The Day America Died Trilogy Page 31

  ***

  “Well Slim, how was your first couple of days on the job? Did Bert behave?”

  “Very productive. We responded to a shooting out at Grant’s house. Grant beat up his old lady and Johnson, and Norman killed him.”

  “What did you do? Are they in jail?”

  “No. Bert wouldn’t arrest them because the victim said Grant was beating her and Grant tried to shoot Norman. It was justified. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of those clowns, and I’ll make it look good. Half the farmers bought Grant’s rumors about Johnson hoarding food and medical supplies while the city people were dying.”

  “So if you found this stash and turned it over to our guys on the inside it might tip the table in our favor?”

  “Definitely, but we need a bunch of food and medicine to show that Johnson was hoarding.”

  “Let me take care of that. Pick out a hiding spot that we can tie to Johnson, and I’ll have the supplies delivered to the location. They will turn against him and then we just need to keep the wound festering until he is a pariah among his friends.”

  “Boss, I’ll make it happen.”

  “Good, I’m traveling over to Sailsberg on a goodwill mission. I’ll be gone a couple of days.”

  “What about the Mayor?”

  “Ignore her and keep on track.”

  ***

  I had called the meeting for after supper at the new Sheriff’s office. I started the meeting by covering the events with Mary and Grant.

  “So you killed him because he was beating up on Mary or because he was opposing what you are trying to accomplish?"

  Mike spoke up, “What the hell are you saying? Grant beat the hell out of Mary; we went to save her. Grant shot at me, and Zack shot him to save my life. That should settle the question.”

  Several of the men agreed with Mike, but a few others continued to ask questions.

  “Bert, did Mary back up their story?

  “She gave the same story and said that she would have shot Grant, but he hid her gun. The shooting appears to be justified.”

  I looked around the room and saw it was divided down the middle. The folks who have always known Mike and I were on our side and the others were hostile and trying to find a way to make us look guilty.

  I looked around and said, “I see that several of you don’t believe that Mike and I were justified in killing Grant even though Mary backs up our report. I want to know why. I’ve done nothing, but help each one of you. Why are you acting this way?”

  No one spoke up, and no one would look me in the eye.

  Finally, Jacob spoke up, “Zack these people have bought into the bullshit Grant was spreading around about that you and your family are getting rich off of them and have stockpiles of food and medicine that you are holding out from them.”

  “The only supplies that I have that I haven’t shared are the ones that Mike and I stocked away over the past few years. Some of you know that my uncle was one of those doomsday preppers. He spent the last 10 years of his life preparing for exactly the type of disaster that hit us months ago. Even at that, I have shared my medical supplies with the Nurse so she can treat all of you at the small office at my farm. Where did you think those supplies came from? Mike and I have shared every time we’ve found supplies the community needs. We even shared with the city.”

  Jacob replied, “I know you are speaking the truth, but Grant has convinced half of the people in the room that you are power hungry and are just waiting to take over and make slaves out of them. He has them scared that you will turn that Humvee lose on them if they make you mad.”

  I looked them in the eye and said, “So you believe Grant over me? What did that lazy asshole contribute to improving this community? Name one thing.”

  No one answered. The room was silent.

  “I brought Jacob and his family into our community and set up a machine shop at my place, so he can fix your machinery and build generators to deliver electricity. Mike scoured the countryside to find old cars, trucks, and machinery to make your lives better. Jacob, Mike and I had the idea to travel to the museum on Sailsberg to see if we could get a steam locomotive running and now you have a way to travel and trade goods with other communities. Those are a few things that Mike and I have contributed. I’m leaving now before I say something I’ll regret. Goodbye.”

  The drive back to the farm was silent until Ally spoke up, “Honey, I’m very proud of you and what you have accomplished. Screw the ones that have been turned against you. We need to cut them out of our plans and move on.”

  Sally spoke up, “Sorry, but I think we have a major revolt going on and it’s not just Grant stirring the pot. Chuck started to speak up for you and Bert elbowed him. I can’t believe Bert didn’t speak up on your behalf. This was a major rebuke to our side of the community, and I expect a confrontation shortly.”

  I replied, “I agree, and I am going to catch Chuck in the morning.”

  We were pulling into my driveway when we heard gunfire and flashes from the crow’s nest. We got up to the barn and Roger yelled down, “Go to the shed with the Humvee. Someone was snooping around.”

  We had our guns ready, and I carefully moved towards the shed and found it empty when gunfire erupted to my right.

  “Got one. Damn, he’s back up and running. I lost him.”

  “How many were there?”

  “I saw two and shot one,” replied Ally, "but the SOB got back up and took off.”

  We cautiously walked in the direction the thugs headed and lost them in the woods.

  “Let’s head on back. We don’t need to be walking into an ambush in the dark.”

  Roger yelled, “Hey I nailed one. Look over by the dog house.”

  I headed over to the doghouse while the others covered me. There was a dead man behind the doghouse. He had a big hole in the front of his head and a much larger in the back of his head. He was wearing black BDUs and body armor.

  “Ally, please go up and take Roger’s place, so I can talk with him. Thanks, hon.”

  Roger came down and started talking as soon as he approached us, “I heard one of the dogs barking, but didn’t see anything. Then I heard the door on the shed squeak and fired a round in the dirt by the shed. All hell broke loose, and I saw flashes from three different shooters. I stayed low and tried to keep them pinned down until help arrived. I know that I hit another. Are you sure there isn’t another body?”

  “Chuck, the dead guy has body armor. You nailed him in the head. Ally hit another, and he got up and ran off.”

  “What the hell is going on? Someone just tried to steal our Humvee.”

  “Chuck, what do you know about the new deputy that resembles a Navy Seal and his looks could cut you in half?”

  “Which one?”

  “How many new deputies does Bert have?"

  “I’ve seen three that match the description, but Frank told me that there is at least five more. Bert sent our men over to Sailsberg to live and replaced them with these guys. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it sooner, has something happened?”

  “Chuck, look at this man. Is he one of the deputies?”

  Chuck rolled the guy’s head over and replied, “He’s not one of the three, but he is dressed exactly like them. Could these be Prescott’s men?"

  “That would be my first guess. My second guess would be that they are Todd’s or Alan’s men."

  ***

  The Mayor died the next day, and her husband took his life according to the policeman that performed the investigation. Several other of the town’s leaders died over the next two days from the same symptoms as thousands of other had. It didn’t matter, they were dead, and no one was clamoring for an autopsy. Prescott was out of town and beyond reproach. He offered his condolences and sent food to the victim’s families.

  Prescott’s men and supporters set the ball in motion for the town to select a new Mayor. Prescott’s cronies handed out cigarettes, whiskey, and food to gain enough votes with
out threatening anyone. The people loved him.

  ***

  Chuck drove up with Joan in his old squad car and asked where I was when he saw Callie. She brought them out to the back porch where Ally was giving me a haircut.

  “Stay still and quit acting like a kid.”

  I sat perfectly upright and said, “Yes dear.”

  “I’ll shove these clippers up your yes dear ass if you keep taunting me, asshole.”

  “But you still love me, don’t you?”

  “My love won’t make the clippers hurt any less. Hey, there’s Joan and Chuck. Hello Callie, please be a dear and get them some tea.”

  We exchanged hellos with Chuck and Joan, and then he jumped right in with, “Zack, Mayor Bonner died two days ago, and Alan Prescott is the new Mayor. I’m convinced he had his goons killed her and five of the city leaders while away to Sailsberg.”

  “Slow down, what did the Mayor and the others die from?”

  “The police told me they died from dysentery, but no one has died for a week, and suddenly the whole power structure of Owensville dies in two days. That’s BS.”

  “How the hell did they have a vote so quickly?”

  “No one knows. There was a crowd clamoring for a vote to select a new Mayor just hours after the Mayor died. There are rumors of vote buying and dirty tricks all over the town. Prescott won in a landslide. He was opposed by one of the deputies and a local lawyer, but their homes were burned down the day before the election.”

  I looked over at Ally and said, “I guess we know who tried to steal the Humvee.”

  “Zack, I almost forgot. One of the deputies passed on to me that he overheard two of the new deputies discussing how the Sheriff needed to confiscate the Humvee before you attacked innocent civilians. What should we do? It looks like the city, Bert and some of the farmers are ganging up against us.”

  “Chuck, can I have a minute alone with my sister. Stay here, Joan and I will go outside.”

  “No problem.”

  I led Joan out to my workshop and sat down outside on a hay bale.

  “How much do you trust Chuck?”

  “What do you mean? Of course, I trust Chuck. I’m going to marry him.”

  “Joan, you trusted Todd, and it almost got you and Callie killed. Now is this your hormones talking or your head?”

  “I was stupid to fall for Todd. I know I made a mistake. Chuck is not Todd, and he is a good man. Remember we have both known him for over twenty-five years. Yes, I trust him. Now what gives?”

  “We are under attack both physically and through someone stirring the outlying farmers against us. Hell, even Bert has turned his back on me and may be part of this overall plot. The Mayor and others were killed to allow Prescott to take over. Someone tried to steal the Humvee the other night. I think we may have to stand and fight or bug out. Will Chuck be with us?”

  “Yes, there is no doubt in my mind; Chuck is with us.”

  ***

  Several days had passed, and everything had been calm. We doubled our guards, I met with all of the farmers and locals who I thought would be on our side. We all agreed that something bad was going on behind our backs and Bert and his new deputies were making trouble for those not on Mayor Prescott’s team. On several occasions, the men dressed in black BDUs demanded large quantities of food from several of the farmers. They were given the food, and they left. After hearing this, we buried a large part of our supplies and took the rest to the hideout only leaving enough for a week’s worth of meals.

  Sam told me, “One deputy told me that the Mayor was taxing us for the protection provided by the Sheriff and his team. They had Ben, and I outnumbered, so we gave them the food.”

  Before I could reply, Paul drove up in my truck with Billy, the engineer from Sailsberg and Jacob.

  Sam, Ben and I were on the front porch and greeted them.

  I said, “Billy, I haven’t seen you in a couple of weeks, and I’ve never seen you this far from the locomotive.”

  “Zack, the Mayor of Sailsberg asked me to pass on a message to you on this trip. Can we go somewhere private?”

  “Billy, you can trust these men. Let’s hear what the Mayor has to say.”

  “Well if you are okay, I’ll go ahead. Several days ago, Alan Prescott came over to Sailsberg with four men dressed in black who were heavily armed. He said that he was there to set up trade between Owensville and Sailsberg and would be speaking for every community between the two.”

  “Go on.”

  “He indicated he would provide protection for the train because it could easily be attacked by criminals in this area and until they wiped them out it would be too dangerous to operate the train without their protection.”

  “Did he directly threaten the Mayor?”

  “No, but he implied that we had to take the help. The Mayor declined his protection and said we’d be glad to trade with Owensville, but we already have set up trading with all of the communities between the two cities. This made him furious, and he said that all of Daviess County would soon be under his leadership and that all business would be conducted through his team.”

  “Thanks, Billy. We have seen Prescott’s men flexing their muscles around this area. We believe he is going to try to either kill us or run us out. Thanks for the warning. Tell the Mayor we are seeing the same actions by Prescott’s men over here. Our group will meet tonight and decide on a course of action. I’ll send a message with you on the next trip.”

  I pulled my immediate team together and asked them to meet me for lunch at the farm. I asked Ally to make sure Paul joined us, and I caught Callie and asked her to join us for lunch.

  “I guess y’all want to know why I invited you to lunch. Look around the table, and I hope you see the same thing I see. I trust every one of you with my life and worldly possessions. I know I can count on you when the shit hits the fan and I hope you feel the same about me. This group is the leadership of our community. I know there are others that we trust and love to be around, but I don’t feel as strongly about their loyalty.”

  “Dad, why are Paul and I here? We’re not adults.”

  Mike spoke up, “You were kids several months ago before the lights went out, but I’ve seen both of you become adults in a short period of time. I totally agree with you two being in this group.”

  Everyone at the table pitched in their comments backing up Mike’s words.

  “Now down to business. I just heard from the Mayor of Sailsberg that Prescott paid them a visit and threatened them if they don’t pay taxes and join his team. He told them he would be in charge of all of Daviess County as soon as he wiped out come criminals. Folks, I think he means to wipe us out of the county. The question is; what do we do to stop him? The kicker is that I feel Bert has joined Prescott.”

  Roger replied, “Bert changed about three weeks ago. Lynn, you know his wife and daughter fairly well. Have you seen any change in them?”

  “Funny, but I haven’t seen them for a month or so. I went over to their house, and Bert said they were in town visiting her sister.”

  Chuck replied, “She only has one, and she died a few days after the lights went out. Why would Bert lie?”

  “Dad, Paul and I used to see Gemma every Thursday when the train came in. She loves trains. I haven’t seen her in two to three weeks.”

  Zack put two and two together and said, “Do y’all think Prescott is holding them hostage to get Bert’s support?”

  “Makes the most sense and fits Bert’s sudden loss of loyalty.”

  "Mr. Johnson, why is Prescott waiting to attack us? We aren’t a threat to him. He has 20-30 of his own men and the ones that have joined him since Mayor Bonner died.”

  “Call me Zack; we are all equals at this table. I like the respect, but Zack will do. Prescott is just another power hungry man who is trying to take advantage of the chaos. The more I think about it, I’m convinced the attack is going to happen after we get all of the crops in from the fields. He wants us t
o do all of the work so he can get all of the benefits when he gets rid of us.”

  “What if Prescott and Todd have formed an alliance? Anderson has to steal food because no one pushed the farmers to get back in the fields and then most of them fled when they found out that Todd was taking most of their harvest. If Todd and Prescott unite, we’re screwed,” Mike commented.

  “Until we develop a plan to fight them, I want to start improving our situation. We need to move as much food, ammo, weapons, medical supplies and fuel to the hideout as quickly as possible.”

  Mike replied, “Most of the extra food has been moved. I’ll handle the weapons if someone else handles the transfer of the rest.”

  Chuck and Roger looked up with puzzled faces, so I filled them in on our hideout.

  “Sorry, we didn’t tell you earlier, but with the sudden change in Bert and Prescott’s men popping up everywhere I didn’t know who to trust.”

  “How far away is the location?”

  “About twelve miles southeast. Do you remember Daviess Mountain?”

  “Yes, but it’s more like a tall hill.”

  “It’s there in the old underground water storage tank. It was abandoned back in the ’30s and is a perfect hideout for our team.”

  “Will it hold all of us?”

  “Yes, we moved six medium size campers in and a mountain of supplies, and it is still empty. It’s larger than a football field and completely underground except for a large opening where a wall collapsed many years ago. I want us all to be ready at a minute’s notice to bug out and go there without being followed.”

  “What else do we need to do?”

  “Paul, have you been reading the US Army Improvised Munitions Handbook as I requested?”

  “Yes, and I can make some deadly booby traps.”

  “Start making them, but make sure they are safe until needed. Keep everything top secret.”

  “Chuck, you are the head of our disinformation department. Make Bert and the others think that we are fat, dumb and happy. Our Humvee with its machine gun will protect our friends and us. Throw in that we plan to work on the town’s folk over the winter to have a coup and throw Prescott out on his ear. You know where I’m going. Stall for time without being too obvious.”