The Blackout Series (Book 6): Devil's Homecoming

by Bobby Akart

  Late Afternoon, December 2

  Near Pickwick Landing Dam

  Big Bend Shoals

  Steven Popham’s home was surrounded by military vehicles and soldiers with their weapons drawn. He and his neighbor, Steven Prince, had survived by fishing and foraging for food in abandoned homes. They had little contact with the outside world anyway and sure didn’t care much for the government.

  Their two homes built on pilings were unobtrusive in their design and structure. The folks who lived along this stretch of the Tennessee River had only one constant, the massive Pickwick Landing Dam, which hovered over them like a mountain.

  When two Humvees and a dozen members of the Tennessee National Guard unloaded at their doorstep, their first inclination was to shoot in order to defend themselves. But they knew they had bigger problems than men with guns.

  The spillway of the dam had been closed since the lights went out. Once water had poured over the top like it always did, a steady flow, causing only a ripple of wake along the river.

  Not today.

  Today, a raging torrent of foam and spray rose high into the air. His view of the sky above the dam was obliterated, as was the massive concrete structure itself. From a mile away, the roar was deafening as tens of millions of gallons of water per minute crashed around, over, and quite possibly through the dam.

  The soldiers questioned him and Steve-O, as he called his neighbor. When you had two guys named Steven P, it was easy to get them confused. So he remained Steven, since he lived there first, and his friend became Steve-O.

  Steve-O was telling the soldiers about the aircraft they’d heard several days before. He described them as Snoopy and the Red Baron having a dogfight, and then they landed to the west sommers. Steve-O was from the country and pronounced the word somewhere as sommers.

  There’s way too much water coming our way, Steven thought to himself as he watched the water overrun the banks below them. In fact, based upon the rapid rise of the river’s elevation, he was thinking that they really needed to go. Now.

  He thought about the giant lake on the other side of Pickwick. The width and depth of Pickwick Lake dwarfed the Big Bend Shoals turn northward of the Tennessee River. If that water overtook the dam, they’d be washed away.

  “Officer or Sergeant or whatever, look here,” started Steven. “You see that dam over there? Sumptin’s wrong. I’ve lived here for most of my life and I ain’t never seen it throw water like that. Now, y’all are welcome to chat or whatever. But I’m leavin’ before the river takes me downstream with it.”

  The sergeant walked past Steven and stared at the dam for a moment. “Wow,” he muttered. “Do you think they’ve opened the spillway because of the rain? I mean, that’s normal, right?”

  Steven shook his head. “I ain’t never seen it like that. The water’s risin’ and it looks like it’s fixin’ to rain even more. I don’t want any part of this, you know?”

  The sergeant nodded his head. “Let’s go, Corporal, it’s gettin’ late,” he ordered before turning his attention back to the two Stevens. “About these airplanes you mentioned. Is there a landing strip or small airport over there? I didn’t see one on any of my maps.”

  “No, there ain’t,” said Steve-O. “About the only stretch where they could land would be on Johnson’s Sod Farm. It’s nice and flat over there.”

  “Hmmm,” said the sergeant as he turned on his heels and left.

  Steven continued to stare at the dam and asked his friend, “Whadya reckon those folks did to bring the dang Marines down after them?”

  “I dunno,” Steve-O responded. “I know this. Them boys are mad as hornets about it.”

  Chapter 37

  Dawn, December 3

  Childer’s Hill

  Alex came out of the room she shared with her parents, outfitted with her gear. She loaded her backpack with extra ammo and magazines, strapped one of the Ka-Bar knives to her leg, and made sure both her weapons had full mags in them.

  “Can I please talk you out of this, Alex?” begged Madison through the tears. “There has to be another way, honey. Please.”

  Alex didn’t respond initially and gave her mom a hug instead. She whispered to her mom and said, “Sometimes the hardest thing and the right thing are the same, Mom. I’ve made my decision and I’m comfortable with it. Please don’t worry about me.”

  “You’re such a big girl now,” said Madison. “Of course I’ll worry, as a mom. But as a woman, I couldn’t be more proud. I will pray for your safety and Stubby’s too.”

  “Pray for our success too. We’ll be able to make a life for ourselves when this is over.”

  Alex broke her mom’s embrace. She knew her mother would hold on forever if she didn’t. Saying goodbye to her dad would be tougher.

  Colton had seen the determination and drive in Alex long before the world got turned upside down. He had raised her to be strong and confident. Early on, he’d impressed upon her that she should never underestimate her strengths, and likewise, she should never overestimate her weaknesses. This concept led her to the hook it in the rough axiom that she lived by. As she grew up, her mind-set was always can-can-can rather than can’t.

  Although she loved her mom, Madison could never see through Alex’s and Colton’s eyes when it came to embracing a challenge. There wasn’t a difficult task they couldn’t overcome.

  “Watch your back, Allie-Cat,” said Colton. “You guys make a great team, but you never know what might sneak up on you.”

  “I know, Daddy. Expect the unexpected.”

  “You’ve got it,” Colton said, laughing. He gave his daughter a tight hug and whispered that he was proud of her.

  “Take care of Mom. She’s strong too, you know.”

  “Oh, I know that,” said Colton. “She doesn’t go looking for fights, but she doesn’t shy away from them either. We’ll be fine. You just come back to us after you take care of business.”

  “I will, Daddy. I love you.”

  Alex walked down the driveway, where Stubby awaited with Chase, Coach Carey, and Beau. Stubby was outfitted similarly to Alex. He carried his AR-10, a .45 holstered in his belt, and one of the Marine-issued Ka-Bar knives strapped in a sheath to his leg.

  “Alex, Chase is gonna take us down to the river and then we’ll be on our own,” said Stubby. “He’ll retrieve his horse and hightail it back up here. This will give him a chance to see what’s goin’ on around Shiloh Ranch.”

  She turned to Coach Carey and Beau. “Thank you for staying here and protecting everyone.”

  “You’re welcome, Alex,” said Coach Carey as he gave her a hug. “We’ve gone over all of your options to sneak into town and I think you guys know what to do. I’d just get in your way.”

  Beau moved in for the final goodbye. He and Alex had become extremely close, almost inseparable. When she’d announced her plans to him last night before bed, he protested. The two didn’t have an argument in the sense of a couple bickering with each other, but Beau was insistent that he come along to help.

  Eventually, Alex had to tell him that she and Stubby were best suited for this. She promised him that they would make it quick and easy. Then it would be over. Beau was better suited to defending Childer’s Hill and protecting her parents.

  “Beau, promise me that you’ll stay by my dad’s side and have his back.”

  “Okay, Alex. I’m not gonna ask you again. Just, please, be careful. If you can’t get it done easily, get out of there and come back here. We’ll figure it out.”

  Alex hugged him tighter and gave him a long kiss. She felt in her heart that this wasn’t the end. Alex knew that this day would mark the beginning of a great life with Beau and her new family.

  “We gotta roll, guys,” said Chase, interrupting the embrace. “Daylight’s coming and the clouds are building. We don’t want to get caught on the water with the skies opening up or Rollie’s men around.”

  Alex and Stubby provided one final set of goodbyes and the
y marched down the driveway to the boat. Little was said between the three passengers as Chase carefully navigated the swollen creek toward the river. Thunder began to rumble in the distance as they approached Shiloh Ranch. After they crossed Federal Road and entered the property, Chase cut the trolling motor and handed wooden paddles to Alex and Stubby. They rowed the last quarter mile to where Chase’s horse was tied off.

  They tied the skiff to a tree and climbed out for a moment to ready themselves for the trip across the river. Stubby climbed up the embankment to get a better look at the main house through his binoculars.

  “Alex, I don’t want to have some mushy goodbyes, okay?”

  Alex started laughing. “Were you anglin’ to get a kiss or something?”

  “No, nothing like that,” Chase retreated, slightly embarrassed.

  “I’ll kiss you if it’ll make you feel better.” Alex chuckled.

  “No, dude, seriously. I was just gonna say that you are amazing. You know, in a real cool sister kinda way. You’re not really a girl, right? You’re more like a man in a woman’s body.”

  Alex jokingly placed her hand on her pistol and unsnapped the holster. “I’m not sure how I feel about that statement.”

  Chase backed away and held both hands up. “Nah, I didn’t mean anything bad by that. I mean, I’m just sayin’ you’re braver and stronger and smarter than any girl I’ve ever met. I have no doubt that you’re gonna take those scumbags out.”

  Alex snapped her holster strap and approached Chase to give him a hug. Her friend had been through a lot, not to mention being ostracized for things that had happened while they were out foraging. She’d never held him responsible, but in hindsight, the events had made him grow up quite a bit.

  “You are like my brother, and you’re also my partner. When this is over, we’ll get back to finding stuff. It was an adventure, right?”

  He gave her a hug and patted her on the head. “All of the things we went through out there have prepared you for this moment. You’re my partner and always will be. Hurry back so that we can get back to it.”

  “Deal,” said Alex, who gave Chase a kiss on the cheek.

  Stubby made his way down the embankment and reported what he’d seen. A loud smack of thunder caused all three of them to duck.

  “They’re loading up now. Chase, you better get movin’ so they won’t catch you on the road somewhere. Tell Jake and them that it’s time.”

  “I will. Be careful, Stubby,” said Chase.

  The thunder clapped, causing everyone to look upward. The rain began to fall again.

  Stubby grabbed Chase by the shoulders and said, “I’m proud of you, young man. You’re the grandson I never had. Promise me that you’ll protect Jake, Emily, and my beloved Bessie. You guys are my family. I don’t want any harm to come to any of you.”

  “Yes, sir,” said Chase, who quickly gave Stubby a bro-hug.

  The rain began to pour down on them and the winds started pushing the trees around like palm trees in a hurricane. Stubby looked to Alex and nodded.

  “Let’s go. This is gonna be one heckuva day.”

  Chapter 38

  Late Morning, December 3

  Childer’s Hill

  Colton jogged along the fencerow and reached the opening where the Wolvens’ long driveway made its way across the partially flooded bridge. He’d just watched Jakob, one of the young Mennonites charged with perimeter security watch, as he rode across the rain-soaked field before his horse stumbled from a sprained leg. Leaving the limping horse behind, he zigzagged across the remaining five hundred yards, stumbling several times before he found his way to where Colton could provide him assistance navigating the overflowing waters of Lick Creek onto the bridge.

  Through the howling winds, radio communications between the line of nearly thirty Childer’s Hill refugees was difficult. With Jakob’s return, the last of the Mennonites was back on the property and acting as messengers. If the comms were unusable due to the rain, they would create a human chain of messengers to pass along vital information.

  “They’re coming, sir,” Jakob said to Colton. “They’re now on the other side of the sod farm. They found the airplanes.”

  Colton patted the young man on the back. “You did a great job, Jakob. Catch your breath and tell your brother to bring the tractor down here.”

  While he waited, Colton sloshed through the two-foot-deep water, holding onto the rail to maintain his balance. With the rain, Lick Creek’s banks were overflowing significantly, but the current wasn’t fast like a creek filled with mountain runoff. It was simply rising, an indicator that the surrounding tributaries, like the Tennessee River, were rising with it.

  At eleven feet wide and just under nine feet tall, the covered bridge barely accommodated a large SUV, much less the military vehicles used by the National Guard and FEMA. Nonetheless, Colton wanted to block access to the bridge to any smaller vehicles they might be using.

  The old John Deere 7020 tractor powered by a six-cylinder diesel engine rumbled into view and worked its way across the bridge. Colton wondered if its weight would prevent it from becoming buoyant.

  The tractor rolled across the bridge, water covering the top of its yellow front rims, but all four wheels remained firmly on the bridge floor. Within a few minutes, the young man deftly maneuvered the tractor in place, wedging it from side to side. With the amount of firepower focused on this only means of access to Childer’s Hill, Colton was confident the bridge was well defended.

  Colton retreated to his position behind the square baler at the foot of the driveway. Resting his back against the six-foot-wide steel farm implement, he was startled by Beau, who raced down the driveway to join him before dropping to a knee.

  “I thought you were covering the east end of the fence line,” said Colton.

  “I was. Chase and I traded positions. He can use his sniper rifle to pick them off in the field better from over there. Plus, I’m acting on my superior’s orders.”

  “Who, Stubby?”

  “No, sir. Your daughter’s.”

  “What did Alex say?”

  “That your back needed watching.” Beau laughed. “So here I am.”

  The baler was not big enough to cover three guys, so Colton sent Jakob to Javy’s position on the rock outcropping. He and Beau would work together at the foot of the driveway, the closest position to the oncoming attackers.

  “Well, Beau, now we wait.”

  Chapter 39

  Late Morning, December 3

  Savannah

  Stubby and Alex circumvented the roadblock manned by Junior’s new deputies on the south side of Savannah. Unlike his previous hired mercenaries who took pride in their jobs because of the types of payment they received, this new bunch barely noticed as Stubby carefully maneuvered the white Ford Elite through connected driveways just two hundred yards to their west.

  As they traversed the neighborhood streets on the west side of town, they eventually ran into Town Branch, the five-foot-wide creek that Colton had followed on the day they arrived in Savannah. The branch, however, was now five feet deep and nearly fifteen feet wide. The car wouldn’t make it through, and driving around it wasn’t an option because it took them back to CR 128, the main north-south highway in town.

  The rain was coming down again and the situation was not going to get any better. Their best option was to walk around the creek, looking for higher ground. Scurrying from house to house in order to avoid detection, the two made quick time, moving nearly a mile to the east.

  “Stubby, look! The cemetery sits on a rise. We can cut through it and make our way towards town again.”

  Alex led the way as they used the gravestones and massive oak trees for cover. Running from point to point in wet clothes and with sloppy footing, they were both heaving for air. Eventually they found Cherry Street and moved parallel with it toward the electric power substation. They tucked themselves into a lean-to shed to catch their breath and avoid the never-endi
ng supply of rain.

  After recovering from the sprint, Stubby said to Alex, “I’ve only seen flooding like this one time since I’ve been a child and that was around Christmas of 2015. That year, the waters rose eight to ten feet and the damage to the area was substantial. People tried to drive through the flooded creeks, only to be carried downstream and, in a couple of cases, down the Tennessee River. An eighteen-wheeler toting a Sysco Food trailer jackknifed, sending the trailer into a creek on the west side of the river. It floated a few hundred yards before it got stuck on the bridge abutments.”

  Alex looked up to the sky and then toward the burgeoning Town Branch in front of them. “And you say this is worse?”

  “Without a doubt.”

  The sound of a vehicle driving toward them caused Stubby and Alex to hide behind some fifty-five-gallon drums in the lean-to.

  The truck pulled up to the bridge before crossing the creek and stopped. The unarmed driver stepped out of the pickup and walked through the water, which reached just below his knees. He returned to his vehicle and backed up, seemingly smart enough to turn around and go another way. Then he abruptly stopped, revved the engine and spun the tires as he sped toward the crossing.

  As the truck hit the knee-deep water, it immediately decelerated as if hitting a brick wall, thus throwing him forward in his seat. His mouth hit the steering wheel and he spewed blood and teeth all over the dash. The truck’s momentum carried across the bridge before coming to a stop twenty feet from the lean-to.

  The man fell over in the front bench seat, groaning in pain. Alex shouldered her rifle and reached for her knife when Stubby stopped her.

  “Leave him. He’s got enough trouble. Come on.”

  Stubby moved a barrel out of the way and ran past the pickup at a safe distance. He and Alex then walked across the concrete guardrails like they were on a tight rope before landing on firm ground on the other side. Without looking back, they raced through the tall grass to their next point of cover, a small white clapboard house just two hundred yards from the Hardin County Detention Center.