No Normal Day II (Unity)

by Richardson, J.

  “On his mule!” said a couple of voices in unison. Somewhere not that far away, they heard the bell clanging. Jack saw the huge gun at the hermit's side.

  Jack said, “Crazy ole coot,” there was a lump in his throat.

  “Bless his heart,” said Beth. Then she started smiling and then laughing. And everyone was laughing, it hurt so bad that it was funny. They were okay, they had won.

  Chapter Twelve

  PEACE

  The clean up at the war front would be huge. The leader and his red cap underlings had been eliminated, none of the few who survived the Unity Militia would want to tangle with them again. Many of the survivors of the gang had simply ran away. The two women from the leader's van and several who were limping around, due to Beth's sniping at their feet and legs, were loaded up in the school bus. Just like the bad guys from the kidnappers lair had been, they were taken about twenty five miles into the country and left, with a couple of jugs of water. There were somewhere between forty and fifty bodies. All of these were loaded on the two flat trailers. There was an old mining operation about thirty miles south of Unity, some of the deep holes had filled with a murky mineral water. The bodies were dumped into these holes. They left the trailers at the site.

  Unity acquired a van, two pick-up trucks and a large amount of guns and ammo. Their barricades would stay in place. The remaining molotov bombs and the catapult would be kept in position near the northern border. It had served it's purpose with grand style.

  Joel led Jack and some of his family to the shack of the hermit. The mule had wandered back home, they would take it and Herm's goats to the five acre property. Mountains, of what Herm had called “treasure” piled around his small weather beaten shack. They would all know where to look when an odd thing or two was needed. In the front of the shack, two more gang bodies lay. Herm's big gun had probably got both with one blast. Inside, it was relatively neat and clean. On a table, sat the gifts that Jack's family had given the hermit at Christmas. In a box nearby, small trinkets that he obviously saved for the children. This brought fresh tears from Jack's daughters. They dreaded trying to explain to the children, about the loss of the strange old man. On a hook, a hanger held a very faded army uniform. A purple heart ribbon was pinned to the front. Jack was surprised, he said “We will bury Herm in this.”

  In the far corner of the five acre property they fenced off an area. The mule pulled the wagon that carried the simple wooden box to the grave site. Over half of Unity walked behind the Suburban, to the five acre cemetery. The leader of the church group gave a small service. Over the next days, all would come and pay their respects and leave small trinkets at his gravesite. The large wooden cross that they made, read Herm, the beloved first hero of Unity, TX. October 2015. The large bell hung around the cross and the purple heart encased in a glass jar, rested at the base. Herm would become part of Unity legend. Dianne would write the story and it would be passed along to the children.

  Brother rested in the front of Jack and Beth's compound, near to the family. They were all glad that no other graves had to be dug at the new town cemetery. Cody's arm was injured pretty badly, but he would keep the use of it. Gilley's son-in-law had a bullet take about half of an ear. It had bled like crazy and wasn't very pretty, he was fine. The church group soldier was shot through the shoulder and would recover. There were many minor and not so minor wounds. The medical teams had done the very best job they could, with what they had to work with. There were no infections or complications, more than a few of the Unity citizens would forever carry the scars of the War on the Border.

  ***

  Mac and Lacey stood before the small brick house. This would be their home. It was not far from the fire station and from the newly chosen Unity school building. Lacey spent nearly everyday at the school. Mac had done his job of warning and standing with the citizens of the small town. There was no need for the loner to live in the big grocery market, the man would no longer be the loner. He and Lacey were committed and they were a part of Unity.

  The town of Unity had won their peace. They had secured their small piece of the world for the time being. They continued, of course, to search for answers. What had really happened and who had been responsible? There were rumors, still no definitive explanations.

  Jack had made some contacts with an old Marine buddy, that lived about sixty miles to the North. He and his wife had been very much into disaster preparations. He was pleased to find out that they were surviving well and that they knew of a couple of other families of survivors.

  This was good news to Jack. Later, about five months after the battle, the most encouraging news came. Dane was at the short wave radio in the big garage/shop. A broken communication was coming through. He went to the door of the common room and said, “Poppa, I hear someone on the radio asking for Jack.” Jack went to the radio.

  “Jack...is that you? Are you there? It's Clint,” a voice came through the static.

  “Oh my god. Clint, you are alive. What about Dee?”

  Jack and Beth had spent many summers in the cool mountains of Colorado. They had made friends there. These old friends from home had built a house and moved there full time. In all this time, they had not known and he dared not think if they had survived.

  The voice said, “We are making it, Jack. There is a small alliance around here and we have been able to hold on. What about your family?”

  Jack said, “You won't believe it, the family is here. There have been some rough times in the past two years but we are all alive and surviving. And Gilley....Michael....Smitty and their families. We are all surviving, Clint. It is so great to know that you and Dee and others are surviving.”

  “Jack, do you know what really happened, what went all crazy?” said Clint.

  “We don't know. Only rumors.” said Jack.

  “Well, we went over to your place and got your old Jeep. It has been a life saver, literally, out here.” said Clint.

  Jack laughed, “Hey buddy, no problem. We have borrowed a few old wrecks ourselves.”

  The radio reception was getting more and more filled with static. “Hey Jack, I think we are losing you. What is Unity, anyway?”

  “You take care, old friend... We are Unity....Clint?” Just crackling.

  I hope that you enjoyed No Normal Day II. I enjoyed writing the further adventures of Jack and Beth for you. I would like to hear from you. Let me know if you would like to hear more about Jack and Beth and their family.

  J. Richardson

  “Zap” me a note at richardsonjo66@gmail.com

  No Normal Day, No Normal Day II (Unity) and

  No Normal Day III (West) are now available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, Apple Ibookstore and KOBO