by Ira Tabankin
“Ever find any?”
Laughing, I nod my head, “Yes, we don’t know who or how they’re getting in, but they are. We find a bug almost every week. Some are on the inside of the house, some on the windows of our bedroom and family room.”
“Dad, do you think the Feds are using a small drone to drop them?”
“Shit, I hadn’t thought of that. We’ll have to add that to our list of things to be alert for.” Looking into the rear view mirror, I see a police car has pulled in behind us, “Todd, I think our local not so friendly Sheriff is going to be stopping us. Don’t get smart with him, don’t give him any talkback, answer his questions, but only the questions he asks. I don’t trust the thief as far as I can throw him. I expect that when we take the turn towards home, which is usually deserted, he’ll pull us over. He’ll be able to do it without anyone seeing him. It’s funny, I can trust doing business with the mob and I worry about the Sheriff. Tony’s trustworthy and the Sheriff’s a crook.”
“What do you think he wants?”
“Everything we have.”
As soon as we turn off the main road towards our house the flashing lights on the police car behind us turn on. I pull over while rolling my window down. I have my license and registration in my hand out the window. The Sheriff walks to my window. I notice the flap over his sidearm is unsnapped. “Todd, there’s a sidearm hidden under your seat. If things turn to shit reach down and grab it. It’s loaded, there’s a round in the chamber, so be very careful with it. All you’ll have to do is flip the safety to fire and pull the trigger. I don’t like that the Sheriff has his sidearm holster unsnapped.”
“Dad, that’s crazy, we haven’t done anything wrong.”
“Todd, just do as I say, we’ll chat about it later.”
“Yes. sir.”
“Here he comes, look calm and smile.”
“Hello Sheriff, is something wrong?”
“You took the turn too quickly, you almost lost control of your vehicle. I pulled you over to warn you. I wouldn’t want one of our most famous people to be hurt, now would I?”
“Sheriff, that’s very kind of you. What do you really want?”
“I had a strange call, it seems you had lunch with Tony the snake. Is that true? Are you hanging around with known criminals?”
“My son-in-law and I like Italian food. There aren’t many good places close by to have lunch at. I really like fresh veal, the place we visited today makes it the best I’ve ever had.”
“Jay, we both know who owns that restaurant. You entered it and had lunch in a restaurant that was closed? That’s usually a pretty neat trick.”
“I know the manager.”
“You had lunch with the owner, one Tony the snake, the local mafia Don. The head honcho who calls the shots for all crime in the Nashville area. One word from him and people end up floating in the Cumberland River. I’d hate to see you be the next floater.”
“Thank you for your concern.”
“Jay, why don’t you step out of your car so we can have a private chat, just the two of us? I may use words, by mistake, mind you, your young son-in-law shouldn’t hear.”
“I can assure you he doesn’t have virgin ears.”
“Jay, do me this little favor.”
“Todd, stay here, watch us in the mirror. If anything happens, come out with a gun.”
“Yes, sir.”
Stepping out of the car, “Sheriff, what do you want to discuss?”
The Sheriff places his arm around my shoulder, “Jay, I want to make sure you understand how important your little farm is to the community. I don’t like the idea that you’re getting into bed with a slime ball like Tony. He’ll corrupt you. He’ll twist your mind and mess you up so you won’t share your food with the town. I know you don’t want a few thousand people to die from hunger, not when you have the means to feed them.”
“Sheriff, I think we’ve had this conversation before. I don’t have any stored food. The farms weren’t doing well before I bought them which is why I could purchase them so cheaply. Even the National Guard showed up looking for stored grains. Don’t you think if we had any they would have found them?”
“Son, don’t bullshit a bullshitter. I know you have food. I know you’re building something on your farm. I think it’s a storage building. I’ll wait till you're finished, then me and some of my boys are going to pay you a visit. You’re either going to give us what the town needs or we’re going to take it.”
“Sheriff, my property is private property and unless you have a damn good reason and a warrant, you better stay off of it. It’s not going to be good for your health.”
“Son, are you threatening me?”
“No Sheriff, I’m just trying to give you some free advice.”
The Sheriff punches me in the stomach, causing me to double over, “Listen to me, you little shithead. I’m the Sheriff around here. If I say you’re going to be giving me what I want, you’ll be giving it to me. The government is going to announce any farmer that doesn’t sell stored food supplies to the local towns can be arrested for crimes against humanity.”
“Sheriff, don’t try it. I’m not threatening you. I’m trying to help you.”
“Go home and get out of my sight. I’ll be seeing you soon enough. I figure your summer crop will be ready for harvest in six to eight weeks and I might as well get the freshest. Now you be real careful taking turns.”
“Goodbye, Sheriff.”
“Goodbye, Jay.”
Entering my car, Todd asks, “Dad, are you OK? I saw him hit you.”
“Yes, I’m fine, just a little pain in the ass local Sheriff who thinks he can throw his weight around. I think the time’s coming when he’s going to make a mistake and the mass grave in the back is going to grow.”
“Dad, what mass grave? Is there something I should know?”
Realizing I made a mistake, I tell Todd, “Son, just forget I said anything. There’s also no need to worry everyone when we get home.” When we enter the front door, Lacy runs into my arms, “Honey, are you OK? Where have you been all day?”
“I told you I took Todd to meet Tony. On the way home we got stopped by the pain in the ass Sheriff. I swear the day’s coming when we’re going to have to settle the score with him for the final time. He says he’s coming to take our crop in six or eight weeks.”
“Do you think he will?”
“He’ll try. Honey, we need to talk. Tony has a suggestion I’d like to discuss with you and later on with all of our neighbors.”
I explain the offer Tony made, she sits there with a surprised look on her face. “Honey, do you trust him?”
“Yes, he too thinks the shits going to hit the fan. He can provide us with the additional people and supplies we’ll need to survive and prosper in the future. Lace, do you trust Nancy?”
“Of course I trust her, we’re like sisters. However, I think you’re going to have a hard time selling him joining us to our neighbors. Most of them haven’t spent years palling around with a member of one of the families. How are you going to explain him?”
“I’m thinking of starting with Fred and Cheri. I’m going to tell them the truth.”
“The truth? That’s a strange way to convince someone. Do you really think the truth is going to work?”
“If they catch me in a lie like this, they’ll never trust me again. Lacy, what would you do differently?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why don’t we invite everyone over for a drink tonight? Since Tony is coming in two days, we should get this out of the way ASAP.”
“Jay, that’s a good idea. Why don’t you send it to our group chat?”
“OK, the invites sent,” I said after pressing send. The affirmative responses quickly came in, everyone eagerly accepted. We invited everyone to join us at 8:00 PM for small snacks, drink and discussion on our shelter. I asked our family, Franco and his sons to join us at 6:00 so I can break the news to them first. We grill
a bunch of burgers, open sodas for the kids and beer for the rest of us. When everyone has a burger and something to drink, I stand up, “Thanks for giving me a couple of minutes. Something’s come up today that I want to discuss before our neighbors arrive at eight.” I explain the meeting with Tony and his offer. None of the adults in the room touches their food while I explain everything. Todd nods his head in agreement to everything I tell them. When I’m finished, Sammi says, “Dad, how long have you know Tony?”
“Since we moved here.”
“Has he always been trustworthy in all of your dealings with him?”
“Sam, yes, he has. He’s never cheated us or broken his word.”
“I know you knew other people like him. I remember when I was young, you had a couple of friends who were in a so-called family. They were very nice to all of us, they used to bring me toys. If Tony is like them, then I say we should trust him. If he can supply additional people and equipment to speed up and ease the shelter construction, I’m all for it. I’ve spent the day studying the situation in the country. I think Dad’s right, the situation in the country is getting worse almost every hour. The riots and the battles at bank offices are all over the TV. I think if the government cuts off welfare payments the country is going to spin out of control. I’d never have believed it. I thought logic would prevail. I admit it, I was wrong. Everyone’s emotions are running wild. People are scared, thousands of people are being laid off every hour. China announced they’re prepared to use military force if necessary to get their loans repaid. They’ve offered to take over Hawaii and all US assets in Hawaii. If they do this, it could lead to a world war. Every time a news banner blasts across the TV, I get more worried. I think anything that increases our chances of survival is a good thing.”
Most nod their heads in agreement. Franco says, “We can certainly use his help, he controls all of the construction people and equipment in the area. I believe he can get us the people we need to complete the shelter.”
I stand in front of the group, “My largest concern is the people he brings in to build the shelters will know where they are and how to access them. If he brings one hundred construction workers, when the shit hits the fan they’re all going to be making their way here.”
Franco stands to say, “Jay, I agree, but did you ever think that every truck driver who brings a load of equipment here isn’t going to do the same thing? We should plan a false entrance, which would lead the people looking for the shelter into a maze.”
I smile, thinking, that’s a good idea, “Franco, can a maze be made after all of the helpers leave?”
“Yes, we would all have to agree and know where we moved the real entrances. If we’re going to have a lot of help and equipment, I think my sons and I can build the maze at night.”
“Franco, let’s discuss it when the others join us. One other question concerns me, can someone explode TNT above us to break through the ceiling of the shelter?”
“Jay, the walls, and ceiling is made of steel reinforced concrete, the ceiling is going to be two layers each being twelve inches separated by twelve inches of compacted dirt. It’s going to take a penetrating bomb to break into the shelter. We’re going to be buried ten feet under the crops. Someone may know we’re there, but getting to us is going to be a different story.”
“I hope you’re right.”
At eight o’clock all of our neighbors arrived. I wasn’t surprised to see everyone arrive armed. Everyone hugs each other and they all grab a beer and a couple of sliders and mini hot dogs I grilled. Everyone took a seat to hear what I had to say. I looked around the room. I’ve given presentations to corporate CEOs, to government multiagency working groups, to flag officers in the US Military and to elected officials; tonight for the first time I have butterflies in my stomach. I’m more nervous tonight than when I was asked to present to a group of fifty high-level Federal Government Department heads. “My friends, thank you for joining us this evening. Todd and I had a very unusual meeting today, one that has implications for all of us. We felt the best way to proceed is to call all of us together so we can discuss it in an open group. This way we can have an open and frank exchange of ideas.” I pause to sip my beer and look into everyone’s eyes. They can tell the subject is serious and I’m glad they’re all paying attention to every word I speak. “Many of you know from various news reports of the person known as Tony the Snake. What you may not know is, Tony and I have done business together since we moved here.” The mood in the room instantly changed, my friends start looking at me differently. Some have crossed their arms and legs, their body language changed when they heard that Tony and I have done business together. “Please bear with me a moment. I admit, I should have informed you of this before. Tony has arranged a lot of things in the background that have helped us get as far as we are. He has an interesting proposal for us. Before you explode let me quickly explain, he’s offered to supply the manpower, and construction equipment to more than double the size of our shelter. He’s offered to provide us additional supplies so we can last at least a year without touching our stored crops. He’s also offered to provide us with the services of a military vet who specializes in security to improve our defenses.”
Randy asks, “What does he want from us? I have only so much blood to give, Obama’s already taking most of mine. Does Tony want the rest or something else?”
Every head in the room is nodding in agreement with Randy. I slowly respond, “He wants to join us.”
That was the last answer they were expecting. Rich asks, “Jay, let me see if I understand what you just said because frankly, you just threw me for a loop. Tony the Snake is willing to help us double the size of our shelter in exchange for an entry ticket? What else does he want?”
“Rich, he wants to bring his extended family, his wife, children, brothers, and sisters and their children, plus a couple people he said we would find useful.”
“That’s all he wants? No other strings?”
“None, in fact, he asked if he can come by in two days with his wife, Nancy, to talk to all of us about it. He thought it would be good for everyone to get to know each other.”
Fred stands up, surprising me by saying, “I know Tony, hell, I’ve borrowed money from him when the rotten banks turned me down. I’ve found him a man of his word, just never break yours. He’s not the New York type of mobster. He runs Nashville, but he also draws the line at certain acts. He’s going to surprise you when you meet him. If Tony thinks the shit is going to hit the fan and he wants to join us, I for one say we should listen to him. He controls the construction unions, he could have one hundred people here in ten minutes. Our shelter could be completed months ahead of our current plan. I for one say we should listen to him with an open mind. Anything that completes the shelter quicker is fine with me. I thank Jay for going the extra mile to try to ensure all of our security.”
Randy stands asking, “Do we need his people? Didn’t Franco say he could finish the shelter in a month?”
Jay smiles, “Randy, he did. However, I didn’t believe him, look at the slow progress he’s making. Can we afford to risk our lives on him or should we ensure the shelter gets built as quickly as possible?”
Everyone starts talking at the same time. After five minutes, I banged my hand on the table to get everyone’s attention. “Please, let’s settle down. Let’s vote, all in favor of listening to Tony and Nancy raise your hand.” Every hand goes up. “Good, now that that’s settled, new business. I didn’t want to mention this until we already agreed to listen to Tony. He has enough Army weapons, uniforms, and body armor to allow us to fight off an invasion.”
Fred asks, “Do we want to know where he got an armory full of Army weapons and uniforms?”
I smile saying, “They fell off a truck in front of one of his warehouses.” Everyone laughed. “Franco, how is the current shelter going?”
“Jay, everyone, you know my sons and I have been working in shifts 24 hours a day. The co
nstruction is going very slowly, we are only three people, at times Matt helps out. We have the preformed walls and panels for the roof, we need more bodies and more equipment. At the current rate, I project it’s going to take us six to nine months to finish, it also depends on the weather. We have a large open hole. When it rains, we have to pump out the hole before we can do any new construction. The tarp we rigged over the hole only keeps some of the water out of the hole.”
The room grows very quiet. Randy whispers, “Six to nine months? I don’t know if we have six let alone nine months. The noise coming from China is scary, Russia dumped all of their dollars, inflation is out of control, gasoline is approaching $20.00 a gallon. We have the oil in the ground. However, Obama won’t allow us to frack for it. Hell, we were offered contracts to frack on our land before Obama signed the damn executive order outlawing fracking. If he defaults on the next welfare payments, all hell is going to break out. We need help. I’d be willing to cut a deal with the devil himself to finish the shelter. I share the concern about the construction people knowing about our shelter. I don’t want to have to fight the very people who helped build the damn thing.”
