The Shelter, Book 4: The New World

by Ira Tabankin

  “I’m going to find you and kill you.”

  “Many have said the same thing. I’ve outlived everyone who said they were going to kill me. A word of advice, always be afraid of the old man in a business where young men die. Strip and begin walking.”

  “Shit. Men, strip to your underwear, we’ll be walking home.”

  “Man, that’s almost one hundred and fifty miles, we’ll never make it.”

  “I’d rather we try than die here.”

  Fifty-two semi-naked men begin walking north on Interstate-81. The media takes hundreds of pictures and videos. The men will never live down their embarrassment. The President is furious with the agents for getting embarrassing his administration.

  Chapter 28

  Jay stares at the ruined fields around the lake in shock. Where ever he looked, all he saw were animal tracks and trampled on fields. His dream of lush swaying crops in the wind was ruined by hungry animals. Jay stood frozen in place wondering what to do next. The blowing dirt turns his black boots brown. He stares at the empty fields shaking his head and wondering what next. The fields he hoped to feed the local families are a disaster. The nice even rows of young crops have been eaten by various animals, most of the just sprouted shoots have been pulled out of the ground. The long line of gray pipe leading from the lake has been kicked apart. Jay sits on the ground with tears welling in his eyes. His worst dreams have come to fruition. Jay looks up at the clear blue sky. He senses Fred standing close to him, he speaks out loud.

  “It’s lost, we’ve lost everything. I should have thought about the animals. I should have made sure the perimeter had some kind of fence to keep them away from the growing crops. How could I be so stupid? They ate the young crops and walked over our freshly laid pipes. They broke the pipes apart. The entire line is going to need to be checked and reglued. Fred, how long will it take to use the tractors to turn the crops back into the ground and start over, do we have enough time this season to start over and still get a decent yield?”

  Fred inspects the ground and consults the calendar on his smartphone before answering, he stands shaking his head in disgust.

  “Jay, it doesn’t look good. It took us longer to clear and plant this land than we thought it would. If we clear the rows, turn the ground and reseed, the crops won’t be mature before the first freeze of the year kills them. We’ll see if we have different seeds, maybe something faster growing. I’m not sure which seeds we have in inventory. I’ll check as soon as we return.”

  “Fred, please find something. We’re being relied on to feed the towns; their stomachs won’t care if it’s rained or not. Our stomachs aren’t going to listen to excuses, they’re going to demand food. I have more than enough for the original families, I have enough for one or two towns, but not for all of the one thousand plus people. Maybe we’ll get lucky and locate a warehouse or maybe God will smile on us and it will rain.”

  “As soon as we return, I’ll see what we can get into the ground. I’m sure we have something which will grow quickly enough to harvest before the freeze.”

  “Fred, get everyone to plant potatoes, radishes which can be grown in window boxes and small plots. Fence as much land as we have barbwire for here to keep animals away from the new crops. Shit, shit, shit. Can anything else go wrong? Is it ever going to rain again? Can you remember weather like this happening before?”

  “We’re in our ninth week without rain, I’ve lived here for over sixty years, I’ve never seen it go this long without rain. We usually have a stormy spring. I can’t remember the last time we didn’t have a single thunderstorm all spring or summer. It’s unnatural. Something is blocking the storms and diverting them around us. I have to ask, when you were technically dead, did you by chance piss off anyone upstairs? Is God angry at you? Is there a way you can beg forgiveness or something? Say a thousand Hail Mary’s or whatever Jews do to beg forgiveness? I don’t want to live in a dust bowl which our farm will be soon without rain.”

  “I really don’t know, I give you my word, I’ll pray for forgiveness to whomever I may have pissed off. How many acres on the farm are under irrigation?

  “Just over four hundred, all are large circles. We’re not completely lost.”

  “Better than I expected, we’ll have enough to get most through the winter, thank God for small miracles. That takes a heavy load off of my back. I feel much better. Let’s get to work trying to save what we can here.”

  “I do have one concern. We’re pumping water from our wells like crazy, I’d like to have them checked. We had almost zero snowfall last winter and this rainless spring, I’m worried our wells are going to run dry.”

  “Why did you have to tell me that? I was feeling good only to have you pull the carpet out from under me. Please check as soon as you can, if we’re going to be facing any other problems, let’s put them on the table now so we all know what we’re dealing with. I want all of us to think worst case scenario of anything that may further screw our food futures. Write it down so we can review them and be better prepared. We’ll meet soon to go over everyone’s thoughts, positive and negative. At this point, I think everything is possible.”

  @@@@@

  The Washington Press’ morning headline is, “Is the country so split, left-right that it can’t heal?” The article covers a full page on page three. The basic conclusion is the country has split so far that neither side accepts the other, neither side talks to each other. Congress is only interested in winning over the other party versus doing the people’s business. The paper says each side throws around terms like “common sense’ when they’re usually not common sense at all. Most of the congressional bills have names which are designed to evoke positive emotions versus having any reality to the language of the bills. The paper’s editor uses two pages of the paper to discuss the implications of the depth of the split in the country. He covers points which many people know, but few have given a lot of thought to.

  The editor writes that the country can’t survive with less than half of the people paying taxes. He writes that the top one percent are paying 45.7% of the country’s taxes up from 40% in 2012 while the President still says the rich aren’t paying their fair share. The bottom 60% pay less than 2% of the country’s taxes.

  He writes that in 2015, the police shot 40% more than blacks, yet the Black Lives Matter organization refuses to accept statistical facts. He writes that most black crime is committed by other blacks. Blacks have a higher chance of being shot by another black than they do by a police officer. He wrote about the spoiled college students who seem more like spoiled two-year-olds than they do young adults. He wrote about how different the right and left viewed the constitution, most on the left admit to never reading it. He wrote that many people are in favor of alternative power, yet none have any idea how they would get to work or heat their homes if oil was banned. He finished his editorial saying the time had come for the country to admit it isn’t a cohesive unity any longer and the decision is going to be to break apart peacefully or violently. He begged for a peaceful separation with both sides remaining friendly and allies so no other country can take advantage of the separation. He says he thinks the country can’t work together. The two sides have become so polarized the country has to find a peaceful future.

  He writes about how different the two sides are on guns; the left wants to ban all private ownership, the Constitution be damned, they claim the country requires a total gun ban to provide a safe environment for people. They ignore the facts showing the number of gun deaths per 100,000 fell from a high of 726.3 in 1993 to 174.8 in 2014. Chicago and Washington D.C.’s numbers of shootings prove strict gun control laws don’t control gun violence because criminals don’t follow laws, he writes, hence why they’re called criminals.

  His next to last paragraph talks about self-responsibility. He types in all caps that people have to be responsible for their own actions. People have to stop blaming others for their problems. He writes a dramatic last paragr
aph, he lists the Ten Commandants, he suggests that we live our lives by following these simple rules, He says, “You can believe there is no God or you can give your God whatever name you want, these ten simple laws, are the foundation of society. We’ve drifted away from them. America began as a country under God, we’ve moved to a country where God can’t be mentioned. We’re losing our moral compass; we’ve lost our way due to removing God from our lives. Religion provides the foundation for society. Without a moral compass, we’re not a civil society. His last line dooms his future at the paper, he ends his editorial with the line, “God bless America.”

  The public opinion is, of course, mixed, many on the right applaud him for having the guts to put in print what so many are feeling. The left demonstrates against the paper, they break their windows and try to burn the printing press building down, they demand his firing and arrest for hate speech, they buy thousands of copies of the paper to burn. They ignore the simple fact that by buying the paper they are supporting the editor.

  Many in Congress denounce the paper, they call for a congressional investigation into the paper’s sources and the editor for violating federal hate speech laws. Many in Congress wonder if the editor is a terrorist in a three-piece-suit. The President responds when asked about the article,

  “The issue of the states leaving the union was settled in 1865, there’s nothing left to talk about.” He leaves the press trying to ask follow-up questions, he’s already left the podium before the press can ask their second question about the video postings of the half-naked secret service agents walking home. The world’s television cameras show the President turn his back on the reporters and leave them with their mouths hanging open. The President refuses to talk about the incident with the secret service, the White House issued a brief press release saying the secret service convoy withheld their fire in order to save the lives of innocent bystanders, the report says the President is going to reward the agents for their bravery in the face of fire.

  The Washington Post’s editorial is reposted by both sides over two million times. Every television network broadcasts excerpts of his work. The President calls the owner of the paper; he tells the owner only two words before dropping his phone handset into its cradle.

  “Fire him!”

  Five minutes later security escorts the editor out of the building where he’s met by protestors throwing eggs and human excrement at him. He’s struck over his head with the protestor’s signs. Someone calls 911 to save him from the mass of humanity out to kill him for writing that they should follow the Ten Commandants. The police find the editor on the ground, beaten to death. No one is arrested for the crime. The paper doesn’t mention his death. His funeral isn’t covered by the media; he’s become a nonentity. The thirteen southern states fly their flags at half-mast for his passing. The president orders the flags to be raised. The governors refuse. Monuments of the Ten Commandants which courts ordered to be removed from courts and public buildings are brought back. Protestors demonstrate the Monuments, the thirteen governors issue a joint statement saying, “If the monuments offend you, leave.”

  The President orders the AG and the Secretary of Defense to the White House for an urgent meeting.

  Chapter 29

  A very depressed Jay asks Tony and John to meet with him in the shelter’s security room. He greets his friends by saying,

  “John, please close and lock the door. Make sure no one is near the shelter.”

  Locks on certain doors in the shelter was a new addition, as was insulation and sound deadening tiles as an attempt to reduce voices spreading and echoing through the shelter. John knows something very serious is up, he nods, locks the door and turns on the newly installed red flashing “Meeting in Progress” light over the door He also turns on the white noise generator which he hopes will mask their conversation from anyone trying to overhear them.

  “I asked to see you because I’m afraid.”

  Tony and John have never heard those two words spoken by Jay. Both turn to stare at him, Tony asks.

  “What’s going on, should we call full alert, is this something we need to get the Army and militia involved in?”

  “The Army is the reason for this meeting.”

  Tony and John look at each other wondering what Jay means. The Army troops have been fully merged into their new large community. Tony quietly says.

  “Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell us the whole story.”

  Jay nods, he repeats his brief meeting with Captain Black. Tony and John lean back in their chairs, both have a worried look on their faces. John looks at Tony and Jay saying.

  “You did right making sure he and his people stay away from the shelter. There’s no need for them to see our improvements. Have you spoken to Major Walker about what the Captain said to you?”

  Jay shakes his head, “No, I know the two of them have gotten very close. I’m not sure I can trust him either, in fact, outside of us, I’m not sure we can trust any outsiders.”

  John nods his understanding,

  “I’ll take him for a walk, he needs to know. If the Captain follows orders from D.C. and the Major follows orders from General Arthur, we could be in the middle of a nasty shooting war. I think it’s time we quietly tell everyone to be armed when they go out. We can use the story of the animals as a cover, you know, cougar or mountain lion was seen by the lake. We’re arming everyone for their protection. I’ll also speed up the additional defenses and new armor around the front. I’ll get Franco started on pouring the concrete this week.”

  Jay nods as John verbally lists his points. Tony looks into his friend’s eyes.

  “Jay, do you want him taken out?”

  “You mean, like put a contract out on him?”

  “There wouldn’t need to be a contract. Just tell me and I’ll make some arrangements. There are some people who owe us big time. I can make the arrangements. He’ll be gone within a week.”

  “I can’t believe we’re calming discussing the murder of a US Army Captain. It feels very wrong. It feels like we’re enemy agents or something.”

  “Either we are, or he is. His answer to you when you asked him if he’d kill you was he left the meeting. I’d say that was a solid yes. I would bar his access to the farm and all our events. Why should we be handing him intel to use against us?”

  John looks at his two friends,

  “Guys, the way I read it is, we’re only his enemies if Tennessee secedes and we join them in leaving the union. If we take the union’s side, we would be his allies. If the south doesn’t secede or if they do and Tennessee doesn’t join them, then we’re still his friends. What are the odds of secession?”

  Tony looks at the small table slowly shaking his head. He absentmindedly rubs his left arm where his cast used to be.

  “It’s going to happen. I’ve heard from people who know the governors are working on the language and timing. There have been many meetings with the commanders of their state’s military bases and their National Guard to see who they can count on and who is going to be a problem.”

  Jay shakes his head, he takes in a deep breath and slowly lets it out.

  “I don’t know if I should be happy or worried. The Captain is Special Forces, if he wants to kill me, he’ll kill me. I don’t think there’s anything we can do to stop him. I’m as good as dead. Might as well dig my own grave and lie down.”

  Tony reaches out to Jay,

  “Stop that bullshit. No one’s dying. You’re not dead yet. If I have anything to say about it, you’re going to be fine. He may be a green beanie, but he’s not Superman. I think we should vote to take him out before he has orders to take you out.”

  “I can’t. I can’t agree to take out a US military officer. We’re not at war with him. Taking him out is first-degree murder. I have enough blood on my hands. I won’t kill him in cold blood. It’s not the right thing to do. We’re better than that.”

  “You’re just going to wait for him to k
ill you? He told you he will if he gets the orders to.”

  “He’d have no reason to kill me, I’m a nothing on the political stage. I wouldn’t show up on the President’s enemies list. He has proven to be a good friend to us. He rebuilt our homes, he sent Johnson to save us. He agreed to move across the street. He helped us set up the lake farm. His people have provided us with security. I can’t vote to kill him.”

  John says,

  “Let me remind both of you if we’re going to do it, it has to be done very quickly. I heard the rest of his people and reinforcements are arriving in two days. We’ll never be able to breach his defenses when he has four hundred people. Right now, he has only twelve. We may never get a better chance than now. I vote we do it and do it tonight.”

  Tony nods his agreement.

  “I’ll make the call; I can have an expert here in a few hours. We have the layout of his camp, we know where he sleeps. John, hack into their security system to disable their alarms. See if you can find their entry codes and day code words.”