by Stan Morris
My unit. That sounds so cool.
Tyler’s unit hiked southeast to the RV guard post and spent the night there. The RV guards kidded him good naturedly about his new found respectability. He just laughed, and the other members of his unit did not laugh at all. The Chief had not seemed amused when he told them that Tyler was in charge of the unit, and they got the feeling that the Chief would not be happy at any sign of disrespect toward Tyler. And, after all, no one wanted to incur the wrath of the Chief.
The next morning, Tyler’s unit continued on to the Brown farm. They arrived that evening, just in time for dinner. Meals at the Brown farm were definitely a perk. Everything tasted scrumptious, and there was always plenty to eat. That night they feasted on rabbit, chicken, mashed potatoes slathered with fresh butter, Chinese peas, and cold milk. Paige asked about Nathan.
The boys in the guard post unit were given the attic as their quarters. The only girl in their unit, Makayla, stayed in the girls’ room at Mary’s insistence. Comet demanded to be allowed to stay with the boys, but his dad refused to permit it.
“The older boys needed their privacy,” he said. Tyler had a serious talk with the small, unhappy child.
“I need you to guard the back porch,” he told Comet. “The Chief is expecting visitors. If they get past us, you’ll be the next line of defense.” Wide eyed, Comet agreed to protect the back porch from invaders with the blunt edged spear his father had made for him.
Tyler set up his guard post a mile to the east of the Brown farm. One person stayed on the road, while the other three were hidden in the trees, back toward the Brown farm, well away from the road. The guard on the road carried the radio phone. They alternated positions early every morning, because the Chief had insisted that they be in place before sunup. It was boring to be the person on the road, but the Chief had insisted that there must be no interaction between the guard on the road and the guards in the trees, unless they made contact with the Army.
In mid-May, on a late afternoon, Tyler was the guard on the road, when suddenly he was grabbed from behind. A large hand reached around him and snatched the radio phone.
“Hey!” he yelped as he spun around and backed away.
Standing before him were two men wearing United States Army uniforms. They had packs on their backs and were carrying rifles. Pistols were strapped to their sides. The older man had a sprinkling of freckles across his face. Tyler put his hands in his jacket pockets and waited for them to speak.
“I’m sorry, son,” the older officer said as he smiled grimly. “But I’d like to arrive unannounced.” He handed the radio phone to the younger officer.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to come with us,” Major Collins told Tyler, indicating the road ahead.
Tyler shrugged and began walking. The three of them trudged toward the Brown farm.
They had not gone far when Lieutenant Kennedy remarked, “Sir, this radio phone is dead.”
He handed it to the Major. Major Collins studied the phone and wondered. Why was he carrying a dead phone?
Then Lieutenant Kennedy spoke again. “Uh, Sir we have company.”
The Major looked around. Two boys and a girl were walking quietly behind them. They carried what looked like handmade spears, and their feet were wearing moccasins. The Major looked at Tyler who still had his hands in his pockets.
“Apparently we were expected,” he said.
Tyler nodded. “Mrs. Brown’s place is over there,” he said, pointing in the direction of the farm. “She has little kids there. I know she would like it if you let us carry your rifles.”
“I don’t mean that you should surrender them,” added Tyler hastily, seeing the Major’s stony look. “I just mean that we would like to carry them for you. We’ll stay right beside you, and you can keep those.” He pointed to their sidearms.
The Major glanced at the Lieutenant, and then he looked back at the boy. “Very well,” he said.
He handed his rifle to Tyler. Lieutenant Kennedy handed his rifle to one of the other boys.
“Be careful with those,” Major Collins instructed Tyler.
“Makayla, run ahead and tell them we’re coming,” Tyler said.
“Okay, Tyler,” said Makayla, and she ran toward the farm.
“How did you alert the others?” the Major asked. Tyler took his hands out of his pockets. He was holding a walkie-talkie.
“Ah,” said the Major. “You held the button down as we talked. They heard everything we said. Simple, but effective.”
“Yes,” Tyler replied. “It was our Chief’s plan.”
“Do you mean, Mike?” the Lieutenant asked.
“Yes, I mean our Chief,” replied Tyler, emphasizing the word, ‘Chief.’
The Lieutenant nodded. “Your Chief,” he repeated.
They were getting close to the farm. Alert to everything around him, Major Collins noted the fields, the barns, and the other structures. A well kept place, he thought. Orderly. A lady, a young man, two little ones, and five older kids came out of the house; among the kids was the girl, Makayla. The lady was carrying a shotgun, and the little boy had a toy spear.
“Welcome to Davis Brown Farm,” the young man said. “I assume that you are Major Collins.”
“Yes, I am,” the Major replied. “And this is Lieutenant Lincoln Kennedy. I thank you for your welcome. It’s the second one today.” He looked at Tyler and smiled, as Tyler blushed.
Ralph introduced his workers and the guards from Petersburg.
Then he said, “This is my son, Comet, and my daughter, Star. This is Mary, their mother. And these are my nieces, Kylie and Paige.”
“Please, come in,” Mary said. “You are just in time for dinner.”
“Uncle Ralph, me and Kylie will take dinner with the guards and the boys in the barn,” Paige said.
“Kylie and I,” Mary corrected the girl, but her kind smile took the sting out of it.
“Kylie and I,” Paige repeated. “That way, there’ll be more room at the table.”
“Thank you, Paige,” Ralph replied formally. “That would be nice.”
“We can eat in your barn. We’re not here to cause you any trouble,” the Major protested.
“Oh, it’s no trouble,” Mary assured him. “The kids like to get together without adult supervision.”
“Dad, can I go too?” Star pleaded.
“Me, too,” Comet insisted.
“Yeah, you can both go,” said Ralph indulgently. “But Tyler, you stay here.”
Once inside the house, the officers’ rifles were discretely locked in Mary’s gun case. The soldiers were not happy about this, but Major Collins decided to accept it. Shortly after, they sat down to dinner.
Nectar, thought Major Collins later. He could not remember the last time that he had been so full. When they were finished eating, the four adults and the boy went into the living room to talk.
“How is your area doing, Major Collins?” Mary asked.
“As well as can be expected, I suppose,” Major Collins replied, “Given the nature of our situation. Our greatest difficulty is finding or producing food for everyone at our post. We were glad to rescue those children, but of course, then we had extra mouths to feed.”
“Oh?” Mary said.
The Major hesitated, and then he said, “We have plenty of meat. We came across a shepherd with a flock of sheep. We’ve started a breeding program. Our men have brought in plenty of mule deer. Our real problem is finding starches and vegetables. We don’t have enough of either. I’m afraid that some of our people are suffering from vitamin and mineral deficiencies.”
Mary glanced at Ralph, and then she looked back at the Major. “How many people are at your post?” she asked.
“There’s thirty-five of us. Nine Army Engineers, eight Army Rangers, five adult civilians, counting Erin, and thirteen children.”
“Thirteen children. Thirty-five in all,” echoed Mary. She looked at Ralph. “That’s not so many.”
&nb
sp; Ralph said nothing. It was Mary’s decision. She looked at the Major.
“I think we can help you, Major,” she said. “The problem is going to be transportation. But maybe we can let you take our wagon, or at least take it part of the way. We’ll have to dry some of the vegetables, otherwise some of them will ruin before they get there.”
“That would be very decent of you, Mrs. Brown,” replied the Major gratefully. “The haulers could eat some along the way, and even if some of the produce spoils, we can use the seeds to replant. We’re trying to develop a biodiesel fuel to run our trucks. If we ever manage that, we can cut the travel time down to about a day or two.”
They talked well into the night, and Tyler listened carefully. Ralph had taken him aside before dinner, and he had instructed Tyler to remember what was said. The Chief would want a report. Information was valuable.
Before dawn, the Army officers, and Tyler climbed into the wagon with Ralph, who drove them to the RV guard post. Ralph told them that he regretted not being able to take them the rest of the way, but that he needed to return to the farm. The Major thanked him for the lift. Soon after they arrived at the RV guard post, one of the guards mounted the motorcycle and roared off towards Petersburg carrying the heaviest part of the officer’s gear.
“And I thought we could scout them quietly,” said the Major to the Lieutenant with a rueful glance at Tyler.
“If we hurry, we can reach Petersburg by nightfall,” Tyler said.
They hurried, and they did reach Petersburg by nightfall. On the way, they passed a tree with a noose hanging from a branch. There were four graves nearby. Tyler gave them a brief account of the hanging. The officers looked at each other with worried concern.
When they arrived, there was no welcoming committee. The few people still out of doors looked at them with natural curiosity, and they nodded politely. Tyler was greeted warmly though. The Major noticed one young girl, hanging around, pretending to be busy, but she was obviously waiting for the boy to notice her.
“Hi, Tyler,” she finally said, glancing bashfully at the Army officers.
“Hi,” Tyler responded. “This is Gabby,” he said to the officers.
“Gabriella, actually,” said Gabby primly.
They made polite noises, and then she followed them to Chief’s Headquarters. While the officers and Gabby waited, Tyler knocked.
“It’s open,” they heard.
Tyler and the officers entered. Gabby snuck in behind them, before Tyler shut the door.
“Hi, Chief,” Tyler said. “Got them.” He pointed to the officers.
Mike gazed at the officers. “One moment, please, Major,” he said.
He got up from his desk, went to Tyler, and stuck out his hand. Startled, Tyler shook it.
“Good work, Tyler,” Mike said. “I knew I could depend on you. Go get something to eat and come back here in a half hour. And take Miss Nosy with you.” Gabby blushed, and she followed Tyler out of the room.
Then Mike greeted the officers. “Hello, again, Major Collins. I’m happy to see you too, Lieutenant Kennedy.”
“Mike,” the Major acknowledge the young man. “You’re looking well.”
“You too,” said Mike. “Thanks for getting those kids out.”
“You’re welcome. Of course, it was your plan.”
Mike laughed. “What are you talking about?” he asked innocently.
The officers chuckled, and then Major Collins’ expression turned serious.
“You could have explained, you know,” he said.
Mike shook his head. “My people were not willing to make contact then. To be honest, they are not exactly happy about you being here now. But I knew you would come, so I thought that we might as well meet you.”
The Major nodded. “Your man, Tyler, did well,” he said.
“Yes. Look, it’s getting late,” said Mike. “You’re here. Let’s get used to that fact before we try to feel each other out. When Tyler gets back, I’ll have him take you to a room in the Lodge. Just rest, look around, and we’ll talk in the morning. Okay?”
Major Collins nodded, “All right. You’re the Chief.” Mike was surprised at the statement.
Lieutenant Kennedy laughed. “We’ve already heard that a dozen times,” he said. Mike grimaced ruefully. The three of them talked until they heard a knock.
“It’s open,” Mike said. Tyler entered.
“Tyler, take Major Collins and Lieutenant Kennedy to my old room in the Lodge,” Mike ordered. “We’ve already cleared it out.”
Collins and Kennedy followed Tyler up the grassy slope to the Lodge in the deepening gloom. It was difficult in the dark to see how the building had been constructed. They passed the platform of Porta Pottys, and then they went inside.
“Wow,” Kennedy said, as he took in the whole area.
“An inadequate statement,” the Major suggested.
He looked up. Above him, he saw a catwalk in front of some second story rooms. A girl with a baseball cap on backwards was hammering a small log into an opening between two other thin logs that were part of the wall fronting the room. A bird fluttered by her head, but she ignored it.
“Quit whining about the noise,” she shouted into the room. “You’re the ones complaining that the guys can see your tits.”
Behind her, several grinning boys were hanging over the railing of a loft.
“You never let us have any fun, Kat,” one said.
A door opened, and a young pregnant girl stepped out from one of the rooms on the ground level. Seeing her, Tyler shrank back against the Major.
Spotting the boy, the girl said, “Oh, hi, Tyler. I heard you did a good job at the guard post.”
Tyler seemed to relax. “Uh, thanks, Desi,” he said.
“I think Gabby was really impressed,” Desi replied. Then she smiled at the two officers.
“Your room is right there,” she said, indicating the door next to the Lieutenant’s shoulder. “I hope the beds are comfortable. We only have twin size beds for you.”
“Thank you,” chorused the officers.
“And thank you, Tyler,” the Major added.
Kennedy opened the door and looked in. There were two single bunks against opposite walls, a white plastic table, and two white plastic chairs. The officers went into the room and shut the door.
“Well,” the Lieutenant said. “This community is not what I expected. They are not exactly hanging on by their bloody fingertips.”
“No,” the Major replied. “Of course, first impressions are often false. But, I admit that they appear to be just as well organized as our post, and so far, this community seems to be healthier in body and spirit. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.”
It had been a long journey from the Army Post, and their bodies were tired. While many in the community were still awake, the two soldiers went to sleep.
The officers were awakened by someone shouting, “Breakfast in thirty minutes!”
Kennedy sat up and looked at his watch lying on the table. It showed the time to be six o’clock. He yawned, stood up, and grabbed his pants and shirt. The Major was also on his feet. There was a knock at the door. When Kennedy opened it, a teenage boy handed him a basin of warm water. The men used the water to wash and to shave with the single plastic razor they shared.
When ready, they left the room and looked around. All about them, sleepy eyed teenagers were rousing. Some were coming out of the rooms above and next to them. Some were climbing down the ladder from the loft. Some were emerging from a smaller rock room. Some had obviously just slept in the common area. Kennedy mumbled that he had to use the latrine. He went outside. There was a short line, so soon it was his turn. He saw a girl leave one of the Porta Pottys, and he went towards it.
“If you’re pissing, put the seat up,” she warned him as she passed by.
Kennedy used the Porta Potty, and then he went back inside the Lodge. Major Collins was standing at the entrance to the small room off of the main a
rea, examining some barrels. A man came out of the small room bare-chested but carrying a t-shirt.
“Morning,” he grunted, giving the officer a suspicious look.
“Excuse me,” the Major said. “But are these part of a heating system?”
Hector introduced himself, and then he began to explain how the system worked. Quickly he warmed to the subject, becoming friendlier as he spoke. They were joined by the girl in the baseball cap. She went to Hector, who lifted her onto her toes, wrapped his arms around her, and gave her a generous kiss.
“Morning, Kat,” he said.
“Good morning, Hector,” Kathy replied. “Stop talking shop, put your shirt on, and let’s get some breakfast.” She turned to the Major. “We only have bread, butter, and milk for breakfast, unless you want oatmeal. It’s enough to get us going.”
Kennedy joined them. “What, no eggs?” he said facetiously.
“Only two days a week,” Hector replied. “Not today.” The girl nodded, and then she and Hector exited the Lodge.
“I was kidding,” Kennedy said to the door.
The Major gave one last glance of admiration at the heating system, and then they also left the Lodge. Now that it was light, they could see around them.
The Major pointed to the fields encircled by the track. “Grain,” he said.
When they were almost to the dining hall, Lieutenant Kennedy looked back at the two-story Lodge. He surveyed the latrine area, the log wall, the shingled roof, the solar panels, and the rock fireplace.
“Damn,” he exclaimed in astonishment.
He and the Major went into the dining hall. There were more white plastic tables and more white plastic chairs. They stood in a buffet line and received a plate of bread, a pat of butter, and a plastic cup containing cold milk. They took their plates to a table and sat down to eat. Gabby passed by them, as she was cleaning the tables, and she stopped to talk.