But it had never been smooth sailing for this group. As was always the case, things were running too smoothly. The group was becoming too complacent. And it was time for events to transpire that would change all that.
Just as it always did.
Helen was manning the security desk on the afternoon when Marty Haskins came to call.
“John, Frank, Mark, there’s a big rig that’s stopped dead in its tracks on Highway 83, right before our turnoff.”
“Helen, this is John. Can you see how many people are in it? And is it towing a trailer?”
“No. I can’t see inside the cab. And yes, it has a big white trailer behind it.”
“Helen, sound the alarm. Get the noncombatants to the shelter and everyone else to their battle stations. I’m on my way.”
Helen sounded the alarm, which went screeching loudly throughout the compound. It was a different siren than the fire alarm, but they’d practiced both enough times to be able to instantly tell which was which and what actions to take for each.
Every man, woman and child immediately dropped what they were doing and went immediately to their designated battle station or meeting point.
Those who had no radios, or who weren’t paying attention, prayed that it was only a drill.
Those who heard Helen and John’s conversation knew better.
On Highway 83, Marty Haskins leaned out of the cab of his big rig and pondered the small paved road disappearing into the woods.
He was trying to remember if this was the unmarked road he took to the compound the last time he paid Mark and Bryan a visit. The highway was dotted with such roads. Many led to ranch houses or campgrounds. Some belonged to utility companies and were once used for line maintenance and access to water and oil wells and the like.
And they pretty much all looked alike.
But Marty thought this was the one, and he swung the eighteen wheels onto it, secretly hoping he didn’t encounter an angry rancher who greeted strangers with a shotgun.
Helen passed on the updated information.
“He’s turned off the highway and is driving very slowly up our road. I can see into his truck now. There’s only one man, the driver, unless others are hiding in the sleeper cab.”
John and Frank both arrived at the security desk as she was finishing her update.
John took the mike and asked, “Bryan, Mark, Brad, are you armed and in position?”
“Brad, in position.”
“Mark, in position.”
“Bryan, in position.”
“Good. Remember, you guys, in addition to the sleeper, they could be hiding in the back of the trailer.”
Mark answered for all of the sharpshooters.
“10-4. We’ll watch out for them.”
John continued to watch the monitors to see the truck’s progression, as well as to see if any other vehicles came up the highway.
“Sami, Sarah, is everyone else in the shelter?”
“We’re taking a head count now, Dad.”
“10-4. Let me know when everyone’s accounted for.”
John, Helen and Frank watched as the truck disappeared behind a stand of trees, then came back into view on a different monitor twenty seconds later.
Frank, who was almost as experienced in security matters as was John, asked, “Have you ever thought about removing that stand of trees? Or at least installing another camera out there so you have an uninterrupted view?”
“To be honest, Frank, it never occurred to me. But it’s a hell of an idea. And you’re right. That would make an excellent blind spot for our guy in the truck to drop off some accomplices. I’ll talk to Mark and Bryan and see if they can head up a detail to do that.”
Sami came back on the radio.
“All present and accounted for, Dad.”
“Thank you, sugar.”
The tension continued to build until the truck drew almost to the wall at the east end of the compound.
Then John keyed his mike and said, “I think he’s a friendly. But everybody hold your positions for now.”
The driver applied his air brakes and stepped out of the blue Kenworth, and there was no longer any doubt.
“It’s our friend Marty, from the truck stop. Anybody want to volunteer to go greet him?”
Mark said, “I will, if someone can come up to the northeast blind and relieve me.”
“Jason, can you head up to the roof and relieve Mark?”
“10-4, John.”
“Sami, can you dispatch one person to the gate to let Mark out? Make sure they have a radio and know not to open the gate until we give them the all clear.”
“10-4. Hannah’s on her way out.”
“The rest of you stay on alert. I think we can trust Marty, but there’s always the possibility he’s here under duress.”
As he issued the warning, he continued to watch the monitors for any sign of movement on the highway or aggressors exiting the truck.
Mark called in.
“Okay, I’m at the gate.”
Helen said, “Okay, Hannah, it’s all clear. Go ahead and let him out. Stand by to let him back in.”
Hannah said, “10-4.” Then she opened the gate, kissed her husband, and said, “Be careful, honey.”
Marty Haskins waited patiently, slowly pacing back and forth in front of the high wall. He knew he’d been seen on the surveillance cameras, and that someone would be coming out to see him soon.
He was looking forward to seeing his friends again, but wished it was under different circumstances.
Chapter 17
Marty smiled broadly as Mark walked around the corner of the wall.
“Hello, my friend. It’s good to see you again,” he said as he held out his hand.
“Hello, Marty. How have you been?”
“I can’t complain. Hell, it doesn’t do any good to complain anyway, so why bother?”
“True statement if I ever heard one. Is this a social call? Can you stay for dinner?”
“Well, it’s partly social, and to be honest, I’m here to ask a favor. And yes, I’d love to stay for dinner if it’s not too much trouble.”
“Well, I think I can speak for Helen and the rest of the kitchen staff when I say it’s no problem. Wanna bring your truck in?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact, I do. It’s full of stuff that Lenny and I thought you guys might like.”
“Really?”
Mark smiled. His curiosity was officially piqued.
“I’m gonna have to ask for your permission to inspect the sleeper cab and the trailer. John and Frank would kill me if I let you drive a truck into the compound without knowing what was in it.”
“I expected as much, Mark, and don’t mind at all. Feel free to check it out.”
Mark opened the passenger side door and stepped inside just long enough to peek behind the curtain into the cab’s sleeper compartment. There was no one there.
He walked the length of the fifty three foot trailer with Marty at his side. Marty opened up the back, and Mark let out a slow whistle.
There, sitting on the wooden floor at the very back of the trailer, were two cases of 1976 Eifel Spatlase wine.
Hannah’s favorite.
“Marty, Marty, Marty. It looks like I owe you a big debt of gratitude.”
“Hey, it’s no problem, Mark. Just because I don’t have a woman of my own now doesn’t mean I don’t remember how the game is played. When Mama is happy, everybody is happy. Especially Papa.”
He smiled a knowing smile.
Mark grabbed the stainless steel pull bar on the end of the trailer and hefted himself up. He walked down the center aisle, admiring the cargo and at the same time making sure no one was hiding behind it.
“Wow, you really hooked us up,” he said as he saw case after case of liquor, wine, cigarettes, medical supplies, and other things some in the compound had been clamoring for.
“I didn’t know how Debbie and David, our medical people, will feel a
bout bringing cigarettes into the compound. Our smokers ran out months ago and had to give up the habit. Debbie and David would probably rather keep the camp smoke free.”
“We can leave those on the truck if you want to.”
“No. It should be a decision of the group. We’ll unload them but keep them separate from everything else. I’ll bring it up at our next tribal meeting and let the camp vote on whether to stay smoke free.”
“Understand. Do you see a problem with anything else I’ve brought you?”
Mark picked up a case of Snickers bars, and looked at the case of M&Ms behind it.
“No, I think you’ve done a good job of providing something for everyone, regardless of their particular vices. But can I ask you why?”
“Why what?”
“Why you’re going through so much trouble to butter us up?”
“What? I can’t bring gifts to an old friend without being suspected of trying to butter him up?”
Mark eyed him suspiciously.
“You don’t believe this is just a token of good will?”
Mark continued to eye him suspiciously.
“How about this is payback for the cattle and pigs and chickens and seeds you brought to us and to Farmer Mason?”
Mark suspicious gaze still didn’t waiver.
“Okay, okay. I guess I’m way too transparent. The truth is, I’ve got a major favor to ask of you and your people. And yes, I was hoping this stuff would butter them up a little bit.”
Mark finished his inspection and jumped to the ground.
“Well, let’s get this into the compound and get it unloaded, and then we’ll get down to business.”
Chapter 18
“Good evening everyone. I know that most of you are still eating, but I wanted to mention a couple of things before you started to disappear.”
Every head in the dining room turned to look at Mark.
“For those of you who didn’t get a chance to meet him, our friend Marty Haskins has joined us for dinner tonight. Please make a point to shake his hand before he leaves to thank him for all the goodies he brought with him.
“Also, on a side note, Marty has asked if he could address the group on a matter of great importance. I’ve already spoken with the elders and they’ve agreed to call an emergency meeting immediately following the meal. There will be issues addressed which will require at least one, and perhaps several votes. We’ll need at least seventeen of you to have a quorum. Please stay for the meeting or give proxy to someone you trust to vote on your behalf.”
He sat back down and most of the rest of the group went back to eating their dinner. A few, though, no longer had an appetite. The seemed to sense a dread in the air, and wanted the others to finish their meals so they could find out what was going on.
Normal conversation ceased, replaced by hushed whispers: What’s going on? Now what kind of trouble is brewing? Haven’t we been through enough?
Despite his desire not to, Mark had done a very effective job of ruining everyone’s dinner.
After the last of the dinner plates had been taken to the kitchen, the kitchen staff stopped what they were doing, dried their hands, and took their seats at the empty tables in the back of the room. Sami had scurried off to the security center to see if Helen wanted to be relieved, and Helen said no.
“I’ve had more than enough bad news lately. I trust you. You have my proxy, and my permission to vote as you think I would.”
Sami returned and took her seat, and the meeting came to order.
Mark stood up.
“I could try to explain the situation that Marty wants to tell you about, but all I know are the basics he has shared with me and the elders. Perhaps it’s better you hear directly from Marty himself.”
Marty stood up and looked first at Mark, then to the group.
“Thank you, Mark. And thank you so much for the people who prepared this fine meal. To say it was the best meal I’ve had in eight years would not be an exaggeration.
“I so much appreciate your hospitality, and I hate to dampen the occasion with a request for your help. But I really have nowhere else to turn.
“The city of Eden is under siege. It has been for awhile now. I think you already knew that the prison was opened up just before Saris 7 hit the earth, by a soft hearted warden who didn’t want to see the prisoners starve to death while locked in their cells.
“If the warden had known what would become of the city of Eden he might have had second thoughts.
“We’ve had several visitors to the truck stop over the last few weeks who have told us that a couple of dozen of the prisoners are still in the town, and have taken very effective control of it.
“Many of the city’s residents have already been murdered. Many others have fled to neighboring towns.
“Those who are left are being controlled by a madman with an iron fist. His name is Willaker. He was the baddest of the bad when he was incarcerated, and from the accounts we’ve heard, he’s gotten even more brutal since the freeze.”
Steve stood up at the back of the room and asked, “Pardon me, sir, but how exactly does all of this affect us?”
Mark interjected.
“Please, let our guest finish. There will be plenty of time for questions afterwards.”
Marty went on.
“The situation is dire. As I said, many of the residents have already been murdered. The men that are left are forced to gather food for the gang, and are under constant threat that their loved ones will be murdered if they don’t do so.
“The women and the children are confined to their homes, never allowed outside, for fear they’ll try to run away.
“The women are made to cook and clean for the men, and to take care of their sexual needs. The gang seems to take great delight in gang raping the women in front of their husbands and children. And, I’m sorry to say, some of the children have been abused as well.”
He choked up, unable to go any farther.
David asked the most obvious question.
“Why haven’t the men fought back?”
It took Marty half a minute to regain his composure. Then he said, “In the beginning, some of them did. They were shot dead. Then the gangs were able to confiscate all the town’s weapons. House by house, they demanded the guns and ammunition. Then they searched each home to make sure nothing was held back. If they found something, they murdered the entire family as punishment. Word got around quickly, and after that happened a couple of times, the others complied.
“Some were lucky enough to have escaped early on. Then Willaker’s men started patrolling the roads. They turned people back and said they weren’t going anywhere. That the penalty for trying to escape was death.
“I’m told that north of Eden, on Highway 87, there’s a car with five dead bodies in it, blocking the center lane. They pulled alongside it one night and opened fire. Killed an entire family inside of it. Then left them there to rot, and as a warning to others to head back while they still could.”
Sarah asked, “Pardon me for asking, Marty. But you seem to be taking this particularly hard. Do you have any friends or relatives in Eden?”
“Honestly, no. I’ve learned what I know from some who were lucky enough to have escaped alive, or from a couple of men who Willaker’s gang allows to come to the truck stop for supplies. My main goal is freeing these people and administering some manner of justice to those who have wronged them. After all, we are all human beings. Human beings who have been through so much already. These people have already been through hell, only to survive and have to go through something like this. It just isn’t right.”
Karen stood. She had a good heart, and she was touched. Not only by the plight of Eden’s citizenry, but also the genuine concern Marty had for total strangers.
“Isn’t there any law in Eden?”
“No. The law scattered just like everybody else just before the meteorite hit. Scattered or committed suicide or lit out for Mexico. A
few of the men in town tried to form a new police force and were gunned down in cold blood for their efforts.”
“What about the Army? They’re still active. We’ve had first hand dealings with them, not long ago.”
“I’ve already been to San Antonio, and met with a general named Baker. He said he’d like to help, but the Army only has one battalion of about twelve hundred men to cover the whole state of Texas. And that they’re not in a security role. Their orders are to avoid disputes with the civilian populace and let them provide their own law and order. They are prohibited from being involved.
Brad asked, “Just what are you proposing, Marty?”
“I’m not really proposing anything, Brad. I know you folks have been through hell yourselves, a couple of times. It wouldn’t be fair to ask you to go rescue people you don’t even know, at risk to yourselves.
“All I’m doing is telling you that I’m building a posse to go in and clean up Eden. I’m looking for volunteers. I’m not just telling you folks. In telling others I know in Kerrville and Junction too.
“And I want you to know that I wouldn’t blame any of you if you told me to go straight to hell. Like I said, I know you’ve fought long and hard to get to the place you are now. You deserve the chance to relax.”
“When are you going in?”
“We’re going to meet at the truck stop west of Eden at oh six hundred on Thursday. We know where most of the gang lives, and our plan is to hit as many of them as possible, and disable as many of their vehicles as we can. We want to send them a message that they can no longer ride roughshod over the town. Maybe strike the same fear into their hearts as they’ve put into others.”
“Is it okay if we discuss this among ourselves after you leave? I think some of us would be more comfortable debating this thing outside your presence.”
“Of course. And I certainly understand.”
“When we make our decision, we’ll send someone up to the Trucker’s Paradise and let you know.”
“Don’t bother doing that. Just tell everyone who wants to help to meet up at the rendezvous point on Thursday morning. We’ll break everybody up into teams and give each of them an assignment. We already have photos of the culprits, taken by a very brave man with a small digital camera. We’ll also have maps to get our teams to their last known locations.
The Army Comes Calling Page 7
