Burning Nation

by Trent Reedy

  “I brew it pretty strong.” Sweeney smiled. “Why mess around?”

  Sweeney passed beers to everyone who wanted one. I’m not gonna lie. Mine tasted good and helped me calm down after all the insanity with the Fed.

  “Hey, everybody,” Specialist Crocker said. “Um, I think maybe we should listen to this. Something different is coming on the radio.”

  “More stupid Fed shit?” Cal said.

  “Who cares? Turn it up,” Kemp said.

  Crocker looked to the first sergeant, who didn’t seem interested but didn’t object, and turned up the radio.

  “… listening to the official broadcast of the Federal Idaho Reconstruction Authority …”

  “The federal what?” Cal yelled.

  “Shut up!” Kemp and Sparrow said together.

  “… on multiple radio frequencies across the AM and FM dial and streaming to screens and COMMPADS to ensure a peaceful transition toward a stable and unified United States. All Idaho residents are advised to continue to monitor this broadcast in order to remain in compliance with federal regulations and instructions from the Reconstruction Authority.

  “Residents of Idaho, please stand by for a message from the President of the United States, Laura Griffith.”

  “My fellow Americans. Throughout the long and illustrious history of the United States, many American presidents have begun to address the people with those three words. ‘My fellow Americans.’ This morning, those words hold an even greater significance than they might have in the course of normal events, for these are not normal times. Last night, after lengthy deliberations with my cabinet, congressional leaders, and senior military advisors, I brought about an end to the standoff in Idaho by ordering a precise and overpowering military strike against rebel forces in that state.

  “The idea of ordering military action against Americans is contrary to every instinct in my being, but after months of negotiations and peaceful pressure applied by my predecessor, it was clear that the rebel leadership in Idaho had no intention of complying with constitutional mandates. To allow this insurrection to continue would only worsen the situation in Idaho, and offer a dangerously destabilizing precedent for the future.

  “Now, although there have been regrettable losses of life both in federal forces and in the Idaho State Militia, I’m pleased to report that with careful surgical action designed to keep military and civilian casualties to a minimum, the United States has prevailed. Former Governor James Montaine’s attempt to defy the rest of the country has collapsed, and the state of Idaho will soon be safely in compliance with federal law.

  “Early this morning, I summoned lawmakers to an emergency joint session of Congress, where the House of Representatives and the Senate passed a series of measures to broaden and enhance the Unity Act. Under the provisions of the Unity Act, I have, as president, wide discretionary powers for the purpose of bringing the existing insurrection to an end and preventing future rebellion in the United States. Peace, order, freedom, and unity are being restored.

  “To that end, as commander in chief of the United States military, I have ordered the creation of the Federal Idaho Reconstruction Authority. Soldiers from the US armed forces are in Idaho communities to guide residents through this transition period. Reconstruction Authority soldiers will also seek out any and all rebels to bring them to justice.

  “To the residents of Idaho, I say this. The ill-advised, illegal, and dangerous resistance to federal authority is at an end. You loyal American citizens have nothing to fear. The presence of the United States military in Idaho brings an end to the blockade, and food and supplies will be provided to all residents who accept the federal identification card and comply with efforts to locate and apprehend rebels. Federal Idaho Reconstruction Authority soldiers in your community will provide you with more information about the card and the food program, and they are ready and willing to answer questions and assist you in this difficult time.

  “My fellow Americans, as President Gerald Ford once said, ‘Our long national nightmare is over.’ America is united once more. And though we still collectively face many challenges, I do see the dawn at the end of our long night. I ask you to join me in welcoming the new day. May God continue to bless the United States of America.”

  Crocker switched the radio off. We sat in silence for a moment.

  “That’s it, then,” I said quietly, to myself as much as to the others. “It’s over. We lost.”

  After all that work, dodging the president’s attempts to arrest me or the governor, building up our defenses on the state line and then freezing on border guard duty. After Mom was killed trying to come home. After so many Guardsmen had died fighting to defend our home. For what? It was all for nothing?

  What would happen to us now? I looked around at the people trapped with me in this dim dungeon, at our wounded. The soldiers in the room had chosen to fight on this side, but would they have had to make that choice at all if I hadn’t accidentally fired that night in Boise? And my friends— what were they now? Rebels? Criminals? Fugitives, at least. All because of me.

  And I’d left JoBell and Becca out there. What would happen to them? Would the Fed take them in? Interrogate them? Torture them?

  I took a swig of the beer, but it tasted flat and was already getting warm. It sat wrong in my stomach and threatened to come back up. I leaned over and put my hands on my knees.

  “The Fed’s coming after rebels. We’re in deep trouble,” said Kemp. “They mean to punish us.”

  “But what’s that mean? Who’s a rebel?” Sweeney asked. “It’s not like we signed up for a rebellion. Our names aren’t on a list somewhere.”

  “Ours are,” said Sparrow. “All of us in the Guard were supposed to report to the US Army for federal active duty. They’ve got our names, especially Wright’s.”

  “And this Unity Act,” Kemp said. “Sounds a lot like the Patriot Act back after 9/11. Something with a great-sounding name. Who doesn’t want to be a patriot?”

  “I don’t!” Cal said.

  Kemp nodded. “But who would oppose patriotism? Nobody. Then we found out it was a set of laws that allowed the government to spy on our phones and computers and comms.” He coughed. “The president said this Unity Act gives her broad powers. To do what? Shut off our electricity? Decide for herself who is a rebel? Send soldiers to shoot us in the street without probable cause? Ignore our rights as much as she needs to in order to apprehend or kill us ‘rebels’?”

  Nobody said anything for a while. Danning was already asleep, or passed out maybe. I held my hand close to his face. He was breathing, at least.

  “What are we going to do?” Luchen asked.

  Sergeant Kemp stood up and surveyed the contents of the two rows of metal shelves off to one side of the room. “Well, it looks like we’re pretty well supplied for rations. And we have running water. Bottled water if that fails.”

  “No,” Luchen said. “I mean, how will we tell our families that we’re safe? How long will we be trapped down here?”

  Nobody answered. Nobody knew how long the Fed occupation would last. Even if the US Army left town, we’d still be considered wanted criminals under Fed law.

  Sergeant Kemp returned to the table and sat down. “Maybe we should take it all one step at a time. We’re safe for now. Let’s take care of our wounded and get some sleep. Then we’ll figure out what to do next.”

  * * *

  A Fed fighter grabbed my shoulder, ready to plunge the knife into my back. I clutched my .45 and sat up to shoot. Then someone held my wrist and a bright light shined in my face.

  “Wright!” someone whispered. “Wright, it’s me, Eric. Relax. You’re okay.”

  I lowered my weapon. “Get that damned light out of my face, Sweeney. The hell you doing?” It took a moment for me to realize I wasn’t fighting Feds in the woods. I was racked out on a cot between the two sets of steel shelves.

  “Shh.” Sweeney held a finger to his lips. My eyes had adjuste
d to the dim light cast by his flashlight, and I could see him crouched next to me, holding his M4. From upstairs I heard a muffled shout. “Someone’s up there,” he hissed.

  I rolled to my feet, still holding my .45. It would be a better weapon if we had to fight in close quarters. I motioned for Sweeney to follow me, and we quickly but quietly went up the stairs to the hatch. It was made of thick steel, but hopefully we’d be able to hear something through it.

  “Go ahead and search everywhere,” Schmidty said above us, his voice sounding muffled. “I got nothing to hide. I’m no rebel. I got an American flag flying outside the shop, and soon’s I get a chance, I’m going to get my federal ID card.”

  “The Feds are here,” I whispered to Sweeney. “Go wake up the others.”

  “But we have wounded. Even if we can all get out through the tunnel, how will we get away?”

  “Just do it!” I hissed. There was a rumbling sound above me, like someone moving stuff around on top of the hatch. I’d told Sweeney to wake the others mostly to give him something to do. If we were caught, I didn’t want my best friend right here in the line of fire. This would be the end. We’d never get away on foot. Holding the .45 up with both hands folded over the pistol grip, I rested my forehead against the cool metal of the barrel. Oh, God, please don’t let them find us. Please keep us safe. Please protect JoBell and Becca.

  Kemp joined me, holding his M4. He didn’t say anything, but the look on his face said it all. He knew we had no chance if the Fed found us down here.

  We waited.

  And waited.

  Finally my head dipped, and I jerked awake. Kemp elbowed me. “They must have left,” he whispered. “It’s been three hours, and the shop isn’t that big. They’d have found us by now. Most everybody else has gone back to sleep. We should post a guard here under the hatch, just in case. I’ll take first shift. You go rack out.”

  My hand ached as I finally released my grip on my gun. They’d searched the shop but hadn’t found us. They didn’t know we were here, which meant they probably hadn’t gotten any information from Becca and JoBell. At least, not yet. The not knowing was killing me.

  * * *

  The next time I woke up, Sweeney was poking me with an aluminum pole from the end of one of the cots. “Thought this would be safer than shaking you awake,” he said. He handed over my .45. “Just to be safe, I took your gun first. Maybe you shouldn’t sleep with a weapon.”

  “Can’t sleep without one,” I said. The lamp was on and everyone was awake. “What’s going on?”

  “Hey, Wright.”

  I turned and saw TJ sitting on the stairs. He wasn’t exactly the guy I wanted to see when I first woke up. “What are you doing here?” I said. “Were you followed?”

  “Relax, Wright,” said Cal. “I took over guard duty from Kemp. Schmidty knocked on the hatch, said the Fed were gone, told me to open up. The lock was a bitch, but when I opened the door, Schmidty and TJ were there.”

  “Coach Shiratori said I was supposed to tell Dave Schmidt that I’m a guy Sweeney can trust,” TJ said with pride. It was the same tone he would use to brag about making a good play in football.

  I shook my head. “Have you talked to JoBell? Becca? Are they okay?”

  “The Fed allows you to go outside?” Sergeant Kemp asked TJ.

  TJ looked around and frowned. “You have wounded down here?”

  “And some dead,” said Sparrow.

  I took a few big steps closer to TJ. “The girls. Do you know what’s happened to them? They were out at Sweeney’s. Are they okay?”

  “The Fed arrested them,” TJ said. “Hauled them into the cop shop at the end of Main Street.” Panic started to surge through every one of my muscles, but he went on, “They’re cool. They’re fine. Relax.”

  “Relax? They’ve been arrested!” I yelled.

  “They’re going to talk to the Fed eventually,” Sparrow said.

  “The Fed let them go!” TJ shouted quickly before everybody started up. “They were detained for about six hours. Then they were released and allowed to walk home. I haven’t had a chance to talk to them yet—”

  “That’s the very next thing you’re going to do,” I said.

  “Just let me explain.” TJ sounded like a whiny little kid. “I couldn’t talk to them because Coach got me that message about Schmidty as soon as we were allowed out of our houses. By that time, the Fed had the girls. They released them, but they’re still watching them. There’s a black car parked on the street, just a couple houses down from JoBell’s. I’m guessing the same is true out at Becca’s farm.”

  “Is that where Becca is now?” Sweeney asked.

  TJ sat back down on the stairs. “Yeah. At least, she started walking out of town in that direction.”

  “Damn,” said Cal. “That’s like four miles.”

  TJ shrugged. “Nobody’s allowed to drive.”

  “Becca shouldn’t be alone out there,” said Sweeney. “In the dark with no power.”

  “I think I have some nasty old carrots. I could take them out there for her horse as an excuse to go see her. If the Feds stop me, I can say Becca’s my girlfriend and I’m going to make sure she’s okay.”

  I spun one of the metal folding chairs around backward and sat down, my chin on my folded arms on the backrest. Just when I thought the whole situation couldn’t get any worse, Travis Jones had become my only link to the outside world.

  “Whatever you do, you have to be careful,” said Kemp. “Does the Fed know you’re here now?”

  TJ brushed a strand of his long hair out of his eyes. “When I got Sweeney’s message, I took the spare tire off my dad’s truck, let the air out of it, and carried it down here to the shop so that if anyone stopped me on the way, I could explain that I was getting it fixed. It had to look legit. There’s a Fed gun Hummer parked just down the street from the shop, I guess waiting for you guys to show up.”

  “Why did the Fed let the girls go?” Sparrow asked. “Wright’s been all over the news. They know he and JoBell are hot for each other. They have to know both girls were on that stupid border run you guys did.” I rubbed my aching hand and wrist, struggling to focus on the present. Sparrow continued, “Maybe the girls cut a deal.”

  “With the Fed?” Luchen asked.

  “No, a record deal.” She rolled her eyes. “Yes, with the Fed.”

  “Hey, you better watch it with that shit.” Cal stood up. “Those girls are like my sisters. No way they’d sell us out.”

  If Sparrow noticed Cal’s tough-guy act, she didn’t show it. “Then why did the Fed let them go?”

  “I don’t know, but not ’cause they ratted us out!” Cal yelled.

  I hated that the girls had been put in this position. Worse, Sparrow was kind of making sense. Why had the Fed let JoBell and Becca go?

  I shook my head. No way was I even going to start thinking that way.

  Kemp stood up. “Whoa. Calm down, everybody. TJ, how long ago were the girls released?”

  “Like last night.”

  “That would have to be after the Fed searched the shop,” Sweeney said. “So the girls didn’t tell them about this basement or they would have found us. They were searching the shop just because it’s Wright’s shop.”

  “Wait, what day is it?” Luchen asked.

  “Monday,” TJ said.

  I was glad Luchen had asked. It was hard to keep track of that kind of thing down here.

  “So that’s it?” Sparrow said. “The Fed let those girls go instead of sending them to prison, and they just gave up asking them any questions after a few hours? You believe that?”

  The back of the chair was pressing into my arms, cutting off my circulation. My hands and wrists ached and my fingers were going numb. But I pushed down harder and took in the pain. “Bait,” I said. “The Fed let JoBell and Becca go because they’re going to wait until one of us … until I make contact with them.”

  Nobody said anything for a moment, and I press
ed on the back of the seat even harder. “So I can’t make contact with them,” I finished. The Fed had ruined my whole life, and now they’d even taken my girlfriend away. I could feel everyone else watching me, and I hated it. They could shove their pity. “You got anything else?” I finally asked TJ.

  He pulled out his comm.

  “Is the Internet back up?” Sweeney asked.

  TJ showed us the screen. “Only for reconstruction information. Here are the new rules. Nobody is allowed outside their house from eight p.m. until six a.m. Except for hospitals, nursing homes, schools, and places like that, no outside-the-house gatherings of more than four people are allowed.”

  “What about the First Amendment?” Crocker said. “The right to peaceful assembly?”

  “They’ll just say everyone in Idaho is a rebel, and so any gathering is not peaceful,” said Kemp.

  TJ shrugged. “And I don’t think this Unity Act is too concerned with the Constitution. Anyway, the Fed is shipping in and basically giving away food. Unless people have canned stuff or can butcher their own livestock, they’ll have to take the Fed handout if they want to eat. But to get the food, they have to sign up for the federal ID card, and they have to allow their home to be searched for” — he made air quotes with his fingers — “ ‘evidence of association with rebels or rebel groups.’ What else?” He swiped his finger to scroll down. “Nobody is allowed to drive without a federal ID and a special driving permit, and without filing a driving plan. Even then the vehicle has to have a special marker on the outside and must have a location tracker on board.”

  “What!?” Cal said. “That’s bullshit! They can’t do that!”

  TJ read on. “And everyone ages five through twenty-one who does not have a high school diploma is required to register with and attend a public school full-time. This includes dropouts and homeschooled students. This rule goes into effect tomorrow, and I think they have enough soldiers out there to enforce it.”