by Kyle Pratt
“I think your mom is hurting.”
“About what?”
She shrugged. “Your dad getting killed?”
“That was a long time ago and why would that make her drink?”
“Sometimes that’s how people show their hurt…”
Zach shook his head. “A stupid way to do it.”
“…or maybe it’s that Bo guy you’ve told me about. He’s got to be a bad influence.”
Zach nodded. “He’s just bad.” He hugged and kissed her. “I’ve got to go. I’m on the rifle range today.”
“Really? Why the bow then?”
“The guys want to see me shoot it.” As he turned to head into the woods his sister stepped out onto the porch of their trailer. “What’s up, Sis.”
“I thought I’d talk to DeLynn.”
He looked hard at his sister.
“Don’t worry. I won’t tell her you get teary eyed during romantic movies.”
He gritted his teeth.
“Just kidding. Go on, I promise to be good. Unless you want to stay for some girl talk.”
When it came to DeLynn, his first girlfriend, he wasn’t sure he could trust his sister. Mom is sleeping off a bender so at least DeLynn won’t see her. He was apprehensive, but there was little he could do. With a sigh and a wave to both, he trotted into the forest toward the armory.
* * *
Zach turned the compass left and right. “What’s this called again, First Sergeant?”
Fletcher sat on a nearby rock outcropping at the edge of a meadow. “Orienteering.” An amused grin grew on him.
He looked at the map and then at the compass. “I don’t need these things to find my way around here.”
“So, you think you could walk out without getting lost?” Fletcher asked.
Zach nodded and pointed. “That way is north.”
“That’s easy. You can use the sun to figure that out. Which way is the armory?”
“Over there about six miles.” Zach pointed.
Fletcher smiled. “More like seven. Which way to the rally point?”
Zach turned to the side. “Go over the next hill and down to the creek then follow it to where it joins the river. Follow the river upstream to the rally point at the bridge.”
“A roundabout way to get there but, okay, you know where you are.” For several moments the first sergeant gazed at his surroundings with a contented smile. “Come sit with me for a while.”
Zach sat on the rock and admired the view with him, while wondering why he wasn’t in more of a hurry to meet up with the other soldiers.
“Beautiful land isn’t it.”
Zach nodded.
“This parcel connects with the national forest on the south and west. The river goes along the east side.”
“Yeah, great hunting in this area.”
“You’ve hunted on my land?
“Your land?” Zach felt his face flush. “I didn’t know…I’m….”
Fletcher laughed. “I don’t care. Enjoy yourself.”
When Zach’s face felt normal again, he said, “This is a nice place.”
Fletcher pointed. “You can’t see the spot from here, but the meadow goes down to a road. A little creek runs out of the hill to nearby culvert.”
Zach nodded he knew the spot.
“I was going to build a house there before…well, before my marriage ended.”
Embarrassed at the openness of the first sergeant, Zach sat silent for a few minutes. Finally he said, “Shouldn’t we head to the rally point?”
Fletcher shook his head. “No hurry. I told the sergeants to let the new guys get lost for a while.”
* * *
Caden and Brooks sat in the office reviewing plans and rosters.
Suddenly, the sound of gunfire roared.
Brooks stood, stretched, and walked over to the window. “We don’t have a surplus of ammo. Should we be wasting…?”
“It’s not wasted.” Caden interrupted. “I told Fletcher to limit range time, but the soldiers, especially the new ones, need to practice so they’re familiar with their weapons.”
Turning from the window, Brooks nodded. “Did you hear that Durant froze wages and prices today?”
“Yeah, I heard.” Caden leaned back in his chair. “President Nixon attempted a wage and price freeze. It didn’t work then and won’t work now.”
Brooks looked doubtful.
“Since the Roman Emperor Diocletian, rulers have tried it during economic emergencies, but all it does is increase barter and force people into the black market. Some of the states are already moving to nullify Durant’s order.”
“Can they do that?”
Another volley of gunfire thundered.
“Thomas Jefferson thought so, the courts said no, but with the country splitting apart….” He shrugged and then was silent for a moment. “Durant also indexed mortgages to the inflation rate.”
“What does that do?” Brooks asked.
“As inflation goes up so does your mortgage.”
“Then it won’t affect me,” Brooks said, “Unless I decide to buy the armory room I live in. Will it hurt your family?”
“No. When Dad inherited the farm it had a mortgage, but he worked hard to pay it off years ago.”
“Your father was wise.”
“I never thought so when I was growing up. I believed my whole family was a bunch of rural hicks, with some nutty ideas about survivalism, but having the farm and all that is there has been a blessing.”
More shots resounded.
Brooks stared out the window for a moment. “Mortgage indexing might save the banks, but people will be angry when they see what they owe going up and up. I think it will cause more riots.”
“Middle-class homeowners aren’t the rioting type.”
“They already have down at the Salvation Army Church.”
Caden nodded. “Good point. Hunger causes riots. We’re all going to lose weight before the harvest. Freezing prices and indexing mortgages will just anger people even more.”
A myriad of problems and frustrations kept Caden from focusing on the folders and clipboards before him. He tossed the pen on the desk. “Enough paperwork! I’m going to see how the men are doing.”
Caden watched from behind as seven men and one boy fired down range. Zach hit the torso of the man shaped target more often than Caden expected. On the table beside Caden was a bow and quiver. He motioned for the First Sergeant to come to him. “What’s this for?”
“Zach is going to demonstrate it for the men. I figure it’s a good skill for them.”
“How is Zach doing?”
He grinned slightly. “The boy is green, but teachable.”
* * *
Zach dropped a couple of MREs into his backpack.
“They actually pay you with those?”
He nodded. “Part of the pay is money, part is food.”
“If you call that food.”
“It’s not so bad. A lot of people would be glad to have them.”
The soldier shook his head and walked away.
Zach hoisted his pack onto his back, thankful the day was ending. He had spent much of the morning in the woods and shooting on the range. That had been fun, but afterwards the day was mostly cleaning things, rifles, floors and miles of brass and stainless steel.
But his work had started well before dawn, with a cold breakfast in a frigid trailer. He had let Vicki sleep in. Even before the first rays of the sun peeked over the valley he was setting fish traps along two streams. Then, loaded with equipment and fish, it was back to the trailer to change clothes. He smiled as he recalled the meeting with DeLynn in the driveway. I hope Vicki didn’t talk much about me. He made a mental note to pry information about that from his little sister.
With his bow slung across his back, he ran through the forest. The trail was dark, but he knew the way to Hansen and Library Park where his sister would be packing up after a day of selling fish.
&
nbsp; Coming out of the woods, he stopped and took a deep breath. His body ached and cried for rest. Just a little more now. The day is nearly over. Once again at a trot he headed down the sidewalk.
Zach moved against the flow of people at the park. Most were done with the work of surviving the day and now headed home. For him the last chore, helping his sister close down the stall, was still ahead.
He knew the location well and scanned ahead for a glimpse of his sister as he neared. Zach spotted Bo first of all and groaned inwardly. He didn’t want to deal with him tonight. Then the potbellied lowlife turned.
Zach saw that he was holding Vicki by the arm
Bo’s voice was low like a growl, but Zach couldn’t make out the words.
Fear etched Vicki’s face.
Bo raised his free hand.
Vicki cringed.
In a well-choreographed flurry of motion Zach grabbed his bow, nocked, drew and aimed an arrow. “Let go of her Bo!”
A semicircle of wide eyed people formed around the three and was only open on the receiving end of Zach’s arrow.
Fixing his eyes on Zach, Bo raised both arms as if surrendering.
Vicki ran toward her brother.
“Your family owes me for the beverages and other stuff I’ve been providing that mother of yours.”
“We owe you nothing. Keep your hands off my sister and leave.”
“Leave I shall boy, but you owe me the money.” Bo turned and walked into the darkness.
Chapter Fifteen
As he and Vicki packed up their buckets, knives and other items from the booth, Zach felt as if a thousand eyes watched. But whenever he looked, they quickly turned away.
On one shoulder Zach carried his bow and quiver. On the other he heaved the last load of supplies from the fishmonger stall. Together with his sister, he walked from the market. “What exactly did Bo want?”
“He said it was time to pay for the stuff he gave Mom. I said we didn’t have any cash, gold or silver…”
“We don’t…well, not much anyway.”
“Yeah, I said we’re just getting by. But that isn’t what he is after. He wants you to get stuff from the armory.”
Zach paused in surprise and then shook his head.
“That was when you showed up. I’m really glad you did.”
As they walked along the street, Vicki turned toward a wooded lot. Zach stopped her. “Let’s stay in town under the streetlights as long as we can. I’d rather meet Bo here than in or at the edge of the forest.”
As they reached the outskirts of town the lights became few and the one up ahead was out. A skinny dog ran into the shadows. The world was silent except for the sound of a single car.
Zach looked over his shoulder and even in the dim light recognized the gold Cadillac sedan that Bo had won in a poker game. He dropped the duffle bag and readied the bow.
“Let’s run,” Vicki said.
The car pulled past and parked along the curb.
“To late for that, Sis.”
A burly man stepped out from the driver’s side and then Bo exited from the back. “Hey boy, did your sister tell you about my business offer?”
“That I steal stuff for you? Yeah, she did.”
“It’s more than that. I want….”
“Don’t touch my sister,” Zach growled.
Bo smiled. “Sorry about that. My business partners are eager to move this endeavor forward.” He took a deep breath. “This could be a profitable venture for both of us. I need someone inside the armory to provide information, gun parts, ammo, brass, magazines and the like. You will be paid well.”
“You do know they lock those things in a vault, don’t you?”
“You’re a bright boy, you could figure something out. Just imagine, no more fishing. You can buy your food and whatever else you want.”
He sighed. No more fishing. No more eating fish.
“Zach?” his sister said softly.
He turned and smiled at her. She seemed to be able to read his mind at times like this and pull him back from the worst that he could be. “Don’t worry, sis.” Looking at Bo he shook his head. “No.”
“Your mom has been getting more than booze from me these last few weeks. In a day or so she’ll beg you to cooperate with me.
Like a volcano, rage rose through him and boiled over. He snapped the bow to the ready.
The burly man pulled a gun.
Vicki screamed, “No!”
“Let’s all just calm down,” Bo spread his arms. “Think about my offer. I’ll be by in a day…or so.”
As the two men stepped back to the car, Zach said, “I’ll never do business with you.”
“I’m asking now. Next time I won’t.”
As the car pulled away Zach said to Vicki, “Come on, let’s hurry. I have a lot of questions for Mom.”
When the two got home their mother was sitting on the floor rocking back and forth and staring at the fire in the woodstove.”
“Mom, we need to talk,” Zach said.
She shook her head and rocked even faster.
Scattered on the floor were several pill bottles and small plastic bags. All empty.
Zach stared at the mess on the floor. “Mom, what did you do?”
Tears welled in Vicki’s eyes and she sniffled.
Speaking in a whisper his mother looked at Zach. “Bo told me what he wanted from you. He used me to get at you. This is better.”
Zach dropped to his knees beside her. “No, it’s not.”
“Yes it is.” She said with determination. “On that night, that awful night, we had an offer…someone wanted to buy the store…but your dad didn’t want to sell.” Tears flowed down her cheeks. “I should have been there…I should have been working that shift, but we argued. I said I wasn’t going to work there anymore. I should be dead…me…not him.” She looked at Zach with glazed eyes. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a bad mother. If I could trade places with your dad I would.” She smiled at them and seemed to let go of a deep sadness. “It is better this way.”
For the first time in years Zach hugged her. “No Mom, don’t say that.”
“I’ve wanted to do this for so long.” Her eyes lost focus. “I finally did it.” She collapsed on the floor unconscious.
Moments later Zach banged on DeLynn’s door.
It opened a mere two inches with the chain still latched. “What do you want?” DeLynn’s father said irritably.
Zach gasped for breath. “Please…I need to phone…It’s my mother….”
“No. Get off my property.”
“She’s unconscious…I think she’s dying. We don’t have a phone.”
The older man stared at him with a face of stone. “She probably just passed out! You and your friends stay away from my daughter.”
From inside Zach heard DeLynn’s voice. “Daddy, can’t you see, this is serious?”
He wanted to pummel the man and steal the car, but instead Zach turned and ran downhill across the snow covered lawn toward the next house several hundred yards away.
A mechanical sound caught Zach’s attention as he ran. The garage door of DeLynn’s home creaked up. The Hollister’s red sedan rocketed out, just clearing the bottom of the rising door.
“Come on!” DeLynn shouted. “Jump in.”
He did and together they headed back toward the blue trailer and his unconscious mother.
* * *
Caden drove leisurely through Hansen on his way home. In many ways the street looked normal. Lights were on in homes and businesses. Televisions flickered in some windows. Despite the darkness and cool weather, children played and rode bikes.
However, there were no other cars on the road and many more adults on bikes than he recalled from earlier times. Trash collection was less often now because of gas shortages, so garbage overflowed the bins at many homes. The smell of wood smoke floated in the air.
In the cup holder beside him, his phone rang. He picked it up and saw it was
the sheriff. “What’s up?”
“There’s been a break-in at the school. My deputies are out east of town. Brooks said he would send some men, and that you might be near the school.”
“I’m coming up to it now. I’m just over a block away on Main Street.”
“You didn’t pull over to take my call?”
“Ah….”
The sheriff laughed. “Wait for me. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
The sound of a car engine brought attention that Caden didn’t want, so he parked. He set his phone to vibrate and then stepped from the vehicle. Near the school a dog barked. In the distance came the laughter of children. Otherwise the night was still.
He stood in the shadows a few feet from his car. Another dog barked nearby and then others until a frantic chorus filled the night.
Caden was certain the dogs had detected the break-in. He pulled his gun from the holster and, staying in the shadows, walked gradually forward.
Within seconds he heard a car engine and turned to see the sheriff drive up and park with neither lights nor siren on.
Caden stepped from the shadows.
With a wave of his arm, Hoover motioned for Caden to follow.
Together they ran down the street, turned and crept up an alley.
The sheriff stopped and pointed to the greenhouse behind the school. Caden recalled from his days of attendance that the Future Farmers of America club and various science classes used the large commercial grade structure.
Caden couldn’t see much in the darkness, but then, inside the greenhouse, he saw a beam of light and then another blink on then off.
Flashlights? Turned on and then off? Are people so hungry that they are stealing from the school greenhouse?
Caden looked for anyone on guard, but saw no one.
Hoover whispered, “Take cover there.” He pointed to an old and very wide tree. Then, with his gun at the ready, he moved to a nearby stone fence.
From behind his tree, Caden stared at the door wondering how many were inside. Hoover might have been wondering that also. He seemed content to wait for the soldiers to arrive.
The rattle of boxes and stumbling steps indicated there were at least two people inside.
