by Goodwin,Mark
“Yeah, as long as it’s not in the middle of the night with no moon.” Courtney crossed her arms.
“Sleep with your flashlight nearby and some shoes that you can slip on in a hurry,” Elijah said.
“What if the cabin collapses? Then what?” Everett asked.
Elijah stood. “Come, follow me. I’ve thought about that. I’ll show you my solutions.
“Do you have any tents?”
“Yes, we have tents.” Everett responded.
Elijah led the way out the back door. “Keep them in your out building. It has that flimsy roof. Even if it collapses, you’ll be able to quickly clear away the debris and get to your tents. Keep just enough supplies out there to live on for a few days. You’ll eventually be able to excavate the beams and rubble from the cabin and find most of your equipment.”
Courtney looked at Everett. “We’ve got that massive safe upstairs.”
“I wouldn’t worry about the safe, but don’t keep anything you care about directly underneath it on the first floor.” Elijah chuckled.
He led the way to the goat pen. “I dug up a pit in this area. The goats pull up any vegetation by the roots anyway, so I knew it would never be good for producing anything anyway. I put several heavy duty five-gallon buckets, a dozen or so, side by side to fill the pit. I laid plywood on top of the buckets and smoothed the excavated dirt over the top.”
“What’s in the buckets?” Courtney looked at the ground in the goat pen.
“Mostly rice and beans. But if you were to make a similar cache, you could keep a few items that you might need in the event that your cabin was ever overran by looters.”
Everett thought about the idea. “Yeah, maybe we’ll do that.”
“And your glass jars. You should store them in a place that they would not be easily dislodged. Perhaps you can put cardboard, wood, or even cloth in between to keep them from knocking up against each other and breaking. Perhaps you should also keep a bucket of water next to the fireplace so you can douse the fire before you leave your house when the quake occurs. It would be better to deal with a wet fireplace than have the cabin collapse with a fire burning. In that scenario, you might lose all of your supplies.”
Everett tried to notice any telltale signs of where the buckets under the ground began and ended, but he couldn’t spot any. “Is this the only cache you have?”
“Don’t be nosy.” Courtney scolded Everett. “You don’t have to tell us if you don’t want to.”
Everett hadn’t meant to pry. He thought about how he’d feel if someone were asking him the whereabouts of all his supplies. “She’s right. I didn’t mean to be rude. I was just wondering if there were any other ideas you might have for keeping a few items safe through the quake.”
“Please.” Elijah held up a hand. “I’m not that easily offended. Nor am I that secretive. I know you both, trust you, and believe your motives to be of the utmost sincere nature. Part of the reason I’m showing you the goat pen is so you may use the supplies in the event that I’m not here when you need them. When I leave, I don’t expect to be coming back. I hope to have the chance to say goodbye, but I never know. It wouldn’t be unlike Him to whisk me away in a moment.”
Everett couldn’t follow some of the things that Elijah said from time to time. On most occasions, he seemed like a very normal person who spoke in rational terms. But once in a while, he went off the rails and the things he’d say made no sense to Everett, whatsoever. Rather than seek an explanation, Everett politely said, “That’s very kind of you. And if you ever need something when we’re not home, the offer is mutual. Feel free to help yourself.”
Courtney smiled and put her arm around Everett to show her approval of the reciprocated offer.
Elijah turned to go back to the house. “Several cave systems run throughout this area. Shenandoah Caverns, Luray Caverns, and the Endless Caverns are tourist caves, all within a few miles of here.”
“Do you know of any cave entrances nearby?” Courtney asked.
“Yes.” Elijah opened the back door. “Perhaps we can take a drive tomorrow or the next day. It’s not far. Caves are typically situated below the layer of earth which is shaken by a quake. The entrance is usually the most volatile part of a cave. You wouldn’t want to be inside when a quake struck and get trapped if the entrance collapsed, but it might be a good place to store supplies. A cave might offer a desirable shelter from some of the other judgements coming upon the earth as well.”
“Like what?” Courtney asked as they walked back in the house.
“Scorching heat, massive hail storms, large meteors . . .”
“Okay, okay, okay.” Everett put his hand up, interrupting Elijah’s reply. “Sorry, but I have to process everything so far. We’ll cover all of that later.”
“Sure.” Elijah smiled patiently. “Would you like me to reheat your pizza? I’m afraid it has gotten cold.”
Courtney sat back down. “I love cold pizza, actually.”
“So do I. Besides, we’re the ones who let it get cold.” Everett resumed his place at the table.
“And save room, I made you a cake.”
Courtney’s mouth was full, but she still managed to show her surprise.
“You really went above and beyond. Thank you so much, Elijah,” Everett said.
Everyone conspicuously avoided talk of the impending doom throughout the rest of the visit. They’d said enough about it for one day and it was time to celebrate the wedding and enjoy the good things God had provided. Afterwards, Everett asked to borrow some electrical tape to repair the ham radio, and then he and Courtney returned home, cautiously observing their property as they approached, and quietly inspecting the perimeter before entering the cabin. Finding no signs of trouble, they went inside for the night. Everett drew up the ladder and closed the hatch to the loft. No one would be able to get to them without creating a substantial amount of noise, giving Everett and Courtney ample time to react. Their belongings in the cabin below were still at risk of being taken in the night with no one on watch, but at least they’d be safe.
CHAPTER 4
The earth shall reel to and fro like a drunkard, and shall be removed like a cottage; and the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it; and it shall fall, and not rise again. And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth.
Isaiah 24:20-21
After breakfast Saturday morning, Everett got right on fixing the wires to repair the ham radio. He stripped the plastic coating back, affixed the cut wires from the radio to the antenna, battery and other components, wrapping the exposed wire tightly with ample amounts of electrical tape to prevent a short through unintended contact of the wiring.
Courtney stepped into the back bedroom where Everett was working on the radio. “Need any help?”
“I’ve got this, but I’ll need your assistance with digging the trench from the creek to bring the water closer to the house.”
“I was offering to hold the tape for you or something, not dig a ditch.”
He turned to see if she was being serious. He grinned when he saw the playful look on her face. He turned his attention back to the radio. “Okay, I’ll do it myself, but you’ll have to haul your own water to the cabin. Don’t expect to be getting water from my branch of the creek.”
“And don’t expect to be sleeping in the loft tonight.” She tussled his hair. “But seriously, Everett; isn’t it a lot of work to dig a trench from the creek when we don’t know if the house will still be standing after the quake?”
“Hauling water is a lot of work too. We know the quake probably isn’t coming until after March 15th. Even if it came a week later, it would be a worthwhile project.”
She leaned against the desk where Everett was working. “Plus, you’ll have to line the trench with creek stones or something to keep it from washing out the trench and to keep the water from being muddy.”
Courtney huffed. “Don’t listen to me. It’s a good idea. I’ll help you collect rocks, gravel or whatever to line the trench. I think Elijah has a wheelbarrow. That will make hauling rocks much easier, especially up and down these hills.”
Everett winked at her. “Thanks.”
She looked closer at the radio. “Is it working?”
“We don’t have much power. I have to take this battery up to Elijah’s to charge later, but I think I’ve got enough juice to call Mr. Black.”
Courtney looked around the room. “Should we move down to the bedroom and offer Mr. Black the loft?”
“It would be easier.”
“And if we had to get out fast, when the quake hits, we’d be closer to the door,” she added.
Everett looked up toward the loft and calculated the position of the safe. “Yeah, I guess this area isn’t at risk of being crushed by the safe falling.”
She winced. “I forgot about the safe. We’d have to invade their privacy every time we wanted to get in the safe.”
Everett turned back toward the radio. “Yep. There’s no moving that thing.”
“I wonder how Jones got it up there?” she asked.
“I expect he rented a crane and put it up there when he built the house, before he put the roof on. It certainly proved to be an effective deterrent against theft. So what’s the verdict? We stay in the loft?”
“Yeah, I kind of like it up there anyway.”
He took her hand. “Me, too. Maybe we can practice getting down the ladder quicker.”
“Perhaps we can make a fireman pole to slide down,” she said.
“We’ll think of something.” Everett found the frequency that Ken had used to contact Thinthread. He keyed the mic. “This is Undertow calling Mr. Black.” Everett waited a few minutes and repeated the message. Ten minutes later, he called again.
Shortly after his third attempt, the radio sprang to life. “Go for Black.”
Everett made a quick and concise offer for Mr. Black and his girlfriend to join them at the cabin.
Mr. Black had come around to the wisdom of not using Sarah’s name over the radio. “I appreciate the offer and we do recognize the need for a group to provide mutual security, but Ms. White and I are well positioned and well stocked in our current location. Would you consider relocating?”
Everett began to make his case. “Can you be sure that your location wasn’t compromised when Thinthread and the other member of your team were captured?”
Black was silent for a while then finally replied. “I’m 99 percent sure that the GR could not have broken them in the amount of time between their capture and the time of the disappearances.”
Courtney gestured to Everett to let her talk for a while.
Everett said to Black, “I’m going to put you on with Mrs...”
“Grey,” Courtney said.
“I’m listening,” Mr. Black replied.
“Mr. Black, you’re aware of the industry in which our team worked prior to the recent events.”
“I’ve got a pretty good idea,” Black said.
“Then you’ll trust me when I tell you that . . . our industry had certain provisions, chemical in nature, which could be used to acquire information from certain subjects when time was of the essence.
“Also, you said that you were aware of the subsequent events that are prophesied to follow the disappearances. Would you say you have a clear understanding of the chronology of those events?”
Mr. Black replied, “I’ve been looking through the Bible of the man who led the studies for the group. I have some general idea, but I probably couldn’t teach a class on it, if that’s what you mean.”
Courtney nodded as she listened. “You know about the seal judgements then.”
“I read about them, yes. I think there are seven.”
“Right. We think the first four seals are opened, we believe the fifth seal will be opened around March 15th, at the end of the amnesty period for people to pledge allegiance to the Global Republic and have their Mark implanted.”
“Go ahead, I’m listening.”
Courtney looked at Everett and continued speaking. “The sixth seal will bring a cataclysmic worldwide earthquake. The whole earth will feel the effects. Some of the operations we provided information for, were carried out in and around the East Tennessee Seismic Zone. We don’t want to know your location, but if it’s anywhere near the ETSZ, it would be a horrible place to be when every tectonic plate on the planet begins to shift.”
Mr. Black was silent. Seconds later, he asked, “Could we have twenty-four hours to consider your proposal?”
Everett took the mic. “Sure. We’ll be standing by at the same time tomorrow.” He clicked off the power and looked at Courtney.
“And now we wait,” she said.
He winked. “And now we go dig a trench.”
“Ugh!” Courtney protested. “Let’s get it over with.”
Everett got up from the desk and followed her to the kitchen. They each put their boots on, grabbed jackets and gloves, and then proceeded to go outside.
Courtney asked, “Should we go get the wheelbarrow first?”
“Yeah, I’ll take the battery up to Elijah to recharge as well.”
“So we’re going up in the BMW?”
Everett looked at the old pickup left by the intruders. “Let’s take the truck. In fact, I’m going to give it to Elijah. We’ve already got three vehicles and nowhere to go.”
“I like that idea.” She smiled and opened the door of the truck and got in.
“I’ll be right back.” Everett went back inside to retrieve the battery, locked the door on his way out, plopped the battery in the bed of the truck, got in and started driving up the mountain.
Courtney looked out the window. “That satellite dish that Ken built, why couldn’t we hook that up to the television and get the news channels?”
Everett pursed his lips. “Even if we could unscramble the signal, I wouldn’t have any idea how to get the signal into the television. Ken was the hardware guy. I can’t do much until I’ve got a screen and a key board. If you can get me to that point, I’m lethal, but I’m dead in the water without equipment. What about you? Do you think you can rig up something to feed the signal into the television? Jones has the digital-to-analog converter to bring the signal in from the rabbit ears to the television.”
Courtney shook her head. “Not a chance. I’m like you; as long as I have a keyboard and a screen, there’s not much I can’t do.” She paused. “Wait a minute. Why do we need a television? Ken has the dish connected to the router which feeds into the computer via USB. We can just hack right into the satellite service with the computer. We’ll run tails and go directly through the dark net, no one will ever know we’re there.”
Everett grimaced. “I don’t know. With internet, we have to transmit the request for service, which could give away our location. If we can figure out a way to run the television, it only receives, so no threat of us being detected.”
“If I had a satellite television box, I’m pretty sure I could get inside and unscramble the signal.”
“That would be awesome. We’ll ask Mr. Black to bring one if he comes.”
“He’ll come, I’m sure of it.” Courtney smiled confidently.
The next morning, Everett poked the logs in the fire, stirring the coals so he could place the grate over the hot glowing embers to start breakfast.
Courtney walked into the living room. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.” Everett turned to greet her then resumed his endeavor to prepare the morning meal. “How did you sleep?”
“Like a rock, but my shoulder is super stiff from hauling rocks to construct the Carroll Canal.”
Everett feigned a look of arrogance. “Hmm, feels kind of nice to have a waterway named after me.”
“Tah!” Courtney exclaimed. “The canal is named after me! Carroll is my last name too. Remember?”
Everett placed the coffee pot on the grate and stood up. “You deserve it. You worked hard. And I’ll give you a massage to loosen up that shoulder.”
She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. A massage; we both know where that will end up.”
He held three fingers in the air. “Scout’s honor, just a massage, no strings attached.”
She put her arms around his neck and winked. “Oh, it wasn’t a complaint.”
Everett smiled and leaned in for a kiss.
Suddenly, Courtney pulled away. “I heard a vehicle. Someone is on the road”
Everett reached for his pistol. It wasn’t there. “Rats!”
Courtney gave him a cross look as she pulled her .380 Tomcat out of her front pocket and handed it to him. “Take this, I’ll run upstairs and get your HK.”
Everett took the small pistol and peered out the window. He watched as the vehicle came around the trees and pulled into the drive. He called out loud enough for her to hear him in the loft. “All clear, it’s Elijah.”
Everett slipped the small gun in his pocket and opened the door. “Good morning.”
“I hope I’m not interrupting.” The old man was careful to wipe his feet before entering.
“Not at all. To what do we owe the pleasure?”
Courtney returned to the room carrying Everett’s backpack where he kept the HK G36C and several extra magazines. The short-barreled rifle was just under 20 inches when the stock was folded and fit easily into the pack. She placed the pack on the floor next to the couch and handed Everett his Sig pistol, with its inside-the-pants holster. “Good morning, Elijah.”
Elijah smiled. “Good morning, I hope I didn’t frighten you by popping around unannounced.”
Courtney took her Tomcat back as Everett handed it to her. “There’s nothing to be frightened of if everyone is following weapons protocol, is there?”
“Yes, well, I’ve come bearing gifts.” Elijah clapped his hands together.