To the Rescue; Surviving the Black--Book 2 of a Post-Apocalyptical Series Page 3

  “I’ll make sure he stays here and doesn’t go with us to scavenge,” I said. “On our scavenger hunt, we will look for more of those roof panels to cover the windows. Buzzer only found enough for half the windows.”

  “I agree,” Mandy said. “That is a definite priority.”

  “Dad wants me to with Jerry Hill, too. We may need his trailers to block some more access to the area. We also need a safe travel corridor between the FOB Echo and FOB Justice and a secure communications link between with the Valley.”

  “My guys are testing the telephone wires from the Valley to FOB Echo today. If they are sound, we’ll follow the road and test the wires from Echo to Justice,” said Steve. “That should give us telephone service from the radio hut to here. Sally has just authorized us to pull our cache of GMRS radios out and put them in service. I don’t know how many repeaters she has in her bag of tricks, but it will only take one to provide service for the entire Huntsville area.”

  “What is a GMRS radio and why didn’t she mention this before,” I asked.

  “It stands for General Mobile Radio Service, though I’m not sure that helps you any. The Valley is in a hole, not a good place for a repeater. She needed a secure place to set it up. My other guess is she was distracted by all the other demands we put on her. Justice is now secure enough, and the sheriff had a heck of an antenna on the roof,” Steve said. “The repeater should give us a 20-mile radius, but the communications won’t be encrypted. It’s an open channel transmission so anyone with a similar radio can hear what we say if they are listening.”

  Not ideal but better than we had now. Of course, we now had access to the sheriff’s radio system, but I suspected the Oneida police had access to those channels. Inviting Sally out to look it over would yield a positive outcome. We did have an assortment of sheriff’s radios including five fully equipped squad cars.

  “I was talking about a charter,” Steve changed the topic abruptly, again. I hoped he got some sleep, soon.

  “Thou shalt not steal, rape, murder, assault, or act against the best interests of the Justice community?” I asked. “We have new challenges requiring us to rely on each other in a way we didn’t have to before. When you lived in your own home, it wouldn’t matter to me if you told everyone you kept a key to your door under a mat. Now sharing such information would not just get you killed, it might get my kids killed, too. I won’t allow that. Before, it wasn’t critical if you slacked off and didn’t do your share, or wasted resources. Now either of those might mean my kids don’t eat.”

  I hadn’t realized how strongly I held these views. We were in combat. In combat, you helped your teammate. You might not even like him, but that didn’t matter. I’m not sure how one codifies being a good citizen or a good teammate. Our old laws sure fell short. The ideas were starting to clarify for me, “We are deployed in enemy territory. Behaviors we might have tolerated in civilian life just won’t hack it anymore.”

  Mandy was writing while I talked. She stopped when I did. “I think you are onto something, what are you thinking about?”

  “I’m thinking about the code of military conduct. Desertion or being absent without leave. Behavior that disrupts or degrades unit effectiveness. Failure to obey an order. Dereliction of duty. Abuse of power,” I said. “In pre-crash days, civilians didn’t consider these serious. As a minimum in our new reality, they should get you kicked out of the community. But I don’t want to send them off to hurt another community. Certainly not anyone who screwed off once already.”

  “Isn’t that being a little too god-like?” asked Steve, his nostrils flaring and a red flush creeping up his neck.

  “Maybe,” I answered. “But one of the things we ran into a lot overseas was a type of catch and release. We’d catch them, hand them over to authorities. Within a week the same yahoos would be shooting at us again. If someone hurts and exploits their neighbors, why would we send them out to hurt another family? Some offenses need to get you removed permanently. Dereliction of certain duties should get you a bullet. I could make a case that stealing and telling our secrets should get you a bullet as well.”

  Steve cleared his throat, his face and body tense.

  “You know we killed all the Lloyd Mountain Militia leadership?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Steve said, not quite looking me in the eye.

  “I was more worried about the people I left alive than about killing their leadership,” I said. “Dead people do not pose a threat to my girls. The men I left alive were willing to attack helpless people with automatic rifles. We left them alive because they hadn’t actually attacked anyone. If Lloyd had ordered them on the middle school raid, I’m confident they’d have gone.”

  This whole line of discussion made me angry. Steve was asking for my input, but he didn’t want it. I nearly clammed up but knew I had to try to communicate what life was now like. Steve might have his mind made up, but I sensed Mandy was a lot more ruthless.

  “Maybe those men just made a mistake and if given a second chance will become pillars of their communities,” I said. “We didn’t know. We made the same choice about the four deputies we left alive. They all knew about the sex slaves. Those that took advantage of that died. But if someone allows others to use their own wives and little girls as sex objects what kind of person is that? Does he deserve another chance?”

  With that, I left to help the people who understood these issues. Steve was my brother, but not in the same way my Rangers were brothers.

  My crew was out of sheet metal. I learned the recon team came and went while I was talking with Steve. They dropped off an extra Humvee in front of FOB Justice for me to drive back to the Valley.

  “Boss, you want us to load up the tools in your ride?” asked Buzzer.

  “No, we are going on a scavenger hunt tomorrow. I hope we find more materials to finish the job. We also need a water tank to put up on the Justice roof,” I said.

  “I’d sure like to move those modified wooden stoves from the middle school to here,” said Matt.

  “If we have time,” I answered. “Did Scott arrive with the recon team?”

  “Yeah, he’s set up with a cot in the radio room, he’s now on radio duty,” Matt said.

  I spotted Tom chatting with one of Steve’s solar techs.

  Once he concluded, I warned Tom about the plans Dr. Jerrod had for him the next day.

  “I learn stuff every time I’m with Dr. Jerrod,” said Tom. “So, I’m good with that.”

  I got into the Humvee and warned FOB Echo that I was on my way back.

  ◆◆◆

  Chapter 2

  World War III was underway at my house. I was happy all of Force Beta were either on duty elsewhere or were taking advantage of the peace and quiet in the food court.

  My granny was conspicuously absent. Billy and Joe were missing, which showed significant maturity on their parts. Ellie and Jennifer were standing in the middle of the family room screaming at the top of their lungs. Melissa was curled in a ball at the foot of the couch sobbing and making heart-wrenching sounds.

  Not that I could hear them very well over the screaming.

  I stood at the edge of the room trying to comprehend the reason for this loud display of teenage ire, but the words meant little.

  “Stop!” I shouted to be heard over the commotion.

  Jennifer faltered, but when Ellie showed no signs of stopping, Jennifer revved back up.

  “I said stop!” I commanded in my loudest parade-field bark. I finally had their attention.

  “You aren’t the boss of me,” said Ellie, refusing to step down.

  Jennifer was looking at Ellie like the girl had lost her mind.

  I turned to Jennifer, “Go to your room, I’ll talk with you in a moment.”

  Jennifer scooted.

  “What do you mean, “I’m not the boss of you,”” I barked at Ellie.

  “Well, you’re not!” Ellie barked back.

  “You are in my house, you w
ill do what I say,” I roared.

  Melissa stopped sobbing and was now watching the interaction between Ellie and me. That was at least positive.

  “I want my mommy and daddy!” yelled Ellie, her bottom lip quivering as her tears started flowing.

  Just then granny walked in, with my mom.

  The two ladies looked at the expression on my face and burst into laughter.

  I wasn’t the only one flummoxed because Ellie looked like she’d swallowed a pickle.

  My mom pointed at Ellie and gestured toward the mudroom. Ellie went.

  “Claire, I thought you said he was an officer?” my granny said.

  “Yep, a major,” my mom answered.

  “One would think a major could handle two 13-year old girls,” granny said, “but then, teenage girls are a difficult challenge for anyone.”

  “I’ll see what I can learn from this one,” my mom said moving toward the mudroom. “You need to tend your poor child.” My mom pointed at Melissa, startling me out of my funk.

  I went to Melissa immediately and grabbed her up in a full-scale hug. “Are you okay?” I asked.

  “That Ellie said horrid things.” Melissa sobbed. “They weren’t true.”

  I kissed Melissa’s face and attempted to quell the tears.

  “Joe and Billy came to get us,” granny said. “We left them with Aaron and came to intervene.”

  “Honey, can I leave you with granny, I have to go see Jennifer?” I asked as the flood of tears subsided, and Melissa’s whole body was now wracked with hiccups.

  “Jennifer didn’t do anything wrong,” Melissa whispered. “She just told Ellie to stop saying those ugly things.”

  “Okay, honey,” I said looking to my granny for support. She was already sliding in beside Melissa.

  “Here is a Kleenex,” granny offered. “Don’t tell Claire I gave it to you, she’ll just say how wasteful I am.” Granny brought out an embroidered handkerchief to wipe Melissa’s tears.

  “Boo,” granny bellowed, startling Melissa and me both. It didn’t stop the hiccups, but it lightened the mood.

  I kissed Melissa on the top of her head and went to find Jennifer.

  Jennifer was lying on her top bunk, glaring at the ceiling.

  “Granny is with Melissa,” I said moving to stand next to my enigmatic daughter. “How did that go for you?”

  “What do you mean,” Jennifer said, turning her glare toward me.

  “Did your shouting match have the outcome you wanted?” I asked.

  “No,” Jennifer exclaimed. “Ellie kept saying those things that hurt Melissa. She wouldn’t stop.”

  “Joe and Billy went to get help. But you stayed. Did that work out for you?” I asked, again. “You and Melissa could have left with them.”

  “I don’t know. I was just mad.” Jennifer admitted.

  “Ellie just discovered a way to get to you,” I said. “Do you know why she wanted to hurt you and Melissa?”

  “People like us. They don’t like her,” Jennifer said. “Even her brothers like us best.”

  “Have you thought how you’d feel if the whole world crashed around you and you didn’t have any friends?” I asked.

  “You knew Ellie before the crash. Who were her friends?” I pushed.

  “Oh, she didn’t want to hang around with us Valley kids,” Jennifer said. “She called us hayseeds.”

  “We will agree that wasn’t very nice, okay?” I asked.

  “No, it wasn’t nice.”

  “What happened to all of her friends after the crash?” I asked, gently.

  “No one knows,” Jennifer said.

  “How would you feel if that happened to you?” I asked.

  “I’d feel bad, maybe worried,” Jennifer confessed. “But I would try to make friends here.”

  “Does everyone know she called the Valley kids “hayseeds”?”

  “Well, yeah,” Jennifer said in her best valley-girl impression.

  “Has everyone forgiven her for treating them bad before? Are they helping her learn the Valley ropes?” I asked.

  “Well, no. Who could?”

  “Ellie just found out her mom and dad are going to stay at FOB Justice, but it is too dangerous to let her or her brothers stay there. How would that make you feel if I was staying there but couldn’t bring you or Melissa?” I asked.

  “I’d be mad and worried,” Jennifer said.

  “Have you thought Ellie is feeling even worse because she hasn’t made any friends in the Valley?” I asked.

  “You aren’t moving to Justice without us?” Jennifer asked.

  “Not planning on it, but you know things could change. I’ll go where I must to keep you and Melissa safe,” I said.

  “I want you to stay here, with us,” Jennifer blurted out.

  “I want to stay with you, too,” I said. “But sometimes I have to leave on operations and can’t stay with you, every night.”

  “I know. Melissa and I don’t like that.”

  “Neither do I, but it is sometimes needed. How do you think Ellie feels being in someone else’s house, having her parents in a dangerous place, and not having any friends?” I asked.

  “I don’t know how Ellie feels,” Jennifer insisted.

  “How would you feel?” I asked. I waited, hoping I’d finally gotten through to my tough-as-nails oldest.

  “I’d feel bad,” Jennifer confessed.

  “Sometimes when I feel bad, I can’t understand why everyone else doesn’t feel bad, too. That is when we may say mean things. Hurtful words. Even when we do it, we know it won’t help us. We just want someone else to feel as bad as we do,” I offered. “You felt that way before Dr. Kyle helped us both.”

  A bare nod in acknowledgment, but I would take it.

  “Ellie doesn’t have Dr. Kyle to help her. Because of the crash, we don’t even know where Dr. Kyle is now. Ellie is family, Breckinridge’s help family,” I insisted.

  “Ellie needs a friendly cousin,” I suggested. “One who is grown up enough to look past childish statements and help a family member adjust to this new time.”

  “You want me to help her?” Jennifer’s fierce outrage reminded me so much of her mother.

  “Yes,” I said. “You have tried everything else. Now Ellie knows all she has to do is attack Melissa, and she can provoke you. I’m not saying she needs to be your best friend, but it is better if she doesn’t feel everyone is against her. Can we agree you’ll try to help her?”

  “Well, I don’t want her picking on Melissa, but I like Billy and Joe. It’s actually been fun having them in the house,” Jennifer admitted.

  I hoped this would blunt the us versus Ellie rivalry. I wasn’t much better than my kids. I hadn’t thought enough about the crash’s impact on many of the children, and I suspected a few of the adults, too.

  When Jennifer and I returned to the living room, granny was still soothing Melissa. Ellie was sitting primly on the couch beside my mom saying nothing.

  I leaned back in my recliner and Melissa made a beeline for my lap. Jennifer sat next to granny.

  “How was school, today?” I asked Melissa.

  “Granny wants me to write a paper about places our crazy hens hide their eggs,” whispered Melissa. I distracted her by asking about the weirdest places she had found eggs.

  My mom left when Joe and Billy returned. Granny organized a quiet game of Sorry, which Ellie refused to take part in. By light’s out everyone was back to near normal.

  Craig and I were up early for calisthenics with the rest of the Rangers and Force Gamma stationed in the Valley. Matt assured me everyone assigned to Justice would do the same each morning.

  My mom dropped off a stack of leaflets as we finished breakfast. It was half a bounty poster for Allen and the other half an invite to communicate.

  The black and white picture of Allen was recognizable. “Former deputy Allen is wanted dead or alive for child murder and child rape. His bounty is either 50 rounds of common ammo
or 10 pounds of frozen pork. Proof of death required.” My mom must have decided not to specify the proof.

  The second half of the leaflet read, “The solar event broke the power grid worldwide. There aren’t enough replacement parts to rebuild the power grid in our lifetime. No one has heard from either the federal or state governments. The sheriff’s personnel who robbed, kidnapped and likely murdered the seniors in the Middle School have been dealt with. The Mecklin County Justice Center is under new local management. The Justice Center has some Huntsville community supplies, including medicines. These are available to the community on an as-needed basis. While we don’t have any food to spare, we do have some free seed packets. If you want to eat next year, you’ll have to grow your own food crops. You are invited to tune in for information at noon each Tuesday on CB Channel 20 or directly at the Justice Center. Please do not approach the Justice Center with a long gun, or accidents may happen.”