This was Silsbee, Texas.
The load that had been stacked and strapped onto the wagon was too high to go underneath the wagon. Jake began unstrapping it so he could remove the top layer when he heard his son speak again.
“Daddy,” Ryder said. “We aren’t supposed to be this close to the train. We need to go around it.”
“We can’t do that, buddy,” Jake replied. “It’s too far to go around.”
“But you always say that trains are dangerous,” Ryder shot back. “We aren’t supposed to play close to trains.”
“I know,” Jake said. “This time we’re going to have to go underneath the train to get to the other side.”
“We’re going to get in trouble,” Ryder said emphatically.
“Not if we hurry,” Allie interjected. Ryder turned and looked at her.
“OK,” he said. “If we get in trouble I get to bring my toy to time-out with me.”
“Deal,” Allie agreed as she helped her husband take the duffle bag off the top of the wagon. She silently wished someone would place her in time-out. She was tired of adulting already today.
- - -
The house was somewhat crowded with people finishing up their breakfast, thankful for the hot meal they were able to enjoy. Ashlyn and her kids were gathered together in the living room, seemingly having a good time with their bacon, grits and eggs. The girls loved the strawberry-fig jam that was spread on their toast.
Calvin and Harold stood at the kitchen counter as they ate their food and washed it down with a fresh cup of coffee. They both knew that there was much to be done after they ate and neither of them looked forward to it.
Although the ground was saturated from the recent rains, they both knew that it was only the top six inches or so that would be muddy. The entire property was on top of a hill and never stayed wet too long. Even during hurricane Harvey, the yard didn’t hold any water. This wasn’t the first time Harold had dug in his back yard, but it was the most dreaded project he could remember.
Kay, Roxie, Beetle and Arlene all sat at the table. None of them really had an appetite, but all of them cleaned their plates. The food was good. All of the ladies were aware that there was much for them to do and they weren’t sure if there would be a meal cooked for lunch.
Roxie and Arlene talked about the route they would take to Caney Head, opting to stay on Hwy. 92 since Roxie believed there would be fewer people to worry about coming across. She knew most the people who lived along the highway near Caney Head, but there was a lot of road they would have to travel before they got there.
Arlene was concerned because of the way she and Levi had been robbed of the old tractor the day before, but she had faith that they would be more prepared for trouble now that they knew it could be out there. Beetle volunteered to ride with them and help keep an eye out but was told that she should stay and help Kay and Ashlyn around the house.
“I guess we should get to it,” Harold said as he placed his empty cup into the sink. “Why don’t ya’ll take the girls out back and let ‘em throw the ball with Jackson?”
“That sounds like fun,” Ashlyn said from the living room. “C’mon girls, let’s go outside and play with the dog.” The girls were excited.
“I think I’ll join them, if that’s ok?” Arlene asked as she looked over to Harold. “I don’t think I can …”
“That would be great,” Ashlyn chimed in as she followed behind the girls into the dining room. “The more the merrier.”
“That’s a great idea,” Harold agreed. “We’ll let you know when we get the truck loaded.”
Harold and Calvin followed the ladies and girls out the back door. While the children began playing with the small dog, the two men walked over to the barn. Once inside, they walked over to where Harold kept his woodworking projects that he had built to sale.
With Halloween coming up, Harold had already started building yard decorations. In his collection were two toe-pincher coffins he had built a couple of weeks ago. They were intended as decorations but were going to be put to their proper use instead.
Calvin checked the cordless drill, finding that it still worked. The two men added more screws to the bottom and sides of one of the coffins to be sure it was sturdy enough to be carried with a body inside it. They left the tools out, knowing they would soon be doing the same to the other coffin in a little while.
Arlene’s eyes filled with tears as she watched the two men carry the coffin in the house.
It took about 15 minutes for the two men to place Levi into the coffin and load it into the back of the pickup truck. They worked well together in complete silence and bowed their heads as Kay said a prayer for the deceased young man once he was secured in the bed of the truck. Beetle softly wept as she stood on the front porch and watched the scene play out before her.
Roxie remained in the dimly lit bedroom as the men worked, preparing Alice for her next step. She combed her hair and applied the slightest bit of make-up, concealing the paleness of her skin. She felt that it was the least she could do before leaving the house for who-knew how long.
Once Levi’s coffin was strapped down, Beetle walked through the house and out into the back yard. She walked over to Arlene and gave her a hug as she whispered, “he’s ready” into her ear. She could feel Arlene stiffen slightly and take in a deep breath. She returned Beetle’s hug.
“Thank you, dear girl,” Arlene whispered. “You’ve been so strong and so helpful. I am so glad you came along when you did. I would have been lost without you.”
“No,” Beetle replied. “You saved me.” The two ladies shared their embrace, knowing that their bond was a strong one and that there was a mutual respect between them.
“Bonk,” a small rubber ball bounced off Beetle’s head. Two little girls rolled on the ground laughing as their mother rushed over to the ladies standing together a few feet away.
“I’m so sorry, cuz,” Ashlyn said with a huge grin on her face. “Adalyn has a great throwin’ arm but zero sense of direction.”
Beetle looked over at the girl who threw the ball and squinted her eyes at her. She slowly walked over to her, causing the girl to back away on all fours. When Beetle pounced on her and started tickling her, Adalyn knew all was well. She laughed and laughed. So did her sister. Arlene even chuckled a little. Jackson sat there staring at the strange humans. He was confused.
He was a dog.
Minutes later Arlene turned and walked toward the house. She was fully aware that she needed to be on her way to take Levi where he wanted to be. She knew that home was what he had talked most about, and she was damned and determined that she would get him there; no matter what it took.
The sun was well into its journey across the sky by the time Roxie and Arlene were ready to start their own journey. Arlene sat in the driver seat and Roxie rode shotgun (figuratively and literally). Between them was a sack lunch that Kay had packed and four bottles of water.
Everyone in the small group was in the front yard to see them off. All of them were more than a little hesitant about this trip, but they all knew it was a trip that had to be taken. Sometimes the right thing to do isn’t always the easiest thing to do.
God bless those who do the right thing.
Chapter 3
Meanwhile, in a bunker far away
The fluorescent lights gave the room a dismal hue. It was kinda’ like that scene in Joe vs. the Volcano where Tom Hanks sat at his desk and watched life pass him by. It was that kind of scene, only nobody was watching life pass them by. Quite the opposite.
When the door opened from a side room and the confident man stepped through it, all eyes turned toward him. He walked with a purpose. The aura of power radiated from him as he looked around at the people in the room.
“O.K. people,” he said. “It’s time for some answers. I want to know where we stand and how long it’s going to take to get our country up and running again. Brock, how long before we have distribution centers open?”
“It will take at least a week to coordinate the openings in larger cities, Mr. President,” the FEMA Director answered. “It could be a month before centers in mid-size cities are operational and longer for the outlying areas.”
“That isn’t good enough,” replied the President. “We already have a lot of hungry people out there. They don’t have weeks or months to wait for food and water. Days, Brock. I want people to have food and water in days; a week at the latest.”
“But, Mr. President…” Brock started before being interrupted.
“But nothing, Mr. Long,” he said emphatically. “Would you want your family to go hungry? What if your wife or parents or your children were sitting in the dark with nothing to eat or no fresh water? Would you want them to wait for a week or a month for their basic needs? Well? Would you?”
“No, Sir,” was the response.
“Neither would I,” President Trump continued. “I was elected President by the people of this country because they believed in me. They believed that I would look out for their best interests. They believed that I would make their lives better. They believed in me!
“I’ve done everything I could do to take care of the people; my people,” he continued. “My administration has done everything in its power to do what we said we were going to do, and by the grace of God, we will not let them down. Not now. Not ever.”
All eyes in the room remained transfixed on the President as he spoke. Somewhere from the back of the room someone could be heard saying, “Politics as usual.”
“If anyone in this room is looking at this situation from a political point-of-view I want you out of here,” the President said. “Politics went out the window the minute that solar flare erupted from the sun. There is no aisle anymore. None. We are all on the same team now. It is up to us to come together like we never even imagined before. We’re in a fight like we never imagined.
“Forget Make America Great Again,” Trump continued. “The new fight is to make America survive. Gentlemen, and ladies, our enemy isn’t North Korea, or Iran, or Russia, or any other country. Our enemy is time. Every day that goes by means that thousands of Americans will die. They’ll die. It’s up to you, and you, and you, and me to make sure that we save as many Americans as possible. Days, people. Days.”
Trump looked around the room as he spoke and made eye contact with every person he could. He wanted to make this personal for each and every one of them. It was personal.
“Look,” he continued, “I know that the fake news has made me out to be a bad guy. I’m not a bad guy. Most of you know that already. None of that matters now, though. To be honest, I really don’t care what any of you think about me at this point. What I do care about is what you can do for me. What you can do for the country. What you can do for the American people. This is about them. If you can’t do your job, leave. If you want to be a politician, get out. I need people around me that can do what they were hired to do. I need the best of the best, not people with political aspirations.”
The man who made the comment in the back of the room slammed his clipboard down on a desk and walked out of the room. Another man standing beside him followed him. Everyone else stood firmly in place.
“Good,” Trump said. “Anyone else?”
Nobody moved.
“O. K.” he said after a pause. “Now, Mr. Long, how long before we have distribution centers operational?”
“If we can get communications up and running, Sir, we will be fully operational within two weeks,” Brock said. “I’ll make sure of it.”
“Excellent,” Trump said with a smile. “Now, who’s in charge of communications?”
For the next several hours the large conference room became a prime example of organized chaos. The President spoke with all of the department heads and military leaders as a group and then they broke up into smaller groups to formulate plans, examine contingencies, work out logistics, assess assets, and discuss options.
As time progressed, lines of communication with outside entities, state and local governments were established. It was determined that all satellites had been disabled. It was also determined that a great loss of lives had already occurred due to mechanical failure of the few aircraft that were in the air at the time of the pulse, medical equipment failure and other events directly related to the solar flare.
Casualties already reached into the thousands.
The group finally decided to take a break. Some needed a chance to relax their bodies and brains. Some needed to pass information along to their subordinates. A couple of them needed to run to the bathroom down the hall. The morning had been intense, to say the least.
The President retreated to the smaller side room he had been in earlier. He was followed into the room by his closest advisor. She had not only listened to the meeting but had taken an active role in it.
“What do you think?” Trump asked. “Are we going to be able to pull this off?”
“We can do anything we set our minds to,” the Advisor answered. “You have accomplished so much in such a short time. Nobody thought you could do what you’ve done. You are the only man that can get this country through this.”
“Those were things that we had more control over,” Trump said. “This is big. Huge. The odds really are against us this time.”
“Never underestimate my daddy,” Ivanka answered. “He has a solid record of beating the odds and I am completely confident that he will beat them now.” She walked over and gave the President a big hug.
“I hope you’re right this time, Baby,” Trump said as he returned his daughters hug. For the first time in a very long time he felt some reservations about the task at hand.
“I’m always right, Mr. President,” Ivanka said as she smiled softly. “You’re going to be just fine. You know that you always land on your feet and come out on top. This will be no different.”
The tension in his faced eased as he held his daughter. She always knew the right thing to say and do to make him feel better. She was his strength. She was his rock. She was his will. She had been ever since the day she was born. It was times like these that made him realize how very proud he was of his daughter.
“Who was it that walked out of the room this morning?” he finally asked, breaking the momentary silence that filled the room.
“It was Spartacus, M’ Lord,” Ivanka said in a flawed accent as she backed away from her father and performed an over exaggerated curtsy.
“I should have known,” the President said with a grin. “Didn’t he realize there weren’t any cameras around to capture his antics? What a putz.”
The two laughed together for a moment. They knew that politicians would always be politicians, no matter what the circumstance. They also knew that this was definitely not the time for politicians to be in charge. This was a time for men – and women of action. People who know how to get things done with no red tape. There would be plenty of time for sorting through paperwork later. People were dying right now.
“We were lucky,” Trump said. “At least we had a little bit of warning before the pulse hit us and everything went haywire. Things would have been much worse if those scientists hadn’t caught that flare and projected its path when they did.”
“That’s so true,” Ivanka answered. “God certainly placed the right people in the right place at the right time.”
“He did,” Trump said. “If there was ever any doubt about the existence of God this should dispel it. I guess it wasn’t really that we were lucky for the warning we got; we were blessed. We were blessed by God. Again.”
“Amen,” Ivanka said. “Shall we offer our thanks?”
Two people stood in the room facing one another. They reached out and joined hands. Donald and Ivanka Trump bowed their heads and prayed. It was a tender, intimate moment. There were no cameras, no reporters, nobody else in the room. Only them … and God.
Chapter 4
Six feet from the edge
Ashlyn a
nd Kay sat in the living room watching the girls play with their dolls. They were both glad there was something to focus on other than what was going on in the outside world. It was crazy how much life had changed in the past couple of days, but to sit there watching the two girls playing and so carefree you wouldn’t think anything was out of the ordinary.
Roxie and Arlene had left about 30 minutes before and the men had gone outside to start digging their hole. Beetle had opted to help the men. She knew it was going to be difficult to dig a grave, but she also knew that she couldn’t just sit there and not help.
The sun was fully up and beating down on Harold and Calvin as they dug. Neither man was a stranger to hard work. Although they both had a head full of grey hair, the kept digging. The shovels in their hands were heavy with each load of dirt it moved, but it wasn’t near as heavy as their hearts.
Harold has chosen a place in the far back yard, near the small grove of trees that he so enjoyed sitting among. The morning sun would always shine on his mom’s final resting place, but she would be shaded from the harsh midday sun by the large oak trees she would be buried under. The spot was very serene, but the roots sure made for some challenging digging.
Every few minutes Beetle would grab the shovel from one of the men and allow them to take a short break to drink a sip of water and rest their hands. She was a small girl, but she worked hard. She had promised that she would earn her keep and she dang sure was going to keep that promise.
They dug for about an hour and had only gotten about two feet deep. The men stopped for a breather. The topsoil was only eight inches deep. Beneath it lay a dense sand/clay mix that made for even more difficult digging. The men leaned on their shovels as the stood in the shallow hole.
“After we’re done here I reckon’ I’ll head out to see iffin I can find Barbara,” Calvin said as he breathed heavily. “I figured she’d been home by now, but I reckon she weren’t willin’ to walk all the way from the shop.”
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