The Geostorm Series (Book 4): Geostorm [The Flood]

by Akart, Bobby

  “Well, if he won’t, I will!” said Carly with a raised voice.

  Chapter 40

  Allen Edmund’s Home

  Corydon, Indiana

  Unlike their Western counterparts who were used to managing thousands of acres filled with cattle or corn, the Boone family didn’t make extensive use of their horses for transportation. Only Squire had preferred the four-legged method of getting around Riverfront Farms, frequently enlisting his old pal Wonky Donkey to handle the chore. All of the Boone children had learned to care for their horses, in addition to riding them. In a way, it was like riding a bike, as they say, although it took longer than anticipated to get reacquainted.

  Remarkably, it was Tommy who was most at ease around the Boones’ horses. Despite being a city kid, as Kristi frequently teased, Tommy had spent a lot of time growing up outside Chicago at his grandfather’s small horse ranch in McHenry County near the Wisconsin state line.

  After Chapman confirmed all of the vehicles were inoperable, the trio prepared for their trip to Allen’s house. They attached rifle scabbards to their saddles, and each of them secured paddle holsters to their belts. In addition to donning rain gear, they also packed small duffle bags with flashlights, extra clothing, ammunition, and first aid supplies. None of them knew what to expect when they traveled into Corydon, but they wanted as many supplies as they could carry in case of trouble.

  It took thirty minutes to ride through the dark and rainy conditions to get to the Edmunds’ home. Allen wasn’t a farmer or cattleman, although like most Harrison Countians, he had a small garden and a barn to hold lawn-care equipment and tools. He also had a dozen chickens and a couple of horses.

  And he had hunting dogs, who roared their disapproval as the Boone riders approached the home. Separated by two pens on both sides of the house, the bluetick coonhounds scampered out of their houses and hollered at the intruders.

  Kristi, who knew Allen personally, took the lead as they approached the house. She lit her flashlight and lit up her face so Allen could see her. She was certain he already had eyes, and a weapon, surveilling her.

  “Whoa,” she said quietly to her horse, closing her fingers on the reins and squeezing backward. Her horse took her cue and stopped. She waited for a moment before calling out, “Allen! It’s Kristi Boone. I’m here with Chapman.”

  Suddenly, several candles were lit and a soft, orangish glow could be seen in the windows on both sides of the front door. Kristi relaxed as the door opened and Allen emerged wearing jeans and a white sweatshirt with the Indiana Hoosiers logo on it.

  “Come on in, Kristi!” he shouted just loud enough to be heard over the rain. “Is everything all right?”

  The group dismounted and led their horses to the front of the house. Allen took their reins and tied them off to the porch posts, allowing the horses to stick their heads over the rails to avoid the rainfall if they chose to.

  “Sorry about showing up like this,” began Chapman as he shook Allen’s hand.

  “Don’t worry about it,” said Allen. He pointed to both sides of his house. “I’m sorry about the rude welcoming committee. They are a pretty good alarm system. Every once in a while, they’ll raise hell over a barn cat wandering by, but I don’t mind the inconvenience with all the break-ins lately.”

  The group followed Allen inside, where his wife was waiting in the candlelight with a rifle tucked under her arm. Everyone exchanged pleasantries and condolences before Kristi got down to business.

  “I’m gonna be straightforward with you, Allen. The Boones and Edmunds have both experienced the wrath of the Clark family over many decades.”

  “A lot of others in town, too,” added Allen. “This whole thing has been building up until it’s fixin’ to explode.”

  Kristi appeared puzzled by Allen’s last statement. “Are you referring to what happened with Levi and Billy at the funeral?”

  “Well, sort of. But, no, I thought you were here about the protests in town.”

  Chapman and Kristi exchanged glances; then she continued. “No, we’re cut off from everybody out at our place. All we’ve experienced is one or two too many visits from Sheriff Randy. The reason we came to see you is about Levi.”

  “Okay, well, anyway, let me explain. Since the power was cut off, the Clarks have taken advantage of the situation to skirt the law and take a hold of the government. Joella is now the head of the town council, and Billy has a seat on the commission. Randy released the inmates he had in county lockup and deputized them.”

  “You’re kidding,” questioned Chapman. “We’re not a totally lawless country just because of what’s happened.”

  Allen shrugged. “Either the Clarks didn’t get that memo or they shredded it so they could claim ignorance. Anyway, as word spread, people in town got increasingly angry. Billy used the same bully tactics he used against your mom to seize the assets of the IGA, the liquor store, and the local hardware. Heck, he would’ve come after my inventory except I moved it all here. I can thank your Mom and Carly for that. They kinda gave me a heads-up as to this whole power-outage thing.”

  Chapman spoke next. “That’s part of the reason we’re here. We’d like to buy some rifles, handguns, and ammo for each. I’ve got cash, but if there’s something else you need, we can work a trade.”

  Allen thought for a moment. “I owe your family for giving me the advice about holding onto my inventory. If it wasn’t for that, Bully Billy would have been armed to the hilt and I would’ve been broke. I’ll take care of y’all, but if you happen to have an extra rototiller, I could sure use it.”

  Chapman smiled and extended his hand to shake Allen’s. “You’ve got it, plus a can of gasoline. Thank you.”

  “Tell us about what’s going on in town,” said Kristi.

  “Well, anger has been building up over the last several days, and they seem to be directin’ it at Billy.”

  “Deservedly so,” commented Chapman.

  “Billy made matters worse by running his generators and keeping his house lit up through all hours of the night. When you’re a town leader, sort of, and people are sufferin’, you don’t flaunt what you’ve got and they don’t.”

  “That’s Billy for ya,” said Kristi. “So what’s happening?”

  Allen stretched his back and continued. “They’ve been camped out on the road in front of his house day and night, yelling at anyone who makes an appearance and making threats. So far, nobody has crossed the line, thank goodness. It would be a bloody mess.”

  “Why?” asked Tommy.

  “Both sides are armed,” replied Allen. “The locals have their guns, and Billy is surrounded by Randy’s newly hired deputies, who are nothing more than criminals in uniforms. All of them are armed and have the authority of a badge to back them up.”

  Chapman shook his head in disbelief. “I can’t believe this has happened so fast. I always imagined that our society would collapse during a catastrophic event like this, but I thought it would take some time. You know, folks would try to find a way to work together and all of that.”

  “Not in Corydon,” added Allen.

  “I’m afraid Levi is going after Billy, which means he could get caught up in all of this,” said Kristi.

  Allen abruptly got up and left the room, leaving the Boone contingent confused. Half a minute later, he returned and addressed the group. “Give me a minute to get my gear. If you don’t mind, saddle my horse while I gather your weapons and ammo. You can pick it up on the way back.”

  “Where are we going?” asked Tommy.

  “Let’s go see what’s happening at Bully Billy’s for ourselves. Maybe Levi has joined up with the angry mob.”

  Chapter 41

  Cedar Glade

  Billy Clark’s Residence

  Corydon, Indiana

  “Billy! Billy! What’s happening?” Wanda was in a panic as she stepped off the stairwell and into the foyer. Billy watched her pace back and forth by the front door, pausing to stare out the
narrow, vertical sidelight windows that flanked the door. When he responded, it startled her and she shrieked.

  He spoke in a low growl. He was addressing her, but actually, he was bemoaning the derailing of his dreams. “The power’s out. Dead as a doornail. All of my plans are out the window.” The first wooden match burned down to his fingers. He shook it violently and threw it in the direction of the fireplace. He didn’t bother to light another one, opting instead to feel around his desk for his drink.

  “What are we gonna do?” she asked as tears began to stream down her face.

  “Well, Wanda, you might as well get ready to start living like the rest of them out there,” he replied, waving his glass of whiskey toward the front of the house. “For now, find the candles and let’s get some light in here so we don’t trip over each other.”

  Wanda shuffled off to the kitchen, bumping into the foyer table and a coat rack in the process. Billy remained agitated while he waited for Wanda to return with the candles. Adding more insult to the injury of his ego on the day, the good people of Corydon were symbolically dancing on his grave.

  Billy set his jaw and took another swig of whiskey. He was good and drunk now, and his pompous confidence was returning. “You know what, people. This isn’t over yet. Nothing’s changed, only the way I see in the dark. That’s all.”

  Wanda returned with two taper candleholders and several pillar candles under her arms. She handed one of the candles to Billy and made room for the others on his desk. As she turned to him, she shivered as a sudden chill came over her body.

  “Why’s it so cold?” she asked.

  Billy set his glass down and rubbed his hands together. “No electricity. No heat. All of this rain has caused the temperature to drop.”

  Wanda pointed toward the doors in Billy’s office leading to the back of the house. “Should we build a fire? I had the gardeners stack wood on the back porch under a tarp.”

  Billy tried to tiptoe through the stacks of file folders to get to the fireplace, but he quickly lost his balance and almost fell.

  “Are you okay?” asked Wanda. Billy hated when she asked him questions like that.

  “No, you twit! I’m not okay. I’m pissed off! Glad you asked?” Billy was an angry drunk when he was around his wife. She had always been his verbal punching bag. “Now, let’s get some wood, and be careful not to disturb my files!”

  She slowly raised her arm, about to point out that his last stumble had knocked several piles over, but she thought better of it. She walked through the stacks of documents and unlocked the door, holding it open for Billy to sashay through in his silk robe. The cold, damp air immediately filled the room as they exited.

  He pushed two of the split logs off the end of the brown tarp that kept the rest of the firewood dry. Billy clumsily lifted the tarp by the reinforced rings, but when he received some resistance, he gave it a forceful tug. The rainwater that had accumulated on the tarp came rushing down the side. It splashed off the deck, flooded his house shoes, and soaked his silk robe up to his knees.

  “Dammit, Wanda! Help me!” Naturally, his ineptitude was her fault.

  Wanda rushed to his side and helped him peel the tarp up and out of the way so they could access the seasoned oak firewood. The rain was drenching them both, so Billy hustled to load as many logs into his arms as he could. Wanda tried to do the same, but she mistakenly pulled the last one from the bottom of the stack, causing several from the top to roll down into the back of Billy’s ankles into his Achilles’ heel.

  Startled as the log scraped the back of his ankle, Billy began to hop like he was walking on hot coals. He lost control of the load of logs he was carrying, and they fell to the deck around his feet, with two landing on top of his toes.

  He unleashed a tirade of profanities directed at Wanda, the rain, and God. Wanda tried to comfort him, but he pulled away and ordered her to gather the wood before it got wet. He picked up the dropped logs and half-staggered, half-limped his way back inside.

  *****

  Watching the entire comedic episode from nearby, Levi laughed his ass off in the rain. It was the sole bright moment in a dreary day for the young man who’d just buried his father.

  It wasn’t fair that his family had to deal with the Clarks during all of this. On his ride to Bully Billy’s house, he admitted to himself that repeatedly punching the banker in the face was not the best idea, but Levi had reacted to the man insulting his wife. He did what had to be done.

  In a way, Levi convinced himself, the first punch was really a counterpunch. Billy had started this by serving the foreclosure notice at the funeral. The verbal dress down by Carly followed by the punches heard ’round the world was a logical foray in the inevitable skirmish between the two families.

  Levi had sensed a level of reasonableness in Randy. As sheriff, he’d earned the reputation of being mostly fair except as it related to certain families who had longstanding feuds with the Clark family. Randy was also seen as Billy’s do-boy. He’d heard Squire have conversations with some of the other farmers in South Harrison County about the Clark family dynamic. Many of the old-timers were of the opinion Joella and Randy would be different people without the influence of middle-child Billy—the head of the snake.

  During the ride north toward Corydon, Levi’s temper cooled, but his resolve didn’t wane. To defeat this family who’d run the county for a century, he needed to be proactive. Levi had no intention of sitting around the farm, wringing his hands, waiting for the family to be evicted by Billy’s bank.

  As far as Levi was concerned, they lived in a lawless world now, and that leveled the playing field. He knew what he had to do, but he wasn’t sure how or whether he could bring himself to do it. He decided to leave the evening up to fate, but first he enjoyed the clown show without a tent, featuring Billy and Wanda Clark.

  Chapter 42

  Outside Cedar Glade

  Billy Clark’s Residence

  Corydon, Indiana

  “This has the potential for disaster,” Tommy said as the group crested the rise and rode onto the two-lane highway. Standing behind the guardrail that separated the road’s shoulder from the beautifully landscaped front lawn of Cedar Glade were several dozen people walking back and forth, hurling shouts and insults at Billy’s residence. A hundred yards away, three Harrison County sheriff’s cars were parked nose to tail, with deputies sitting inside. Two other deputies paced the long covered front porch, carrying automatic weapons.

  “It’s been building every day,” added Allen as the group came to a stop to observe the standoff. “To make matters worse, word of what happened at the funeral today spread like wildfire. The people of Corydon truly respect your family and especially your parents. They were infuriated by Billy’s and Randy’s actions. Some appealed to Joella to intervene, but she ignored them. So they’ve directed their anger at the source.”

  “Bully Billy,” said Chapman. Then he continued, gesturing toward the protesting citizens. “Here’s the problem with all of this. Under normal circumstances, you’d fight back against people like Jo and Randy at the ballot box. For Billy’s corrupt ways, you’d seek the help of the courts or bank regulators. None of those remedies are available to us now. The Clarks are a powerful force with allies of their own.”

  Kristi agreed. “Plus, look at the opposition. They’re schoolteachers and shop owners and retirees. They can’t stand up to the Clarks. At some point, either the protestors will give up, especially if it keeps raining, or Randy will swat ’em like a gnat buzzing in his ear.”

  “Everyone’s been told by the Clarks that the president declared martial law and the National Guard is acting like a police force,” said Allen. “Even though flyers were handed out, nobody knows this for certain because they don’t trust the Clarks. That said, no one was willing to risk their lives or expend their precious gasoline to drive up to Indianapolis in order to confirm the declaration. Now, I’ve heard the Guard was deployed to Evansville, but that’s just
hearsay.”

  “Let’s go see if Levi is among this group,” suggested Kristi as she shook the reins and moved her horse closer to the crowd. The rain continued to pour down, but the clomping sound of their horses’ hooves grabbed the attention of the locals. Several of them stopped shouting and pacing in order to greet the newcomers. Allen, who was most familiar with the residents of Corydon because he’d sold nearly every one of them a gun at some point, began asking questions.

  “How’s it goin’?” he started with a casual question.

  Several people recognized him and spoke up, giving him their opinion of the Clark family. One of the biggest complaints was Billy’s commandeering of the assets from local businesses. In addition to those business owners being present, the locals who had the ability to purchase groceries and supplies from them were also there.

  “Allen, we’re trying to stage a revolt here, to be quite honest,” said the hardware store owner. “This tyrannical jerk stole my store’s inventory by declaring my note due by some technicality. Then he used the power of the sheriff’s department to empty my place out. What am I supposed to do? Can’t call the police. Can’t sue. Can’t fight fire with fire.”

  The man was dejected and shivering, yet he continued to stand with the others in an attempt to effectuate change.

  Another longtime Corydon resident spoke up. “Yeah, Allen. How do we fight a bunch like this? They’re stronger and have the sheriff’s office on their side. But they’re all criminals, too, or at least mostly.”

  Tommy spoke up. “Guerilla warfare tactics.”

  “What’s that?” asked a woman who became interested in the conversation.

  Soon the group began to gather around the riders and their horses. Kristi and Chapman scanned the crowd, looking for Levi, but they couldn’t see him. They assumed that if Levi was amongst the group, he would’ve stepped forward.