by Ira Tabankin
A Novel
First edition
Copyright January 2016
Ira J. Tabankin
Knoxville, TN 39720
Cover by Matt Margolis
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my wife and true love, Patricia.
Thanks
I’d like to thank the many members of the survivalistboards.com who helped me with their knowledge, comments and encouragement. A very special thanks to Dianne Mayhew, who proofread and edited the manuscript making this edition possible.
Work of Fiction
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Prologue
Jay and Lacy Tolson are like any other working class family in America. They live from paycheck to paycheck. Every week Jay fantasizes about winning the lottery. He daydreams about what he would do if he won. Being a prepper, he dreams of constructing the ultimate shelter for his family. One week in January, Jay got the shock of his life when he won the lottery jackpot which netted them over $28 million after taxes. After the shock had worn off, he began to seriously think about fulfilling his dream.
Jay and Lacy’s children and grandchildren lived in the Midwest; now having the money from winning the lottery, they decided to move closer to their family while also moving south to a warmer climate. Being a prepper, Jay looked for a new home which was both defendable and close to sources of water and food. They purchased a new 7,000 square foot home which was located next to a group of small farms. When Jay was informed his neighbor's farms were going to be foreclosed, he decided to buy the farms, he merged them into a single 1,000-acre farm with four tenant farmer families who became good friends with Jay and Lacy. Having secured a source of food, Jay turned his attention to building a shelter. He expanded his plans to include his new friends. While Jay was designing a shelter and learning what it meant to be a farmer, a quarter of the world away, the world’s economy was becoming very tenuous.
Greece ignited the fuse to the world’s economic meltdown and collapse when they elected a socialist as their Prime Minister. The new Prime Minister’s first act was to demand better repayment terms on their loans from Germany. Germany’s banks and Prime Minister refused Greece’s demands, knowing if Greece got away with altering the terms; every other country in the EU would follow. The result would destroy Germany’s economy.
When Germany refused Greece’s demands, Greece resigned from the European Union. Other European countries followed, ending Europe’s dream of a united continent. The Euro’s value collapsed. While the EU began breaking up, millions of Muslim refugees from IRAQ, Syria and parts of Africa swarmed into Europe like a wave of hungry locust stripping a farm. This changed Europe forever. Almost overnight, Europe started to become Islamic. Europe’s famous cities were becoming dangerous places to live or visit. Entire areas of Europe became Islamic only zones, even the local police refused to enter these zones. Sharia law became the rule of the zones, the angry, young Islamic men expanded the zones. They attacked every infidel in the surrounding areas, while expecting and demanding free housing, food and wifi. Europe’s economy was in a free fall.
While Europe was simmering, another quarter of the world away, China surprised the world by demanding full and immediate repayment of the loans she’d made to America. They further surprised the world by demanding repayment in either gold or silver, they announced they would no longer accept American dollars as payment for anything. They offered the American President a way out of the problem. They placed a proposal on the White House Situation Room conference table which shocked the world. China offered to accept the states of Hawaii and California as payment in full.
The President turned down China’s demand for repayment. He informed China they would be paid pack in due time. China responded by dumping their trillions of dollars for pennies on the dollar, destroying the dollar’s value. China ran a PR campaign to the people of Hawaii and California. China asked them to vote to stay in the Union or become a Special Economic Zone, similar to, but one with more freedoms than Hong Kong. The people of Hawaii voted to leave the Union and join China. The President refused to accept their vote. China assembled their navy which they sent to Hawaii to take by force that which the President withheld from them. America responded by assembling the largest naval armada the world’s ever seen. The World War Two battleship, the USS Missouri, was converted from a museum back to an active duty battleship which led the US Navy Task Force 77 into the largest naval battle in history against the Chinese fleet. The Task Force was broken into a smaller force centered around the last active Battle Ship, the USS Missouri, renaming it Task Force 66.
The world around Central Tennessee went crazy, Jay went ahead with his dream of building a large shelter under the farm’s fields. The shelter was large enough to house the forty plus people who lived in the farm’s local homes. Jay designed the shelter to protect and provide for over one hundred people. It had its own cafeteria, hospital and security rooms. Jay had become close friends with the local mafia Don, Tony, who wanted to bring his extended family into Jay’s shelter. Jay and Tony determined the existing shelter while large, wasn’t large enough to support both extended families. Tony ordered pre-made shelters from a company in California; the two shelters were merged to form a small city under Jay’s farm.
The dollar’s collapse led to the economy crashing and melting. Millions of people suddenly found themselves unemployed without any way to feed their families. The Federal Government stopped making welfare, social security and disability payments so they could save money to begin making payments to China.
As transportation stopped, food became scarce, people were angry, scared and hungry. Gangs roamed the countryside looking for whatever they could steal to stay alive. The Mexican drug Cartels swarmed into the United States to enslave large farms in the Southern states to grow and process their product. After overrunning Europe, ISIS sent troops to invade America. One of Jay’s son-in-law’s Ricky, a progressive, is out of place in the shelter. He’s outspoken and in Jay’s words, a royal pain in the ass. Ricky decides that because Jay refuses to share his food and shelter with displaced and hungry neighbors, Jay needs to be removed as the shelter’s leader. Ricky steals potassium that Jay uses for leg cramps and adds it to Jay’s coffee, causing Jay to have a massive heart attack. This happens at the worst possible time. Jay hangs near death, for the second time as the Cartel and ISIS are attacking the farm, both wanting to use it as their base of operations.
US Army Captain Black was ordered to work his way from Chicago South cleaning up the country and providing whatever aid he could to the citizens. He and Jay became friends. He informed the people in the shelter he wants to build his headquarters on the farm, in payment for the land, his troops rebuild their trashed homes. Before Captain Black can begin building his HQ, he’s called to investigate a situation in Memphis. He and the shelter agree to check in every day. When he can’t reach the shelter for a few days, he worries that something bad happened to his friends. He dispatches Staff Sergeant Johnson with a reinforced platoon to check on the shelter.
The Sergeant arrives at the shelter, coming under attack from both Cartel and ISIS troops, he’s surprised when his vehicles come under RPG attack. He knows his only chance to save what’s left of his platoon is to get inside the shelter. He pushes his people towards the shelter’s front door. Bullets and hand grenades explode all around them as they run towards the shelter losing valuable soldiers the closer they got to th
e shelter’s front door.
The shelter is saved by the Free Tennessee Militia, who answers their radio call for help. After beating off the attack. The militia and the shelter residents become fast friends.
Doctor Basco figures out Jay has been poisoned, he tests everyone who had access to Jay and his food/drink for signs of the poison. Because even handling potassium reveals boosted levels, Ricky’s blood tests come back positive. While Jay is fighting for his life, Tony places Ricky on trial for attempted murder. The shelter residents are Ricky’s jury. He confesses during the trial. Many want him killed for his attempted murder of Jay. Tony argues that they shouldn’t kill Ricky, they should banish him. Ricky happily leaves and is quickly captured by nearby ISIS soldiers. Even though Ricky gladly shares his knowledge about the shelter, his new ‘friends’ torture him for information about the shelter. They broadcast his torture on the internet which is seen at the shelter. Sammi forces Jay to send a rescue team to save Ricky.
The Tennessee Governor is informed about Jay’s shelter by militia General Arthur. The Governor and twelve other Southern Governors are planning on using the current crisis to secede from the Union, forming a new Confederacy. Jay worries about the damage a new Civil War could cause. He tries to talk everyone out of it. The deeper the financial crisis grows, the more the people want to secede. Jay feels a line will be crossed which will launch not only a second Civil War, but the possibility of a third world war. The Confederate Governors travel to Washington D.C. to discuss a peaceful secession with the President who kidnaps them, hoping their loss will put an end to the new Confederacy. Before leaving for D.C. the Tennessee Governor appointed Jay LT Governor. Jay assumes the office of Governor and then President of the Confederacy when the North kills all of the other Southern LT Governors. In a move to control Jay and the Confederacy, the Northern government kidnaps Jay’s oldest daughter and granddaughter in an attempt to control him. One of Tony’s associates is very experienced in ‘pest removal’ and retrieving high profile kidnapping victims. He rescues Sammi and Linda, wisely leaving Ricky behind.
Jay suffered a major setback. During construction, the new shelter has a cave in, trapping some of his people including Tony’s wife, Nancy inside the collapse. Many of the people rush to begin digging the people out of the cave in when an armed Northern drone orbiting overhead drops two guided bombs on the rescue operation, the bombs catch the rescuers in the open, including his wife and soul mate, Lacy.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold"
“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
Confucius
The Shelter
Book 6
“REVENGE”
Chapter 1
Dense smoke swirls over the site of the cave in and drone bombing. Flames from burning vehicles roar into the sky, burning fuel spreads on the ground, engulfing the bodies of the wounded and dead. The wind carries the crying and moans of the wounded rescue crew who came to help those buried in the new shelter’s cave in. The rescue team now desperately needs rescuing. The rescuers rushed to help those caught when the new shelter caved in. An almost silent drone, orbiting over the caved-in site relayed real-time video footage to D.C., who waited until the ambulances and trucks carrying the rescuers arrived before they sent the command to the drone which dropped two smart bombs into the center of the rescuers. One of the people caught too close to the exploding bombs is Lacy, Jay’s wife, soul mate and best friend. Jay watched the attack in real time on the monitor from inside his original shelter, horror reached into his spine, it twisted his guts. Time slowed down when the monitor flashed from the explosions. Jay and his staff rushed to the site, he ran directly to Lacy’s broken body. She lay on the smoking dirt, the left side of her face is covered in blood, her right arm is twisted at an impossible angle. Jay slid in the dirt to slide his arms under her body. Gently lifting her into his arms, he stares into the sky yelling, “THIS IS THE END. YOU CAN’T HIDE FROM ME. I WON’T REST UNTIL YOU AND EVERYONE YOU LOVE IS DEAD. THIS IS WAR!
Jay looks around the site seeing a war zone. The ground is littered with burning vehicles; trucks, SUVs and their only ambulance, which was tossed on its side and burning out of control. Jay’s ears and brain are overloading from the voices of his people crying and others begging for help. Holding Lacy’s broken body in his arms looking into the sky. God, please help me, PLEASE, I’ll do anything if you bring her back to me. I know you can do it. Twice you sent me home. Please, I’m begging you; please send her home to me. I’ll offer you an exchange, take me instead of her, she’s innocent, I’m the one with blood on my hands. Take me! I freely offer you my life in exchange for hers. Tell me what you want, PLEASE, I’m begging you; please don’t take her. I can’t live without her. If you won’t return her, then take me too! At least we’ll be together forever, the way it’s supposed to be.
Jay’s senses are overwhelmed from the smoke and smell of the burning rubber, fuel and bodies. His ears are filled with the moans and crying of the wounded. All he sees surrounding him is death and destruction. He tastes the ash and dirt which is covering everything. Tears run down his cheeks, leaving tracks on his soot covered face. His hands are going numb from squeezing Lacy.
Fred, Tony, and the surviving soldiers go person to person trying to figure out who can be saved and who’s either dead or too far gone to save. They’re overwhelmed with the number of wounded and dead. They’re running survivor to survivor trying to apply triage to the wounded before the shelter’s remaining medical team arrives. One of the missing is their primary doctor.
A dark shadow closes over Jay, he senses he’s falling, falling down a deep dark hole with Lacy in his arms, he knows this time, once he lands at the bottom of the tunnel, he won’t be returning. His vision begins to tunnel; his breathing is shallow and strained. He feels a deep cold in his bones. He’s prepared to stay as long as Lacy is with him. If the price of her return is my staying, so be it. Whatever they want to send her back to the land of the loving, I’ll agree to. I’m ready to enter into whatever agreement I have to, I’m prepared to pay whatever price I must in order to save her. I’m mentally prepared for whatever comes next. He’s surprised when he feels a tap on his right shoulder, how is this possible? I haven’t reached bottom yet. I haven’t finished crossing over, if I’m pulled back now, she’ll be gone forever. He screams, NO! Leave me alone, I have to try to save her.
“Jay, let me take a look at her.”
“GO AWAY! I have to cross over to make the deal to either save her or be with her forever.”
“Jay, look at me, I can help her.”
“I TOLD YOU TO GO AWAY! I haven’t finished our journey yet.”
“I may be able to save her, she’s still breathing, Jay, let me have her. Jay, look at me. Look into my eyes. Have I ever lied to you? Jay, SNAP out of it, NOW. There’s nothing to cross over, I don’t understand what you’re trying to tell me. I can help her, let her go, let me save her.”
“You’re dead too. You’re nothing but a ghost asking me to give up my love; I won’t let you take her from me. Go back to hell with my brother. Leave us alone, you’re not welcome here.”
A hand squeezes Jay’s shoulder, a soft voice whispers into his ear.
“Jay, you know me. Look at me. I’m not a ghost. I’m your friend and doctor. Jay, I saved you more times than I can count. I saved Fred and Tony. Jay, slowly turn your head and look at me. Touch me, feel me, you’ll see I’m real. I’m sitting next to you. I’m giving you my word, I’ve never lied to you, if you let me have her, I can save her. We have to hurry. You want her to live, don’t you? Gently, hand her to me. I’ll bring her back to you.”
Jay slowly turns his head, seeing his friend and doctor, Doctor Basco, the left side of his face bandaged, his left eye is covered with a blood-soaked t-shirt wrapped around his head. Jay sees the dark blood stains on his once perfectly clean and starched white lab coat.
“You’re dead. I saw you fall under one of the b
ombs. You can’t have her; I’m going to guard her until the angels arrive to take her to heaven. I’ll hand her to my father who is coming to take us.”
“Jay, are you alright? I don’t understand what you’re talking about. Listen to me; I was climbing into the ambulance when the bombs exploded. I caught some shrapnel and burns, but I’m otherwise okay. Jay, many of us lived. The bombs they dropped were very small ones. No more than 250 pounders each. Jay, listen to me, she’s not dead. I can help her. Let me save her. Her time is running out, I need to treat her quickly. JAY, LOOK AT ME! FOCUS on what I’m saying to you. GIVE HER TO ME!”
“You’re alive, really? This isn’t a dream?”
Doctor Basco smiles, “Yes, I’m alive, others are too. I need everyone who can bandage to help the wounded. I’ll take Lacy, why don’t you help the others?”
“Please save her. I can’t live without her, I won’t live without her. I’ll give you anything you want if you can save her.”
“I’ll do my best. Who were you talking to when I approached you? What did you mean; your father is coming to take the two of you? Isn’t your father dead?”
“Nothing, don’t worry about it. Can you really save her?”
“I don’t want anything, just let me take her from you, I’ll get her right into the medical lab in the shelter.”