by Mark Goodwin
She didn’t turn around. America’s banking system was collapsing and the only thing the NSA seemed to care about was controlling the narrative. She wondered if Albert had been right to blow the whistle. Either way, she was done. They’d created this mess, let them clean it up.
Kate called Terry. “Hey, you should try to get out of work early.”
“Why? What happened?”
She knew better than to elaborate on the phone. “I was just reminded that I’m not allowed to talk about it. But take my advice. I can’t imagine you have anything worthwhile to do anyway.”
Terry said, “I’ve got the financial services team calling all of our high-end clientele to reassure them that we have the situation under control and that their accounts should be restored soon.”
“So, you’re overseeing a cover-up operation.”
“Nothing good is going to come of letting people panic.”
She replied, “Nothing good will come of lying to them either.”
“Okay, let me wrap this up. What are you going to do?”
“I’ll meet you at your house.” Kate clicked off the phone and rushed to her car.
Once home, she feverishly shoved some clothes and her hygiene essentials into her suitcase. She zipped it up and placed it by the door. Next, she jabbed her cash, new coin collection, and shotgun shells into her backpack and headed out the door.
Kate was back in her car in a matter of minutes. She turned on the radio and scrolled through the stations. She finally came across a news report.
“Wells Fargo and Citi Bank have officially been added to the list of corporations which were hacked in today’s massive attack against the banking system. The total count is currently at twenty-seven institutions and includes all the largest financial companies in America.
“Pundits who discounted the caveat issued on last night’s edition of 60 Minutes have been proven wrong in spades. In addition to the banks, credit card processing centers have suspended services until they can determine if their systems have been infected by the viruses. The breach is being labeled as Locust Swarm because of the explanation given by the Sky National Bank whistleblower, Albert Rogers.
“The US Treasury issued a statement moments ago assuring the public that, despite Albert Rodgers’ warning of Cyber Armageddon, this incident will prove to have been nothing more than a temporary glitch. The Treasury Secretary and the FDIC Chairman will be holding a joint press conference at the White House briefing room this afternoon at 2:30.
“Some bank customers seem hesitant to buy into the reassurances. Police have been called to multiple branch locations around the country to break up irate bank depositors who are demanding their money.”
Kate glanced down at her fuel gauge. “I should have filled up on the way back from Waynesville. I better get gas now.” She pulled into the next filling station. All the pumps had hand-written cardboard signs taped to them which read, Cash only. Pay inside.
She stepped out of her vehicle and walked in. Two customers were yelling at the attendant, insisting that he accept their credit cards.
“Please leave before I call the police!” The attendant seemed to have run out of patience.
“There you go! Call the cops!” yelled one of the customers. “How about I give you something to call them over!” He swept his hand across the shelf, knocking boxes of candy bars and gum onto the floor on his way out the door.
The other man stood with his arms crossed, grimacing angrily.
“Excuse me.” Kate stepped past him and pulled out two 20-dollar bills from her backpack. “Can you put this on pump three, please?”
“Sure.” The attendant took her cash and rang up the sale.
Kate hurried to exit the heated atmosphere in the gas station. She checked her phone while the pump dispensed the fuel into her tank.
Suddenly, she felt an abrupt jerk from behind. Someone had pulled her backpack from off her shoulder. “Stop!” she screamed. She abandoned the pump and sprinted toward the man who was running away with her pack over his shoulder. Kate recognized him as the man from inside the store who’d watched her pay with cash. She was sure he had no idea of the prize he’d just claimed. Her pack contained several thousand dollars in cash along with $20 thousand in gold coins and bars.
Kate closed the distance, but the man was still far from her. She could not, would not give up! Her legs pumped hard against the pavement. Six months of Jiu-Jitsu had not only increased her confidence, the routine warm-ups had greatly increased her cardiovascular capacity. She saw the man tiring within the first minutes of the chase.
Then, he ran into the intersection and had to stop short to avoid being hit by a car. Kate saw her chance. She grabbed the strap of the backpack and latched on tight. Next, she put her arm around his waist, tucked low, and spun him around, pulling him to the ground. Kate landed on top of the man’s chest. He reached up and grabbed her throat with both hands, constricting his fingers around her windpipe.
Kate quickly grabbed his right hand, spun her left leg over his face, squeezed her knees together to pinch his bicep, held his wrist with his thumb facing the sky and laid back.
SNAP! His elbow popped, allowing his forearm to extend much farther back than normal. “Ahhhww!” He screeched in agony.
Kate wasted no time. He was down, but not out. She crossed her arms, grabbed the side of his collar with one hand, then the rear of his collar with the other and pulled, forcing his throat ever tighter against her wrist and forearm. Seconds later, he ceased his struggle to get free from her grasp. Kate collected her belongings and left the attacker asleep in the road.
When she returned to her car, the pump had clicked off at $40. She quickly returned the pump and tightened her gas cap. She intended to be long gone by the time her attacker woke up.
CHAPTER 13
Behold, the day of the Lord cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.
Zechariah 14:1
Kate rang the doorbell and pounded on Terry’s door. Penny answered. “Kate! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Kate broke down in tears. “No. I’m not okay. Some guy at the gas station snatched my bag off my shoulder and ran off with it.”
Penny pulled her close. “You poor thing.” She pushed her back. “Let’s have a look at you. Did you call the police?”
“No, I just wanted to get out of there before he woke up.”
“What do you mean?”
“I chased him down, put him in an armbar and snapped his elbow. Then I put him in a cross-collar choke and he went out.”
Penny covered her mouth with eyes wide open. “Kate! You could have been killed! Why didn’t you just let him have your bag?”
“It had all my money in it. I should have split it up, but I didn’t think. I was in a hurry to get over here. Are the kids home from school yet?”
Penny shook her head. “No, why would they be?”
“It’s chaos out there, Penny. You need to go get Sam and Vicky from school before it gets worse.”
“Just calm down. Let me get you a drink of water.” Penny walked to the kitchen. “You’ve been through a very traumatic event.”
“Penny, what happened to me is nothing. Things are about to get a lot worse. Terry is on his way home now. We’re going straight to the cabin in Waynesville. You need to get bags packed for the kids so we can get out before dark.”
Penny opened the plastic bottle of water for Kate. “Would you like a glass?”
“No, Penny, I don’t want a glass. I want you to take this seriously.”
Penny placed the bottle of water on the counter and took a seat on a nearby stool. “Listen, Kate. You had a bad experience. I’ll give you that. And I’m very sorry it happened to you. But it just goes to show what happens when people lose their heads over these types of situations. The government has everything under control. This thing will be sorted out in a day or two. The best thing we can do is stay here and relax. The more people who are out on th
e roads feeling afraid and letting their emotions get the better of them, the worse off we’ll all be.”
“Penny, the government isn’t going to sort anything out.”
“Didn’t that guy who was on 60 Minutes last night work with you?”
“Yes, and the government is going to lock him up for what he said. He told you what I can’t say. Look, everything he said would happen is coming true. Can’t you see?”
Penny crossed her arms and gave Kate a condescending look. “What I see is that he incited panic in a handful of weak-minded individuals. One of whom attacked you because he thought the sky was falling in. This Albert guy should be locked up. Freedom of speech doesn’t allow you to yell fire in a theater.”
“You can if there really is a fire.” Kate chugged her drink and tossed the bottle in the trash. “Thanks for the water. I’ll wait for Terry outside.”
“Kate!” Penny followed her to the door. “Don’t be like that. You’re upset. Come sit down and try to relax.”
“I’ll wait for my brother outside.” Kate pulled the door closed behind her.
Once outside, she leaned against the hood of her car and called Terry.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“I’m at your house. Penny acts like she doesn’t know what’s going on at all. Have you talked to her?”
“You’re already there? And yes, I did speak with her. At least I tried. She thinks it will all blow over.”
“But you know it won’t. You have to convince her to start packing, Terry. She hasn’t pulled the kids out of school, she hasn’t even packed a bag for her or anyone else. We have to get out of here soon. We need to be at the cabin before dark. She isn’t taking this seriously at all.”
Terry sighed. “We’ll talk when I get there. But take it easy with Penny. You know how she is, the harder you push her, the harder she pushes back. You have to convince her that it’s her idea if you want her to do something.”
“We don’t have time for all of that, Terry! She needs to step aside and let you lead for once.”
“Leave her alone until I get home. I’m on the road now.”
“You should gas up before you come home. People are already getting edgy. My bag got snatched at the pump so stay alert of your surroundings.”
“Your bag got snatched?”
“Yeah, I got it back and I’m fine. Long story. I’ll tell you when you get here.” She clicked off the phone and waited. For the next fifteen minutes, Kate clicked through various news websites, which were already beginning to report on localized outbreaks of violence and looting across the country.
“Aunt Kate, hey! What are you doing here?” Victoria came walking up the driveway with her older brother close behind her.
“Hey, Vicky. Hi, Sam. I’m just waiting for your dad.”
Penny stuck her head out the door. “Kids, come on in the house.”
“I’m just saying hi to my aunt,” Vicky protested.
“Please, Victoria. Don’t argue with me. I need your help with something.”
“Go ahead. It’s alright.” Kate smiled, but inside she knew Penny didn’t want her poisoning the minds of her children by exposing them to reality.
“Are you staying for dinner?” Sam walked by.
“I’m not sure. We’ll see.” Kate waved at the siblings.
Half an hour later, Terry pulled into the drive.
Kate approached his car. “Did you get gas?”
“No. Two stations were out of gas; two others were closed and the police were at another. Penny’s Escalade is three-quarters full. If we leave, we’ll take the SUV.”
“If we leave? What are you talking about if? We have to go, Terry. And we have to go now!”
He held up a hand. “I know. But give me a little time. I need to get her to come around. Like I said, no one is going to force her to do anything she doesn’t want to do.”
“But your kids, this place is going to melt down into a war zone!”
Terry grunted. “Come on in. We’ll get something to eat, and I’ll try to convince her. Tell me about what happened at the gas station.”
Reluctantly, Kate followed her brother into the house and described her encounter.
Excited, Vicky met her at the door. “Are you eating dinner with us?”
“Yes, I guess so.”
Penny dropped some pasta into a pot of boiling water on the stove. “We’re so happy to have you join us, Kate, but let’s try to avoid any distressing topics while we eat. We don’t want to ruin the meal.”
Kate looked at her brother as if to implore him to say something. But, he did not.
He hugged his kids, then kissed Penny. “After dinner, we’ll watch the news. We’ll assess the situation and make a decision about what to do then.”
“Please, Terry, not in front of the children.” Penny diced some garlic, threw it into a sauté pan, and drizzled olive oil on top of it.
Sam’s mouth hung open. “Mom! I can drive. In two years, I can be drafted and sent to a foreign country to kill people for a living. I’m not a kid.”
“And even if I’m younger, I’m more mature.” Vicky laughed.
“Sam, don’t say things like that. Nobody is sending you to a foreign country to kill anybody.” Penny shook her head and tossed some fresh spinach in with the garlic and oil. She wiped her hands on a dish towel and turned to Terry. “Besides, there’s nothing to discuss anyway. This whole thing is going to blow over.” She gestured toward the television. “The Treasury Secretary, the Fed Chairman, and the head of the FDIC were all on the press conference just a little while ago. They said everything will be back to normal in no time at all.”
“They’re in crisis management mode. They’ll say anything to keep the peace,” Kate said.
Penny pursed her lips. “They also said fear itself is the only real danger. If people allow themselves to panic, things could get a little precarious. But as long as we stay around the house until things quiet down, we’ll be fine.”
“You don’t know that.” Kate crossed her arms.
Penny stirred the pan. “And I suppose you know more than the Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC.”
“I can’t talk about what I know. But what I can tell you is that they are lying through their teeth.” Kate scowled.
Vicky took a seat on the bar stool at the counter. “What do you mean you can’t talk about it? Did you get one of those thingies, like the guy on the news last night? What’s it called, Sam?”
He looked at his phone and shrugged. “I can’t remember, a National Security Memo or something?”
“National Security Letter,” Terry corrected. “And anyone who gets one can’t even say they got one, so please don’t ask your aunt about it.”
Vicky clapped her hands together loudly. “You did get one! You worked with that guy. Was he telling the truth?”
Penny turned from the stove, wooden spatula in hand. “He was not telling the truth. He was trying to frighten people, and we’re not the sort who fall for those types of shenanigans. Now drop the subject this instant! I don’t want to hear another word about it!” She pointed the spatula at everyone in the room. “From any of you!”
“This is totally unrelated.” Sam looked at his phone. “But there’s a flash mob running through Lenox Square right now. They’re stealing anything and everything.”
“It’s on Facebook?” Vicky looked at his phone.
“Yep. Live stream.”
“See where all this kind of talk leads?” Penny shook the spatula at Terry.
“Penny, reasonable people talking about taking precautions against a very real threat doesn’t cause riots,” Kate tried to persuade.
“Let’s try to show a little faith.” Penny resumed stirring the pan.
“Faith in what?” Kate was confused.
“God,” Penny replied matter-of-factly.
Kate countered, “God? You go to church on Christmas and Easter.”
“When do you go, Kate?”
Penny’s reply was sharp.
“Christmas and Easter.”
“Then why would you act like it’s a problem if those are also the times I choose to go?”
Kate lifted her shoulders. “I’m just saying, you don’t exactly lead a pious life, not that I do either. But it seems strange to be talking about faith right now.”
“Why is that strange, Kate?”
“I’ve never heard about burglaries in this neighborhood, yet you lock your doors at night. You have fire insurance. I’m sure Terry handles that, but I’ve never heard you give him a hard time about it. You have health insurance also, I assume. For all of these far-lesser threats, you take measures to hedge your risk. But suddenly when the world starts coming unglued, you’re putting the fate of your family in the hands of someone you visit twice a year.”
“Kate, I asked you to drop the subject. You’re a guest in my home. I would appreciate it if you would respect my wishes.”
“Okay.” Kate walked out of the room.
Terry followed her to the living room where he turned on the cable news channel. “See what I’m dealing with?”
“Yeah, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to risk the lives of your kids because your wife wants to stick her head in the sand?”
“Whatever we do, we have to stay together.”
“Yes. We have to stick together, and we have to leave. We should have already left. No credit cards, no banks, how long do you think it will be before the grocery stores run out of food? Credit is the lifeblood of the American economy. Everything is about to come to a grinding halt.”
“I’ve got probably a month’s worth of food in the house.”
“What if it doesn’t blow over in a month? And besides, hardly anyone else has food stored. This mob is raiding the mall six hours after the viruses struck. They’re not hungry or desperate. They’re just causing trouble because they can get away with it. What do you think they’ll do when their fridge is empty? I’ll tell you what they’ll do. They’ll do exactly what they are doing now, but they’ll go from house to house doing whatever they want looking for food.”