by A. American
Christy fell into a chair. “So, what’s that mean?”
“I doubt a bunch of right-wingers planned all these lootings to happen at the same time. It took a lot of coordination.”
“Oh, they could do it,” Teague said. Everyone turned to look at him. He shrugged it off. “I mean, look at the thing in Lansing. They can coordinate operations if they want.”
Bob sipped his coffee as he studied Teague. “Where’d you say you came from?”
Teague tried to play the question off. “I’ve been traveling for a while. Just out seeing the country.”
“He’s from Michigan, Bob,” Daniel said.
Bob chuckled. “Out seeing the country, my ass.” Teague ignored the comment.
“I don’t get it. What’s the big deal with them saying it’s right-wing people looting the armories?” Christy asked.
Coffee cup in hand, Bob pointed to one of the monitors. “Look at those people. Do they look like members of the GOP to you?”
Christy pursed her lips. “Sounds kind of racist, Bob.”
Bob laughed out loud. “It’s got nothing to do with racism.” Pointing to one of the monitors, he asked Andy to zoom in. “Look at that sign. Give us our money. EBT is a right. I want my fair share. Does that sound like something you’d hear out of a Republican, a Conservative?”
Gene grunted. “Fucking Republicans aren’t conservative anymore. They’re pandering to the same crowd the damn Democrats are.”
“I don’t see why it matters what those people on the street think. They’re all acting like animals,” Christy said.
Just then, the TV with CNN on it changed. The multi-color screen of the emergency alert system came up and the all-too-familiar tone followed. In the center of the screen was a black box that read:
***THIS IS NOT A TEST***
A state of emergency is in effect. Remain where you are and await further instructions.
***THIS IS NOT A TEST***
At the same time, everyone’s cell phone began to issue the same tone and scroll the same message. As each checked their phone, Bob said, “Well, this sucks.”
Christy was looking at her phone. “What is going on?”
“I think the shit has just hit the fan,” Gene said.
“I can’t text,” Andy said. “I’m trying to text my Mom and it says communications are restricted as a result of a national emergency.”
Bob picked up the phone on the desk beside Andy and pressed nine for an outside line. He immediately heard the rapid busy signal. Not the usual one you hear when a line is in use, but the fast one that lets you know something is wrong with the line.
“Land line is down too,” Bob said as he dropped it back into the cradle.
“What?” Christy asked.
Bob leaned back on the desk and shook out a smoke. He lit it and took a deep drag, letting it dangle from his lips as he spoke. “You know, the powers that be have been prepping this country for a long time for a civil war, revolution, whatever you want to call it. I think we’ve just witnessed the kickoff.”
Andy swung around in his chair. “I need to get the fuck out of here. My Mom isn’t well. I need to get home to take care of her.”
The lights flickered again and dimmed. Gene announced. “We’re on generator again.”
Bob pointed at the monitors. “Let’s take a look around the area, Andy.”
It was getting late in the day. The clock on the wall to the right of the monitors indicated it was nearly 8:45 PM, dusk outside. The streets were filled with throngs of people. But more striking than the number of people on the street was the absence of light. The streets were already getting dim. The only lights the cameras could find were from the fires started by protestors, and there were many. Columns of smoke could be seen rising around the city.
“Change to the roof top pole camera, Andy,” Bob said.
The big screen on the wall flickered to a new view. This one was high above the city and had a three-hundred-sixty-degree view of Buckhead and greater metro Atlanta. As the camera panned around, Christy whispered. “Oh my God.”
“Look at all those fires,” Daniel said quietly.
Bob sipped his coffee. “And some of them are huge too.”
From the high vantage point of a camera mounted to a pole on the roof of the bank, the real situation in Buckhead and greater Atlanta could be seen. Smoke rose from numerous places around Buckhead. There was also smoke rising from the areas outside Buckhead, showing the chaos was spreading in midtown and downtown Atlanta.
“I think we need to get the hell out of here,” Christy said.
“And go where?” Bob asked.
Christy looked at him. “It’s not safe here. With the power out, we can’t last long here.”
“It’s not just here. The power is off everywhere, at least everything in the areas we can see from here,” Andy said.
“This is a problem. I agree we need to move. But before we do, we need to have a plan in place. Somewhere to go. We can’t just run into the street with the rest of these morons,” Bob said.
Teague was sitting in a chair, leaning back with the front legs off the floor. “You know, they’re about to send troops into the area, don’t you?” Everyone looked at him. Dropping the chair to the floor with a thud, he continued. “This is the first phase of the operation. They’ve taken away the ability of people to communicate. No comms, no organization. They killed the TV, so the news can’t show it either. Shit’s about to get real.”
Bob looked into his cup and swirled the grounds in the bottom of it. “What makes you so sure?”
“They’ve been planning for this for years.” Teague replied.
“You one of those conspiracy whack jobs?” Andy asked.
Teague shot him a look of disgust. “You one of those idiots that believes everything the media tells you?” With a sweep of his arm, Teague added. “Have you seen this shit? Are you aware they’ve outlawed the ownership of guns? I’ve seen firsthand how far they will go.”
Bob set his cup down and crossed his arms. “Why’d you leave Michigan? Really?”
Daniel started to wag a finger at Teague. “Were you still messing with those militia groups up there?”
Teague grunted. “It’s not called Militiagan for nothing.”
Andy rose from his chair. “Holy shit! You’re one of those guys from that shooting aren’t you?”
Christy looked at him. “What? They caught all those guys!”
With a sneer, Teague replied. “That’s what they told you. They didn’t catch all of us.”
“Why’d you do it?” Daniel asked.
Teague stood up. “The real question is why didn’t you? How far are you going to let them push you? Some of us can only take so much shit. At some point, someone needs to stand up.” Pounding his chest, he added. “On that day in Lansing, I was someone!”
“None of this shit matters right now. We have to deal with the situation at hand,” Bob said.
As Bob was talking, Gene came through the door. He’d slipped out without notice when the TV went out. He was pushing a cart with a large black piece of equipment on it. “Make room,” he said as he wheeled it into the security office.
“What’s this?” Bob asked as Gene passed him.
Gene pushed the cart over into the far corner of the room and replied. “Remember when I ran the coax for that camera up there on the pole?” Bob nodded. Gene squatted down and started digging around behind the turret the monitors were mounted in. “Well, I ran another one with it.” He pulled a cable out and stood up, connecting it to the box.
Gene stood and patted the box. “This is a Kenwood TS 990S. It’s a HAM radio. I keep it in my office and play around with it.”
Christy wrinkled her nose. “What
’s it for?”
Gene smiled as he turned the large console on. “This has no government off switch. With this, we can listen to what’s going on around the country, the world even.” Gene turned to the radio and continued to connect cables and other boxes together.
“I’m hungry,” Daniel said.
“There’s food in the café downstairs. We can get what we need from there. Make sandwiches,” Bob said as he looked at Christy.
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m not here to make sandwiches and do the laundry.”
Gene looked up. “I’m hungry too. I’ll go make them.”
Daniel leapt to his feet. “No, no. I’ll go make them.” Looking at Christy, he asked, “You wanna come help?” Gene shrugged and turned back to the radio, pulling a chair over to it and sitting down.
In a huff, Christy replied. “Fine.”
Daniel ushered her out the door. Once in the hall, Daniel said, “I just didn’t want him handling my food. I’ve seen him do some nasty stuff.”
“Like what?”
The elevator door opened and they stepped in. “Don’t worry about it. Let’s go see what we can find down there. I’m starving.”
Down in the café, they wasted no time in going through the small shop and seeing what there was to be had. As it turned out, the little café had been recently stocked. There was still a considerable number of boxes with the Sysco label on them sitting in the corner of the small kitchen waiting to be put away.
“Hey, look at this,” Christy said.
Daniel looked over to see her holding the metal door of a small walk-in cooler open. He poked his head through the door. “Wow. There’s a lot in here.” Stepping in, he started handing packages out to her. “Let’s put together a nice meal.”
Once everything was prepared, they cleaned the utensils they used for prep and hung them back in their place. After all, they would probably have to use them again. Using a cart found in the storeroom, the food was loaded on and they wheeled it towards the elevator.
Pushing the cart, Christy said, “They must cater for the building here. There’s a lot of food in there.”
“Yeah. We’re lucky. I have a feeling we’re going to need it.”
Christy stopped. “How long do you think we’ll be here? Why can’t we just leave?”
“We’ll leave just a soon as we can. You’ve seen what’s going on out there. I don’t want to get caught in that. The power is out, and the phones are out. We need to wait and see what’s going on before we try and leave.”
Christy nodded. “But we will leave?”
Daniel leaned in and kissed her. “Just as soon as we can.”
They pushed the cart through the door of the security office where a tinny voice was coming over Gene’s radio. Bob held a finger to his lips. Daniel pushed the cart off to the side and sat on the counter beside Andy’s position to listen to what was being said. The voice had a thick drawl and Gene was smiling as he talked into the mic.
“It’s good to talk to you, Sam. Been too many years.”
“You too, Slim. Like I said, if you can make your way here, we’re in good shape. The Governor told the President she could stick her Emergency Decree where the sun don’t shine. I don’t like that bitch no way. Our power is still on and should stay on. They broke the circuits where they leave the state.”
“Any trouble anywhere?” Gene asked.
“Awe, there’s some shit in Austin, the bastion of liberal bullshit in our great state. There’s a little trouble in Dallas and Houston, but I think the Guard will take care of that pretty quick.”
“What’s the Army out your way doing?”
The voice on the radio cackled. “You won’t believe it. The commander of Fort Hood called up the Governor and put the base under his command!” The man laughed uproariously. “Can you believe that? I bet that bitch in Washington is screaming her lungs out. From what I’ve heard, the other Texas bases did the same. Know what the best part is? She’s got two planes, them big-ass ones. Whatever one she’s on is called Air Force One. Well, Air Force Two is sitting at Lackland! We’ve got her damn plane!”
Gene laughed and keyed the mic. “That’s pretty damn funny, Sam. Let me think about things. We’re kind of bottled up here in Atlanta right now. I don’t know how I’d even get out.”
“Well, Slim, you better make up your mind quick. They’re talking about closing the border and not letting anyone in.”
“Alright, Sam. Thanks. You going to be monitoring this frequency?”
“If I’m awake, I’m on here.”
“Alright then, Sam. I’ll talk to you later, buddy.” Gene dropped the mic and looked at Bob.
“What the hell was that all about?” Daniel asked.
“Things aren’t looking too good out there,” Bob said. “Gene talked to a few people around the country, and a lot the big cities are looking just like Atlanta. The lone exception is Texas. They still have power and things are pretty normal there.”
Teague sat back and put his hands behind his head. “You may all go to hell. I will go to Texas.”
Bob chuckled. “Davey Crockett, nice one.”
“I’m serious, though. From what I just heard here, I’m going to Texas. There’s nothing here.” He pointed at the monitor. “Look at those people out there. You think things are going to get better here soon?”
“How the hell do you plan to get to Texas?” Andy asked.
Teague shrugged. “Same way I got here. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Gene stood up and walked over to the cart of food. “While we debate, I’m going to eat.”
“Sounds good,” Bob said. “Quite the spread, Daniel.”
“I helped!” Christy said.
Picking up slices of cold cuts, Bob glanced up and with a smile said, “Thought you weren’t here to make food and do laundry.”
Christy picked up a deviled egg. “I like to eat too.”
The group chatted as they ate, keeping one eye on the monitors. The talk was light hearted, until the TV began to emit the emergency alert tones again. The screen switched to a podium with the seal of Homeland Security on it.
“What’s this shit?” Teague asked. Bob shushed him.
The Secretary stepped up to the podium. She was a short woman that belied her hotly contested appointment to the post. The President wanted to make a statement. She wanted to show she was supportive of women and, like her predecessor, was sympathetic to the plight of Muslims in America. With her hijab in place, she looked directly into the camera and began to speak.
As you are now all aware, a state of emergency has been declared as a result of the financial crisis. We are working diligently on discovering the source of the problem and, rest assured, we will find those responsible.
As a result of the inability for families to secure food and other necessary items, the President has ordered the implementation of several executive orders. Firstly, these orders will allow the government to set wages and control the flow of money. It will also allow the control of prices. This is to prevent price gouging. As this is a financial issue, we will work diligently to make sure all Americans have access to the funds they need.
Additionally, these orders will allow the government to take control of critical stockpiles, such as food and fuel, to oversee the proper allocation of resources. Healthcare will also be controlled to ensure it is available to all in need.
To deal with the growing lawlessness in some of our cities, the United States armed forces are now wholly responsible for ensuring the peace. As a result, a dusk to dawn curfew has been established. Let me make myself very clear. We will not tolerate the lawlessness consuming some cities. The armed forces have been authorized to use lethal force. This is no trivial matter and I urge you to heed this warning.<
br />
In a continuing effort to prevent further penetration into our nation’s critical systems, all forms of communication will continue to be restricted. We cannot allow those that wish us harm continued access. All phones, both cellular and land line, will continue to be interrupted with the exception of 911 lines which can still be used. Likewise, the internet will also be limited until we have a better understanding of the situation.
Continue to monitor your local television and radio stations for updates, as this will be the only way you will be able to receive current information. We ask that everyone remain calm and give the authorities time to sort the situation out.
With that, the screen returned to the color pattern with the text. Daniel looked around the room. Everyone was still staring at the TV, except Gene. He’d pulled a chair up to the cart and was shoveling potato salad into his mouth as though it was a job. Daniel got a shiver and continued to survey the room. When he got to Teague, he was staring back at him.
Teague rocked his chair back onto the back legs again and loudly said, “Bullshit!”
Everyone’s attention was on Teague. After a moment, Bob asked, “Care to elaborate?”
Teague pointed at the TV. “That bullshit. It’s all bullshit.”
Rolling his hand in front of him with a look of expectation, Bob said, “And?”
Teague jumped up. “You guys believe they’ve killed all forms of communication because someone hacked a bank?” He looked around the room. “I mean, come on. The only reason they’d do that is to keep us in the dark about what they’re up to.”
“Let me guess. You think they’re going to start rounding people up and putting them in FEMA camps?” Daniel asked.
“If you think they’re not going to use this opportunity to do just that to some people, you’ve been drinking the Kool Aid too long.”
Bob started to reply but was interrupted by Andy. “You ought to see this.”