by Steven Smith
Watching his wife, Christian was amazed at Naomi's easy way with everyone to whom she spoke. She was friendly without being pushy, straightforward without being rude, and showed a sincere interest in others without being intrusive. He realized that she embodied Kipling's advice from "If" - "...if all men count with you, but none too much." He also realized that she reminded him of Kelly in that regard.
He smiled to himself and nodded in new understanding. No wonder Jim had chosen her to be the public face of Stonemont.
31
It was well after dark when the I-Team came in.
Supper had been a laid-back affair, each group seeing to its own members. Many had brought what looked like potluck picnic spreads, the Stonemont group sticking with scout rations in order to retain readiness to move quickly if necessary, and a general feeling of camaraderie was growing among those gathered around the large communal fire talking and laughing.
Christian walked over to where Jim was talking with Freelove, McGregor and several other group leaders at the fire. Waiting until he caught Jim's eye, he gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Jim smiled, waited a few minutes before saying goodnight to the group, and began walking back to the Stonemont area with Christian.
McGregor watched them walk away and nudged Freelove. "I suggest we talk to them first thing in the morning."
Freelove turned to watch Jim and Christian walking back to the Stonemont area and nodded.
"Are they all in?" asked Jim.
Christian nodded. "Yeah. Brin and Ragan had a bit of trouble getting away, which is why they're later than expected, but they're all here."
They reached the main Stonemont tent, a large Cabela's Alaknak, walked straight through to a rear door that had been installed by the new seamstress in Jamestown and into the back of a second, smaller tent that had been similarly modified and set up behind the main one without any of the other groups knowing.
The lighting was dim in the smaller tent so as not to reveal its presence to others, and both Jim and Christian waited a moment to allow their eyes to adjust before taking seats in folding camp chairs.
"Is everybody good?" asked Jim, looking around at the group.
Nods and quiet "yessirs" indicated that they were.
Jim nodded. "Good. Sorry we can't give you a break from rations tonight, but we'll make sure we have something special when we get back."
He looked at Mike, who had brought the team in. "However you want to do it."
Mike nodded. "It looks like we have an interesting situation shaping up."
He cocked his head at the team. "They can fill in whatever you want, but the gist is that the old state government, at least the top layer, is trying to position things to reconstruct Kansas, with them at the top, and are going to call for a vote tomorrow to ratify it."
"Do we know what kind of government they're proposing?" asked Christian.
Mike shook his head. "No, but whatever they have in mind they're pretty sure of getting it done."
"How's that?" asked Jim.
Mike looked at Brin and Ragan. "You two want to explain it?"
The two looked at each other, Ragan deferring to Brin.
"A bunch of political types got a former governor to stand as a figurehead for them in putting together a new government," said Brin. "Mostly, it seems to be the old political crowd from before trying to establish themselves as the new aristocracy with everyone else as the peasants. They've got the support of some of the old political machines from Johnson, Wyandotte, Shawnee, Douglas and Sedgwick counties."
Jim nodded. "Johnson County, Kansas City, Topeka, Lawrence and Wichita. The main population centers."
"And the places in Kansas that most supported government control," said Christian.
Jim shrugged. "Those places are pretty much wastelands. They don't hold any sway now."
"The governor is going to propose that each county's representatives cast votes by population according to the latest census figures on file," said Ragan, leaning forward in her chair. "That means that the counties backing the plan will be casting a lot of votes and the more rural counties casting only a few. They expect some push-back from the rural counties, but they don't think enough of them are going to show up to be able to make a fuss."
Jim looked a question at Mike.
"Brin and Ragan have been waitressing at a restaurant where all the politicos eat and drink."
"They really get to talking after dinner when the serious drinking starts," said Ragan.
"Among other things," added Brin. "It's almost like Elvin without the dog cages."
Jim studied the two women. Girls, really, but beyond their years in life experience and abilities. He knew the chances they were taking and knew that the danger would only increase for them the longer they stayed.
"How many would you say are part of it?" he asked.
Brin and Ragan looked at each other. "I'd say about a dozen core people with a lot of hangers on," said Ragan.
Brin nodded. "But there are a lot of hangers on."
"How are they going to enforce it?" asked Christian. "Do they think everyone else is just going to roll over?"
Ragan shrugged. "They don't think much of the people in the out-counties, as they call them. They figure most will grumble a bit but will go along with the program. They're going to offer to make the sherrifs the top dogs in their counties in order to get their support, and they say they have the state guard on standby in case there's any trouble - and to enforce the new laws once they get everything up and running."
Jim and Christian looked at each other.
"What new laws?" asked Jim.
"They're going to put in property taxes and what they call resident fees for everyone living in the state," said Brin.
"That will kill the rural areas," said Christian.
Ragan nodded. "It's intended to. They figure that when people can't pay the taxes on their property, they'll give all or most of it up. They want the state to own all of the land and people to live on government-owned property and pay rent in the form of labor."
"Labor?"
Ragan nodded. "Either working on state projects or service in the state guard."
"What are resident fees?" asked Jim.
"Each person living in the state will have to pay a yearly fee," said Brin. "They say it's to pay for state services like law enforcement, protection by the state guard and basic government."
Jim looked at Christian. "Making the inmates pay for their prison. King John all over again."
Christian nodded and looked back at the team. "What do we know about this state guard?"
"It's a pretty rag-tag bunch," said a scout sitting farther back in the shadows. "They're formed up in some parking lots across the street from the capital. Matching camo uniforms, but sloppy, loud and undisciplined."
"Staying in a bunch of low-end trailers and tents and carrying a mish-mash of weapons," said another. "It looks like they just pulled a net through a bunch of low-rents and gave them new clothes."
Jim nodded slowly, thinking for a moment, then turned to Mike. "Figure on staying through tomorrow night. I want to see what happens tomorrow and be around to see what everyone does."
He nodded to the I-Team. "Everybody pull in to surround the restaurant where Brin and Ragan are working. If we decide to pull them out, I want to be able to do it in a hurry."
He looked back at Mike. "Put the forward Striker teams around their restaurant and have the two that shadowed us in set up a block or two from the capital in case we need them. Then, have the teams holding up at the lake come set up on our perimeter here."
He looked back at the I-Team. “You all head on back and be careful. We'll let you know when it's time to leave."
Silent nods indicated the team understood as they quietly exited the tent and faded into the night.
Christian looked at Jim. "Should we tell the sheriffs what to expect?"
Jim shook his head. "Let's let it be a surprise and
see what each of them does."
32
Jim took a bite of a biscuit as he watched Freelove and McGregor walk toward them.
"They're walking like they've got something on their mind," said Christian.
Jim took a sip of coffee and nodded. "That they do."
The sheriffs came closer before Freelove called out, "Morning, Jim. Christian."
Jim raised his coffee cup. "Morning back. Come have a biscuit."
"Don't mind if I do," said McGregor, stopping next to the fire and accepting one from Naomi.
He took a bite and shook his head, wiping the melted butter dripping down his chin with his sleeve. "Man! Who in the great dusty plains made these?"
Naomi laughed. "I did. Would you like another one for your other hand?"
McGregor nodded. "Yes ma'am, and each foot too."
Naomi laughed again and held out a platter to him. "Take what you want. I'm making more."
McGregor took a biscuit, which he passed to Freelove, took another for himself and looked at Jim. "So, you gonna tell us?"
Jim took another sip. "They're going to propose a resurrection of Kansas, financing it with property taxes and annual fees on residency."
McGregor stopped chewing. "Well, that ain't gonna go. People were taxed to death before, and property taxes are some of the worst. It means nobody can really own their own land."
Freelove looked at Jim carefully. "How do they think they're going to get that through?"
"The information I got is that they're going to call for a vote in which the representatives for each county will cast votes in proportion to its population as reflected in the last census."
McGregor shrugged. "So, there's no problem. Nobody's going to vote for that."
Freelove looked at Jim. "They wouldn't do this unless they knew they were going to win. What's the catch?"
Jim took a biscuit off the platter. "You're right. The catch is that they have representatives from Johnson, Wyandotte, Douglas, Shawnee and Sedgwick counties here ready to vote for it."
"Those places are waste dumps now," said McGregor. "I can't see them makin' any difference."
"But they have representatives here, and they'll be casting votes proportional to the last census," said Jim.
"Well, who cooked up that steamin’ pile of crap?" growled McGregor.
"The same crooks that cooked it up before the change," said Christian.
Freelove nodded, looking at the ground. "That pretty much drowns out the smaller counties, even if all of them showed up."
He looked back up. "We heard last night that a lot of the western counties aren't coming."
Christian looked at him. "Why's that?"
Freelove shrugged. "They always liked to be left alone. This last year has been good for them and they're not interested in going back to the way it was."
Jim nodded. "I don't blame them, but that's going to leave you short on votes."
McGregor looked at him. "Why did you say you, not us?"
Jim took a slow sip of his coffee. "I told you my position. We're staying autonomous."
"Even if a new state forms?" McGregor asked, surprised.
"Yep. Look what they're already doing. I want no part of that."
"What if they won't let you stay autonomous?" asked Freelove.
Jim looked at him. "They have no say in that."
"They might come after you."
"Like the North did the South?" asked Jim. "Yeah, they might."
"Then you won't have a choice."
Jim shrugged. "There's always a choice."
"Not much of one," grumbled McGregor.
Jim took a bite of biscuit, chewed it slowly and swallowed. "What do you call it when one group forces another group to live under their authority?"
Freelove and McGregor looked at each other then back at Jim, neither answering.
Jim took a sip of coffee. "I call it occupation or slavery. The other option is freedom."
He took another sip. "We will choose freedom."
33
They left the airfield and headed north toward downtown on Topeka Boulevard.
It hadn't taken long to secure the camp after breakfast. Not knowing whether they would be leaving later in the day or staying another night, most of the groups had left their tents up and a couple of members behind to pull security, oblivious of the scout teams in the treeline, and had formed a convoy on the runway to head to the meeting as a group. By intent, the Stonemont delegation had fallen in toward the rear.
Low clouds hugging the southern horizon were a thin fringe to the brilliant blue sky overhead as they picked up speed through the light industrial areas of South Topeka and approached the city's center. Most of the streets had been cleared of abandoned cars and trash, a testament to someone's desire to present a positive face to visitors, and they soon reached downtown.
"There it is," said Christian, pointing through the trees to the shining bronze dome of the capital.
Bill looked out his window. "It's beautiful."
"It ought to be," said Jim. "They just got done with a three-hundred-million-dollar renovation the taxpayers paid for before things went south. I guess there wasn't anything else in the state that needed doing."
Bill gave a sardonic smile. "No, probably not."
"And the first thing these new guys want to do is start new taxes," said Christian, looking away from the dome.
"Leopards and spots, buddy," said Jim.
The convoy started to slow down, then stopped as they drew near the fenced-off guard encampment.
"Why are we stopping?" asked Naomi from the back seat.
"I don't know," said Christian, "but look over there."
They looked ahead and to the right and saw rows of tents set up in a huge parking lot enclosed by a six-foot chain link fence. Spools of razor wire had been added to the top of the fence and along the sidewalk between the fence and the street. Inside the enclosure, men in ACUs could be seen walking or talking in groups.
"This doesn't look like the Topeka I remember," said Naomi quietly.
Jim looked out his driver’s window and saw men in ACUs standing as if on posts, M4-type rifles slung from their necks.
He shook his head. "Me neither."
They waited for several minutes before the column moved forward a few feet, then stopped again.
"They must be checking vehicles," said Jim.
"Bill leaned forward in his seat. "For what?"
"My guess would be weapons.”
He looked over at Christian and nodded. "Take a look."
Christian opened his door slightly and stepped out onto the running board. Within a few seconds, he was back inside and nodded.
"There's a checkpoint several blocks up. People out of their vehicles being searched by guard squads."
Jim gritted his teeth in silence for a minute, trying to suppress the anger that had arisen in him, then looked at Christian.
"You and Naomi get out, go back to the scouts and fall out of line. Form up the teams to respond in case we need help getting out. Bill and I will go in."
Christian looked at him and shook his head.
"Jim, I've never argued with you before, but I have to on this one. The reason you don't want Naomi and I to go in is the same reason you shouldn't."
He watched his uncle's face closely. "You've seen it yourself, and you know what I'm talking about. Leaders called in to a meeting, identified, then either compromised or disappeared."
"Certainly, that wouldn't happen here in America," said Bill.
Christian looked at him. "This isn't America anymore."
He turned back toward Jim and waited a moment, watching Jim's self-control and good sense struggle with his outrage and desire to confront what he now recognized as an enemy.
"I know you won't be compromised," Christian said more quietly, "which would leave Kelly without a husband and Aedan, Brody and Morgan without a father."
He continued to watch as Jim clutched th
e steering wheel, staring straight ahead, the muscles in his jaw bunching.
"That's the way these things go," said Christian. "You know that."
The brake lights on the vehicle in front of them went off and it slowly pulled forward.
"Jim," said Christian, almost in a whisper. "You know I'm right."
The vehicle in front of them stopped again about thirty feet ahead and Jim gave a slow nod. "Signal them to follow us falling out."
Christian again opened his door and stepped onto the running board, signaled to the scout vehicles behind them and got back in.
"Okay, let's go."
34
Mark Freelove and Rod McGregor walked through the dark toward the fire that marked the Stonemont camp. As they approached, they saw that the vehicles and tents were gone.
A lone man sitting beside the fire in a camp chair rose to his feet.
"Glad to see you back," said Christian.
The sheriffs stopped and were silent for a moment, looking at each other then back at Christian.
"You figured it out, huh?" asked Freelove.
Christian nodded.
"How'd you get away?" asked McGregor.
"We pulled out just in time to see more of their troops coming in from the west to control the end of the line. We lucked out."
Freelove nodded slowly, looking toward the capital then back at Christian. "Yeah, you did. We need to talk to Jim."
"I'll take you to him, but we have to walk a couple of miles."
The couple of miles over uneven ground took over an hour, and both sheriffs were cussing their boots by the time they arrived at the Stonemont encampment.
A half-moon reflected off of a lake to the north of the camp and turned the surface to a soft silver glow.
They passed through the double ring of sentries, then to the circle of vehicles where Jim, Mike, Bill and Naomi sat in folding chairs around a small fire.
