Desperate Times

by Nicholas Antinozzi

  “Hand me up that rifle,” Jon mouthed to Julie who stood at the bottom.

  She did. Jimmy watched the men below. There were four of them, and they took defensive positions around the van. Jimmy could see that the van was pock-marked with bullet holes.

  “Open up!” shouted one of the men.

  “Who the hell are you?” asked Jon.

  “We’ve got Ken and Patty Dahlgren,” the man shouted back. “Open your damn gate!”

  Jimmy slapped Jon on the back, and the two of them scrambled down and heaved up on the timber.

  Fourteen

  The simple truth about hyperinflation is that much of it is caused by mass hysteria. This makes us our own worst enemy and is perhaps the truest of Catch-22 situations.

  “Nice work,” Ken said from his wheelchair, admiring the completed wall. He looked weak and as if he’d lost ten pounds, but his eyes were bright, and he looked to be well on the road to recovery.

  “Thanks,” said Jimmy. “It was nothing.”

  Jon shot him a look that said otherwise but didn’t comment on it.

  Patty looked absolutely thrilled to be back at the lake home. Her clothes were rumpled, and she looked as if she hadn’t seen a mirror in a few days. The men from the van belonged to a security team from the hospital. They looked bleary-eyed and battle weary, their faces gaunt with fatigue. The van drove inside the gate, and they unloaded the Dahlgrens and drove away. The entire operation lasted less than two minutes. The group gathered around Ken and Patty, milling together as if nothing had happened. Jimmy was glad for that. Maybe they could put things behind them. What choice did they have?

  “So, what’s new?” Ken asked. “How’s everything goin’?”

  “Not much,” said Jimmy, feeling Jon’s eyes bore into his head. “I’ll bet you’re both tired. Why don’t you head up to the house and get some rest. I think the girls were just going to start fixing lunch.”

  “I’ve been resting all damn week,” said Ken. “Let me tell you, it gets old fast. Somebody push me up to the porch. I want to see the lake.”

  “Lunch sounds wonderful,” said Patty with a wide smile. “I can’t wait to get back into my kitchen. Let’s fix something nice.”

  “Listen,” said Jon, “some things have happened that you both need to know about.”

  “Well?” asked Ken. “Go ahead and say it. After what we’ve just gone through, nothing would surprise me.”

  Jimmy wasn’t sure if that was true. He dreaded what was about to be said. How would they react? Jon began to speak, but Glen Putnam cut him off.

  “Hold it, Jon. I made this mess, I’ll tell the story.” Putnam said; his face had grown pale white.

  Pete Donnelly stepped up next to Putnam. “No, we both did, and I’ll help tell it.”

  Ken and Patty listened without saying a word. Putnam and Donnelly took turns telling the story, taking full responsibility for what had transpired. They didn’t sugarcoat a thing. Jimmy listened—angry as he’d ever been and indeed still was at the pair—he found that he could respect their honesty and their genuine sense of contrition. They were broken men, and they were begging for forgiveness.

  “Well,” said Ken after they’d finished. “Live and learn, right?”

  The two men nodded. Pete Donnelly wiped tears from his eyes.

  “You did say that they didn’t take anything from the basement?” Patty asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” said Putnam.

  “Good,” she said. “We’ve still got plenty of food. Maybe it won’t be the tastiest, but it’ll fill our stomachs. Thank the good Lord for that. We can also thank Him that no one got hurt. Things are bad on the outside, much worse than you can imagine. I swear—people have gone absolutely crazy!”

  “That’s the truth,” agreed Ken. “Jimmy, I’m not going to ask again. Wheel me up to the porch. I want to see my lake!”

  Jimmy smiled, grabbed the handles of the wheelchair and began to push. Jon took one of the handles from Jimmy, and together they pushed Ken up the hill to the bottom of the short flight of stairs. Julie followed. The rest of the group returned to the back yard. Patty led the way, discussing what she wanted to prepare for lunch.

  Ken surprised them all by getting up from the chair and hobbling up the stairs. He was weak, and his legs didn’t quite want to cooperate, but he made it up each step and into his favorite chair. “Doc Benson said it might take a while to get my legs under me again.” he said with a grimace. “I’ve got some nerve damage. Still, he’d have shit himself if he saw me take those stairs. Doctors… What do they know?”

  The four of them sat and looked down over the gated wall to the lake below. A fresh breeze off the lake made the deck cooler than it had been in the yard, and the four of them sat with their backs against the front of the house, each deep in their own thoughts.

  “I don’t know,” said Ken. “Things outside of here are so different. I didn’t know the world could change so quickly. That people could change so quickly. Some people are trying to hold out and do the right thing. There are people holed up everywhere, too afraid to leave their homes. And believe me; they’ve got good reason to be afraid. From what I heard in Ely, a lot of people are shooting first and asking questions later. The bad ones have teamed up like wolves, taking what they please, running around the countryside and pulling all sorts of crap.”

  “What do you mean?” asked Jon. “Doesn’t anyone try to stop them?”

  “At first some tried, but that didn’t last long after the shooting started. The militia in Ely is fairly organized, but they can only do so much. They’re trying to protect the town from looters. I don’t know how long they can hold out. Most have families of their own to take care of.”

  “What about the National Guard?” asked Julie. “They’ll be up here soon. They’ll take care of the town.”

  “I only wish you were right,” said Ken dejectedly. “There’s just too much happening in the bigger cities. From what I hear, we’re going to be on our own for a long, long time.”

  “I wonder how long it’ll be before we’re attacked,” said Jon.

  “We’ve got the wall,” said Jimmy. “That’ll hold them off.”

  “I wasn’t talking about the local bandits,” said Jon. “I mean by an invading army. I’ll bet it won’t be long once the rest of the world realizes what’s going on here.”

  “There was some talk about that in town,” said Ken. “The general consensus was that the rest of the planet is up shit creek, too. This isn’t just happening here, it’s happening everywhere.”

  Jimmy absorbed this dully. He’d never thought about the rest of the planet and what was happening beyond the United States. If things were this bad here, how were other countries faring? They’d be looking here for support and leadership. They definitely wouldn’t find it here. He thought of Paula; it seemed like he hadn’t seen her in months. Could she even be alive? Maybe it really was a bad idea to go to the campground and look for her. Jimmy knew that it was. He should stay where he was and help defend what they had. He looked at Julie, and her brown eyes were locked on his own. She trusted him to do the right thing. Heading out on some wild goose chase was a bad plan. For all he knew, Paula could be on a plane heading for Hawaii. He couldn’t risk his or Julie’s lives on a far-fetched gamble that Paula had somehow made it to the campground.

  He returned his attention to Ken, whose chin was resting on his chest. He had fallen asleep. Jimmy smiled and motioned for the others to follow him. They walked quietly down the steps and around the side of the house under the canopy of pines.

  “We can’t go,” said Jimmy. “That was a foolish idea and I’m sorry.”

  Julie immediately threw her arms around Jimmy and kissed him on the lips. “I’m so glad you said that,” she said, wiping a tear from her eye. “We couldn’t leave Ken and Patty, not now. Not after everything that has happened today.”

  Jimmy backed away, knowing that she was right, yet also knowing that she had another mo
tive for not wanting them to leave. He couldn’t shake that feeling.

  “Thank God you saw the light,” said Jon and slapped Jimmy on the back.

  Jimmy wondered if he’d made the right decision. He hoped that he had.

  After lunch Jon called for a meeting. He was tight-lipped about the entire affair, and Jimmy couldn’t pry a single word from him on what it was about. They sat gathered in the back yard just as they had before the accident, seemingly one large group of friends with a common goal: Survival.

  “I’ll make this brief,” said Jon, standing with his back to the house in the sunshine. “I’d like to begin by asking you all to welcome back Ken and Patty. Can we give our hosts a show of appreciation for all that they’ve done for us?”

  The group began to applaud. Some stood, whistling and cheering their safe return. Ken and Patty were both blushing. Ken bowed his head humbly, and Patty dabbed at her eyes.

  Jon smiled and raised his arms. “The first thing I’d like to cover is protecting what we have left. I know we’ve talked about having armed guards, but we’ve never actually done it. That’s going to change right now. From what Ken has told us, there are rogue groups outside of here that have been attacking camps like ours, and we have to be prepared for that eventuality. Does anyone have a problem with that?”

  Jon paused and scanned the crowd. Jimmy studied the faces of those around them, and from what he could see everyone was behind the idea.

  Jon continued. “Okay, we’re going to split into three groups. Each will take a shift at the wall. At the very least, we need four sets of eyes at all times watching for any sign of trouble. Each team will have a leader who will make sure that happens. We can’t have anyone sleeping at their posts. This is serious stuff; everyone’s life depends on it. I’d like everyone to carry a gun, but what we really need is a warning to give us time to react. That being said, all adults fit enough to stand sentry will be asked to do so. Our safety depends on that.”

  Jimmy scanned the faces again and found nothing but nodding heads. Even Bill, who sat alone in the back, was nodding emphatically.

  “Something is going to happen. I can’t say when, but we can be sure that sometime, someone is going to test us. We’ve got to be ready. Load up your guns. At the first sign of trouble, I want all of the children to take refuge in the basement. Anyone who is able to shoot or help load weapons will be asked to stand here and fight. That’s just the way it is. I’m sorry to say this, but its kill or be killed.” Jon paused, letting that soak in.

  “The council!” shouted Ken. “We need to elect a council.”

  “Right,” agreed Jon. “We need to do that, and we’re going to do it now. We need some volunteers to run for council. We’re going to need some bylaws and rule enforcement. The council will have the authority to banish those who choose not to follow these rules. I think we’ve decided on five council members. Now who’d like to volunteer for this duty?”

  Jimmy looked around and found that many of the eyes were on him. He swallowed hard. He looked over at Cindy, and Rita was urging her to stand.

  Glen Putnam stood first. “I’ll serve,” he said. “I’ll admit I made some mistakes, and I’m sorry for that, damn sorry. I’d like to run. I think I’d be an asset to the group. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Glen Putnam, the third shift manager at Ken’s Plant.”

  Jimmy cringed. He hated Putnam. He knew he couldn’t be trusted.

  “Me, too,” said his counterpart, Pete Donnelly, who stood next to Putnam. “Most of you know me and know that I’m a fair man. I screwed up. I’ll admit that. But I learned from my mistakes, and I want a chance to redeem myself.”

  Jimmy was furious to see many in the crowd were obviously pleased to see both men toss their hats into the ring. He shot a look over to Cindy who looked disturbed by the sudden turn of events. Come on! He thought. Stand up!

  “I’m Cindy Huggins, and I’d like to run for council,” she said in a strong voice. “I know most of you think that I’m just a kid, but I can do this.” she said, running her fingers through her hair. “I’ve been taking college courses for the past two years and have been studying American history and government. I’m currently carrying a four-point grade average and have finished at the top of my class every year since the seventh grade. I guess what I want to say is that although I’m young; I probably know more about our political system and the Constitution than anyone else here. I happen to think that’s important.”

  “Isn’t she that Goth chick?” said one of the men in the back. That was followed by a smattering of chuckles.

  “There will be none of that!” shouted Ken.

  “Hold it, Mr. Dahlgren,” said Cindy, whirling to face whoever had made the comment. “That’s a good point. I am that Goth chick! Maybe I’m not dressed that way now. Maybe I won’t ever again. Maybe you’ll wake up tomorrow and see me wearing black from head to toe and find that I have a chain punched through my nose. What’s it to you? Does what I wear make me less of a person? Or maybe you just feel naturally superior to anyone different from yourself? I wonder why that is?” She paused here, and shook her finger at the crowd like a first grade schoolteacher. “Well, I’ve got news for you… This is America, people, the land of the free and the home of the brave. I don’t have to dress like you or look like you! I don’t even have to believe in the same God as you do. It doesn’t matter. We’re all equals here. It’s written in the Constitution. I want to be on the Council; me, the person who stands before you, not your skewed image of how I present myself. We all have that right. It’s the backbone of the entire document. That is the core of what being free is all about. And that, people, is why I should be on the council. I will stand up for who we are!”

  Cindy took her seat next to Rita in the deafening silence.

  Ken stood from his wheelchair. Patty rushed to his side, but he shooed her away. He then began to clap. Jimmy jumped to his feet and joined him. People began to stand in waves, applauding her courage. Jimmy began to laugh when he caught Cindy’s eye. She gave him a wink, stood and absorbed the adulation, just like a seasoned politician. Wow, thought Jimmy. He suddenly knew what he had to do. He took a deep breath, and cleared his throat.

  “I’m Jimmy Logan. Many of you knew my parents,” he said, having absolutely no idea of where this was going. “I’d like to be on the council because I think I can be fair…” and that’s as far as he got. Embarrassed, he searched his head for something, anything, he could add to both lines of his campaign speech, but all he could think of was, “Thank you.”

  He sat down and felt his face getting red. Oh, God, he thought bitterly. Julie giggled, and that only made him feel much worse. A few others chimed in, and Jimmy wanted nothing more than to be invisible. And then Julie stood and began to clap. Others stood. There was a distinct first and last to stand response, but eventually they were all standing and applauding Jimmy.

  Jimmy’s face glowed bright red, and he couldn’t find the strength to get to his feet. Julie beamed.

  “Okay, does anyone have any objections?” Ken asked. He waited a long five seconds. “Done; you’re in.” He then scanned the group. “Come on,” he said in a stern voice. “Patty and I are not running. We need another volunteer.”

  “I’ll run,” said Jon, who stood and faced the group. “I think most of you know me. My name is Jon Lent. I served eight years in the Army and spent a few years in Iraq. I currently work as a stylist at Sheila’s Cut ’n Curl.”

  Heads turned and someone giggled.

  Jon made a strange face as if he’d slapped himself.

  The back yard erupted into laughter. Ken didn’t even try to stop from joining in. Jimmy laughed and felt much better about his own speech. Julie reached over and took his hand.

  “Okay, ha-ha,” said Jon, unable to subdue a wide grin of his own. “I get it, very funny. All right, forget that I work as a stylist. I feel that my experiences and training in the Army will be a great asset to our community. Thank you
.”

  Again everyone took to their feet and applauded. Jimmy held his breath. They had their vote advantage. He prayed that no one else would volunteer to run. Cindy had been right. Guys like Glen Putnam and Pete Donnelly did think they were better than everyone else. They certainly thought they were smarter and more deserving. Jimmy didn’t like the thought of being ruled by people like that.

  “Anyone else?” asked Ken. “Like I said before, Patty and I are not running. If anyone else feels that they’d like a shot at being on the council, please stand and state your case. Come on, there has to be someone…”

  Jimmy scanned the crowd and the crowd scanned back. He felt a ray of hope; nobody looked ready to stand. Everyone was quiet, anxious.

  “Well,” said Ken. “If that’s all we have and five is all we need…”

  “I want to run, too,” said Shirley Putnam. She was dressed in a pink T-shirt and denim jeans. “I think most of you know me as Glen’s wife, but I’m also on the Crown Planning Committee, head of the local Sweet Adelines, and I teach Sunday school at St. Mark’s Evangelical Church. I’d like to run along side of my husband. I think we’d be a huge asset to the group. We work well together.”

  The other side stood and applauded, and Shirley beamed. Soon everyone stood and joined in. Those who had stayed put and finished the wall clapped politely. Shirley seemed to drink it in, and after what seemed like a very long time, she returned to her seat.

  Jimmy cringed. Sweet Adelines? he thought. How was he going to compete with that? How were any of them?

  “Okay,” said Ken. “Anyone else? Speak up now if you’re interested… There we have it. Let’s give this a couple of days. We’ll set up a ballot box the day after tomorrow. We’re going to need everyone to vote. Write five names on a slip of paper, and we’ll tally them up. Good luck to all of you, and thanks for volunteering. Does anyone have anything to add? Okay, that’s all I have.”