by Ira Tabankin
A Novel
First edition
Copyright August 2015
Ira J. Tabankin
Knoxville, TN 39720
Dedication
This book is dedicated to my wife and true love, Patricia.
Thanks
I’d like to thank the many members of the survivalistboards.com who helped me with their knowledge, comments and encouragement. With a special thanks to Dianne, Melinda and Conrad, who edited my writing into a readable story.
Work of Fiction
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
Note:
Please recognize artistic license is used throughout this story. Any tense disparities are the author's view of the story as it's written.
Prologue
Jay and Lacy Toslon are like any other working class family in America. They lived in Virginia, close to Dulles International Airport. Jay had recently retired, Lacy worked as a project manager in the fracking industry. Every week Jay purchased lottery tickets, one week in January he got the shock of his life when he won the jackpot which netted them over $28 million. The fracking sector of the oil industry was under financial pressure due to Saudi Arabia pushing the cost of oil down to historic levels. Fracking company after company went bankrupt. Lacy’s company started a major layoff and due to their winning she volunteered to leave to save someone’s job who needed it more than she did.
Jay and Lacy’s children and grandchildren lived in the Midwest, they decided to move closer while also moving south to a warmer climate. Being a prepper, Jay looked for a new home which was both defendable and close to sources of water and food. They ended up purchasing a 7,000 square foot unlived in house which was located next to a group of small farms. Jay decided to buy the farms creating a 1,000-acre farm with four tenant farmer families who became good friends with Jay and Lacy.
Greece ignited the fuse to the world’s economic meltdown and collapse when they elected a socialist as their Prime Minister. The new Prime Minister’s first act was to demand better repayment terms on their loans from Germany, who refused the terms. Greece resigned from the European Union. Other European countries followed, ending Europe’s dream of a united continent. The Euro’s value collapsed. Money rushed into the dollar when China surprised the world by demanding repayment of the loans she’d made to America, or they would settle for the states of Hawaii and California. The President turned down China’s demand for repayment because America lacked the financial resources to repay China. China sent most of their navy to take Hawaii by force. America responded by assembling the largest naval armada the world’s ever seen. The World War Two battleship, the USS Missouri, was converted from a museum back to an active duty battleship which led the US Navy Task Force 77 into the largest naval battle in history.
Jay built a large shelter under the farm’s fields. The shelter was large enough to house forty plus people. It had its own hospital and security rooms. Jay made friends with the local mafia Don, who joined Jay and Lacy in the shelter.
As the economy melted down, gangs roamed the countryside looking for whatever they could steal to stay alive. Book one told the story of the construction of the shelter, the economic meltdown, and large gang attack on Jay and Lacy’s farm. Just before being overrun, Jay ordered everyone into the Shelter.
Book two told the story of the Pacific naval battle and the continued meltdown of the world economy. One of Jay’s son-in-laws was a progressive who fought with Jay over everything from taxes, politics, and the running of the shelter. Jay suffered survivor guilt when he learned one of his extended family died in the attack. Jay and his extended family planned to take back their farms when his nemesis, the local County Sheriff, killed most of the gang leaders who were living in Jay’s house. Jay led a small group of the shelter’s people to take over his home and farm when a major tornado struck his home and farm. Following the tornado, a platoon of Russian Spetsnaz troops who were in America helping to launch a race war attacked the farm, Jay was shot as were the other leaders of the shelter. The families once again retreated into the shelter. They’re depressed being back in the shelter and worried that Jay’s been brought into the shelter unconscious, near death.
Chapter 1
Jay’s mind is spinning, what happened? I felt a sharp red hot pain, followed by feeling icy cold. I’m feeling cold, yet I’m not shivering. Next, I’m falling down a dark hole, I feel I’m falling, and yet I’m not afraid of hitting whatever is at the bottom of this hole. This has to be a bad dream. Someone told me we always wake up before we hit bottom. They told me nightmares of falling are very common. Is this a nightmare? Somehow, I always remembered my fear feared of hitting bottom, but this feels different from a dream. Can I dream I’m dreaming?
I try to call out, yet I can’t move or speak. I don’t have any idea where I am. It was silent a moment ago, now I hear muted voices. They’re in the distance but getting closer. I can’t make out what they’re saying. I guess it can’t be too important. Somehow, I don’t feel any pain, which for some reason seems natural. I think I was shot or was that a part of the dream too?
“You have to save him!! Do something! I can see the EKG from here, it's flat-lining, he’s dying!”
How is this possible? How can I be falling? There aren’t any holes on my property this deep. I’ve been over every acre, I know there aren’t any sink holes. What’s going on? I hear someone crying, but I can’t make out who it is. The only logical answer is I know I’m dreaming which means I realize I’m dreaming within a dream.
“Please do something. I’m begging you, you have to save him.”
Damn it, where am I? Why am I so cold and yet I’m not shivering. Why don’t I feel the wind rushing past me? Something is very wrong. I can’t be falling for this long, yet that’s the feeling I have. I wonder if this is a trick, maybe it's some sort of illusion, I’m going to try to stand up and see if that stops the falling feeling. This doesn’t work. My legs don’t want to move, I can’t move my arms either. If this isn’t a dream than I must be dead. However, I can’t be dead because I feel, I sense, I can think, I can reason, what’s the right word? Who cares?? I can’t believe I’m arguing with myself at a time like this. I don’t have a sense of time. Another strange aspect of this place is I have no idea how long I’ve been falling, I do know it's damn dark where ever I am. I’ve heard the term, total blackness before, this is like falling through someplace that light hasn’t ever penetrated. Shit, does this mean I did die and am on my way to Hell? Isn’t Hell supposed to be Hot? Why am I so cold? If I’m dead, why can I think and reason? Wasn’t I supposed to see my life pass before me? I’m so confused. I wish I could make out what the voices are saying.
“Someone get her out of here! I’m up to my elbows in his blood, I need to focus if he’s going to be saved.”
If I’m dead, maybe God will answer my call, God, are you there? Can you hear my thoughts? Can you give me another chance? I’m sorry, I’m really sorry for my sins, I’m sorry I killed people, yes, I know that’s a big no-no. I’m sorry I lied, shit, I know that’s another big one. I’m sorry I stole. Given my sins, I must be on my way to Hell. Is there a Hell? We Jews don’t believe in Hell. If I don’t believe in something, does that make it any less real? Shit, I’m going to confuse myself which is easy enough to do in normal times.
Lord, I realize I did wrong. I know I committed many sins and broke many of your ten commandants. I did it to protect the one’s I love. I didn’t do it for selfish reasons, I didn’t break
any of your laws for my own gain. I only tried to help my loved ones. I mean it. I beg you to forgive me. My sins were based in love. Is that possible? Why am I arguing with myself?
I hear crying, I wonder who it is.
The nurse is starting to panic, “Doctor, we’re losing him, he’s heart is stopping, he’s flat-lining.”
“Isn’t his pacemaker working? Damn it. Get everyone out of here.”
My falling is slowing, I feel like I’m slowly spinning around like I’m spinning downward in a sink hole. In my senior year of College, my roommate and I went skin diving in the Florida Keys. We dove in sink holes. We added extra weight and started to spin, we slowly pinwheeled down to the bottom. When we reached the bottom, we dropped a weight off of our belts. We started to pinwheel back up. It was a rush and a half. Is this how it all ends, in darkness? Where’s God or Satan? Don’t I get a trial? I thought there was a bright light I was supposed to walk into. Since I’m in total darkness, I must have lost my trial and been sentenced to Hell. Don't I get to testify in my own trial? Eternity, something the Rabbi said the human mind can’t conceive of. Just like everything else, we’re not supposed to understand God’s plans. I have so many questions I’d like to ask him, I guess I’ll never get my chance. I hear something. Someone is calling my name.
“Jay…”
Someone’s calling me. Where is it coming from? Who is it?
“Jay, why are you here?”
I feel like I’m six and my father caught me in his office, he’s asking me why I’m there. I don’t remember why I went into his office. It was too long ago. This feels just like then, how is this possible?
“Jay, we’re not in my office, I asked you why you’re here, now.”
Where is here? The voice sounds like my father, even the tone is correct, but how is it possible? He’s been dead for over ten years! I was at his funeral. I placed dirt on his coffin. Why is he asking me why I’m here when I don’t know where here is? I’m tired. I’m going to close my eyes, this must be a bad dream, I’ll wake up and laugh it off.
“Jay! Open your damn eyes. This isn’t someplace you want to be caught sleeping. You’ll have all the time you want to sleep later.”
Whoever is talking sure sounds like my father. As I kid, I disliked and was afraid of him. I only learned to love him when I reached my twenties, by then the best years of both of our lives were behind us. I feel guilty for all the bullshit I gave him. I can’t count the number of times since he died I wished I could have told him I love him and I’m sorry for the horrible kid I was. I could blame it on having an alcoholic mother who was also addicted to pain meds. I could blame it on having my parents divorce. The truth is, I didn’t try hard enough. I never tried to look at things from his point of view. I was selfish, I only thought about me. The rift between us was my fault. Another of my sins, I didn’t honor my mother and father. Christ, I don’t even want to remind myself of my mother. A mother who tried to kill me. I could blame my sins on all of the bullshit. The truth, is it’s all my fault. This isn’t a time to try to play stupid games.
“Jay, cut the bullshit. Open your eyes.”
It’s getting lighter and warmer. I see someone sitting in a chair, I recognize the haircut and glasses, my God, can it be? How is this possible? The only explanation is, I’m dead. Damn it, I don’t want to be dead. There’s so much I wanted to do before I died. There’s so much I wanted to tell Lacy and the kids. I’ll never get time now. What should I do? What can I do?
“Jay, you can’t stay here long, this isn’t your time. If it makes you feel better, I forgive you. I understand I was part of the problem, just as you recognized after your girls grew up how much of their youth you missed. I feel your guilt, I had the same. I wasn’t there for you. I spent too many hours working. Many of those hours were to stay away from your mother, I realized too late, I missed our best years together being with you as you grew to be the good man you became. We will have the chance to start over, only this isn’t the time. I know you feel guilty, don’t, you can’t change the past. Soon enough we’ll have all the time in the world to be together. Jay, please, there is only so much I can do for you here. If you close your eyes and drift away, you won’t return, the dark side will take you. They want you. I understand you’ve caused them some setbacks lately. I’m proud of you.”
Am I really dead? I can’t come to grips with being dead and having a logical discussion with my dead father. I feel so tired, I want to close my eyes and take a short nap. Maybe I’ll wake and all of this will be gone.
“Jay, OPEN YOUR EYES. Listen to me, your future is in your own hands, if you drift away, if you give in to what you’re feeling we’ll never see each other again. You’ll never get to see Lacy or your girls again. Your feelings are false, the dark side is trying to trick you. You’re smarter than they are, I know it. Don’t give in to false guilt, Jay, open your eyes and wake the fuck up!”
Holy shit! That is my father. Dad, Daddy, I need you. There’s so much I want to ask you. There’s so much I want to tell you. He’s starting to fade away, please daddy, don’t leave me. I need you. I’m sorry, I’m lost without you.
“Jay, you’re not lost, you never were. You have a good head on your shoulders. Listen to me, my time here coming to an end. They won’t let me stay here with you any longer. Listen to me, remember what I’m going to tell you. This isn’t your time. Go up, you can do it. Swim up. The light is above you. Once there, open your eyes. The most wonderful surprise in the world is waiting for you on the other side. Swim, you can do it. Remember when you were twelve, at camp, you wanted to show me how well you swam, you swam four laps doing different strokes. I know you can do this. You need to will yourself to swim. You have a strong will. You can do it, force yourself to swim up to the light, follow the light. Jay one more thing, you will meet a Black, not a black person, a person named Black. Trust him. You have to trust him. He’ll come to help you. Now swim, swim like your soul depends on it because it does. Get out of here, we’ll see other again another time, Jay, remember one thing, I love you.”
I don’t understand how, but that’s my father, he was telling me to swim. Swim where? How? He said something about swimming up. I don’t understand, direction here makes no sense. I don’t have any sense of up/down/left or right. I’m so tired, surely a small nap won’t do any harm. When I wake and am stronger, I’ll be able to figure out what to do. I’m feeling so tired…
“Nurse, get me the paddles, charge them to 220. “
“Doctor, here they are. They’re charged.”
“Stand back.”
Damn it I’m awake, I’m up, whoever you are, you don’t have to hurt me like that. How did I feel something if I haven’t felt anything else for a while? Who the hell did that? Dad, did you do something to me?
“Doctor, we got a blip on the EKG, but it didn’t hold.”
“Charge them again. Come on Jay, FIGHT damn it! Charge them to 250.”
“Doctor, ready.”
“Stand back.”
God damn it, that really hurt, it felt like I was hit my lightening, what in the world is going on. LIGHT! I see the light. Dad said swim to the light. Swim to the light, to the light…its so far away and I’m tired. A little rest won’t really hurt me.
@@@@@
The Russian Spetsnaz troops chase the last of the community into the shelter. The outside door slams shut. Many of the Russians step on the mines that were activated. The homemade claymore mines tear into the Spetsnaz. The Russians are shredded by thousands of steel BBs. The surviving Russians hear the explosions and screams, they pause where they are. They realize they’ve entered a minefield. Hidden smoke grenades explode, blinding the Russians, they can’t see the ground to retrace their own footsteps so they can safely exit the mine field. Captain Sarnoff is gone, Nikita, the captain’s close friend, and the political officer, is also gone. Both were shredded by the exploding mines. The remaining troops are scared to move. One of the Russians yelled, “Screw it,
I am turning around,” his third step was his last, he was blown in half when he stepped on a mine. One of the privates decided he too was going to leave, he made it five steps before he stepped into a punji pit. The nails went through the bottom of his boots holding his foot to the board they are nailed to. He screams, “Help me, oh God, please someone help me. I stepped on something, the pain is horrible, spikes or nails are in my foot. I can not pull myself free. I think I broke my ankle. One of you, please help me.” The remaining ranking NCO was a corporal who said, “None of you move. We wait until the smoke blows away, then we will turn around and retreat in our own footprints. Make sure you retrace your own footsteps. It may be the only way out of here without stepping on a mine.
“Corporal, what if this is a mine field they can turn on and off. We might have stepped on a mine without knowing it when we arrived. Reversing our course might kill us.”
“Do you have any other bright ideas? Staying here could get us killed too.”
“No, I’m just asking…”
“Then keep your mouth closed and follow my orders, maybe we’ll get out of here alive.”
“If we get out of this alive, I’m going to disappear. I will change my name and find a small farm to live on.”