by Cooper, DJ
As Danny looked at his small group he pulled Dickie aside, saying, “Listen, I think we should keep the girls between us, we are going to have to walk this. I’m thinking we should go over to the power lines and follow them out of the city, what do you think?”
Dickie nodded in agreement saying, “Danny, I’m worried about Jules.”
Danny asked, “Why, is something wrong with her.”
Dickie responded, “We didn’t get the chance to tell anyone yet.”
Danny said, “Tell us what?”
Dickie said, “She’s up the duff.”
Danny said, “What?”
Dickie said, “She’s friggin pregnant mate.”
Danny raised his eyebrows and said, “Oh, Well, I guess… Ummm congratulations?”
Dickie looked a little relieved, saying, “I just don’t know how she will handle it.”
Danny said, “Don’t worry about it, we will look after her, but listen when we get to John’s don’t tell anyone that right now, ok?”
Dickie asked, “Why?”
Danny responded, “I don’t know John all that well and I don’t want him thinking she will be a burden. We need their help to get to Dez.”
Dickie nodded and went over to tell Jules.
They had their stuff all packed up and were ready to go at nightfall. They went around the lake to the power lines and began to walk right up the middle, because there was a trail often used by four wheelers and snowmobiles. After they had been walking along the trail for about thirty minutes they heard some four wheelers coming up the trail.
Danny saw the things in town and hurried them into a thicket off to the side and told them to be absolutely silent and not to move. They could see in the moonlight, three vehicles with multiple riders. They could not see much more than shadows, but the moon glistened off the rifles strapped to the front of each vehicle. They all realized this would be a difficult ten miles.
After the riders had passed, they continued on their journey now staying just inside the tree line that followed the power lines. They would bring them out two miles from John’s house.
During the seven hours it took them to walk the eight miles to the point where they would need to leave the power line easement, there were a few more of what Danny and Dickie thought might be some kind of patrols.
The girls were shivering when they reached the point they would exit, so Danny told them that they could take a short break and try to warm up. He wanted to scout out a route that would get them there with the least amount of exposure.
Danny was like Jeremy in that he was quick and stealthy, he and Dickie talked that while Dickie had the military experience, he was not as young as he once was, and carried more than a few extra pounds. He had been injured while training with the military and was no longer as quick on his feet, but he had kept up practice at the range since moving to the states, plus years of playing paintball when he was young taught him how to run and gun. He would stand watch over the girls while Danny scouted the route.
He got them settled under some blankets in a blueberry patch, which provided not only a vast amount of berries that the girls immediately began to collect, but also decent cover.
He crept out of the trees onto the street, looking ahead, he cursed the street lights; they would surely give him away. As he moved from cover to cover he could see that a house was burning around the corner. As he got closer he heard yelling and some gunshots. He moved to where he could see the house clearly and was surprised to find there were no rescue vehicles.
The house was fully engulfed and a second one was starting to burn at the eaves and roof. The yelling was a gang of bystanders laughing and tossing things at the second house.
Danny started to go back the way he came to look for a way around this when he heard a scream. It sent chills down his spine; it was obviously a female scream. He looked back to the scene to see they had dragged the occupants of the house outside. They were holding a young woman by her hair and tearing her clothing off.
He was enraged and it took all he had not to try and intervene. He knew it would only get him killed and he cringed at the thought of the same fate for his family and friends.
After nearly an hour of searching he found an alley and some smaller side streets, he thought they could use to get around the gang. It was already two a.m. and they needed the cover of the darkness.
He returned to where the others were waiting and explained what he had seen.
Jules began to cry, saying, “Danny, I can’t go out there.”
Danny looked at her and saw the terror in her eyes and said, “I know you are scared, but I’ve found a way we can get around it. You have to be brave and do everything you are told.”
She sniffled and nodded. Dickie walked over to Danny and whispered, “Are you sure it is safe?”
Danny replied, “No, not at all. We have to keep everyone very quiet and they need to only move when told to do so.”
Dickie continued, “Maybe we should wait until after daylight.”
Danny shook his head no saying, “I think we need the cover of darkness. And Jeremy said that we had to get there ASAP, the other group was preparing to leave.”
Dickie nodded in agreement and said, “Just let me know what I need to do mate.”
Danny put his hand on his friend’s shoulder and said, “Just keep the girls together and pray, pray we can do this quickly and quietly.”
They returned to where the girls were packing up their stuff and Danny explained to them what they were to do saying,
“Ok, here is what we are going to do. In some places we are going to need to sneak from one point of cover to another. When it is your turn to move you do it quickly and quietly. You watch me for the signal to come and stay low. And the most important thing is to stay absolutely quiet, do you girls understand?”
They all nodded and Danny gave them the wave, showing them the hand signal to move ahead. They left the cover of the blueberries and made their way down an alley and over two streets from where the house was burning. Once they reached the point where Danny wanted them to go one at a time they crouched behind a truck.
Danny explained what to do and where they were to move to. He put his index finger to his lips, signaling them to “Shhhhh” and made his way silently through the intersection and crouched beside a dumpster at the entrance to another alley.
Holding his hand up for them to hold in place he scanned the area for anyone who might see them. Once he was ready for the first one to come over he waved his arm signaling come over. Laurie was the first to go; she silently crept to Danny’s position and took up look out down the alley. Danny signaled again and Melinda did just as Laurie had and also began scanning the area for threats.
Jules was crying by now and when Danny signaled she did not move. She was immobilized by fear, they could see the gang beating a person in the light from the fire and she was too scared to move. Dickie signaled with his index finger pointing up that they needed a minute. A few minutes passed and Dickie gave a thumbs up they were ready.
Danny gave the signal and both Jules and Dickie began to creep to the position. Jules kicked a soda can on their way over that caused one of the bonfire onlookers to come walking down the street.
They were all hiding behind the dumpster at this point and Danny prepared to pounce on the guy, when Laurie made a loud sound that sounded like a cat preparing to fight. The guy stopped and looked around for the cat for a moment and turned back to the burning house.
They moved quietly through a few yards and up a long driveway to the point where they could enter a corn field. Danny was thankful for the cover of the farm. Once they were deep into the field, he chanced using his light to check the map. They were less than a mile from John’s but dawn would be coming soon.
They hurried through the fields and onto a dirt road that would bring them into John’s place from the back. By the time they arrived, the sky was beginning to gain light from the impending dawn. They m
ade a quick camp just inside the tree line and decided to wait for daybreak to approach the house.
Danny and Dickie kept watch while the girls tried to get some sleep. As the sun came up Danny saw that someone had come from the house to the barn and decided to approach, leaving Dickie to keep watch over the sleeping girls.
Danny emerged from the tree line with his hands in the air calling out for John. The person he saw go into the barn ran to the house and came out with a large man. He looked like a powerful man with a full beard; Danny prayed he was in the right place.
The man approached the fence line that was at least two hundred yards away and yelled out,
“Who are you?”
Danny remembered what Jeremy had said and responded by saying, “Hannity.”
The man replied, “Foxtrot.”
To which Danny replied, “Matt.”
The man waved him over, and Danny approached the edge of the fence line. The man put out his hand and said,
“Danny?”
Danny took his hand and said, “Yes, are you John?”
John nodded and asked, “Where are the rest of your people?”
Danny told him of their night and how the girls were sleeping in the woods as he pointed to where they were. John asked, “Do you have good cover?”
Danny nodded yes and asked, “Why?”
John explained about the FEMA guy and said they would be coming by. He wanted them to remain under cover and wait until after they had come so he didn’t have to explain them. Danny heartily agreed, saying he had enough of those guys. John gave him a look with raised eyebrows that meant he wanted to hear about that at some point.
He told him he would send someone out with some breakfast and drinks in a few minutes and admonished that they were to not break cover for any reason. Danny acknowledged him saying,
“Thank you John.”
John shook his hand and said, “We will talk later.”
Danny made his way back to where the others were and explained to Dickie what John wanted them to do. They woke the girls and told them they had arrived, but that they had to wait until later to go to the house, and that John was sending out some food and water for them.
Chapter 8
“The Road”
“It is not power that corrupts but fear. Fear of losing power corrupts those who wield it and fear of the scourge of power corrupts those who are subject to it.”
-Aung San Suu Kyi
September 22nd
John went into the house and asked Amy to prepare a large breakfast quickly and package it to go while getting the meal ready for everyone. Mark and Amy were the only ones up so far and he told them to not tell the others. He instructed Mark to quietly make it look like he was taking leftovers or something to the barn for the animals and to bring it to the fence line and call for Danny. John looked at Mark saying,
“Don’t linger just tell him we will come for them when the timing is right. Then go straight to the barn and feed the goats make sure there is plenty of hay on the floors.”
Mark said, “Ok, gotcha.” Nodding his head in understanding that he was to make sure the trap door was well covered.
Amy may not have been the outdoorsy type but she could sure cook. She prepared a large breakfast for everyone with sausages and bacon, scrambled eggs, pancakes, pan fries with corn muffins. She did as John had instructed carefully wrapping up about half of it and placing it into a pail she kept by the sink for the animal scraps. She added some butter, strawberry jam and a loaf of bread that she had baked the day before. She gathered some sugar and a small carafe of milk and put it into a separate pail with a large jug of coffee. She nodded to Mark that the food was ready to go and tossed some scrap lettuce leaves on top of each to cover their contents. With a heavy sigh, she said, “Mark, will you take these out to the animals and compost for me. I can’t believe how quickly they fill these days.” Mark immediately got up to take them, saying, “Sure, no problem.”
As he was going toward the door Matty jumped up and said, “I wanna come Papa.” Mark looked at Amy who said, “Not this time young man, I need a strong man here to help get these dishes down from this high cabinet.” Matty kicked at the floor and said, “Yes, Ma’am” as he walked over to where the dishes were.
Mark did as John had instructed and reminded them to remain under cover and to rest if they could. Mark then told Danny, “Just stay quiet and someone will come to get you later.” Danny thanked him for the food, as he smelled the hot food his eyes beamed with excitement and he hurried back to their hiding place. Mark returned to the barn and was spreading the hay when John came in saying,
“Everything set?”
Mark said, “Yep, but I don’t think they have had a hot meal in days. Why are we leaving them out there, it is looking like some kind of weather is coming in?”
John replied, “I don’t want any questions about them if that man in the suit comes a calling like he said he would.”
Mark said, “Ahhhh, Yes that is smart. Do you think they will really come?”
John told him he wasn’t sure, but they would all be leaving by nightfall anyway and didn’t want to take any chances. They returned to the house for breakfast with John reminding him that the less people that knew, the less chance of something being inadvertently disclosed. Mark agreed and gave him a pat on the back saying,
“Thank you John, for everything. I fear we would all be in one of those refugee camps already if it were not for your foresight.”
John just shrugged it off like it was no big deal. They came in exclaiming how wonderful the food smelled and took their places at the table.
It was not long after breakfast when the man in the suit arrived. There was a loud banging on the door and someone shouting, “Open up we have orders to collect provisions for the refugee camps.” John was surprised, he had been told they only wanted to inventory what resources were out here. He opened the door to see the man in the suit standing with a clipboard looking like he owned the place.
John was instantly irritated and asked him what their intentions were. The man in the suit shoved past him, demanding to know the names of all in residence. John tried to object, but was restrained at the door by the guardsman. John looked at him; it was the same one from the roadblock. The guardsman looked at John raising his eyebrows and throwing a quick glance in the direction of the man in the suit.
The man took down the names and asked where they lived and why they were there. They all stuck to the story they had prepared and said they were all family.
The man instructed the guardsmen to take all of the livestock and feed in the barn and to leave them a week’s worth of food according to the number in residence. John started to object when the man in the suit quickly turned to him and said,
“This is martial law; you will comply or be taken to the refugee camp as well. We don’t need any trouble makers.”
John decided to play dumb and asked, “So we can expect that the grocery stores will be open next week?”
The man in the suit replied, “Of course, this is just a temporary measure to assist in the efforts to get things under control. You will be compensated when it is all over.”
John knew better and said, “Oh, Ok… I didn’t know how we were going to eat after the week. I want to do anything I can to help my townsfolk.”
The guardsman who had been restraining him, let him go and gave him an almost imperceptible nod. This man had John wondering what it was that was going on. As the trucks were pulling out with their bounty the guardsman who had restrained him offered his hand to shake. John took it and shook, but quickly realized the man was passing him a note. John thanked them for the information about things and turned and went back in closing the door.
Mark was at the window watching as they pulled away, making sure they did not leave anyone behind to watch them. It seemed they didn’t bother to leave a watch so they must have bought the act. But John was sure they would be checking on their story and
knew they had to go today.
John looked at the note from the guardsman and in shock, he read it, “You need to escape, this is not what it seems. If you leave by the Upper Granite Road, I will be on that post tonight and let you through. Stay far away from all cities. There are many of us, but trust no-one.”
John knew already that once the government came for their supplies, it was time to go. He was thankful for the help of the guardsman. It was good to know there were some who would do the right thing.
Mark asked him if he should go get the others, John thought for a moment and told him to hold on for a bit just to make sure also saying,
“I want to be sure we are not being watched. We need to look like we are trying to salvage what is left of the garden and do the chores like bring in the wood and such. I want Amy to watch the tree line for anyone while we all do these things.”
Mark agreed it was a good idea and they all began to do the chores assigned. Amy was watching and about an hour and half after they started this watch she saw something. She tapped Rita and sent her to go tell John that lunch was ready and to do it loudly. Rita did as Amy had instructed and everyone began to come inside.
John asked Amy what she saw and she pointed to the place where she had seen someone. John looked and could see him peering at the house from behind a tree. They all took turns watching the man and after about another hour he waved to someone and left.
Once they were sure he was gone Mark went to get the other group, calling out to Danny to bring everyone to the house and to do so quickly. Danny told them to gather everything up in a hurry that it was time. They quickly packed up the small camp and made their way to the house in a trot.
Everyone was gathered inside the house when John returned from what he had hoped would appear to be checking the mail. He had gone to the end of the driveway to make sure the man who had been watching was gone, using the guise of checking for mail.