Cry Havoc

by A. American

  Daniel pulled up in front of a two-car garage door and shut the van off. He dropped his head to the steering wheel and let out a long breath. Bob got out of the van and stretched. He pointed at the house and said, “It ain’t much, but me casa is your casa.”

  Teague climbed out of the van and stretched as well. Everyone was stiff and tired. Not that it was a long ride, but the tension of it all had left them weary. And this was only a thirty-odd-mile trip. If they were going to Texas, they’d spend days in the van.

  Christy rolled out of the van and found Daniel on the driver’s side. She wrapped him up in a hug, burying her face in his neck. He pulled her tight and buried his face in her hair. He was glad to have her, and was coming more and more to the realization just how much he needed her.

  She pulled away from him. With a squint, she said, “I really have to pee!” He couldn’t help but smile as she trotted towards the house with her knees locked together.

  Bob and Gene were already in the house. Teague came around to the front of the van and reached in, grabbing Bob’s carton of smokes off the dash. Taking a pack, he shook out a smoke and lit it up and leaned against the fender.

  After taking a long drag, he looked at Daniel. “You really think that old fucker would’ve shot me?”

  Daniel leaned against the fender beside him. Taking the cigarette from Teague, he took a quick drag and handed it back. Blowing out the smoke, he said, “You know, I think he would have. Old Gene doesn’t seem to have much of a sense of humor.”

  “Yeah. That’s what I thought.”

  Taking the cigarette again, Daniel said, “You really do need to calm down. I think he’s right. There’s a time for confrontation, but it isn’t every time.”

  Teague nodded. “I know. Things will be different from now on. This shit is for keeps. There is no re-spawn.”

  Daniel smiled and slapped Teague on the back. “No, there’s not. Come on. Let’s go inside and check out the house.”

  The two men walked into the house. Bob’s place was much like his office, at least in places. In the living room sat a recliner with an end table beside it. The table was covered with old newspapers and overflowing ashtrays. Ashes covered the floor around the chair and the table. Numerous coffee cups sat atop the papers and filled every inch not occupied by ashtrays.

  The rest of the house stood in stark contrast to the recliner. It was neat and orderly. The kitchen was orderly, not a dish in the sink. The exception was the coffee pot. It looked like Bob’s coffee pot at work. Grounds were spilled on the counter around it. The burner, black from spilled coffee and the pot itself looked like some sort of science experiment, but not to Bob. He referred to it as seasoning. The rest of the house was furnished in the trappings of a country home. Simple, functional and comfortable. These things stood in contrast to Bob.

  Christy came out of the bathroom and found Bob at the coffee pot in the kitchen. “Is there enough for me to have a cup?”

  As he poured a cup, he looked over his shoulder. “Sure. How do you like it?”

  “Black is fine.” She replied and looked around the kitchen. “This isn’t what I’d expect for your house.”

  Bob smiled. “Yeah. Doesn’t fit the mold, does it? This was to be my escape. I wanted out of the city, something totally different. I was hoping to retire here and spend my days gardening, of all things.” He laughed at himself.

  Christy took her cup and held it to her mouth, smelling the thick elixir. “It’s never too late to reinvent yourself.” She looked around for a moment and asked, “There’s no wife?”

  Bob laughed as he swirled his coffee. “No. Some men just aren’t meant to be domesticated. Guess I’m one of them. Oh, I tried. But I poured myself into my work. It’s a fault I guess. But it’s just what I am.” He smiled.

  Christy took a sip of her coffee. Looking over the top of the cup, she said, “At least you’re living your life. On your terms.”

  Bob thought about that for a moment. “I guess that’s true.” He looked at her. “But it sure is lonely.”

  Christy perked up, almost bouncing. “Well, you’re not alone anymore. You have us!”

  Bob laughed, doubling over. Straightening up, he said, “Yeah. I’ve got Gene’s weird ass. Crazy cousin and Daniel, who I just can’t put my finger on.”

  Christy rocked back and forth. “There’s me too.”

  Bob smiled. “Indeed there is. You’re a beautiful young woman. Thankfully, I’m not a creeper and see you more as a daughter than a conquest.”

  Surprising Bob, Christy leaned in and hugged him. “Well, I like having you around. There’s something about you that gives me confidence.”

  Bob looked down at the ground. After a moment, he looked up. “Christy. You’re a sweet girl. But trust me, I am the last man you should put your trust in. There’s a number of people that will attest to that.”

  Christy leaned and kissed him on the cheek. “You may have given up on yourself. But I haven’t.”

  With her cup in hand, she exited the kitchen, leaving Bob to think about what she’d said. It had been a long time since anyone, outside of work, put their faith in him. It made him uncomfortable. He knew he’d let so many people down in the past. And yet, something about her words filled him with confidence.

  Bob came out to the living room to find everyone there. He looked at the people he’d committed his future with. “The house is fully backed up by the generator. The water comes from a well. So you can take a shower if you want. So long as the natural gas holds out, the house will have power.”

  Christy spun around to face Bob. “In that case, I’m taking a shower!”

  Daniel stepped over to her and put his hands on her hips. “Mind if I join you?”

  Christy smiled a seductive smile. “I guess you do need to get cleaned up. If you’re up to it.”

  “Oh, I’m UP to it.” he replied.

  Christy glanced down and smiled. “I guess you are, big boy!” Everyone got a good laugh out of that as she took him by the hand and led him down the hall to the bathroom.

  As they left the living room, Bob said, “Have her home by midnight!” Daniel looked over his shoulder and smiled at Bob, who saluted him with a coffee cup.

  Chapter 8

  After showering, and spending some quality time with Christy, Daniel was sitting on Bob’s back porch. It was quiet. And, unlike Atlanta, there was no gunfire or smoke hanging in the air. From here, you would never know anything was going on. Bob came out onto the porch and handed Daniel a cup of coffee, then took a seat beside him.

  Looking around, Bob asked, “Where’s Christy?”

  Daniel sipped the coffee. “She’s asleep. I guess today was a little stressful on her. She’s out of it.”

  Bob put his feet up on the handrail that surrounded the porch. “I know the feeling. I’m just glad to be out of Atlanta.”

  With a snort, Daniel replied. “No shit.” He looked around at the quiet scene surrounding him. “You can’t even tell anything is wrong out here.”

  “That’s why I moved out here. After my last divorce, I wanted out of the rat race. The ex was all about image, and we had to have a big house and expensive cars. When we separated, I went the opposite direction. I wanted less.”

  With a sideways smile, Daniel asked, “How much did she take you for?”

  Bob choked on his coffee so hard it came out of his nose. He was laughing as he wiped his chin. “Not a dime! Like I said, my last divorce. I was educated this time. There was a pre-nup. Oh, she was pissed when we had to sell that big house. The only thing she got to keep was her car. Everything else was liquidated and we split it all up the middle. I didn’t care if I got anything. I just didn’t’ want her to have any of it.”

  Gene joined Bob and Daniel on the porch with his own cup in hand. Short
ly after, Teague came out too, carrying a small AM/FM radio. He extended the antenna and placed it on the handrail.

  “There’s supposed to be that broadcast any minute. Thought it would be interesting to hear what they have to say.”

  Bob leaned forward and grabbed the radio, setting in on a local station, and placed it back on the rail. The radio was for the moment still dead, nothing coming from its speakers until the feds wanted to use the airwaves to broadcast their propaganda. “Let’s see what they have to say.”

  It wasn’t long before the radio screeched with a carrier wave, then the emergency alert tone began to sound. After going through the series of tones, a computerized voice told them to stand by for an official announcement from the Secretary of Homeland Security.

  “Here we go,” Teague said.

  This broadcast will serve as official notice of the conditions of Martial Law. Ignorance is no excuse to violate the rules. Due to the rising level of violence in major cities, and the local authorities’ inability to control the situation, I have authorized the deployment of US troops to quell the violence.

  With this in mind, any member of the armed forces that deserts their post will be arrested. Any members of the armed forces attempting to desert, may be shot. Desertions will be handled swiftly and harshly. To that end, I have requested assistance from the UN Security Council to provide additional peacekeepers to augment our forces.

  In an effort to quell the violence, lethal force has been authorized for looters, groups of more than three people that refuse to disperse, and anyone found armed. The dusk-to-dawn curfew remains in effect, and any vehicle caught moving at night will be fired on.

  We understand people need to move about to fulfill their daily needs. But it is imperative that you take these warnings seriously. There will be no other warnings. This is the only warning that will be issued. Additionally, the transmission from amateur radios, also known as HAM radios, is now, and until further notice, prohibited. These devices are being used to arrange riots and mass lootings, and we cannot allow that to continue. If you are caught with a radio, you will be arrested. A registry of licensed operators is being reviewed and everyone on that list will be contacted. You are hereby ordered to dismantle all antennas and render all radios inoperative.

  There will be zero tolerance in dealing with illegal radio transmissions. Anyone caught with one will be detained under articles of NDAA, and can be held indefinitely.

  With that, the radio went dead. The four men stared at it, waiting for more. But nothing further was said.

  “What the hell?” Daniel asked.

  “Is that all?” Teague asked.

  Bob picked up the radio and turned it off. “I guess so.”

  “They’re scared. Notice how she didn’t mention anything about Texas? And they’re trying to keep people from using radios. They’re definitely scared,” Gene said.

  “There’s a lot she didn’t mention. All she said was we’re going to start killing people,” Teague said.

  “We’ve already seen that,” Daniel said.

  Bob lit a smoke. “What bothers me more than anything is what she said about military members. I think they’re having a hard time getting them to tow the line.”

  “Makes sense,” Gene said. “That’s why they’re bringing in UN troops.”

  Teague was shaking his head. “Do they have any idea the kind of shit storm this is going to start?”

  “They didn’t mention anything at all about what caused all this. Nothing. Just told us they were going to start shooting soldiers and civilians alike. It’s like they’re not even trying to fix things anymore,” Daniel said.

  “Oh, they’re fixing things, all right,” Teague replied. “They’re just working on a different problem. Us.”

  “Well, then what are we going to do?” Daniel asked.

  Bob quickly stood up. “I say we eat. Who’s hungry?”

  “Stellar idea!” Gene said.

  “What are we having?” Teague asked.

  Bob rubbed his chin. “I was thinking I’d force-thaw some steaks. Maybe have some baked potatoes and broccoli. How’s that sound?”

  Teague clapped his hands. “Hell yeah!”

  Bob turned to the house with Gene in tow, leaving Teague and Daniel on the porch. The two sat quietly for a moment, then Daniel asked, “You really wanting to go to Texas?”

  Teague leaned back, rocking his chair off the floor. “I do. I think this is just the beginning. And I really don’t think it’s got shit to do with the banks.”

  “What do you think it’s about then?”

  Teague looked at him, stone faced. “A fundamental transformation of the nation.”

  Daniel shook his head. “That was Obama. This is Clinton.”

  With a sneer, Teague replied. “And she’s worse than he ever was. While there was a lot he wanted to do, he was somehow restrained. Maybe out of fear, maybe because the timing wasn’t right, but Clinton, she’s not so restrained. She and her husband are a couple of Arkansas hustlers, and they have a body count the Marine Corps envies. She’s going to get even.”

  Daniel was shaking his head. “I know you conspiracy-theory guys always think the government is out to get you, but to what end? They already have power and money. What’s the aim of this kind of thing?”

  Teague snorted. “Have you been asleep? Living in a cave or something? I know you like to go hike in the woods, but you have to have seen some of the news in the world. The goal is the same as it’s always been. Sure, they have money and power, but they want more. More is the goal. These people see themselves as elites and the rest of us as commoners. They want to reinstall the royal ruling class who are above the law. Above reproach.”

  Again, Daniel shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t buy it.”

  Teague shrugged. “What’s it going to take? What do you need to see to make you believe?”

  Bob came out the back door carrying a large platter. He set it on the table and pulled the cover off a gas grill sitting against the rail. In a moment, he had the grill lit and heating up.

  “Those are some damn good-looking steaks,” Daniel said. Then he looked around. “Where’s Gene?”

  Bob was scrubbing the grill when he replied. “He’s out at the van getting his radio. He’s pretty spun up about the whole ban on HAM.”

  “That was kind of strange,” Daniel said.

  “Why?” Teague asked. “It’s the only form of communications they can’t control. There’s no off switch, no kill switch. HAM radio isn’t like the internet or cellphones.”

  “Can’t they just jam the signal?”

  Bob dropped a steak onto the grill with a hiss as the meat seared against the hot metal. “It’s not that easy. It’s a big country and they can’t jam it all. There just isn’t the equipment to do it. So they can only do small areas, maybe regional.”

  “But they can hear what’s going on and tell where it’s coming from can’t they?” Daniel asked.

  Gene came out onto the porch with a plastic tub full of radio gear and deposited it on the floor. “Sure, they can listen and they can even get an idea where it’s coming from. But there’s only so much of that equipment around, though it is easy to make.”

  Bob looked up from the grill. “Hey, cousin. Run in the kitchen and grab those beers from the fridge.”

  Teague leapt to his feet. “Hot damn! Why didn’t you say you had beer?”

  Stabbing a steak and turning it over, Bob replied. “Because I wanted them for dinner!”

  Daniel hopped up. “I’m going to wake up Christy. I’m sure she’s hungry.”

  After a meal that belied the reality of the situation, the group sat on Bob’s back porch watching the sky go from blue to orange.

  Christy took a long drink of her
beer, then asked, “Now what?”

  Bob lit a smoke and threw his feet back up on the rail. “Now, I say we get a good night’s sleep and worry about tomorrow, tomorrow.”

  “That works for me.” Teague replied as he opened another beer.

  With some effort, Gene rose from his chair. “Well, I’m going to set up the radio and see what’s going on.”

  Daniel looked over at Christy. “I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for bed.”

  Christy smiled. “Me too. I say we call it a night.”

  Teague snorted. “Yeah, like that’s what you two are going to do.”

  Christy stood up and Daniel wrapped an arm around her waist. He smiled at Teague. “What else would we do?” He asked with a smile.

  Teague snorted and took a pull off his beer as they went in the house. He knew what they were up to, just wished he had someone around too. Bob had sat silently through the exchange. After a moment, he looked over at Teague and asked, “You need some hand lotion or something?”

  Teague stood up. “Fuck you, Bob.” And he stomped off the porch.

  Bob chuckled as he flipped the ash off his smoke and reached for the last beer. He was happy to be home and felt relaxed. Gene went out into the yard where Bob had a flag pole. He lowered Bob’s flag and took a moment to fold it before carrying it back to the porch and placing it on the rail.

  “Turning my flag pole into an antenna?” Bob asked.

  Gene nodded. “Yeah, I’m going to run two wires up and stake them out to the side. Not perfect, but it should work well enough.”

  Gene went out and connected the splitter to the rope with a heavy rubber band and pulled it up. He then pulled the two ends of the antenna out and staked them into the ground using a couple of wood stakes he made from fallen limbs in the yard. He then ran the center point of the antenna back to the porch where the radio sat and connected it to the antenna tuner.