“Did you find anything?” Steff asked.
He noted Ranger and her were sitting side by side. She had her arm around the big dog, who just stared at Rob.
“This,” Rob said, pulling the chain and locket out of his pocket.
“That isn’t… oh no way!” Steff said aloud as she rubbed her thumb at the grime and corrosion on the lock.
Twenty
“Mister President, I would strongly advise against this,” his DNI said, holding out a briefing.
“Listen, I’m a smart guy. Probably smarter than folks give me credit for. I won when nobody said I was going to win. They said the stock market would crash if I was elected. It was the highest it had ever been with job growth through the roof… Until the Wuhan Flu. And now you are telling me I can’t tell the local mobs and rioters to knock it off, or I’ll send in the National Guard? Why?”
“Sir, it didn’t work out so well in Portland where—”
“Antifa are popping up everywhere. They attack anybody not wearing their black block, masks and trash can body armor. The governors and many police departments are not doing their constitutional duty to serve and protect their citizens—”
“The Supreme Court has already ruled that police have no duty to protect, sir.”
The president turned to his DNI, who had come in especially to offer up his opinion. The president had other people for that, but he found it amusing that of all people, his DNI was advising him not to give a speech that he hadn’t even heard yet.
“Sorry, you’ve given me your advice, and I still get to choose what to do. I’m in the hot seat here, and I’ll always do what I think is the right thing to do for the USA. I think the people need to hear this, and I think they need to hear it from me.”
“Sir, you’re about to split the nation in half!” he exclaimed loudly.
Doors burst open on two sides of the room; the Secret Service were more twitchy than normal lately.
“Sir, any problems?” the senior agent asked.
“Former Director of National Intelligence Perry is leaving. If he doesn’t do so on his own, throw him out. And Perry?”
“Yes sir?” Perry said, his head spinning at just being let go and having guns drawn on him.
“If I wasn’t clear enough a second ago… You’re fired!”
“There is a cancer in the United States of America. In Democrat-run and controlled cities, sprinkled all over the country, we’re seeing the rising threat of racism and domestic terrorism by two groups who both originated from the Democratic party, Antifa and the KKK, and white supremacist organizations like them are being written in as domestic terrorists in one hour’s time via executive order. Despite resistance from the deep state… the swamp… I’m about to expose the corruption of the Democratic party to the world.
“I can prove, without a doubt, that large donors and policy makers in our government are funding and directing the actions of paid agitators within these groups, to wreak havoc and terror. This is a terrorist type of move if I’ve ever seen one. So, we’re going after them too. I’ve already removed the head of the FBI and the DNI because they weren’t going to go along with our plan of keeping America great.
“You hear that? Americans, from the great United States of America, were trying to hold us back! We will no longer take it. If you like to riot, loot, and set fire to federal buildings, or if you provide funding and material for these domestic terrorists, we’ll be coming for you. Don’t worry, we already know who most of you are, so sit tight.
“‘But Mister President, you can’t do that!’ I know one of you is going to say that. I know you folks in the media are just as corrupt, and just as much to blame as the terrorists. How about you cover what is really going on, instead of trying to ask gotcha questions, and divide this great country? But let us get back to my plan. Rounding up the terrorists is not enough, is it? We also have to Drain. The. Swamp!
“And until such a time as arrest warrants for these terrorists are written up, I will sign any request for help from any mayor or governor who’s had it with the chaos, rioting, burning, violence and arson. We will enable the Department of Homeland Security to work closer with local law enforcement, and I am not telling my employees to stand there while they’re getting shot at and firebombed. They will not be playing around.
“We’re done playing games. You try to come at us with deadly force, you will not live to see another day. You want to burn down the United States of America? We will arrest you and you will stand trial. You resist, fight, or try to hurt our wonderful law enforcement officers? Well, things may not go so well for you. Am I right?
“Now, onto another topic. I am told that we’re over the curve, trending wise. That means that our Wuhan Flu restrictions will start to loosen on a federal level. Travel restrictions may be lifted, as long as the numbers allow for it. That does not mean we’re going to be turning the faucet on full blast. That means we are going to be opening the valve slowly, ready to turn it off if the virus numbers start surging in the wrong way again.
“Lastly, I want to talk about the stock market. We have suspended trading for a third week while the experts come to a consensus and make a recommendation. The Fed, working with legislators, have come up with a stimulus plan that will keep our federal economy afloat. With the Wuhan Flu stimulus bills already passed, the funds will continue to flow as they have been. I understand economics myself, but some of this is over my head, and I’m waiting for some smart people, and I have very smart people working on this, I’m waiting for them to give me their recommendations. Until then, we are still on an extended banking holiday. That’s all I have folks. Thanks again.”
One couple in the group sat there in stunned silence. The rioters were going to get rounded up on a massive scale, and law enforcement had just been given the green light to fight back. Local departments still had to answer to their governor, but they would all be hard pressed to punish an officer for doing what the President of the United States had just… redefined as the rules of engagement.
“Dang,” Steven said, kicking his feet up on Anna’s lap.
“You think the others saw that?” Anna asked him.
“If they haven’t, they will. I think Andrea’s going to like that speech.”
“I think so too. You know, I’m sort of wanting to talk to you about something,” Anna told him.
“Sure thing,” Steven told her.
“Leah’s baby…”
“Oh,” Steven said, swinging his legs off Anna and onto the floor. “That talk.”
“Yeah, I know we originally waited and—”
“And we quit the birth control a few years ago,” Steven said. “If it happens, it happens. Right?”
“I’m just… I mean, we’re almost at an age where it’ll be dangerous for me and for the baby if we have one.”
“You want to talk to the docs about things?” Steven asked.
“You wouldn’t mind, would you?” Anna asked.
The confident woman was afraid. Steven could tell this question terrified her. He had always wanted to have kids, but both had held off so their careers could come first, because there was always time. Now here they were, at the outer limits of safety. She was not only terrified of his reaction, but what it would mean if she were able to get pregnant and what the potential for disaster would be.
“I’ve always wanted to try for kids,” he told her, “when it was time, and when it was safe. I don’t mind if you ask the docs. Heck, maybe there is something wrong with me? Maybe I should go get checked out.”
Anna’s mouth dropped open and then she let out a surprised squeak, before tackling him, and kissing him hard.
“I’m glad to see he’s going to do something now,” Curt said, not quite seething in anger.
“Listen babe, the casts come off soon,” Andrea reminded him. “I know that’s why you’re mad, but think about this… is he forcing the governors to do what they already should be doing, or is he expanding the use of
federalized police in place of local and state levels?”
“I… both!” Curt exclaimed.
“See, that’s what scares me. Those USDA enforcement guys? They’re federal.”
Curt was silent a moment, and then shrugged. “If the mayor and governor had been harder on these kinds of things, maybe you wouldn’t have been hurt, and wouldn’t have had to shoot your way to freedom. That’s all I’m saying.”
“I know,” she said with a sigh. “Mail came today. Did you see?”
“The formal settlement offer?”
“Yes,” she said quietly. “You should read it. It’s all contingent on us signing an NDA and never talking about the case or the city again, blah blah blah.”
“I’m surprised they used such non-formal language,” Curt said, pulling Andrea into his lap.
She let out a quiet sound that almost sounded like a purr. She was getting stronger and knew the casts could come off very soon. She was happy that her husband had not changed one bit because of her injury, or because of the mental changes that came with her having had to protect herself. As a doctor, she had worried on a clinical level that the stress of him not having been there to help her or save her, might lead him into some dark places, full of guilt.
Instead, Curt had embraced the new her. She, at one point, had thought the process might break her, but she found out she had been reforged into a stronger version of herself. She quite liked the feeling, and thought Curt appreciated it as well.
“Don’t tickle me,” she said, gasping as he started running his fingers up and down her side, tickling her ribs.
“Um... I’m pretty sure that’s exactly what I’m doing,” he said, grinning at her goofily as she turned to look at him.
“Go read the offer first, then come to bed,” she said, then slid off his lap.
“Yes ma’am.”
Andrea made her way into the bathroom and brushed her teeth before brushing out her hair. She noticed she had lost a lot of weight while recovering. She would have to work on strengthening her arm and leg in the coming months, but she would also have to up her cardio game. Anna would help her.
“Are you freaking kidding me?” Curt screamed excitedly from the other room.
“Nope,” Andrea said to herself, before turning off the light.
“They can’t keep the markets closed,” Dante ranted. “I know we’ve been moving everything to a cash account, but... this is bad.”
“Like apocalyptic bad?” Leah asked.
“Very. I want to talk to the others. I think it’s time to get as much cash converted to gold and silver as we can.”
“You know they put restrictions on that?” Leah asked him, exasperated.
“Well, what are they going to do, steal it from us like they tried with the cows?” Dante snarked back.
“Maybe that, or worse,” Leah cautioned, while rubbing her belly, “And I don't want you to forget, we’re trying to be as under the radar as possible here.”
“That ship has sailed a long time ago,” Dante told her. “If the inflation hits any worse, our cash money won’t be worth hardly anything either. Decades of investing, down the toilet…”
“I’m sure everybody in America is thinking this right about now Hun, but they’re also worried about how to get childcare for their kiddos, or if their job is going to reopen, and if they’re going to have a paycheck… You know what? Convert all you want into gold and silver. It’s not a horrible idea. Maybe go into Fort Smith and talk to some places that deal in junk silver to start?”
“Junk silver… you know, that’s not a horrible idea,” Dante said. “As long as I don’t get bent over doing it.”
“Now you’re talking dirty,” Leah said, with a lazy smile on her face.
“Not yet I’m not,” Dante said seriously. “Listen, do you want to run into town with me? Or should we put it in front of the group and see who all wants to go?”
“Put it in front of the group, but I still think we should go anyways. You and me. A night out on the city, maybe our last one before little miss is born,” she said, patting her stomach.
“Or little mister,” Dante said, rubbing her belly for luck.
“Don’t get started, we have to go into the city tomorrow after we talk to the group,” she said.
“You were the one making all the innuendos,” Dante told her. “Besides, not having to go to work for a few days straight is helping me… unwind.”
“Uh huh,” she said.
Both heard Curt scream out in happy surprise.
“Did they get the settlement offer?” Dante asked Leah, an eyebrow raised.
“Sounds like it. I know the money will be good, but it’s really the apology that she’s looking for, and justice. Those people tried to set her up.”
“One of the cops already committed suicide and the detectives on the case are out of work, I hear.”
“Don’t forget ADA Winters,” Leah said. “She’s gone now too, and I think she was stirring trouble up out here.”
“Yeah,” Dante said, “we’ll never know how many of the problems we’ve had here at the farm are because of her. I’m willing to bet most all of it though.”
“Are we ok with starting back up at the farmer’s market?” Leah asked suddenly. “We’ve been canning and freezing weeks worth of eggs.”
“I thought we were also boiling them up and giving them to the feeder piglets?” Dante asked.
“Oh farmer Dante, tell me more.”
“You’re going to make me blush,” he said, giving her a play push.
“Uh huh, yeah. Right.”
Twenty-One
Luis had been keeping busy at the farm as much as he could. He had left for about a week to check on his house and do mowing, but he found himself more and more back at the group’s farm. The fourth cabin was just sitting open, and they had told him he would have an open invite whenever he wanted. He planned on making himself very valuable to the group. When times were tough when he was younger, he had grown some plants… and although he was not wanting to grow those plants any more, he thought he could really do a lot with fresh food production.
He planned on starting it at the catfish pond. The thing was very full. Too much in Luis’s opinion. That is what found him back at his house and digging through his attic. He had driven his truck back without the trailer, just with the cap on the back. Like the group, he had started carrying a pistol with him all the time. He had seen for himself how crazy that ADA Winters lady had been, and how her followers were mindless lemmings.
Getting down a few dozen buckets that had been nested inside each other, he then went in search of the PVC and flexible fittings and bulkhead gaskets. Finally, he got the tops for the buckets, full of a product that had been called rocks that don’t roll. He had an idea to use the existing pond and the buckets as an aquaponic setup, one he was going to build right next to the pond. He had sketched the rough idea past Steven, who’d thought it was a great idea.
He would scrape the ground clean and flat in a 40x40 foot area, then put down a couple of loads of gravel and plastic. Over this he would build some greenhouses. He was thinking two 18x28’ home built greenhouses to go with the ones the farm had just started. He’d have to pump the water up, but his idea for that was using a series of 12v solar pumps to fill IBC totes, and eventually to a raised IBC tote that let gravity feed the nutrient rich water to the plants.
Root Riot plugs or something similar would be used in his experiments until he could figure out a better method, but he still had a ton of research to do.
“Luis, you home?” The voice startled him out of his musings.
“In the garage, Alejandro, that you buddy?”
“Si,” Alejandro said coming in. “Just checking on you, old man. You don’t call, you don’t write. I was starting to think you didn’t love me any more,” he said, blowing a kiss at his boss.
“You little shit,” Luis said, but he was snickering.
“Hey, what are you d
oing, starting a marijuana farm somewhere?” Alejandro said looking at the supplies stacking up in the bed of the truck.
“No,” Luis said, chuckling. “Something I’ve been reading about called aquaponics. Use fish or lake water in a hydroponic setting. I’m thinking I’m going to grow some produce and stuff.”
“You, turning farmer?”
“You see that shit on TV? What the president said?”
“I don’t know what to think about that,” Alejandro said, “First he wants to deport us, now he wants us to support him rounding people up who are just protesting?”
“What?! I’m… Listen, you’re an American citizen. You were born here to Hispanic parents who legally immigrated. You cannot be deported. Secondly, peaceful protesting didn’t get the doc put in the hospital, they tried to kill her.”
“Sorry, it’s just, I get so worked up right before an election and…”
“I know… But no, I’m talking about the markets closing. Since I’ve gotten better from the Wuhan Flu, I’ve been itching to do something. To work. I could sell fresh produce at the market, along with their eggs. I mean, what else am I going to do with all this spare time I have now that we aren’t building houses?”
“I mean, we could build houses…”
“But who would buy them?” Luis asked.
“That’s the thing… I’m also hoping that you might have a lead on some work? Almost all of the crew has struck out, and things are tight.”
“Tell you what, let me make a phone call for you, but I have to do it inside.”
“Sure,” Alejandro said. “I’m just looking for me and my brother. I love the rest of the crew, but he’s my family, ya know?
“I do. Which is why I have to make a quick private call,” Luis said.
Behind The Curve-The Farm | Book 2 | The Farm Page 13