The New World (Book 7): Those Who Remain

by G. Michael Hopf

  “I made them brown because it’s kinda a neutral color. When we know the baby’s gender, I’ll make more that are color appropriate.”

  Lexi put the clothes down, stood up and walked over to Katie who was still standing. She put her arms around her and hugged her firmly. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You’ve been an amazing friend and I’ll admit that you’ve rekindled my belief in humanity.” Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, but she didn’t care, she felt so grateful.

  Katie began to cry as well and returned the heartfelt embrace. “You’re so welcome. I’m blessed to have you here. God knows I can be kind of a pain and neat freak, but you put up with me.”

  Lexi pulled back and said, “Put up with you? You’re amazing.”

  “We’re both fortunate. God has truly blessed us to have each other.”

  “The baby will stay nice and toasty with this outfit, thanks,” Lexi said. She went back to her seat and sat down.

  “I can’t wait for the baby to come. Just to have a little one around here will be so great,” Katie said and sat down at the table.

  “Um, I’ve never asked, but is Katie short for Katherine?” Lexi asked.

  “My full name is Katelyn.”

  “What a beautiful name.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Ah, I’m asking because I want to, if the baby is a girl, I want to name the baby Carrie Katelyn,” Lexi said as she nervously pushed the food around on her plate.

  “I’d be honored, thank you,” Katie replied.

  “Well, the honor would be mine.”

  The two chatted and finished eating.

  Katie began to clean the dishes while Lexi folded the clothes.

  Something had been nagging Lexi for a long time, so she felt like she needed to finally ask. “Katie, I’ve got a question for ya.”

  “Sure, go ahead.”

  “Your husband, there’s a chance he could show back up. If he does, will I have to leave?” Lexi asked.

  Katie stopped what she was doing and replied, “Oh dear, that’s been bothering you, hasn’t it? I can say that if Conrad hasn’t come home yet, he probably won’t, but I still hold out hope. He’s a good man, but the way you’ve described the world out there, well, let’s say that he needed help changing a lightbulb.”

  “Well, I hope for your sake he returns.”

  Katie stepped forward and said, “To answer your question, if he comes home, you’re staying. This is your home now too.”

  “I don’t know…”

  “No, this is your home now too, period. I won’t, I couldn’t live with myself to have you and that unborn baby back out there.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  “Sure,” Katie said and went back to cleaning the dishes.

  Lexi picked up a shirt and began to fold it. she fondly looked at Katie and said, “You’re a good person, Katie, and for me, that’s saying a lot.”

  McCall, Idaho, Republic of Cascadia

  Gordon pulled into the driveway and slammed on the brakes, stopping just a few feet from the additional security detail sent by November Three. He jumped out of the Humvee and ran into the house.

  “Samantha!” Gordon called out.

  “Yeah,” Samantha replied from the master bedroom.

  Gordon marched back to the bedroom, and when he saw her, he said, “Where have you been?”

  Samantha was lying on the bed, with Haley asleep next to her. She lifted her hand and put her finger to her lips, gesturing for him to be quiet.

  He lowered his tone and asked again, “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

  She looked on the nightstand but didn’t see the phone. She became frightened by Gordon’s tone and composure. “Luke, is Luke okay?”

  “I guess, where is he?” Gordon asked.

  Samantha gently slipped off the bed and left the room.

  Gordon followed, closing the door behind him. “Sam, you scared me.”

  “Why, what’s going on?”

  “Today we got a call from a patrol in New Meadows. They found a family had been butchered. I’m not gonna go into detail, but the killers were sent by Jacques. We caught two of them and one confessed they had been sent to kill us, all of us.”

  “Does it ever end?” Samantha asked, disturbed by the news but not entirely shocked.

  “Listen, there’s still eighteen of them out there and last report is they were headed this way.”

  “Luke, he’s out on patrol with Corporal Sanchez. Is he in trouble?” Samantha asked.

  “I’m sure he’ll be fine, but I’ll contact Sanchez to bring him back ASAP. Now where did you put your phone? I don’t like not being able to reach you.”

  Samantha walked into the great room, nervously chewing her fingernails, a tick she’d had her whole life when things became stressed.

  “You’re really freaked out about Luke? He will be fine,” Gordon said, picking up on her anxiousness.

  “I had a bad dream about him the other night,” Samantha said.

  Gordon stepped forward and rubbed her shoulders. “He’ll be fine. Sanchez is a fine Marine. He’s safe with him.”

  “Call now. Contact Sanchez now; get Luke home,” Samantha pleaded.

  “Okay,” Gordon said relenting to her demands.

  Samantha then saw blood on Gordon’s neck. “Are you hurt?”

  “Huh?”

  “The blood on your neck and on your clothes. Is that your blood?”

  “Um, no, it’s not mine,” Gordon said.

  “Whose blood is that?” Samantha asked.

  “One of Jacques’ men,” Gordon answered.

  Samantha recoiled and then turned away from him. “Please just call Sanchez and get Luke back; then go clean up. I don’t want Haley to see that.”

  Gordon nodded and walked away to make the call to Sanchez.

  ***

  “It’s not fair, not one bit!” Luke yelled as he tossed his helmet on the counter in the garage.

  “Don’t yell at me. There’s some bad people out there lurking around and their mission is to kill us, all of us, including you,” Gordon said.

  “But I’m old enough and Sanchez is a good partner. He’ll help me,” Luke said, pointing to Sanchez, who stood pensively waiting for Gordon to release him.

  “Your dad is right,” Sanchez said.

  “No, he’s not,” Luke fired back at Sanchez.

  “Luke, I want nothing more but for you to have purpose, but I agree with your mom, it’s not safe out there with those people out there,” Gordon said.

  “Do you know how stupid you sound, do you? I’m out there five days a week and we could run across bad people any one of those days, but now that we have some info, I’m not allowed to be out there anymore?” Luke exclaimed.

  Gordon understood why Luke was upset and he agreed with him, but Samantha insisted that Luke cease his security patrols. Plus, Gordon was leaving in two days to take his army north towards the Panhandle to confront Jacques. Having a nervous or upset Samantha wasn’t something he wanted.

  “I know you don’t agree, and guess what, you don’t have a say in the matter. You’re still a child and you live under my roof, so you live by my rules, period,” Gordon said firmly.

  “Such bullshit!” Luke exclaimed and marched off.

  “Go get cleaned up. Mom has dinner ready,” Gordon said to Luke as he went inside the house.

  When the door closed, Gordon turned to Sanchez. “Thanks for being around for him.”

  “Of course, sir,” Sanchez said.

  “I’m leaving in two days. I’m not sure when I’ll return, and I know you’re disappointed you’re not joining us, but your place is here now with my family and with Luke specifically. He doesn’t have many friends; I guess you could say you’re his only real friend. Also, know this, you’re turning this young man into a warrior and ready for the world that exists out there, and for that, I’m eternally grateful.”

  “It’s my pleasure, sir.”

  “Ahh,
anyway, get out of here. Please come around and continue his training while I’m gone,” Gordon said.

  “Yes, sir,” Sanchez said and turned around to leave, he paused and said, “Mr. President, thank you for the promotion.”

  “Wasn’t me, you earned it,” Gordon said.

  “Thank you anyway,” Sanchez said and stepped off.

  Gordon walked over to Luke’s snowmobile and sat on the cold seat. He hated squashing something that Luke had grown to love, but it had to be. Something Samantha had said earlier popped in his head. Does it ever end? Those words made him cringe because he asked himself that very question a lot these days. From dealing with Luke’s anger to the kill team lurking out there, and the zinger, Cruz reneging on his deal to provide military assistance. It did seem like one problem bled into the next. Will we ever find peace? Can we win this war?

  Each problem just pumped into the next, while some created more problems for him. Cruz backing out of the deal exploded and became a major political issue for Gordon with the council. That single complication caused a firestorm on the council and caused upheaval with his plan of attack against Jacques. He couldn’t blame Cruz for reneging, as the United States was dealing with renewed separatist movements in Dakota and Arizona, which turned into political troubles for Cruz. Specifically, the issue with his cabinet was the fact he was arming and assisting an enemy, Cascadia.

  Gordon planned on talking with Cruz again soon. He had to take one more stab and get the United States’ air assets, but if he couldn’t, he still was going north. Tomorrow was a big day for him. He’d try to talk with Cruz, and after that, he needed to present his final strategic plan to the council.

  He was tired, not just from the day he’d had but was just tired of having to endlessly fight. He prayed that the fight ahead of him would be his last so that he and his family could finally settle down.

  MARCH 9, 2016

  “Do the difficult things while they are easy and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

  McCall, Idaho, Republic of Cascadia

  Gordon departed the house early before anyone was awake, with his first destination being the jail. He had found it hard to sleep knowing that eighteen killers were somewhere close by and plotting to not only take him out but his family. The briefing he had received just before going to bed didn’t provide any other information that would help find these men.

  He pulled into the parking lot and paused before going in. He was tempted to go in and begin pulling fingernails, but how much more information could this man know? It was so frustrating for him. He could feel his nerves were a bit shot. He had survived many different harrowing situations and came away okay; even after Hunter’s death he didn’t feel this disoriented. Maybe it was the accumulation of events, who knew? One thing was for sure, he wanted the war over and fast.

  A car horn pulled back from his thoughts. He looked to the left and saw John Steele waving.

  He got out of the Humvee and walked over to John’s truck. “Good morning.”

  “I don’t think this guy has any more to give up,” John said essentially confirming some of Gordon’s thoughts.

  “I’ll ask a different way,” Gordon said.

  “Should I have a mop and bucket ready to clean up?” John joked.

  “No, but when I’m done, I have an idea, so don’t let me forget to tell you. And make sure you have everything ready for our council briefing later this afternoon.”

  “You know me, when have I ever let you down?” John quipped.

  “Let’s go see if this guy has anything new to add,” Gordon said.

  The two walked up the icy steps and into the McCall Police Department.

  “Mr. President, good to see you,” a clerk said from behind a desk in the lobby.

  “Good morning,” Gordon said, walking past the clerk.

  “Oh, um, Mr. President, are you here to see the prisoner?” the clerk asked.

  Gordon stopped and turned. “Yes.”

  “He’s gone. This morning several representatives from council member Demer’s office came and took him away.”

  “What, where?” Gordon asked, his face turning flush with anger.

  The clerk instantly looked nervous as his lip quivered. “They came and said they were taking him to a safe space. That he needed proper medical attention.”

  “By whose authority?” John asked.

  “Councilmen Demer’s and Lecter’s,” the clerk answered, handing John a piece of paper.

  “You just let them come in here and take that man away?” Gordon asked, his eyes bulging.

  “They had that,” the clerk said, his voice cracking with fear.

  “Nothing like fighting our own while we’re in the middle of a war,” John said and handed the paper to Gordon.

  Gordon scanned the paper. At the bottom he only saw Demer’s and Lecter’s signatures, nothing from Elizabeth, but he suspected she was part of this scheme.

  “Where’s this safe space?” Gordon asked the clerk.

  The clerk shrugged his shoulders.

  “Damn bastards,” Gordon barked. He exited the police station and stood in the cold air, fuming.

  John came out and said, “You know they will fuck with you every step of the way.”

  “I know.”

  “And if we win this war, they will be a thorn in your side when you seek the official presidency under the new constitution.”

  “They’ll be more than a thorn, and if they have a say in our new constitution, it will be worthless, as they’ll water it down with bullshit like this,” Gordon grunted.

  “In my opinion, they’re as much a threat to our success in forming this nation as Jacques,” John said.

  “I agree.”

  “So what should we do about it?” John asked, although he already had an idea.

  “One foe at a time, but between you and me, if I have any say in how our republic is formed, they won’t be at the table,” Gordon said and strutted off.

  “I’ll give Michael a call and see what the hell is going on,” John said, following close behind.

  “Perfect,” Gordon said.

  “You wanted me to remind you of something?” John asked.

  Gordon got back into his vehicle. He needed to go visit with Gunny now. “Yeah, thanks for reminding me. The body of that one guy from yesterday. What did you do with it?”

  “We tossed him down a ravine,” John answered.

  “Is it easy to get to?” Gordon asked.

  “Oh fuck, why?” John asked, a devilish grin on his face.

  “Sounds like too much trouble, never mind,” Gordon said.

  “No, tell me. I can see the wheels churning in your head,” John said.

  “If it’s easy to do, not sure about the logistics, but only if it’s possible. Cut off his head and put it in a box. I want to bring it with us. I have an idea,” Gordon answered.

  South of Joseph, Oregon, Republic of Cascadia

  Lexi heard a bark, but when she opened her eyes, she thought it must have been part of a dream. She lay listening, but the only sounds that trickled into her room was Katie humming and singing in the kitchen.

  She sat up and looked outside. A thick gray blanket of clouds covered the sky. “Ugh,” she said, “looks depressing outside.” She grabbed her wool shawl, draped it over her shoulders and slipped her cold feet into the cozy cushioned Ugg boots. She sauntered towards the bathroom but stopped when she saw her reflection in the dresser mirror. She pivoted and looked at her profile. Curious if she was showing, she lifted her shirt and pulled down the front end of her pajamas. As she squinted and turned her head, trying to see a difference in her belly from weeks ago, she said, “Are you happy in there, hmm?” With her left hand, she caressed her lower abdomen and said, “Don’t you worry, Momma is going to take care of you.”

  A loud dog bark from the back of the house caught her attention.

  She rushe
d to the window and looked out but didn’t see anything moving except the wind flapping the plastic sheeting on the shed windows.

  More dog barking, this time louder and closer, all still coming from the back of the house.

  She raced out of her room.

  “Lexi, come, hurry!” Katie hollered from the back door of the house.

  Wondering if it could really be Beau, she sprinted down the hall and into the kitchen towards the back door.

  “Aren’t you a cutie,” Katie said sweetly to an unidentified dog.

  Hearing the word ‘cutie’, Lexi knew it couldn’t be Beau.

  “Are you hungry?” Katie asked.

  Lexi reached the back door, pushed past Katie and looked down. When she saw the small French bulldog, her excitement melted away.

  “Isn’t she cute?” Katie asked Lexi.

  The dog looked at Lexi, barked several times and ran away.

  “I heard a bark a bit ago, but I thought it was in my dreams, and when I heard it just now, I thought…you know, I thought it might be Beau,” Lexi said with disappointment in her voice.

  “Sorry, but she was a cute little thing. What kind of breed was that, a pug?”

  “No, a French bulldog, and yes, she was cute,” Lexi confirmed.

  Katie put her arm around Lexi and said, “Come on, let’s go get breakfast. That baby needs to eat.”

  Lexi put her head against Katie as they walked back into the kitchen.

  The dog barked again.

  Lexi turned around and said, “She must be hungry.”

  “I’ve got some stale crackers we can spare,” Katie said walking to the pantry.

  Lexi went back to the door and looked down. The fawn-colored dog cocked its head and barked.

  “You hungry?” Lexi asked and kneeled to be more face-to-face with the dog. The only thing separating them was the glass of the storm door.

  The dog jumped up and put its wet black nose against the glass and sniffed.

  A louder and deeper bark sounded from around the corner.

  The French bulldog jumped down and ran towards the other bark.

  Surprised by the other bark, Lexi stood and wondered against all hope. She opened the door and stepped out into the cold.