by Steven Bird
“We’ll get to that. Where exactly do you live?”
“Within a day’s walk of Del Rio,” Evan replied vaguely.
“Exactly where?” the man asked.
“I can’t get any more specific than that,” Evan said bluntly.
“Give me a name from Del Rio.”
“A name? Whose name?”
“Just give me a name so I know you’re telling the truth,” the man asked with an insistent tone.
Not wanting to give away the position of anyone in particular, Evan responded, “Retired Gunnery Sergeant Wallace.”
“Oh… Pastor Wallace. How do you know him?”
Evan was now curious as to how this person knew the pastor was a retired Marine Corps gunny. “He’s a friend,” he replied.
The man in the darkness then asked, “Where is he currently located, and what supplies does he have?”
“He is where he is, and he’s got what he’s got,” Evan replied in defiance of the question, not wanting to give anything away that might bring trouble to Del Rio.
The man then stepped from the darkness into view. He wore a plastic rain poncho over a multi-cam top, with old-style woodland camo BDU pants, and an olive green boonie hat. He carried a tricked out AR-15 with a well-worn finish and sported a chest rig with numerous AR-15 magazines. He also wore an old school M1911 .45 pistol on a drop-leg holster. “Ted Hawthorne’s the name,” he said, holding out his right hand.
“Nice to meet you,” Evan replied with a firm handshake.
Evan then saw two other men, also well equipped, step out of the darkness behind him. “I’m a squad leader for the Blue Ridge Militia,” Ted added. “We are out of a town to the east of here, to remain nameless at this point. We’re scouting the area, as we’ve heard reports from travelers of foreign ground patrols and aircraft traffic operating under the flag of the United Nations in the region. Word has it the president has called them in to help—unlawfully, I might add—calling them peacekeepers.”
“We’ve heard about that to a point. We heard they were staging in the cities, but this is the first time we’ve heard anyone say they were making their way out here to the sticks,” replied Evan. “And why use U.N. soldiers? Wouldn’t that just put the people off even more than if our own troops were patrolling the streets?”
“As far as the U.N. soldiers go, from what our sources tell us, the desertion rate has been so high in the federally controlled military, there are just barely enough domestic forces left to handle the security of key cities and government interests. Our own boys also might not be so keen on putting the smackdown on their fellow Americans who don’t simply fall in line with the new order of things as they see it in Washington. The U.N. troops don’t have a dog in the fight, so they are basically just acting as mercenaries. Being a U.N. soldier pays pretty well these days, considering the collapse of the world’s economies. I’m sure they have no shortage of enlistees. As to the why here? We aren’t exactly sure why,” Ted explained, “but our theory is that they want to crush or prevent an insurgency before it happens.”
“Before it happens?” Evan asked.
“Look at history,” he explained. “Afghanistan for example. If you rolled into a city and took over, the Taliban took to the hills. The same thing happened with the Mujahedeen during the Soviet occupation. They simply fled the cities and regrouped in the mountains where they could hide and prepare a resistance. Rural people also tend to be a little more loyal to their own, and are more apt to render aid to an insurgency than a downtown city dweller, since they are generally wary of outsiders. By showing force in the rural areas before they make a push to implement whatever it is they have up their sleeves, that natural fallback area will not be available. Applying pressure on the locals now may either deter them from joining a militia type group or from providing support, once they start to pop up or attempt to form.”
“That makes sense,” said Evan. “We had an encounter with a helicopter last night that you might be interested in, unless, of course, it was yours.”
“We wish we were that well equipped, but no, that wasn’t ours. We are in the process of negotiating an alliance with a few guard units that stayed loyal to their own states, but we aren’t there yet. Where exactly did you see it?” Ted asked.
“When we were crossing the bridge on Highway 70, a few miles back. Once we got about halfway across, it appeared out of nowhere and hovered over us, spotlighting us for a few minutes, and then broke off and disappeared over a ridge.”
“Did you get a type or see any markings?”
“No, it wasn’t running any lights other than the spotlight it flashed on us. All we could tell was that it was substantial in size and turbine-powered. Aside from that, we were blinded by the spotlight and the sky was pretty dark, with the weather starting to turn.”
As Ted began to reply, he heard the click of a safety selector from inside the trailer. He looked at Evan with a serious face as Evan quickly said, “No. No, guys, it’s okay. Come on out.”
The trailer door opened as Jason, Ed, and Nate exited the trailer with their rifles in hand. The militiamen tightened their grip on their guns due to the tension of the moment; both Evan and Ted diffused the situation. After everyone was at ease and introduced, they caught them all up on the discussion and Ted said, “Well, gentlemen, we will leave you be. I apologize for the intrusion. If you see anything, try to get as much intel on it as you can and pass it along to us as soon as you get a chance. We’ve got eyes everywhere to the east of here, so that shouldn’t be hard to do.”
Evan shook Ted’s hand and said, “Will do, sir, and thanks for what you’re doing.”
With that, the militiamen disappeared into the woods as quickly as they arrived. They were clearly experienced operators from the way they moved and handled themselves. After standing there for a moment and processing everything they had just heard, Evan looked at the others and said, “Okay, I haven’t slept all night. Who’s got the next watch?”
“Next watch? Hell, we didn’t set a watch last night,” exclaimed Jason, realizing their lapse in procedure.
Ed shook his head and said, “We were all so exhausted and wet, I guess we subconsciously just wanted to get some rest and forget about it all.”
“Maybe so,” Jason added, “but if our early morning visitors weren’t who they were, it could have quickly been game-over. We’ve got to get back on our game, especially after what they said.”
“I’ve got watch then,” volunteered Nate as he stepped forward. “I got plenty of sleep. Besides, I just sit on my butt in the trailer all day, anyway.”
“Let’s hope the day goes like that,” Evan said as he walked over to the bushes to relieve himself. “And, Nate, thanks. I’ll just take a power nap and then we’ll get on the move again.”
Jason looked around at the night’s sky, which was beginning to clear and show the stars coming back into view, and said, “It sucks that we’ve gotta look up in the sky for threats now. That adds a whole new dimension to things.”
They all just nodded in agreement as Evan walked over to the trailer and said, “Nite nite, ladies.”
As Evan slept and Nate stood watch, Jason and Ed decided to patrol the area properly, since they had neglected that duty the previous night. They walked the length of the side road until reaching Highway 70, and then carefully scouted around the next few turns. Satisfied that they were not under any immediate threat, they returned to camp to prepare for the day.
Upon arrival at camp, Nate welcomed them back and said, “You know, I just realized something.”
“What’s that?” asked Jason.
“We sent our cook home.”
Ed slapped his knee and said, “Damn. That’s right. He was a damn fine camp cook, at that.”
Jason and Nate looked at each other and simultaneously called, “Not it!” as if they were back in their elementary school days.
The three men busted out laughing as Ed said, “Okay, okay… I’ll get to it.
Just don’t expect a gourmet meal.”
“Luckily, I’ve got low standards. As long as it makes a turd, I’m happy,” replied Jason as he leaned his rifle up against a tree. “Nate, I can take the watch from here,” he added.
“Roger that,” Nate replied as he began to help Ed gather some dry wood to start a fire.
Ed stopped what he was doing and said, “You know what, guys? Let’s break out the multi-fuel camp stove. Starting a fire with damp wood will create a lot of smoke, as well as waste a lot of resources getting it going. Not to mention, now that there is the chance of being spotted from the air, maybe that wouldn’t be the best idea.”
Chapter 29: An Unbearable Loss
As Charlie and Jimmy waved goodbye to Sabrina and the Gibbs family, now safe and sound at the Del Rio Baptist Church, they anxiously began the last leg of their ride home. Charlie tried to convince Jimmy to stop and see Doc Stewart before heading home, with the Thomas farm being along the way, but Jimmy insisted on rushing home to his pregnant wife first. Not one to argue with a man over family matters, Charlie agreed to ride along with Jimmy until he made it home to his wife safely in his weakened condition. Charlie would then go his own separate way from there and would drop off each of the letters in his care once he was settled in.
The men rode as fast as Jimmy could comfortably go with only one good arm to steer. He still felt too much pain to put pressure on his left arm. Luckily, his ATV had an automatic clutch and linked brakes, making riding with one hand on the controls feasible. Charlie felt guilty for not stopping at the other homesteads as they passed them along the way, but Jimmy was a man on a mission.
As they approached the Lewis homestead, Jimmy’s heart was nearly pounding out of his chest. His excitement to see his pregnant wife, Beth, could hardly be contained. He envisioned a young son or daughter running around outside, playing in the sun while he and Beth worked the land and tended to their animals. He finally had a glimmer of hope shining through the darkness of their harsh, new world.
As he and Charlie pulled up to Jimmy’s home, they saw Daryl and Linda’s horses tied up out front. Oh good, he thought, they have been stopping by to check up on her and to keep her company. He pulled his ATV up to the house, shut it off, and dismounted. Charlie pulled up alongside and followed him to his house in order to give Daryl and Linda a debrief of their trip before proceeding to his own home.
As they stepped onto the front porch, the door opened, but instead of Beth running to his open arms, there stood Daryl and Linda with looks of great sadness on their faces. “Where’s Beth?” he asked, trying to look around them both to see if she was inside the house.
“Now, Jimmy,” Daryl said in a serious and solemn tone as he held up his hands to slow him down.
Jimmy stopped dead in his tracks and saw Linda’s eyes welling up with tears. “What? Where is she?” he said, looking around. “Beth! Beth, where are you, baby?” he called out, hoping to hear her answer.
“Jimmy, something happened…” Daryl said, trying to begin to break the news to his friend.
“Happened? What happened? Where is she? Beth, where are you?” he said in a panic, hoping inside that it was all just a bad dream and he would soon wake to a different homecoming. “Where are you, baby?” he yelled. He started pushing his way passed Daryl as Linda stepped aside, covering the tears in her eyes with her hands.
Charlie watched it all happening, as if in slow motion. He could see in Daryl and Linda’s eyes that something terrible had happened. This entire trip, his dear friend Jimmy only had thoughts of his lovely wife and the new baby they were bringing into this world, only to come home to some sort of tragedy. He reached out for Jimmy’s shoulder as Jimmy pushed passed Daryl and ran towards their bedroom, where Beth’s body still remained, tightly wrapped to preserve her until she was buried.
Daryl desperately called out, “Jimmy! No! Wait!” trying to catch him before he saw the horror first-hand, but to no avail.
Jimmy shoved open their bedroom door to see his beautiful wife in her morbid state. Shockwaves of emotion rippled through his body. He screamed, “Noooo! Oh, God, please no! She was pregnant, Goddamn it! She was fucking pregnant! We were going to have a baby…” He dropped to his knees, taken over by a total emotional breakdown. He turned and looked at the others and mumbled through the tears, “We were having a baby… a baby.”
Everyone in the room lost their composure. It was shocking news to Daryl and Linda that Beth was pregnant. Charlie broke down into tears for his dear friend as Daryl and Linda processed what Jimmy was saying.
“Oh my God, Jimmy; we’re so sorry,” Linda said, struggling to speak through her own emotions.
Jimmy’s emotional nightmare was now turning from sorrow to rage. He looked at Daryl and said, “What the hell happened? You were supposed to fucking look after her! I trusted you!” He glared at Daryl with pure hatred.
Unable to speak for himself, Linda yelled, “It wasn’t his fault. He tried to save her. He killed her attackers and Griff nearly died too. He did everything he could!”
Jimmy just turned and looked at his beloved wife, rubbed his hand on her stomach one more time, and then looked back at Daryl with a cold-blooded stare and said, “May God damn your soul to hell.” He drew his sidearm with the look of a madman.
Linda and Charlie both yelled, “Jimmy, no!” and reached out for his gun as he raised it to the side of his own head and pulled the trigger, sending blood and bits of brain matter and skull across the room. Droplets of blood splattered on Daryl’s face and beard as if the whole thing happened in slow motion.
Daryl dropped to his knees, looked to the ceiling, and screamed out in agony at the horror of what had just transpired. Jimmy’s body lay across that of his wife, blood soaking the once bright, white bedding.
Linda and Charlie both ran to Daryl’s side, afraid of what may happen next in his emotional state. Linda knew Daryl had not been well ever since Beth was killed. She knew he blamed himself for letting it happen and feared that the horror of the moment may send him over the edge.
Chapter 30: The New Reality
Evan awoke to the smell of hot coffee, fried venison, and potatoes. Ahhhhh, that feels so much better, he thought as he stretched and yawned. He wanted to lie there in the peace and quiet of the trailer for just a few more minutes, but his empty stomach demanded he investigate the delicious smells coming from outside. As he poked his head out of the trailer, the first thing he heard was Jason’s voice saying, “Good morning, sunshine.”
“Good morning,” he replied with another stretch and yawn as he stepped out of the trailer. “Did I miss anything exciting?”
“We solved world hunger, but other that, nope.”
Ed pointed at the stove, and said, “Your food is getting cold.”
“Ah, you broke out the Coleman. Good move,” replied Evan as he walked over and took his plate and cup of coffee.
After he ate and the men shared some thoughts of home and the uncertain future, they loaded back up, fired up the tractor, and continued their journey towards Hot Springs. As they got rolling on Highway 70 once again, Jason said, “We should have brought some bikes to back up the ATVs. They would come in handy right now for scouting ahead. It would take way too long trying to scout everything out on foot first. We would never get anywhere like that.”
“Yes, ‘hindsight is 20/20’, as they say,” Evan replied. “I think for now, the most important thing is to press on to Hot Springs and try not to get wrapped up in any more drama between here and there. We are the living definition of mission creep. We set out to do one thing, and then get involved in three others along the way. There have been a couple times I’ve forgotten this was supposed to even be a supply run.”
“Yeah, well, getting involved is who we are. I would rather be us than the kind of people that would drive right on by that house on the hill, knowing Sabrina was being raped and tortured there.”
“Me too, brother, me too,” Evan replied.
> The stormy weather of the previous day had completely given way to a beautiful East Tennessee day and provided them a gorgeous view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. For the next few miles, things were relatively quiet. They stayed on their guard but enjoyed the scenery of the new life the spring season always brings. Their only distractions were the occasional abandoned car on the side of the road. As they approached, they would slow down to take a cursory look, but from what they saw, most simply seemed to have been abandoned there, as if they ran out of fuel trying to cross the mountains.
Coming across a sign that said, Welcome to North Carolina, Jason said, “Well, this is the first time we’ve left the state of Tennessee since our escape from New York.”
“Hopefully we won’t be gone long. It feels weird already,” Evan said as he drove past the sign and noticed it was riddled with bullet holes; once again, he began to feel uneasy about their journey.
Studying the map, Jason said, “Around the next bend to the right, we will be more out in the open, out of the densely wooded mountains, and in an area that might contain some farms. We could possibly find some barter stops along the way to Hot Springs. If there are working farms along the way, they may be sources of trade into the future as well,” he added.
“Heck, if we find everything we need doing that, maybe we won’t even have to go all the way there,” Evan said as he looked up and saw a helicopter fly overhead from left to right. “Crap!” he said, startled by its low altitude.
As Evan drove the tractor, Jason tracked the helicopter visually as it seemed to arc back around towards them as if to get a better look. “What is it? Who is it?” asked Evan.
“Looks like an Mi-24. It’s got grayish-white paint. Looks like… Yep, UN markings. It’s coming back.”