His mind started to wander again. He thought about his family. This is not a story that he would be excited to share with them. But he knew he has to find a way, sooner than later, to get in touch with them. To reassure his family that he is still alive. He owed it to them. He knew Mary too well – she’s the worrying kind.
But deep in the crevices of his mind, he clung on to hope that things will be back to normal. And he could just look back on this as an amazing story to tell his grandchildren someday.
Benjamin could only laugh at the thought of him operating two patients in his home’s garage. Even when the hospital has been burned down, his duty as a doctor has not abandoned him. He took a nap and closed his eyes for a while. Everybody else had taken their naps, too.
Benjamin had only taken about half an hour of rest with his head resting on both arms on the table. Suddenly, he was awakened by someone rocking his shoulders.
“Ben, Ben,” someone was trying to rock him awake. He looked up, still half-asleep. It was Walter.
When he opened his eyes, he found most of the group already surrounding the dining table. It wasn’t until then that Benjamin realized how tired and depleted they looked. Retired colonel Caesar stood at the end of the dining table. He had everybody’s attention.
“He called in for a meeting,” whispered Walter to his ear, referring to the retired colonel.
“I wanted to gather everyone for a little bit. I just got a call from our General a few minutes ago,” he started.
Everyone had a quizzical expression on their faces.
“The executive order putting the Martial Law in motion meant that I will be re-activated on duty,” he clarified as everyone looked puzzled. “As of now, I am just awaiting orders from the General. I will be back on duty again.”
The room filled with muted mutters and groans.
“This means that the Martial Law implementation is still in full effect. We don’t know how long this is going to last. But one thing is for sure – this situation we’re in right now, it’s only the beginning,” he warned.
Benjamin is suddenly wide awake. He saw Jessica burying her face in her hands. All of them registered a worried look on their faces.
“I suggest you all go packing somewhere. This place won’t be safe for long,” continued the retired colonel.
“Doc, what are we going to do?” asked Anthony. Benjamin was still too stunned to speak. He wasn’t sure if he was awake or dreaming.
“I agree. We can’t risk being stuck here, in the middle of trouble. We’ve been through enough,” said a defeated Walter.
Jessica is crying now. “When will this be over?” she said, in the midst of her sobbing. Anthony came over to comfort her.
“I have an idea where we should go,” he spoke finally. Everybody pinned their eyes on him. “I need all of you to help me figure this plan out so we can get moving again.” All of them nodded in response.
“I’m in,” declared Anthony.
“We will discuss it again tomorrow. For now, I want you to get the rest you need.”
The group started to disperse and went off to catch up on sleep.
“What’s this plan you’re talking about?” asked Walter, curious.
“Remember what I told you back in the hospital?” he said, with a mischievous smile.
Walter thought hard and then smiled when he figured it out.
“Do you think they would be able to accommodate us there?”
“I’m sure it won’t cause any problem. Besides, I can’t leave these people behind.”
Walter agreed.
“Let’s talk about this further tomorrow. Go get some rest,” he told Walter.
“You too,” he responded.
Benjamin was determined to travel to the farm next day. If it meant being away from danger in the city, he would gladly take the risk. But the prospect of reuniting with his family motivated him further.
***
Chapter 17 – On the Road
The next morning, Friday, Benjamin woke up early to get ready for their trip to the farm. He was excited to be reunited with his family. The rest were up early, too.
The retired colonel also came over early to his house. They were busy planning how to make the safe transport to the farm.
“It is difficult to move in this kind of situation, especially with the size of our group,” noted Benjamin. “Not to mention that we have patients who just underwent an operation. They’re condition is too sensitive.”
The colonel had this blank stare. He looked far away and his thoughts were deep.
“I’ll let you take my truck,” he said.
“No, no. That would be too much to ask,” refused Benjamin.
“Please do. I see what you have done for these people. You’ve sacrificed too much, you know. You’ve been away from your family a long time because you felt responsible for them,” said the colonel. This made Benjamin a bit teary-eyed. Deep in his mind, he was hoping that his family will understand the sacrifices he made.
“Besides, Anthony’s car vehicle won’t be enough for the group. The trip to the farm won’t be easy. But I want to make sure that everyone of these folks can get there safely,” he added.
“Thanks, colonel. I will never forget this,” said a teary-eyed Benjamin. Anticipation kept building up for him. He could not wait to get on the road and be with his family. But he also knew that they cannot afford to be hasty. Everything must be well planned out to avoid any danger.
Walter was approaching them and interrupted their conversation. “I just checked on Mary and Darla. They’re both fine and doing much better than yesterday,” he reported.
“That’s good to hear,” said the retired colonel.
“Yeah, I was worried the travel would be too stressful on them,” added Benjamin.
“Don’t worry,” said Walter. “I’ve talked to Victoria and she was willing to take this trip -anything to ensure our safety.”
“You better start packing then. It is going to be a long day on the road,” instructed the retired colonel. “I will go home and get the truck ready for you.”
“Do you have some extra fuel that we can bring? I think Anthony’s is almost out,” asked Walter.
“I’ll go check in the garage.”
“Great.”
“Go check on everyone. Tell them to get ready. We’ll leave in the next thirty minutes.”
“Gotcha!”
The retired colonel drove his truck to Benjamin’s house. He volunteered to let them use his truck for their trip to the farm. He also helped out with Benjamin, Walter and Anthony as they were loading supplies on the back of the truck. They had packed all food items they found at Benjamin’s house, such as canned goods and water. Only a few items were left as they had consumed some. All of their other supplies were left in the hospital.
Victoria and Darla were already settled at the back seat of Anthony’s car. Walter will be driving the colonel’s truck. Benjamin volunteered to ride with him.
“You stay with Anthony in the car so that someone else can look after the women, too,” Benjamin told the retired colonel. He agreed.
As the group was preparing to leave, Anthony spotted a power wagon heading towards them. It carried a battalion of army. They all stood standing still. The retired colonel waited for the vehicle and it stopped right in front of Benjamin’s house.
A man in uniform stepped off the vehicle. He was approached by retired colonel Caesar.
“Good morning, Capt. Ellis,” he greeted him with a hand shake.
“Good morning to you, too, Colonel,” he greeted in response.
“Would you mind if I talk to you for a few seconds in private?” asked Capt. Ellis.
“Sure,” said the retired colonel. He gave Benjamin a hand signal indicating for them to stay put.
They looked on nervously.
Benjamin’s heart beat started racing. He did not want any distraction to foil their plans of going to the farm.
The c
onversation lasted for about two to three minutes. But it felt like an hour’s wait. With every agonizing minute that passed, Benjamin’s heart rate increased as well. Walter, on the other hand, looked impatient. Benjamin could see it in his face. He knew that facial expression too well. He has seen it a few times.
Finally, Colonel Caesar and Capt. Ellis have ended their small huddle. Benjamin examined the look on the colonel’s face closely. Is it good news or bad news? He had never felt this tense in a long time.
Capt. Ellis returned to his spot in the vehicle. Meanwhile, the colonel turned his attention back to them.
“Sorry to keep you waiting,” he started.
“I have bad news for you,” he continued. This made Benjamin and Walter look at each other. They were preparing themselves for the worst.
“I won’t be able to join you on your trip to the farm,” he said.
“But why?” Walter questioned him.
“Like I’ve told you yesterday, I had been re-activated into my post. Capt. Ellis just informed me about it. I have to be available anytime, in case the General called in for me to report,” he explained. Benjamin looked stunned.
“But I’ve got good news for you. Since I could not come with you on the trip, I’ve commanded my troops to escort you,” he said, gleaming.
“Ar-ar-are you sure?” Walter could not believe what he was hearing.
“Yes!”
“That’s….” Benjamin was overcome with joy. He was expecting the worst. “Seriously, this means a lot, colonel.”
He responded with a hearty, genuine smile.
Walter went over to Anthony’s vehicle to pass on the information from the colonel. Meanwhile, the colonel took Benjamin to the side.
“Doc, just a few reminders,” he said with a hint of mystery on his voice. “Don’t ever divulge information to the army about your profession.”
Benjamin looked surprised. “How come?”
“Under the executive order, all public servants must stay in their post. That is mandatory. If they knew you were a doctor at the community hospital, there is no way they will let you travel to the farm,” he said firmly.
Benjamin nodded. “Noted,” he said.
“And one last thing. Don’t invite them into the farm house. There is a possibility that the government troops will confiscate their food supply or any source of livelihood,” he pointed out.
“Thanks for letting me know,” Benjamin said.
“You’re good to go now,” said the colonel.
Benjamin signaled to Walter that they are ready to leave. The colonel also instructed the army battalion to join their convoy. The group is finally on the road and headed for a few hours’ drive to the farm.
***
Chapter 18 – Armed and Ready
Mary, Aaron, and their kids helped out bring some supplies over to the Byron family. They had taken temporary refuge at the neighboring farm house. The Byron family, the father especially, would not quit expressing their gratitude to the Taylor family for accommodating them. He escaped the violence in Memphis with his family in the hopes of providing a safe haven for them. But the news of his uncle’s death nearly shattered his hope.
“I don’t know how I’d be able to repay your kindness,” he told Mary. Aaron looked on as they delivered the final batch of supplies for the family.
“Just pay it forward,” said Mary with a smile.
“This should be enough. We’ve bothered you enough already,” he said, shyly.
Mary tried to brush off his comment with a smile.
“Don’t worry. We’ve made sure that there is enough supplies to last us for a few weeks,” said Aaron. “Just let us know if you need any help,’ he added.
The Bryon family’s kids were settled into the farm. The children were already asleep. They were exhausted from the long trip to Southcrest. His wife also took the time to thank the Taylors for helping keep their family safe.
“We’ll leave you on your own now. Get some rest,” Mary said as they were leaving.
The Byron patriarch closed the door behind him. It was starting to get dark. They had a long day. He, too, was exhausted.
This is the first time in a span of two weeks that he had felt secure. The chaos in Memphis and the surrounding cities made it impossible for them to feel safe, even in their own home. He had initial worries about the trauma that his family will go through on the road. But it felt like choosing the lesser of two evils. And he could not risk exposing his family to more violence.
His family – wife and kids – settled on the bedroom. He opted to sleep in the couch in the living room. He did not want to disturb their sleep. Before he dozed off, he said a prayer for the Taylor family. He could not believe that in these times, a family would trust and welcome a complete stranger. But they did. After saying his prayer, it took him only a few minutes to go into a deep sleep.
Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!
The Byron patriarch fidgeted on the couch. He thought the sound he heard was from a dream. In fact, he thought it was a nightmare; he was haunted by the images of violence he witnessed back at home.
But he was awoken from his nightmare. The front door of the farm house had been smashed open at the top half. This made him jump off of the couch. He now crawled in all fours. He did not know what to do so he tried to hide first. But he was worried about what the marauders would do to his family if they saw them.
He quickly scanned the living room for any item he can use for self-defense. He found a wooden cane displayed on the wall. He quickly grabbed it off the wall. It was just in time as the marauders had made it through the door, which was now completely destroyed.
The banging noise was so loud that the Byron kids and his wife had gotten up from the bedroom. They made their way to the living room to check on the noise. They were stunned to find marauders by the door.
“Stay back,” the Byron patriarch instructed them. He was wielding the cane as if ready to swing it to anyone who got too close.
“We need food and supplies. That’s all we want. Now, if you want to cause trouble, we will not hesitate to bring it to you,” warned one of the marauders.
“We don’t have anything!” he exclaimed.
“Liar!” scoffed another.
The kids and his wife were now huddled together as they sat on the floor, crying and trembling in fear. The wife was so scared she kept her head down.
“Trust me,” he pleaded. “We just found this empty house. We went in to find a place to sleep. We haven’t been eating either,” he insisted.
“Go look around,” one of the marauders instructed his companion.
The crying got louder. This caused the marauder’s leader to become irate.
“Shut up!” he barked at the kids.
The Byron patriarch could do nothing. There were four of them. He knew that if he attempted to attack one of them, his family could be in trouble. So instead, he stood still in his spot. He would rather lose all of their supplies than risk his family getting hurt.
“Jackpot!” yelled one of the marauders. His voice came from the kitchen.
“What’s up?” The group’s leader rushed to join them there.
The father motioned to his wife and kids to come over to his side. They quickly made their way towards the living room. The entire family huddled close together, as if finding safety in each other. The children would not let up crying.
The group’s leader returned to the living room. He found the family there huddled together closely.
“Aww, what a sight!” he mocked. He held his fingers together in a playful manner.
“Why did you lie?!” he yelled at them. He was fuming.
“Get those supplies out of here and let these suckers starve to death! Get all that you can find. Leave nothing behind,” he instructed his group.
He took out a radio and started talking to someone over the line, “Good news bud! We picked a good spot. We’ve managed to haul out a few supplies.” He giggled before bursti
ng into a sinister laugh.
The man on the other line said that they will be coming over to help find some more supplies. “Copy that,” he said before hanging up.
The Byron family remained still the entire time. The man stood directly in front of the door. But his back was against it. Suddenly, a huge blow to his head knocked him out. The Byron family was stunned. Their jaws went wide open as they watched the man fall to the floor.
It was Justin. In his hand, he held a baseball bat. Aaron and Grandpa Taylor were also with him. They were wielding a gun.
The Second Amendment: A Novel On Surviving The Coming Collapse Page 10
