by Mark Goodwin
Courtney seemed to take in the gravity of not having Lisa and Ken as part of their team. “Yeah, I guess I didn’t think of that.”
“Do you want a snack?”
“Sure, what are you having?”
“I don’t know. I guess I’ll look at the shelves and think about our choices.”
Courtney got up and followed Everett to the kitchen. “Soup, crackers, peanut butter, rice, vegetables, canned turkey, tuna.”
“What about pasta and sauce? We’ve got parmesan.”
Courtney put her arm around him. “And powdered sugar donuts for dessert.”
Everett smiled and kissed her on the head. “I’m used to eating out almost every day. This is going to require some adjustment.”
“Yep. We probably should have actually planned meals instead of just buying a bunch of random stuff that will keep forever.”
Everett started running some water in a pot to boil for the pasta. “We’ll know better for the next apocalypse.”
Courtney rolled her eyes as she took out the can opener and removed the lid from the pasta sauce. “Smart aleck!”
Twenty minutes later, they took their plates to the couch to eat while they watched the continuing coverage of the attacks and ensuing disorder.
Everett ate most of his pasta. “I was hungry, so that made it taste better, but this isn’t anything like pasta from Angelo’s.”
Courtney curled her lip and set her half-eaten plate on the coffee table. “The parmesan helped a lot, but you’re right.”
The coverage switched back to the minor inconveniences of Harrisonburg, and Everett got up to take the plates to the kitchen. He scooped the leftovers into a plastic container and placed it in the fridge. “Would you like some hot tea?”
Courtney called back from the couch. “Yes, please! That’s one small pleasure we still have.”
Everett started a kettle of water and took out two cups. “Sugar?”
“Just a little.”
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Everett looked around for his pistol. It’s upstairs in the loft! I hope it’s Ken and Lisa.
He walked into the living room, where Courtney was standing with her hand behind her back holding a pistol. She peeked out the window. “It’s them.”
Everett opened the door and immediately reeled back in shock at what he saw. “What happened?”
Ken, whose face looked painfully swollen, had to help Lisa cross the threshold. There was a bloody tee-shirt wrapped around her head. “We tried to make one last trip to the grocery to get a few things we wanted.”
Courtney took Lisa by the hand. “Let’s get you on the couch and take a look at your head.”
Ken helped Lisa get situated on the couch and gently removed the tee-shirt. “We made it, honey. We’re safe.”
“I’ll get a wet towel to clean her head.” Everett quickly retrieved a towel from the bathroom and wet it in the sink. He brought it to Courtney, who was inspecting the wound.
Ken was visibly rattled by whatever he had been through. “Someone hit my car in the grocery store parking lot. He was trying to jump into the parking space I was pulling into. We got out, and I tried to calm the guy down because he was acting erratically. We both agreed to let it go and not get the police involved. It was just a little fender bender, you know?
“Then, all of a sudden, some kid runs up and grabs Lisa’s purse. She wouldn’t let go, and he pulled her down. She busted her head on another car in the lot when she fell. I ran after the kid and caught him. He was big, but slow. I grabbed the purse, and then some other kid came up behind me and smacked me in the head with a piece of pipe. I blacked out for a second. When I came around, they were gone.
“I went back over to Lisa right away, who was just sitting next to my car holding her head. Blood was everywhere. I got her back in the car and took her home to clean her head. I tried putting Band-Aids on the cut, but it was bleeding too badly. I wanted to take her to the hospital, but she insisted that we come straight up here. I don’t know . . . maybe we should have gone to the hospital.”
Courtney inspected the wound. “It’s not that deep. From what we’re hearing, you could have been in the hospital all night just waiting to be seen. Everett, I think I saw a first aid kit in the loft. Can you grab it?”
“Sure, be right back.”
Everett climbed the ladder to the loft and located the red backpack with the white cross on it. He also grabbed his Sig. He had learned his lesson; he wouldn’t be more than an arm’s length away from a weapon now until this crisis was resolved. He brought the bag down and opened it on the coffee table. “Gauze, bandages, and here’s some QuikClot. Do you want to try one of these to stop the bleeding?”
Courtney continued to wipe around the wound with the damp towel. “It isn’t really bleeding anymore. I just need something to disinfect it and close it up.”
Everett kept digging. “Here’s the Betadine and some cotton balls to clean it.”
“Perfect.” Courtney took the solution, put a little on a cotton ball, and gently dabbed around Lisa’s cut.
“No sutures or butterfly bandages in here.” Everett kept looking through the bag. He pulled out a package containing three tubes of Super Glue. “I wonder how this got in here.”
Courtney held out her hand. “Let me see.”
Ken said, “I’ve heard of people using Super Glue for deep cuts.”
Everett continued to look through the different pockets of the medical bag. “Seems pretty low-tech. It isn’t toxic?”
Courtney opened the package and removed one of the tubes. “People get this stuff on their skin all the time. If it were toxic, we’d have dead people everywhere.”
“And lawsuits,” Ken added.
Everett sighed. “Lisa, Jones was a CIA field agent for several years before he was pulled from active duty. He had some unconventional methods. I suppose Super Glue is what he had for stitches since I can’t find anything else in this bag that would perform that function. But it’s your body, so it’s your call. What do you want to do?”
Lisa opened the eye farthest from the cut. “If I die, I want all of my belongings to go to Courtney.”
Courtney smiled, then put several small dots of Super Glue on the edge of the cut and pressed Lisa’s wound together. She held it for a moment, then slowly took her hand away. It held. “Good as new.”
“Thanks.” Lisa forced a smile.
Courtney held her friend’s hand. “Whenever you’re ready, you can get a shower. You’ve got blood all in your hair. A shower will probably make you feel better.”
Everett looked at Ken. “That is quite a shiner on your head. It’ll probably look even worse tomorrow. How do you feel?”
Ken lightly felt the knot on his head. “More shook up than anything. I feel much better, though, now that we’re here.”
Everett stood up. “I’m glad you made it. Relax, and I’ll start bringing your stuff in.”
“Thanks. Do you mind if we get something to drink?”
Country put her hand on Ken’s shoulder. “Just chill out for a while and catch your breath. I’ll bring you both something to drink. If you’re hungry, we’ve got some leftover pasta.”
Lisa nodded, and Ken said, “That would be fantastic!”
Everett walked out into the brisk, cool night to retrieve the bags from Ken’s car. Like his had been, Ken’s car was stuffed to capacity. He set the first load just inside the doorway. “Where is Lisa’s car? Did the muggers get her keys when they took her purse?”
Ken bit his lip. “Her keys were in her purse, but we had another set at the house. She had blood running down her face, and I was worried she might lose consciousness while she was driving or that blood might get in her eye, and she’d have an accident. I reorganized our stuff, tried to get everything that was important into my car, and we left her car behind.”
Everett could see Ken was still upset about the whole ordeal. “We’ll get by just fine with what we have.”
CHAPTER 10
Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Noah’s finger trembled, so he pushed it close to the frame of the all-black AK-47 to limit the shaking. Just breathe, he thought as he kept the red crosshair reticle of the reflex sight on the man to his right.
The man on the left slowly holstered his pistol into his shoulder holster. “Sheriff Taylor, we’re looking for one of the terrorists involved in today’s attacks. We believe he is acquainted with Mr. Brown, and we need to take a look around the house.”
Jim kept his weapon trained on the man. “The first order of business is going to be seeing your ID. You have refused to identify yourself to the homeowner, which leads me to believe that you may be impersonating a law enforcement officer. You’re dangerously close to losing your life. Do you understand?”
The man on the left nodded for the man on the right to holster his weapon as well. “I can assure you that we are here under the authority of DHS.”
Jim replied, “You can assure me by producing your credentials or lying face down with your hands on the back of your head.”
The man held both hands in the air. “I’m going to take my ID out.”
“Do it slow!” Jim yelled.
The man held up a badge wallet.
Jim kept his sights on the man as he called out to Deputy Starkey, “Kevin, go check his ID.”
Starkey proceeded slowly toward the two men as Noah and the others kept him covered. He checked the first man’s badge wallet, then the other. “CIA. Both of them.”
Jim slowly lowered his weapon and approached Isaiah’s porch. “Noah, you and Elliot stay where you are.”
Noah relaxed his trigger finger, which was white from pressing on the side of the rifle. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.
Jim took a closer look at each of the men’s badges. “Why didn’t you just present these to the homeowner?”
The agent on the left said, “We’re hunting a terrorist. Taking time to show a badge is all it takes to get shot in this game.”
Jim handed the badge back to him. “Then you wait for backup.”
The man placed his wallet back in his coat. “In case you haven’t noticed, we’re a little tight on resources.”
Jim looked around. “We’re here.”
The man snickered. “Alright, would you like to help us look around?”
Jim didn’t crack a smile. “Do you have a warrant?”
The man looked up at the sky and sighed. “This is a national emergency. Under the Patriot Act, we don’t need a warrant when we’re looking for an enemy of the state.”
Jim positioned himself to be between the agent and Isaiah’s door. “You need one in Sevier County.”
The man took off his sunglasses to reveal his angry eyes. “Sheriff, your campaign website is the mirror image of an American Patriots for Christ brochure. You espouse the exact same core values as the terrorists who pulled off this horrific attack. I can promise that, when the time and resources become available, we’ll have some folks knocking on your door, and you’ll be answering a lot of questions. That is an inevitability. What remains to be seen is just how unpleasant an experience you would like that to be. I can assure you that what you’re doing right here is not helping your case one bit.”
Jim straightened his back. “Regardless of how it affects my future comfort level, you need to get a warrant or move on.”
The other agent spoke up. “If Mr. Brown has nothing to hide, what could be the harm in us having a quick look around? We’ll be in and out in a matter of minutes, and then we can all go back to doing what we like.”
Jim turned his attention to the other agent. “The harm is violating the Fourth Amendment. If we shed the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the terrorists have already won. They’ve successfully brought down our country, and there’s nothing left to fight for.”
The second agent smirked. “Did you memorize that from an American Patriots for Christ speech?”
The first agent turned and led the way back to the SUV. “You’ll be hearing from me personally, Sheriff.”
The two agents entered their vehicle and drove away.
Isaiah stepped outside. “I hope we didn’t just start a war with the CIA.”
Jim shook his head. “We didn’t start anything.”
Noah listened as Isaiah filled Jim, Kevin, and Elliot in on what Henry Whitaker had told them earlier.
Jim leaned against the railing on Isaiah’s porch. “I guess that’s what this was all about. It’s much better that we didn’t let them in. If they had asked you if you’d seen Henry, you’d be a target. I’m sure they’d have been able to tell if you’d lied to them.”
Noah asked, “What are we going to do when they come back?”
Jim looked at Noah. “I don’t know. They already had me picked out to interrogate. They knew everything about my campaign. I was already on the list.”
Isaiah patted Jim on the back. “I think we’ve all been on the list for a while. From what Henry told us, the CIA has been planning this for some time.”
Elliot looked at Jim. “So what’s the next step for Sevierville?”
Starkey answered for him. “Roll over or fight. Those are our only two choices. Just think through the consequences of each choice. Pick the one that allows you to look yourself in the mirror and commit to it. Once you decide, there’s no turning back. I know my answer: I’m going to fight.”
Noah thought about his options. He thought about the consequences, as Deputy Starkey had suggested. He considered what his actions would mean for himself, his wife, and his daughter. He understood that fighting against this empire meant his chances of death were all but certain. Reluctantly, softly, and somewhat hesitantly, Noah said, “Me, too.”
Noah’s phone rang. “Hey. I’m coming home right now.”
Cassie’s voice was filled with terror. “Sharon just got here. She said government agents were at Isaiah’s. Are you there now?”
“Yes, everything is fine for now. They left.” Noah listened as Cassie relayed the message to Sharon.
“You should bring Isaiah back here with you for tonight. He probably won’t want to be home in case they come back.”
“I’ll offer. And I promise, I’m coming home right now.” Noah ended the call. “Cassie is worried sick, guys. I’ve got to get home. Isaiah, you’re welcome to stay at my house tonight if you’d feel more at ease. Sharon is there.”
Isaiah winced. “She called during the standoff. I told her I’d call right back. Did you tell her everything is okay?”
Noah smiled. “Cassie told her, but you’d still better call.”
Isaiah winked. “I will. And I’ll take you up on your offer; I’d rather not be alone after all that.”
Isaiah called Sharon, and the others said goodbye.
Noah placed the AK-47 back under his other purchases, so Cassie wouldn’t see it, then drove home.
Fifteen minutes later, he pulled into his drive, cut the ignition, and grabbed a load of toilet paper from the back of the Santa Fe.
Lacy came running out the door and grabbed Noah’s leg. “Daddy! Why were you gone so long? I was afraid.”
Noah dropped one of the packages so he could hug his daughter. “I had to get gas and toilet paper and medicine and maybe even some candy.”
“You bought candy?”
Noah dug through the bags in the back seat and found a box of mini Charleston Chews. “You probably don’t like these. I should just give them to Mommy.”
Lacy squealed. “No! I love those!”
“Make sure you ask Mom before you open them. You might have to wait until after dinner.” Noah swallowed hard as he considered the commitment he had made minutes earlier. Would his vow to stand and fight cost his daughter’s happiness? Would it cost his family’s freedom or his very life? Noah gathered a load to take t
o the shed. But what freedom could he have, what happiness was left, or what value remained in his life if he and his family had been branded as terrorists?
When he returned to the vehicle for another load, Cassie was waiting. She gave him a big hug and a kiss. “I’m glad you’re safe. Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. I’m happy to be home. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Cassie inspected Noah for injuries. Once satisfied that he was unharmed, she asked, “What did you buy?”
“Band-Aids, ibuprofen, and toilet paper, mostly.”
“Need some help bringing it in?” Cassie grabbed a load from the back seat.
“I can get the rest. Isaiah is right behind me. Why don’t you start some coffee? We need to all sit down and talk.” Noah wanted to get Cassie away from the vehicle before she saw the AK.
“Oh, okay. You must be hungry. We had tuna salad for lunch, but you’re probably ready for dinner.”
Noah proceeded to the shed. “Will dinner be ready soon?”
Cassie followed Noah. “I started a roast earlier; it will be ready in thirty minutes or so.”
Noah stacked the items neatly. “I’ll have a little of that tuna salad with some crackers for a snack, and then I can eat dinner whenever it’s ready.”
Cassie handed her load to Noah to stack with the other supplies. “Should I fix something for Isaiah as well?”
“I’ll share the tuna salad with him. He’ll probably stay for dinner, especially since Sharon is here.”
Cassie kissed Noah on the cheek and headed back inside. Noah returned to the Santa Fe to finish unloading.
In a few minutes, Isaiah parked behind Noah and got out. “I really appreciate you coming over today. You put a lot on the line for me.”
Noah continued stowing his supplies. “You would have done the same for me.”
Isaiah grabbed a handful of supplies and followed Noah. “I would have. But you have a family to think about. It was a big risk.”
Noah organized his purchases in the shed. “I love my family, and I’ll do anything for them, but I won’t hide behind them when it’s time to do what’s right.”
