It was heavy! Ben couldn’t get it to move. Finally, it budged, and then the natural slide of the ice took over. It wasn’t easy, but he was able to pull it. He revised his time table. It would take him a good three hours to get back. Halfway across the lake, the wind picked up and the clouds rolled in. It was going to snow again. Ben had a choice, leave the boat where it was and make a run for it, or keep on and hope the snow didn’t get too bad. Too late. He didn’t even have time to make his decision before it started snowing.
He kept going. Finally, he could no longer see. It had become white-out conditions. The wind was blowing right through him. He knew that he had to act soon or he would freeze to death. He no longer knew which way to go.
Then it came to him. He began to unload the wood from the boat, creating a small wall about two feet high encircling him and the boat. Then he laid one of the blankets on the ground inside the circle, thanking his stars that he added the blankets at the last minute. He then struggled against the wind to turn the boat over inside the circle. He won the battle and crawled under the upside down boat, covering himself with the second blanket. The wall of wood helped protect him from the wind. It was cold under there, but not terrible. Then he waited out the storm.
All night long, the wind howled and the boat vibrated. Eventually, he managed to fall asleep. He woke up at one point shivering. The blankets helped, but because he couldn’t move, the cold was setting in. Now he was afraid of falling asleep. With this cold, he might not wake up. He did everything he could to stay awake—singing songs, naming baseball players (now all dead), and thinking of his favorite movies. It only worked for a short time. Sleep took over.
He awoke to a pounding on the boat and someone yelling his name. He was disoriented at first, then started to think clearly. It was Lila! Then he realized the wind had stopped. He pushed up on the boat. It wouldn’t budge. It was stuck to the ice. He called out to Lila. She heard him.
Finally, they broke the seal of the boat to the ice, and Ben climbed out. They hugged, but then he realized he was shivering badly. Rather than try to refill the boat, they left it all there and planned to come back when Ben had thawed out.
Death had been close, but for some reason I wasn’t meant to die right then. If Lila had come any later, I might not have made it. It turns out that Lila had caught a half a dozen good-sized fish. We ate a couple that night, then created a homemade freezer in the snow. For the rest of the winter, we made sure the freezer was packed with fish. Over the next several weeks, I made a half a dozen trips over to the resort—the weather didn’t give me any more trouble on those days.
The winter continued to be harsh for the next month, and then it gradually turned warm, slowly melting the snow. The relief they felt at having made it through the winter alive was overwhelming. They had learned a valuable lesson on preparation, and vowed to be ready the next year.
All winter long they read how-to books at night under lamplight, always jotting notes for things to get or to make when springtime came. Occasionally they took a break and read a novel, although Lila still found novels a little strange in the current state of the world. They also read as much as they could on childbirth. They figured the baby wouldn’t arrive until mid- to late-summer, but the more they knew, the better prepared they’d be.
And through it all, the ground rumbled constantly. Not a week went by without two or three tremors.
“What do you think would happen if the earthquake hit and the dam cracked?” asked Lila one night, after a powerful tremor shook the cabin.
“We’re on the ‘good’ side of the dam,” said Ben, “so I don’t think we’d have to worry about a flood. The literature says it’s the highest dam in the east, which means the valley below would be flooded. I think we might lose the lake though.” He smiled. “I guess we cross that dam when we come to it.”
As the winter wore on, Lila’s pregnancy became apparent. Ben loved to rub his hand over her belly and feel its smoothness. The daily bout with morning sickness had passed, and so far, Lila wasn’t dealing with any problems. Ben attributed that to her being in excellent physical condition from the long journey.
The snow finally melted. The violent weather subsided a bit with the warmer weather, but was never completely gone. Although the tremors were constant, the “big one” had yet to hit. Spring arrived, and Ben got the garden ready for planting while Lila started many of the seedlings in the cabin.
It was mid-May when Ben decided to make another trip to Waynesville. Lila had been tired a lot and decided the trip would be too much for her. It seemed strange for Ben to make the trip without her, but they were low on a number of items, so it was necessary.
He grabbed his M-16 and his Sig, leaving the Bushmaster and his crossbow behind, gave Lila a long and passionate kiss, and told her to hold the fort while he was gone.
He took one of the boats—they had accumulated two more motorboats and two kayaks—and headed for the dam parking lot. The old truck started right away.
“Ah, they don’t make things like they used to,” he said to himself. “Of course, they don’t make anything anymore.”
The trip to Waynesville was uneventful at first. He stopped at his favorite hardware store and picked up a couple of axe handles—he had shattered the one he had—and walked out to the truck, throwing them in the back. He laid his M-16 on the front seat and was about to get in, when an army truck with four soldiers rumbled out of nowhere and pulled up in front of him.
Images of Sharp’s fake soldiers immediately came to mind.
“Hey there,” said a captain sitting in the passenger seat. “We don’t see too many people these days. You out scrounging for things?”
“No,” Ben was trying to play it cool until he found out their agenda. “Broke an axe handle and was getting a couple of replacements. I don’t see a lot of people either.”
“You live around here?” asked the captain. “You have family?”
“I do. My wife and I live a bit west of here.”
“Well, we can accompany you back to your house so you can pick up your wife. You’ve both been drafted.”
“What?”
“Drafted. You can pick up a couple of things, but we’ve got to move.”
“I don’t understand,” said Ben.
“The president needs to rebuild this country, and he’s going to start with Washington, DC. We’re gathering up everyone we can to help with the rebuilding.”
“The real president?” asked Ben.
“The one and only,” answered the captain. “You didn’t think he’d let himself get killed with the rest of the world, did you? He was underground when all this happened. He had a couple thousand soldiers, along with trucks, Jeeps, and even a few jets, hidden in a series of deep man-made caves. That’s where we were. So now we’re recruiting for the rebuilding effort.”
“Wait,” said Ben. “So the president knew this was going to happen?”
“Hey, I’m only a captain. How would I know what the president knew?”
But Ben thought he knew a lot more than he was letting on.
“Well,” said Ben, “I’m sorry I can’t help you, but I have a pregnant wife who needs me a lot more.”
“How far along is she?” asked the captain.
“A little more than six months,” replied Ben.
“Shit, that won’t do. I’m afraid we can’t use her. I’ve got very specific guidelines I need to follow. She doesn’t fit.”
“Good luck with your search,” said Ben, getting into the truck.
“No, you don’t understand,” said the captain. “We still need you. I’m afraid your wife can’t come, though. You can still gather some things and say goodbye.”
“You’re joking, right?” Ben loosened the Sig on his hip.
The other soldiers, sensing something was up, pointed their weapons at Ben.
“My wife needs me. We live about sixty miles from here,” continued Ben. “I can’t leave her.”
�
��The needs of the country come first,” said the captain. “Sixty miles is too far. I’m afraid you won’t be able to get your things. It’s only a six-month hitch. You’ll be back in no time. Please don’t make this difficult. The president sympathizes, but it’s important that we rebuild this country. You know the old saying, ‘the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.’” Ben thought the saying had come from a Star Trek movie.
He got the feeling that this soldier had long ago chosen to compromise whatever beliefs he might have had, in order to retain his command. But Ben couldn’t leave Lila, and repeated that to the captain.
“Sir. We are under martial law. You have no choice but to come with us. We are under orders to shoot resisters.”
For the first time in a long time, Ben didn’t know what to do. He was stuck. He had to go with them, but he was determined to escape at the first opportunity.
“Can I leave her a note in the truck?
“A quick one.” The captain reached down for a pad of paper and a pen. “You’ve got about thirty seconds. And please leave any weapons you’ve got.”
Ben quickly scribbled, Have been “drafted” into the Army to rebuild Washington, DC. Wait for me. I’ll be home as soon as I can escape. I love you! Ben
He took out his Sig and his knife and set them down on the paper on the seat, then put the keys under the visor. He walked over to the Army truck.
The captain motioned to one of the men, who went over to red truck, pulled the note out, and read it to the captain.
The captain shook his head. “We could shoot you for even saying the word ‘escape,’ but we won’t, because we need you. However, you lost your chance to leave a note. Let’s go!”
The soldier crumbled up the note and let it blow away in the wind. Then he pushed Ben into the back of the truck. As they drove away, Ben couldn’t help the tears from flowing.
He looked up at the sky.
“Please keep Lila safe,” he pleaded quietly.
Chapter 22
I remember the desperation I felt that day. My heart was pounding so hard, I thought it would explode. Life was finally good. We were so happy. We had suffered so much to get to where we were. Why did we have to go through more of it? I flashed onto Phil and his version of God. No God could be so cruel. Was it really just random happenings? I couldn’t let myself believe that. There had to be some purpose to it all. But what? What possible reason could explain all this?
Meanwhile, I couldn’t get Lila out of my head. When I didn’t show up, I could only imagine her panic. And what could she do? The truck was in Waynesville. How was she going to get there? Walk? In her condition? She would be frantic. If I couldn’t escape from this, she was going to have to have the baby alone. How frightening could that be? And how dangerous? I had to get home to her.
The old familiar anger was returning. What right did these people have to disrupt my life like this? Was the president really behind all this? I could believe it. He was an asshole. He was responsible for all of the “us” versus “them” crap in the first place. Not many people had liked him after they voted him in. Now I knew why. I suddenly wanted to kill again … starting with these four in the truck. Someone was going to pay for this.
Ben watched his truck, then Waynesville, then his life, fade into the distance. He tried one last time to plead with them.
“Please, you have to listen to me. My wife is all alone. If I’m gone, she will have to give birth by herself. She could die. Does one more person really matter? Don’t you have wives … kids?”
“Actually, no,” answered the captain. “None of us do. I can sympathize with you, but in times of national and world crisis, sacrifices have to be made. I’m sure you read about it all the time in your history books in school—the sacrifices people made over the centuries to secure the freedoms we all grew up with. Problem is, you were removed from it all. It was all history. You didn’t have to experience it. You grew up having no idea what sacrifice meant. Now it’s real. Someday, school kids will read about me, you, your wife, and what we all gave to be able to rebuild this country.”
In theory, it made sense, thought Ben. In reality, there was something whacked-out about it. He was starting to get the impression that the holocaust the world had gone through wasn’t an accident. If not, why was it allowed to happen? And why should he and Lila be expected to pay the ultimate price for it?
“If you don’t have wives, I’m sure there are others in your unit who do. Could I talk to someone there who might better understand?”
“I think it’s you who doesn’t understand,” answered the captain. “None of us who were in those caves have wives—or husbands—and kids. We were picked for that reason. Sure, most of us had parents and siblings, and we’re sad over losing them, but there’s something about a wife or husband and children that makes people irrational, and we can’t afford that. We have a mission to rebuild the government, and we have to keep our eye on the goal.”
Ben was almost dizzy. Was this real? Not only did they know it was coming, they had already planned for the aftermath. President Tillman would probably declare himself president for life. He’d get what he wanted. But wasn’t this how politics in this country had always been? What was best for the politician? And if you have a couple of thousand troops—the only troops—loyal to you and your cause, there was nothing to stop you from doing what you wanted. Over time, this could become an even more dangerous country than the one they left behind.
They got onto Interstate 40 and headed east. While there was some highway between Fontana Lake and Waynesville, it had been so long since Ben had traveled on a major roadway, he had forgotten just how much it looked like the end of the world. The small towns he had been in were dead, sure, but there was something different about this image. Twenty miles west of Asheville, they came across a middle-aged couple trudging along the side of the road. Ben immediately thought of George and Bunny, then thought about how long ago that was.
The truck pulled up beside them. The couple looked at them with vacant stares.
“We’re drafting people for the rebuilding of Washington,” said the captain. Ben noticed that his uniform gave his last name as Stokes. “You’ll get regular meals and a bed in return for your work. Hop in.”
Without a word, the couple climbed into the back of the truck. And then it hit Ben that for most people, this was probably a good deal. Food, a bed, and safety, all in return for doing some work. And if they bought the “patriotic sacrifice” bullshit, then it was a bonus for the soldiers—fewer people to control. Ben had to remember that he and Lila were the exception, not the norm. Most people out there were desperate and were looking for something to latch onto. That’s why the “citizens” at Wells’s and Sharp’s camp wanted Ben and Lila to stay. They needed some sort of structure and leadership. Knowing this, Ben realized that he might not have a lot of support in any attempt to escape that he made. He’d have to be careful.
They pulled into a rest area outside Asheville and met up with three other trucks like the one he was in, as well as a gasoline tanker truck, probably used to keep the others refilled. The other search parties had about the same luck as the one headed by Captain Stokes. One truck had three new “recruits,” another had one, and the third had hit the jackpot with six.
A sergeant with a clipboard climbed into the back with Ben and the couple and asked them their names and birthdates. He was all business and Ben knew it would be useless to plead his case to him.
At that point I started with the “if onlys.” If only I had waited another day before coming to Waynesville … or even a few hours. If only I had immediately taken them out. I had the M-16. But I had to forget all that. I needed to think about the situation I was in and how I was going to escape. I have to admit that beyond my panic about leaving Lila was a curiosity. What was going on? Suddenly I thought, if the universe is guiding things (which I still wasn’t convinced about), maybe I was being led here for a reason. Maybe this whole rebu
ilding of Washington thing was going to turn dangerous for us. Maybe I had to see what was going on to be better able to deal with it in the future. If we had no knowledge of any of this and were suddenly confronted one day by the new army of America, it could turn out badly for us. With the knowledge in hand, we could plan.
The sergeant passed out some C-rations to each of them, and they were back on the road. Ben heard Stokes tell his men that they would check out a few of the towns along the way, including Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Charlottesville, for more draftees, before arriving in Washington.
They rounded up another four in Ben’s truck in Charlottesville. But that’s where they had their first confrontation. They ran across two university students who refused to come—they reminded Ben of Lila and himself. They said they were perfectly happy where they were and the government was so corrupt to begin with, they couldn’t in all conscience become a part of it. The soldiers tried to force them into the truck, at which point they fought back. When the male student pulled a pistol from his belt, it was all over. The soldiers shot both of them and left them lying by the side of the road.
Ben felt sick. Here were two obviously intelligent, self-sufficient people who could contribute to a society, and they were shot down for no reason. They probably fought hard after the disaster to establish what they had, only for it all to end in an instant. All of a sudden, it wasn’t enough for Ben just to escape. He had to put an end to some of this madness. But how? Go against the government? His overriding concern was to get back to Lila. But if this was the direction the country was heading, they were always going to be in danger. It was all too much to think about and, exhausted, he finally fell asleep in a corner of the truck.
Eden Rising (Eden Rising Trilogy Book 1) Page 19
