“Let’s go,” he said abruptly, startling Calvin.
“I’m almost done,” he replied.
Cooper leapt off the porch. Angela was still on the ground, bandaged, and with her legs propped up. She was resting. Her eyes fluttered open at his approach.
“Can you walk with help?”
“Yes,” she answered.
He gently lifted her to her feet and slowly walked her to the Jeep, his arms supporting her. She moaned and gritted her teeth as he helped her in. As he quietly closed the door and turned, Calvin was at his side. His arms were full of the weapons from Hodges’ and Miles’ men. Cooper helped him stow them in the Jeep’s cargo area.
“Hodges said the Governor was sending people for me. We need to get back to Jake and Dranko. They are at Miles’ place.”
“The ammunition,” Calvin said simply.
“Right. Let’s hurry.”
“Wait, was Junior Hodges inside?”
Cooper stopped in his tracks and shook his head, having not even thought about him, “No. I wonder where he has slunk off too?”
“Probably still too wounded and hiding like a hurt animal.”
“And, with the same moral code,” Cooper finished and Calvin nodded in response.
Then, both men returned to those who had fallen on the porch and gathered up the ammunition they carried. They rushed through their work and returned quickly to dump the bandoleers and loose magazines into the back of the Jeep. Cooper bounded into the driver’s seat and fired up the engine. He was jerking the transmission into ‘drive’ when he stopped suddenly.
“Damn!”
“What?” Calvin asked.
“It’s on empty.”
“That is not good.”
Cooper yanked the door open, “Dranko has a siphon in here, I’m sure of it.”
The small gas can was easy to find. Then, he clawed through the firearms, ammunition, and other gear in the back.
“Where is it?” he asked frantically.
“Would he hide it? You know, to keep it out of sight?” Calvin asked, at his side once again.
Cooper pointed two fingers at his head and mocked shooting himself, “Duh. Of course he would!”
He pulled open the cover where the tire jack was held. Sure enough, a siphon hose with an attached hand pump lay within. Within ten minutes, they had siphoned the two other vehicles on Hodges’ property and managed about seven gallons of gas into the Jeep. The two men were moving fast, so they were bathed in sweat by the time they finished. Cooper was back in the driver’s seat as he sped away from Hodges’.
“So, what did Hodges say? Exactly.” Calvin asked him as they pulled onto the main road.
“Just that the Governor was sending men after me. And, that the conspiracy behind the Brushfire Plague was much bigger than even I knew.”
“Did he say how many men?”
“No.”
“What are we going to do? We are not exactly in fighting form right now.”
Cooper thumbed his temple, “I don’t know.” He turned the Jeep through a tight turn before continuing. “We can’t run with the wounded, either.”
“Do we know how much Hodges’ told them about you? Where you were staying? Things like that?”
Cooper shook his head, “No. Bethany shot him before I could interrogate him more. They might know of Dranko’s place. On the other hand, Hodges’ might have been keeping the information to himself. To get paid in person. Hell, I don’t know if he was even interested in the reward.”
“Where does that leave us, then?” Calvin asked.
“In a bind. And, a bind of unknowns.”
“We should assume the worst. That they know of Dranko’s place,” Calvin added.
Cooper nodded slowly, “You’re right about that.”
“So, where can we go?”
He started to shrug his shoulders, but then his eyes sparked, “Miles’ place.”
Calvin took a moment to go from confusion to understanding, “Right! That is good.”
“We can move as many supplies from Dranko’s to his as possible. He’s got crops in the ground. It’s a well-supplied mini-farm. At the least, it will buy us some time with anyone the Governor sends in. At the best, it might work long-term.”
“We need some disinformation,” Calvin said, his voice mischievous.
He grinned at him, “What are you thinking?”
“Maybe we send Buck into town to make a squawk about you having went in and killed Hodges and that you were last seen racing out of town or something like that,” Calvin was animated as he talked.
Cooper smiled, “Great idea. We could have Buck stay at Dranko’s. If the Governor’s men show up, he could repeat the story.”
“One final thought.”
“What’s that?” Cooper asked.
“At Miles’ place, we could try to keep you and Jake hidden as best as possible. If the Governor’s men show up there, Angela and I could say that we took that place over after you skipped town on us.”
Cooper grimaced and Calvin looked at him, perplexed.
“Dranko isn’t dead yet,” Cooper responded.
Calvin frowned, “I did not mean that…”
“I know you didn’t.” Cooper gathered himself. “I think this is the best plan possible. Hopefully Buck will be up for it.”
The rest of the drive was in silence. Cooper was plagued by thoughts of how Dranko was doing and he raced to get there as fast as possible.
Chapter Fifteen
Cooper bolted from the Jeep as soon as they had come to a stop outside of Miles’ house. He found Doug standing on the porch, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette. It smelled like pipe smoke.
Doug caught the odd look on Cooper’s face, “Yes, that it is. Beggars can’t be choosers.”
“How is he?”
Doug’s face grew grave and the corners of his mouth turned downward.
“He needs surgery. I’ve sent word for the best doctor we have around here…who isn’t licking Hodges’ boot, that is.”
Cooper gritted his teeth in frustration, “When will he or she get here?”
He shot a glance at his watch before answering, “Soon, I’d guess.”
“Does he have that long?”
Doug’s eyes grew worried and he shrugged his shoulders in response.
Cooper staggered backward. Doug’s response stole his breath and he struggled to inhale. His heart fell into his stomach and his head grew fuzzy. He grasped the nearby table to keep his feet steady.
He felt Calvin’s hand on his shoulder, “He is a tough one. He is too ornery to die on us.”
Cooper turned to Calvin, inhaled, and then spoke. He nodded slowly, wanting to believe it. “Thanks.” He paused, before continuing, “Can you put our plan into motion?”
Calvin nodded, gave his shoulder a squeeze, and left to find Buck.
**********
Dranko was sprawled on the living room couch. He was either asleep or unconscious. His face was ashen and waxy and his breath fell in uneven fits. His body was pockmarked with several bandages. Cooper gave silent thanks that they, at least, were not soaked through.
Cooper fell into a chair that was next to him. He found his friend’s hand and pulled it into his. The hand was clammy and cold. Tears welled into his eyes upon seeing his friend prostrated and clinging to life. Despair consumed him.
“Please don’t leave me, brother,” Cooper mumbled. Tears fell from his eyes when he closed them. There’s been too much death. Too much. “I can’t do this without you,” he breathed in a shallow whisper.
“About time,” a weak whisper responded.
Cooper startled to hear Dranko speak. His eyes flew open. Dranko’s eyes were slits.
“You’re awake,” he dumbly answered.
Dranko grimaced in pain, “For now.” He managed a mockery of a grin. “About time you said it.”
Cooper offered a warm smile, “I’m gonna tell you every day, from now on.”
“Jake okay?”
His smile grew wider, “Yeah. We got him. Thank you.”
“Good. It means something now.” The tone was ominous, the words carrying a finality that jarred Cooper.
“Don’t talk like that.”
“You’re the optimist, not me.” A cough replaced his attempted laugh.
“There’s a doc on the way. You just gotta hold on.”
Dranko’s eyes had closed as he had been talking and there was no further response.
He clutched his hand more firmly, but only silence remained. He sat for a long while, lost in his thoughts and watching Dranko. He didn’t know how long he remained there.
The door flew open and he whirled around. Another man, middle-aged and bald, followed Doug. He was a short man, carrying two bags.
“Get outta the way,” he commanded as soon as soon as he saw Cooper.
“Cooper, this is Doctor Jamison,” Doug offered as Cooper quickly retreated from Dranko’s side.
He stood off to the side, arms folded, as the doctor examined Dranko. He sat over him, intently checking vital signs in a flurry. Moments later, he was jabbing a needle into his arm and attaching a bag of plasma.
“Get me that coat rack,” he blurted.
Cooper raced to the entryway and grabbed the coat rack, bringing it over. Doug attached the bag of plasma to it.
Jamison spoke again, “He needs blood. Now. You guys know his blood type?”
“A positive. He bragged once about his ‘A plus’ blood,” Cooper answered.
Jamison looked exasperated, “Well, anyone here have that type?”
“Doug, go check Calvin and Buck!” Cooper barked.
Doug shook his head, “They left a while ago.”
“Damn!”
“Angela’s still outside, I’ll go ask her,” Doug responded, racing to the door.
Cooper’s mind raced. He knew Jake’s was like his own, B negative. Julianne!
He ran to the back of the house and called out, “Julianne!”
“Down here,” her voice resounded from the basement.
Cooper took the stairs down two at a time and landed hard at the bottom. She was hunched over the computer.
“You won’t believe what I…”
He cut her off, “What’s your blood type?”
“Wha…” she answered, confused.
“What’s your blood type,” he yelled.
“I don’t know. Hold on. Let me think,” she said, holding up both her hands, palms out to him. She closed her eyes, thinking hard. Cooper stamped his feet in frustrated impatience, but he held his tongue.
Her eyes opened, clear, “A positive. That’s right. It was years ago I had it tested. But, A positive.”
He stepped in and grabbed her by the hands, “C’mon! Dranko needs it. Now!” He pulled her to her feet and then ascended the stairs as quickly as he had descended. She ran after him.
“Got it!” Cooper called to Jamison, pulling Julianne in front of him.
Jamison’s face turned quickly to her, “You’re A positive?”
Julianne nodded excitedly.
“Alright, he needs it now.” Julianne was already rolling up her sleeves.
“You there. Move the kitchen table to the middle of the room and then clear out. We need to get this blood into him and then I have to operate.” Jamison directed Cooper brusquely.
He started to object, but Jamison’s stern look stopped him. He stepped to the kitchen table, ripped the tablecloth off of it, sending a few odd dishes crashing to the floor, and manhandled it to the center of the living room. Doug came back inside, his face brightening when he saw Julianne with her sleeves rolled up.
“Found some?”
“Yup! Doc told me to clear out. I’ll be right outside if you need anything,” Cooper responded as Doug passed him to assist Jamison.
He ran to the back of the house once again. He ripped open the doors to the bedrooms, looking for Jake. He found him in the rearmost one.
Jake was asleep, curled into a ball, oblivious to the world around him. Cooper shook him awake and then lifted him into his arms. He struggled against the weight of his growing son.
“What…” Jake said, groggily.
“A doctor is going to operate on Dranko. We need to wait outside.” Cooper dragged him from the room, grabbing his son’s coat as they left.
**********
He and Jake were outside. It had taken Jake a few minutes to fully wake up. He had been in a deep slumber.
“How are you?”
Jake stiffened at the question, “Alright.” There it is again. The distant voice.
Cooper’s eyes clouded in concern and he reached to hold him by the shoulders, “Really?”
Jake shook his arms loose from the attempted embrace, “Does it matter?” He bristled.
“It does to me!” Cooper responded.
Jake shrugged his shoulders, “I’m alive. So, that means I’m okay, don’t it?”
“I mean, how are you? You just went through a lot.”
“Does it matter? I gotta deal with it, don’t I?” His son’s eyes were as dead as stone.
Cooper’s heart sank, “Jake. Don’t do this!”
“Do what?” His reply was cold.
“Shut down. You have to talk about what’s going on. What’s going on inside.”
“Fuck that! The outside is a stinking pile of shit. What’s inside don’t count for nothing.”
Cooper was shocked by the venomous profanity spewing from his son’s lips. “Please, son. Don’t.” His words were desperate.
Jake looked at him like he didn’t know him. He shook his head dismissively and turned on his heel and walked away. Cooper looked after him, paralyzed by what he was seeing. Jake’s feet tromped across the yard. Cooper closed his eyes in despair.
“Give him some time,” Angela’s soft voice came from his left. She had been at the far end of the porch.
He turned to her, raised his hands up in frustration, “I just don’t know what to…”
She approached him, “You don’t have to know, Cooper.” He shook his head, refusing her words. He paced furiously up and down the porch. She moved aside to let him pass. She went back inside. Eventually, he sat down on one of the chairs on the porch.
Julianne came outside, saw his look, and sat silently next to him. She reached out to hold his hand, but he withdrew it.
***********
Doctor Jamison came outside, wiping blood from his hands as he did so.
Cooper was on his feet, “How’d it go?”
Jamison met his eyes gravely, “We got the bullets out and stopped the bleeding.”
“Is he gonna make it?”
“I don’t know. He lost a lot of blood. Luckily, the internal damage could have been a lot worse. His major organs are intact.”
Cooper extended his hand, “Thank you, Doctor.” Jamison refused the hand.
“Thank me if he lives, alright?” Jamison moved off, breathing the fresh air in.
Julianne was at his side, “Can I tell you what I found out?”
Cooper exhaled in resignation, sitting back down, “Sure.”
She started to speak, but paused, emotion choking her.
“What is it?”
“We were used.”
“What do you mean?”
“Mitchell and I. We were played like a damned fiddle.” Her words were jagged, stopping between tears.
“Can you just tell me what the hell you are talking about?”
“This whole thing was about money. Not to save the planet!”
“What?”
“Well, I don’t have smoking gun evidence yet, but the people that were working with us at Admonitus, those men I was researching, they had disinvested in America. I could write you a damned book on it. Our debt. Our fiat currency about to crash. They dumped everything into China. Every dollar they had. This was about ensuring their ascendance as the new world power. I’m pretty damn sure of it!”
&nb
sp; Cooper shook his head, “This can’t be. What are you talking about?”
“Plainly speaking?”
“Yes, please!” Cooper nearly shouted.
“The wealthy elite gave up on America. We were a mess. Debt up to our ears. An unraveling economy. They all bet heavy on China as the place to invest. But, they just made sure it wasn’t a bet. They made it a sure thing, with Brushfire Plague! Don’t you see?” Her words were tear-stained.
Cooper shook his head in disbelief, “No, I don’t. How’d you learn all this?”
“I’ve just looked into the investments these guys all made. I started with the inner circles and then I worked outward to their closest friends and so on. What I found is that there were maybe a few hundred of America’s wealthiest families who all made this same bet!”
“How could you figure out they moved their investments into China?”
She smiled, “A lot of it was public record. For the rest, I had a few friends do some digging for me who had connections. I was able to get to some of them via email—that’s still working sometimes. People I met working at Admonitus. Well, the ones that are still alive…” Her voice drifted.
“But, what? How’d this happen?” Cooper was tired and his mind was struggling to keep up with everything Julianne was telling him.
Julianne took a deep breath, composing herself before continuing, “Looking back, I think it started a long time ago. Think about it. We watched our manufacturing go offshore for decades without doing anything. You can’t have a strong economy without it. It didn’t matter which party was in control. We kept our economy propped up by debt…debt…and more debt. I think the dollar was about to collapse and become worthless. Those at the top just pulled out.”
“But what did Brushfire have to do with it?”
“Think about it. China is the only country that seemed to be ready for it! They were hardly affected. The rest of the globe is in a world of shit. China stands ready. It was a way to speed up their rise as the world’s new superpower! Remember America after the Second World War? The rest of the world was in a shambles and we benefitted from it. We became the world’s only Superpower.”
Brushfire Plague: Reckoning Page 34