by Mark Goodwin
“When do we have to leave?” Caroline crossed her arms.
“Tonight. You guys all need to sleep at the cabin tonight. I have to go wake Sarah and Kevin. Why don’t you two go ahead and start packing. I’ll tell you more later.”
Cassie waited for Caroline to walk away. “This is serious. Are you attacking the census station?”
“Yeah.”
“Tonight?”
“Tomorrow morning. It’s a light guard. Once we hit them, we’ll fall back, reorganize, and then head to Nashville, I assume. Nothing is definite yet. I have to go talk to David with Kevin and Sarah.”
“But you guys haven’t trained for this.”
“There’s no time. The emissary wants all the deputies to register tomorrow morning. He also wants to start disarming citizens right away. If we don’t hit them now, we may never get another chance.”
“What do you mean by register? Take the pledge?”
“Yes. And whatever else goes along with it. I assume they’ll give out numbers and want us to carry a Mark phone at the very least. He wasn’t too specific. He may expect us to take a Mark implant. Either way, it ain’t happening.”
Cassie took a deep breath. She had evidently choked back the tears when Caroline walked in. “Okay. I love you. I’ll be praying for you. You’ll always be in my heart.”
Noah was now the one choking back the emotions. “I’ll be back. I promise.” He pulled her close to himself.
Cassie held him in the embrace. “Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Noah smiled. He loved that verse and was glad to hear Cassie finding comfort in it. “We are more than conquerors.”
Noah walked down the hall and knocked on the door of Lacy’s old room. “Kevin, Sarah, we need to head over to David’s for a pow-wow.”
Kevin’s voice came through the door. He sounded groggy. “Okay.”
“Get your gear together. We’re probably not coming back here.”
Kevin’s voice seemed to be more alert than his initial response. “Are we fighting right now?”
“Not today, but soon.”
Sarah called out from inside the room. “We’ll be ready in ten.”
“Thanks.” Noah ran upstairs to collect his assault pack and a change of warm clothes. He knew he might not be back to his house for a while.
He rushed back downstairs and kissed Cassie. “See you soon. Where’s Lacy?”
“She took Cupcake for a walk through the orchard. I’ll be praying for you.”
“Thanks. You take my truck out to the cabin. I love you.” Noah closed the door, placed his gear in the passenger seat of the TWRA truck, and walked to the back of his property.
He saw Lacy near Buster’s grave, with Danger standing next to her. “Hey, honey.”
“Hi, Daddy!”
“Whatcha doing?”
“Telling Cupcake all about Buster. They would have been really good friends.”
Noah was determined not to get emotional. He had to maintain his composure. “Yes, they would have. Daddy has to go over to David’s house.”
“Can you bring Lynette back with you when you come home?”
“Lynette is going out to the cabin. So are you and Mommy, so you’ll see Lynette tonight.”
Lacy’s head slumped. “Okay.”
“What’s wrong? Why don’t you want to go to the cabin?”
She stuck one finger in her mouth. “I don’t like to leave Buster here.”
Holding back his emotions was getting harder. “Honey, you know Buster isn’t in the ground. He’s in heaven, with Jesus.”
“I wish I was there, too. With Buster and Jesus. When is Jesus going to come get us?”
Tears started rolling down Noah’s cheeks. His futile attempt to hold it in had failed. “I don’t know, angel. Maybe it will be soon.”
Noah knelt down and hugged Lacy, being careful not to squeeze her too tight. Danger licked Noah on the hand as if to ask for a hug for himself.
Noah couldn’t stop from smiling at the pitifully unattractive animal. He patted Danger on the head. “You take care of Lacy for me.”
Danger wagged his tail. He was appreciative of the smallest gestures of affection.
Lacy, Danger, and Noah walked back to the truck where Sarah and Kevin were stowing their gear.
Noah kissed Lacy on the head. “Be a good girl for Mommy. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.” Lacy kissed him on the check.
Kevin drove and Noah rode shotgun. Sarah sat in the back.
“So what’s up?” Kevin asked.
Noah filled them on the developments and what David had in mind.
Sarah asked, “Do you think Jim is going to sign off on David walking into the census office in the morning and blowing the GR emissary’s head off?”
Noah shrugged. “I don’t think he has a choice. David didn’t look like he was going to be talked out of it when we left the checkpoint.”
Kevin sighed. “David’s been chomping at the bit since he got those ammo dump locations. I think you’re probably right. He’s not likely to be dissuaded.”
When they arrived at David’s, a large number of the new militia members were coming in and out of his house and gathering around his porch.
Noah waved at several of the new people that he recognized from the Kettle. He walked in the door, followed by Kevin and Sarah. “Hey, Jim!”
Jim’s face was full of anger. “Hey, Noah, Sarah, Kevin. David is in the radio room. He wants to see you three right away.”
“Thanks.” Kevin waved and walked toward the back room with Noah and Sarah.
Noah opened the door, and Sarah walked in first. She looked at David. “Jim looks ticked. Is it safe to assume you guys aren’t agreeing on a course of action?”
David glanced up from the map on the desk. “Oh, no. Jim is completely on board. He’s mad because Emissary Martin shut down the Kettle as his first order of business. The Emissary said that barter markets are being used across the country as havens for illegal activities, like drugs and prostitution. He also said that spoiled food, which might be unsafe for consumers, could also be passed in such an establishment.”
Noah was a bit confused. “I thought the GR had legalized drugs and prostitution.”
David smirked. “Yeah, as long as it’s taxed and regulated. They don’t want folks thinking they can do anything without the government’s watchful eye. Martin assured Jim that relief would be arriving by tomorrow afternoon and would be made available to everyone who takes the pledge.”
Kevin asked, “So Jim has given you a green light?”
“Yep. Everyone on our team is hitting the census office in the morning; then we’re bugging out. Jim is staying here to lead the new militia to ambush the reinforcements out of Knoxville when they show up.”
Benny said, “I’m staying here to coordinate comms for Jim. But if you guys get in trouble, give me a shout, and I’ll get someone to your location.”
Sarah winked at him. “Thanks, Benny. It won’t be the same without you.”
David continued speaking. “Our team will be in place to hit the ammo dump in Nashville tomorrow night, at the same time the guys in Idaho, Greenville, and Ellijay hit their respective targets.
“As soon as Elliot and the other new guys on our team get here, I’ll go over the plan. They’re all people you guys know. I think they’ll work out fine. Sean and Aiden from the sheriff's office are going to be with us. Noah, you met Jerry this morning, and I think you all know Danny. He’s been hanging around the Kettle a lot since we opened it. And Cliff Atkins, I was on the road with him. He picks up on things quick.”
Kevin put his hand on his chin. “Cliff is a little big for this type of operation isn’t he?”
“Yeah, but I want someone to drive the retreat v
ehicle. He’ll be waiting for us outside the initial search perimeter in Nashville. We’ll be bushed by the time we get to him, so we need someone fresh to drive.”
Kevin nodded. “I trust your judgment.”
Elliot and the others trickled in. It was a tight squeeze for them all to fit in the small room, but they managed. David went over the plans, then opened it up for questions. Once all the concerns were addressed, he reviewed the plan two more times, then dismissed the group for the night.
Noah was sure that Sarah and Kevin would have no trouble sleeping since they’d had very little sleep since their shift the night before, but for him, he knew his rest would be fitful, if he got any sleep at all.
The next morning, Noah and the others drove into town. The census office was set up in the sheriff’s office. Noah and Elliot drove David’s old farm truck while David, Sarah, and Kevin came in the TWRA truck.
Noah got out and carried in the two large plastic jugs of hot coffee they’d brewed at David’s.
David held the door open for Noah with one hand and held a brown paper bag in the other. “Take it slow. I want to wait for Sean and Aiden to get here.”
Noah’s mouth was dry. “Okay.”
They all walked into the sheriff’s office. David sat the bag on the desk. “Emissary Martin, my wife and her friend made a nice selection of cookies and biscuits for us to share with you. We’d have brought donuts, but the Krispy Kreme has been shut down for some time. Consider it a peace offering. I know we got off to a bad start yesterday, but you understand. I have to follow orders just like you.”
“We’ve got fresh coffee as well.” Noah sat the jugs and some Styrofoam cups on the counter next to the bag.
The other UN guards rushed over to the treats, but Martin put his hand in the air. He smiled with shifty eyes. “That’s very courteous of you. Why don’t you all join us; and please, go first.”
David smiled, acting as if he were too stupid to figure out that Emissary Martin was testing him to see if the food had been tainted. “Don’t mind if I do, thanks.” David took a biscuit and poured himself a cup of coffee.
Sean and Aiden walked in, waved at the men, and took some coffee and cookies as well.
Martin waved the UN guards over, and they joined in on the refreshments.
The Emissary cautiously picked up one of Sharon’s sugar cookies and dunked it in his coffee. “Delicious! When will the sheriff be here? We’re anxious to administer your oaths. We’ve got a full day ahead of us.”
Noah’s hand quivered just a bit as he sipped his coffee. “The sheriff should be along shortly. He tends to run a little late from time to time.”
POW! The Emissary’s head exploded right in front of Noah. Even though Noah had been expecting it, the gunshot caused him to flinch and spill his coffee all over himself. Noah dropped the coffee cup and drew his sidearm. He spun around and took aim at the elite guard to his right who wore a black helmet with the red shield and dragon. The man didn’t even see him. He still had the cookie in his hand and was fixated on David, who had already shot three more guards with blue helmets. Noah pulled the trigger, and the guard never knew what hit him. Kevin and Sarah took well-placed shots and both backed up to the wall to keep out of the line of fire of Elliot, Sean, and Aiden, who were also shooting.
Noah saw one of the other elite guards come out of the hallway in the back. Evidently, he’d just come out of the bathroom and heard the gunfire. The guard stood behind David and leveled his pistol to the back of David’s head. Noah quickly took aim. He had less than a foot of clearance between the guard and David, but he had to take the shot.
David looked over at Noah, who had the gun seemingly pointed right at him. His face showed his confusion at the sight.
Noah had no time for an explanation. He pulled the trigger and hit the guard an inch below the rim of his helmet. The guard dropped backward and David spun around to see his dead, would-be assassin. He looked back to Noah. “Thanks.”
Noah nodded then scanned the office for more UN troops. Kevin and Sarah proceeded down the hall to clear the rest of the building.
David motioned to Elliot and Noah. “You two, follow me. We’ll check around outside and make sure we didn’t miss anybody. Aiden, Sean, you guys hang out here. Backup Sarah and Kevin if they find anyone.”
David headed out the door. Noah and Elliot stayed tight behind him. They swept the lot and looked around the back of the building.
David dropped his pistol to a low ready position. “I think we got ’em all. Why don’t you guys get everyone else mounted up? I need another five minutes with the emissary.”
“For what?” Noah asked.
David patted the fixed-blade knife on the side of his belt. “I’m going to pretty him up a little.”
Noah wasn’t sure what to think. “You prettied him up with your .45. I don’t even think his momma would recognize him. Why don’t we just get out of here?”
David put a hand on Noah’s shoulder. “Don’t worry about me. I didn’t go off the deep end, but we’re fighting an insurgency battle at this point. If we are to have any chance against a superior force, we’re going to have to get inside their heads. A grotesquely disfigured comrade has a very chilling effect on the courage of the enemy.”
Noah tried to understand the reasoning, but it still seemed a bit excessive and unnecessary.
Then David winked. “And don’t worry about Liam Martin. He won’t feel a thing.”
That gesture did little to put Noah at ease about David’s state of mind. But he did as he was instructed and got everyone to the vehicles and ready to leave.
Aiden shook a set of keys. “I’m going to have a quick look through their Hummers. I’ll see if they have anything useful.”
Sean followed Aiden to the UN vehicles. “Hey, can you guys give us a hand? There are a couple of cases of MREs in here.”
Noah and the others rushed over and quickly gathered the boxes to put in their trucks.
Elliot grabbed a small, red backpack with a white cross patch. “Here’s some advanced medical gear. Thanks to what David was able to store up from his EMT truck, we’re fairly well set, but a lot of the new militia guys don’t have much more than their hunting rifles.”
David walked out carrying two sets of uniforms from the elite guards. “Aiden, check the tanks on those hummers.”
“Got it.” Aiden jumped in and stuck the keys in the ignition. “Three quarters.”
David spun around to look at Cliff, who had been sitting outside in the parking lot with the engine running in case they had to make a hasty retreat. “Cliff, break radio silence. Tell Benny to hustle over here with some of the militia guys and pick up these vehicles. Remind him to bring whatever he needs to disable the GPS.”
“Yep.” Cliff pulled out his radio and placed the call.
David paused for a second, then addressed Cliff again. “And tell them not to go inside. Make sure they know that anything of value will already be in the Hummers.”
David pointed to Kevin. “Go grab the firearms from inside and put them in the UN Humvees.”
Sarah started to follow. “I’ll give him a hand.”
“No. Kevin can handle it. It’s just a couple guns and magazines.”
Noah wondered what a gruesome mess David had made out of the emissary. He looked at Sarah to see her expression at being told no. She seemed to take it in stride.
David turned. “Sean, how many cases of MREs do we have?”
“Looks like about four in each Hummer.”
“Then let’s take one case for each of us; that’s ten cases. We’ll leave the rest for the militia. Noah, what do you think?”
Noah was surprised that David had asked his opinion. “That’d be four days of food for us. Everyone should have three days in their packs. Sure, a week’s worth of food should be more than enough.”
David looked at the boxes in the back of the TWRA truck. “I’m just thinking if we get cut off, have to split up or lay low
for a while; if we don’t have food, that’s not even an option.”
Soon, the team had divided up the loot between what they would take and what they’d leave behind for the militia.
David yelled, “Let’s roll out. We’ll stop at Wears Valley to pick up Jerry and Danny.
“They’ve got the boats sitting in the parking lot waiting for us. We’ll hitch one to the truck Noah is driving, and I’ll pull the other one. The trucks with the boats will stay in the middle of the convoy. You guys will be able to see if we get in trouble with the trailers. Everyone, flash your lights and slow down if you or the guy behind you has trouble. Cliff’s truck and Jerry’s truck are both from the impound lot. As we discussed, we’ll be ditching them at the attack site. We looked them both over, and they look mechanically sound, but you never know. If one of them breaks down on the way, we’ll have to adapt.
“Go potty now; there are no scheduled stops till Nashville. We’ll stay on 321. It’ll take us all the way around Knoxville so we don’t have to drive through that particular hot zone. Then we’ll take 40 on in to Nashville.”
David pointed at Cliff, who would be in the lead truck. “And then where do we get off?”
Cliff adjusted his trucker’s hat. “Mount Juliet. Then we take the back roads into the boat launch.”
David smiled. “Good job. Any questions?”
No one had any. They’d been over the plan three times the night before. Noah had continued to review it in his mind several more times to be sure he knew it by heart.
Sean and Aiden jumped in the truck with Cliff and followed David, who drove with Sarah and Kevin. Noah pulled out behind the other two trucks.
The intersection of Wears Valley Road was less than ten miles from the sheriff’s office. They arrived in minutes, hitched up the boat trailers, and were off to Nashville.
Noah looked over at Elliot, who was regularly checking the rearview mirror on the passenger’s side. This allowed Noah to stay focused on the road, but he still found himself glancing at the rearview from time to time. If the convoy was approached from behind, the trucks with the boat trailers would have the least amount of maneuverability.