by AJ Newman
Tom left Rick’s side to look at Kate’s monitor. “What the hell are they doing?”
Rick watched over Tom’s shoulder. “The bastards are joining together. How the hell did we miss this?”
Before Tom could speak, Jackie said, “One of our trucks is heading into Ashland. I’m dropping down to get a closer look.”
Tom’s radio squawked. “Tom, this is Bill. Start bombing when you see the dump truck is about a mile away from the assholes.”
Tom said, “Bill, what are you doing?”
Jerry ran up and said, “Bill drove the dump truck full of Ammonium Nitrate into Ashland!”
Tom slapped his forehead. “Do what? Wait! Did he mix the diesel into the fertilizer?”
Jerry said, “Yes, and several blasting caps are missing.”
Tom got on the radio. “Bill, turn around and come back. We can do this without ….”
Bill calmly said, “No! You can’t! I’m doing it, and you can’t stop me. Lou will explain later. Tom, you’ve been good to me. This is the least I can do for the group. I’m almost there. Start bombing and ignore the truck.”
Tom said, “May God take care of you! Kate! Start bombing every target you see! Colt! Bomb at will if you have targets.”
Tom heard the bombs explode and remembered Gil’s troops and called out over the radio to Gil. “Gil, the shit hits the fan in one minute. Tell your guys to duck for a few minutes.”
Gil didn’t understand but gave the orders to take cover. He watched through his binoculars as bombs blew up all around the gang’s headquarters. A small car flipped in the air end over end when one of the larger bombs exploded. Pieces of shrapnel hit around Gil, and he ducked lower. Gil saw the truck and, for a second, didn’t recognize it. Then he yelled, “Duck! Bomb!”
The truck rammed through several vehicles under heavy fire. Bill was hit in the shoulder by a ricochet and laughed. He held the dead man’s switch until a bullet tore half his head from his body. The explosion rocked the entire city. Vehicles were flung half a city block, and all the buildings around the impact zone were flattened. Body parts rained down on Gil and his men, along with shattered glass and bricks. The black cloud rolled lazily up into the sky, and insulation and debris fell for over a minute.
Gil surveyed the devastation and yelled, “Mop them up. Shoot anyone who is a danger.”
Gil’s men and women spent the rest of the day hunting down survivors from the gang and Aryans. Most of the survivors were in shock and hid where they lay. Gunshots rang out from time to time as they finished off thugs with mangled bodies.
After the last shot had been fired, the town’s people began to stick their heads out of their homes. Gil’s men told them to stay in their homes until the mopping up operation was over. Gil was disgusted by most of the people he met because they hadn’t tried to resist the gang. Now, they were trying to come out of their holes and wave flags and shout about their newfound freedom.
Colt and Paul walked up to Gil. Paul said, “If it’s okay, I’ll get some of my friends to give us a list of the collaborators so they can be dealt with.”
Gil said, “Great. My men will help round them up and run them out of town. Tom doesn’t want to shoot them if they leave peacefully.”
***
Tom and Rick drove down into the city with several heavily armed men and women to view the damage and help finish mopping up. They moved up as close as possible to the bomb crater, and Tom got out and viewed the grizzly scene. He saw a woman’s battered head, arms, and legs before doubling over and vomiting. He stood up. “I’m sorry about that. I’ve never seen anything like this before and hope I never will again.”
Tom saw Gil across the crater and walked around to him. He shook Gil’s hand. “Do we have any idea of how many civilians were killed in the blast?”
Gil said, “There’s no way to tell, but I think that anyone who didn’t fight to get rid of the gang was a traitor to the town. This town is full of chicken shit assholes.”
Tom nodded and then said, “This has happened throughout the world’s history. I think most people won’t fight against tyranny if they can stomach living with it. I heard about you rounding up the collaborators and running them out of town. That’s the right thing to do. Just make sure if they’re ever seen within a hundred miles, we’ll shoot them down without warning.”
Tom started to turn away to walk through the town when a man and woman ran up to him. The woman yelled, “This has to be cleaned up and rebuilt.”
Tom stared at the woman and bit his lip. “Lady, we won’t stand in your way. Clean it up and rebuild it.”
Paul walked up and said, “Those two were on the town council. They helped Mendoza.”
Tom turned from Paul. “Is that right?”
The man said, “They took over the city, and we had to help them run the city efficiently.”
Paul replied. “My friends tell me you two told on people who were resisting, and people died because of you two.”
Tom turned to Gil. “One change. People like this stay in the town’s cemetery.”
Gil grinned and told two of his people to zip tie the traitor’s hand behind their backs and take them to a holding facility.
Tom said to Paul, “Can you find some good people we can trust to start rebuilding the city and transport some grain from that abandoned train up here?”
Paul said, “Yes, there are a lot of good but less than brave people and more than a handful of resistance fighters. I’ll get to it.”
Tom motioned for Rick and Gil to join him. “I think we should move some of our people down here to take charge of the city. We also need a large group of soldiers to protect them and finish getting rid of the bad apples. I’ll ask for volunteers.”
Paul and Colt both volunteered to stay in town as long as needed.
Tom continued walking through the town with Gil and Rick. “I wonder what happened to those attack helicopters that we were so scared of before the battle.”
Gil said, “Don’t be surprised if one shows up and Eddy jumps out of it.”
Tom’s face scrunched up. “Why would that happen?”
Gil said, “I can tell you now that it can’t leak out. Eddy’s biggest help to us was his raid on the skinheads over in Idaho. A runner came up last night and told me they’d wiped out the group at its main headquarters and were mopping up all the outposts. Those animals were nipping at Eddy’s heels also. Now he only has to worry about Mendoza’s father and the rest of the Cartel. I think we have a few months to get ready for them.”
Tom’s head dropped to his chest. “Gil, you could have let me bask in glory and success for another day before dropping that tidbit on me.”
*
Chapter 34
The Bunker – Three Months later
“Hell no!” Tom yelled.
Cliff insisted, “The town wants to forget about the gang and the fight to eliminate them.”
Tom squared off with Cliff. “I want to remind them every day that their freedom is fleeting, and they have to work hard and fight hard to stay free. The monument to Bill and the men and women who lost their lives will be in the center of the crater.”
Cliff replied, “Tom, the city council wants to put a nice fountain and garden here.”
Tom’s balled up fists and angry red face should have been warning enough, but Tom made his position clear. “I’m going to say this one more time. The crater will stay, and there will be a monument built at the bottom honoring the men and women who fought to free these mealy mouthed scumbag citizens of yours. If they build anything or try to cover over the crater, I will personally blow it up. Have I made myself clear?”
Cliff backed up a step. “Yes! Sir!”
Tom laid his hand on Cliff’s shoulder. “Cliff, what percent of the men and women are participating in their military training or pulling guard duty?”
Cliff looked down at his feet. “Only sixty percent. I know. Most of the women won’t take the training. Sam is also
making my life miserable. What do you suggest that I should do to get them motivated?”
Tom asked, “What percent are working at any meaningful job?”
Cliff covered his mouth with his hand and then rubbed his jaw. “We’re up to eighty percent.”
Sam had walked up behind Cliff and joined into the conversation. “Hey, Tom! I’ve told Cliff to stop feeding anyone above twelve who aren’t working or in school. The ones that won’t prepare to defend the city should be run out of the state.”
Tom shook his head. “Let’s have a town meeting and explain the rules and consequences of not complying. Their damned survival depends on this. You’d think they’d want to learn how to defend themselves and their freedom after being slaves to the Cartel.”
Sam laughed, “Of the fifteen hundred left in town, about a quarter of them are sheep who want to be fed and have a warm place to sleep. They don’t care who feeds them. We must take a hard stance and stop feeding people who don’t work or fight when needed. There are only a dozen true handicapped folks and about fifty too old to fight. All of them can perform meaningful work.”
Tom looked at Cliff. “I want you to meet with the entire town and go over the rules one more time. Then I want every person who isn’t complying with the rules to stay in the gym, so I can address them. I’ll give them one week to leave the state or start working and training.”
Cliff asked, “What happens if they don’t?”
Tom said, “Then they will be loaded into trucks and busses and taken about two hundred miles southeast of here and dropped off. If any try to sneak back into town, they will be arrested, tried, and either shot or put on hard labor for a year before being dropped off several hundred miles west of here.”
Cliff gagged, “Tom, two hundred miles west of here is in the ocean.”
“I know. What’s your point? We’ll use boats. Cliff, do you want to resign and let someone else be the bad guy?”
Cliff nodded. “Yes, put someone else in charge.”
Tom turned to Sam and looked her in the eyes. Sam smiled and said, “I’ll do it. I love my husband, but he is an old softy. We’ll need that from him in five-ten years but not now.”
Cliff said, “Thanks, babe. I guess I’m not as tough as I thought I was.”
Tom said, “Cliff, that change allows Sam to use your feely touchy skills to help her maintain a tight grip on the community during these troubled times. As you know, there are still large groups of outlaw gangs and the Mexican Cartels that want to take over this part of our country. Citizen warriors will be the only way to keep that from happening. We will run out of drones and bombs one day and have to use axes and bows to defend ourselves. We need to prepare our people for this now.”
***
Sam had finally set up a meeting with her boss in the DEA and the government official responsible for the Northwest United States. It took over six months for the military and US government remnants to reform and retake sections of the east coast back from the criminals and new wannabe dictators. Sam’s boss had been busy managing the Special Forces team’s efforts to destroy the cartels along the southern border. This took over six months to degrade the drug gang’s ability to function in the USA. They had withdrawn back into Mexico.
Tom and Eddy shook the man’s hand. The man said, “I’m Ben Rose, and I have responsibility for all of the country west of the Rocky Mountains until the President can name a governor to take charge of rebuilding. The man to my left is Commander Arron Jackson representing the Navy. The lady to my right is Colonel Amanda Cox. She represents the Army.”
Ben said, “Now we’ll bring you up to speed. We know that you two control the Southern Oregon and Northern California territories. Good for you! Gangs and anarchists control Washington State and Northern Oregon. The Chinese mafia controls middle California, and the Mexican motorcycle gangs control Southern California. We want you to expand your territory up to Eugene and down to the middle of California.”
Tom balked. “Whoa! We …”
Ben said, “Hold your concerns for a few minutes, please.”
Tom and Eddy both said, “Okay.”
Ben pointed to his left and then to his right. “These two will be your liaisons with the military. They will be based on one of our fleet aircraft carriers that will patrol the west coast with its support ships. The truth is it will mainly anchor off the coast about fifty miles and supply air support to your two groups and the other two. One will be cleaning up Washington State and the other kicking the Chinese asses back to China.
We’re stationing two squads of soldiers, two squads of Marines, and a Seal Team in Ashland. We will also have a construction battalion help get your infrastructure back in operation. At the same time, they’ll build barracks for the men and women soldiers. You will have Navy jets and Army attack helicopters only an hour away to handle the heavy lifting.”
Tom asked, “What will we be needed to do?”
Ben said, “As you guessed, the military will do most of the fighting and mopping up. Your country needs you to help the citizens get back on their feet and grow a pair of balls, to put it bluntly. Millions of people died because they didn’t know how to survive or just let the gangs walk over them. We know rebuilding the country won’t happen in our lifetime, but we want a much stronger country when we finish. Our president loves your motto, ‘Everyone works, everyone fights, and everyone lives in peace.’”
Ben then said, “Now let’s cover the details and the rest of the support and equipment that is on the way.”
***
Granny B saw her boyfriend and grandson drive up in Tom’s beat up old truck. They walked over to her and the others who were sitting by the fire pit enjoying the sunshine. Granny B asked, “Well, how did the darn meeting go?”
Eddy laughed and said, “Our heads are spinning. First, I fall for Bessie Clark. Then Tom becomes the Exalted Grand Poohbah of Oregon and has two officers from the Army and Navy reporting to him and a zillion soldiers. Where the hell was this help when we needed it right after the poop hit the windmill?”
Rick, Jackie, Kate, Sam, and Cliff moved their chairs closer to Tom and Eddy. Tom said, “We’re the nucleus of a new state that is being formed out of Northern California and Southern Oregon. I think we’ll keep the name Oregon. We’re about to receive so many supplies, ammunition, and weapons the darn Seabees will be building a warehouse to keep it in so we can distribute it as needed.”
Kate asked, “You gave us the sugar. Now, what is the castor oil?”
Tom grinned, “Strings are attached. We’ll help rebuild this end of the country and teach people how to defend themselves and survive. The Army and Navy will pacify an area, and then we move in and get it back on its feet and make it stronger than it was before.”
Sam chuckled, “They listened! That was my recommendation. I bragged on what our group was doing and recommended it be the model for restoring order to the rest of the USA.”
***
Tom watched as the construction crew finished building a lovely ranch home where his Granny B’s home had been. He and Jackie examined the plans for the three homes across from the old house to the barn. Tom said, “Each home has a secret entrance into the bunker, and Granny B and Eddy’s home is this one on the diagram. Yours is next, and mine is the one on the end.”
Jackie snickered, “Kate is happy that Sam and Cliff decided to live in Ashland.”
Tom answered, “They didn’t have any choice with Sam being the new mayor. I’m glad Jerry and Alan decided to move back into Ashland. They began farming about two minutes after Bill blew the gangs up. It’s a wonder they’ve been able to round up so many stray animals.”
Granny B came out of the barn and saw her grandchildren. “Can I join my favorite people?”
Jackie gave her a hug. “Granny B, we were just reflecting on how far we’ve come since our trip to Hawaii.”
Granny B chortled, “So you were talking about the bumper crop of babies on the way. I can’t
wait to spoil little Tom and little Jackie.”
Tom said, “Kate says it’s a girl, and her name will be Bessie.”
Jackie punched Tom. “Hold that horse. That’s the name I’ll choose if I have a girl.”
Granny B chuckled. “It’s great to be honored, but don’t fight over my name. How about the first girl to be born gets Bessie for her name?”
Tom and Jackie shook on the compromise. Tom saw Eddy walking from the back pasture. Tom asked, “Granny B, what will you name your firstborn?”
Granny B had a puzzled look and then saw Eddy, the man she’d fallen in love with. “I’m too old to have any kids and don’t want any smart ass.”
Jackie said, “Granny B, that rule about fornicating… You do know the walls are thin in the bunker.”
Jackie took off running the best she could with Granny B limping along on her tail. Granny B yelled, “slow down my bad leg is hurting.”
Eddy walked up and asked, “What happened? Aren’t they a bit too old to be playing tag?”
Tom said, “We need to discuss plans for your wedding?”
Eddy leaned back in his chair, and his jaw dropped. “I haven’t asked her yet. I found a nice diamond ring the other day and have been practicing asking her.”
Tom said, “You do know the walls are very thin in the bunker, don’t you? Well, you should also know what Granny B has preached for years. There is NO FORNICATION UNDER MY ROOF UNLESS YOU’RE MARRIED!”
Eddy took off to propose to Granny B, and Kate sat on Tom’s lap, nuzzling against his neck. She said, “Will it ever get back to normal?”
Tom shook his head. “I hope not. I don’t want all the petty bickering and divisive BS going on that filled the media and everyday discussion before the shit hit the fan. We should thank God that we have a chance to rebuild the country while getting rid of all the bad and keeping the good.”