by Steven Bird
“I know exactly what you mean,” Jason replied.
Just then, Griff came into the basement and said, “Hey, guys, how did the meeting go? I’ve been out on the perimeter and didn’t realize you got back. Judy mentioned something about an altercation at the Thomas farm and something about an airplane.”
“Heck, I don’t even know where to begin,” Evan said as he sat back down. “It’s been an eventful day, to say the least.
Before Evan could continue, a radio transmission came through the CB with that old, familiar New York accent that Ed just couldn’t shake after “immigrating to America”, as he liked to call his move from New York to Ohio. “Hello, Homefront,” he said.
Evan grabbed the microphone and replied, “Well, hello there! Where the heck are you, and what’s going on?”
Ed replied, “I’m with Judith and her group at the farm. They flagged me in, just as I was about to give up hope of finding you before I ran out of gas or daylight. Anyway, they tell me you guys are bringing their horses back tomorrow. I’ll just see you then, and we will catch up on everything, which I’m sure is a lot from both sides.”
“We are so glad to have you,” Evan replied. “Rest up from your trip and we will see you tomorrow.”
“Roger that,” Ed replied and was off the air.
“Well, it’s a good thing we just acquired more housing,” Jason said with excitement in his voice from having their old friend join up with them in Tennessee.
“More housing?” Griff said with a confused look on his face.
“Oh yeah, we both get our own place if we want,” Jason said. He then explained the day’s meeting with Daryl and the other homesteads.
Griff didn’t know what to think. He was excited about the prospect of having a place for his family—and for Greg’s potential future family—in their new and uncertain world. At the same time, he was apprehensive about the security concerns that spreading the group over such a large area would bring. The men discussed the pros and cons for themselves, as well as the community of homesteads as a whole, for the next hour. They carefully thought things out from every angle and finally decided to give it a try.
Once they had come to a consensus, Evan said, “If conditions dictate, you guys can always fall back here, to the Homefront, for mutual security. We’re all set up for the numbers, can easily revert back if need be, and I think we should always continue to work as a team in that regards. I think the community, and your families, will be better off in the long run, and you have both earned your place around here.”
“Well, let’s go talk to the women about it, and as long as they are game, let’s do it,” Griff said.
Chapter 7: News from the North
The next morning seemed to come early for the Homefront, as the adults stayed up a good portion of the night, catching up on the events of the day, as well as the long discussion concerning the ramifications of their potential change in living arrangements. They also caught Griff, Molly, and Judy up on Ed’s involvement during Evan, Jason, Peggy, and Judith’s harrowing journey from New York to Tennessee, and how they likely would not have made it without his help and generosity. The old Ford truck he loaned them to get to Jason’s family, along with the intelligence he provided about the situation throughout the state, especially the Cincinnati area, had been a key to their success. Ed was one of those pieces of the puzzle that seemed to just fall perfectly into place, and now here he was in Tennessee.
After breakfast, Evan and Jason saddled up Mildred’s horses and grabbed their daypacks and rifles for the outing to the farm to deliver the horses and retrieve Ed. They got Jake’s mountain bike, removed both wheels, and secured the frame and wheels to the packhorse’s saddle so Ed could ride back with them.
As they got under way, Jason jokingly said, “Man, I’m spoiled by this horse after just one day. I hate the thought of going back to a bicycle.”
Evan chuckled and said, “Yeah, I know what you mean. I’ve been thinking more and more about the need to possibly venture outside of the area on a supply run for fuel and other things we’ve burned through—most of which we can’t replace with what is available for barter amongst the homesteads. If the situation is getting worse out there, we should consider getting something planned sooner, rather than later, before it gets too risky to travel. Maybe we should put horses on our shopping list, especially with the distance we’ll be apart after you and Griff get settled in at your new homes.”
“Things sure are getting busy around here in a hurry,” replied Jason. “Our to-do list is getting pretty long. We are busy enough with food production and security, and now we have moves to make, homes to repair, supply runs, and who knows what else is just around the corner.”
“Yes, they are,” Evan said. “But at least Ed will be an extra set of hands and an extra gun when need be.”
As they reached the Thomas farm, Evan and Jason approached with caution as usual, but with a little extra care, considering the encounter with strangers the previous day. Once Nate waved them on up the driveway to the house, Mildred met them on the porch with her customary offer of fresh, hot coffee. As they proceeded into the house, Ed stood up from his seat on the couch and joined Evan and Jason in a group hug.
“Damn, it’s good to see some familiar faces,” Ed said.
“We’re glad to have you, man!” Jason added, patting him on the back. “Did you ever make it to my place to get your truck back?” he asked.
“Na, man, I wrote that thing off,” Ed replied. “It wasn’t worth risking my neck to get it back. No big deal though. I would have had to leave it behind, anyway, as all I could bring was what fit in the Maule. I’m just glad it’s the 235HP model,” he said jokingly. “About six months ago, my position with the state dissolved when the governor was arrested by the feds on some sort of subversion charges. It’s all a bunch of crap. Once they got him out of the way, they installed an interim puppet governor, which goes completely against the state constitution, but then again, since when do constitutions matter to this administration? Once their Marxist puppet was in place, the entire chain of command was dismantled; state officials loyal to the lawfully elected governor were either arrested as accessories to the crime, or they simply disappeared. Whether they disappeared under their own accord, or were simply taken out, remains to be seen. But the sad fact of the matter is, Ohio is now securely in the hands of the administration. Even though a lot of the guardsmen deserted when the feds basically seized the state, they now have their hands firmly on the guards’ assets and facilities. The last word I received before my contacts completely dissolved was that they were setting up for the arrival of United Nations peacekeeping forces. Ohio is rumored to be a staging area for their expansion into the Midwest. New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and the Philadelphia and Washington D.C. areas are already said to have blue helmets patrolling the streets.”
Evan and Jason just stood there silently, shaking their heads, trying to take it all in. Jason looked at Ed and said, “Damn. It’s hard to imagine just how this will all shake out. It’s not like we can just vote things back to the way they were. The country is so fragmented and disconnected now, just getting the states together to discuss things seems impossible. Especially considering the fact that some of the states, like Ohio, don’t have legitimate governments in place, anyway.”
“I know, man,” replied Ed. “That’s why I bugged out of Ohio and came looking for you guys. I didn’t want to just keep sitting there, waiting for it to get worse. The new governor banned the private ownership of all firearms, ammunition, body armor, and night vision equipment throughout the state. There was no chance I was going to comply with that, and rather than end up in prison or worse, I packed some gear into the Maule and left.”
“I swear, I think a zombie apocalypse would be easier to deal with,” Jason remarked.
Evan chuckled and said, “You and zombies; it always comes back to that.”
“That’s because it’s the only way I see a
reset happening,” Jason replied only half-joking. “At least that way, you would have clear-cut good versus… uh, living versus dead, and once you killed off the zombies, you could just pick up the pieces and try to resume life as it was before. In this case, though, the zombies are among us. They are our fellow Americans who are taking advantage of the collapse, subverting the Constitution and our way of life in order to turn this country into just another socialist state. So many bad deeds have been committed by our own at this point, how do you even tell who is on our side?”
“They aren’t just taking advantage of the collapse, they are part of it,” Ed interjected. “Remember how many of the attacks were initially reported as jihadist activities by first responders, which were later scrubbed and re-written as homegrown tea party terrorists or the like?”
“Yeah, that crap pissed me off,” replied Jason.
“Well, after the initial attacks, there was no attempt at tracking down those responsible. Sure, there were some empty speeches and rhetoric, but no action was ever taken,” added Ed. “After the dust settled, the president quickly forgot about those promises of bringing those responsible to justice. He immediately seized upon the situation to begin implementing his ideology of centralized government control, and never again mentioned the attacks. The governor’s office received numerous reports of high-ranking officials within the DHS and DOD being replaced with individuals who had close ties with known Middle Eastern terrorist organizations. It’s almost as if the attacks were planned, with people involved in the coordination of those attacks being rewarded with promised leadership roles, waiting on the sidelines ready to be plugged right in. Sharia law is being practiced in some areas with no government intervention of any kind. Christians, Jews, and other groups have been run out of those areas, or worse, just like we’ve seen play out overseas time and time again.”
Evan spoke up and said, “I just don’t get it though. Why would a communist or Marxist-minded individual, which many clearly are, team up with Islamic radicals? That makes about as much sense as a rabbit helping a wolf catch a deer. Sure, he’s on the wolf’s good side… up until the point the deer has been eaten, but what keeps the wolf from eating the rabbit next?”
“Nothing; nothing at all. You see, I guess they are thinking in the short term,” Ed explained. “‘The enemy of my enemy is my friend’, as the old adage goes. Initially, they both want the same thing. They both dislike the Judeo-Christian ethic the country is founded upon, they both hate capitalism and free markets, and they both hate individual liberty, to name just a few. The only problem is that communism/Marxism/progressivism, whatever you want to call it, is completely incompatible with any religion, not just Christianity. That’s why communist states throughout history have always eradicated religion and became atheist states. You see, you can’t get a man to give up control of his life to another man when he believes his God guides his way, above all others. That’s why our nation was founded on the basic principles of Judeo-Christian ethics, where certain rights are bestowed upon us by our creator, and are governed by no man or system of collectivism, where the majority controls the minority. How those two strange bedfellows go their separate ways in the end of course is an interesting question. I would guess that they both have plans for that in place already.”
“Damn, Ed,” replied Evan. “You sure know how to kill a good mood.”
“Tell me about it. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t in a position to be in the know. It would be a whole lot easier to just be ignorant and go with the flow,” Ed jokingly replied.
“That’s what got us in this problem in the first place,” Jason quickly added. “Everyone was so wrapped up in the political correctness scandal of the day, or their reality shows, that not enough people were paying attention.”
“Amen to that,” Ed said in agreement.
“Well, guys, as much as I love a good doom and gloom conversation, we should probably get going,” Evan said, changing the subject. “I guess we should put the Maule in the barn. There are a bunch of tarps out there we can cover it up with. That’ll make sure it doesn’t get too filthy to fly without a wash. You never know when we may need some close air support, and we want to keep it ready to scramble,” Evan said with a chuckle. “Then we just need to put the third bike back together and start our trip back to the Homefront to get Ed settled in. We’ve got a lot on our plates these days, Ed. We could sure use an extra set of eyes and hands around here. I’ll catch you up on everything else over the next few days as you get settled.”
With that, the men spent the next few hours getting Mildred’s horses taken care of, the airplane hidden securely in the barn, and their things ready for the ride back to the Homefront. Ed packed his most important items in his backpack for the ride, along with his Springfield Armory M1A rifle slung over his pack and his Smith & Wesson M&P 40 pistol on his side. They planned to retrieve the rest of his things from the Maule over the next few trips to the Thomas farm and as time permitted.
Before they left, insisting that they begin their ride on a full stomach, Mildred fixed them all a nice lunch to send them on their way. After they ate, as they began to climb onto their bikes, Ed looked at Evan and Jason and said, “Guys, I think I’m gonna be a diehard country boy in no time. I’ve not eaten this good or been treated this well since it all started to go down.”
“We’ll see if you still feel that way after we put you to work,” joked Evan in reply.
Chapter 8: Prepping for the Move
Over the next few weeks, Ed settled in to the daily routines of the Homefront with ease. After having been mostly alone in Ohio after the collapse, and with no family to turn to, his spirits were higher than they had been in as long as he could remember. In addition to helping them work the land and the livestock, Ed was filling in with the security duties at the Homefront. With Jason, Griff, and often times, Evan, away on a regular basis working on community-wide projects, preparing the Murphy and Muncie homes for Jason’s and Griff’s families, the extra manpower was a true blessing. If they were going to have time to get crops in the ground that season at their new homes, in preparation for the following winter, the moves needed to be accomplished as soon as possible.
Jason and Griff both agreed that Jason’s family would take the Murphy home and the Vandergriffs would take the Muncie home. Both were similar in size, acreage, and condition, so it was a relatively easy consensus to reach. Both men were just happy to have the opportunity to provide a home for their families and their potential future generations.
Virtually everyone from the neighboring homesteads contributed to the effort. Those who were physically able, helped with the laborious duties involved with repairing the damage and neglect to the properties. Others donated supplies and materials, as well as items to help get their households up and running. Both were extremely generous contributions, as the homesteading lifestyle didn’t leave much free time to give, and supplies had been running thin for virtually everyone.
The need for additional supplies and resources for two new households, made it clearer than ever that the men needed to venture out beyond their community in search of what they needed. They also hoped this would lead to a broader coalition of trading partners, connecting them with other homesteads in the region. The men decided that once the families were squared away in their new homes, they would put together a plan to do just that.
One day, while Jason and Griff were both away, working on their homes, Molly was going through the canned goods with Sarah and Judy, dividing things up equitably to help get their households running. “I feel like we are robbing you blind,” said Sarah, feeling guilty for leaving Molly’s pantry so bare.
“Nonsense,” Molly replied. “Where do you think these canned beans, tomatoes, and everything else came from? They came from the garden that you and your families put a lot of work into. Just because the seeds weren’t sewn into your own soil doesn’t mean you don’t have rights to it. The same goes for everything else that we have all ch
ipped in and raised around here.”
“Well, thank you, anyway,” said Sarah as she placed a jar of canned goods into her box. “You know, it’s funny,” she continued, “when we first got here, it felt strange living in such close quarters with other families, doing everything as a team, from the laundry, to preparing meals, to cleaning. But now, the thought of moving on to our own home seems strange. Like, how can I possibly get everything done without you two in it with me?” she said as her eyes became watery and she wiped a tear from her cheek.
“I know,” said Judy. “I guess we are going to be living like our great grandmothers. They did everything themselves the old-fashioned way and somehow got by. Of course, it was the norm for them. They didn’t come from the generation of dishwashers and microwavable meals.”
Each of the ladies laughed and shed a tear together. During their many struggles since the collapse, they had become more like sisters than friends. The hardships they had endured brought them closer than they could have ever imagined.
~~~~
That evening around dinnertime, Jason and Griff returned from a long day of work at their new homes. Their routine was that Griff would ride from the Vandergriff home to the Jones home, as it was a bit further away, and then the two would travel together for safety back to the Homefront. They had both already set up CB radio stations at their new homes in order to stay in contact with each other, as well as the Homefront, if a situation should arise while they were away working.
“You’re just in time for dinner,” Molly said as they walked through the door.
“That was the plan,” replied Griff as he rubbed his belly. “I’m starved.”
Jason asked, “Where is Evan?”