ll be bringing more in the future. And I have more good news.”

  Inside, Marsh thanked the group for helping him get things done. In quick succession, he explained the fact that they would be getting electricity beginning in a little over an hour. He went on to explain the carrot he thought it was.

  Brock was quick to take offense. “Why are we only getting two hours?”

  Susan reined him in, “Brock, I think we should be grateful for whatever power that can be restored. Of course, restoration has to come in stages.”

  Karen laughed, “I’m not sure I could handle three hours. It would be just way too much!” No one got the rocket scientist's joke. Sometimes you lose one on the launchpad, she consoled herself.

  Not holding back, Joan said, “Marsh, is everyone else getting power?”

  Marsh slowly looked everyone squarely in the eye, Joan being last. “Joan, I only know about you all. Of the five groups that I watch out for, you're the only one I know about getting electricity. I’d take that as a reward for helping out.” He paused, “I know I’m not always the most talkative or open person you’ve ever met. Part of that is me, part of that is my job.” He went on to explain the series of one-way texts that he received and the fact that he had been told to be closed-lipped about matters until now. He concluded, “I’ve told you what I know. Any questions?”

  Sondra leaped in on that, “Who is sending you orders?”

  “Ma’am, I don’t rightly know,” Marsh bristled at her tone and eye language. “I call him the Benefactor because he doesn’t seem to hold any bad will toward us in any way. In fact, the opposite seems true. When I was told John was in distress in Lolo, I was glad to help. When I was warned the nuclear facility in Idaho was about to go all Fukushima on us, that probably saved our butts. When the Bed and Breakfast bunch was about to similarly meltdown, we saved them.

  “I’m like you. I’d like restoration of my old life before January 1st. That’s not going to happen! I’d like complete transparency from the Benefactor, but I don’t call the shots. Frankly, you and I don’t have a lot of bargaining power. I’m sure it crossed your mind that things outside the fence can’t be that bad — particularly if you haven’t been out there. Listen to your fellow group members who have been outside the fence. It is bad — very, very, very bad.

  “Another thought you may have is that the Benefactor caused the enormous calamity that we have experienced. Neither you nor I have any evidence to that effect. And, again, assume he or she did, what bargaining power do you or I have?

  “For sure, what we can control is how we deal with each other and how we react to the real stressors in our environment. I’ve made my decision, that I will be as constructive as I can be in my role of taking care of the people I am responsible for.

  “Right now, why don’t we dig into some of that ham. I hope there's still have some mustard for mine. And, if you don’t mind, I’d like to see your faces when the electricity comes on.”

  The room fell silent. Certainly, the explanation begged more questions than it answered. However, Marsh’s reminder of the gift of the ham and the advent of some electricity dissuaded any more immediate protests.

  Then Sondra’s nostrils flared. She leaned forward getting ready to unload.

  Sitting next to her, Susan restrained Sondra’s coming outburst with a squeeze on the forearm and said, “We are so grateful for all you do for us, Marsh. Thank you for sharing what is going on. And I have to say, as you did, our attitude will be what makes us successful.”

  Zeke piggybacked, “Yes, thanks, Marsh. Gang, we need to do some quick talk about what we do with our two hours of electricity. We need to make it count. For starters, I’m thinking we should begin filling everything available with well water from the frost-free pump outside. That will considerably reduce chores this afternoon. We still shouldn’t be using any of the house’s water pipes until we can keep them warm twenty-four hours a day. In short, don’t use the plumbing. That has not changed.

  “Marsh, will you take a raincheck on the ham? I’m thinking we are minutes away from the precious electricity coming on. I think we should make a quick meal of leftovers. Anybody object?”

  There were quick nods of agreement from everyone. Marsh was disappointed, but it didn’t show on his face.

  Keala and Karen brought food to the table.

  After the ensuing frenzied discussion over a light lunch, Marsh had an uncharacteristic big smile. He shared the group’s near ecstasy when the electricity came on at 1 PM. He accepted one more cup of coffee. Some immediately began vacuuming; others roamed the residence searching for appliances to plug in like smartphone chargers. At the same time, the rest filled water containers outside from the frost-free pump.

  “I swear my cell phone has a bigger charge on it than when the power failed,” Lee remarked to Susan as they headed outside to join in filling water containers.

  “I echo that,” Susan said. “In fact, mine is at 100%. Explain that!”

  Sensing Marsh was feeling guilty about not joining in the chores, Zeke approached him. “Hey, I know you have five other groups to take care of. No one expects you to stay.” Zeke was testing Marsh.

  Marsh corrected Zeke, “Four other groups, and I’d better head off, compadre.” Mentally, he tipped his hat to Zeke. Zeke was a wily interrogator. It takes one to know one.

  At 2:45 PM, Zeke pulled Karen aside. Would you use the microwave to whip up some popcorn for us? It’ll be a nice celebratory treat when we break fifteen minutes later.”

  The feverish activity went on until 3 PM, when the electricity went off.

  Observing the group’s letdown from an adrenaline-driven pace, Zeke spoke, “Hey, folks, let’s gather around the fireplace and celebrate the free time we can enjoy this afternoon because of the electricity we got. Karen has some popcorn for us.” After enthusiastic cheers, he continued, “No ice hauling for a while. And we can look forward to two hours of electricity again tomorrow!”

  Used to constant farm chores anyway, Jed and Karen had
to be reminded they didn’t need to do anything. After half an hour, John said, “This frees me up to try something I just haven’t been able to work into our routine. I’d like to try some wet flies on the river. Wouldn’t some trout be a nice addition to our cuisine?”

  “You’ll freeze down there,” Brock counseled. “No one catches any fish in the winter!”

  “You’re crazy!” Sondra added. “You’ll get frostbite. And Brock won’t treat you for stupidity and its results.”

  Brock: “I think I can speak for myself!” He glared at his cranky wife.

  Ignoring the naysayers and eager to do something, Cody offered, “I’m with you, John. If you haven’t found it already, I have a lot of fishing gear here. I had several guests who did some winter fishing. They did catch fish. I think some of the fish were frozen.” He laughed at his humor. “We’ll take rifles with us for protection. Wouldn’t that be something if we bagged a buck on the way?”

  "You know, Cody, we might even get a tan out there in the sunshine," John added. Then he chuckled, unconsciously looking at Brock, whose faded tan made him as pasty as everyone else.

  The rest were content to enjoy more down time.

  Sondra disturbed the peace, “That tyrant marshal waltzes in here and pretends to be our friend. I don’t trust him. He’s a disturbing element.”

  Lee: “I thought he was pretty straight with us. He told us everything he knows.”

  Brock corrected him immediately, “He didn’t tell us everything.”

  Keala: “This is a great time to count our blessings. I’m personally grateful to everyone of you. Each of you pulled shifts to care for me when I was on the edge of death. Thanks, everyone! It feels so good to have warmth. I cannot tell you how much. Having experienced what is happening outside our fence, I am so glad to also have food, water, shelter, and safety. Everyone of us enjoyed those many kilowatts of electricity we just had. Life is good …”

  Sondra interrupted. “Listen, Pollyanna, your dictator buddy spoke of the Benefactor. I will call him the Bastard.”