Without II: The Fall

by E. E. Borton

  They’d discover that on the other side of every door would be a big problem. There would be someone ready to fight to the death to defend their home and the people in it that they loved. It would make it easy to figure out who was wearing the white hats and who was wearing the black.

  Before we walked out of the gym, I must have met everyone in town. As they spilled out into the streets, I knew that Gunny had prepared them well. They were forming up into smaller groups and each had a team leader. Each group had a specific job, but all would be ready to pick up a weapon if the moment came.

  As with Stevenson, there were layers of defense that ended at the train depot. It was where the last stand would take place until whoever was left would be evacuated by train. Nobody in town intended to let that happen.

  It was late afternoon when we heard it coming. Unlike every other event we had experienced, we were expecting this one. It didn’t matter how many times I saw it in motion, it always amazed me.

  Bruce and Parker had connected another passenger car to the train to move more people and supplies in and out of Bridgeport. Most near the depot stopped their work to watch the Goliath ease into the station. On its return, parents didn’t let go of their children’s hands this time so they could play on it. They would have plenty of time to explore the inside during their trip to Stevenson. It was time for the children and the elderly of Bridgeport to say goodbye. (It was a precautionary decision, but we all held the belief that they would be returning to their homes soon.)

  Before they could board and be taken out of harm’s way, we needed to offload the first car filled with supplies. As the fighting men and women of Stevenson were stepping off the train, we stepped on. We formed a line and started handing off boxes of food, ammunition, and medical supplies to be stacked on the platform. When the car was empty, we refilled it with people and their bags.

  Hugs and kisses were given to all those leaving by their families and friends. When I stepped off the train, the platform was full of new arrivals being greeted by the locals. I received a greeting of my own from a voice behind me.

  “Good Lord, Henry,” said Kelly. “What have you done now?”

  Chapter 16

  A Few Good Men

  “It wasn’t me this time,” I said, holding up my hands. “I swear.”

  “You’re officially a shit magnet,” said Kelly, shaking her head but surrendering a smile.

  She put her bags on the ground and walked into a long embrace. Nothing in my world felt better than having her in my arms. I could feel the muscles in her back flex as she squeezed me harder.

  I’ve found that there are three critical components to surviving in the world without electricity. You have to stay healthy, physically fit, and aware. Kelly was all three wrapped in a tight package that took my breath away every time I put my eyes on her.

  If a person was physically fit before the event, they tended to stay that way. Modern conveniences disappeared in a heartbeat, and every task became manual labor. If someone wanted a fire, they had to go chop the wood. If someone wanted to eat, they had to go work in the dirt to grow a garden or stalk in the woods to hunt for meat. If someone wanted to get from one place to another, they had to walk. If they wanted to live, they had to run…a lot.

  People found out quickly that riding a bike wasn’t as efficient and useful as walking. Bicycles worked well enough going downhill, but uphill was a different story. When they left their homes, most people took everything they could carry and then some. Pedaling up a steep hill was hard enough for most, and they ended up walking the bike more than they rode. Trying it with sixty-plus pounds of supplies and gear was impossible.

  I did see a few bikes along the way, but I could tell that the people pedaling had been riding and training long before the event happened. They were in great shape, and their gear was balanced in custom packs on their backs and on their bikes. It also made them easy targets.

  Walking along a road was dangerous on foot. On a bike, it was just a matter of time before the rider was knocked off of it. Thieves would put up obstacles that were easy to step over but difficult to ride over. It would cause the rider to hesitate and try to figure out a way around it or turn around. By then it would be too late.

  A push out of nowhere would send them and their gear to the ground. If they did have a gun, it was more difficult to draw, aim, and fire while tangled up in the bike or rolling into a ditch. They were less aware when the world was moving past them at twelve miles per hour than if they were walking at three. (Horses were a better option, but very few people had access to them or knew how to ride them if they came across one. They became more valuable to most as a source of food rather than a source of transportation.)

  As with being physically fit, if a person was healthy before the event, they tended to stay that way. Obesity, disease, or a pre-existing illness put a person at a disadvantage after the event. Running, climbing, jumping, and fighting became tools for survival on a daily basis. If a person didn’t have the ability, they didn’t last long.

  Pharmacies were among the first locations to be looted, and it wasn’t just addicts that cleaned them out. They were cleaned out by desperate people who realized that they, or someone they loved, would die without their prescriptions. For many, that realization came far too late.

  Awareness is the single most valuable tool anyone can carry with them. I turn every corner expecting danger. When I walk, I don’t just look at what’s ahead of me. I’m constantly scanning from side to side, and I turn around often. Not only do I have to pay attention to what’s around me, but above me as well. Blue skies can turn dark and deadly within minutes. We never know what’s inside of an ominous cloud, but more times than not, it’ll try to kill us.

  “What happened out there?” asked Kelly. “Bruce and Parker were vague, and your note wasn’t much better.”

  “There’s a militia coming,” I said. “They sent six men ahead of their group to make contact with us. Before they got to Bridgeport, they slaughtered an unarmed group of refugees trying to get to Scottsboro. We were going to help them get there. When we came back for them, they were all dead, including three children. One of which they beat and raped.”

  “I take it those were the bodies on the train,” said Kelly. “Were you a part of that?”

  “I was. So was JD and Tucker.”

  “I figured,” said Kelly.

  “You know I’m glad to see you, sweetheart,” I said. “But you shouldn’t be here. If my uncle can’t cut a deal with the militia, we believe they’re going to try and take Bridgeport by force. Our plan is to meet them at the dam to prevent that from happening.”

  “No,” said Kelly. “You’re not going to meet them; you’re going to fight them. It’s the reason why Doc and I are here.”

  “Doc’s here?” I asked, looking around.

  “Not yet, but he’s coming on the next run. He wanted to check on a few patients before leaving. We’re going to set up a triage in the station. I am a nurse, remember?”

  “I do, but there’s no guarantee we’ll be able to stop them. We plan on falling back to Stevenson if things get bad.”

  “I’m staying, Henry. There’s no use in arguing with me.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” I said, giving her a salute. “There’s one more thing you need to know.”

  “What is it?”

  “The Kramer brothers and I are going with Uncle Perry. We’re heading out in the morning.”

  “Of course you are,” said Kelly, lowering her head. “Why wouldn’t you walk into a camp with a hundred men trying to kill you? Makes perfect sense to me.”

  She stood for a moment before taking a deep breath and walking by me. It was getting harder and harder trying to convince her that I didn’t have a death wish. It was even getting harder trying to convince myself.

  “She didn’t look happy,” said JD, walking up to me. “You tell her?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Damn, boy. I’d have at least waited
‘til morning. Looks like it’s gonna be a cold night for you.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Well, the good news is, it won’t be for me,” said JD, rocking back on his heels. “I’ll be staying with my lady friend again tonight. Looks like Tucker is staying with his crazy woman again too.”

  “I’m happy for you guys,” I said, cutting my eyes over at him. “Truly.”

  “Green isn’t your color, brother,” said JD.

  “Whatever,” I said, smiling.

  “Listen, I know your uncle told me and Tucker to sit this one out, but you know we can’t do that.”

  “I know,” I said. “What’s your plan?”

  “We’re gonna shadow you guys ‘til you make contact with the militia,” said JD. “Then we’re gonna be watching from afar. Your uncle will never know we’re there. If things get hairy, you’ll have a couple more guns watchin’ your back.”

  “I won’t argue with that,” I said. “He probably wouldn’t either. Thank you.”

  “Anytime, my friend. Now, if you don’t mind, I have some furniture to fix so I can break it again.”

  “I could’ve gone the rest of my life without hearing that,” I said.

  “Get some sleep tonight,” said JD, walking onto the tracks. “We got ourselves another busy day tomorrow.”

  I picked up a box of supplies and made my way inside the station. It was buzzing with activity as Uncle Perry and Gunny coordinated the logistics for our folks from Stevenson. Most of them would be staying in the high school gym, but a few would be staying with relatives and friends in town. Everyone seemed genuinely happy to see each other, and I heard repeatedly how it had been too long since the last visit. I also heard the many promises to make sure that didn’t happen again.

  “We put another cot in the back room where Kelly is storing the medical supplies,” said Perry, walking up to me. “We’ll be clearing out of here soon, so she’ll be able to set up the triage in an hour or so. There are already a few people in town that could use her help.”

  “She’s not exactly thrilled with me right now,” I said. “I may be bunking with the boys again out here.”

  “It was her idea, son,” said Perry. “I think you’re okay.”

  “Really?” I said, turning to see her walk out of our room. “That’s good news.”

  “I’m the one she’s not thrilled with,” said Perry. “And I don’t blame her.”

  “I’m not thrilled with either one of you,” said Kelly. “But I know you don’t have a choice. I just wish it didn’t have to be you two always taking the risk. Donna would have a heart attack if she knew what you were doing.”

  “How are my girls?” asked Perry, reaching for Kelly’s arm.

  “It was hard convincing them to stay,” said Kelly. “They’re both fine, but they miss you and Joey.”

  “Aw, I miss them too,” said Perry. “They’ve been troopers with all this, and so have you. I appreciate y’all understanding what’s going on here. We didn’t ask for this, but we have to deal with it anyway.”

  “What are you expecting to happen tomorrow?” asked Kelly. “Do you think they’re just going to leave us alone after you talk to them?”

  “I’m not sure what to expect,” said Perry. “All I know is that if I can avoid a fight, it’ll buy us a little more time to sort this out. That won’t cost us any more lives. I think it’s at least worth a try.”

  “What if they lie to you?” asked Kelly. “You gave us a pretty convincing speech about why you brought the train up here. You said you needed to see what was in Gunny’s heart by dangling something valuable in front of him. I asked you to talk to him first, remember? But you told us it would give them time to prepare an ambush. What’s the difference here? In fact, it’s more dangerous now.”

  She was right. All Uncle Perry and I could do was look at each other with raised eyebrows. The leaders of the militia could tell us anything they wanted, but we wouldn’t know if they were sincere. Kelly stood for a moment, waiting for an answer that we couldn’t give. She walked away to move more supplies so we could find one.

  “She’s got a point,” said Perry, scratching his cheek.

  “She always does,” I said. “If we come out and tell them not to cross the dam, they’ll know we have something planned on the other side. They’ll be ready for that. We have to find a way to make it their choice without showing our hand. We’ll have to know that if they cross that dam, it’s because they’re coming for us.”

  “That’s the million-dollar question,” said Perry. “How do we do that?”

  “Why don’t we lie to them before they can lie to us?” I asked.

  “What do you mean?”

  “They have no idea who we are,” I said. “Let’s tell them we tried to get into Bridgeport, but they wouldn’t let us in. We’ll say that we saw their men get killed and that the town is preparing for an assault. But we’ll tell them the ambush will be set up at the bridge. If they cross the dam, we’ll know they’re coming to take the town.”

  “I’m not going to lie to them, Henry. That’ll start us on a road we don’t wanna go down.”

  A road you don’t want go down.

  I admired my uncle for trying to hold on to his humanity and morality. But for most, they were the two things that died as soon as the power did. There was a time and a place for good men like him. This wasn’t one of them.

  Chapter 17

  “Can Do!”

  We awoke to another chilly morning. Not only was I thankful Kelly was with me, I was thankful she brought me warmer clothes and a down jacket. I turned to look at her before I left the room. Our time together was far too short. Dawn was breaking as I walked out to the platform. My uncle already had an inviting fire going in the pit.

  “Good morning,” said Perry, hanging the coffee pot over the fire. “Did you sleep well?”

  “I did, thank you. Looks like it’s going to be another cold one.”

  “Forty-five this morning,” said Perry, looking over at the thermostat on the wall. “It’s not usually this cold in mid-October.”

  “Lucky us,” I said, holding my hands closer to the flames. “Did you figure out how you’re going to approach our new friends?”

  “With caution.”

  “Always a good plan, but I was looking for something a little more tactical,” I said, pulling the hood over my head.

  “My plan is to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” said Perry, handing me a cup. “The problem is that I don’t know their intent. I’m going to let them do the talking and respond accordingly.”

  “That’s it?”

  “That’s it,” said Perry. “We’re just going to talk. I’ll let them know that we have everything secure on this side of the dam. If they’re really looking to open the rails from Signal Mountain to Bridgeport, they can start by cleaning up Jasper and Kimball. If they do that, then we’ll help them when it comes time for them to take South Pittsburg.”

  “For them to take it?”

  “Yes,” said Perry. “We’re not an army, Henry. We never had any intention of expansion. This is going to be a long winter, and we need to focus on taking care of ourselves before we can help anyone else.”

  “Okay, Uncle. It’s your call,” I said, shaking my head. “I just hope you don’t take it too hard when they turn on us.”

  “We’ll make sure we’re ready if they do.”

  As a few more people joined us on the platform, we heard the train approaching. It was the last scheduled run from Stevenson. It would remain in Bridgeport until we needed it to either bring in the reserve fighters or take out the wounded. My uncle was hoping for neither. I wasn’t as optimistic.

  I greeted Doc with a handshake as he stepped off the train. It was good to see him, and I felt more at ease with him looking after Kelly. If things got bad, I knew he’d get her out before they got worse. She was the closest thing he had to family.

  “Seems like trouble follows you wherever you go,”
said Doc, handing me a box of supplies.

  “This trouble was coming whether I was here or not,” I said. “My uncle is convinced he can negotiate a deal to keep the peace.”

  “And you’re not,” said Doc.

  “You didn’t see what they did to those refugees,” I said. “If that’s how the rest of them operate, there won’t be any deals.”

  “I take it you have a backup plan,” said Doc.

  “We do,” I said. “We’re setting up an ambush at the dam if things don’t go our way.”

  “I don’t have a good feeling about any of this,” said Doc.

  “You and me both.”

  “Are you going with him?”

  “Yes. We’re taking the Kramer brothers with us. Between you and me, JD and Tucker are going as well. They’ll be watching us from afar.”

  “That’s good,” said Doc. “But it’s still six against a hundred.”

  “We can’t spare any more than that,” I said. “We’ll need everyone on this side of the dam in case we come running back across it.”

  “When do you leave?”

  “I’m guessing now,” I said, watching Doug and Daniel pick up their gear. “Kelly’s inside getting the triage ready.”

  “Go say goodbye,” said Doc. “I’ll finish unloading my supplies. Make sure you come back safe, Henry.”

  “That’s always my plan,” I said, shaking his hand.

  I walked inside the station as my uncle was walking out. He let me know it was time to get moving. Gunny was a few steps behind him. Kelly was setting up a row of cots along the wall.

  “Time to go?” asked Kelly, placing a blanket at the end of a cot.

  “It is,” I said, nodding.

  “This is it,” said Kelly. “When you get back, you’re not leaving again for a while. And if you try, just know I’ll be going with you. I’m over saying goodbye to you. Do you understand me?”

  “Completely,” I said, hugging her with a tight squeeze. “I love you.”

  “You better.”