by Ray Wench
As if reading his mind, West said, “We lost a lot of good men out there. With all we face, that’s a horrible waste of manpower. They’ll be hard to replace.”
Mark didn’t speak. He knew what was coming.
“We could use a good man like you. I’d make you an officer.”
Mark shook his head. “No, General. I appreciate the offer. But there are a lot of people that depend on me. I have to look after them.”
West frowned. “You realize you may end up fighting whether you join me or not?”
“I don’t understand.”
West crossed his arms and looked away, chewing his lower lip.
Mark said, “General, what are you doing here? As far as I know, there is no government anymore, so who do you serve?”
“I still serve the American people. Whether there’s a government or not, we still have a job to do, a mission to complete.”
“Mission? What mission?”
“Are you sure you want to know?
“Do you know what killed everyone? Is it worldwide or just in the states?”
“I’m not sure, but the speculation is that it was an attack on the American people.”
“Whose speculation?”
“Mark, there are other military bases around the country. We have limited contact with some of them. We are setting up defenses. There is some fact, some rumor, and some speculation.”
“Give me some examples.”
“You could know it all if you joined up.”
“Look, General, I respect what you’re trying to do, but it’s not for me. However, if there’s something going on that may be a danger to my people, I’d like to know about it.”
“Walk with me.”
The general left his office and Mark followed. They strolled over the grounds. In the distance, a group of men jogged in formation. Others worked on the trucks, while another group was busy in the cockpit of one of the fighter jets.
“What you see are remnants of the air base here, the Army Reserve Center down the road and several other National Guard bases around the state. We’ve also recruited a few stragglers along the way. And yes, some of them were forced to join, but after they understood what we were doing, they welcomed the opportunity to serve.”
To Mark it was all hype, like a recruiter trying to entice a high school grad into enlisting. “And what is it you’re doing?”
“Mark, we’ve had reports that we suffered some sort of chemical attack nationwide. A week ago, reports from several different bases identified what they termed as ‘foreign forces boots down in country.’ One was on the west coast, another report came out of Texas. We have lost contact with the west coast base.”
“So what you’re saying is that we’ve been attacked and invaded. We’re at war.”
“As far as I know, yes. I have to proceed under the belief that we are. It’s better to be prepared than be overrun.”
“Have you found other communities like ours?”
“No. That’s the sad thing. Whatever was used in the attack was very efficient. I’ve found small pockets of people. Some have joined us, some haven’t, and some tried to fight us. I started with sixty-five men. Now I’m down to fifty-two. Without knowing what we’re up against, I’m feeling overwhelmed. I wish you’d reconsider. If we are facing an invading army and get wiped out, there’s nothing to stop them from rolling over everyone in their path. There will be no noncombatants and this time, no survivors.”
Mark rolled what West had told him around his brain. If any of it were true, he could understand why West was so determined to build his army. Mark stopped near the jets and asked, “What’s the story here?”
“We have two flight-ready jets. However, we have limited fuel and no trained pilots. We’re training potential pilots on the ground. We can’t train in the air. We can’t afford to use up our fuel, and if one of them crashed we’d lose a very valuable asset.”
“Although, if no one can fly them there’s little value in the jets at all.”
“Well, hopefully we never have to use them, but if we’re getting slaughtered, they’ll be a nice safety valve for us. Even if we can only use each plane twice.”
“There’s nowhere you can get more fuel?”
“There may be. I have scouts out looking now.”
“Look, General, I don’t want to be at odds with you and your troops. We’re all Americans here and survivors. There’s no reason we can’t work together without having to join your army. Let’s have a good working relationship. Can we do that?”
West sighed. “Of course.”
“If anything happens that we should be aware of, please send a message. If we see anything, we’ll get in touch with you. You have my word.”
“If that’s the best I can get, that will have to do.”
“Now, I was wondering if I could trouble you for a ride home.”
“I’ll see to it.”
Part Five
Seventy-Three
“That’ll do it,” Jarrod shouted. He crawled along the roof and climbed down the ladder.
“What was the problem?” Mark asked. Only a portion of the energy created by the solar panels was storing in the batteries.
“One of the wires had come loose. It’s patched up good now. It ain’t gonna come apart again. Soon you’ll be charging up enough electricity to light a football field.”
They went inside the house to the front closet converted into the battery room. The small space had been packed with twelve-volt batteries. An electrical panel had been added to control the usage.
“You got lights and electric outlets here, upstairs and down. Here you got the refrigerator? Those are your most important things. If you’re generating enough electricity, you can think about whatever else you want hooked up.”
“Excellent! Thanks, Jarrod.”
“No problem, partner. Hey, since I found that other flock of chickens, I need to expand my yard. I could use a hand sinking some fence posts.”
“Just let me know when you want to start.”
“I was thinking about tomorrow.”
“Okay. I’ll see if some of the others will help.”
At that moment, an engine announced the approach of a truck. Mark and Jarrod looked out the front door. It had been two weeks since the hunt for the killer. A tentative peace had fallen over the area.
Mark had explained the general’s theories to the communities. They decided to take a “wait and see” approach to the news. The family members were all back in their homes, but were now always vigilant and prepared to evacuate at a moment’s warning. The radios helped keep them in touch. They developed a daily and nightly check-in system. No tension existed between the soldiers and the families. So, when the truck turned up the driveway, neither Mark nor Jarrod went running for safety and weapons.
Several times, Mark’s family had had West and some of his troops over for dinner. Of course, each time the general was there, he tried to recruit anyone who would listen. Several of the older boys from the other families, to the dismay of their parents, had joined already.
The patrols drove past each of the houses twice a day. The soldiers had become an accepted part of the community. As each group grew more comfortable with each other’s presence, a more normal routine returned.
West stepped out of the truck. His troops remained onboard. That and the look on the general’s face set off warnings in Mark’s head. He nodded. “General. What brings you out here today?”
The General nodded back. “I just wanted to let you know we were pulling out.”
Mark lifted his eyebrows. “Oh?”
“We’ve received some reports that enemy troops have advanced toward the state line. I’d rather meet them there than have to defend our base.”
“Where did you get your intel, General?”
A National Guard unit in Indiana. The report told of a large number of troops heading east. The last word I received was that they were moving to meet them. There’s bee
n no other contact since.”
“Do you have any idea what you’re facing?”
“I was told by the general in charge there that it looked like more than a hundred men. He only had twenty. Obviously I fear the worst. I’m leaving a very small force to watch the base. I wanted to let you know that trouble might be coming, and of course, to ask once more for your help.”
Mark lowered his head and studied the dirt below him. When he met the general’s eyes again he had an answer. “General, we won’t march with you, but I’ll promise you this. If there is an enemy presence and you find yourself outmatched, send a messenger and I’ll bring as many people as are willing to help.”
The general frowned. “All right, sir, if that’s the best I can get, I’ll take it. I’d, ah, appreciate you looking in on the base when you can.”
“Sure, General, I can do that.” Mark extended his hand and West accepted it. “Good luck, General.”
He returned to the truck. As it backed down the driveway, the general saluted.
Mark stopped his hand from returning the gesture and waved instead.
Seventy-Four
At the dinner table that night, there was a lot of anxious talk about the soldiers going off to war. Several times both Lynn and Mark attempted to change the subject, but the topic always returned.
Mark did a slow pan around the ever increasing family at the table. Although everyone got along, whether the members realized it or not, whenever they sat at the table they were in cliques. The original members, Caleb, Ruth, Alyssa, and Darren were at one end near Lynn. The newbies, Becca, Bobby, and Myron were on the far end by Mark. The members who came in between filled in the middle. Counting Lincoln and Jenny and the two from the cell, the table now sat fifteen.
It was nice to have a family again, especially when some of it was genuine family. Lynn was watching him. He smiled and winked at her. She returned a rather tentative smile. As nice as it was to have a family, with all the table talk of war, he couldn’t stop the nagging sensation building in his gut that they would eventually be drawn into the conflict. West’s words returned to him. You realize you may end up fighting whether you join me or not. God, he hoped West’s intel was wrong.
Mark looked at his kids. Becca had softened somewhat. She was much more relaxed. She was beautiful, and when she laughed, Mark could see his wife, Sandra, in her features.
She spent a lot of time with Myron. That was understandable since he had saved her life twice. But she was his daughter, so he worried about any attachments that might be forming. The boy had taken to wearing a golden feather in a tiny string of braided hair on the side of his head. Becca said it was to honor his Native American heritage.
Bobby was a real help around the yard. Each morning, he was one of the first up and ready to work. He was silent most of the time, which concerned Mark. What sort of battle was waging within him? Becca and Bobby never talked about the journey, but Mark could only imagine what the two of them had to deal with on their way home. He prayed they all would get enough time away from the violence to be able achieve some balance.
After dinner, everyone pitched in to clean, clear, and wash. Mark did his part and was slowly working his way along the length of the tables. As he reached for a dish, his hand covered another. It was the first he was aware of Lynn coming from the other direction.
The contact made him jump and he pulled away. When he realized it was Lynn, he looked away. “I-I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware you were there.”
She looked at him, a hint of hurt fading from her face. “Are you sure that’s all it was?”
“Um, I don’t understand. What else would it be?”
Lynn studied Mark’s face for an instant and shook her head. “It’s nothing.”
“Well, it’s obviously something, or you wouldn’t have said it.”
When she bit her lip, Mark knew he was right. Something was bothering her. He looked around at all the busy faces with their rabbit ears. This was no place to talk. He took the dishes from her hands and set them back on the table. Taking her hand, he led her toward the row of pine trees along the side of the house.
Becca trotted down the stairs from the house. She was happy. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, she felt at peace. When she caught sight of her father leading Lynn by the hand, the smile froze on her face. What is Daddy doing with that woman? She wasn’t their mother. How dare he go off with a stranger?
A fire built inside her. In seconds, her chest heaved, and she huffed large gulps and blows of air. Her hands clenched into fists that she squeezed tighter and harder until her body began to shake. The past few days of peace and laughter were suddenly lost in the building rage she now felt. A memory of her mother passed before her eyes, and tears welled. How could her father be so cold? Her mother hadn’t been dead for more than two months, and already he was looking for a replacement. Well, she wasn’t going to stand for it.
Seventy-Five
“Okay, Lynn, talk to me.”
They reached the street side of the trees.
“Mark, I don’t know what to say.”
“How about starting with what’s bothering you? And please, don’t tell me ‘nothing.’ I know you well enough to know when there’s a problem. Did I do something wrong?”
“No, Mark, it’s nothing you did. It’s just the way things are.”
“And how are they?”
“Your kids are here now. I understand that you want to distance yourself from me. With their mother dead, you don’t want me to come between you and them.”
“What? Where’d you get that idea?” Had he been treating Lynn any differently? Perhaps not on a conscious level, but he couldn’t remember the last time they had talked.
“From you.” She held up her hand to stop his objection. “You keep your distance from me now. We hardly talk. You’re colder to me than you used to be. Yes, you are. I can feel it. I know I’ve never given you any real encouragement to pursue me. That’s not your fault. I hoped you understood the reasons why. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I’m just damaged goods.”
“I’ve never thought of you that way. And I do want to be with you. I knew it would take some time, and I didn’t want to rush you or be too aggressive toward you.”
“And believe me, I do appreciate that. But things have changed now. You’ve changed. Whether you realize it or not, you have a separate family from us now. You spend most of your time with them, as it should be, especially since you thought they were dead. But I think seeing them again has sparked old memories. You want to keep your wife alive for your kids. It’s okay. Besides, I’ve seen the way your daughter looks at me whenever we’re close to each other. I think she sees me as a threat.”
“Lynn, if I’ve given you that impression, I apologize. It wasn’t intentional. I hope you know that I care about you.”
“And I care about you too, but I will not come between you and your children.”
From between two pines, a dark blur darted. The figure took Mark by surprise. He turned to defend against whatever the threat, but it veered toward Lynn.
“That’s right, you bitch,” Becca screamed.
Recognition froze Mark for a split second. The obvious threat toward Lynn unfroze him and forced him to move.
“You’ll never come between us and our dad.” Becca closed the gap, but Lynn didn’t budge. “He loved my mother, and you could never replace her. You stay away from him or I swear—”
“Becca!” Mark shouted over her. “You will stop this now and apologize to Lynn. Whatever we do is none of your concern. No one is trying to replace your mother. But regardless, no one deserves to be treated like that. You apologize now.”
“But, Daddy,” she almost whimpered.
“Now!”
Becca turned toward Lynn, her hatred barely contained. “I’m sorry for my outburst. Please forgive me.” She bowed her head, spun, and ran back through the trees.
“Lynn, I—”
&n
bsp; Lynn teared up. She shook her head, held up a hand to stop his words. “No, Mark.” She walked away.
Mark stood in disbelief and dismay. His two girls were enemies, and he was caught in the middle. He was at a loss as to which direction he should turn first – and then decided in his current state of mind, neither.
He slid his hands into his back pockets and walked along the trees away from the house. As if the threat of war weren’t enough of a problem, now he had to deal with warring females.
Seventy-Six
By the time Mark returned, it was late and there was no activity in the yard. Everyone had moved inside to either talk or sleep. Mark spent much of his walk deciding what he would say to Becca.
There was enough turmoil in this world. Becca didn’t need to create more. What bothered him as well was how he hadn’t seen the outburst coming. Lynn was more in tune with what was going on around him than he was.
Mark walked into the house and upstairs. There were four bedrooms on the second floor. He paused at Lynn’s door and moved on. Ruth and Alyssa shared one room. One had been given to the new couple. Becca roomed with Mallory.
Ruth, Alyssa, and Mallory were all downstairs around the dining room table, talking in excited young girl tones. When Mark tapped on Becca’s door, there was no response. He pushed the door open. His eyes adjusted to the dark enough to see neither bed had a body in it.
Retracing his steps, he stopped at the table. “Have any of you seen my daughter?”
Mallory said, “She looked like she was mad about something. I saw her heading toward the barn.”
“Thanks, girls.”
Mark stopped at the bottom of the outside stairs and looked toward the barn. Nothing moved in the area. He steeled himself for the confrontation and paced to the barn.
There was a light on in the garage. It was not yet ten o’clock, which was the lights-out curfew. Lights were a low draw on the stored energy in the batteries, but their use was still limited. He stopped to glance in the window. The boys had hauled a pool table from a bar a few miles away. Each night they gathered around to play.
