by Chris Hechtl
“That camera you destroyed was government property you know,” she said.
He shrugged and then snorted. “So bill me.”
“I will. You can count on it,” she warned. The negotiator gave her a warning look.
He waved to the house. “All right, let's get this farce over with. Up that away is the old farm house. We're there for the summer. Let's go meet the kinfolk,” he said. He moved off while the newcomers hesitated. Kelly motioned for them to follow.
Casey caught up to him. “Nice,” she observed as they climbed the stone steps up the hill to the front walk.
He chuckled softly, giving her a sidelong look. “It keeps the snow and rain out,” he said and then paused at the door. “FYI, I, Robert, the kids, and my father are the only singles here; everyone else is married. Don't hit on anyone; their spouses are liable to hit back.”
“The kids of course are single,” he said as the so-called social worker opened her mouth. “Like I told the sheriff, we ain’t that redneck. No one marries till they are 18 or older, and Robert is our only 17-year-old. He's still young so be nice,” he said as he waved them inside.
They toured the public areas, including a school room. The class snuck peeks at the unwelcome visitors; some gave decidedly hostile looks.
“How many kids?” Casey asked.
Walker couldn't help but smile as he ruffled a boy's hair. “Enough. Some would say too many; the squirts are constantly underfoot and getting into mischief.” he ruffled the hair of a cousin who tried to kick his shin. It glanced off, not enough to do too much damage but enough to sting. He growled playfully as the kid scampered out of reach then turned and stuck his tongue out.
Casey giggled as he rubbed his shin. “I guess he told you,” her voice burbled. He grimaced but then chuckled.
“Little imp. I'll toss him in the pool next time I get,” he mock growled. She laughed as the kid spun and stuck out his tongue once more.
“Promise?” Ian demanded. Walker just rolled his eyes and urged them on.
======+======
Sheriff Casey and the agent turned camera operator noted kids playing, people laughing, cooking, and enjoying their chores and pantry despite the siege. The agent social worker asked everyone questions. Miss Alverez just listened.
Most of the people were hostile but tried to be civil in front of the camera. Apparently they were under orders to behave so the surliness at the intrusion and stupid questions was reduced to veiled sarcasm and dirty poisonous looks.
Casey for her part managed to relax and enjoy the meal with the family. The corn on the cob was quite excellent, fresh right off the field, or so she was told. She could believe it. She couldn't help it; despite her position she bonded with Walker. She felt immensely attracted to him. He had a presence; it was a charm, not just his leadership that got to her. He oozed masculinity too, and she was very much aware that she was vulnerable to it.
“You know this isn’t going to go well. Eventually it will end,” she said to him softly.
He nodded. “I'm not Koresh, but if that is what it takes to protect my people and keep them free …,” he said sadly. She looked to him with pity, saddened as well.
“As long as you are free … don't go there. Where there is life there is hope,” Miss Alverez said, eying him.
He nodded, cold sober. He was fully aware of her attempt to manipulate him and his people psychologically, to prey on their instincts to protect their kids. “I am a patriot, ma'am. A bit of a historian too. Give me liberty or give me death. “Live Free or Die” may be the motto in New Hampshire, but it works here too,” he told her grimly. She grimaced. “A lot of men have said that over the years. Mel Gibson did it in Braveheart, but our own founding fathers did it too.”
“It's so melodramatic and permanent,” she said eying him. “Where there is life there is hope, I would think. Hope for the future.”
He shook his head. “All in or walk away from the table. I'm not going to rot in some prison tanked up and treated like a damn bull, milked for my semen, bought and sold,” he growled. She winced but then nodded in sympathy.
“Sometimes you have to stand up for what you believe in, miss. It's how this country was founded. It's time some people were reminded of it.”
They left and saw kids playing tag in a grove of trees nearby. The camera crew were allowed to film over their shoulders as they left the area. They didn't know when the camera was remotely shut off. Nor did they know that the skilled tech team were hard at work editing their footage.
Near the defenses they were forced to put the camera away and were hooded to keep them from seeing much. The camera was confiscated, but they were given the flash card. Walker put it in Casey's palm and then closed her hand around it. “Until we meet again, beautiful lady.”
She blushed and preened internally as he let her go and retreated.
======+======
Once they were outside the farm perimeter, the camera agent confiscated the flash card and gave the digital film to the waiting agents. They briefed the agent in charge with curse descriptions of the compound. The sheriff was disgusted as she sipped her coffee, mostly listening and only rarely objecting to one slighted observation or another. She was asked if it was all a sham. “Of course,” the lead agent said.
They immediately went out and called a press conference. The camera woman went on to describe inhuman conditions with the children starving. The sheriff rolled her eyes and shook her head as they used footage from during the chaos of the collapsed time, edited into what they had taken inside the farm.
“Oh lovely,” Casey murmured. “This is not going to end well. He is going to be pissed,” she murmured to Miss Alverez.
“We can use that.”
“You were supposed to build trust—to get him to trust you. You lied. Going in, getting out. And now this. He's going to show that to the world too.”
“No he won't. We need the public on our side.”
“Watch him,” Casey said as the press conference concluded. She looked over her shoulder to see agents trying to draw maps of the compound. They are already trying to make a shoot house she realized in dismay.
Walker was ready. As soon as the press conference concluded, he called his own. He had already been uploading footage to the media. Now he refuted everything they had said with raw camera footage of the crew and sheriff taking the tour with him.
Casey nodded when she saw the agents clustered around monitors to watch the video. “Good. Good for him. Walker, you knew this was coming and you caught them in their own snare. Their own pack of lies,” she smiled sweetly as the lead agent snarled.
“Get her out of here. You aren't needed,” the agent said, pointing to Casey and then to the door.
“A pleasure,” Casey said sarcastically, moving out.
Casey didn't have to get far before she was ambushed by media hounds in the parking lot. When asked on camera, she told the truth, angering the lead agent. The agent radioed her to come back in.
Casey snorted and came in to face the music. “Just whose side are you on?” the agent stormed afterward.
“The public. And the truth,” the sheriff answered simply.
“Well, guess what, princess, you're fired. Turn in your badge and your gun, and don't let the door hit your pretty ass on the way out,” she snarled.
Casey blinked then her nostrils flared. Her hands went to her hips making the agent back up warily, suddenly aware the woman was armed. “You can't fire me, bitch. I'm the duly elected sheriff of this area. You are a federal agent, not my boss. If you want to fire me, go to the people or try it with the governor. See how well that plays out in the press,” Casey threw over her shoulder as she walked out. The agent snarled at that.
“Get me a phone number to the governor's office,” the agent ordered.
======+======
Attorneys came forward with lawsuits on the farm's behalf. Proposals for group marriage were also submitted, and intervention from variou
s governments were offered. Even celebrities got into the act.
“Is this all just smoke and mirrors?” Eric asked. “A distraction? Something to get us to lower our guard?”
“Maybe, or efforts to end this mess without a shot fired. I dunno. I don't care; I ain’t buying it.” Walker sighed, running a rueful hand through his hair. He eyed the information request. “They want to know how many people are here. That tells us one big thing right there.” One finger drummed on the subpoena.
“An attempt to get as much information as they can? To hit as many birds with the one stone? Distract, lower our guard, Get us to negotiate …” Eric nodded, face closing in disgust.
======+======
“Any changes on your side? Walker, no one wants to hurt you fellas. Honest.”
“A paranoid is only insane if no one is chasing them,” he smiled as he talked to Casey over the radio network. He had to admit, he liked her voice. Kind of furry sometimes. Lilting and seductive when she got coy and teasing. Mesmerizing. He had to shake himself from time to time and keep the talks short though. He could go all day just listening to her.
“Obviously not so here,” she said dryly.
He snorted. “Yeah, tell me about it. But if you expect me to run around with a tinfoil hat you've got another thing coming. Ever see the television show The Pretender? Not happening. Mom and dad didn't raise no fool.”
Casey chuckled. The negotiator nodded.
“So, Walker, what's your plan for this? Exit strategy?” she asked.
He snorted. Like he was going to tell her! “Plan?” he snorted again, this time for her benefit. “Well, we've got beets to sow tomorrow, two tractors are down, Eric's got to machine a replacement part or two, Kelly has a harvest in one of the greenhouses, and oh, we've got a bunch of Fed widgets running around the hills trying to sneak in on the flank. Right now, I'm trying to figure out a way to keep things nonlethal,” he said with a dire hint in his voice.
“It seems like a busy day,” Casey snorted. The negotiator was distracted by an agent with a report. “I'd like to see you again,” she said softly, turning away to gain a modicum of privacy. “Mary and Sharon send their regards.”
He couldn't help but smile. It was all an act he told himself, but she sounded legit. At least he could pretend it was. After a moment he realized he'd waited too long and then cleared his throat “Yeah. Tell them to take care. I've got a busy day tomorrow; let me see if I can pencil you in for dinner.” He chuckled. “We may have some cleaning up to do first though before we take on a guest.”
She laughed throatily. The negotiator taps at her own chest. “Ah, can I bring a guest of my own?” she asked tentatively and reluctantly.
He raised an eyebrow. “Let me guess, Miss Negotiator, standing next to you wants in?” he asked amused.
Instinctively, Casey glanced at the negotiator. “Um, ah …”
“Go ahead and put her on,” he said gruffly. He resented the interruption.
Casey resented the interruption and intrusion as well, but she dutifully held out the mike. “Ma'am? It's for you,” she said in a neutral voice.
The negotiator nodded as she gingerly took the microphone. “This is Franchescha Alverez,” she said, her voice dropping into a seductive contralto. Many men had fallen for it over the years. She was fairly confident this one would as well, even if he was married. “Can, ah … I …”
“Can you come and eyeball the situation and the players yourself?” he interrupted her. “It's about time you asked; I was starting to wonder what your game is, young lady,” he snorted.
Miss Alverez turned to look at Casey. The other woman shrugged helplessly.
“I've got your playbook right here. I keep telling you, we've been around the block you know. Doctors, lawyers, nurses, soldiers, mechanics, pilots, farmers, and yes, cops,” he chuckled. “Dad was an EMT, then a deputy sheriff himself a long time ago,” Walker said.
An agent snapped her fingers to another to get her attention. She looked up with a frown. “Check on that; maybe we can use it,” the agent ordered. Miss Alverez nodded. She needed all the intel she could get.
Walker snorted at the open microphone. “I'd be surprised if you didn't have our bios, what little you could get by now. Trying to use whatever psychological ploy to get in,” he said warningly.
The negotiator frowned. “It's not like that,” she said tentatively, knowing she didn't sound right. She looked around and knew she didn't sound convincing.
“No?” he sighed. “You're not very good; you need to watch The Negotiator, a good movie, miss. FYI, the police are allowed to lie to their subjects. It was done all the time back before the virus hit. We know. But in your profession you have to stick to the truth, build up trust, then drop the cage.” He chuckled.
She scowled blackly. Casey took the microphone from her before she could stick her foot further down her mouth.
“Been watching movies, Lost Sheep?” she asked teasingly.
He chuckled. “Yeah, I watched it a long time ago. During the winter it's about the only entertainment there is here; you know that—at least we thought it was. It turns out the women didn't want us to see that the rest of the world was broadcasting again … and what you had done to basic civil rights. Maybe I'll see if we can watch it again on movie night this week.”
“I'll bring the popcorn,” Casey suggested coyly and then chuckled at Miss Alverez's expression.
He snorted. “Nah, I don't eat it. The stuff gets stuck in my teeth. Besides, you'd just use it to throw at me when I talked through the movie,” he teased. She couldn't help herself; she laughed again. She could hear a kid in the background and him talking.
“Ah, I gotta go. It seems someone has selected me to read her a bedtime story. Night all,” he said signing off.
======+======
“Well, that's interesting,” the president said smiling.
“Yes, ma'am. He’s distracted but relaxed. Apparently not under stress or suicidal, ma'am,” the negotiator said over the vid phone.
“We should attack, ma'am,” the lead agent on the scene said from behind Miss Alverez. “At night it would be better; we can get in closer without being seen. We could spray them with gas.”
“No. Not on your life. No one moves without my express order,” the president said. “You can scout, but that's all for now, not unless shots are fired. No one crosses the border without my express say so. Do you understand me, Agent?”
“Yes, ma'am,” the agent ground out with a head nod.
The president turned to the directors of the ATF and Men's Welfare. “Are we clear on this?” she demanded.
“Yes, ma'am. Crystal,” the ATF lady replied and nodded.
“Yes, Madam President,” the director grounded out. So much for getting it over with she thought in disgust. But … better to ask for forgiveness than permission she thought as she left the room. She'd have a quiet word with her people. If someone say, dropped the ball, didn't get the memo, and moved on their own initiative, it would be regrettable, but at least it would be over. They couldn't have as many resources as they said. No way. This had to end and get out of the news cycle.
======+======
The ATF and Welfare tried to use a Global Hawk to distract the farm while a surgical strike commenced on the opposite side to get in. But unknown to them Walker and a few other people on the farm had worked for the military and had a copy of the feed and the IFF.
Flashbangs went off in the tree line, sent out by mortars. They exploded over the insertion team, blinding and deafening them. It let them know they were not going to sneak in; their cover was blown.
The robots pinned and scared off the insertion team into a full retreat. And then, for added measure, Walker used a laser to blind and then shoot down the UAV. Angry, the director again leaned on the general for support.
The altercation and heated discussion earlier had awoken something in the general however. The general did some digging and discovered the tru
th about her son. When she did she resigned, igniting a firestorm of controversy. She went before the cameras and spouted off on live television. “I just resigned. I did so because I just found out the so called Health and Welfare Office murdered my son. He died of an apparent drug overdose. That drug was an aphrodisiac used to make him produce more …,” her face worked. “He died, a cardiac arrest from the drugs. Nothing will bring my boy back. I know that many more of your sons, husbands, and fathers are getting the same treatment or worse. Tortured by our own government. I won't, can't serve a country that does that to its citizens,” she snarled, practically spitting. She was hustled off before she could say more but that only fed the storm of controversy.
Her replacement was an upcoming colonel who was immediately frocked to brigade general. She immediately followed the orders of the president and put a pair of Ospreys and an F-22 Wild Weasel pair on standby.
======+======
Immediately the spin doctors went into damage control to try to spin the story. They let out a statement saying that the former general was overwrought with emotion due to the unfortunate accidental death of her son. The welfare director had a prison doctor talk about the fragile Y chromosome and how the surviving men lost any semen with the Y chromosome intact. “Males born afterward suffer genetic disorders and horrifying defects. Many of the men like Mister Nielson had stress on their cardiac system, which proved fatal despite all attempts to repair the damage. That is why we shield the public by keeping the kids away and in crèches.”
The point-versus-point anchors talked about the problem and the accusations after the statement was concluded. The NBC anchor refuted the charge, pointing to footage of Billy and the other kids at the farm. “We know that's not entirely true. Possibly not true at all. There is the proof, but they won't show it!”
