by T A Williams
“I appreciate the invite, Mr. President. I think I need to go catch some sleep.”
“Absolutely not,” President Johnson said, slapping him on the back. “You’re not going anywhere. Let’s have a sit and talk. The night is just beginning.”
The group moved to a table and Ben found himself sitting next to the President, listening to them talk about everything from his plans to rebuild schools to which fast food restaurant they needed to get back up and running first. From time to time the President would dismiss a member of the group. It usually consisted of nothing more than the President saying, “Harold, I appreciate you coming. We’ll have to do this again sometime.” Most of the people understood and immediately said their goodbyes. A few were a little slow and the President had to repeat himself but they all got the point. Within the hour it was just President Johnson and an older man in a button-up plaid shirt and jeans.
“Ben, I don’t think I’ve introduced you. This is Carl Stevens; he worked at the courthouse and provided us with intel on the changing soldier shifts and, more importantly, made sure all the doors were unlocked when you all raided the building.”
Carl seemed to puff up his chest and smiled. The man had also had too many drinks. While Ben had been given another glass, he had made a point not to take another drink. The fog had begun to clear from his head but his thoughts still seemed to move like molasses.
“You worked there? What did you do?” Ben asked.
“Janitorial. I cleaned up the place, which meant I had access to the whole building,” Carl said, taking another drink.
Johnson looked to Carl and Ben, waiting for the conversation to continue but it didn’t. Johnson frowned for a moment. “Carl, you made Ben’s job considerably easier. We’ll have to do this again sometime.”
“Yep,” Carl said and sat for a moment, then realized he was being dismissed. He downed the rest of his drink and placed it on the table. “Tha…thank you, Mr. President.”
Johnson nodded at him and the man left. Johnson turned to Ben and chuckled.
“Good man, but not the smartest I’ve ever met. Did you have a good time?”
“Yes sir,” Ben said.
“Ben, I want to give you greater responsibilities. You’ve done a lot for me and I reward people who help me out. What do you want? Anything, just tell me.”
Ben shook his head no but when he stopped it felt like he was still shaking it. “I’m ok. There really isn’t anything I need.”
“Bullshit, there is always something someone wants. I’m a politician; I understand people better than anyone. Now spit it out.”
Ben thought for a moment. “I’ve been considering retiring. I’ve been seeing someone back at HQ and it’s getting serious. I’ve been thinking about maybe returning home and building a life there.” Ben felt a smile on his face but he dropped it when he looked up and saw the President.
The man had a small frown on his face. “Really? That’s what you want? To start a family?”
Ben shifted. “I think so. It wasn’t before but I really like her and with all the fighting I’ve done over the last couple of years, I think it might be time to find out what else I’m good at.”
Johnson tapped his finger on the table a few times then emptied his drink and signaled for one of the servers to get him another one. “Do you not understand what I’m asking? I need people I can trust to help me run things. How would you like to run your own state? Or hell, what about your own region? The only person you would answer to would be me.”
“I…I don’t understand,” Ben said. “I would be like a…senator?”
The server placed a new glass on the table and Johnson immediately took a long swig of it. “Not exactly a senator. Look, it’s going to take a while to bring this country back to how it was. Electing officials and all of those things takes organization, manpower and a voting base that doesn’t have to worry about finding a daily meal. So until we get to that point, I’m going to have regents looking over the areas of this country. You could be one of them.”
Ben caught himself about to take another drink but stopped before it reached his lips. “I…I don’t know if that is something I want…sir.”
“Everyone wants more power. Even if they don’t yet realize it. Think about it. Think about the life you could provide your family and loved ones.”
He knew he shouldn’t but Ben took a long swig of his drink. “Is that why you got into politics? For power?”
Johnson laughed. “For the most part. I never thought I’d end up being in this seat but I’d be lying if I didn’t say it was a hope.”
Ben thought back to something Johnson had said to him long ago. “Mr. President, a while back you told me you thought you knew what had happened, how the world ended up this way.”
Johnson took another drink and nodded his head yes.
“What do you think happened?”
Johnson sat back and looked Ben up and down for a moment, then smiled. “What do you know about wildfires?”
“Wildfires? Not much, I guess.”
“Wildfires are destructive. They sweep through the countryside, destroying homes, wildlife and everything in their path, so naturally they are looked at as a bad thing, but do you know what happens when the fire dies down?”
Ben shook his head no.
“All the brush and dead trees are gone and the soil is more fertile than it was before. Trees begin to grow again and wildlife returns to the area. Before long the area is stronger and more beautiful than it was before.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Surviving the wildfire and the times after that is hard, but those who do are rewarded with something much stronger than what they had before.”
Ben’s stomach dropped and he felt his hands begin to shake. “So the EMP was a wildfire. Was it an accident?”
Johnson finished his drink and sat it on the table. “It’s been a long night. Ben, I want to thank you for coming. I’m going to the courthouse tomorrow to meet with the pretender and I’m going to ship the rest of the prisoners over here. Watch over them and think about what I offered.”
Ben didn’t remember nodding his head yes or leaving but when he fully came to, he was back in the makeshift barracks sitting on his bed. He had always suspected the power going out was an attack. He had always suspected it was the Chinese or North Korea but it had always bothered him that it had taken them over a year to attack after the blast. What if it wasn’t? The way Johnson talked about the EMP, like it was a good thing… Ben rubbed his eyes and lay on his bed. He was tired and his head was swimming from the alcohol he had drunk, but sleep refused to come.
What if it had all been on purpose?
Ally
They stood underneath an old concrete bridge, a crumbling gas station the only building visible for miles. The weeds were nearly waist-high all around them, giving them plenty of cover, but they were far enough out for that to only be a minor concern. Thirteen other soldiers had been there waiting for them, a number that Ally knew Maclin had hoped to be higher based on how he reacted when they found them. While they were only thirteen, they looked healthy and were well-armed.
Maclin walked off with the soldiers to fill them in while Ally, Adam, Coby and the rest of the civilians sat underneath the bridge, resting and trying to keep cool. Ally used the time to look over her arrows and the few throwing knives she had been able to either find or trade for. They weren’t as high quality as the ones she had before but they would do the job. She saw Adam off to the side watching her, and she could nearly feel the worry and concern coming off him.
As the sun fell they all made their way down a deserted highway until they came upon a beat-up barn and grain silo sitting in the middle of nowhere. The soldiers led them in and while the barn was nothing to look at from the outside, they had fixed it up nicely on the inside, with couches, beds and other supplies. They sat there in candlelight as Maclin and the rest of the soldiers discussed their strategy. Adam had come to h
er that night to talk, but Ally pretended to be asleep. She already knew what he wanted to talk about and her mind had been made up.
When day came the soldiers began to pack up their gear and Maclin took the civilians off to the side. He looked over all of them, except for Ally; he managed to avoid eye contact with her.
“Our home wasn’t the only place they attacked. They hit every one of our military bases, but they left the civilian centers alone. There is another about twenty miles north of here. That is where you all are headed.” A murmur went up throughout the gathered civilians. Maclin waited for it to subside before continuing. “Private Valentine will accompany you there, and you’ll be safe.”
“And what are you doing?” Ally asked.
Maclin glanced at her for a moment then returned his attention to the group. “We will be returning to the White House to bring our people back home.”
Adam put a hand on her shoulder but Ally brushed it off and stepped forward. “I’m coming with you.”
Maclin looked from her to Adam. “No, Ally. I need you to help get these people to safety.”
“You don’t need me for that. I can scout. I can help.”
Maclin gave her a small smile. “You can do more than that, Ally, but not for us. This is a military operation.”
“Ally, please,” Adam said softly.
She felt the anger welling up inside her but she said nothing. Maclin looked away quickly.
“Collect your things. You’ll be leaving in an hour.” Maclin walked away quickly and Ally just stood there.
The caravan of civilians began their trek down the lonely road one way while the soldiers began their trek down the other. Ally walked for an hour before she finally stopped where she was. Adam had been at her side the entire time and had expected this.
“Come on, Ally, we need to catch up.”
“You know I’m not going there,” she said.
Coby stopped as well. “Are you going to get Mom?”
She nodded at him.
“No, you’re going to get killed,” Adam said, pushing his glasses up his nose. “You’re not a soldier.”
“I’m not, but I’m more than just a civilian. Dena is my family; you all are my family. I’m not going to walk away from her.”
“You’re not walking away. They will find her and they will bring her back home,” Adam said frantically.
“They might, but I learned a long time ago that if you want something done, you have to do it yourself.”
Adam looked to Coby and gestured to Ally.
Coby’s eyes watered but he looked at her calmly. “You’ll bring her back?”
“I will.”
“And you won’t die?”
Ally let that wash over her but stood her ground. “I won’t.”
Coby ran to her and they embraced. He had always seemed like a small child to her but was now nearly as tall as she was. She held him until he stepped back and walked toward the others without looking back. Adam then stood there before her, eyes red and tears streaking down his cheeks.
“You’re being an idiot. This isn’t necessary.”
“I’ll be back soon.”
Adam grabbed hold of her arm tightly. “I’m not going to let you leave.”
Ally felt the pain in her arm but didn’t react. She gave Adam a gentle smile. “I love you, Adam.” She twisted and felt his hand loosen its grip and then ran down the road. She heard his shouts but didn’t let up.
Alec
He didn’t trust any of them, but there were two in particular that worried him the most. While all of Noah’s men walked about as if they owned the place, most of them kept to themselves. Then there were the two. There was a paunchy man with a long, greasy-looking ponytail who went by Slick and a young, clean-shaven man who always had a red handkerchief tied around his head who was known as Blood. They were looking for trouble. They didn’t walk; they strutted and went out of their way to get in the way. Alec watched them stare down his people and intentionally knock things down as they went past. It was a powder keg just waiting to explode.
Alec stood at his second story window and watched the two men as they hung out near the horse enclosure watching the animals. The villagers who went past them gave them a wide berth and picked up the pace until they finally passed. Alec strained his neck and spotted the shadows. Freddie and another man, Al, had been assigned by the Council to follow the men--without being noticed, of course--and make sure they didn’t cross the line. The Council made a point not to say what they were supposed to do if the men crossed the line and even now Alec didn’t know what they could do.
About that time he saw Blood pick up a rock and throw it at one of the horses, causing all of them to jolt and take off running toward the back of the field. Jamie, Trevor’s daughter, screamed out and came running from out of Alec’s viewpoint. Alec had his cane in hand and was running down the stairs before he had taken his next breath.
“Don’t you dare throw things at them!” Jamie screamed.
As he turned the corner he saw Blood turn to Jamie and laugh.
“Baby girl, don’t worry about them. They’re gonna be ok.”
Jamie had the sense to stop a good ten yards from them but she was still trembling with anger and her fists were clenched. “You’re going to make them run through a fence and hurt themselves. LEAVE THEM ALONE.”
Blood started to say something then stopped and looked Jamie up and down slowly. By that time Alec was at her side and stepped in front of her.
“Jamie, head to your place,” Alec said to her without taking his eyes off the men. “Guys, please don’t throw things at the animals. She’s right; it’s going to get one of them hurt.”
The smile left Blood’s face and Slick stepped forward. The potbellied man waddled more than he walked, causing his ponytail to bounce from side to side.
“We’re here to keep you in line, not the other way around. Mind your damn business.”
The commotion began to attract attention. Alec noticed a hush coming from behind him.
“The safety of these people and our livestock is my business. All I ask is that you don’t throw things at them. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Blood put his hand on Slick and acted like he was going to push him out of the way but the large man didn’t budge. Instead Blood stepped around him. “We hear you.”
With that said he bent down, picked up a rock and flung it at Alec. The rock sailed wide left but the intent was clear. Blood rested his hand on his sidearm, which was strapped to his hip. Alec didn’t move.
“Anything else?” Alec asked calmly, the world still managing to stay stable.
Blood’s jaw clenched and he began to pull out his sidearm.
“Don’t even think about it,” Freddie said as he came up from behind them with his rifle at the ready. Next to him was AJ, who was just as ready.
Blood and Slick turned and both of them just stood there.
“You really don’t want to do this,” Slick said. “It’s not going to work out for you in the end.”
There was a shout of alarm and Alec saw the rest of Noah’s men came running from the other side of the settlement. As they passed around one of the trailers, the rest of New Hope’s militia stepped out behind them, guns up. Noah’s men stopped where they were.
Alec stepped forward. “All of you drop your guns.” No one did anything for a few seconds then finally one of the men in the large group dropped his rifle and the rest followed, except for Blood and Slick.
“Don’t think I’m going to be doing that,” Slick said. His voice was calm but his face was red and several beads of sweat were running down his face.
“These two men were endangering our livestock,” Alec yelled to the rest of Noah’s men. “When we asked them to stop one of them pulled a gun. That is why we are in this situation.”
“You can’t talk your way out of this one,” Blood said with a smirk.
“Drop your weapons and you two get the hell out of
New Hope,” Alec said.
“Make me,” Slick said.
Quiet.
“Slick, Blood, report to Landon,” one of Noah’s men yelled.
Slick’s face somehow grew even redder. He shared a look with Blood but didn’t say anything. A few seconds later he dropped his rifle and his sidearm. Blood did the same.
“Noah isn’t going to let this stand,” Slick said and then spat at Alec’s feet.
They all watched as the two men walked down the driveway, got into their lone truck and drove away. Alec walked over to Noah’s seven remaining men. As he approached he signaled for the militia to lower their weapons.
“I’m sorry we pulled our weapons on you, but we were trying to prevent bloodshed,” Alec said to no one in particular.
A larger man with a scraggly goatee reached down, grabbed his rifle and slung it over his shoulder. “We don’t care about those two and don’t worry about us; we don’t make moves without orders. But you might worry about what the boss thinks. Chances are high he isn’t going to like what they tell him when they get there.”
Alec knew he was right. “I’ll talk with him.”
The large man nodded his head. “Yes, you will.” He walked off and the rest of Noah’s men grabbed their weapons and followed him.
Trevor came running up. “What do we do?”
The world shifted slightly. “Get everyone inside. I’ll wait out here. I’m sure Noah will send someone to talk, or someone to take me to him.”
“And then what?” Freddie asked. “What if he decides to hang you like he did Whitford? We’re not going to let that happen.”
“You’re not going to endanger everyone here just to save one person,” Alec said, turning on Freddie. “I’ll talk with him but if something goes wrong, do NOT get everyone here killed.”
Freddie turned to Trevor, who simply nodded. Freddie walked away and Trevor stepped closer to Alec.
“You going to be okay?” he asked.
The world only trembled around him and he was only putting some of his weight on the cane. “I’m good. This is something that can be explained.”