by W. R. Benton
“By God, ya got that right, but once we clear the invaders out and get started up again, we'll need some good people. We'll need folks to represent us that really care about us and our country. Just before the fall, all the politicians were in the business for the money. Hell, it didn't make much difference if they were Democrat or Republican, money bought their votes.”
“I hear ya. I was always confused about how we could give billions of dollars to other countries, but yet had to make cuts to programs that helped our veterans and old folks. We should have taken care of our own before helping anyone else. My daddy always said, 'Charity starts in the home.'”
“Actually, when you're running a government and run out of money, you can't keep spending. No money, no spending, pretty simple in my mind.”
John, who'd been guarding outside stuck his head in and said, “Tom and Joshua, I want the two of you to circle this place and make sure we're alone. Start close, then slowly widen your search.”
“Come on, Joshua.” Tom said as he picked his rifle up and moved for the door.
Once out in the fresh air, Tom said, “John, check the air vent, because the air is stale in the hole. I suspect some critter has made a nest in the thing to keep dry. We'll be back in a couple of hours.”
The two men stepped into the woods and were soon lost to view.
John found a nest of some kind in the vent and Sandra said it was rats. He removed it and then moved to the old house to see if anything could be found they might be able to use. He had Margie and Sandra on guard and when he'd looked around earlier, he'd seen no tracks or evidence to suggest others were around. Dolly had circled the place with him and she'd not alerted to anything.
Part of the roof to the house had fallen in, and the steps had rotted through in a few spots. The door was missing and he discovered it on the inside, laying flat on the floor. Old newspapers, paper cups and a few wine bottles were seen. All of the furniture, pictures and all possessions were gone, likely taken when the last occupant left. Dolly sniffed at some old stains on the floor and then looked bored.
In the kitchen an old stove stood, and on opening the oven door, he discover an oven rack, so he removed it to cook on. The roof had fallen in on the bedrooms, so he made his way back outside. He didn't expect to find much, but the rack would make cooking easier. He bent down, removed four bricks from the yard to place the rack on, and returned to the cellar. He then cleaned his weapons and checked his gear.
Tom and Joshua returned later in the day and reported they'd seen nothing. They did discover a dirt road to the north and Joshua said it led to pavement after a few miles and then went into Edwards.
John thought for a minute and then asked, “What's left of Edwards now?”
“Well, likely not much, because it wasn't a big place before the fall. The last I heard, all the towns between Jackson and the Mississippi River, on the main highway, are under Russian control now. They send supplies up the Mississippi from the port in New Orleans. From Vicksburg, they can send supplies to any part of the state, or the South; why?”
“The last briefing Colonel Parker gave involving Vicksburg was bad news, because it was heavily guarded.”
“Vicksburg is out, but we might want to visit Edwards.”
“Are you thinking what I'm thinking?”
“Probably not. I'm thinking we can sneak around the town, get a feel for traffic going in and out, then ambush somebody.”
“Good, because I'll not enter a town without my guns. I thought for a minute there, you intended to actually go into the town and take a look.”
“He can't do that, but I'll bet I could.” Margie said, and then smiled.
“What makes you think you can do it, without being caught?”
“I'm a woman. If I go in there begging, dirty and looking a mess, they'll not stop me. Now, if you send Kate, they'll line up to use her. Soldiers can smell a pretty woman.” Margie said, and then broke out laughing.
“Very funny. Besides, you're pretty, too.” Kate said and then shook her head.
“I'm not ugly, but I'd win no beauty contests, so let's be honest here. I'm a plain looking woman.”
“Damn, Margie, do you realize the risk?” John asked.
“I really haven't given it much thought, but I suspect it could be done. Most soldiers don't see a woman as a serious threat.”
“Last I heard, the Russians haven't started issuing travel papers or any form of identification, so it might work.” Tom said.
“We need the intelligence, but I won't tell you to go, Margie. I still think it's a big risk.”
“Do we have anything I could trade that isn't military? If the Russians run the place, there are sure to be booths for trading things. Hell, I'm not even sure what they'd want to trade for anyway.”
“I have my lucky silver dollar from 1886, but that's all I have.” Kate said.
“Gold necklace from me, but it's not worth much.” Joshua said and then pulled it from his neck.
Sandra said, “All I have is my wedding rings, but you'll never get them, so I'm sorry. I once had thousands of dollars in jewelry, only lost it all when the house was taken.”
“I'm the same as Sandra. We were forced out our home by a bunch of thugs and have nothing left, except each other and that's more than most folks have these days.” John replied.
Tom tossed his wedding ring to Margie and said, “I don't need this, not since my wife was killed, and to tell you the truth, wearing it brings back too many memories of her.”
“I have some earrings my brother gave me. He died the first year after the fall, and I'll use them if need be, but with a silver dollar, gold necklace and wedding band, I should have plenty to trade with. I'll try to get us some veggies or meat.”
“Horse trade with 'em, if you can, and talk. Get them to talk about the town and how you're passing through looking for your lost family. I suspect there are a lot of lost folks these days.” Kate said.
“You know, I hope one day, if we ever get our country back, that people understand and know what we sacrificed for our freedom. Freedom is just a word, until one day you no longer have it and then it's valuable. I'm willing to die for our cause, because I believe in our future. I want our future generations to grow up free, like we did, with the American flag flying high. I want to live long enough to see that, but I'm willing to pay any price for freedom, including my life.”
“Hell,” Joshua said, “you should run for office, I'll vote for you.” He then broke out laughing.
John was thinking about her words and realized he felt the same way. He wasn't killing to kill, but to free his country. He didn't hate the Russians, he hated occupation. All he wanted was the Russians to leave and the world to allow the American people to rebuild their country.
John thought for a minute and then said, “Okay, Margie, you can enter Edwards, but I'll go with you part way. I'll wait outside the town limits for your return. Go in, trade a little, try not to use all the jewelry you have, and learn what you can. The key is to get the trader to talking about all they know. But, for God's sake, avoid the Russians if you can.”
“Do you have the clothes you'll need?” Sandra asked.
“I have most of what I need, but I could use a coat of some kind.”
“I have a jean jacket I usually wear under my uniform, but that's all I have of the civilian world any longer.” Sandra said and then pulled the coat from her pack. Handing it to Margie she said, “I want it back when you return.”
“Okay, guys, lets go outside and let her change. Once you're a civilian again, we'll move to Edwards. Now, if things get to feeling strange or not right, get the hell out and do the job quickly. If the Russians approach you, try to talk your way out, but if not, use this.” John handed her a snub-nosed .38 and then added, “It's loaded and ready to use. Carry it in the small of your back.”
The walk to Edwards was nice, with the weather cloudy, but warm. Dolly enjoyed it as she sniffed and scanned the countryside
as they walked. Margie was scared, but knew they needed to know what was going on inside the town, or they might not be able to plan well for any future attacks. Poor planning would lead to deaths of some, if not all, of the group.
Peeking through the brush, John said, “I see no checkpoint on the road leading to the town, so they must feel pretty secure. Now, visit one or two booths, if you can find any, and then get the hell out. Do not draw any attention to yourself if it can be avoided.”
“I'm no hero, and pretty scared right now.”
“Any normal person would be scared, because it's natural. Nonetheless, that fear will keep your senses sharp and might just keep you alive. Here,” John said and handed the leash to her and saw the look of confusion in her eyes as he said, “take Dolly. She'll respond to commands, but take good care of her. Do not risk your life for hers, only pay attention to her head and where she's looking. She's also been trained to give you a low growl of warning if danger nears. If you say attack, she'll attack to kill, so remember this.”
“Do you think I need her?”
“Uh-huh, I do. She'll be another set of eyes for you. Now, is the pistol on you?”
“In the small of my back. I'm ready.”
Extending his hand, John said, “Best of luck. I'll cover this end of town, so if you have to break and run, try to come out this way.”
They shook hands and then Margie stood and moved toward the small town of Edwards.
Margie moved slowly and staggered a few times to give, she hoped, the look of being tired and hungry. No one spoke to her or approached her, but she did pass a few others, who were dressed no better than she. The town was dirty now, trash on the streets, with debris rolling in the light wind. She'd no sooner entered the town than she spotted a group of booths lining the street. She moved to each one, carefully looking at what they offered. Most had old canned goods, the used before date well passed, and some had expired ten years ago.
Finally, she spotted a vegetable and a couple of meat stands sitting close together. When she neared, Margie saw most of the veggies were stunted and not well shaped, but she didn't care. While the addition of fresh food would be welcome, she'd come to talk.
Dolly walked at her side and only growled once, when a Russian mounted on a motorcycle passed heading for the main road. She picked up a cabbage and asked, “How much?”
“What do you have to trade?” A woman asked as she smiled.
Pulling Joshua's necklace out, she showed it to the woman and then asked, “What will this gold necklace get me?”
“I need to see it first.”
Margie handed it to the woman and then looked her over closely. She was slightly plump, which was rare, her black hair was streaked with gray, and her eyes were a dark blue. She was short, just a tad over five feet, and had once been a beautiful woman. She was still attractive, but grime and dirt covered her face. While the woman looked sixty, if cleaned up and dressed nice, she would pass for forty.
The woman met her eyes and asked, “You're new here, aren't you?”
“I'm traveling and looking for my family. Are the Russians strict here?” Margie asked.
“There are many searching for a family, and I hope you find yours. No, they don't care much, except if you get too close to the main base.”
“Main base? I don't need any trouble. Can you tell me where it is?”
“Uh-huh, on the other side of town, the north side. You're safe enough here. I can give you three cabbages, a small bag of carrots and two onions for your necklace.”
Shaking her head, Margie said, “That's not enough. I want some potatoes and a stalk of celery too. Can you give that much? The necklace is the last one I have and when it's gone, I will have no more to trade for food.”
“The gold on this necklace is electroplated and not of good quality, but I will give what you have requested.” The woman started gathering up the produce.
“What do you do with the jewelry you get?” Margie asked to get the woman talking again.
“I trade it to the Russians. They're shrewd traders, but I make a living doing it. I think it will be better here after the prison is built.”
“I don't like the Russians much, because they give me a hard time, and I want to be left alone to search from my family. I'm scared one day they might shoot me. Prison?”
“I haven't seen them on the street bothering people here. They mainly stay on their base, but I can go to them and trade. Like any army, they have those that will trade anything for gold. You may see two or three of them walking in the town, but you'll never see one alone. I haven't seen them checking anyone or rounding them up, not like they do in Jackson. Some of the guards were saying they'll soon have a prison here for people who resist them. I have no idea if it's true or not, but they're working to make something big.”
“I may stay here a day or so, if you think it's safe.”
“If you do, use caution, because most young women are taken to the base to entertain the troops, if you understand what I mean. The Russian's bother few people and we don't bother them. All I want is to be left alone to run my business. I thank God that most of the armed resistance is east and north of us, or they'd likely kill us like they do in Jackson. They kill ten Americans for every dead Russian, or so the posters say.”
“Posters?”
“There's one across the street and they're placed throughout the town on buildings. They warn us, all Americans, not to resist them.” The woman handed a tow sack with the vegetables and then added, “I won't fight them, but I pray for those that do the job.”
“Thank you for the talk and the produce. I must be on my way now, after I find some meat. Is one booth here better than others?”
“Two booths down is a good meat man, Fred. Tell him you know Sally and he'll treat you well enough. I hope you have some good quality gold, because meat is costly.”
“I have only one item left and I'd hoped I had enough to last until I found my brother.”
“May God bless and protect you in your travels.” Sally replied, and then moved to help another customer.
Margie said, “Come, Dolly, let's find us some meat.”
Two booths down was the first portly man Margie had seen since the fall. He was obese with jowls hanging to his filthy tee-shirt, and he was a tall man, close to six feet. He wore a faded pair of jeans, patched in many places, and was bald. Flies were sitting on the displayed meat and flying around. They were the green blowflies she'd seen on corpses in the past.
He looked at Margie and asked, “Can I help you?”
“I'm looking for beef or venison. Do you have any of either? Sally told me to ask for Fred.”
“I'm Fred, and have both, but beef will be expensive. What do you have to trade?”
Removing one of her gold earrings, she asked, “How much red meat will this get me? It has a diamond as well as being solid gold.”
“It's not solid gold, because there is no such thing. However, this looks to be 24k and if so, it has a good value. Let me look it over and I will tell you in a minute or so. Are you sure you only want red meat? I can give you much more white meat for this, if it's authentic.”
“Red meat only. The last time I traded for white meat, it was human.”
The man chuckled and said, “How do you know that?”
“It was in Vicksburg and the Russians raided the butchers stall. They found human remains in boxes under his tables, hands and feet.”
The man paled and then asked, “W . . . what did they do to him?”
“They shot him on the spot. No trial, no warning, just pulled a pistol and blew his head off. You would think they would put him in a prison.” Margie hoped he would comment more.
“H . . . he deserved it, I guess. We don't have a prison here, not yet anyway. I have heard they are making one here now for the families of those who fight against them. Uh, let me check your earring.”
From the reaction of Fred, Margie suspected he was offering human meat, too, so
she'd stay away from white meat. Many butchers, or so she'd heard from other resistance fighters, were now selling human meat as pork and it was hard to tell the difference. Most folks were so hungry, it really didn't matter to them and they'd eat both.
“I can give you four pounds of red meat or twenty of white.” Fred said a few minutes later.
“I need more. Can you add another pound? The diamond is worth much and you know it, too. Just the sparkle will catch a Russian's eye.”
“Okay, I will add another pound of red meat.”
“Beef, no deer meat. I paid over two thousand dollars for these earrings, so I know their value.”
The fat man smiled and said, “You know what the value was once. Now days, it's worth only what someone will give you for it. I will give you five pounds of beef for the earring.”
“Deal. I need the meat.” She said, and then shook her head as if frustrated.
“I thought you'd say that, because times are rough.”
“I must travel by the army base here; are there many soldiers there? I do not want to be bothered or shot by them.”
Fred said, “Not if you passed them by in the day. If you try to get near at night, they will shoot at you, even if you are traveling on the road. There aren't many of them, maybe a hundred in the camp, so they're isolated from the rest. They are known to shoot first and then ask questions. I don't know, but I heard, they provide security for convoys traveling from Vicksburg to Jackson. They'll not bother you on this day, if you pass before darkness.”
“You sound like you know them personally.”
“I know a few and they don't like being here anymore than we want them here.” Fred replied, and handed her another burlap bag. He then added, “I know they have no tanks, cannon, or other big equipment there, so they're scared most of the time.”
His words frightened her, as if he was volunteering too much information and knew who he was giving it to as well. She shrugged and replied, “I don't know what a tank is and all I know about a cannon is it's a big gun. I hate guns and violence, which is all I've seen since the fall.”