Roland: Reluctant Paladin

by N. C. Reed

  “Just Roland, sir,” Roland insisted, “I’ve been a Lieutenant for about,” he checked his watch, “forty-five minutes,” he grinned.

  “Lot of that going around,” Albert nodded. “My wife and I were out-date when the shit hit the fan.”

  “Now we’re in again,” the brunette Captain smiled, “But, hey, it’s a job.”

  “It sure will be,” Roland nodded. “I’m sure the Sheriff can get you in touch with the right people. This is Sheriff Tom Wilson.”

  “Pleased to meet you,” Wilson agreed.

  “We’d like to spend tomorrow here at the school, Sheriff, if that’s acceptable,” Albert said at once. “There’s a good bit we can do here to make the clinic better, and make the children more comfortable.”

  “That’s fine by me,” Wilson nodded. “Tomorrow’s full for me, anyhow. And I can use this afternoon to round up the people you’ll need to see, too.”

  “Sounds good,” Albert said. “In that case, we’ll get to work.”

  “Seem like good folks,” Wilson mused.

  “They are,” Jenkins assured him, “And smart, too. They’ll get you back online, as far as practicable anyway. A few TVA folks are working on restoring at least some power, but it means reworking a lot of stuff. Still, maybe another month, we’ll have some limited electricity.”

  “Oh, that would be wonderful!” Wilson smiled, “Anything’d be a help, right now.”

  “We’re working on it.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  The next week passed in a blur. The carpenters were everywhere at once it seemed. The school was now about three-quarters powered thanks to their homemade solar panels and an inverter built by Ralph out of. . .well, Roland didn’t want to know what. It worked, so that was all that mattered. The Carpenters had brought a dozen massive forklift batteries with them, and six were put in use at the school since there was also a clinic there. The carpenters ‘enlisted’ Ralph to accompany them for the rest of their work throughout the county, so impressed they had been with his work. Roland immediately assigned one of the men from Sergeant Drake’s command to escort Ralph, and Ralph only. The soldier was informed in no uncertain terms that Ralph was his only priority.

  Wilson was thrilled to get one of the large batteries and the solar rig at his office, since it gave him at least some communications ability, and also meant that he could house prisoners in somewhat better conditions.

  Reverend Turnbow’s group also received one at the church, for which they were very grateful.

  The others went to other communities throughout the small county.

  Two days’ worth of work at the water plant with a large generator saw water once more being cleaned and purified. A water buffalo was pressed into service to transport the now clean water to various points throughout the county, where grateful residents gathered to receive it. One of Drake’s men accompanied a deputy to provide security and ensure that everyone got a share.

  There was bickering of course, as people began to complain that they should have more than others, their need was greater, they had a ‘right’ to clean water, and so on. When would they get power like the people had in other places? Why couldn’t they get water in their homes, like before? The litany of complaints went on and on.

  Jesse continued to escort Jennifer on her ‘rounds’, visiting those who were shut in or too sick to make it to her clinic. This too caused grumbling. Where was the medicine for the colds, the aches and pains, the sinus troubles, the blah, blah, blah? Jennifer was patient at first, explaining that there was no way to provide the same level of antibiotics or pain medicine as before, offering home grown substitutes that people could grow or make themselves.

  ‘Why should we have to make our own medicine?’ was the inevitable reply. It was her responsibility to provide the medicine they needed and requested. Marijuana was being grown all over the county now with no interference, to use as an analgesic. Some refused to use the ‘devil weed’, demanding prescription drugs instead, and becoming irate when told they weren’t available.

  No amount of explanations would placate some, especially those who were legally ‘hooked’ on prescription pain meds before the collapse. The hell of it was, for her, she knew that many of them really needed the pain relief to have any kind of meaningful life. She could tell who was an addict and who was really in pain, but it made no real difference. She didn’t have the drugs to give.

  Those who listened soon realized that the home cures the young doctor gave them worked.

  Perhaps not as well as their old medicines had, but close enough. Those who didn’t evolved from complaints to demands, then from demands to threats. The threats continued to escalate until Jesse deemed it only a matter of time before someone tried to attack the medical mission. Thus, yet another trooper was detached to accompany the ‘medical detail’ once a week on its rounds.

  -

  “I don’t like the mood we’re starting to see, Roland,” Jesse said. They were seated around their version of a conference table, where key personnel met once a week to discuss planning. Tom Wilson sat in on those whenever he could, and was present at this one.

  “It’s the same all over,” he sighed wearily. “Whatever we manage to do, they want more.”

  “There’s no more to give,” Roland shrugged helplessly. The carpenters had done all they could in the week they had been there, but the engineering couple were now five weeks gone from their area.

  And they weren’t coming back.

  “We’ve done, or we’re doing, all that we can,” Roland continued, “And we’re overextended doing that. Sergeant Drake and his men are doing all they can and we never have more than one person on duty here in the daytime. At least not anymore. We’re spread thin.”

  “My men are tired, sir,” Drake spoke up. “We’ve been working without a single day off since we arrived. And some of those days have had long hours. If they don’t get at least a day of down time, and soon, they’ll be on sick call.”

  “Is there anything planned for tomorrow that requires their presence?” Roland asked.

  “No water deliveries, anyway,” Wilson shook his head. “Plant’s got to have maintenance done so they’ll be offline until morning after. It’ll help save fuel on the genny anyway,” he added with a shrug.

  “Ralph may have something to help with that,” Roland noted. “We’ll get to that. Meanwhile, I see no reason that the security detachment can’t stand down tomorrow. Agreed?”

  “No problems I know of,” Wilson nodded.

  “Thank you, sir,” Drake looked relieved.

  “What’s next?”

  “We need to start thinking about how many people we’ll need to get our garden in,” Maria pointed out, “And we need to talk to Turnbow’s people about the help canning and preserving they promised as well,” she added.

  “Okay,” Roland nodded, making a note. “I was thinking we can offer to let them use the kitchen

  here to do their own canning, or at least some of it, while helping us do ours. Any objections?”

  “We will need to plan that ahead so that we can have simpler meals that will not need the stove tops,” was all Maria said.

  “No problem, I take it?” he asked.

  “No, but we will need a day, preferably two, to get things prepared.”

  “I’ll make sure you get it,” Roland promised, making another note. “Next?”

  “We’re starting to see a good bit of theft, and even some senseless vandalism,” Wilson sighed.

  “We going to need more patrols, and for that we need gas, which we don’t have.”

  “Again, we’ll talk about gas after the meeting,” Roland noted. “What else might help?”

  “Well,” Wilson scratched his head, “we could station Sergeant Drake’s men around the county, to help--”

  “That’s a no go,” Roland shook his head before Drake could speak up. “They have to have a civilian police officer with them at all times when they’re doing t
he patrols, or enforcing any laws.

  That’s from On High, and it’s not amenable.”

  “Have you considered a posse, sir?” Drake asked, drawing a few chuckles.

  “I’m serious,” Drake informed them, his glare cutting across the laughs. “It’s a legitimate law enforcement tool. Assigning volunteer or reserve deputy status to trusted members of the community to help in situations just like this one. You have the power and authority to do that, sir.”

  “Are you sure?” Wilson asked, skeptical.

  “I am,” Drake nodded firmly. “And with men spread throughout the county, you can reduce your patrols some as well. Equip the deputies with radios, and let them call you only when it’s something they can’t handle. All you have to do is write up their op orders for them to follow in the field.”

  “Wait. What?” Wilson was lost.

  “Rules of Engagement,” Jesse provided. “You need a list of things they can deal with, and another of things where they need to notify you at once. Some things can be dealt with using citations and maybe get a judge around once a month to deal with them. No one’s got money to pay fines with, anyway, so most of its gonna be community service.”

  “And you can use that to get help to the elderly or shut-ins who can’t help themselves,” Jennifer piped up, seeing a way to help at least some of her patients.

  “Hm,” Wilson mused. “That ain’t no bad idea at all,” he decided. “I like it. I’ll see what Judge McCoy says about it. I’m sure he’d like to get things back in some kind of order himself. We’re only holding the worst offenders right now, anyway, since there’s nowhere to send anyone, even if they had a felony conviction. We’ve got to get some semblance of a justice system started back, and soon.”

  “All well and good, but that’s not really something we should be involved in,” Roland moved to get the meeting back on track. “Anyone have anything else that concerns us, or our area?”

  “One more thing, Sheriff,” Drake spoke up, “You should appoint at least one person here as a reserve deputy. Then, we can roll out from here to answer calls with him if there’s a real problem.”

  “Yeah,” Wilson seemed intrigued, and glanced at Roland.

  “Not a chance,” Roland said at once. “Besides, since I’m technically Drake’s commanding officer and in active service for the duration, I don’t qualify. Neither does Jesse. Come to think of it, Vaughn, Mack, and Angie won’t either,” Roland frowned.

  “Figures,” Wilson sighed.

  “What about Tom Mackey?” Jesse asked.

  “He still stayin’ here?” Wilson asked.

  “Yes,” Roland nodded.

  “Well, he’d make a fine one for sure, if he’ll do it,” Wilson nodded. “Reckon I’ll talk to him after this.”

  “Which brings me back to my original question, does anyone have anything else?” Roland looked around. “Then we’re adjourned,” he declared, when no one answered. “Tom, about the fuel? Ralph is cooking up some, uh, fuel additive, of sorts.”

  “Fuel additive, huh?” the sheriff grinned. “First time I’ve ever heard that turn of phrase used for shine. And I thought I’d heard them all,” he laughed.

  “Well, if there’s others in the county that can, uh, cook, I guess, you should get them on it,” Roland suggested. “Ralph says it’ll work just fine for gas in engines that are properly maintained.”

  “Good idea,” Wilson agreed. “Should have already done it, but. . .well, hell, it’s kinda hard to remember that some things are okay, now, that weren’t. Spent my whole career fighting drugs and illegal stills, and now there’s pot growing everywhere, and I’m encouragin’ it,” he shook his head.

  “Yeah,” Roland was sympathetic. “Still, we’ve got to adapt. Only way we’ll get back to some kind of normal. Someday.”

  “Normal,” Wilson tried the word out. “Don’t even remember what it was like, no more,” he said wearily.

  “Tom, you need to get some of the other people with this county involved in some of this,”

  Roland suggested. “You can’t do it all and still do your own job.”

  “I know, but. . .too many won’t help, some can’t, and the few that can want armed guards, cars, radios, protection for their homes, and a whole lot o' other stuff I can’t give ’em,” the sheriff sighed, “And, since they ain’t gettin’ paid no more, I guess they don’t have any obligation to do their jobs,” he shrugged. “That leaves me.”

  “They swore an oath,” Roland pointed out. “One that’s still in effect,” he added.

  “Try gettin’ them to admit that,” Wilson snorted. “Anyway,” he stood up slowly. “I’ll make another stab at it, I reckon. Can’t hurt.”

  “You need to take a day off, too,” Roland advised. “Maybe a weekend.”

  “There’s always something needs doin’,” the other man shook his head.

  “You’ve got deputies, let them deal for two days. Anyone has a problem that someone else used to handle, send the problem to that person. Let them handle it.”

  “Wish it were that easy.” A tired grin.

  “It is that easy,” Roland told him. “If they won’t do it, remind ’em we’re under martial law, and you’re a lot nicer than I am.” Wilson gave him a shocked look. That slowly gave way to a nasty grin.

  “Now that’s something I can use,” he cackled, heading for the door with Roland. “I think I just might do that.”

  “You need support, you let me know.” Outside the room, one of the passing children fell into a round of coughing. Roland patted him gently on the back.

  “You okay, buddy?” he asked. The boy, all of five, looked up at him, and nodded.

  “Yes, sir,” he replied quietly.

  “Okay, then. If that cough keeps up, you tell Miss Jennifer, okay?”

  “Yes, sir.” Another nod.

  “Good deal.” The boy went on his way, and Roland watched him, smiling.

  “You’re pretty good with them,” Tom noted.

  “Not like I should be,” was Roland’s only reply.

  -

  Roland ate supper with Maria, which had become their common practice. They couldn’t always eat breakfast or lunch together, but baring emergency they made a commitment to always take their evening meals together.

  “It would seem that as people grow less afraid, they grow bolder,” Maria noted that evening.

  “Don’t they just?” Roland snorted. “It’s not like we don’t have a million problems. It’s all ‘me, me, me’. I…I can almost understand it, I guess. I mean, we’ve got it a lot better than some.”

  “And we’ve worked hard for it, too,” Maria replied, a little defensive.

  “Yes, we have, and made too many sacrifices,” Roland agreed. “Thing is, since Thomas hung this county’s military district on me, now I have to try and deal with a lot of those issues too. I guess,” he leaned back, thinking, “I really need to get out more. See what’s what, you know?”

  “But what about here?” Maria asked. “You’re needed here, Roland!”

  “Not really,” Roland shook his head. “I mean, this place runs itself, mostly. All of you know what to do without me telling you. Most of you do better without me telling you. There’s no reason I need to be here day in and day out for the school to function. And, I really should be taking a more active role in helping make changes. I don’t like it, but I can’t really tell Thomas no, either. He helped me a whole bunch, and not just with supplies and equipment, either.”

  “I know,” Maria nodded. “It just seems unfair,” she added, sadly.

  “Well, maybe,” Roland shrugged. “But then, there’s a whole bunch o’ ‘not fair’ goin’ around,

  right now, too.” He thought about it for a minute.

  “I think tomorrow I’ll borrow Tom Mackey and take a turn around. First stop’l be Turnbow’s, I

  think, to make sure we’re on the same page about them helping with the canning.”

  “Thank you,” Maria smil
ed, but it faded quickly.

  “Hey, now, don’t get all serious on me,” Roland teased. “Makes you feel better, I’ll take Mack and Angie, as well. Nice and safe. Drake and his men will be here all day tomorrow, so there’s no safety problem. Plus, Vaughan, James, and Susan will still be here. So will Jesse, since there’s no med run tomorrow.”

  “It’ll be fine,” he promised.

  “If it will be fine, then there’s no reason I can’t go with you,” Maria said evenly. Roland looked at her a minute, and then smiled.

  “No reason at all,” he replied. “We’ll take Vaughan with us instead of Mack and Angie. How ‘bout that?”

  “I think that sounds like a wonderful day,” Maria smiled.

  Behind them, one of the children coughed.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  Tom Mackey had agreed to Wilson’s offer, albeit reluctantly. So it was in his new official capacity that he went with Roland on his ‘turn around town,’ as Roland was calling it. Anticipating being away most of the day, a cooler was placed in the back of the Hummer with lunch and water.

  “You’re in charge,” Roland took great pleasure in telling Jesse. “Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” he added with a grin.

  “What does that rule out?” Jesse asked. “We’ll be fine. You deserve a day off, anyway.”

  “It’s not a day off,” Roland informed him. “With my ascension to the lofty heights of greatness, I need to start being seen a bit out in the county. There’s a lot of stuff not gettin’ done, and Wilson’s got to have some help. These people are gonna have to get with the program or get out of it, know what I mean?”

  “I get ya,” Jesse nodded. “Anyway, we got this. Get on outta here. Officers give me allergies anyway. Sir.”

  “You’ll pay for that,” Roland warned grimly, “When you least expect it.”

  “Go already!” Jesse laughed.

  -

  “Where to first, Tom?” Vaughn asked as driver. Roland had intended to drive, but Vaughan wouldn’t hear of it.

  “Officers don’t drive with an enlisted man in the vehicle.”