by Mark Goodwin
“The emergency electronic credits are only a temporary solution. The credits may serve to quell the chaos temporarily, but the underlying problem is all but unsolvable. Even if the government is able to come up with a long-term solution, there’s no guarantee the new credits won’t be attacked. The cybercriminals who launched the attack still have not been identified to my knowledge.”
Jack Russo sat next to his wife and daughter. “You said you have some suggestions. I’m eager to hear them.”
Kate continued, “Yes, Jack. We’re all receiving $200 in credits per week. I recommend spending your credits as fast as possible, in case of further attacks. And, I recommend buying bulk items with the most calories; things like rice, beans, flour, stuff that will last a long time rather than things like meat and milk.”
Marilyn Cobb put her hand up. “I don’t see why we shouldn’t believe the government. They said they’d come up with a solution, and they have. They’ve lived up to their promise. I feel like the worst is behind us.”
Don Crisp crossed his arms. “I hope you’re right, Marilyn, but we don’t know that for sure. Kate’s idea is a good one. We’ve been given a second chance to get prepared—I think we should put all our resources into making the best of this opportunity. Like Kate said, the window might not stay open for long.”
Marilyn shook her head. “I don’t know, Don. We’ve all been through so much, I think it would be best if we just try to move on, get past all of this.”
“We can be frugal with our resources and still keep a positive outlook for the future,” Don said. “It’s not either or. But what I will tell you is that our friends from Orlando said they were coming to stay with us. That was five days ago and we’ve heard nothing from them. The husband was no sissy. He was my partner on the force for the last eight years of my career. Everyone thinks Orlando is all about Mickey Mouse, but when you work for the Orlando PD, you see a different side of things. And Kirk, the guy who was coming up here, he was one of the finest officers I ever worked with.
“Even in the best of times, the criminal element is violent, deceptive, and watching for any opportunity. But it’s in times like these that they thrive. I assume Haywood County is no exception. Does that line up with your assessment, Scott?”
Scott McDowell rocked forward on his stump. “My thoughts exactly, Don. We’ve already had a small taste of that right here in Apple Blossom Acres last week. I’m supposed to go back to work for the Sheriff’s Department tomorrow. I think it’s important that I go. But I’d feel a whole lot better if we had more residents participating in the community watch.”
Being the only adult male present not participating in the community watch, Corey Cobb looked away. However, his daughter, Annie, put her hand up to volunteer. “I can help. I don’t know how to shoot, but I’m willing to learn if someone will teach me.”
Marilyn Cobb jabbed her husband in the side with a sharp finger. Her whispered objection was plenty loud for everyone to hear. “Corey, I don’t want Annie having any part of this!”
Corey’s brows clenched in annoyance. “I can’t stop her.” He pushed his glasses up on his perturbed nose and stood up. “Me, too. I’ve never shot a gun, but I’m also open to being trained.”
Marilyn stood up in opposition to her husband. “I’ll meet you at the house. I’ve heard enough of all this for one day.” She marched off toward the road.
Once his wife was out of earshot, Corey put his arm around his daughter, “It’ll be good to get out of the house. It’s been a little…cramped lately.”
Annie giggled and hugged her father.
“I can help, too.” Annie’s son, Troy, added.
Scott McDowell said, “That’s very brave of you to offer. We might find something for you to do in the communications department.”
Troy didn’t seem to understand. He pointed to Vicky. “She’s not much older than me and she gets a gun.”
Annie hugged him. “When you’re Vicky’s age, we’ll talk about it. But for now, you can find other places to make yourself useful.”
“What about me, Dad?” Scott’s fifteen-year-old son, David, asked.
His eyes were those of a father who did not want to put his son into harm’s way. Yet he could not deny him while letting fourteen-year-old Vicky work overwatch. “Maybe we can work you into the observation post schedule next week.”
Vicky bit her lip. “You could work with me, David.”
“Can I, Dad?”
Scott cleared his throat. “You need to work with an adult. You and Vicky have plenty of time to see each other outside of work.”
Sixteen-year-old Rainey Russo stood up. “I’ll volunteer also.”
Jack Russo shot Scott a harsh look and put his hand on his daughter. “I don’t think Scott meant that everyone was expected to work security, baby.”
“I know. But I want to. I want to do my part.”
“We’ll talk about it when we get home.” Jack’s expression showed his unpleasant surprise.
“I could work the same shifts as you, Dad.”
“I usually work graveyard. That’s not the most desirable time slot.”
She added, “I don’t care. I don’t sleep much when you’re out there anyway.”
Jack swallowed hard. “We’ll see, baby.” He pulled her close.
Pritchard walked back to the podium. “If ain’t nobody got no more to say, we’ll adjourn. I’m a fixin’ to wring the head off one of these hens that ain’t been layin’ if any of y’all want to hang around a spell.” He turned to Kate. “The girl here makes a good biscuit for a computer whiz. If y’all can find somethin’ to bring, we can have us a fine church dinner. Even if you ain’t got nothin’, y’all come on anyhow. We’ll make do with what we’ve got.”
CHAPTER 3
The earth mourneth and fadeth away, the world languisheth and fadeth away, the haughty people of the earth do languish. The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore hath the curse devoured the earth, and they that dwell therein are desolate: therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned, and few men left. The new wine mourneth, the vine languisheth, all the merryhearted do sigh. The mirth of tabrets ceaseth, the noise of them that rejoice endeth, the joy of the harp ceaseth.
Isaiah 24:4-8
Tuesday afternoon, Kate looked toward the observation post above her position at the Apple Blossom Acres entrance gate. The thinning leaves made the small outpost slightly visible to one who knew it was there. Annie Cobb and Rainey Russo were working the overwatch shift.
Jack Russo was working the checkpoint with Kate. He patted her on the shoulder. “I know what you’re thinking.”
“Oh yeah? What’s that?”
“You’re wondering how safe you feel with those two in the sniper’s nest. You’re thinking you might be better off with no overwatch at all—because if we get hit, they’re more likely to shoot you than the bad guys.”
Kate didn’t want to admit that he’d hit the nail on the head, especially considering one of her guardians was Jack’s daughter. “Now that you mention it…”
Jack held his chin high and looked toward the overwatch shelter. “That little girl up there has been going hunting with me since she was ten. I’d let her shoot an apple off my head.”
Kate adjusted the strap of her AK-47 on her shoulder. “That makes me feel a little better.”
“And Scott worked with Annie all day yesterday. He’s helped train plenty of deputies for the Sheriff’s Department, he wouldn’t have put her up there if he didn’t think she was ready. Scott said he worked with your group training with handguns Sunday evening. How did that go?”
“We all feel more confident, but obviously we still need more training.”
“It’ll come.” Jack looked toward the road. “A car is coming. Stay alert.”
Kate pulled the rifle from her shoulder and held it at a low ready positi
on.
The vehicle rounded the corner. She could see that it was a Sheriff’s vehicle. “Is that Scott?”
“I think so.” Jack waved at the oncoming car.
Scott McDowell rolled down his window. “I forgot the secret handshake. Think you can let me slide just this once?”
Jack leaned on the top of the car. “No work vehicles are permitted to be kept overnight in Apple Blossom Acres. We’re gonna have to ask you to turn around.”
“I see you’ve had that jalopy of a plumbing van parked in your drive all week. I was thinking of reporting you to the Beautification and Continuity Committee.”
Jack held his hands up. “Go ahead. They’re all at the FEMA camp down in Greenville.”
The two men laughed. Scott turned his attention to Kate. “I made an arrest today that I thought you might be interested to hear about.”
“Oh yeah? Why is that?”
“I locked up Lloyd Graves.”
The name sounded familiar. “And who is he?”
Scott put his patrol car in park. “The surviving leader of the Badger Creek Gang. His brother was the one whose brains you scattered down your staircase. You might have heard that Lloyd’s the vindictive sort. Thought you might sleep a little easier knowing he’s behind bars.”
Indeed, the name Graves did ring a bell, yet she’d never known the name of the brother. “Yeah, thanks. We had been a little concerned that they might be coming around. Since order is being restored, I’d be happy to come in to give a statement about the attack.”
Scott looked from side to side. “Officially, my answer is come on in whenever you’re ready.”
“And unofficially?” she inquired.
“The department is buried in paperwork, most of it crimes that will never be solved. I know you lost your brother and I don’t want to sound insensitive, but your incident had one of the better outcomes. All the perpetrators are pushing up daisies. There’s really no bad guys to put away, and the department would probably want all the firearms involved in the shootout. Maybe this is one of those times when it’s best to let sleeping dogs lie.”
“Thanks,” Kate said.
“What did you pick up Graves for?” asked Jack.
“Possession of stolen property, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and two pounds of meth.”
Kate’s eyes grew wide. “Two pounds? That sounds like a lot.”
“Yeah,” Scott nodded. “That’s a big haul. It will put him away for a long time if the cogs of justice start turning again. Before the attacks, the FBI told us they believed someone was producing a lot of meth in Haywood County. They thought it was a large-scale operation exporting serious weight to Atlanta and Charlotte.”
“Wow! You think the Badger Creek Gang is that big?” Kate asked.
Scott lifted his shoulders. “This bust is mighty convincing.”
Jack inquired, “How’s it going with the effort to restore order otherwise?”
Scott shook his head. “Half the guys didn’t come back. I don’t blame them. If I didn’t have you folks watching out for my family while I’m at work, I wouldn’t have gone back. Motor pool is running on fumes, the jail is overcrowded, it’s not exactly business as usual.”
“But people feel safe? They’re out spending their emergency credits?” Jack waited for his reply.
“People are out and about, but none of the stores are open. FEMA hasn’t opened a commissary in Waynesville yet so there’s nowhere to spend the credits. The nearest one is in Asheville.”
Kate said, “Maybe we should send a group there to stock up on whatever is available.”
Scott looked at Jack. “What do you think?”
“Compile everyone’s credits, stock up for the community?” Jack turned his attention to Kate.
Scott jested, “It’ll be just like Waco.”
Jack tittered. “We’ll call ourselves the Branch Jackidians,”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Jack. You’re barely qualified to work a checkpoint, much less be a cult leader.” Scott put his vehicle in drive and pulled through the gate. “You two put together a roster of who should go. I’ll make sure the fort is safe while you’re gone.”
Kate waved. “See you soon.”
Jack watched Scott drive away. “Do you think Gavin will want to go?”
“Yeah, I’m sure he will.”
“I think you, me, Gavin, and Don should be the ones to go. We need to stay lean and fast. Our best bet of surviving if things get hairy will be to retreat and lay down enough cover fire to make us not worth pursuing. Vicky and Sam can stay with Kelly.”
“Thanks, but I’ll probably just have Mr. Pritchard keep an eye on them at the house.”
“What vehicles do you recommend taking?” Jack leaned against the stone covered pillar marking the entrance to the community.
“Your work van, for one. We can haul a lot of stuff in the back.”
“I’ll have to clean out my plumbing supplies, but sure, we can take it. That reminds me; I’ve got some drywall and wood filler in the van. I want to come by after the shift and patch up your walls as best I can. I’m sure looking at bullet holes every day can get demoralizing. Your exterior walls are all D logs. Wood filler will patch them right up.”
“That’s very kind of you, but why would a plumber have drywall and wood filler?”
“A good portion of my jobs involve pipes inside the walls. With the glacial pace of the handymen around here, I just don’t have the heart to make my customers get a separate contractor to repair the walls.”
“I’d appreciate it. Not just for me—every time Sam and Vicky look at those holes, it’s a painful reminder of the violent death their father had to suffer.”
Kate and Jack discussed the details of the coming supply run for the remainder of the shift.
Wednesday morning, Kate loaded magazines into the OD green tactical vest which Scott had given her. The Haywood Sheriff’s Department insignia had been pulled off, but otherwise, it was the same as his.
With Sam standing in the doorway, Vicky sat on Kate’s bed. “Why can’t we go with you?”
“We need to keep the team small.” She put her compact 9mm pistol in the holster on the front of her vest.
Sam crossed his arms. “You said we’re going to stick together. If we can’t go, you shouldn’t go either. I thought the point of stocking up all those supplies was so we wouldn’t have to get in harm’s way by fighting over the scraps.”
“We can’t survive on our own, and we don’t have enough food to feed all of our neighbors. So this actually is in our best interest to get supplies for them. If we don’t get the essentials and your neighbors come knocking, who will you turn away?” She looked at Vicky. “Would you watch David McDowell starve?” She turned to Sam. “What about Rainey?”
Vicky huffed and got up from the bed. “You’re the only family we have left. If you don’t come back, we’ll be stuck with Pritchard.”
“Mr. Pritchard,” Kate corrected. “But I will be back. This isn’t a dangerous trip.”
“Yeah, that’s why you’re kitted up like you’re going to fight ISIS.” Sam let his hands drop and walked out of the room. Vicky trailed behind her brother.
Gavin walked into the room. He also wore one of the decommissioned tactical vests. “Ready?”
“I suppose.”
“You sound like you’re having second thoughts.”
Her maternal instincts began to kick in. “Maybe the kids are right. Maybe my higher responsibility is to them.”
“Then stay here.”
“Who would go in my place?”
“Pritchard, I guess.”
She thought about Pritchard’s affinity toward the so-called Asheville hippies and let that scene play out in her mind; Pritchard saying something rash or off-color to the soldiers guarding the FEMA commissary. “The team is already put together. I don’t want to throw a wrench in the works by making changes at the last minute.” She grabbed her rifle. “Com
e on, let’s go.”
When they arrived at Don’s house, he tossed Kate the keys to his Sierra. “You drove that bucket truck up here. I figure you should be able to handle a pickup. Gavin, you’ll ride shotgun with her?”
“Yes, sir.”
Don wore his old tactical vest from Orlando. He carried an AR-15 to the passenger’s side of Jack’s work van. “If we hit trouble, the driver drives, and the shooter shoots. You have to trust that your partner is doing his job. Got it?”
“Yes, sir.” Kate opened the door to the pickup. “Are we using the same radio channel as we use for community watch?”
“Same channel. Keep it simple.” Don closed the passenger door of the van. Jack’s work vehicle led the way.
Kate waved at Corey and Annie Cobb as she drove through the familiar neighborhood checkpoint.
The roads had few other motorists and the quick thirty-minute drive to Asheville was uneventful. Once they arrived, however, the surrounding pristine scenery of the mountains was quickly replaced by an apocalyptic landscape. Shop windows were broken out, trash littered the road, and several cars were burned out.
“Wow! For such a small city, this place really looks rough.” Kate kept the truck close to Jack’s van.
“Not nearly as bad as Charlotte when I left.” Gavin held his AK-47 by the barrel.
The radio sprang to life. It was Don’s voice. “This looks like our spot straight ahead. We’ll park in that shopping center across the street from the mall, as close to the exit as possible.”
“Got it,” Kate replied.
“Got it?” Gavin lowered one brow. “You’re supposed to say roger or 10-4. You played too many outer-space and futuristic video games and not enough present-day, earth-based games.”
“Whatever.” Kate dismissed his silly critique and followed Jack to the near corner of the shopping center’s parking lot.
Don and Jack exited the van and walked over to the Sierra. Don approached Kate’s window. “Those soldiers will blow a gasket if you walk up to the commissary all geared up like you are. Why don’t you two leave your heavy artillery in the truck? Take your pistols and a walkie. If you get into a scrape, Jack and I will bail you out.”