by A. American
He gave me a conspiratorial smile. “I’m not going to. You are.”
“Me?”
“Yes, good Sheriff. You’re going to tell the honorable Captain you need some of his men and a couple of trucks to handle something up this way. He won’t question you. He’d probably tell me no. Not that he doesn’t have the bodies or equipment. With all the trucks we seized from the DHS camp, there’s more than enough. But we only want one MRAP. And we’re going to need one of his five-ton medium transports with a five-ton trailer. That way we can bring everything back with us.”
“What are we getting?”
“More ammo. Fuel, food, and medical supplies. Some heavy weapons. We don’t have anything to deal with armor like the last encounter. I want something that will handle that. Plus, new commo gear, batteries. That sort of thing.”
“He’s going to be pissed when he finds out what we did,” I said, referring to Sheffield.
“Let him. I don’t give a shit. Part of this is for him and his people anyway.”
“Why don’t you just tell him what you’re doing?” I asked.
He leaned forward and sneered. “If he won’t share his info with me, why the hell should I share anything with him?”
I leaned back and shook my head. “You know, if you two worked together, we would be more effective.”
He waved dismissively. “There’s nothing going on that needs coordination. When the time comes for that, I promise you we’ll work together. I’ll just tell him what to do, and he’ll do it.”
I leaned back, shaking my head. “Oh yeah, he’ll do just that.” Cocking my head to the side, I asked, “You think this trip will interfere with the weddings?”
He shook his head. “Naw. Them ladies need time to plan anyway. They won’t be ready any time soon. They’ll want to sit around and cluck about it for a while.”
“You better not let them hear you talk like that. They’ll have your head.” I laughed. “So, when do we go see Sheffield? When do you want to leave?”
“Let’s go see him in the morning. I want to leave soon.”
“Alright,” I said as I stood up. “I’ll be right back.”
“Where you going?”
“Just hang on,” I said as I went through the door.
I made my way back out to the porch. Everyone was still sitting around talking. It was much quieter now, but there was still a lot of chatter going on. I went to Mel and whispered in her ear to come with me. She got up and followed me into the house. “What?” She asked.
“Hang on, Sarge wants to talk to you.”
“Me?” She asked. “What’s he want with me?”
Opening the door, I replied, “You’ll see.”
Sarge looked up when I came out. Then he saw Mel. I could see on his face he wanted to kill me, but he held his tongue in check. Though I was certain I’d hear about it later. Mel stepped out onto the porch and looked at him. He stared back, and she looked at me and asked, “Well?”
I looked at Sarge and said, “Go ahead.”
She was getting irritated. “Someone better say something.”
“Have a seat, Mel,” Sarge said as he pointed to a rocker. “I know you’re not going to like this, but—”
She cut him off, “But what?”
“We’re going to have to take a road trip and I need Morgan to go with us. It’s important.” She looked at me with an ice-cold glare. “Look, he doesn’t want to go. But I need him to. We won’t be gone long.”
“How long?” She asked.
“We should be back within a week.”
“A week!” She shouted. “Where are you going?”
He reached out to pat her leg, but apparently, he got a look that stopped him. “We’re going up to Eglin Air Force base.”
“Where’s that?” She asked.
“It’s up near Pensacola,” I replied.
“Why do you have to go?” She asked.
Sarge took a deep breath. “You remember what we saw at the park. We have to go meet with the general over the state. There are foreign troops here and we need to be prepared to deal with them when they come.”
She looked at me. “There’s soldiers coming here?”
“I don’t know,” I replied.
“It’s not like they’re on their way right now,” Sarge said. But even I knew he had no way of knowing. “But if they do come here with tanks, we have no way of dealing with them. So, we need better weapons. We also need supplies for the clinic in town and some other things. We’re going to pick up a load of supplies.”
Mel looked at me, then back at Sarge. “Why does Morgan need to go? He’s not a soldier.”
“No, he’s not. But he’s a big part of things here and the general wants to see him. I promise this won’t be a big deal. We’ll be back before you know it.”
“But if you guys are all going, who’s going to look after things here?”
“We’re going to have some of the Guardsmen from town come out here while we’re away. You’ll be safe,” I replied.
She threw her hands up. “I know it doesn’t matter what I say. I know you’re going.”
“It has to be done, Mel,” Sarge said.
She shrugged. “Just be careful and come back home.”
I gave her a hug and a kiss. “I will. Promise.”
“I’ll get him back home to you, Mel,” Sarge said. I promise”
She looked at me. “You walked home from there once before. I just hope you don’t have to again. But I know you’ll come back. I’m going back to the fun. Because this just isn’t.”
“Could you ask Mike, Teddy and Doc to come out here?” Sarge asked. She nodded and went back inside. The old man cut his eyes at me, “That was some underhanded shit right there. You’re an asshole.”
I shrugged, “Learned from the best.”
It didn’t take the guys long to come out. Sarge got up and said, “Come on. Let’s walk down to the bunker and talk to Dalton.”
We filed out and headed into the darkness. Walking down the road, we discussed the upcoming nuptials. Everyone agreed it was a happy thing. Mike even managed to not show his ass, which kept the conversation going in a positive direction.
“Y’all make more noise than a gay pride parade,” Dalton said from the darkness at the side of the road.
“Personally, I wouldn’t know what one sounds like,” Sarge shot back. “Come on up to the bunker. We’ve got business to discuss.”
He emerged from the black and we all walked up to the pile of logs and dirt. Ian and Jamie were sitting on top of it. Jamie was smoking a cigarette.
“You know those things are bad for you,” Mike said as he climbed up and sat down beside her.
She flicked the butt at him and it bounced off his chest, the dim cherry cartwheeling in the air. “Alright, folks,” Sarge said. “We’ve got a mission.”
“What are we doing now?” Ian asked.
“We’re going to make a run up to Eglin for some gear and face time with the general.”
“I thought they were turned to ash in Tampa,” Jamie said.
“No. They’d all pretty much unassed that place prior to the attack. He’s back up north. We’re going to get a couple of trucks from town and make a run up there.”
“Who’s going?” Jamie asked. You could hear in her voice that she expected to be told she wasn’t making this run.
Sarge was quiet for a minute before replying. “All of us here.”
“What about Perez?” She asked.
“No. He can stay here. I love the beaner. But he’s about as worthless as a menstruating nun.”
From somewhere in the blackness, Perez replied, “Fuck you too, old man.” Then the cherry on his smoke flared as he took a dr
ag.
“Who’s going to provide security here?” Dalton asked. “You’re taking most of the shooters. That’s going to leave this place vulnerable.”
“We’re going to have some of the Guardsmen come out and stay while we’re gone. I don’t expect any trouble any time soon.”
“That’s when it usually happens,” Dalton countered.
“You are correct. But we need to get up there and grab some stuff for the job ahead.”
“And just what is that job?” Ted asked.
“Good ole infantry work,” Sarge replied. “Locate the enemy. Close with him and destroy him. But we need some heavy weapons to deal with armor. I don’t want a repeat of our last encounter.”
“It’s about time for a proper fight,” Mike said.
“Careful what you wish for, Mikey. These aren’t a bunch of Joe the lob cob can kicking Feds. We could very easily come up against Russian Spetsnaz or even Cuban SF.”
“Ah,” Dalton said. “Comando tropas especiales. I’d like to talk to both of them.”
“You’ve got some kind of gay ass man crush on those commies, don’t you?” Mike asked. “Especially those Russians.”
“It’s more of a respect. I’ve interacted with the Russians before. They’re tough bastards.”
“Maybe so,” Sarge interjected, “but hopefully we only have to deal with the Cubans. Their people are alright, but they’ve lacked equipment and other materials to train with for a very long time, so it’ll be like going up against the JV team. Spetsnaz on the other hand, will be like playing in the NFL.”
“I don’t care either way. I want some commie scalps,” Mike replied.
“You ain’t scalping shit,” Sarge shot back. “We’re going to town in the morning for the trucks. Everyone be ready first thing tomorrow. Once we’re back with the trucks, we’ll get everything ready to go and probably head out in the afternoon.”
“You going to try and drive straight through?” Ian asked.
“I don’t see no reason to stop unless we need to. Things have settled down a lot, so we shouldn’t have much in the way of trouble.”
“Everyone get some rest. It’s a long ride. I don’t want anyone falling asleep driving,” Doc said.
“I’ll be fine,” Jamie replied. “I’m driving one of the trucks.”
“That’s fine with me,” Sarge replied. “We’ll sort out duties tomorrow.”
“You going?” Dalton asked me.
“Looks that way.”
“Alright then. You guys all go get some rest. Me and Morgan will stay here for now. Danny and Thad will be down later to relieve us.” Sarge ordered.
Everyone wandered off without much more said. Once the old man and I were alone, I looked at him and said, “Thanks for volunteering me to hang out here all night.”
“Dry up,” he replied. “You’ll be able to sleep in the truck. I need these people ready for the job.”
“Didn’t know you were going to have Ian and Jamie go.”
He scratched his head. It was still warm out, but there was a breeze blowing that thankfully kept the mosquitoes away. “I wasn’t going to originally. But with them, we can take the Hummer too. Just in case.”
“Do these trucks have the range to get up there?” I asked.
“We’ll take some extra fuel with us. In the morning, we’ll round up some fuel cans. There’s plenty of them lying around. We’ll fill them from Sheffield’s bladder.”
“He’s going to get suspicious.”
“Then you better sell it to him.”
We hung out in the dark. Off in the west, lightning lit up the horizon from time to time, followed by the low rolling rumble of a heavy thunderstorm. It was nice to watch, though I dreaded the rain that was sure to follow.
Thad and Danny showed up a couple hours later. Thad was in good spirits and I felt kind of bad that he had to leave Mary on this night to stand watch.
“You should be at home with Mary,” I said.
“She’s still at Danny’s house. We’re going to pick out our own house soon, so that when we’re married, we can live together.”
I patted him on the back. “I’m really happy for you. Both of you, buddy.”
He smiled in reply. “Thank you, Morgan.
“You guys leaving tomorrow?” Danny asked.
“We have to get the trucks in the morning. Once they’re loaded, we’ll head out,” Sarge replied.
“You guys have fun and stay safe.”
“I’m going to leave you guys to it,” I said. “I’m tired and tomorrow is going to be a long day.”
“Me too,” Sarge said. “You fellers stay safe out here tonight.”
They said goodbye and we left. I headed back towards the house in the dark. I had the NVG in a pocket on my vest, but chose to take in the darkness. I heard the dogs coming up the road, their tags jingling. When they got to me, they all stopped for a head rub. I knelt down and rubbed their ears and scratched their backs. Tails wagged and tongues lolled from their mouths. They licked my face and arms, and it made me smile. They were utterly useless. Unless you counted putting a smile on your face.
Once they were satisfied with their attention, they continued on their way. I wondered where they were going. They moved as though they had a plan, knew exactly where they were headed and what they were after.
Sitting in front of the porch were several large trash bags. I kicked one and the sound of empty plastic bottles inside replied. The girls had collected quite a number of them. I guessed when we returned from our trip to see the Wizard I’d get on that project. There was always something to do.
Inside, I went to the kitchen and cut a piece of Biltong and chewed it. Going into the bedroom, Mel was lying in bed reading a book. She looked up briefly when I came in, then returned to her book. I took off my gear and laid it beside the bed before stripping down.
“I’m going to take a shower,” I said with a piece of meat dangling from my mouth. She didn’t reply.
I took a quick shower. The piece of soap was small, but sufficient. Shampoo was a thing of the pastpast, but I washed my hair with the homemade soap as well. The water was cool, not cold, or maybe it was and I didn’t care. Either way, I enjoyed the shower and lingered for a bit, letting the water cascade over my head. Getting out, I dried off and walked to the bed naked.
I adjusted the fan so it was blowing across us and slid between the sheets. We used only a top sheet as anything more was just too hot. I longed for fall and winter to arrive. I looked forward to sleeping in the cold, the colder the better as far as I was concerned.
I reached over and rubbed Mel’s thigh. “Goodnight, babe.” She closed her book and looked at me. “I know you’re not happy,” I said.
She patted my hand. “I’m not. But I also know that you have to go do these things. You’ll be riding in an armored truck with plenty of people. I’m sure you’ll be fine.”
“I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to hear you say that. I will be alright; we all will. Is there anything you need? I’m going to be trying to get some things like flour and soap.”
“We need feminine pads. No one has any and they’re all using rags. It’s really gross.”
“Why didn’t anyone say anything? We could have figured something out. How about you? What are you doing?”
“You remember we bought those Luna pads. The girls and I have been using those.”
I remembered ordering those. They were reusable pads. I’d forgot about them until now. But I guess that was a really good idea. “I’m glad we did.”
She snorted. “You are? You have no idea how happy I am. I couldn’t imagine what we’d be doing. So, get some pads for everyone else.”
“Have you thought about making any?”
“Any what?” She asked.
“You know, something like those Luna pads.”
She obviously wasn’t into the idea. “Out of what?”
“The outside of the ones you have are like felt and the inside is some kind of cotton batting. I’m sure we could find something.”
“You just see if you can get us any real ones.”
I lay back on my pillow. “That’s not a long-term solution.”
“Everything doesn’t have to be a long-term solution.”
She lay back and I rolled over, putting my arm over her. “Everything does need to be long-term. That’s how we need to think. Love you, babe, goodnight.”
She pulled my hand up and kissed it. “Goodnight.”
I woke up early to the sound of rain. Getting up, I tried not to wake Mel. But she woke up anyway and asked if I wanted breakfast. I told her no. “Just stay in bed, babe; it’s early.”
She rolled over and pulled the sheet up over her head in reply. I quietly dressed and pulled the armor back on and slung my rifle. Before leaving, I went to the fridge and poured myself a mason jar of tea and ate another piece of Biltong before heading out. The dogs were back on the porch, asleep of course. The rain was heavy under a slate sky. It was early, but darker than it should be for the hour. Not a good omen for the start of the day.
Setting my tea on the handrail, I pulled my poncho over my head. Tea in hand, I left and headed for Danny’s. The porch was empty but I could see light through the front window and went in. Sarge, Mike, Ted and Jamie were sitting in the kitchen having a cup of coffee. Seeing me, Miss Kay asked if I wanted a cup. I help up the mason jar and replied, “No thanks, Miss Kay. I already have mine.”
“One of these days, you’ll have to learn to drink coffee like a grownup,” Sarge jabbed.
“Oh, I will. About November when it’s fit weather for a hot drink.”
Sarge looked around and said, “Well, now that the good Sheriff is here, we can go.” He got off his stool and walked around the island to where Miss Kay was making herself busy. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. It was the first public expression from either of them, and it felt kind of weird. Like when you were a kid and saw your parents kissing. But no one said anything. Because, while it was a little strange to us, it was also a good thing. A change was coming over our little community. A good change.