Vengeance: A Post-Apocalyptic, EMP-Survival Thriller (Seven Cows, Ugly and Gaunt Book 4)

by Mark Goodwin

  Henry looked at Parnell. “Did you have any idea he had that many men down there?”

  “Didn’t have a clue.”

  Michael exhaled deeply. “We’ve got three hundred police and sheriff’s deputies combined. Probably another three hundred civilian auxiliaries. We’ve been working with them, teaching them to hold a defensive position, and helping out with the checkpoints, but they’re not trained for a military action like this. And we can’t leave Concord with less than a hundred men on watch. The vandals and the raiders would have stripped the place clean by the time we got back.”

  Henry leaned against the table and stared at the board. “So, our team and your team combined is 550 up against 1500 or more.”

  “You could teach the women and young men to shoot. They could defend the town so you could commit the entire 600-man force to the action against Schlusser,” Danny said.

  Henry laughed. “Leave the women and children to fend off looters?”

  “That’s exactly what we’re doing right now.” Chris pointed at Danny. “His pregnant wife, his eighty-year-old grandmother, his bereaved sister, a ten-year-old boy, and my mom are holding down the fort while we’re up here trying to convince your town to stick up for itself before it’s too late.”

  Henry looked at him as if he was expecting Chris to tell him he was joking. His mouth hung open, motionless, and silent for several moments. Finally, his eyes shifted to Danny like he thought Danny might confirm that it was all just a ruse.

  Danny stood with his jaw locked. Chris had spoken the truth. They had made sacrifices. They were willing to make more. And just as Chris had stated, Danny and his team had left their most vulnerable at risk while they were in Concord.

  Henry eventually closed his mouth and dropped his eyes to the floor, as if a sudden wave of shame had washed over him. He glanced back up at Michael. “What do you think?”

  Michael shook his head in discouragement. “The odds aren’t good, but I doubt they’ll get any better.”

  Parnell stepped forward. “Danny and his friends are right. If we sit here and wait until Schlusser comes a knockin’, we won’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell at fending him off.”

  Henry looked around the room at each individual. “Alright then. I’ll take the lead in the morning at the meeting. I’ll go through the attack plan and address any concerns from the council or the commissioners. We need to soften those numbers. I’ll take a lower estimate; maybe like 800 total in Schlusser’s camp. After all, the entire 1500 aren’t combatants.”

  “Maybe all 1500 aren’t combatants, but that number represents military aged men. You could tack on another 600 for women and teens,” Antoine said.

  “Antoine, thanks, but you’re not helping me here.” Henry scowled.

  “Just trying to give you the facts.” Antoine held his hand up.

  “And I appreciate it. But, let’s get the approval first. Then, we’ll deal with the ugly reality of the situation. If I don’t sugarcoat this situation a little bit, the town will panic.”

  “I understand.” Antoine nodded.

  Henry pointed at Gwen, Danny, and Antoine. “You three. The council and commissioners will probably want to quiz you. If they are asking you about numbers, assume they’re talking about combatants. Can we do 800?”

  Danny knew that was an extremely low estimate but nodded as did Antoine and Gwen. He swallowed hard. “I’ll give the low-ball number, and I’ll do everything I can to spin the information in the direction that helps our cause. I won’t volunteer any information that isn’t asked of me. But, don’t ask me to lie. I don’t want to be responsible for selling your town a bill of goods that doesn’t represent the actual inventory. If your citizens agree to the attack under false pretenses, they’ll just back out when the truth comes to light. They’ll blame you for it. And they’ll blame me for it. I want no part of that. This is going to be a bloodbath. The people of Concord deserve the truth, and that’s what I intend to give them if asked. If that’s going to be a problem, maybe it’s best that you don’t bring me into the meeting.”

  Henry looked at Parnell, but said nothing.

  Parnell put his hand on Danny’s shoulder. “It’s no problem at all, Danny. We don’t want to mislead them either. But, you have to understand the citizens of Concord are in a little bit of a bubble. We have to ease them into the harsh reality of what’s coming, or they’ll freeze up like a rabbit staring at a snake.”

  Danny broke his harsh stance with a light grin. “That’s understandable. I’ll take it into consideration tomorrow morning.”

  “Well, unless anyone has something more to add, I suppose we can break for the day. Daniel, we’ve got a guest room and a pull-out couch at my place. Two of you can stay there.”

  “A couple people can sleep at my place,” Grisham said.

  Michael patted Antoine on the back. “This guy can crash at my place. We’ve got some catching up to do.”

  Danny saw Gwen and Jack looking at each other. “Gwen can take your guest room, Sheriff, and I’ll take your couch. The Castell brothers can stay with Deputy Grisham.” Danny had no desire to keep the two love birds from being around each other, but he knew neither of them had developed the discipline to resist the temptations involved with sleeping under the same roof. From the little Danny knew about Gwen’s upbringing, her father was AWOL from birth, and her mother had jumped from boyfriend to boyfriend for most of Gwen’s childhood. No one had ever taught her anything different.

  Jack’s father had taught him that sex was for marriage, but JC wasn’t around to reinforce that teaching. So, being the spiritual leader of the compound, Danny took every opportunity to encourage the two of them to do the right thing and make the right choice. Gwen and Jack were responsible for the choices they made, and if they so desired, they could easily escape Danny’s watchful eye. But, if they chose to do so, it would not be because Danny simply sat back and let it happen.

  Parnell opened the door. “Then it’s settled. We’ll all meet back here tomorrow morning at eight. We’ll run through the plan once more and prep for the meeting with the council and the commissioners at nine.”

  Danny and Gwen collected their weapons and backpacks, then followed Parnell to his truck. The other members of Danny’s team left with their respective hosts as well.

  Saturday morning, Danny awoke to the smell of something wonderful. He rolled out of bed, got dressed, and folded Sheriff Parnell’s couch.

  The sheriff’s wife, Myrtle, called out from the kitchen. “Breakfast will be ready in five minutes.”

  “Thank you.” Danny replaced the cushions on the couch, and then made his way to the table.

  Myrtle placed a basket of warm bread on the table. “Help yourself. I’ll have grits, eggs, and ham ready in a little while.”

  “Is this banana bread?” Danny peeked beneath the cloth with expectant eyes.

  “Banana walnut, actually.” She glowed with pride.

  “Where did you get bananas?”

  “The sheriff has always been something of a survivalist. One time it was the computers that were going to go haywire. The next time it was an economic crash. He never saw this EMP bomb coming. But, all that stuff he bought for the computer glitch and the financial collapse sure is coming in handy. We had cans and cans of freeze dried bananas and . . . well, I’m not supposed to talk about it.”

  Danny grinned as he saw the sheriff walking into the kitchen with a heavily furrowed brow. His expression was accentuated by the long handlebar mustache, which always appeared to be in a persistent frown.

  The sheriff pulled out a chair and sat down. “Good mornin’.” He said nothing about his wife’s momentary lapse in discretion.

  Danny guessed it was one of many. “Good morning, Sheriff.”

  “How did you sleep?” Parnell lifted the towel over the basket and broke off a small corner from one of the slices of banana nut bread.

  “Great, thanks. Did you hear Gwen stirring around upstairs? I can
go wake her if need be.”

  “I tapped on her door. She said she’d be down in a few minutes.” He turned to his wife. “This might be your best batch of banana bread yet.”

  She poured coffee for Danny and the sheriff. “Thank you.” She poured herself a cup and sat down at the table. She glanced at Danny as she took a sip. “In the summer, I cook outside on a brick stove that Parnell built. It’s an open oven, so I bake bread in a cast iron covered pot. It took me a few tries to get the placement right. If the Dutch oven is too close to the flames, the bottom gets charred and the inside is doughy. If it’s too far off the flame, the loaf will get dried out.”

  “How do you use dehydrated bananas for bread?” Danny hoped he wasn’t hitting a sore spot, but figured that the damage from her breach of decorum had already been done.

  “You just soak them overnight in water. Most dehydrated foods work like that.” She looked at Parnell apologetically.

  The sheriff put his hand on her arm and offered her a warm look as if to signal that he forgave her. “Small comforts like banana bread did a lot to help us stay sane that first couple of weeks. Being prepared meant that I was able to focus on securing the town and maintaining order. Al and Rick had put a little something aside over the years as well, so they were available also. We shared what we could with other deputies in the department. Otherwise, everyone in the department would have been out there scrounging to feed their families like most other folks. Combined with what the farmers gave us, those resources probably made the difference in Concord being what it is today rather than another heap of ruins like the rest of the country.”

  “I figured you had a bigger part in saving this town than what you told us yesterday.” Danny sipped his coffee.

  Parnell smiled with his eyes. “Like I said. I had very little to do with it. The Lord put a bug in my head about being ready for when things go wrong. Between that and the common sense he provided me with, I was in the position to keep doing my job. I can’t take the credit. It all belongs to Him.”

  Gwen came bounding down the stairs. “Sorry, I’m running late.”

  “No worries at all. We’ve got plenty of time.” Parnell’s mustache neutralized the pleasant expression made by his mouth, into what could best be described as not a scowl.

  Myrtle stood. “Everything is staying warm on the oven outside. Sheriff, if you’ll bless the food, I’ll run and get it.”

  Everyone held hands and bowed their heads. The sheriff’s voice reflected a true reverence for the One he was addressing. “O mighty God, we thank you for another day and for the provisions you’ve provided. We pray you’ll grant us wisdom for the meeting this morning, and that you’ll grant us success. I ask that you’ll put a hedge of protection around Danny’s compound and watch over it while he is away. And let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen.”

  “Amen.” Danny looked up.

  “I’ll help you with getting breakfast on the table.” Gwen stood up.

  “Please, don’t bother.” Myrtle waved her hand. “It’s rare that we have guests. It’s my pleasure.”

  “I insist.” Gwen followed her out the back door.

  Breakfast was served, and they all ate heartily. Once they finished, the sheriff’s wife wrapped up the remaining banana bread and placed it in a bag. She handed it to Danny. “Take this back to your farm to share with your family and friends.”

  Danny took the package. “Thank you so much. You’ve been a wonderful hostess.”

  Parnell disappeared down into the basement and returned a minute later with a large metal can. “Here’s a can of bananas for you. They’re good dried, just like they are, or you can rehydrate them for banana bread or banana puddin’.”

  “I really appreciate your hospitality, Sheriff.” Danny slung his pack over his back and took the can with his free hand.

  “Y’all ready to go?” Parnell strapped on his pistol belt, placed his large white hat on his head, and took the keys from his jean pockets.

  Gwen turned to the sheriff’s wife. “Thank you again for everything.” She grabbed her rifle. “Let’s go.”

  As Sheriff Parnell’s truck drew closer to the Sheriff’s Department, Danny saw several people gathering on the steps of the adjacent building. “Is the courthouse open on Saturday?”

  Parnell glanced up Union Street as he continued down Corban Avenue. “No. It’s not.”

  “They have hand-drawn signs. It looks like some sort of protest to me.” Gwen looked out the back window of the old crew cab truck.

  “Yep.” Parnell’s voice betrayed his displeasure. He pulled around back and into the gated lot. He leaned out the window and addressed the man guarding the gate. “Deputy Robinson, have you heard anything about the crowd gathering across the street?”

  The deputy kept his hand on the gate, waiting for the vehicle to drive through so he could close it. “The town folk got wind that we’re planning to attack Charlotte. It’s a protest against that.”

  Parnell closed his eyes as if in discomfort. “Oh, boy. What do the town’s people think they know?”

  “Nothing more specific than what I told you. Although speculation has hit the rumor mill, and the story is evolving. The mainstream version says we’re going to take out the government in Charlotte because you’re afraid they’re going to attack us. Another version, which I think was started by your political opponents, claims that you want to take over Charlotte because you want more territory.”

  Parnell grunted. “Nobody will believe that.”

  “Only the ones who want to, sir.”

  Parnell took a deep breath. “What’s the scuttlebutt amongst those who are against the attack?”

  “Most think the threat is unfounded, and even if it is, our best course of action is to increase our defense.”

  “What about supporters? Do I have any of those?”

  “You have us, sir. We know you wouldn’t put us in harm’s way unless it was absolutely necessary. All the auxiliary volunteers that I’ve talked to since early this morning feel the same way.”

  “The news sure got out fast. When did you first hear about this?”

  Robinson looked up at the sheriff. “My wife’s friend, Nancy, she came by the house around eleven last night. That’s when I first heard it.”

  Parnell let his foot off the brakes, and the truck began rolling forward. “I’m sorry you had to hear about it from outside of the department. We were trying to keep it close to the chest until we had an approval from the council and the commissioners.”

  “I completely understand.” The deputy closed the gate behind them.

  They exited the vehicle and made their way to the conference room. Parnell walked in a more hurried fashion than Danny was accustomed to seeing. When they arrived, the others were already waiting.

  Parnell closed the door firmly. “We’ve got a leak. The mayor, and the people in this room are the only ones who knew anything about the attack.”

  Al Douglas sat back in his chair. “Might have been Beth that overheard us.”

  “She’s better at cooking than keeping secrets. She’s always been like that.” Rick Grisham looked at Deputy Douglas.

  Douglas nodded. “That’s part of the reason we ate there all the time. The food is good, but it’s a great place to hear about who’s doin’ what around town. She’s about the best source of human intelligence the Cabarrus County law enforcement had.”

  Grisham added, “Unfortunately, that sword cuts both ways.”

  Danny glanced at Chris, who seemed to be avoiding eye contact. Danny remembered Chris’s hotheaded remark and was sure he knew the source of the leak. Nevertheless, scolding him in front of everyone wasn’t going to put that genie back in the bottle. He gritted his teeth and stayed silent.

  Parnell adjusted his pistol belt. “Well, our job just got harder, but we’re still going to get it done.” He turned to Danny. “Your team needs to und
erstand the importance of selling this thing to the council. I’d never ask you to lie. I don’t plan on doing it myself, but this just became a political battle. And we’re going to have to fight the political fight. Otherwise, the people of Concord will either die or live under tyranny. And that won’t bode well for anyone in the Carolinas or the rest of this region.”

  Danny looked at Gwen and Antoine, who both gave him confirming nods. Danny looked up at the sheriff. “We understand that sir. We’ll treat the meeting like the life-or-death decision that it is.”

  “Thank you, Danny. I’m sorry I didn’t keep a better lid on the situation.”

  “We don’t place any of the blame on you.” Danny felt angry at Chris, but even he couldn’t have known the extreme consequences of Chris’s ill-tempered and ill-timed remark.

  Parnell practiced his opening statement on the group. He paused to get feedback on the prepared words he had written in a notebook for the meeting.

  Next, Henry rehearsed his presentation of the attack using the whiteboard, with Michael and Parnell interrupting to let him know when some particular segment of the operation might not be clear to those listening who had no tactical training.

  Finally, Henry, Parnell, and Michael asked a series of potential questions from Danny, Gwen, and Antoine about the specifics of Douglas International and Schlusser’s organization.

  Once the prep was finished, Henry crossed his arms and nodded at Danny, Gwen, and Antoine. “You guys did good. Remember, the spin we’re looking for when you answer is that Schlusser is a very real threat that is coming at us sooner rather than later. If we wait for him to attack us, we’ll lose; but if we strike first, we will win.”

  “With a little help from God on the part about us winning, I’d say that is an entirely accurate statement.” Danny’s mouth curved into a smile.

  “Good. All we have to do now is convince the county commissioners and the city council.” Henry looked at Parnell.

  The sheriff picked up his hat. “Grisham and Douglas, can you two haul this whiteboard over to city hall and take the back way up Spring Street? I’m sure protestors are gathering out front on Cabarrus Avenue as well.”