“That means people, Allex. Do you want to investigate?” Jim asked cautiously.
“Yeah, I do, Jim. I love yard sales. More than that, I’m curious about what they would be selling. We all know money isn’t worth much anymore.” He turned up the long poorly maintained and rutted road.
A half mile up the road we came to a clearing. There was a large, older clapboard house with a wide covered porch, a barn, a chicken coop—which seemed to be ever popular and accepted now—a few smaller buildings of questionable use, and a very large garden with people working in it. The house itself was sided with a yellow-green vinyl, and the porch hadn’t seen a paintbrush in many years. On the porch sat a couple of women and in front of the porch was a long table. A hand drawn sign that read “for sale or trade” was taped to the edge.
All of the women stood as we pulled in. Jim made his usual turn, faced the Hummer outward and we stepped out.
“Welcome!” one of the women called out. “Come on closer!” The work in the garden had come to a halt. I could now see there were three men doing the hard hoeing and the fourth was a woman with a shotgun. The men quickly got back to work.
We stepped cautiously forward.
“What are you looking for?” the same woman asked pleasantly. As she stepped closer to us, I could see she was in her late forties and graying early. The other two kept a few steps behind her; she was the alpha female of a dominantly female household.
“Oh, we’re not looking for anything in particular,” I said. “I will admit we stopped more out of curiosity. Yard sale signs are not exactly common anymore.”
“Got that right!” she giggled. “We haven’t had a sale all day.” She seemed friendly enough, and wasn’t armed. “Say, how about a trade? Anything on the table for some simple labor. Our men aren’t what they used to be and are having a difficult time swinging an axe. Could your man split some wood for us?” she asked, giving Jim a long look.
The request seemed innocuous. I looked at Jim.
“Is there anything on the table you want?” he asked. I stepped over to the table while Jim hung back and let my gaze slide over the meager items. A pair of earrings caught my attention, as did a bayonet. I like pretty things as much as the next woman, but I’m a practical person at heart.
“Those are real diamonds,” the woman said in my ear. “Worth more than a half hour of splitting wood, but we can dicker.”
Jim took off his shirt and picked up the axe.
“Johnny!” the woman called out. “Get your ass over here and stack the bolts!” Out in the garden a middle-aged man stood, stretching his back and rolling his muscular shoulders in a very familiar way, his bald head shining with sweat. When he turned my heart stood still.
John???
Was this why he never came back? Had he been abducted by some amazon wannabees and held in captivity? The man turned fully and I could see it wasn’t him. My heart was still beating hard as I chastised myself. I was actually glad it wasn’t him. John had left me so many times before I couldn’t have him back in my life.
While Jim split wood, a light sheen emphasizing his muscles, this alpha, Lois, invited me to sit. I noticed the others watching him too.
“It’s good to see more dominant women,” Lois said. “We got tired of being pushed around and forced to do all the hard work while our men sat around drinking beer. Even before the big quake we were organizing to revolt.” She sniggered. “Now the men serve us.”
“I see.” I really did. We had stumbled into a female dominated society and the women were taking revenge on the men for all the suffering they had been through. If they wanted to live their lives that way, that was their choice. We would be leaving soon enough.
“Your man… he’s strong and easy on the eyes. How much do you want for him?” Lois asked. “Maybe those diamond earrings?” Her grin wasn’t evil, it was delusional.
I looked out at Jim, admiring the fluid movements of his body. “Oh, he’s not for sale. I’m going to keep him,” I said, playing for time. I stood and stepped off the porch, picking up the bayonet. I would rather have the only weapon on that table in my hands, not theirs. “Jim!” I called out. “That’s enough.” He sunk the axe deep into the block and grabbed his shirt.
“Think about my offer,” Lois said.
“Will do,” I lied.
“While you’re thinking, why not let us keep him for the night and give him a test drive?” she smirked. I noticed how the other women were now closing in.
“I don’t think so,” I said.
“Jim, we’re leaving now!”
The others were getting way too close to him. I drew my Beretta.
“You touch him, you die,” I said calmly. I know they understood I meant it when they all froze.
*
At the end of the drive Jim turned north.
“What the hell was going on back there, Allex?” he asked, maneuvering around a pothole.
“They wanted to buy you and I wouldn’t sell. Now please, don’t stop until we get back into the restricted area!”
I couldn’t believe I wasn’t shaking. Maybe it was knowing that I would indeed have shot to save him that was keeping me so calm. That or the anger I was still feeling.
CHAPTER 19
It had only been a couple of weeks since we were here at the dam, and what tremendous progress they’d made. We arrived in time to see them install one of several concrete slabs.
“Welcome back, Colonel Andrews, Lieutenant Smeth,” Captain Argyle said. We found him near the new structure on a walkie, giving directions to a hovering Chinook helicopter. A large slab of concrete hung suspended underneath, secured by guidelines trailing down to the dam framework.
We watched in awe and fascination as the Chinook winch lowered its load to within inches of the water, men on either side guiding it into place. It vanished beneath the waves. A few minutes later the winch retracted, and the copter landed behind us.
“What just happened?” I asked Argyle.
“In the past two weeks we’ve built an underwater scaffold that these foot-thick ten by ten foot sections slide into. It seemed the best way to make the strongest blockade to stop the water. There is a team of divers down there right now securing that piece. These slabs we’re using are about the only thing available to withstand the pressure of the water. Each one weighs about seven tons. We started with six inch sheets at three and a half tons each, however that wasn’t even phasing the Chinook’s maximum sling-load capacity, which is thirteen tons, so we made them thicker. They’re holding up exceptionally well. Without being able to divert the water, a poured concrete dam wasn’t practical. These pre-poured slabs are doing the trick and quickly.”
“I gather you found the bottom, Captain?” Jim asked.
“Ah, yes, we were almost there before. The rift bottoms out at two hundred ten feet in the center. The chasm is like a wedge, so we’re not dealing with all of it at two hundred feet. As it is, we need over six hundred of these slabs to completely cover the opening. Fortunately they can be manufactured just a few miles away,” Argyle said. “That little tremor we had earlier was a good test of the framework. It never budged.”
“How far along are you?” I asked.
“We started with the insertions a few days ago. That was number three hundred you saw go in. When they are all in place and the flow is either stopped or slowed enough, we will start backfilling the southern face with rocks and boulders, whatever we can get that will fortify the wall.”
“You’re making good progress. Have you run into any other problems?” Jim asked.
Captain Argyle said, “Yeah. Fish.”
“Fish?”
“Monstrous fish. Have you ever seen a sturgeon, Lieutenant?” he asked.
“Yes, many years ago at my aunt’s cottage on the St. Clair River. It was almost five feet long,” I replied.
“These seem to be rising from the depths off of Munising where it was over fourteen hundred feet deep. The first one we
got pictures of was eighteen feet long, and was guessed to weigh close to five thousand pounds! It scared the crap out of the diver when it got curious. They are relatively passive fish with no teeth, but they look enough like a gator with their bony plates and back ridges to be intimidating,” Argyle said.
I was stunned. “How many have been spotted?”
“At least ten have gone down the river now. Our resident ichthyologist believes the ancient sturgeons are looking for deeper water now, and a new feeding ground. This species has changed very little since prehistoric times.”
Ten? Was that what had bumped me closer to the tree when I fell in the river?
“The sturgeons are huge, however, the Muskellunge are a bigger issue. They’re aggressive,” Captain Argyle said.
“The what?” Jim asked.
“Most people know them as Muskies. The Tiger Muskie is a cross between the muskellunge and a pike. They are almost thirty percent head and all of that is teeth. When that migration started, the divers went down in mesh cages. Those fish are often four feet long. These have been coming in at five and six feet. Muskies have been known to snatch small dogs that are swimming,” Argyle said. “Looks like they’re getting ready for the next drop. You’ll have to excuse me.”
We watched in fascination as the Chinook rose and hovered. On the ground, men scrambled to attach the giant hook to a waiting slab of concrete. The helicopter rose slowly, taking up the slack, and then lifted the seven ton section with ease.
*
“That was amazing to watch, Jim. I’m glad we stopped,” I said when we were once more on the road and heading toward Sawyer.
“I am too,” he said sullenly.
“What’s up, Jim? You have an edge to your voice. What are you worried about?”
“This stop at Sawyer has me concerned. I have a major piece of paperwork to take care of and I can’t be around to fend off questions about your service record. I know Hogan was starting to dig and now that he’s back online I’ve no doubt he’s already been in touch with Kopley about you,” Jim stated. “It won’t take much to find you don’t exist.”
I couldn’t help but grin. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. Kim and Billy took care of that.”
“What do you mean ‘took care of it’?”
“Now, keep in mind they were only trying to help me,” I said, defending my duo. “They created a file for me. A classified file. If anyone tries to access it, they need a very high security clearance, and even then it directs them to a file that says I’ve been assigned to a covert operation. The files are empty, of course, and if further search is done it just loops. I thought it pretty clever of them.”
Jim glanced over at me in disbelief, and then started laughing. “I told you you made a lot of friends there! How did they find out?”
“Quite by accident. They were testing the search engines and used me as the trial. When they found out I didn’t exist within the Army, they didn’t question why. All they were concerned with was that I was protected. Oh, and the files are dated a year ago, so you’re off the hook, Colonel. How long do you think you’ll need to complete whatever it is you need to do?”
“I’m hoping no more than two days. It will depend on Washington,” he replied, slipping back into an introspective mood. The road smoothed out and we arrived at Sawyer AFB an hour later, presenting our military ID at the security gate.
“Welcome back, Colonel, Lieutenant. We’ve been expecting you. I have a message for you from Major Kopley,” the young guard said, handing over a sealed envelope.
Jim parked the Humvee near the barracks building and opened the envelope.
“He wants to see us as soon as we get settled in,” he said after scanning the letter.
“I wonder what’s up?”
“My guess is Hogan has been in touch and he wants to congratulate us.”
“On what?”
Jim smiled. “Point D. Our engagement.”
“Oh.”
Ah, yes, the point A to point D remark I made a few days ago when we left the Soo. There hasn’t been time to even discuss if we wanted to explore points B and C that we jumped right over.
“Are you ready for a bit more role playing, Allex?” he asked gently and with a touch of humor.
“Now that I know what’s going on, I think I can handle it, Jim. Before, it was a surprise and caught me off guard. How far are we going to take this?”
“As far as we need to to keep Kopley at bay,” he said, getting out of the dusty Hummer. “Just don’t flinch when I touch you.” We each grabbed our duffel and headed toward the squat gray buildings that were to be our quarters for the next day or two.
*
“Colonel Andrews! Welcome back, sir.” Major Kopley, extended his hand to Jim.
“It’s good to be back, Steve, though we won’t be staying long,” Jim said to his friend and fellow officer. “I need an office with a secure computer to finish some correspondence.”
“Certainly, Colonel. You can have my office for as long as you need.” Kopley turned to me. “It’s good to see you again, Lieutenant. We’ve been informed about your unfortunate experience. How are you doing?” he asked with sincere concern.
“I’m recovering, Major, thank you. Although there are still a few bruises and broken bones to heal, I’m going to be fine.”
“I must say, during your last stay here you two hid your relationship very well,” Kopley continued. “Dan told me about that too. Congratulations.”
“Thank you. At the time, Steve, there wasn’t much to hide,” Jim stated. “Allex and I have had a great deal of respect and fondness for each other the entire time we’ve been acquainted.”
“The kidnapping changed things. It was an awakening to how we really felt toward each other,” I interjected, which got a surprised look from Jim. “Initially I was told Jim was dead. I hadn’t felt that much grief since my husband died. When he rescued me, well, like I said, things changed.” I smiled up at Jim and said, “Point B.” He looked stunned.
“If you don’t mind, gentlemen, I will leave you to work, and I’m going to find the medic and have my bandages changed.” I walked away with only the slightest limp.
*
The field hospital was easy to find on the base, since it sported a large banner with a red cross on it. Captain Josh Marley looked up from his desk.
“Yes? Can I help you, Lieutenant?”
“Good afternoon, Captain. I need some bandages changed,” I said.
He stood and stepped closer, looking at my face. “By the looks of it, you have a few bruises and contusions also. What happened, Lieutenant? It looks like you’ve been in a fight.”
“I was kidnapped and beaten by a gang of escaped prisoners,” I replied, as matter-of-factly as I could.
“You’re Lt. Smeth? Everyone here has heard about what happened. Please, come in the exam room and have a seat.”
I sat in the chair opposite a rolling stool, which I rightly assumed the medic used. After removing my shoes and socks I sat up on the papered exam table so he could check the healing of my feet. With gloved hands, he cut away the bandages that held my toes together.
“What was the full extent of the injuries?” he asked, not looking up while he turned my foot to examine the bruised soles.
“One broken toe and three dislocated.”
“And the bruising?”
“The soles were whipped with a belt buckle,” I said, straining to maintain my calm.
He glanced up in shock. “How long ago did this happen, ma’am?”
I thought a moment. It seemed like forever, yet not. “About eight days now. I’ve lost track.”
“The bruises on your soles are a fading yellow, which is a good sign. The small toe which was taped I will presume was the one broken. The other three are still bruised, otherwise I’d say we don’t need to wrap those anymore.” He re-taped the broken toe and looked at my face, pressing on the faded spots. “That hurt?” I shook my head.
“You have remarkable healing. Is there anything else?”
“Only my ribs,” I lifted my shirt so he could unwind the ace bandage.
“Holy shit!” he said. “Sorry, ma’am. What happened here?”
“First, I fell in the new river and was swept into a tree. Then while I was held captive, I was punched a lot there because I was already injured. They were pretty sadistic.”
“This bruising isn’t as healed as the rest. Are you having any difficulty breathing?” Capt. Marley asked.
“Only when I try for a deep breath. One of the ribs feels cracked,” I replied while he wrapped a new ace around my rib cage.
He wrote something down on a prescription pad, handed it to me, and wrote again. “I’m limiting you to very light duty, Lieutenant, and suggest you still stay off your feet. Here’s a prescription for some Darvocet. That should help you sleep too.”
“I won’t need the Darvocet,” I said, handing the slip back to him.
“Get it filled, ma’am. That’s an order.”
*
I met up with Jim outside the women’s barracks.
“Are you ready for dinner?” he asked.
“Starving!” I said, taking his offered arm. “I hear its spaghetti night. Too bad we can’t have some of our wine with it.”
“It’s the officers’ mess, Allex, we can do what we want,” he replied, “By the way, that was a convincing speech you gave Kopley. I almost believed it myself!”
“It’s all true, Jim,” I said softly. He stopped after a few feet and looked down at the empty hall, and then he kissed me, briefly and thoroughly, leaving me breathless and weak in the knees.
The Journal: Raging Tide: (The Journal Book 4) Page 15
