Settling In
Russell had grand aspirations. He wanted to build a force outside the control of the government. Something that could bring about the revolution. Their numbers, however, were far too low to bring about anything at their current point.
Their new guests needed time to grow and time to flourish. Russell believed that the EMP strikes were an added benefit. With the nation in chaos, people would witness the failure of institutions on a mass level. There was always going to be a breakdown, a crisis to seize and take advantage of. He just didn't know it would happen so quickly.
Russell's true intentions were known only in his immediate circle, which consisted of Kyle and Eli. He had long ago given up a life with any semblance of normalcy and sought out disenchanted individuals like himself to join his cause. So far, he had a pretty good team of fifteen men, many of whom were influenced by Russell's initial Internet outreach. Russell emphasized that they were not a cult. He promised to make them better men.
The world didn't make sense anymore, the forces of evil were winning on all fronts, and no one could stop them. When asked by his men of the forces behind the conspiracy, Russell was often oddly specific. He told his men that their target was Washington D.C. Noting uncomfortable silence whenever he said this, Russell emphasized that they were not a terrorist organization. He explained that no one had to die. It was going to be a bloodless coup. However, such a thing had never been possible in all of human history.
After dinner, the new arrivals at Camp Liberty were shown to their sleeping quarters. Russell and Kyle were in his private cabin going over the next day's battle plan with cigars and glasses of brandy. Russell, defiant to his core, still puffed on cigars occasionally, even though he paid for it later.
His spirits had been raised with the arrival of new people. Kyle noticed that his color was coming back. He seemed better overall. Perhaps his daily barrage of pills and medications was improving his condition after all. Russell and Kyle sat at a small round table looking over a map of Milledgeville.
“I've been thinking,” Russell said, taking a sip of brandy from his glass.
“What's that?” Kyle asked.
“The radio, it's a good idea, but it hasn't yielded what I would call a huge return. Do you agree?”
Kyle took a puff on his cigar. “I guess so. What did you expect? I told you, a lot of people don't have radios.”
“I understand that. That's why I'm proposing a new directive,” Russell said.
“And what's that?”
Russell leaned in closer, resting his elbows on the table. “Supplies are getting low, and our next purge is coming up soon.”
“That's correct,” Kyle said, blowing out a long stream of smoke.
“But we've had it all wrong. We've been focusing squarely on what we need, taking whatever we can get our hands on and bringing it back to the camp. Meanwhile, our numbers remain stagnant.”
“Russ, it's only the beginning. It's going to take a lot more time. I know that's not what you want to hear, but think about how far we've come in only three months.”
“I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about a new approach. We need an outreach proposal. We need a visible presence in the community.”
Kyle held up his cigar and thought to himself. He then looked at Russell. “You mean, like a recruiting center or something?”
“That's exactly what I'm talking about,” Russell said, pleased that he didn't have to elaborate any further. “We can't sit around here waiting for people to trickle in. We need to bring them here.” Kyle was unresponsive, which Russell noticed.
“You don't agree?” he asked.
“No, I'm thinking. You're suggesting that we convince people to come back here with us? Townspeople? The same ones we've stolen from? The same stores we looted? I'd say at this point, it's going to be hard convincing anyone around here to join our cause. We're probably better off with radio transmissions in the long run.”
“We extend our outreach. Get a team together, a team we can trust. Send them out there for a few days and get some new recruits. They can take the truck.”
Kyle cleared his throat and tried to choose his words carefully. “Just so we're on the same page here, how exactly are the men going to bring back these recruits?”
“Simple,” Russell said. “They find the right ones, and bring them back here where they'll be trained and integrated like the others. Make sense?”
“Yes, but are they coming here willingly or by other measures?”
Russell tilted his head back and laughed. “Ah, I see where you're going. I know that I have a tendency to be light on the specifics at times. We offer them the opportunity. They can come here willingly or unwillingly, but either way they're coming.”
“You think we're ready for that? I mean, you're talking about taking prisoners,” Kyle said.
“As ready as we'll ever be. Start getting a team together, and let's put this thing into action.”
Kyle rose from his chair, taking his final swig of brandy. He set the glass on the table and put his hat one. “I'm on it,” he said.
“I also want you to talk to James, the leader of that group. Try to take him along. The sooner we get him on our side, the better.”
“No problem,” Kyle said. He turned around and walked out the cabin door, leaving Russell with his brandy glass and cigar.
James and his crew had said little to the other men in the camp as they were new to the place and felt a slight resistance in the air. Nonetheless, Russell and Kyle were friendly and welcoming, assuring them that the others would warm to them soon. Most of them looked similar to one another size, physique, and facial hair. They were quiet, serious men.
Despite Russell's attempt to section off a new area for females, Janice, Christina, and Paula insisted on staying with Mark and James, even if that meant sleeping in a large bay area with other men. Dinner had hit the spot and everyone felt much better after their grueling ten mile hike across the woods to get there. Even more enticing were the portable showers and toilets at their disposal.
The showers ran off of large rubber blimps filled with water. Everything looked as if it had been purchased from a military surplus store. The blimps held up to fifty-five gallons of water and looked like giant water balloons when full. There were two shower units hooked up to water blimps. Hot water was available, but only when the generators were running. Near the showers were two portable bathroom units, standard porta-potties. The toilets had to be cleaned daily and the waste disposed of manually. It was not anyone’s favorite task.
James’s group was assigned temporary quarters in the second of the four cabins available. James led Mark, Janice, Christina, and Paula into the darkened cabin where they could rest for the evening. There were ten iron-framed bunk beds on each side, with a sheet and pillow on each mattress. Portable battery operated lights were affixed to the wall in intervals to provide some modest lighting.
“Home sweet home, I guess,” James said.
The group walked in with their packs hanging over their shoulders, eager to get some rest. The prospect of taking a shower enticed them as well. It had only been a little over a day, but Janice felt like she hadn't showered in weeks. Christina shared a similar sentiment, and so did Paula.
Taking a shower was the last thing on both James’s and Mark's minds. They just wanted to rest. The hardwood floors and thick oak walls gave the place a rustic feel. The minimal layout, identical on both sides, had a strange but comfortable aura to it. They were relieved to see that there was plenty of room for everyone but a tad suspicious to see another group toward the back of the cabin.
“Hello,” James called out as they walked down the bay, approaching three boys and two girls who looked to be college-age. There was a stark difference between the bearded men in the dining tent and the five twenty-somethings before them. Shane and Sally were lying in bed together reading. They set down their books and sat up, curiously eying the new arrivals. Danny and Jacklyn,
lying on the opposite bed from Shane and Sally, looked up in surprise. Jeff, the odd man out, stopped digging through his rucksack and watched as James and the others approached.
“Hi,” Jeff said timidly.
James stopped and swung his pack off his shoulders. Mark and Janice set theirs down on the hardwood floor as Christina and Paula followed suit.
“Looks like we got similar numbers on our sides,” James said with smile. “Five of us here in my group and five of you guys here.”
“We had six,” Danny said.
The college kids didn't look too happy. They looked worn and fatigued, though they attempted to put on their best faces and appear polite. Shane began by getting off the bed and standing up. He introduced himself and everyone in his group. James did the same.
“You guys look a little out of place here,” Christina said.
“Tell me about it,” Shane said.
“Been here for the past two weeks,” Danny said from his position on his bed. “And I'm ready to blow my fucking brains out.”
“Danny!” Jacklyn said, slapping him on the thigh.
“Watch it,” he cried.
“Watch your mouth,” she said.
Mark pushed his way through to talk to the group. They seemed like the most normal people they had encountered in weeks, and he was hungry for some answers. “What brought you guys here?” he asked.
Shane took a deep breath, then spoke. “We were camping in the woods. It was supposed to be a little weekend outing before class on Monday.”
“That's class at Georgia U,” Danny added.
“We got lost and couldn't find our way back to our cars. Cell phones went dead and we had no way to use GPS.”
“Then we came across this place. Russell took us in, and we've been staying here since,” Sally added. “It's good to see some new people.” Sally then waved to a tired Paula. “Hi, sweetie. How are you?”
“Good...” Paula said with a blank stare.
“So where did you guys come from?” Danny asked. He stood up from his mattress on the bottom bunk and stretched.
“Not far. Just trying to find our way through this EMP business,” Mark said, commandeering the conversation.
“So it is true,” Shane said.
“What's that?” Mark said.
“The EMP Russell was telling us about. Said the town is in ruins and that there is no way out,” Shane said.
“We don't know how bad things are in town, but it's pretty bad everywhere else,” James said.
“Oh no,” Sally said, burying her face in her hand.
“So have you heard any new news? What's the latest?” Danny asked in anticipation.
“We've been pretty isolated ourselves, same as you. All we know is that the missiles detonated over several states across the entire country.”
The college kids gasped. It was an impossible scenario. There had to be a mistake. They didn't know what to think, but they believed it nonetheless.
Shane continued. “Well, it's been OK here. Russell wants us for something big. He says that it's going to put everything back to normal for good.”
“He sees something in us,” Jeff said, who had been quiet up until then.
“It's all a bunch of bullshit,” Danny added.
“Just shut up, Danny,” Shane said.
“Dude, you really wanna try me?” Danny said, walking toward Shane with his chest puffed out.
“Both of you knock it off, now!” Jacklyn commanded.
Danny and Shane stood across from each other, staring. Danny eventually turned away and went back to his bed.
James and his crew sensed the friction in the air and hoped to quell it. They certainly didn't want hostile roommates.
“I hope we're not intruding here,” James said in an attempt to break the ice.
“Of course not,” Sally said. “Like we said earlier, it's good to have some normal people around.”
“Especially other females,” Jacklyn said.
Christina perked up. “That's exactly what I was thinking.”
“Don't mind Danny though, he's just a little upset right now. Our friend, Chris, disappeared a couple of days ago. They found a piece of his jacket lying on the ground near the big walls,” Jacklyn said.
“We're all a little upset,” Sally emphasized.
“It looks like he escaped. He must have snuck out in the middle of the night,” Jacklyn said.
Shane jumped in. “I mean, he was always a little strange, but to just ditch us like that? It's pretty damn low.”
“Hopefully he comes back,” Jeff said.
Danny didn't like what he was hearing, and decided to be the dissenting voice once again. “I'm not buying it. This place did something to him. I can't prove it, but I have my suspicions.”
“Oh, here we go again with this bullshit,” Shane said, cutting him off. It appeared their fight was about to start all over again.
“Chris wouldn't leave us, I know it!” Danny said.
“Well, it's time you believe it because that's exactly what he did!” Shane shouted back.
Suddenly, the door to the cabin creaked open, and Kyle and Eli walked in. Everyone went silent as they entered, which Kyle took keen notice of.
“Are we interrupting anything?” he said.
James and his crew dispersed to nearby bunks as the college kids went back to their business.
“Nope, just introducing ourselves to some new friends here,” James said.
“Excellent,” Kyle said. “I hope you can all get acquainted with each other.”
Shane and the others avoided eye contact with Kyle and tried to look preoccupied with other business.
“I sure am looking forward to a shower,” Janice said. “That's all I want.”
Kyle smiled. “Better get in there while the water's hot. Makes a world of difference.”
Janice began to rifle through her pack, trying to find a change of clothes. She and Mark picked the third bottom-bunk on the left side of the room. Christina and Paula picked the second, while James went to the first.
“You take the top, I'll take the bottom,” Christina said.
“Ah, man. That means I have to climb up there every time,” Paula said, pouting.
“Seniority has its privileges, honey pie.”
Kyle and Eli walked at a leisurely pace to the middle of the cabin, observing their new guests. Kyle then began his address to both groups. “I wanted to introduce, Eli, our facility manager.”
Eli waved and said hello. Like the others, he was dressed in camouflage. Unlike the others, however, he was very tall and skinny.
“We met earlier in the dining tent,” James said.
“Oh, you did?” Kyle said. “Wonderful. If you have any questions about our amenities, feel free to ask Eli. That includes issues with the showers, bathrooms, your living area, our clothes-washing station, water point, hygienic supply distribution, and so on. He does his job and he does it well, so please just let Eli know.”
Kyle pivoted around like he had finished his piece, but then raised his hand in the air as if forgetting something. “Ah yes, of course. Shane and Jeff,” he said, turning toward them.
Shane and Jeff looked up from their bunks. “Yes?”
“Bright and early tomorrow. We're going to get into some marksmanship training. A little at a time. It should be fun.”
“Cool,” Jeff said.
“Wake up's at five. And Danny?”
“Yeah?” Danny asked.
“Kitchen duty begins at six, but please show up ten minutes prior.”
In response, Danny offered a sarcastic half-ass salute. “Can't wait,” he said.
“Sally and Jacklyn?” Kyle said.
“Yes?” they said.
“Help our guests get familiar with the place tomorrow. Show them around some.”
“Sure, whatever,” Sally said.
“Thank you.” Kyle nodded and walked away, pleased. Before he and Eli got to the door, Kyle stopped at J
ames's bunk. “Hey, James, can we talk to you outside for a moment?”
James looked around. “Uh, yeah sure,” he said. He finished taking his flannel jacket off, tossed it on his bed, and followed the men outside. The door shut and the cabin stayed silent for a moment.
“I don't care, that guy is a weirdo,” Sally said.
James followed Eli and Kyle outside. A faint moon had risen. They all stopped a few yards from the cabin as James kicked at some wood chips. “What's up?” he asked.
“You and your crew seem like good people, and we just want to be clear with you on how things work around here,” Kyle began.
“I think I get the idea,” James said. “Everyone pitches in, right?”
“Certainly,” Kyle said. “That's a start. But you see, every so often we get a group together to gather supplies from town and bring them back to camp.”
James thought to himself. “But isn't that--”
“Dangerous?” Kyle cut in. “Yes, to some extent. But it's our only choice. Logistics are a vital role in our safety and security out here.”
“Some might even say our survival,” Eli added.
“You see, James? Our next supply run is tomorrow. We generally leave early afternoon and search the town at night for what we can find.”
“Um, OK,” James said.
“It's like this,” Kyle said, leaning in. “Russell sees something in you. With your military background, you could be a big asset to the men out here.”
James waved him off. “Ah, nonsense. The men in this camp look like they've got it down pretty well. What the hell am I gonna teach them?”
“Leadership,” Kyle said. “We'd like you to accompany them tomorrow. You know this whole town better than a lot of them do.”
James thought to himself as Kyle awaited a response. “I guess there’s no harm in venturing out and getting an idea of how everything is,” he conceded.
“Exactly,” Kyle said.
“But my role needs to be clear. I'm not in charge of the men, or the mission.”
End Days Super Boxset Page 194