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

by Mark Goodwin

  After two hours, Noah said, “That should keep them safe for tonight. We can work on the details in the morning.”

  Sandy and Caroline put together a nice dinner that evening. David and Jim filled the girls in on what had transpired since the release of the “Tallmadge Report.”

  Cassie’s eye lit up at the details. “Wow! I can’t believe it had such a big effect.”

  David nodded with a big grin. “Thanks to you, it looks like the evil empire is crumbling to the ground.” Then he looked over at Noah. “And your brave husband, of course. He had to sneak the recording across enemy lines.”

  Cassie smiled and waited for the rest of the story. “Okay, and.”

  Noah lowered his eyebrows and tried to signal to David to drop the subject. But, it was too late.

  Cassie’s face lost the smile, and a look of concern replaced it. “What happened, Noah? What is he talking about, enemy lines?”

  David must have realized that Cassie didn’t know about the checkpoint. “Oh, no big deal, they just had to skedaddle through a TSA roadblock. But it was TSA, so they were never in any real danger.”

  Cassie shot Noah a look. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Noah exhaled deeply. “I didn’t want to upset you.” He quickly changed the subject. “So, can we start making Christmas cookies tomorrow? We need to get in the spirit.”

  Cassie twisted her mouth to one side. “We can make cookies tomorrow, but I want to hear the details of this roadblock tonight!”

  CHAPTER 6

  Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man. The man said, “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’ for she was taken out of man.” For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.

  Genesis 2:22-24

  As was becoming the custom, Everett Carol got breakfast started Saturday morning while Ken Gordon scanned the airwaves for the latest developments in the ongoing collapse of the former world’s greatest superpower.

  Everett cracked several eggs in the hot pan. “Is Lisa going to eat, or is she asleep?”

  Ken stood to adjust the slack in the long wire running out the window, which was being used as an antenna. “She went for a walk.”

  Everett frowned. “Is she going up the mountain to that old coot’s house again?”

  Ken looked up from the radio. “That old coot gave us the eggs you’re cooking. He knows how to get along out here in the woods. He’s got fruit trees, goats, bees; he never even noticed that society was collapsing.”

  Everett huffed. “Still, I don’t trust him.”

  “Why, because he’s a Christian? Jones was a Christian, and you trusted him.”

  Everett kept working on breakfast. Deep down, he was glad to have the fresh eggs. “How can someone named Elijah Goldberg be a Christian? Sound’s Jewish to me. Don’t the Jews think Jesus was a kook?”

  “He’s a messianic Jew. They believe Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament, which told about the coming messiah.”

  Everett snorted. “You know who you’re starting to sound like, right?”

  Ken was quiet.

  Everett put the spatula down and turned to look Ken in the eyes. “Wait. What’s up with you?”

  Ken glanced up at Everett. “What do you want me to say?”

  “No! Not you, too! Ken, what happened to logic and reason?”

  Ken put the radio down. “Everett, this is logical. This is reasonable. How can you explain all the things that have been happening? Don’t you see the hand of God in your life? When I went to Elijah’s house to meet him Tuesday, he showed me all the prophecies written about Christ in the Old Testament. This stuff is unreal! Statistically speaking, it’s beyond impossible for them to have all been fulfilled by chance. I really wish you’d go up there and just hear what he has to say.”

  Everett exhaled heavily. “They backdated all of that stuff in the Bible to make it fit his life.”

  “Who? The Jews that you said think Jesus is a kook? They backdated the Bible to make the story more believable? Because it’s in their original Hebrew manuscripts.”

  Everett had no other defending argument. “I get it. This is Lisa’s thing now, and you want to be part of it.”

  “That’s not what this is. I really believe it. I can’t explain it, but somehow, it was like my eyes were opened to it.”

  Courtney Hayes jumped from the third step of the ladder coming down from the loft. “Good morning!”

  The loud thump startled Everett. “Good morning to you. Someone is awfully chipper today.”

  “It’s an exciting week ahead. We’ve got a wedding to attend on Wednesday; then Christmas Eve is Thursday! I’m ready for a little change of pace. We have to find a tree today.”

  Courtney’s joy was infectious. Everett laughed. “And decorate it with what?”

  Courtney kissed him and grabbed a cup of coffee. “I don’t know. I think we have some popcorn and a needle and thread. I’ll find some pinecones and stuff in the woods to make natural decorations. The challenge is going to be finding flowers in the middle of winter to make a bouquet for Lisa’s wedding.”

  Ken smiled. “You mean Lisa and Ken’s wedding?”

  Courtney faked a stern look. “Lisa has been dreaming of her wedding for most of her life. This is Lisa’s wedding; you’re just along for the ride. It’s bad enough that it’s happening during the apocalypse; this will all go more smoothly if you just stand back and let us handle it.”

  “So, I should just act like nothing is happening until Wednesday, then just dress up in whatever I’m told to wear?”

  Courtney put one hand on her hip and pointed at Ken with the other. “Great attitude, but not quite. You have to be involved and excited about it. Make suggestions that you think she’d like, but let her make all of the decisions. And let her know that whatever she decides is exactly what you would have done.”

  Ken’s eyes filled with worry. “Sounds complicated. I thought I was ready for all of this, but I’m not sure I know what to do.”

  Courtney winked. “You’ll be fine. Just be involved but not too involved.”

  Ken’s face showed that he didn’t really get it. “Okay. I’ll try.”

  Everett snickered as he plated up the eggs and biscuits he’d prepared. “If you understood, there’d be a problem. That’s part of the mystery of the fairer sex.”

  Courtney helped Everett set the table. “Don’t worry; the wedding is going to be great!”

  Everett put the plates on the table and sat down to eat.

  Ken bowed his head before he started eating.

  Courtney looked at Everett to express her curiosity.

  Everett whispered to her, “Lost another one.”

  It was obvious that Ken could hear the snide remark, so Courtney punched Everett in the arm. “Be nice.”

  Ken looked up with a faint smile. Most likely because Courtney had come to his defense. “That’s not Everett’s strong point, but he’s a good friend.”

  Courtney began eating and glared at Everett. “Ken, you’re a good friend to Everett, and I hope he appreciates it. I support whatever you want to believe in. We all have to find our path.”

  Everett just wanted to change the subject. “So I thought we were going hunting today. You want to get a tree instead?”

  Courtney giggled. “We’re surrounded by evergreens. We should be able to find a Christmas tree in about five minutes. I think we can do both.”

  Everett put a bit of jam on one of his biscuits. “But we have to figure out how to get it to stand up, decorate it, shape it, and whatever else.”

  Ken said, “Look who’s in the Christmas spirit all of a sudden.”

  Everett nodded. “I razz you a lot, but all of you are like family to me. This will be the closest thing I’ve had to a family Christmas since I was a little boy. As Courtney says, I might as well
drink in the experience.”

  Ken tuned in a pirate AM station that was broadcasting. “Listen up, Resistance Radio is transmitting again.”

  Everett chuckled. “I thought DHS had taken them down for good.”

  The station was either too far away or not transmitting with enough juice to be clear, but Everett and the others could still understand the man’s voice over the static.

  “Fires are burning across several US cities. San Francisco and Oakland were among the first of the out-of-control infernos.

  “Reports of gang activity spreading deep into rural areas across America are trickling in from parts of the country that thought they would be immune to the violence. Places like upstate New York have had multiple skirmishes between organized citizen’s militias and gangs. The same type of activity is occurring in Michigan. Inner-city gangs that would have never picked a fight with well-armed country folks are running out of resources to exploit within their own territories. If you live within one hundred miles of a major metropolitan city, and you haven’t formed a militia for group protection, you are way behind. Take action now and get prepared. If you’re isolated on a family farm, you may have to consider teaming up with other families in your area to defend one property where you can produce enough food to get by. Take your valuables with you, and write off the other farms as a loss. If you think you’re going to stand alone against these well-organized, dangerous gangs, you’re delusional.

  “On a personal note, I’ve heard fellow hams from as far away as Iowa mention that other pirate stations are syndicating Resistance Radio, so I’ll keep producing the program as long as God gives me breath. Thanks to everyone out there who helps to spread the word.

  “In international news, not one single country has escaped the collapse unscathed. Even China and Russia are in dire financial straits. However, the BBC is reporting that the World Health Organization expects the US to see the largest die-off as a percentage of the population. WHO is accrediting the massive mortality rate to a much higher dependency on infrastructure, government, and other systems of support in America than other countries. Ironically, countries with the least developed economies are expected to have the smallest increases in mortality rates during the crisis because of a more resilient lifestyle, which depended less on economic activity.

  “While third-world countries are no better off and are still mired in extreme poverty, they also see little complications to their persistent misery other than the marginal loss of aid, which was often stolen by corrupt governments anyway. Developing countries like China and India are feeling the crunch without Western nations to buy their wares, but they quickly shifted to barter economies and have long perfected the art of making do with little.

  “The World Health Organization’s best estimates put the death rate of America at roughly thirty percent currently and expect it could rise as high as seventy percent if there is no solution reached before the dead of winter.

  “A typhoid fever outbreak in Atlanta is spreading rapidly and is now being reported in Birmingham as well. The mortality rate for the disease is usually fairly low, but without basic antibiotics to treat the infections, Atlanta is seeing a massive amount of casualties. The already-weakened state of the persons infected is making it much harder to fight off and pushing the death toll higher than normal.

  “Everyone who is using a lake or stream for their water source should be purifying your water by some method, as contaminated water sources are being blamed for the outbreak in Atlanta and Birmingham. Since we haven’t heard anything from the CDC, the estimates are just from folks in the area that are speculating on the numbers. I’ve heard mortality rates range from one-in-six to as high as one-in-two. And some people think as much as two-thirds of the city of Atlanta could be infected.

  “I know resources are tight, especially for those living in large metropolitan areas, but either bring your water up to boiling or use eight drops of bleach per gallon of water to kill the pathogens. If you absolutely can’t do either of those things, at least let your water sit out in full sunlight in a clear bottle for a day before drinking it. This is a very serious threat that can be avoided if folks will purify their water and make sure they are keeping human waste away from the water sources. When you have to relieve yourself, dig a hole at least 200 feet away from your water sources and cover it up when you’re finished.

  “As more and more brownouts and blackouts are being reported across the country, the conditions for a nationwide outbreak of typhoid are becoming more and more favorable. For those of you who still have power, start thinking of what you’ll do when the lights go out because that day is likely fast approaching.

  “I hate to be the bearer of such horrific news this close to Christmas, but it is with the hopes that you will remember your fellow countrymen in prayer.

  “Midwestern states like Iowa, the Dakotas, Kansas, and Nebraska seem to be faring the best. The inland Northwestern states like Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming are also doing well according to what I hear from the ham radio operators in those regions. Those states have much smaller populations and less fighting over resources. They also lacked large cities and the criminal element that goes along with all those people crammed into a small space.

  “Take care of each other, America. Pray for one another, and try to be nice. This crisis is bad enough without people being mean to one another. Good night and Merry Christmas.”

  Courtney looked up from her plate. “Do you guys think we’ll get hit by gangs up here?”

  Ken leaned back in his chair and looked at the top of the cupboard. “I really don’t think so. I’ve been monitoring the hams in the area really closely, and no gang activity has popped up out this way yet. Now Ashburn, Chantilly, Laurel, all those places have been hit hard by the hoodlums that escaped DC. The vandals that didn’t get out before DC was locked down are dead or in detention centers. And if they’re in detention centers, they’re probably dead also. I doubt that much in the way of resources is being allocated to keeping prisoners alive. The federal agencies and private contractors working the Capital ain’t havin’ it. From what I hear, it’s a total police state once you get inside the beltway. Step out of line and no one hears from you again.”

  Everett looked at Ken. “So what, they’re just exterminating people who don’t follow the law to the T?”

  Ken shrugged. “I don’t know what they do with them. I just know there are no protests, no riots, no theft, and no word from anyone who’s been taken in for any violation whatsoever. DC has got security contractors from all over the world. They play by different rules than what we’re used to.”

  “What are they paying the security contractors with?” Courtney asked.

  “Gold, bullets, guns, gas; the people in Washington have the keys to everything. There’s no telling what kind of deal they have worked out.” Ken finished his last biscuit and took a sip of coffee.

  Everett drummed his fingers on the table. “Do you think we’ll keep power since we’re so close to DC?”

  Courtney shook her head. “If anything, that will probably hurt us. If the capital doesn’t have enough voltage because of low power, they’ll cut surrounding areas to reduce the drain.”

  “Then we should start thinking of what to do when the power goes out.” Ken looked at Everett.

  “I guess the biggest problem is the well. It’s on an electric pump, and I have no idea how to get water without the pump running. Do you guys have any ideas?”

  Courtney stood to put her plate in the sink. “The stream isn’t too far. We can cart water to the house for drinking.”

  “Then we’ll have to purify it before we can drink it.” Ken brought his dishes to Courtney, who had started washing hers.

  “We’ve got plenty of wood around here. In the winter, we can cook and purify water in the fireplace.” Everett brought his plate to Courtney and began drying the dishes.

  Ken put the dishes away as Everett dried them. “A stove would have been better,
but we can rig something up if we have to.”

  Courtney turned to the guys. “What about all of that meat in the freezer? Maybe we should get Lisa going on the jerky production while we still have power.”

  “After the wedding, of course.” Ken winked.

  Courtney smiled. “Of course.”

  “If we still have power,” Everett said. “I think I can figure it out. She made it sound easy to make. Even if I mess up a batch or two, it’s better than trying to process all of that meat at once.”

  Ken put one finger on his cheek as if he were thinking. “You know, we might not have to. If we lose power, we could probably just hide the freezer outside. It hasn’t been warmer than forty in the past week, and it’s probably only getting colder from here. The lows are near twenty at night. As long as we keep it out of the sun, everything in it will probably stay frozen.”

  Everett nodded in agreement. “That’s a good idea, but it will be much easier to make the jerky in the oven while we have power.”

  Courtney finished washing the dishes and dried her hands. “Why don’t we make half of the meat into jerky now? If we lose power, we could probably eat the rest of the meat out of the freezer before spring.”

  “That sounds like a pretty good plan.” Everett glanced at Ken who was nodding. “I wish we had bought a canner and some jars.”

  Courtney rolled her eyes. “Yeah, well if I had known the apocalypse was coming, I’d have done a lot of things differently.”

  Lisa came through the front door carrying an old speckled enamel pot. “Hey guys.”

  “What’cha got?” Courtney lifted the top of the pan and looked inside.

  “Rabbit dumplings.”

  Everett was suspicious. “I understand that the old man on the hill is into the same stuff you’re into, but we have to be careful about how close we get to him. We have very limited resources, and when things get tight, we won’t be able to help any outsiders.”