by Reed, N. C.
“There are sixteen young women that were rescued from cages in Peabody a few months back,” Clay continued to pile on. “Women who were being kept as trade goods, Lieutenant. They were given a place to live, and, at their request, have been outfitted and trained as light infantry. In fact, they are still training, even as we speak. There are other women here who have suffered similar fates, but were freed by us, and given a safe place to be and time to recover. You, meanwhile,” he leaned forward slightly, now, “enjoy the protection granted you by your rank and position, and in being surrounded by one hundred armed soldiers. Thus, you speak fairly easily for someone as well set up as you seem to be.”
By the time Clay had finished, Flores’ face was as red as a tomato, whether with anger or shame or a mixture of both was unclear. Before she could reply yet again, Adcock reentered the conversation.
“This is not a fruitful line of discussion,” he said, holding a hand up. “I take it you have managed to have the tools and know-how to step back toward nineteenth century living?” he asked Clay.
“To a degree,” Clay held Flores’ eyes a bit longer, ensuring he had made his point before turning back to Adcock. “We’re beginning to try and teach those things, and we’re working to make new tools. We planted a small amount of cotton and of flax to use as learning materials. It’s honestly not a large enough crop to actually do much with as far as making items for people to wear, but it will serve well enough to use as a teaching element in how to make thread and cloth. At least, we hope it will,” he added. “Separating the flax and getting it ready for use is a months-long procedure. Cotton is a bit better, but still an involved process.”
“What about wool?” Adcock asked.
“Don’t have any,” Clay shrugged. “We don’t have any sheep or know anyone who does, to be honest. I don’t know if we’d have anyone here who knew how to work it up, even if we did have it. I wouldn’t honestly know where to begin, other than I know you have to shear the sheep.”
“I think that’s about as much as anyone knows, sir,” Gleason chuckled. “While wool is still very much a popular medium, it’s almost completely industrialized. I can’t imagine you’d find many who would know how to make use of it in a setting like ours.”
“Wool is good for blankets and what have you come winter,” Clay nodded. “But so far as trying to make clothing from it? There’s no way for it to be anything other than uncomfortable so far as I’m concerned. Back to you question, however,” he turned back to Adcock, “yes. We’re trying to teach those skills to everyone we can, and to recreate the tools we need based on relics from the past and pictures from history books. To say it’s slow going is to understate things a good bit. Still, it has to be done if we want to make clothing in the future.”
“There are a handful of older women on the farm who have at least seen it done, back when they were children,” Clay continued. “We have a few videos that were copied from the internet when things still worked that are being pressed into service as well. Whatever we can think of that could be beneficial, we’re trying to use it. One of the best things is to find people who were recreational reenactors back before the lights went out. People who made a hobby of living in that era. Many of them have knowledge and know-how that will be in great demand before long. I would imagine many of them even have the tools, as well.”
“Do you have any of them among your people?” Adcock asked.
“No, and I don’t know of any nearby,” Clay shook his head. “That said, there are people all over the area that none of us have ever met. No one on the farm was into the reenactor hobby, at least not to my knowledge. Certainly, no one has shared that information with us if they were. We’re going at it from the starting line, ourselves.”
“As far as your request to house a training unit here, I think I can flat out tell you no and be reasonably sure that the others will support that decision. You’re talking about people you don’t know, can’t do a background check on, and won’t be able to do medical screening on to assure that they’re disease free. That is just asking for something to slip in here on top of us, and we won’t allow it. There are too many women and children here for us to take risks like that. We’re taking a chance as it is to allow your soldiers here for the winter and take on the task of teaching them horsemanship.”
“What if we could make it worth your while?” Flores asked. She seemed a lot more forward than a mere 1st Lieutenant should be with her Captain sitting beside her.
“You can’t make it worth my while, Lieutenant,” Clay replied. “There is nothing you have or can get that would justify us placing our families at such risk. Just like you don’t want to risk you headquarters, we have no intention of risking this farm. Period.”
“Can’t you see how this would benefit you, Mister Sanders?” She just did not know when to stop.
“I’m almost sure I’ve already said that I don’t,” he kept his voice even. “I am curious at how you keep pushing this, with your commander sitting right next to you. What’s that about?”
“She’ll be the local forces commander,” Adcock answered that one. “Responsible for this area and personnel assigned here. She would be the contact person for here and Jordan as well as the rest of the county over the winter. Anything like this would fall under her supervision.”
“I’ll be stationed in Lewiston, with Lieutenant Gillis as my second and a handful of detachments spread through the county, and I’m due a new lieutenant to supervise the detachment in the county to the east of Lewiston. While they aren’t autonomous, they will have the authority to do what they feel is needed at the time, though I will remain the final authority once they report to me.”
“I see,” Clay nodded. “That makes sense. The answer is still no, however. There won’t be any strangers coming on this farm to live while you train them to be soldiers. You can train them somewhere else.”
“You mentioned teaching nineteenth century living, sir,” Gleason took the opportunity to speak up. “Is that something you’re doing in a working classroom kind of environment?”
“If you mean the cloth and thread making, we’re trying to,” Clay was doing his best to maintain his calm. “We don’t have an actual instructor for it, so it’s slow going. It might speed up a bit now that harvest is in and most of the garden produce has been canned or dehydrated. That will free up a good bit of time. In theory, anyway.”
“Other skills we have in small ways, which we are doing our best to pass along. A lot of it is trial and error, too. The teachers are learning as they go along, even while they teach. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s what we can do. All we can do.”
“I still believe you should reconsider the training-,” Flores began, but Clay shut her down.
“Is it your hearing, or my speech that’s keeping us from communicating properly?” he demanded. “I already said no. I’m starting to wonder what you would get out of this, Lieutenant. You’re pressing so hard for something I’ve already told you won’t happen, there has to be something in it for you. Right?”
“I’m just trying to do my job, Mister Sanders,” Flores replied. “We need sites where we can train new soldiers. They need room to train, living quarters, food and water-,”
“Let me stop you right there,” Clay held up a hand. “We have already made it clear that we don’t have the largess to feed anyone else through the winter. If you’re trying to get your training quarters placed here thinking we’re going to be feeding forty extra mouths, then you’re pumping a dry well. We don’t have it to give them. Feeding you guys the other night took an entire cow and every vegetable we had gathered over a three-day period. From vegetable gardens that aren’t producing much of anything at this point. And that was just one meal. I realize we’re talking about maybe half that number for training, but it would also be at least two meals per day. We don’t have it. Next year, we’ll have extra planted just for all of you, but it will be mid to late summer before those garden plots began
producing.”
“For this year, however, we’ve given away everything we could, rolling the dice on a good harvest,” Clay continued. “There were empty larders in every home and kitchen on this place when we were finally able to start gathering from our gardens. Even with everything the ladies have managed to do, we still haven’t been able to fill them the way we needed for the coming winter. We’ve fed too many people and are still feeding well over one hundred. In a year, two years at most, we’ll finally be in a position where we can provide food to others on a regular basis, at least during harvest. But until then, we’ve done all we can do. All we’re capable of. To the point that it has hurt us, in fact.”
“Soldiers have to eat,” Flores stated flatly, looking Clay in the eyes.
“Then soldiers should have planted,” he shot back. “All of you knew that you would need food over the winter. Over the summer for that matter. I’m getting the idea that you did nothing of that sort, though. That you just kept eating MREs like they would always be there.” He paused; aware he was losing his temper.
“Look,” he said finally. “I’ve gone along with almost everything you’ve asked for, and even volunteered some things. We’ll do our best to help you going forward, as I’ve said. We’ve already set aside two hundred acres to plant for your forces. Remember that all that’s got to be done by hand, from planting to gathering and all points in between. We’re also looking at other areas we might be able to cultivate on your behalf, assuming we have the available seeds, which isn’t a given. We also have to eat, though,” he looked directly at Flores when he said that, “and we need to try and produce some foodstuffs for trading. While you may well be getting great cooperation from other farms, I can’t imagine any of them are giving more than we are. Hm?” He looked at Adcock.
“No, they aren’t,” the Captain agreed with a shake of his head. “No one has offered near what you have. I think that was why the Major wanted me to ask you about this. You had done so much and offered so much help, he hoped you would continue to do so.”
“And we will, in so far as we are able,” Clay promised. “Allowing forty strangers to take up residence here is not on the list. As for the rest, as far as I’m concerned, we’re already set. Your men will help us build some new quarters, including for them, and we’ll take care of teaching them horsemanship over the winter. We’ll also try and provide at least some meals, though I can’t promise how much or what they might consist of. We’ll just have to see.” He looked at the three of them, each in turn.
“Are we agreed on this, or do we part ways here and travel our own paths?”
“No, we’re in agreement,” Adcock said at once. “It wasn’t my intention to let this become so heated or contested. I sincerely appreciate all that you’ve already done, as well as everything you’ve offered us going forward.”
“Sounds good to me,” Gleason nodded. “I look forward to being here.”
“That’s something else I want understood, Captain,” Clay said formally. “Sergeant Gleason stays here. So long as you have men billeted here on my farm, he’s here to oversee them. I trust him to keep his men in line. If he goes, everyone goes. And before you speak,” he cut Flores off, “that is non-negotiable. I’m starting to think that when Captain Adcock is gone, you’re going to be a problem, Lieutenant. You will want to rethink that strategy, and soon. Gleason stays here,” he turned back to Adcock. “Are we doing this or not?”
“Sergeant Gleason will be assigned here for the duration,” Adcock agreed readily. “He is definitely capable of keeping things well in hand.”
“Thank you, sir,” Gleason acknowledged the compliment.
“Well, with that out of the way, we can start working on the finer points, I should think,” Clay settled back into his chair. “First thing, I’d have to say, is we’re going to need a salvage mission into what’s left of Peabody.”
CHAPTER TWO
“Gather around, everybody,” Clay told the assembled group. “I’ve got something to share with you and I need to bring you up to date on what I talked about with Adcock today. Normally, I’d have had some of you sitting in, but this visit caught me by surprise and I honestly didn’t think of it.”
Clay had sent Janice and JJ to find Gordon, Robert and Patricia, Jose Juarez, Nate Caudell, Beverly Jackson, and Jaylyn Thatcher. Mitchell Nolan had accompanied Beverly and Martina Sanchez had come with Jose.
“So, the good Captain sprang a surprise on me this morning at the behest of his commander,” Clay started with what he considered the biggest deal. “Apparently the Guard contingent is getting volunteers offering to serve with them. A lot of them are going to be doing support work, but those who can physically stand the burden are going to be trained to be soldiers and join the ranks.”
“I already don’t like this,” Jose said quietly.
“You’d be right not to,” Clay admitted. “The request was to build a training site here, on this ranch.”
“No,” Jose said at once, shaking his head. “No way.”
“I would have to agree,” Jaylyn was nodding her head. “That is a huge risk medically, if nothing else.”
“I have already said no,” Clay told them. “I felt that I could safely speak for everyone on that particular subject and did so. My reasons were that he was asking to send up to forty men to this ranch that he had no background on, had no way to screen medically, and could not in any way be sure they would not be trouble. So, I said no to that.”
“Good answer,” Beverly said firmly. “At this point, anyone volunteering is suspect. Many of them would see it as a way to be taken care of, or a license to steal and pillage, among other things. I’m sure a few would be good subjects, don’t get me wrong,” she clarified. “But there’s no way to separate the wheat from the chaff, here.”
“Exactly,” Clay nodded. “I have to be honest and admit that the idea itself isn’t without merit and would add an entirely new level of security to this farm. The problem is, as we’ve already mentioned, we have no way whatsoever to know for sure that there won’t be troublemakers in the group. If I could find a suitable compromise, I’d offer it, so long as you were all in favor. I just don’t have one. We’ve already talked about the dangers of taking in people that we have no way to check for medical issues that might spread to the rest of us.”
“There’s also the problem of having so many people we don’t know near our families,” Robert voiced.
“Another thing I raised to Adcock,” Clay nodded. “They don’t want their headquarters overly exposed because it’s all they have, in his words. This farm is all we have, so I’m applying the same rule here. Like I said, if we can come up with a compromise, I’d mention it, but so far I got nothing.”
“When would this be taking place?” Mitchell Nolan asked. He normally didn’t speak when he attended these meeting, since he was there merely to accompany his girlfriend Beverly.
“The timing wasn’t mentioned, but he made it sound like when winter was over and the soldiers stationed here returned to his unit, the trainees would arrive, and Sergeant Gleason would stay behind as their drill instructor. I have Adcock’s firm promise that Gleason is here to stay, by the way,” he added. “So long as there is a military presence here, Gleason will be in charge. Flores will be the area commander, responsible for what remains of Calhoun and I think the northern part of Bedford county, but he wasn’t specific about that, and I didn’t care. Anyway, she will station in Jordan, that’s already worked out, with a Sergeant Deering in charge of that detachment.”
“The plan is for her to alternate between the detachments in making security patrols in her AO, or Area of Operations. Dawson has asked that his men be allowed to train with the Guard soldiers, and they will possibly join the patrols as well to gain experience. The offer was extended to us and I again voted for all when I said no. In all honesty, there’s nothing to be gained for us in that kind of action. I wouldn’t say it to them, but I daresay that everyone on this far
m that is under arms is better trained than their people. Even the boys likely have more actual combat experience than all but a handful of vets like Gleason, thanks to the actions we’ve seen since this started. While the young women still in training might benefit in some small way, the individual instruction they’re receiving now is worth far more than riding shotgun for a patrol. I also don’t believe any of them would be overly comfortable with the idea. And none of that is our responsibility.”
“Absolutely,” more than one voice agreed.
“I have an idea for your compromise,” Mitchell said. Everyone turned his way.
“I know I don’t officially have a voice here,” he told them. “I’m just here as a way to spend time with Bev,” he smiled at her as she squeezed his hand. “However, there might be a way to compromise with Adcock.”
“I’m listening,” Clay nodded.
“If Gleason was supposed to be their DI, then let the send one trainee for every soldier they plan to station here over the winter,” Mitchell suggested. “Gleason can still be their DI, but there’s always a trooper that they’re sure of right alongside each of the trainees. That lets you always have eyes on the new people. That doesn’t answer the other issues,” he nodded to Jaylyn and Robert. “It’s just a security feature for trainees.”
“I like the idea,” Jose spoke before Clay could, “but I don’t like the risk.”
“Which one,” Beverly asked, echoed by Jaylyn Thatcher.
“I don’t like having people on this farm seeing our situation and knowing what’s here,” Jose admitted. “I only agreed with the idea of a winter garrison because the benefits outweigh the risks. Not so with this. Not at all.”
“That is true, and I didn’t consider it,” Mitchell nodded slowly. “I was just looking at a way to minimize the security risk. My way would do that so long as they were here, but once they were out and gone, well, soldiers love to gossip as much as anyone,” he shrugged.