The Days of Noah, The Complete Box Set: A Novel of the End Times in America

by Mark Goodwin

  “I’ll be fine. I just wish we had another radio so we could communicate.”

  “We grabbed that transmitter we were using to broadcast ‘The Tallmadge Report’ yesterday. Jim is going to try to get it set up at the cabin. He didn’t mention it to you?”

  “No, I didn’t come back out of the radio room last night. He probably thought I was asleep. That’s good. It should work out there. I don’t know what kind of range you’ll get with that antenna though.”

  Noah poured coffee for Benny and himself when it finished brewing. “He said he has some cable to run an antenna off a patrol car up in the trees. He thinks that will be enough to connect with you.”

  Benny took his cup and held it in his hands. “That should do it.”

  “Did you hear any more news?”

  “Just more of the same: violence, death, starvation, and disease. You can add Phoenix and Boston to the list of cities that are completely without power.”

  “I thought FEMA had prioritized personnel to keep the lights on.”

  Benny tittered. “You’d be surprised how many people decide not to go to work when there’s no currency to pay them with.”

  “But working for FEMA means you have access to the resources they have. You can at least stay alive as long as you hang around.”

  “Yes, but supply chains are breaking down, thanks to our revolution. How long would you stick around in a power station once trucks with food and water stopped showing up? Trust me; if you’re an engineer at a power plant, you leave when your security detail leaves.”

  Noah thought about the people in Boston with no power. “At least most people up North heat their houses with heating oil.”

  “And most of them buy the oil they need for the winter the day after the first cold spell hits. The attacks came on November ninth, before it got really cold. Most of them probably never filled their tanks from last winter. Without electricity, a large part of the Northeast will freeze if we have a bad winter. Of course, without electricity, there won’t be any water from the public utilities, so freezing may never be an issue.”

  “But they can get water from lakes and streams.”

  “Very few of them have the skills or knowledge to purify it. Many people are already so weak from not eating, they won’t have the strength to go look for water.”

  Noah considered the implications of what Benny was telling him. America was about to experience the worst disaster it had ever seen. Starvation, exposure, and dehydration would devastate the entire population if something wasn’t done soon. Noah suddenly understood why Benny was so downtrodden. Noah felt horrible about all the pain and suffering that was going on in his country. He despised the notion that he’d had a hand in causing it, even if it was out of self-defense. No, I’m not going down that road. Some secret group, whether it was the Illuminati, New World Order, or whatever, staged these attacks and blamed them on us. We did the only thing we could do. We fought back. All of the death and destruction that comes as a result of this conflict is on them. Our hands are clean.

  Benny sighed. “If it was fifty below, the people in Phoenix wouldn’t have to worry about freezing. They have very little rainfall and no other water source besides public utilities, which pump it in from the Salt and Colorado Rivers. That city’s odds of long-term survival without electricity are near zero.”

  Noah had been looking for a ray of hope in all of this. Instead, he’d stepped right into a bottomless chasm. He decided to stop talking and focus on getting breakfast together.

  Benny, however, was not ready to drop the subject. “Of course, dehydration is a much quicker death than starvation. And then there is plague. Atlanta was one of the first cities to lose power, last Sunday. They have creeks and streams for water, but I heard rumors of typhoid fever outbreaks in the city, late last night.”

  “Over the commercial stations?” Noah didn’t want any more details, but his curiosity forced him to ask. It was that same compulsion that forced him to look at a bad car accident.

  “No, over the ham. Any commercial station that is still broadcasting is being censored. They’re skipping the really bad news.”

  “But if there’s a typhoid outbreak, people need to know.” Noah poured the grits into a large pan of water on the stove.

  “The powers that be don’t see it that way. They prefer to keep folks in the dark and avoid the possibility of causing more panic.”

  Noah stirred some salt into the grits. “Well, the powers that be, soon won’t be.”

  Benny chuckled. “And neither will there be commercial radio stations. But these people in Washington, they’re just puppets. It’s like your wife says.”

  “You mean the secret group of elites running the show?”

  “Yeah. They’re safe and sound. When the smoke clears, they’ll still be at the helm of whatever is left.”

  “Does everyone in the intelligence agency know about it?”

  “Most who are paying attention would have to. There’s never a smoking gun, but the coincidences have been piling up for too many years to deny it.”

  Jim walked into the kitchen. “What are you making?”

  “Grits.” Noah kept stirring.

  Jim poured a cup of coffee. “Benny, I pulled the radio from the van. I should be able to get it set up at the cabin. We’ll check in twice a day at nine in the morning and nine in the evening.”

  “Noah said you picked up the radio yesterday.”

  “Yeah. If you wouldn’t mind looking it over before we leave, I want to get your opinion on how I’m planning to set it up.”

  Benny smiled. “Be glad to.”

  David and Elliot were up and in the kitchen shortly thereafter. They finished off the coffee, and Elliot started a second pot.

  David retrieved the frying pan and the eggs from the fridge.

  “I can do the eggs if you like,” Elliot offered.

  David pushed him back playfully. “No, no. I got this. Scrambling eggs isn’t a high-impact sport. I’m sure the doctor would be okay with me helping to get breakfast ready. Benny, have you heard any news that would affect our decision to roll out to the cabin today?”

  “Nope. Same old slop we heard yesterday, just more of it.”

  Elliot asked, “What’s happening in the rest of the world.”

  Benny shrugged. “Same thing that’s happening here. But they’re all blaming us for it. World leaders see it as DC’s fault for not anticipating the fragility of the global economic system.”

  Elliot lowered his brows. “But if they’re accepting the official narrative, that right-wing terrorists initiated the attacks, aren’t they blaming the victim?”

  “They may be, but from their perspective, we’ve been telling the world how to run its life and we didn’t even have our own house in order. When this is all over, the US won’t have much say in world affairs.”

  David finished cracking the eggs into the pan. “When this is all over, I think we’ll be in the new dark ages.”

  Benny crossed his arms. “I don’t know about that. I think a plan already exists to build a one-world government.”

  David kept his focus on the pan. “Yeah, I know; I think Cassie was right about the global elite trying to seize control, but it looks like their plan is falling apart. I think we’re heading into uncharted territory.”

  Benny chuckled. “We’ll see.”

  Later that day, the men who were going out to the cabin loaded up their gear into two trucks. David stood by his truck and gave instructions before they left. “I don’t expect any roadblocks. Benny hasn’t heard anything about any being around for over a week now, so we should be okay. Still, I’d rather err on the side of caution. The hand-helds should have a range of at least a mile, even in the hills. Noah, you and Elliot stay back a half mile or so. That way, if me and Jim do get stopped, we can call you on the hand-helds and tell you what kind of situation we’re running into. If it looks like we’ll have to engage, you guys can park and approach from cover
on foot. If it turns into a firefight, we have to run it just like Noah and Sarah did. Clear out all hostiles and double tap every corpse in the forehead. If enemy troops are in the area, we simply can’t risk getting caught with prisoners. Not that we have the available resources to provide for prisoners anyway. I know it doesn’t sound nice, but we didn’t ask for this fight. If anyone sees any evidence of recent hostile activity, radio the other truck and we turn back around. I want to spend Christmas with my family as bad as anybody, but we can’t risk leading bad guys out to the cabin. Is everybody clear?”

  The other men nodded that they agreed. Noah hoped with all his might that it would be an uneventful trip. He missed his family something fierce. But he was well aware how terrible of an experience it could be if they hit another roadblock. He’d do what he had to do, but he sure didn’t want another gunfight.

  David shook Kevin’s hand and gave Sarah a quick hug. “Kevin is tactical commander of the Ray base until I get back.”

  Benny offered his hand to David. “You have a safe trip.”

  David dodged his hand and gave him a big bear hug. “Merry Christmas, Benny. We’ll miss you.”

  Noah also gave Benny a big hug. “We’ll be back soon. I’ll save you some Christmas cookies.”

  Sarah stood beside Kevin, who had his arm around her. She playfully slapped Noah’s arm. “Don’t forget who saved your neck at that checkpoint. You better bring me some Christmas cookies, too!”

  Noah tried not to laugh. “I’ll bring you a bunch of Christmas cookies.”

  Jim shook Benny’s hand. “I’ll try to make contact at nine tonight. If you don’t hear from me, don’t get too worried. If I hit any snags, I’ll rework the set up and antenna and call again at nine o’clock in the morning.”

  “Okay, sounds good.” Benny smiled.

  David held his hand in the air and swiftly put it down. “Cabin team, let’s roll out.”

  Noah drove his own truck and Elliot rode shotgun.

  Elliot positioned his rifle and closed the door. “Cabin team? Ray base? He’s just making this terminology up as he goes along.”

  Noah chuckled. “Yeah, I hope he didn’t put a lot of time into thinking it up.”

  Elliot waved goodbye to Sarah, Kevin, and Benny. “Well, everyone knows what he’s talking about. I guess that’s all that matters.”

  They were soon on their way. Noah drove slowly to allow the truck with David and Jim to get some distance ahead of them. Jim’s voice came over the hand-held walkie-talkie. “Comms check, Bravo, can you hear me?”

  Elliot picked up the hand-held. “Ten-four, Alpha, loud and clear.”

  Jim’s voice came back again. “Roger that, Bravo. We’ll maintain radio silence for the duration of the trip unless it’s urgent. Over and out.”

  Noah smiled. He thought again about how the mixed terminology between military and small-town law enforcement lingo was becoming the group standard. To people outside of the group, it would have probably sounded like a group of kids playing on the walkies.

  Elliot looked over at Noah. “So, I saw that David gave you Isaiah’s HK 416. Did you get a chance to run it yet?

  “No, I dry fired it a couple of times and practiced changing mags. I’ve still got my rifle in case we get into trouble. Even though it’ll be like driving a Hyundai when the Ferrari is parked in the garage, I’d rather shoot with what I’m used to if it’s a life or death situation. Did anyone say anything about David giving it to me?”

  Elliot shook his head. “No. David asked all of us if we thought it’d be okay. We all said that’s what Isaiah would have wanted.”

  “Oh, thanks.” Noah missed his friend. The rifle was a very expensive weapon, but it’s value to Noah was because of the closeness he’d developed with Isaiah over the past couple of months.

  “David left Isaiah’s AR-10 with Kevin for long range threats and he’s taking the AK-47 to the cabin. Said he’s going to cache it way back in the woods.”

  Noah picked up the speed a little since David’s truck was well out of sight. “That’s smart. I hope he brought his Game Saver. That’s a perfect way to protect a weapon in an underground cache.”

  Elliot nodded. “I’m sure he did.”

  Soon, they approached the position where Noah and Sarah had run into the checkpoint just over two weeks before. Noah’s heart rate picked up as he recalled the event. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. He came around the turn and saw the bullet holes in the trees; then he saw the two white TSA trucks on the side of the road. The tires were gone, and it looked like scavengers had stripped anything of value out of the inside as well. He saw no remnants of the agents’ bodies. I guess the animals and vultures took care of that.

  Elliot looked out the window at the two abandoned trucks. “Was that it?”

  Noah said plainly and simply. “Yeah, that was it.”

  Noah didn’t feel like talking about it. Elliot didn’t bring it up any more either. Noah was grateful for that.

  Elliot changed the subject. “So, David is planning to build a chicken coop at the cabin. That’s good. We’ll have fresh eggs out there.”

  Noah smiled. “If he can keep the critters out long enough for them to lay, we will.”

  “Caroline makes some mean eggnog. I hope she can do it with powdered milk. That’s the one thing I look forward to every Christmas.” Elliot’s face showed his contentment with the simple pleasures.

  “Cassie makes the best sugar cookies. I think we’ll have everything to make those. It’s a tradition to cut them out with Lacy every year and then decorate them with powdered sugar icing.” Noah laughed. “We started getting Lacy involved when she was three. You should have seen the mess in that kitchen the first year.”

  “So, for you, Christmas is a messy kitchen?”

  Noah took a deep breath as he relished the memory. “Yeah, or at least the people who made the mess.”

  The nostalgic thoughts erased the anxiety brought on by the location of the attack, and Noah’s heart rate soon normalized. “But this will be a good Christmas. We’re all kin now. These events and circumstances have pressed us together like a single family.”

  Elliot laughed. “Like a batch of Caroline’s Christmas sausage and cheese balls.”

  Noah licked his lips. “I love those things. I hope we can scrape together the ingredients to make a batch, but I don’t remember anyone stocking up on sausage or cheese.”

  “Well, like you said, we’ll have each other this year, and it will be a good Christmas.”

  Noah and Elliot arrived at the cabin without incident. David had arrived a few minutes earlier, so Lacy and Cassie were waiting outside, next to Caroline, who was anticipating the arrival of Elliot.

  Noah scooped Lacy up into his arms and kissed Cassie on the lips. “Looks like we’ll get to be together for Christmas, if nothing blows up.”

  Lacy squeezed Noah’s neck. “I prayed every night that you would come back.”

  Cassie winked at Noah. “So did I.”

  Noah looked over at David Ray, who was being smothered by Lynette and Becky. Lynette was holding her father as if she thought she’d never see him again, and tears were streaming down her face.

  Cassie rubbed Noah’s back tenderly. “Lynette hasn’t been the same since she found out about David getting shot. I don’t think she believed that he was really okay until just now.”

  Jim and Sandy Taylor were holding hands as they got caught up on the weeks spent apart.

  Noah smiled at seeing all the joy of the overdue reunions. “How is Sharon?”

  Cassie sighed. “She fluctuates from angry to despondent. The only thing that remotely seems to cheer her up is seeing the girls playing, but Lacy and Lynette never know how she’s going to be so they avoid her like the plague. Are Benny, Sarah, and Kevin coming out?”

  “No, they stayed at David’s.”

  Cassie grimaced. “Great, now Sharon will be the only adult without a spouse. That would b
e awkward enough if it weren’t Christmas and Isaiah weren’t gone.”

  Cassie hugged him tight and kissed him again. She looked into his eyes and grinned. “But, I sure am glad you’re here.”

  Noah, still holding Lacy in his arms, touched his nose to Cassie’s. “So am I.”

  Lacy kicked. “Put me down, Daddy. I want to show you the pet rabbits!”

  “Pet rabbits?”

  Cassie pursed her lips. “Pets-for-now rabbits. Becky caught some in snares. She built a pen for the healthy ones to breed. She didn’t want to discuss their actual purpose just yet. Lynnette had enough to deal with, worrying about David.”

  Noah shook his head as Lacy drug him away. “Alright, let’s go see the rabbits.”

  Once the homecoming greetings were finished, the guys unloaded the trucks and parked them deep behind the tree line.

  David leaned on one crutch. “We need to cover these trucks with some branches so they won’t be so easy to spot from above. Did anyone think to bring a Sawzall?”

  Noah said, “I’ve got some bolt cutters. You can clip small cedar limbs with them. We’ll pretty much have to stick to evergreens.”

  David scratched his head with his free hand. “I guess it’ll work, but you’ll get sap all over your cutters.”

  “I brought my machete for kindling.” Jim motioned toward the cabin with his thumb.

  “Perfect!” David nodded.

  Elliot looked at David, “I’ll help Noah get the trucks covered if you and Jim want to set up the radio. You’ll probably want to get that antenna up before dark.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” David led the way back toward the cabin.

  When they returned to the cabin, Noah grabbed the large ax they used for firewood, and Elliot grabbed Jim’s machete. The two of them wandered back through the trees to find some small evergreens that could be used for cover.

  Noah looked at the ground. “You know, we could fill the truck beds with leaves, and they’d blend perfectly with the forest floor.”

  Elliot nodded. “And it will be less work.”

  The two of them had the trucks fairly well camouflaged in just over an hour. Next, they started work on an enclosure for the chickens.