by Mark Goodwin
“Yeah. Thanks.” Noah grabbed his thermos and his rifle. “Too much time to worry up here.”
Elliot smiled. “You have to think positive thoughts.”
“Does that work for you?”
Elliot positioned the wool blankets, which were used as a shooting pad to lay on by the men on watch. “Sometimes it does, and sometimes it doesn’t.”
“What do you do when it doesn’t work?”
“Worry.”
Noah chuckled and started down the ladder. “Have a good shift.”
Noah breathed in the fresh air as he crossed the yard to the house. The smell of smoke wafted down from the chimney. With the light flurries of snow, the brisk air, and the warm fragrance of a cozy fire, it felt like the Christmas season. He wasn’t with Lacy and Cassie, but he also wasn’t alone. He took comfort in the fact that Lacy and Cassie weren’t alone either. It could be worse, Noah Parker, he told himself as he opened the door to David’s kitchen.
“Wow! What do I smell?” Noah sat his rifle in the corner of the room and walked over to the sink to rinse out his coffee thermos.
“Turkey pot pie.” David was sitting at the table with Benny, who had a small AM/FM radio playing.
“And you were standing on your leg when you put that together? What happened to staying off of it for six weeks?” Noah opened the oven to take a peek at the source of the beautiful aroma.
“If I don’t do anything for six weeks, I’ll go nuts. It won’t matter if my leg heals or not. Besides, there’s a limit to how useless I can be and still stand being in my own skin.”
“I can understand that, but know that none of us mind pulling a little more weight while you’re on the mend. What’s wrong with the shortwave, Benny?”
Benny fidgeted with the radio to find an AM channel that was broadcasting. “Nothing. I’ve been in front of it all day and need a break. I want to see what’s going over the regular airwaves and how it compares with what the hams are talking about.”
Noah started a pot of hot water to make some tea. “And how is the revolution going?”
Benny smiled and nodded at Noah. “Better than we ever dreamed. The DHS bases are falling like dominos. The US military personnel are going AWOL en masse, and they’re walking off with lots of supplies when they leave. There have been a few firefights, but most bases are going down without a shot.”
Benny’s expression changed on a dime. He ran his hand over his head and looked down at the table. “Of course the cities are in absolute chaos. The list of cities without power is growing every day. There’s no food. Brownouts and rolling blackouts in many of the cities that still have power. As horrific as the Federal Government was, it did keep the lights on and kept the food trucks moving. Their motivation was only to use the resources to enslave people, but at least they were alive.”
Benny was quiet for a moment; then he threw his hands in the air and let them fall limp at his side. “But that’s the nature of the beast. When you start a revolution, you have to be willing to get a little blood on your hands. And you have to understand that most of that blood is going to be from innocent bystanders. Women, children, people who’ll never understand what’s happening.”
Noah didn’t quite know what to say to comfort Benny. He knew Benny’s guilt was from things he’d been involved with in the past. Noah, on the other hand, felt no shame about what was happening. It was horrible that all of those people were starving to death in the cities, but this was the fault of the criminals running the show, those who had purposefully engineered the attacks and the collapse. The only thing Noah was guilty of was standing up for himself and fighting for the freedom of his country and his family’s right to live. And for that, he felt no remorse. “It’s pretty bad out there, huh?”
Benny shook his head. “You don’t even want to know. Detroit, LA, Chicago, St. Louis, New Jersey, Miami, they’ve all fallen to gangs. There’s probably not a decent person left alive in any of those cities. The gangs are fighting over resources and killing anyone who gets in their way.”
“Won’t the gangs eventually kill each other off?” Noah leaned back against the counter.
Benny’s head shook in a slow, hypnotic way. “No, when resources are gone in the cities, they’ll start spreading out into the heartlands, like a cancer.”
“But then they’ll be in good-ol’-boy territory. They won’t last long out there.” Noah considered the number of gangs in Knoxville and wondered if they’d start going on raiding missions out toward Sevierville.
Benny rubbed his head. “Good ol’ boys don’t have AK-47s or leadership infrastructure. Some of the more well-organized gangs function almost as efficiently as a military unit. They have a very clearly defined hierarchy. Orders flow down the chain of command without being questioned.”
David spoke up. “But, they aren’t used to operating in the woods. Their weapons skills and tactics are highly specialized to urban warfare. If they come around here, we’ll eat them alive.”
Benny nodded. “You’ve got military experience. You know what to do and how to hold a position. Small towns that either don’t have experienced soldiers or the good sense to listen to their advice won’t last. When the gangs get hungry for food, you’ll be surprised how quick they adapt to a different battlefield. They’ve already taken the suburbs of many large cities, probably as much to escape the smell of the rotting corpses as for food resources. And these are very violent people. I hate to think what is happening to their victims. I hate it even more, knowing that I had a hand in it.”
David put his hand on Benny’s arm. “Listen. That is not your fault. Those people are animals. You aren’t responsible for what they do. And you’re not responsible for this situation. We were attacked, and we’re doing the best we know how to fight back. The people dying in the cities were dead when the attacks happened. The government never had the resources to save them anyway. This whole country has been teetering on the cliff of disaster for years. If the attacks hadn’t come, something else would’ve triggered the collapse. We’ve been on an unsustainable path for decades. A happy ending hasn’t been a possibility for a long time now, and it’s not your fault, Benny.”
Benny didn’t look up. He just nervously scanned the channels on the small radio.
Noah didn’t want to irritate Benny any further, but he was curious about what was going on in the rest of the country. “Any word on DC?”
Benny snorted. “That’s the one city that is still holding it together. Between the Secret Service, Homeland, and foreign military contractors, it’s locked down. Anyone caught jaywalking in DC is going straight to a detention center. Unless they happen to be connected, that is.”
David tried to stand up. “I better check that pot pie. It smells like it’s pretty close.”
“Don’t get up! I’ll check it.” Noah put his hand up, then turned to peek in the oven again.
David pursed his lips and sat back down. “I don’t like being treated like an invalid. So, Benny, do you think it’s business as usual in Washington? I mean, do you think Clay is still holding staff briefings in the West Wing every morning?”
Benny’s demeanor switched yet again. He suddenly looked amused at David’s question. “Oh, heavens no. Clay is in a bunker somewhere. He’s probably still having briefings with his staff, who are most likely in the same place he is. The goings on in Washington would be the people in the Pentagon trying to figure out how to keep the military together, the State Department trying to figure out how to make the rest of the world believe America is not a failed state, and the Fed and Treasury looking for a way to salvage the dollar.”
Noah put on the oven mitts and took the pot pie out of the oven. He placed it on top of the stove. “Do any of them have any hope of success?”
Benny smiled. “None whatsoever. But it’s like a drowning man in the middle of the ocean. He knows he’s doomed, but he’ll keep holding on because it’s the only thing he knows to do.
“I’ll take a plate
out to Elliot if you want to tell Kevin and Sarah that lunch is ready.”
“Sure,” Noah said. “Should I wake Jim?”
David shook his head. “He ate breakfast with us; then we chatted for a while. He didn’t get to bed till around eight thirty. I’d let him sleep a while longer.”
“Roger that.” Noah went to the living room to call Sarah and Kevin to the table. “Lunch is ready.”
“I thought I smelled something good.” Kevin stood up from the couch and pulled Sarah up by the hands. The two of them went to wash up before they ate.
Noah returned to the kitchen and plated up healthy portions of the pot pie for each person who was coming.
“Thanks for helping me with lunch,” David said. “Do you think Benny is doing okay? I mean, he doesn’t seem very emotionally stable sometimes.”
Noah sighed. “We’ve all got our own way of dealing with things, but I think all of this is stirring up some guilt from past experiences. He said some things to me a couple of weeks back that hinted that this might not be the first revolution he’s helped start.”
Kevin walked in just in time to catch the last sentence. “Wait! What did you just say?”
Noah shrugged. “I don’t really have any more details than that. But take it easy on Benny.”
Sarah raised her eyebrows. “Quiet little Benny, changing the course of nations. I knew he worked for NSA, but I thought he was just a programmer or something.”
Benny returned from taking lunch out to Elliot, and an awkward silence fell on the room. After a few seconds, he said, “It’s cold out there. You better dress warm tonight, Kevin.”
“I will, thanks.”
Everyone sat down, and David said a quick prayer to bless the meal. Noah brought Sarah and Kevin up to speed on the DHS bases.
Sarah took a drink of her water. “A failed state? We still have continuity of government, albeit an unconstitutional one. The DHS detention centers are the only locations where troops are refusing orders and going AWOL. The military bases are still manned and under the command of the Pentagon, right?”
David tilted his head from side to side. “From the sound of things, the military bases are just barely under the control of the Pentagon. I don’t think it’d take much to have the same level of insurrection at the permanent bases as we’re seeing at the detention centers. And continuity of government is just a façade at this point. We don’t have a functioning currency, chain of command has all but disintegrated in the military, and the cities are experiencing absolute lawlessness. Americans are dying of dehydration and starvation because water utilities are shutting down and resources are depleted in the population centers. If we’re not a failed state, we’re a failing state.”
“On the bright side, the government is in no condition to keep harassing us. Sounds like we won.” Kevin continued to eat.
“Until another nation decides to step in and take control,” Benny said softly.
“Like who?” Noah asked.
“China, Russia; in our present state, we couldn’t fend off Mexico. In fact, the drug cartels are seizing their opportunities along the Southern border as we speak.” Benny took another bite of his food.
David asked, “Have you heard anything from the governor? What is Tennessee going to do? Our state could form alliances with surrounding states for mutual protection.”
Benny nodded. “We could, but we don’t know which side the state will fall on concerning the attacks. If they fall for the propaganda put out by the Federal Government and believe that American Patriots for Christ perpetrated the attacks, we’ll be in the same situation we were in when the Feds were hunting us down.”
“Out of the fryin’ pan and into the fire,” Kevin scowled.
“The future is up for grabs. Anything we say is little more than futile speculation at this point.” Benny pushed his food from side to side on his plate.
David sat up straight. “Next week is Christmas. Whatever happens in the future, I think DC has enough on their plate without hunting us down for now. If no one objects, I’m thinking the guys with families staying out at the cabin should head out there. Kevin, you and Sarah can come out with us or stay here, but it might be tight quarters out there. Benny, you’re invited to come out with us as well.”
“So we’d suspend the twenty-four hour watch when you go?” Kevin asked.
David nodded. “Yeah, I think we’re okay for now. Noah, how does that sound to you?”
Noah’s eyes lit up. “Great! I miss my girls.”
Sarah wiped her mouth with her napkin. “Are you sure you don’t mind us staying here while you’re gone? We would go back to our place in town, but it’s pretty high profile if we get any federal agents snooping around. Also, it’s probably been hit by looters from Knoxville by now.”
David smiled. “You’d be doing me a favor by keeping an eye on the place and feeding the animals.”
Kevin looked at Benny. “If you stay out here with us, we can at least try to have someone awake twenty-four hours a day, just to listen, in case we get unwanted guests.”
Benny looked at David.
David shrugged. “We’re your family. We’d love to have you come out to the cabin.”
Benny scratched his head. “But I’d have to move all the radio equipment, and it might be tough to find a good place to set up out at the cabin if it’s crowded. I appreciate the offer, but I think I’d prefer to stay here. Kevin has a point. It’s probably best to have at least three of us to keep an eye out.”
“Suit yourself. You’ll be missed, but I’m sure the girls will understand.” David patted Benny on the arm.
“When will we leave?” Noah was ecstatic.
David looked at the small radio. “We’ll listen to the news in the morning and see what Benny hears over the ham. If nothing has changed, we’ll head out tomorrow afternoon.”
“How long do you think you’ll stay out there?” Kevin asked.
David paused for a second. “I’m not sure. At least through New Year’s, unless we hear news that makes us think we need to come back. There isn’t much to do except ride this thing out at this point. We’ll get a good garden going in the spring and do what we can to get some more chickens to hatch. But for now, we’re well supplied to make it through winter in both locations. If you guys get overrun by marauders from Knoxville, just let ’em have it and hightail it out to the cabin. We’ve got plenty out there for everyone.”
Sarah shook her head. “It’s not in my nature to let a bully take what isn’t his.”
David winked at her. “I know, but we might have bigger fish to fry before all is said and done.”
Noah and Kevin helped clear the table. Sarah washed the dishes and Benny dried them.
Noah was going to have a hard time sleeping that night. He was overjoyed at the thought of being with Cassie and Lacy for Christmas.
After the dishes were put away, David stood up and grabbed his crutches.
“Where are you going, cowboy?” Noah quizzed.
“Count the chickens and get the eggs,” he replied.
“I’ll go with you, if you don’t mind the company.”
“Sure, but I’ll be fine by myself.”
Noah held the door open for him. “I know, just want to chat.”
Noah and David walked out the door and through the yard to the chicken house.
“Did you really want to chat or is this a clandestine babysitting op?”
Noah chuckled. “I really want to chat. You know, Isaiah still had some hardware and quite a bit of gold and silver in his safe.”
David stopped. “No kidding. Why didn’t you say something earlier?”
Noah shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I’d have felt like a vulture, lurking over his belongings.”
“You know he would never think that. If he had resources, he’d want the group to put them to the best use possible. I know I would. Wouldn’t you?”
“Yeah, you’re right, but you know what I mean.”
“I understand, but we should head over there before dark. Do you have the combination?”
“I know where he keeps it. It’s in his silverware drawer.” Noah opened the door to the chicken coop.
David gathered the eggs in a small plastic basket. “Close enough. We’ll head on over as soon as Jim wakes up. Since I’m not good for much, he can help you load up whatever we can put to use.”
“What do you think about bringing a few of the chickens out to the cabin?”
David looked around at his birds. “It wouldn’t hurt to diversify my assets, would it? I’ve got some wood and metal for a roof. The only thing is figuring out where to get chicken wire to set up a new coop.”
“Jim might have some of that orange construction mesh at the sheriff’s office. They use it for barriers at parades and public events. It’s plastic, but it’s pretty heavy duty.”
“That might work. I wish it wasn’t orange. Visibility isn’t a good thing in our present situation.”
“I’m sure we can find some old cans of spray paint around somewhere. It might not be camo colors, but anything would beat blaze orange.”
“Good idea. Let’s get these eggs back to the house, get Jim up, and get going. We’ve got some rounds to make.”
The next morning Noah woke at his usual time, even though he wouldn’t be working his shift. David suspended the round-the-clock watches until further notice. Noah took a few minutes to pray before getting out of bed, then made his way to the kitchen.
Benny was already up and had coffee brewing. “Good morning, Coffee will be ready in a minute.”
“Great.” Noah walked into the living room and put a log in the stove. There were still some hot embers, but no fire. He poked the embers and threw a handful of kindling in the stove. Then, he repositioned the log so air could get to the smaller sticks and twigs. Once he saw the fire catch, he closed the door to the stove and walked back into the kitchen. “How did you sleep?”
“Okay.”
Noah wasn’t convinced, but there was no use prodding Benny on the matter. “Sure you’ll be fine staying here with Kevin and Sarah over Christmas?”