Lights out in America's Dairyland: An EMP Adventure

by Victor Marbury

  All Delquan could say was, “Fuff ooo bick” thanks to his ruined jaw. Simone stood him up and marched along the trail to the trailhead. Simone tied a stick to Delquan with a piece of his white T-shirt tied to the top as a flag of surrender.

  As they approached the Water Street Barricade, Simone raised her hands high and yelled, “I need to see Ben, Robert, or Mitch…I got the leader of the people who attacked the town!”

  A voice yelled back from behind the barricade, “Drop to your knees and put your hands on top of your head!”

  Simone dragged Delquan down with her and obeyed the instructions given to her by the unseen person. After about 15 minutes, she heard Ben yell, “Simone!” and run toward her with Grink and two guards in tow.

  Grink immediately recognized Simone and yelled back to the guards, “It’s Simone; get out there and help her!”

  Grink and a few of the perimeter guards broke from their positions and headed for their friend.

  Grink helped her to her feet and gave her a friendly hug, “We thought you got killed, man, it’s good to see you!”

  “Likewise, big papa. Look what I brought you.” She motioned to the sorry piece of humanity still kneeling in the street.

  I ran to Simone and grabbed her in a bear hug, laughing and crying at the same time. Simone was overcome with emotion and began to cry as well, returning the embrace.

  Once everyone recovered, Simone motioned to the kneeling figure, “Allow me to introduce you to the architect of our problems, this is Delquan, the leader of the New Nubian Army that you so thoroughly waxed yesterday!

  Delquan looked up into the faces of the people surrounding him; a few were smiling with wicked intent, while others glared at him with undisguised malevolence. Delquan thought to himself, “Perhaps it would have been better to die of infection” as he was hauled to his feet and brought behind the barricade to meet his fate.

  Chapter 17

  Delquan was taken to the hospital, and his wounds were tended to. Between doc Halverson and the local dentist, Kim Steele D.D.S., they were able to save his jawbone, but he lost the majority of his teeth on the left side. Dr. Steele was merciful and provided him with a dose of Novocain to dull his pain, but refused to give him anymore as it wore off. By the time the final stitch was tied off, Delquan knew what real pain was. Doc Halverson removed the flap of skin that was the remainder of his ear and crudely stitched the wound. When they finished, they knew Delquan wouldn’t win any beauty contests, but he would survive to face justice.

  He sat in his cell at the police station and stewed, he couldn’t believe that this was happening! He was the smartest guy in town and yet, through the incompetence of others his plan failed. Now he was going to have to take the rap….it was just bullshit! He sat and thought about what to do next……unfortunately, thanks to the pain and shock he had suffered, nothing came to mind, further frustrating Delquan.

  In another part of the station Ben, Grink, Robert, Elaine and Mitch listened to Simone recount the story of her capture and the tricks she used to gain Delquan’s trust.

  “Once I woke up I met Delquan, he was the typical pimp motherfucker that I have to deal with on the road as a Deputy. Usually they’re convinced of their own greatness, so it’s easy to fool them by being a little submissive. I convinced him that I was unwelcome in the town and was trying to hit the road when his men captured me. All I had to do was pretend to be a willing convert to his way of thinking, and the rest was easy. I told him that the town feared the coming battle and wanted to negotiate. I then led him to the barricade I knew was mined, and the rest is bloody history!”

  Elaine approached Simone and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Simone you have done this town a great service, by catching Delquan the town can rest easily.”

  “Rest assured, this Delquan character will be dealt with according to the law, we’ll not have lynch mob, he’ll get a trial although I think it might be a bit hard to find an impartial jury.”

  Elaine looked at each of us, “Let’s talk about what your plans are now that the town is safe.”

  Mitch was first to speak, “Ma’am, I would like to stay, I think I have a lot to offer the town, and if you’ll have me I’m at your service.”

  “Mitch, you’re most welcome, I’m sure that the town will welcome you with open arms.”

  Elaine then turned to Robert, “What about you, will you stay with us? We could use a man like you on the Department.”

  “It’s a tempting offer, but I have some business to attend to in Whitewater, so I must move on.”

  Simone piped up before being asked, “Sorry Elaine, but I got to be moving on as well, I got some people to look after in Waukesha.”

  “I understand Simone, I wish you luck.”

  “Grink, could you take everybody outside and make arrangements to re-supply them with what they need.”

  “Come on folks, let’s get you squared away.” My compatriots filed out behind Grink.

  As I rose to join them, Elaine said, “Ben, say a moment, will you?”

  I sat back down in my chair and looked at the woman who had quickly made her way into my heart. How could I tell her that I was leaving too? I had an obligation to Robert and Simone, not to mention a stockpile of valuable supplies that could increase our chances of survival over the long term.

  I swallowed hard, “Elaine, I have to go too. Robert and Simone need me to get them home. I promised them that I would, and I’m not breaking that promise.”

  Elaine looked stricken; she sat in her chair across from me put her hands into her lap, “I hate to be selfish at a time like this Ben, but what about me…..what about us?”

  I got up from my chair and made my way toward her; she stood, and we embraced, I kissed her neck, “Elaine, just because I’m leaving now, doesn’t mean I’m not coming back…..did you think I was just going to up and leave you? I’ve got a large amount of stuff stored up that could help the town, including food, medicine, weapons and ammunition. Make no mistake, we’re going to experience attacks again, and the next time they might be more organized and better armed.”

  Elaine broke the embrace and turned away from me, “Ben, I can’t lose you, don’t risk your life for a small amount of stuff. Let it rot, we don’t need it, but I need you!” She buried her head in her hands and went into her private washroom, slamming the door behind her. I left her office and caught up with Grink and my crew to get replacement supplies, tomorrow or the next day we were back on our bikes and gone.

  I spent the rest of the day selecting gear to put on my bike and in my pack. It was going to be two wheels from now on, so I wanted to be careful about weight. As I packed, I mused about what I was going to do about Elaine. Truth was; I didn’t want to leave either, but the thought of all of my careful preps being taken by the undeserving jerkbags that didn’t take steps like me was galling. Besides, I would much rather use my supplies to help my new friends.

  I decided to take a break and walked outside. As I soaked up the warm August sun, I spied Mitch re-packing one of the things. I strolled over to him, “So, are they taking care of you?”

  “Yeah, they gave me the garage in town for living quarters. It has a fully equipped shop and a small building attached in the back with a nice shower, kitchen and a nice bedroom. It fits me to a T, Rommel, and I will be happy there, so don’t worry.”

  “Mitch, I don’t want to leave either, but I got a ton of supplies cached just outside of Milwaukee in a warehouse. It is in a relatively deserted area, so I figure that if we move quickly enough, we could sneak in, sneak out, and be well supplied for winter.”

  Mitch rubbed his chin and said, “How much and what kind of things do you have Ben? You should probably make a list so we can determine what we need, and if it is worth going after.”

  For the next hour, I gave Mitch the lowdown on what I had. By the end of the list Mitch was saying, “Yeah, we got to go for it, the stuff you have might make a difference whether we make it through the winter h
ere or not.”

  “Mitch, I have a plan to get the stuff but I want you to hear it, see where the holes are and come up with solutions for the inevitable problems we are going to encounter.”

  We found a quiet place, and I ran it down for him. My plan was to approach from the west through Waukesha using the secondary roads to get to New Berlin, where my stuff waited in storage at a friend’s warehouse. I figured I had about 6,000 pounds of stuff, so we would need a big pickup or small cube truck to get it all. Mitch said that he was confident that he could find a truck that would meet our needs and get it running. After about four hours of kicking the plan around, the sun was sinking below the horizon, and we had come up with the best version of the plan we could think of. My job as I traveled with my friends was to find the best route the truck could take and report back on my portable HAM radio each night. Mitch and his crew would map the route. Once I arrived at my cache, I would prepare it for transport and give the go signal. The truck would leave Cambridge as night fell and arrive in New Berlin by morning. We would rest a bit in the warehouse and load the truck in the afternoon. When the sun set, we would leave on our return trip to Cambridge. If all went well, the truck would return about 24 hours later, and the town would add a substantial amount of supplies in their stockpile. If the plan worked for us, we would use it as a template to get Mitch’s stuff as well on another date, increasing the town’s stockpile.

  Mitch said, “Now all we have to do is sell it to Elaine. After all, she is probably going to have the final say whether we get the necessary equipment and men we need to be successful.

  “You got that right Mitch. Let me head over to the Police station now and lay the groundwork, come over with Grink in about half an hour after you brief him.”

  “Ok brother, see you then.”

  I agreed and made my way back to the Police station to try to convince her to agree to my plan. When I got to the police station, I saw Cook standing at the front door on guard duty. He smiled and waved at me as I approached, “Hey man, how’s it going?”

  “Not too bad, is the chief in?”

  “Nope, she left for home about an hour ago, and she looked pretty pissed.”

  I frowned at hearing that Elaine was probably still mad at me, “Thanks Cook; I’ll catch her at home. Just to keep you in the loop, Grink and Mitch will come over here later…Tell them I’ll see them tomorrow.”

  “Will do Ben.”

  I walked down the stairs toward Elaine’s house.

  As I approached the house, I could see that the door was open in order to catch a breeze. I knocked on the screen door and heard Elaine call out, “Who is it?”

  “It’s me Ben.”

  Elaine emerged out of the darkness dressed in an oversize T-shirt shirt and shorts, “What do you want Ben?”

  “Can I come in?”

  Elaine stepped aside and opened the door. I entered, and she led me to the kitchen where we sat down. There was a bottle of Maker’s Mark at the center of the table, and she motioned to it, “Drink?”

  “Sure, let me get it.” I poured a good amount into our glasses, and she raised hers to mine. A faint clink resonated through the kitchen, and she took a large swallow.

  I looked her in the eyes, “Elaine, we have to talk about this. I made a promise to Simone and Robert to get them home. I can’t back out. What kind of person would I be if I reneged on my friends?”

  Tears began to flow, “You would be alive Ben, alive with me in this town!” She looked away and sniffed.

  I grabbed her hands and kissed them, “Elaine, I would be alive, but I would hate myself for it. That hate would grow and eventually get directed at you. You are too important to me for that to happen; that’s why I got to go and finish this.”

  “Ben, I can’t lose you out there. It’s getting worse and worse…wait until Winter turns to Spring, then go get your stuff…it can wait.”

  “No, it can’t. We need that stuff now. I have tons of supplies that this town needs to make it through winter. With Mitch helping on this end and your support, I can be back inside of two weeks, and we will be much more secure for the upcoming winter, I promise.”

  “No, you can’t promise…you can get killed out there and I would never hear from you again!”

  “Elaine, I love you. I want nothing more than to spend what remaining days I have with you, but I have an obligation to my friends and this town to ensure its survival. Those supplies will ensure that we have the best chance to make it to spring. I need you to support me on this. Without your help, I know I can’t make this happen. Please help me help all of us!”

  Elaine dropped her head to the kitchen table, “Ok Ben, I’ll help, but you better come back to me, or there will be Hell to pay!” She sat in my lap and kissed me hard on the lips.

  “Now take me to bed and be my man tonight!” She led me to her bedroom and pushed me onto the bed, her weight pinning me as her hands began to remove my clothes.

  “We made love with an intensity that shook the house to the foundation. As she parted from me, her wild energy spent, she snuggled to my shoulder and said dreamily, “My sweet Ben…please come back to me.” She then drifted off to sleep. I lingered for a moment before falling asleep beside her.

  Chapter 18

  Morning broke over Cambridge, and I walked with Elaine to the Police station. Our bikes were stored there, loaded and ready to go. I went to check on final preparations, and Elaine went to her office and called for Myron Schenk over the PA system. Myron arrived and knocked on the closed door and heard a gruff “Enter!”

  Myron entered the office and approached Elaine’s desk, “You called for me Ma’am?”

  “Yes Myron, who do you know in Palmyra and Eagle?”

  “Several people ma’am, do you need a message passed?”

  “That I do. I want you to contact the authorities there and let them know that Simone and Ben are coming through and to give them safe passage. If they want to speak to me directly, no problem. Try to get them to let them by for free, any negotiation for tolls should be left to me…is that clear?”

  “Yes ma’am, when do you want this done?”

  “Right away. Our friends are leaving today for a brief time, but they will be returning within two weeks, we need to make their passage as easy as possible.”

  “I’ll get on it right now!” Myron turned on his heel and sped out of Elaine’s office.

  Within an hour, Elaine had spoken to the town authorities in both Eagle and Palmyra. They agreed to let Ben and Simone pass through without difficulty. She also arranged for the improvised vehicle to pass through when the time came, as long as Mitch could provide them with the technical expertise to build more operational vehicles. Once the deals were struck with the other towns, Elaine returned to her office and quietly shut the door.

  Simone, Robert and I were working on our bikes in the police garage, I had my bike up on a repair rack donated by a local bike shop, taking time to ensure that everything was working properly. I cleaned my chain and lubed it, and made sure that the shifters and brakes were properly adjusted. One of the mechanics from the bike shop, a modern hippie named Dean was helping tune up Simone and Robert’s bikes.

  Dean was the sort of person you would find in any bike shop. He always had a dreamy, detached look on his face and easy manner, but when you put a bike in front of him, he was all business. His hands moved efficiently, and he expertly tuned both bikes within an hour. He also made some modifications to Simone’s bike to accommodate her height.

  Simone test rode her fully loaded bike and smiled broadly, “Man, its like this bike was custom made for me, thanks Dean!”

  Dean beamed, “All I did was raise the stem and but on a better female-specific seat, you should be totally free of back pain now, as well as taint pain.”

  “Taint pain?”

  “The spot that ain’t your hoo-ha and ain’t your butthole….your taint.” Dean snickered.

  “Well, both me and my taint thank you
Dean.” Simone dismounted and kissed Dean on the cheek.

  Dean blushed as red as a white guy could get, “Anytime my Nubian princess, anytime.”

  Dean looked at his watch, “I got to split, the store needs opening.” He packed his tools and made his way towards the garage door.

  I walked with Dean to the entrance, “You know Dean; you’re going to be a pretty important fellow in town now. With your knowledge of bicycle repair, your skills are going to be in demand for lots of small projects. I suggest you get in touch with Mitch and see what you can do with bicycle –powered machines.”

  Mitch scratched his soul patch, “I’ll do that man…when you come back we could always use another wrench at the shop, I think you’ll fit in real good Ben.”

  “I’ll take it under advisement, thanks for helping out this morning.”

  “My pleasure dude.” Dean made his way down the driveway and towards Main Street where his bike shop waited.

  After a final check to make sure we had everything, we were finally ready to roll. We all decided that being inconspicuous would no longer pay the dividends they did in the first days of the event, so we all dressed like we were going to war. I had my combat rig with pistol belt on, rifle slung across my back and eight magazines attached to my vest. I wore my full-fingered, knuckle protecting gloves and my Kevlar vest under my combat rig. Simone was similarly attired, carrying a captured rifle from Delquan’s army. Robert also carried a captured rifle and a donated desert tan combat rig from a citizen in town. Everything about us, from our garb to our attitude us said LEAVE US ALONE in big neon letters. We sincerely hoped that people would leave us alone as we traveled, but saw no reason to give the impression that we were potential victims. I was amazed how much society failed inside of ten days without electric power or modern conveniences. I suspected that the situation was going to get much worse as time wore on, giving me a great sense of urgency about my current mission.