by JEFF MOTES
Chapter 65
Jill
Jackson
Day 12
Before John gets to US43, he pulls under a shade tree on Echo Ridge Drive. He dismounts and helps me off.
Still sniffling, I ask, “What is it, John?”
“We’re going to be in Jackson very soon.”
He reaches in his pack and retrieves a towel, wetting it with water from his stainless water bottle. “You don't want your mom and Lizzy to see you like this, do you?” He hands me the towel.
“No. I don’t. Thank you.” I wipe my face. The water is lukewarm and it feels good to wipe the sweat and grime away. John is looking at me with obvious concern in his eyes. The man needs a break. I don’t know how he keeps going. The constant conflict and stress have got to be taking their toll on him. I hope he’s right about Repose. We both need a sanctuary for a few days.
“I’m okay, now. Let’s go. I want to see Lizzy.”
We mount up, and continue south on US43.
It isn’t long before we come up to the roadblock on US43.
“The roadblock is north of Walmart,” he says. “If I know who’s there, I want to talk to them to see how things are.”
John approaches the entrance to the roadblock. There are two police officers and one National Guardsman. Each has an M4 rifle and a pistol. They flag John down, then walk over.
“John! Hey, man, I haven’t seen you since before the EMP,” one of the officers says. “Geez, looks like you’ve been in a fight with a cross between a bear and a wildcat.”
“Yeah, Mark, it was something like that,” John replies. “We were in Birmingham and are just getting back. How about the deputies? Do you know anything about—”
“Birmingham?” the other officer cuts in. “I don’t believe it.”
The officer speaking is Eric Wilson, the one bad apple on the city police force. A few months back, he came to the clinic. I was performing physical therapy on his knee until he kept coming on to me and didn’t want to take no for an answer. Julia was gracious and assigned someone else to work with him.
John gets off the ATV and shakes Mark’s hand and the hand of the soldier, Corporal Sims. He doesn't shake Eric’s hand. I stand close to John.
Eric moves toward me and asks, “Jill, you with this guy or just with this guy?”
“This is John Carter, my husband,” I say, hoping that will make him leave me alone.
“I know who he is,” Eric says. “My offer still stands. Move in with me. Things are tough. You're going to need a man to take care of you.”
“Eric, this is my husband.”
“I heard you, but it doesn't change anything.” Eric snickers. “Looks like he’s had his ass whipped already.”
I’m wondering how long it will take before… then I see a flash, hear the smack, and Eric crumples to the ground.
Mark looks at Eric on the ground and says, “John, I’ve been wanting to do that all week. Thanks. You know the mayor’s not going to like it though. That’s his wife’s nephew.”
“Makes no difference to me,” John says.
“I didn't figure it did. Sims, would you mind disarming Eric? We don't need to let this get worse when he wakes up.”
“Sure thing,” Sims replies.
Mark continues, “The deputies went to the ER. They’re only taking trauma cases, nothing else. I haven’t heard from them. Did you do the patch work?”
“Jill and I did.”
Sims says, “Nice job, John. You an EMT or ex-military?”
“Neither, but I’ve had some training.”
Mark says, “We didn't talk long, but it sounds like it was part of the biker gang we’ve heard about that came into the county. We've heard rumors of them harassing the rural areas. What we’ve heard is about fifty bikers came in through Coffeeville, but it's all secondhand information. We don't have the resources to patrol outside of town.”
“How are things here?” John asks.
“Like crap and getting worse,” Mark says. “Do you want to hear this, Jill?”
“No, but I need to.”
Mark sighs. “We’ve had over a hundred killings here in town. Two dozen arsons. Most of the elderly in the nursing home who don't have local families have died. People have been rioting and looting. Our orders are to shoot looters on sight. Food is almost gone, running water completely stopped yesterday. Two officers were killed. It’s only going to get worse.”
“Mark, I have to check on Jill’s family and then mine,” John says, “but I’ll come back into town as soon as I can and see if there is anything I can do to help.”
“I saw your dad yesterday, coming into town. I didn't see him leave, though that means nothing. Jill, I haven't seen your mom or Lizzy, but that doesn't mean anything either.”
“Did John’s dad say how things were in Repose?” I ask.
“He said they were getting by, whatever that means.”
“Mark, we’re going to check on Jill’s place.”
“There is a dusk till dawn curfew,” Mark says. “Here’s a pass. It may help if you have any problems.”
“Thanks,” John says.
We mount the ATV, wave, and drive on toward town. At the Walmart, there are more National Guardsmen and some military vehicles. John says they are probably a reactionary force for the roadblock on US43 and the other one on Walker Springs Road. I wonder if there is anything left in Walmart. The gift card I got last Christmas, that I never used, will never be used now for sure. The liquor store is gutted. All the windows are broken and smashed bottles are everywhere. We are approaching my street, right before you get into Jackson proper. Cars are stalled all over US43 and more of the stores have been damaged. The tobacco shop has been gutted too. John turns onto Parker Street. I live only a few blocks down. I’m getting so excited, I’m starting to shake. I hope to see Mom and Lizzy. John thinks they’re with Will, and if they are, that will be okay too.
John turns into my yard and I involuntarily gasp.
“Oh no! No! No! No!”
I’m off the ATV, running for the door before John can kill the motor. The door is shattered and glass is covering the front porch. When I reach the steps, John grabs me from behind and wraps his arms around me. “Let me go!” I scream. “John, let me go!”
He holds me firmly. I struggle to get free, but it’s no use, he’s too strong. I turn and bury my head into his chest and start to cry. “Oh John! Oh John …”
Chapter 66
John
Jill’s House
Day 12
I pull in to Jill’s front yard on Parker Street. Before I can brace her for what I’m seeing, she is reacting. In an increasingly fearful tone, she says, “Oh no! No! No! No!” She is off the ATV before I can kill the engine. I have to stop her. She can’t go in there until I’ve checked it out. I switch the key off and catch her at the bottom steps, wrapping my arms around her from behind, trying to calm her raging soul.
She screams, “Let me go! John, let me go!”
But I can’t. I just can’t do it. She is struggling to free herself, but I hold her firmly, yet tenderly. When her struggles cease she lays her head on my chest, and cries, “Oh John! Oh John …”
My eyes start to mist at the agony seeping from the woman I love. I want to tell her everything is okay, but I can’t. Mrs. Barnes and Lizzy are probably with Will in Repose, but I don’t know that for certain. I must check the house out before she goes in.
With Jill’s face buried in my chest, I say, “Jill, I don’t think they’re in there, but let me check the house first. It’s probably looters who came after your mom and Lizzy left with Will.”
I lift her face toward mine. “Wait for me here. I need you to keep a watch on our gear. We are going to need it to get to Repose. I’ll clear the house of any threats, and talk to you on the radio as I do. Okay?”
She nods. “Of course, John, you’re right. I’ll watch our gear. But John, don’t talk to me on the radio. Just let me know what
you find when you get out.”
I admire this woman’s courage and resiliency. “Okay, I’ll have my radio, just in case you need to call me. I’ll be using my pistol to clear the house. You use the carbine. If you have trouble, call me because I may not be able to hear the carbine from inside the house.”
“Go ahead, John, please don’t take long.”
I replace the dead battery in my radio and replace the one in Jill’s radio as well. Up on the porch, there is blood on the floor trailing into the house.
Dear God, please let this not be from Mrs. Barnes or Lizzy.
Walking through the front door, I scan all around. The blood trail continues further into the house. I clear a large bedroom. Drawers have been pulled out and some dumped either on the floor or on the bed. I check the closets, under the bed, and the bathroom. Walking back out I continue clearing rooms in a counterclockwise direction. It takes some time to clear each room, cutting the corners as my friends taught me. Each room I come to, I utter a little prayer, hoping to find the room empty. Finally, I come to the kitchen. The blood trail leads inside. Cautiously I enter the room, using the same technique as used for the previous rooms. The blood trail leads to the sink and there are bloody dish cloths on the floor and counter. Footprints have smeared the blood on the floor. It takes about fifteen minutes to clear the house. Mrs. Barnes and Lizzy are not here.
I walk down the porch steps with a smile. “The house is clear. No one is inside. There’s blood on the floor, but I’m pretty sure it’s from whoever kicked the door in. Let me secure the ATV in your garage and we can go in together.”
She says, “Yes, please, let’s do.” I go back in, enter the garage from the kitchen, and clear it. Using the manual bypass to the electric garage door, I open the door. Jill drives the ATV in.
“Put the keys in your pocket,” I say. “I’m going to close the door, then we can go in.”
After closing and securing the door, we walk into the kitchen together. Jill gasps when she sees the blood on the floor. Her hand covers her mouth. She goes to the bar and moves the barstools. I watch her, wondering what she’s doing. She looks under the top, then she pulls a piece of paper out. A big smile crosses her face. She hands me the paper.
It reads, “At Johnathan Carter’s place. Bev.”
Jill says, “Under the countertop is where we put our secret messages.”
“Geez, that’s a great idea. I never would have thought of that.”
“I wouldn’t have either if my dad hadn’t told us to do it.” She continues, smiling, “I feel better. You were right. They’re in Repose, but at your dad’s instead of your place.”
“Good. Let’s pack as many of your things as we can take with us. We’ll come back for the rest later, if we can.”
“I’ll get some garbage bags from the kitchen, if they weren’t stolen. I’ll do my own packing. You can carry them to the ATV.”
“Okay.” I sit on the couch. That note. Something seems a little odd about it, I just can’t place my finger on it. Well, we’ll know soon enough when I take Jill to Repose.
Jill is packing everything, or so it seems. One bag is mostly cosmetics, soaps, and perfumes. It’s kind of heavy. I take it out and set it by the ATV. The next bag is full of clothes. I start to open the bag and Jill snatches it and ties it closed.
“Oh no. You don’t need to see what’s in this bag. You will soon enough.”
She packs three more bags and says, “Looks like Mom already packed a lot of our stuff and took it with her. Either that or it was stolen.”
I carry the bags to the ATV, and with Jill’s help, get them secured. We have to be careful, since I don’t want anything interfering with access to our weapons.
“Oh, one more thing,” Jill says. “You’re going to like this.” I follow Jill into the living room. “This was one of my dad’s pride and joys.” She runs her hand underneath the large coffee table, and I hear a slight click. The top separates to reveal a secret storage area for guns, but there aren’t any guns there. “I guess Mom and your dad already packed them.”
We return to the garage, open the door, drive the ATV out, and stop under a large shade tree.
“Jill, you mind if we have a picnic in your front yard. I’m starving.”
“I don’t mind, but do you think we should, with food being so scarce in town?”
This woman is sharp. “You’re right. I didn’t think of that. Protein bar again?”
“Yes.”
I reach inside my pack for the last of the blueberry bars. Breaking it in half, I hand Jill a piece.
She climbs on the ATV behind me. “Let’s go home, John. Let’s go home.”
Chapter 67
John
The Jackson PD
Day 12
Before pulling back out onto US43, I park the ATV in the shade on Parker Street.
“Jill, is there anyone specifically you want to check on before we leave Jackson? It could be a while before we can get back.”
“There are a lot of people I would very much like to check on, though I know we can’t, and I want to see my mom and Lizzy. If you think it’s all right, I’d like to check on Rachael. She lives behind the football field.”
“Doesn’t she work with you?”
“No, she’s an RN. She works at the ER. We do a lot of things together. You know, us girls getting older, with few prospects of male companionship. I knew all along there was somebody special out there for me. Well, here you are.”
She turns my face around and kisses me softly on the lips. A big smile spreads across my face.
We pull back out onto US43, heading into town. A few people are moving about, most on foot, a few on bikes, even a couple of golf carts and four-wheelers.
“You think Rachael might be at the ER?” I ask.
“She could be. Probably is. It’s on our way to her house, let’s stop and check, if you don’t mind.”
“I’m going to take College Avenue instead of staying on US43. I know it’ll take a little longer, but I want to see more of what the town looks like.”
“Yes, I do, too,” she says.
Turning up College Avenue, it’s evident the gas station, Hardee’s, Walgreen’s and the auto parts store have all been looted. That’s too bad. Those were valuable resources; if used properly, they could have been a big help to the town. There must still be fuel, since there is an armed guard at the gas station. The parking lot at the shopping center is full of stalled cars. Trash and busted bags of various food items are scattered around. The glass door at the food store entrance is smashed. There are no guards; it must have been completely looted. There are more scenes just like this as we head further into town.
“I had no idea people in our town could do this,” Jill says sadly. “They’re doing it to themselves. John, I don’t know what I would do if you hadn’t found me. This doesn’t look like a community anymore.”
“They better get a handle on things PDQ, or it’s all going to fall apart. I think they will. The mayor is slow to act, at least he was, but Ben Hunt is a pretty solid police chief. I need to talk to him soon.”
We make it around to the back of the hospital where the ER is located. There is a considerable crowd. Police in uniform are walking about, keeping watch. There’s a nurse at the door talking to the crowd. Some are walking away, some are angry. The police are on guard.
Jill says, “That’s Rachael right there. I’m going to go over and talk with her.”
“Okay, be careful. Keep your radio on. I’ll be here with our gear.”
Jill walks up to the ER door. One of the police officers stops her. They’re talking but I can’t hear what they’re saying.
Jill returns and says, “They say I can’t go in with my gun. I’m going to leave it here.”
“I’m not so sure it’s a good idea to go in there unarmed.”
“I’ll be all right. The police are right at the door.”
One of the police officers strolls over to me and
asks, “Are you John Carter?”
I become instantly alert. “Yes, I’m John Carter.”
A big grin spreads across his face. “My name is Pat Ryan. I’ve been wanting to punch that smart ass in the face for a long time. They’re in there wiring his mouth shut right now. Apparently you broke his jaw.”
“Do you know where Ben is?”
“He’s at the AL69 roadblock,” Officer Ryan says. “It’s at the top of Stave Creek Hill, but he’ll be here soon.”
Ben shows up shortly thereafter. Ben is Jackson’s first black chief of police, though that doesn’t mean as much to me as it does to some. What does mean a lot is that Ben is a good guy and my friend. He sees me and comes over.
“The mayor wants me to arrest you, and I should arrest you for assaulting one of my officers.”
My demeanor and posture change immediately. Ben is my friend, but friend or not, I’m not going to allow myself to be taken into custody. I observe where the other officers are and make my plan for defense.
Ben observes the change and says, “Relax, John, I’m not going to arrest you. Probably couldn’t without a fight, and if I did, what would I do with you? We hardly have enough resources to feed ourselves, much less prisoners.”
I relax a little. “That’s good, Ben. You have no idea what I’ve been through getting here from up around Birmingham. I’ve seen what happens to disarmed people. It’s not going to happen to me. Eric got what he had coming. It might have saved his life. Somebody less restrained than myself would have shot him. I haven’t even been able to get home yet.”
“I’ve wanted to fire his ass for months, but he’s been a pet of the mayor’s. I was afraid he would get one of our good guys killed. We’ve lost two during the looting and riots, Paul Anderson and Vic Beckham. That’s when we decided to shoot looters on sight.”
“I’m sorry about Paul and Vic. They were good guys. How are things around here?”
“I’m not going to pussy foot around. It’s worse than what you and I talked about awhile back. The worst is yet to come. The two key things are food and water. Food is low, way low. Running water has stopped. Randy at the Water Department got a handle on things quickly and was able to ration water, but it has run out. Might’ve lasted longer, except the fire department hooked to a fire hydrant to fight a losing battle on a house fire before Randy could shut the water supply back off. John, we’re on the verge of losing it here.”
