The Days of Noah, Book Two: Persecution

by Mark Goodwin

  “Only blocks away from the presidential residence, early morning commuters were not as lucky. A backpack bomb detonated in the L’Enfant Plaza Metro station at 8:30 and killed at least sixty people. Many more were seriously injured.

  “Senior members of the White House staff and key members representing both houses of Congress have been evacuated to Mount Weather, a facility in the mountains of Virginia maintained by FEMA for continuity of government and emergency management. The bunker is built to withstand nuclear attacks and support residence for several months. Other members of the House and Senate will be taken to the Cheyenne Mountain facility in Colorado, where they will have secure communications with the president and their colleagues at Mount Weather.”

  Noah hit the mute button on the remote. “I’m going to gas up the truck and fill the gas cans. Can you think of anything else we should try to buy?”

  Cassie gritted her teeth. “I don’t know if it’s a good idea to be going out. How low is your tank?”

  “Two-thirds full. Do you know how much gas you have in the Santa Fe?”

  “Almost full. I filled it up Saturday. What about your gas cans? How low are those?”

  “The two gallon can is full and the five gallon can is almost empty. It might have half a gallon.”

  Cassie huffed.

  “I know. I felt like we were so prepared with silver, gold, food, and ammo. Now that game day is here, I’m starting to wish I’d spent more time getting ready for it.”

  “If you’re going out there, make sure you have a gun. I’d say take the Glock, and be sure you have at least two extra magazines.”

  Noah sucked down the rest of his coffee. “I‘ll be safe.”

  He quickly put on jeans, tennis shoes, and a jacket. He grabbed his keys by the door. “I’ll be right back.”

  Cassie got up to walk him to the door. “Hurry back. Call me if you get in a bad position.”

  Noah nodded, then went back to the bedroom to retrieve his phone. He winked at Cassie and gave her a peck on the cheek as he walked out the door.

  Noah went to the shed and filled up the riding mower and the chainsaw with gas from the five gallon can. He took the two gallon can and topped off Cassie’s vehicle. He then placed both cans in the truck and headed out. The BP station was just a mile up the road from Noah, where Douglas intersected Winfield Parkway.

  He arrived at the traffic light in minutes. “Wow! This was a bad idea.”

  The line to get into the BP snaked at least a quarter mile up the parkway. Noah quickly maneuvered into the left-hand turn lane to adjust his plan. “I hope Food City isn’t as bad as BP. I’d at least like to get a few things for Thanksgiving.”

  Food City was roughly a mile up the parkway. He arrived to find the parking lot nearly full. Noah found a parking space and proceeded toward the store.

  Inside, the tension was thick, and the shelves were sparse. Two women were arguing over the fact that one of them had just cleared out the last of the canned soup. Noah grabbed a cart and started working his way through the crowd. Most of the other shoppers maintained the peace, but Noah could sense their paranoia. I’d never try last-minute-apocalypse shopping in a big city. These people are supposed to be the salt of the earth, and they look like they’re ready to kill each other if anyone sneezes.

  Noah patiently made his way to the canned goods. Most everything was gone. He found a stock clerk at the end of the aisle. “Do you have anything else in the back?”

  The young man shrugged. “Probably not much. We do most of our restocking each night when the truck comes. It’s how our inventory system works. If we have anything in the back, it’s probably seasonal stuff that we have to stock throughout the day.”

  Noah looked the clerk over. “By seasonal, you mean Thanksgiving stuff?”

  The clerk nodded. “Probably green beans, mushroom soup, cranberry sauce, fried onions, yams, that sort of thing.”

  “Think I could go back there with you and have a look?”

  The young man pursed his lips. “No. We can’t have people who aren’t employees in the back.”

  Noah reached for his wallet and pulled out a hundred dollar bill. “Think you could take my cart back and get me a little selection of whatever you have back there?”

  The clerk’s eyes lit up as he looked at the bill. He looked up at Noah as if to see whether he was teasing him, then quickly scanned the aisle to see who else might have seen. After glancing over his head to get a feel of where the security cameras were, he looked back at the money in Noah’s hand.

  Noah pushed the money toward the clerk’s hand. “Things are getting kind of rough around the country. We’ve had multiple terrorist attacks today. A hundred bucks might go a long way if stuff gets bad around here. You have to look out for yourself. You might not have a job in a week from now.”

  The young man took the money and slid it into his pocket as if he were committing a felony. He took hold of Noah’s cart and started for the back. “Just whatever? How much?”

  “Fill up the cart if you can. And yes, whatever canned goods you can find. Just try to give me a little variety.”

  The clerk nodded and proceeded down the aisle. Noah strolled around the back near the entrance of the stock area while he waited. He looked down the individual aisles to see what was left on the shelves. The cereal aisle was cleared out just like the canned goods aisle. Chips, bread, soda, cheese, and milk were also nearly depleted. There was quite a commotion in the frozen foods section as it was being rummaged over.

  Noah glanced down the aisle with paper plates and plastic cups. It was the least crowded aisle, as those items evidently weren’t on people’s priority list. I’ll make my exit down that aisle to avoid extra attention.

  The stock clerk soon returned with a cart filled to capacity. “I left everything in the box. People won’t notice it as much, and it’ll be easier to load in your car.”

  Noah looked at the overloaded buggy. There was a case of cranberry sauce, a case of canned green beans, a case of mushroom soup, a case of the large cans of candied yams, two cases of instant mashed potatoes, a case of canned corn, and a case of pumpkin pie filling. “Wow! Thanks. You should put some stuff to the side for yourself. I’d use that money to buy whatever you can, if I were you.”

  The young man didn’t seem to understand what was happening, but he agreed to take Noah’s advice. “Okay, thanks.”

  Noah joked with the young man as he started to push the cart toward the checkout, “I don’t suppose you have any turkeys in the back, do you?”

  The clerk said, “Tons. We’re not bringing them out because we get mobbed every time we try to restock them. The manager said to hold off restocking turkeys until the crowd dies down. He’s afraid someone is going to get hurt fighting over them.”

  “If I come back, can you load up a cart of turkeys for me?”

  The young man shook his head. “Sorry, it’s not up to me.”

  “Okay, maybe I’ll come back later.” Noah headed to the cashier. Walking down the paper products aisle, the thought hit him: Toilet paper! No one is taking the toilet paper yet!

  Noah stayed calm, checked out and took his canned goods to the truck. He quickly returned and filled a cart with toilet paper. When that load was paid for and stowed in the truck, he returned to the store once again. He located the stock clerk he’d worked with earlier and pulled out a fifty dollar bill. “Can you introduce me to one of your managers who might be able to help me get some turkeys? I’d be happy to tip you and your manager for the trouble.”

  The clerk smiled and took the fifty. “Be right back.”

  Minutes later the clerk returned with a tall, slender man. Noah shook his hand and asked if he could help him with the turkey situation. “I’d appreciate the extra effort.” Noah held another hundred dollar bill low where the manager could see it.

  The man didn’t hesitate. He took the money, stuck it in his pocket, and instructed Noah and the young clerk to wait. “I’ll be
right back.”

  The manager returned minutes later with several bar-coded tags he’d removed from the turkeys. “We can go ring these up, and Trevor will push the birds out the back. You can drive around and pick them up. Does that work?”

  Noah nodded. “That’ll be fine.”

  The manager looked at the clerk. “Trevor, I’ve got the gentleman’s turkeys on a cart by the back door. Can you push them to the back lot and help him load them?”

  “Sure.” The young man headed off as instructed.

  Noah followed the manager to the service counter where lottery tickets were sold. The man rang up Noah’s purchases, and he was out the door quickly. He drove around to the back, where the young clerk loaded the turkeys into the bed of the truck. Noah waved and headed home.

  As he pulled out of the parking lot, Noah’s phone rang. “Hello?”

  Cassie’s voice came over the phone. “Where are you? You’ve been gone a while. Are you alright?”

  “I’m fine. Everything is just taking longer than normal. I’m heading home now. I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. I have to pay attention while I’m driving. Everyone is a little on edge today.”

  “Hurry. I love you.”

  “Love you too.” Noah hung up and worked his way back out to the road. Next, he switched on the radio and scanned for news. It didn’t take long, as most stations had suspended normal broadcasting to report on the attacks.

  The local conservative talk radio host was covering the situation.

  “Absolute panic is sweeping the country. Most large cities are experiencing violence at gas stations as the news about potential gas shortages has sparked fear and unrest over access to resources. We’ve even had a handful of reports about fighting and panic-buying at grocery stores. I suspect that’s from people who are doing the math on what gas shortages might mean for the supply chain. Nearly everything on supermarket shelves comes by way of truck. While I hope the government will step in and insist that refining fuel for transport to grocery stores will be made a priority, it makes sense to have a few days’ worth of groceries on hand.

  “Press Secretary Luis Fernandez will be addressing the nation on behalf of the president in just a few minutes. We do know that the broadcast will not be coming from the White House, which was one of the locations attacked today, but we’ve not yet received information as to where Fernandez or President Clay are staying. We may only get a couple of seconds’ warning, so forgive me if I have to cut and go to the secretary’s speech.

  “Since the national media has little time to focus on the smaller attacks around the country, I want to make sure the folks in our listening area can get information on what’s happening in and around Knoxville from our program.

  “Most of you are aware that the Knoxville Police Department was bombed early this morning. Twenty-two officers were killed and another seventy-one were seriously injured. Depending on how those injured officers do over the next several hours, the death toll could certainly rise. The US Army, under the authority of DHS, will be taking over policing authority here in Knoxville just as they are in several other cities where law enforcement, government buildings, or US interests have been assaulted.

  “Typically, the only military force that could operate in the capacity of a civilian policing role would be a state’s own National Guard, unless the governor of that state invites the National Guard of a neighboring state. Obviously, the stakes are unprecedented, and different times call for different measures. President Clay included the authority for the Army to assist with policing in the emergency order he signed this morning. He has received widespread support from Congress on both sides of the aisle, except from the usual list of troublemakers.

  “One of the reasons listed in our press release for the extended military authority was that this attack was a synchronized, nationwide assault. The White House stated that the response also needs to be coordinated, and the effort to bring these terrorists to justice needs to be in the hands of one agency. As would be expected, the FBI will be taking the lead on the investigation, but they will be subject to DHS command and may have additional resources allocated by DHS, as necessary. This is going to be a long process, but we will get through it, just as we got through 9/11 and everything else the world has ever thrown at us.

  “A countywide manhunt is in effect for the perpetrators of this heinous crime against the Knoxville Police department. No suspects have been identified yet, but the Army and FBI are working on several leads, as well as reviewing video footage from surrounding traffic cams, ATM machines, and parking lot surveillance cameras.

  “The media liaison for the military unit working here in Knoxville has already contacted this station. She has agreed to keep us up-to-date on the developments in the manhunt and asks for our assistance in locating the criminals once they know who they’re looking for.

  “The Army will be enforcing a dusk-till-dawn curfew within the Knoxville city limits until further notice. Checkpoints will be set up at all major arteries into and out of the city limits, so please be sure you have your ID with you. Only those who can prove residence will be allowed to enter the city. In conjunction with the DOE’s request to limit travel for the purpose of conserving fuel, the Army is asking Knoxville residents to stay home for their own safety.”

  Noah backed into his drive and put the truck in park. Rats! I was supposed to pick up Cassie’s AK from Tim’s today. I completely forgot. Things might be going downhill from here, so I’ll have to figure out a way to go get it, even if it means spilling the beans and ruining Christmas.

  Noah grabbed one of the turkeys and headed inside. “I’m home.”

  Lacy met him at the door. “Daddy!”

  Cassie looked at the turkey. “Oh, good. You got a turkey. Did you get gas?”

  Noah sat the bird in the sink to thaw. “No, the line was too long. But I did get a few things from Food City.”

  “Great, like what?”

  “I bought twelve turkeys, toilet paper, and a few cases of canned goods. Mostly Thanksgiving stuff.”

  “Where will we put twelve turkeys?”

  “I think I can get three in the deep freezer. We’ll cook one now and can a few.”

  “Most of the canning jars are full from this year’s garden. I might have fifteen jars. I don’t think you’ll get eight turkeys in fifteen jars; you might get two.”

  “Then I’ll try to find some more jars. I could also give a turkey to the Rays, the Rodgers, and the Taylors.”

  “Give one to Isaiah, too. You’d have to go back out to buy more Mason jars, though. I think you should try to stay here. Lacy was worried while you were gone. She gets jittery when she senses something isn’t normal. She’s old enough to understand that what’s happening on TV is bad, and I think it’s triggering the memories of Buster being shot and CPS taking her. I miss Buster like you can’t imagine, but if there was only one thing I could get back from the day we were raided, it would be my little girl’s sense of security.”

  Noah bit his lip. He tried to block that day out of his mind as much as possible. “I understand. Whatever I have to do, I’ll be as quick as possible about it.”

  “She feels safer when you’re here. I do, too.”

  Noah hugged Cassie for a few moments.

  Seconds later, she looked up at him and smiled. “Let’s get that stuff out of the truck.”

  Noah kissed her on the forehead. “Okay. I’m going to leave the canned goods in the cases and stack them in the shed. With all the stuff we got from the Kettle, we can’t fit another can in this kitchen. You find some places to stash the toilet paper around the house, and I’ll take care of the rest.”

  “What about the turkeys?”

  “It’s forty-five degrees outside, and I parked in the shade. They’ll be fine in the truck bed for a while.”

  “Did you hear that the FDIC issued an order to all member banks to close for the day?”

  Noah’s eyes opened wide. “No. Why?”r />
  Cassie shrugged. “The reporter claims it’s because of fears that banks could become targets. My guess is the government is expecting bank runs.”

  “You predicted that would happen.”

  “I said it might happen. I don’t have a crystal ball, and I don’t dream prophetic visions.”

  “Yet it’s like you knew everything that’s happening today. I think God is whispering in your ear.”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. “You make it sound so dramatic. It seems like common sense to me. Anyone who’s been following economics and politics should come up with the same conclusions I have.”

  “Did you catch any of the local news?”

  “No, I checked the local channels, but they’re mainly covering New York, the DC rail, and the refineries.”

  Noah opened the door to get another load from the truck. “That must be what’s getting the most viewers.”

  Cassie followed behind. “Or the local stations have been instructed on what to report. Did you hear anything else about Knoxville?”

  Noah loaded up Cassie’s arms with toilet paper, then grabbed a turkey. “Yeah, the Army unit that was conveniently positioned in the stadium is taking over law enforcement since the Knoxville Police Department is unable to perform their duties.”

  Cassie’s voice filled with indignation. “No way! They can’t get away with that! That should be the role of the Knox County Sheriff!”

  Noah held the door for Cassie. “President Clay included it in the executive order to guard the refineries.”

  Cassie smirked. “Of course he did. I bet you a million dollars that guy is a member of Skull and Bones.”

  “Isn’t there some way to find out for sure?”

  “Not unless some whistleblower gets a hold of the membership list. And things don’t turn out too good for people who do stuff like that. The group has become much more secretive over the past few years. But Clay graduated from Yale, and so did our current CIA Director, Scott Abbott. It would be almost unheard of to have a president or CIA director who graduated from Yale and didn’t belong to the Order. What else did you hear about Knoxville?”