by John Grit
“Spooks,” Nate commented.
“Like the bastard we let go,” Brian added. “I wonder how many people we killed by being too weak to do what we knew was the best thing.”
Nate moved closer to Brian. He spoke in a low voice, “We’re all feeling the same thing. And we’re all just as confused. What’s the right thing to do? Sometimes the answer doesn’t come so easily. I do know that human beings caught between a rock and a hard place naturally become hard themselves. The better side of us resists that and clings to our humanity. Some people resist it more than others. Some people are cold and cruel only when they have to be. A conscience can be a terrible thing at times. But it’s what separates us from animals.”
“But that’s what we’re becoming,” Brian insisted. “This is worse than war. We’re not just following orders and relying on others to decide who dies and who is let go and what’s the best thing to do for the greater good. It’s all on us.”
“Yes it is,” Nate said. “And we’re going to make mistakes. You almost died because I made an enemy of Slim when I broke his jaw. I should’ve either left him alone or killed him. He nearly killed you because of my actions.”
“Well, it can’t be undone now.” Brian sat down. “Don’t worry about me. I’m just pissed that people were hurt and killed.”
Nate stomped the small fire out. “Someday we’ll look back on this time in our lives and thank God we managed to struggle through it all so we could enjoy the better years. The wild card now is what Washington has in store for America. There’s no way to know if we face freedom or tyranny.”
Tyrone cleared his throat. “It’s not looking good. We damn sure don’t want to risk coming out of hiding just because someone left a sign on a door.”
“Yeah,” Nate agreed, “we need to talk to people we can trust. We’ll start for MacKay’s place as soon as daylight comes.”
“So you’re thinking we can’t trust Col. Donovan anymore?” Deni asked.
Nate thought for a moment. “I don’t know.”
~~~
Just past 2 AM, a thunderstorm came rolling in. No one had predicted rain, and they had not bothered to put up a tarp. One was quickly stretched over a rope between two trees, and everyone but Deni, who was on guard duty, was soon back asleep.
Nate pulled security the last two hours before false dawn. When the dark woods faded to slightly lighter gray, he walked over and woke Brian and Deni up. The others heard them preparing a quick breakfast of cold reconstituted freeze-dried beef stroganoff. They woke up and joined them. Everyone was in a hurry to get moving, except Samantha, who was still sleepy.
It took them all of 15 minutes to eat and pack up. They pushed through the weeping woods as quietly as possible, but no one wasted time lingering. They needed answers to questions that hung over their heads like a guillotine. Impatience urged them on.
A buck and two does burst out of a palmetto patch and gave everyone a fright. Caroline looked down at Samantha. “Just deer. I see their white tails bouncing as they run.”
The little girl stood on her toes and tried to see over the weeds but was too late.
A dim sun appeared through fog and cloud, burning away some of the moisture in the heavy air. They moved on. Noon came and went. They agreed not to waste time. They would eat when they made camp that night. Samantha ate during a ten-minute rest, but the adults just drank water.
Mid afternoon found them working their way through a tangled mess of thorny blackberry brush and windfalls from a past hurricane. Caroline had difficulty lifting her artificial leg over the logs and fell twice. Once they were through the wait-a-minute thorns and windfalls, she had no trouble keeping up.
Samantha grew more tired as the day wore on. Nate noticed it and insisted they stop every 30 minutes to let her rest. “We’re not going to make it to the farm today, no matter how fast we travel.”
“I was going to say something,” Caroline said, “but…”
“Never worry about speaking up,” Nate assured her. “The only reason we’re in a hurry is because we have questions we want answers to. There’s no tactical reason why we can’t slow down. The slower we travel, the less likely we are to walk into an ambush, anyway.”
~~~
That night, Nate and Deni stood first watch. Deni edged over his way so they could have a quiet conversation. “I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, especially Brian, but from what Caroline was saying it’s possible that Mrs. MacKay is dead. Hell, they could all be dead.”
Keeping his voice down, Nate said, “It does seem like things have really gotten out of control. It could be the beginning of a whole new nightmare. If it is, we could be spending the rest of our lives hiding in these woods and living like animals. The last thing I want to do is drag you and Brian into a civil war. The chances of any of us surviving that are so small and the chances of us making any difference are so tiny, it just doesn’t make sense to be a part of it. I’m more worried for our future at this moment than I ever was in the middle of a gunfight. Battles end. The nightmare we’re facing now has no ending.”
Deni slung her rifle out of the way across her back and held him. “It’s obvious some people have decided to take advantage of the chaos and seize control of this country. The people’s welfare is the last thing on their mind. I do not believe this is just spooks and soldiers getting out of hand. They have orders. Orders straight from the top.”
Nate put his left arm around her and pulled her to him. “This is too big for us to stop. Either the military will follow Washington’s orders and become an instrument of oppression, or they will execute a military coup. Both of those scenarios scare the hell out of me. If there is a coup, power will be handed back to civilian government and constitutional law restored only if the officer corps of every branch is populated with living saints. I wouldn’t bet my life on that. George Washington was given several chances to become King of America and turned it down every time. There are not many men born in one hundred generations who would turn down a chance to yield absolute power.”
“Now you’re really scaring me.” Deni held him tighter. “Besides, there are many men and women who don’t want absolute power. There are many who don’t want any power at all. They don’t want the responsibility.”
“You won’t find many people like that in the officer corps. Not only did they ask for their jobs, they had to work very hard to earn their positions, positions of responsibility. No, people who don’t want responsibility don’t become military officers.”
Deni looked toward the others sleeping under a tarp, though she could not see them in the dark. “But military officers do tend to be men and women of a higher moral fiber than the average person. They may not be saints, but I would trust the worst of them more than the best politician.”
Nate chuckled under his breath to keep the noise down. “Yeah, but some of them become politicians.”
~~~
Mid-afternoon the next day, Nate and Deni approached Mrs. MacKay’s horse farm with extreme caution. They left the others several miles back where they would be safe.
“We might be close enough I can see something with binoculars if I climb that big oak over there,” Nate said.
Deni slipped out of her pack and laid her rifle across it. “You’re too big to be climbing trees. Give me the binoculars.”
“I won’t have any trouble climbing this one. There are plenty of handy limbs.” Nate shed his pack and rifle and then his load-bearing harness, with its pouches that held 20-round magazines for his rifle. “Keep an eye out for trouble while I’m up there.”
A few minutes later, Nate was able to peer over the tops of distant trees well enough he could see part of the horse farm. Scanning with his binoculars, he could make out people, looking like little ants, working in the fields. Everything appeared normal and peaceful. He still wasn’t satisfied, but that’s all he could see from his position.
Nate climbed down and put on his load bearing harness a
nd then slipped his pack on.
Deni regarded him from ten yards away. “Well, what did you see?”
Nate grabbed his rifle and checked the safety on it again. “Looks normal from here. People are working in the fields. The house is still there and the horse stalls. I couldn’t see the other buildings. We’ll have to move closer to get a better look.”
Deni raised an eyebrow. “That’s encouraging.” She smiled. “Nice of you to finally let me in on it.”
He acted as if he hadn’t heard a thing she said. “Let’s get moving. Real easy and slow.”
She looked up at the sky for a second and had a strange smile on her face. “When you’re worried, you become really hard to get through to.”
He had already taken several steps. After stopping and looking over his shoulder, he grunted, “Huh?”
She tilted her head and regarded him for a few seconds. “I said you shouldn’t talk so much. We’re trying to be tactical and stealthy here.”
Nate looked at her like she was crazy for a second, shook his head, and started walking again.
~~~
Children played on the front porch and under the wide oaks in the front yard. From his hiding position 300 yards away, Nate scanned the scene through his binoculars. “I can’t believe it, but everything looks normal.” He handed Deni the binoculars. “Take a look.”
“I can hear children laughing and playing.” Deni took the binoculars and saw exactly what Nate had just described. She swung her attention back to the front porch and froze for two seconds as she peered through the binoculars. “Mrs. MacKay just walked out of the house onto the porch. She’s alive.”
“Injured?” Nate asked.
“I can’t see any wound dressings. She seems a little stiff when she moves, but it could be mostly her advanced age and the ordeal she’s been through.” Deni handed Nate the binoculars.
Nate didn’t bother to look again. “We’ll move on in, slow.”
Deni grabbed him by the shoulder. “Wait a minute. I would like to know what’s going on with you. Are you angry with me about something?”
His eyebrows knitted in puzzlement. “Angry with you? No. I’m worried. I’m also pissed that some asshole in Washington, or some group of assholes, is taking advantage of the weakened state of the country and the people, adding to their miseries. I’m not sure if someone wants to be a total dictator or what. But it damn sure looks like that might be what’s going on. And it’s also obvious that there’s a power struggle going on, and the people are the ones suffering for it.”
“What about the military?” Deni asked. “Donovan isn’t the only decent officer in the Army or the other branches. I’m guessing the military is between Washington and the people. That doesn’t mean every individual officer and noncom is going to do the right thing, but the great majority of them will stand with the people. If Washington keeps pushing, there’s going to be a standoff.”
Nate regarded her with a grim face. “If not enough in the military stand with the people and say hell no, there’s going to be a civil war. Factions of the military will be fighting each other. Political cabals in Washington will be fighting each other. Civilians will choose their side and join in the bloodbath. When the smoke settles, every town or county could be ruled by a warlord. Or if Washington wins, America could look like Nazi Germany in ten years. I’m not sure which would be worse.”
She swallowed and looked back at him as a shadow fell across her face. “Damn Nate, you sure know how to conjure up a nightmare.”
“This isn’t the America we had before the plague killed most of the human race. It’s not the same government, the same people, or the same nation as a whole. Anything could happen now. There are nightmares aplenty, and you don’t need an imagination to conjure them up. These nightmares can become reality.”
“What do you mean, not the same people?” Deni asked.
“You know what I mean. Everyone has changed. None of us are the same people we were before the plague. Like Brian said, we’ve been forced to give up a little of our humanity every day, slice by slice. That was part of the price of survival.”
Deni nodded. “And in times of struggle like this, when people have been afraid and hungry for so long, they reach out for anything to save them. Right now, millions of Americans would vote another Hitler into power. Fascism, Communism, a Big Brother totally controlling government could easily look like the way out of this nightmare for many. Let the government take care of us. What good is freedom and self-determination when you’re starving and forever under the threat of attack from violent brigands roaming a lawless land?”
“Yeah.” Nate looked toward the house. “Every time we think things are going to get better, they get worse.”
“But you’re not giving up.”
Nate reached out and lightly touched her face. “That’ll be the day. Not as long as people I care about are still alive.”
~~~
Thirty-five minutes later, Nate and Deni were only 50 yards from a guard just inside the front gate. Both were behind bullet stopping cover. Nate yelled out, “It’s Nate and Deni Williams coming in. Don’t shoot.”
The Hispanic man got behind a tree. A few seconds later, he responded, “Come on in slow with your empty hands over your head.”
A Caucasian man in a sniper’s hide heard them. He aimed a rifle in Nate and Deni’s direction.
Nate and Deni both knew where the sniper’s hide was, since Nate had helped them build it. Deni saw the man aiming their way. “Tell your friend to stop pointing his rifle at us. We’re here to see Mrs. MacKay. We heard she has been injured.”
The man didn’t wait to be told. He pointed the muzzle skyward.
Nate and Deni slowly came out into the open with their hands in the air. They had their rifles slung on their shoulders. The Hispanic man recognized them and smiled, waving them on in. “Welcome! I’ll go with you to the house.”
Nate and Deni stayed close to their escort. Anyone with a twitchy trigger finger would think twice about taking a shot at them if he might hit one of their own. Nate suspected fear and anger to be prominent emotions on the farm, and many who lost family members would be out for revenge. He was particularly worried about the fact Deni wore military equipment, including Kevlar helmet and body armor, and carried military weapons. For that reason, he made no attempt to hide his efforts to keep Deni between him and the Hispanic man.
She gave him a sideward glance but said nothing.
Two women saw them approaching and soon had all the children corralled into the house. They were not taking any chances.
Armed men and women began to appear from their hiding places behind trees. A few of them recognized Nate and Deni and waved, but a few gave them a cold stare.
The Hispanic man escorting them nodded at Nate and then lifted his worn-out boonie hat to Deni. “I must go back to my post.” He turned and headed for the gate at a fast walk, holding his rifle in both hands.
Mrs. MacKay appeared at the door and stepped out onto the porch. Even from 70 yards away, Nate could see the wounds on her arm and face. At that distance they appeared as red lines. Long before the three reached the steps of the porch, he could see the sutures and the puffy red swelling that looked alarmingly like the beginnings of infection.
Deni smiled. “I’m relieved to see you on your feet. Caroline told us you had been injured, and Nate and I were both worried about you.”
That old simmering rage boiled Nate’s blood.
MacKay noticed. “Have I made you angry already, Nate?”
Nate flinched and tried to soften the features of his face.
Deni glanced his way and then spoke for him. “He’s just so angry with those who hurt you he forgot to smile.”
“That’s about it,” Nate said. “I think someone needs to take you to the clinic in town. Those cuts are too red. They’re starting to fester.”
The old horse farmer rolled her eyes. “Not you too. I’ve been told that at least five ti
mes the last three hours. The fact is there’s way too much to do around here for me to be traipsing off to town.”
“Do you even know if the clinic is still in operation?” Deni asked. “After what Caroline told us… We have a lot of questions.”
MacKay headed for the door. “Come on in and have a seat. We’ll fill you in on current events. But then you have to fill us in on what’s been happening with you and yours.” She stopped and turned back to them. “You mentioned Caroline. Is there anyone with her?”
“Yes,” Deni answered, “the little girl Samantha. They’re both well.”
The old woman put her hands together. “Thank God. We thought they may have been with the group that was murdered.” She led them into the living room.
“How many?” Nate asked.
MacKay froze for a second and then went on to the chair she was heading for and sat down. “We’re not sure exactly. There are 21 people missing. But some of them are probably just lost or ran away.” She blinked tears. “I know Ramiro was murdered. It happened before my eyes. He was never the same after losing his wife, Rita. And now he’s gone. They were both good people and old friends.”
Nate pressed her with another question, though he could see she was upset. He needed to know what the situation was, and these first questions were just the beginning. “Caroline told us you split into groups when you went into hiding in the woods. She also told us that people in at least one of those groups were slaughtered by CIA operatives. Her estimate was over a dozen.”
“Fourteen,” MacKay said softly. She spoke her next words louder. “We believe 14 were murdered in that one group.”
Nate still hadn’t sat down. He leaned his rifle against the wall behind him and slipped out of his pack. After sitting next to Deni on a couch, he asked, “Did anyone with the CIA try to stop these crimes? Or did they all seem to be okay with it?”
MacKay focused her eyes on a different time and place. “One of them killed the man who murdered Ramiro and cut me. He and another one let us go. Kramer was the name of the one who refused to let his partner kill us.”
