Adam looked on nervously. He did not know how the group will respond to him. He got up slowly from the ground. His heart beat faster and faster as he approached them. He walked passBig Dave’s dead body with a pool of blood soaking his head.
The other guys watched Adam closely as he was walking towards the farm house. They kept their firearms loaded and ready, just in case they responded violently. They also wanted to take cover for Adam, who was taking the bait for the team.
One of the guys noticed Adam walking towards the farm. “Look!” he said, pointing towards Adam’s direction. The other men also turned around and one of them even tried to point a gun on him.
“Hold on. I come in peace, guys,” Adam said, raising both his arms.
“Turn around!” commanded one of them. “And don’t move,” he added.Adam willingly obliged.
They searched him for weapons. He was cleared by the man who searched him.
“What happened to you?” one of them asked. He was the same guy who taunted Big Dave on their way back from ambushing the Taylor farm house.
“I got injured back there at the other farm. Me and Big Dave’s son,” he said. They all looked surprised.
“How come you’re still alive?” one of them asked curious. “Didn’t they finish you off?”
“No, actually, they were kind enough to treat my wounds,” he said showing his bandaged up fingers. “They happened to have a doctor,” he added.
“What brought you here?”
“I came back for my sister.”
“Did you walk all the way?”
Anthony paused. “How’s my sister doing?” he pursued to ask.
“You did not answer my question,” he proclaimed.
“They brought me here,” he said after a slight pause. He could not look them in the eye.
“They?”
“Yes, the folks from the other farm. They were really kind to me.”
“So you brought them here?” one of them was starting to look highly agitated.
“Well, I wanted to see how my sister was doing and…”
“Why would you do that? Do you see what we did to their farm? Are you out of your mind?!”
Unbeknownst to Adam, the group was slowly inching their way closer to the farm house. They did so by staying low on the ground.They crawled their way towards the gate. They knew that if they were too bold on their approach, Adam could end up getting hurt.
“No. I mean, yes,” Adam stuttered.
“What’s going on?” asked one when he caught on that Adam was trying to hide something. He got up and tried to apprehend Adam.
“Hold it!”
The sheriff walked in with firearms drawn. The rest of them followed behind him. All guns were drawn. The marauders froze in place. They had a frightened look to their faces.Even Adam was stunned.
“Put your weapons down!” Chris commanded. The men obeyed without hesitation. They placed the weapons on the floor.
Walter was the first to put down his weapon. He placed it back to the gun holder attached on his hip. Then, raising both his arms, he proclaimed, “We don’t come here to bring any harm.”
The marauders looked at each other with fear in their eyes.
“We’re here to help bring back peace to this town,” he went on to add. The rest of the men gathered any of the weapons that the marauders had dropped to the ground.
Walter continued explaining the group’s intention for coming over to Adam’s family farm house. They also heard the news of Big Dave’s assassination for the first time. There was a mixture of reaction from the other group. Most were shocked, but plenty of them were visibly relieved to hear the news.
The colonel and the sheriff briefed the group on what they must do. Meanwhile, Adam was finally reunited with his sister. She wept and gave him a tight hug when she saw him for the first time since being separated. She thought he was dead when he did not return with the group.
“I promised I will come back for you,” Adam told her sister. She cried on his chest.
***
Chapter 28 –Taking Back the Town
Sheriff Dun had designated Walter’s militia friends to help him restore peace and order in their town. They willingly obliged to his request. Most of the group wascooperative with their plans. Some, however, wanted to be out on their own.
“To those who wanted to join us, you will have to observe by our rules.We will be working together to secure each other’s safety. However, we would expect you to contribute to the workload to ensure that we will have enough food for all of us.Having said that, those who refuse to work will not get their ration. You got that?” Sheriff Dun explained to them.
There were several nods in the room. A few others did not respond but they had this sour look to their faces.
Chris decided to chime in. “We all have each other’s welfare in mind here. But if you refuse to cooperate, that’s fine with us.” He said this as he kept his arms crossed in front of his chest.
“But,” he continued, “We won’t hesitate to do what we did to Big Dave in case you decide to make any trouble.”
There was silence in the room.Adam and his sister listened in attentively.
“Those who do not want to live by our rules – we give you freedom to choose. You can come with us and we can work as a team. But if you don’t, then you’re on your own. Can I see some hands? Those who would like to come with us?” Sheriff Dun asked.
Majority of the people in the room raised their hands. There were about five men who did not raise their hands.
“Gentlemen, is that your final decision?”
One of them raised his hand. “Yes?”
“I’d like to go and look for my family. I’ve been held hostage by Big Dave’s group and haven’t seen my family since then.”
The sheriff and the colonel looked at each other. “Don’t you think it’s far too dangerous to go out looking for them on your own?” asked the colonel.
He shrugged. “I don’t care. I just need to see them.” He insisted.
“Okay, that’s your decision to make,” said the colonel.
“Bring this with you,” Chris went over to him. He handed him his semi-automatic pistol.
The man’s face slightly went pale. “Use it only when you’re life is in danger. Go find your family!” said Chris.
“Thank you,” he said in a muffled voice. He was about to cry and as he held back his tears it was difficult to speak clearly.
“Anybody else has something to say?” the sheriff addressed the four other men who opted not to join the group. Nobody else spoke up.
“I guess we’re set,” concluded the sheriff.
“We will now decide who stays in which farm. There are too many people around for us to stay at the Taylor’s farm house. But we will be keeping enough people within each farm to ensure that we would be able to defend against any intruders,” he added.
They nodded in unison.
The following day, after Walter and the rest of the militia guys had rescued Adam’s sister, they were getting ready to go back to the city. The colonel had insisted that they run the hospital again. He said that he trusted only Benjamin and Walter to run it.The two men will be joined by Craig to cater to the patients that will be brought to the hospital. He was summoned by the General to return to service, as well.
As they were about to leave, Benjamin and Walter said their goodbyes.
“Dad, are you going to be safe out there?” Justin asked Benjamin.
“Of course,” Benjamin answered.
Justin did not say anything in response. He just gave his father a tight hug.
“As long as you will stay true to your promise that you’ll be safe, I’ll be fine with you leaving again,” warned Justin. This made Benjamin smile. Mary, who was looking on, also smiled.
He turned to his wife. “Don’t worry about us. We’ll be safe here. At least for now we know that the other group had been apprehended. Just try to be safe there with Walter,” she reminded. She
smiled back to his wife.
As they finished their goodbyes, he turned to Walter. They signaled to each other that they were both ready to leave. They headed off to the colonel’s vehicle.
“Thank you,” said the colonel as they were loading their bags into the vehicle.
“For what?” Benjamin asked.
“…for believing in this plan and for doing your part,” said the colonel.
Both men smiled. Walter tapped him on the shoulder. They got into the vehicle and the colonel drove them back to the city. Victoria put on a brave face for Walter. But when Mary saw she was about to breakdown again, she went over to comfort her. As soon as the vehicle had driven off, nothing stopped the tears from flowing.
When they got to the city, Benjamin and Walter quickly met with Craig. They were to operate in another hospital building, a few miles from Southcrest Community Hospital.It was damaged beyond repair from the attack launched by the marauders. The whole building was destroyed by the fire. Hence, it would take several months and a lot of money to restore its old condition.
On their way to the other hospital, Benjamin and Walter drove by the street where the Southcrest Community Hospital was located.They had flashbacks of the day they were attacked there.Until today, and after all that they had gone through so far, they still felt lucky to have gotten out of there unharmed.
Benjamin closed his eyes. He said a prayer for his colleagues that did not survive the attack.
It was The General’s instruction to use the other hospital for temporary rehabilitation. It was one of few buildings that survived the riots. They determined it would provide a safe haven for the victims and those that needed medical care.
Craig briefed them about the instructions given to him by the General. They had already enlisted a few public servants to help them cater to the growing patients coming in for treatment. Since most of these people are also victims of marauders, they did not have money to pay for the doctor’s fee. Instead, they brought goods with them and traded them for the services. This also enabled Benjamin and the group to gather enough supplies for their own survival and sustenance.
With a fully operational hospital in the city, more people are also making their way back to the city. The increased military presence helped in improving the level of security in the city, as well as its surrounding towns. According to the colonel, the army is slowly making its way into the farm. When that happens, the security level is expected to become more stable.
***
Chapter 29 – Taking Back the County
Three weeks passed since the riots entered Mississippi.Things are finally showing some semblance of normalcy. It has been a week since the army had infiltrated the city. The riots had stopped and the marauders had been driven off from the streets. Memphis, too, was back to its old peaceful self and the same goes with the neighboring cities and states.
In Southcrest, Benjamin continued serving at the hospital. The operation was going smoothly with Walter and Craig to help him out. A few of the nurses and hospital aides that they had brought on to help out had been cooperative as well. The power was slowly but surely restored. For the most part, though, they were still relying on the generator to power the hospital and the equipment.
Majority of the city already had its power back. However, the farms and neighboring counties are still waiting for power to be fully restored.
Benjamin was having breakfast at the cafeteria. It was a quiet day at the hospital and there were only a few patients to handle. He was already finished withhis appointments, so he decided to have a short break. Walter joined him in his table.
“Quiet day, huh?” said Walter as he sat to the chair across him in the table.
Benjamin nodded as he sipped on his coffee.
“See? It’s paying off!” he added cheerily.
“We’re not quite there yet. But it’s good to see some semblance of normalcy around here.”
“Me, too. Looking forward to when we can go back to our homes,lead a normal life like we used to.”
Walter paused.
“All this time we thought our crazy shifts at the hospital were anything but normal!” he added.
Both men laughed at the joke. A few feet from where they sat was a television set,playing indistinctly. A few people were listening to the news coverage. They, too, were having their cups of coffee. These were some of the public servants they recruited from the surrounding town. They were the only ones inside the cafeteria. Walter looked over to the television set to check what is on.
“It’s so hard, you know,” Benjamin said. This made Walter turn his eyes back to him. He was playing around with the mouth of the cup with his fingers.
“We’re here and they’re off in the farm, several miles away. We don’t get to talk to them.We don’t know exactly how they are doing. That is the toughest part of being away,” Benjamin continued.
“It’s tough! But it’s part of what we do,” Walter chimed in.
“It’s one of those times when you are longing to see the light at the end of the tunnel. You’re just holding on in anticipation to get to the end.” As Benjamin said this, he was not looking at Walter. Instead, his eyes wandered aimlessly.
Benjamin and Walter were interrupted by indistinct muffling from the other end of the room.He could overhear them from where he was sitting.
The President’s dead?!
Is he dead?
What happened?
The people from the other table gathered close to the television. Walter nudged Benjamin. He motioned for them to listen in as well. Benjamin followed Walter there.
“Anything on?” Walter asked one of them.
“Yeah. There is an update on the President’s condition and an announcement from the Vice President, says the headline,” he responded.
Curious, Walter turned his attention towards the TV.
The indistinct chatter continued. But the guy who was manning the cafeteria shushed the noise. He put the TV volume on high.
…It has been confirmed by the doctors that the President passed away this morning at 6.30. The doctors cited complications from the injury he sustained.The doctors stated his body was no longer responding to the treatments. His remains is scheduled for cremation in a couple of days. However, his family respects that they be given privacy in this time of their mourning…
“Can you believe that?”
“I thought he was fine!”
They were starting to chatter again. “Shussh!” the man with the remote wanted them to lower their voices.
“Will you pipe down?The Vice President is on…” he said. All heads were now turned back on the TV.
…Good day fellow Americans! I am deeply saddened to come before you today after receiving disheartening news this morning. Our dear President has succumbed to his injuries and even though his doctors tried their best, he has now left this world. But the task of looking after this country and its people never stops. Hence, I will be taking over the President’s seat until such time that the Martial Law will be lifted. In the meantime, please stay tuned. We will continue to update you on the status of Martial Law and when, if possible, it will be lifted…
The group huddled in front of the TV let out a sigh in unison. Benjamin looked concerned.
“Where’s your head right now?” Walter asked when he saw that Benjamin seemed troubled by the news.
“We may have spoken too soon.”
“Why so?”
“I am not feeling good about the Vice President taking over the seat. Remember? She’s the one who declared Martial Law.”
Walter said nothing in response. His face went blank.
“Let’s just hope for the better this time out,” he responded.
“Dr. Perry!”
Benjamin was startled when he heard someone call out for him. One of the volunteer aides informed him that a new patient just arrived. He excused himself from Walter and scurried to his office.
After her press conference, Vice Pre
sident Christie went back to her office. Colonel Caesar was waiting on the line as he was instructed to get in touch with her. As soon as she walked in, she picked up the phone.
“Good morning, Ms. Vice President,” the colonelspoke from the other line.
She did not respond. She sat on her big executive chair and leaned back on it.
“I’m in a hurry, so I want to keep this short,” she warned him. The colonel looked a bit perturbed.
All this time, the Vice President kept looking at sheets of paper on her desk. He waited on the other line.
The Second Amendment: A Novel On Surviving The Coming Collapse Page 18
