Righteous Sacrifice

by Timothy Van Sickel

  Once she is on the porch, I wave for quiet again. Addressing the crowd I state firmly. “Ladies and gentleman, we once were a nation where one’s word was honored. We need to return to that type of society. This is Reverend Julia. She led hundreds of her people out of Pittsburgh and our people helped lead them over the mountain into our community.”

  I turn to Julia, and state, “Julia, I pledge to you that I will do everything within my ability to help you and your people to survive this chaos. I will lay down my life to ensure that you survive. I pledge on my honor that you will be protected and taken care of as best as I can.”

  The crowd is completely silent at seeing this gesture. Julia, tears forming on her cheeks, hugs me. She turns to the crowd. “I pledge to you all, that me and the people with me will do everything we can to help us all survive this chaos. Thank you so much for accepting us into your community.”

  I glance at Becca, Colonel Fisher, Ben, Herc, Reverend Wysinger, and other leaders present, and they get my message. The pledge of unity starts to be said among the crowd. For several minutes the words are repeated to each other. In many cases tears form as one person pledges to see another through an unknown future. More hugs are exchanged and more barriers are broken.

  Several people come onto the porch and make a unity pledge to me including Captain Albright and Colonel Adkins. After a few minutes, things quiet down a bit.

  “I must be honest with you all, that idea came out of the blue, I call it a God thing. But we now have a bond. A bond of trust and unity. That will see us through the tough times to come. People will be seeking out our sanctuary of peace. We need to accept everyone in as best we can, but we need to ensure our own survival as well. That will be a fine line to walk. I literally pray that God will grant us wisdom as we move forward.”

  All eyes are on me as I wrap things up. “This was a gathering to help develop a new community. I hoped it worked. Please spread the message and the pledge of unity. It is the only way we will survive. I thank you all for coming. To wind things up we have Dean Nelson and his band to give us some good bluegrass music.” Cheers and a round of applause resound as I hobble off the stage to make way for the threesome to entertain us.

  * * *

  As the fiddle sings out, and the stand-up bass, played by Grace, along with a washtub drum set, fills the air, I make my way to Becca, my beaming bride. I give her a deep felt hug. “Honey, you did great!” I state. She looks at me, eyes watering.

  “Where do you come up with these things?” She asks. “That unity pledge, wow. You have people talking, I’ll tell you.” She hugs me deeply again. “You are a good man Mark Mays, you are an inspired man.”

  Heath Yoder and Terry Barnes are standing behind her. After our embrace ends, they both step forward. Despite their pacifistic ways, they congratulate me on my plea for unity and its effect on the people present.

  I make sure to see Colonel Adkins before she and her people leave. She is beaming brightly. “Wow, General, that was impressive. You know how to bring people together. I see why you have such a loyal militia,” she states. “We need to talk about what the army is doing. I agree with all your assessments, but the armed forces are a wild card you have not fully addressed yet. They have assets that will effect what happens, both right here and across the country.”

  Knowing of her high position in the general staff of the 28th division, Pennsylvania’s National Guard, I understand that she has information that I need to know. We set up a meeting at her HQ in Bedford in two days, giving her a little more time to bring her county more stability.

  Chapter 23, Trading

  McNally Bridge

  10/9

  A cold steady drizzle is coming down, not quite rain, too heavy to be called fog. A slight breeze along with the heavy dampness makes the fifty degree temperature feel much colder. Standing on the high bridge, five-hundred feet over the Stoneycreek river valley gives the whole scene an even more surreal atmosphere. The north end of the bridge where the road rises steadily to Richland is barely visible.

  “Nine o’clock, General,” states Captain Devers, who is in charge of logistics for our militia. “Do you think they will show?”

  “They’ll show,” says one of Colonel Fisher’s lieutenants. She is in charge of fuel supplies. “They contacted us, they need food more than we need fuel. They’ll show.”

  Just then, the dim headlights of four vehicles appear out of the mist at the far end of the bridge. “Game on people,” I state. Our security detail goes into an even higher sense of awareness.

  Two sets of lights head out onto the four lane bridge. They stop fifty feet from us, two vintage cars. Four gang bangers peel out of the lead car and set up their own security detail. They all have M16A2’s, so I know they have munitions and arms from the airport. But I am secure in knowing that every one of these punks has two rifles trained on them.

  The bangers leader, Big Paulie, gets out of the trail car, with two aides. They walk towards us through the heavy mist. They stop in the middle of the wide bridge, twenty feet from us.

  “So I gets to meet the gimp general,” states the large black man. “I heard a lot about you general. Thought it was all fairytale. But here you are, stump leg and everything. I hear you clubbed a man to death with one of those crutches. Hope you don’t mind if we talk from here.”

  “You can stand where you are Paulie. I didn’t come here to kill you. If that was my intention you wouldn’t have made it onto the bridge. Herc, from Moxham, sends his regards.” This brings a bit of surprise to Paulie’s expression, throwing him a bit out of kilter. My man Herc, having killed Paulie’s brother right after the EMP attack.

  I continue, “But, that’s all water under the bridge now. Your people says you want to trade with our people. What does a gang of thugs and hoodlums have that we might want?”

  “I got a city full of stuff, dude!” Paulie exclaims. “I got shit you’re gonna need. First off, I got gas. Them farm trucks and tractors need fuel and I know the few stations out your way have gotta be about tapped. ‘Sides that I got other things too. Tires, oil, brakes. What else do you need? Whatever it is, I got it,” Paulie says confidently.

  “But you ain’t got no food,” I state bluntly. “We can live without gas, you can’t live without food. You’re a murderer and a thug. We don’t need the things you’re offering.” I turn my back on him. “This is bullshit people, let’s pull back. Captain Devers, secure the area.” I begin to hobble back to the suburban that I rode out in.

  I hear Paulie stuttering, dumbfounded that we are walking away. “You can’t walk away! We got people who need fed. What do you want?” Paulie hollers as we walk away.

  I turn to him, knowing that now I can truly get what I want. “Access, free access to the city and the people still there. I want access to everything you have. We will trade for what we want, we will provide you with food, but I want free access to everything you have.”

  “Are you nuts?” Paulie exclaims. “What’s mine is mine. No free access. We’ll trade. What do you want? We’ll trade.”

  “Nope. Free access or no deal. And people can come and go as they please. We can have a control point, but free movement of people has to be part of the deal.” I reply.

  “You’re on drugs, dude. I can’t let that happen. I got shit you need. You can’t walk away,” Paulie states angrily.

  I turn away once again. “Free access Paulie, or no deal,” I holler over my shoulder as I hobble away.

  I hear his men talking as I approach my ride. “Paulie, we got no food. All the stores are empty. We have raided every farm around. You have to deal with him. If we don’t bring food back for our peeps, they will start to walk.”

  I turn and holler back at him, knowing he has to accept. “I got twelve beef cows and two thousand pounds of potatoes ready to cross this bridge. One pound of food for two gallons of fuel, plus free access. Take it or leave it.”

  The thick drizzle turns to an actual light rain and t
he breeze picks up. Despite wearing rain gear we are all getting soaked and chilled. My leg thumps as it tries to pump blood to a foot that no longer is there.

  “Follow me to a secure and dry house we have on Carpenter’s Park Road, Paulie. It’s to the right on the overpass a quarter mile up the highway. I’m getting out of this miserable weather. Bring your security people with you, we’ll feed them and get them cleaned up.

  “You’re a dealer Paulie, let’s make a deal. You’re used to having what your drug addicts want. Right now, I have what you want, what you need, remember that.” I circle my hand in the air and our people load up and head back off the bridge, leaving Paulie and his people dumbstruck in the middle of the high level bridge.

  * * *

  A half hour later we are warming up in the headquarters house for our northern security detail. Outside, twenty steers mill about in a five acre pasture. A farm truck is parked in the driveway with a trailer loaded with potatoes. The bed of the truck is brimming with cabbage, a kicker that I didn’t tell Paulie about. A quick double tap to a car horn lets us know that Paulie and his thugs have arrived.

  Most of our people clear out of the large farmhouse’s dining room to make room for Paulie and his crew. Several members of the Cashaw clan are present, hoping to keep the gang bangers at ease with some racial parity. Lieutenant Hasselrig sits next to me as part of our negotiating team. It is these same gang bangers that his crew fought to get out of Johnstown, the same people who killed my brother-in-law, Frank Cashaw.

  As Paulie’s crew enters the house, a bit wide eyed, two of his men quickly move to opposite corners of the room and take secure postures. Smart move I think, they have some discipline. I beckon for the rest of them to come in, and we have our people serve up generous portions of stew with a heavy gravy. A stewed apple side dish and generous portions of cabbage slaw are set out as well.

  “You’re our guests.” I state. “Dig in, help yourselves to as much as you want.” A few hungry souls dig right in, but Paulie looks around warily. “This is not a trap, Paulie, other than to show you that we have food in abundance. Eat up. You’ll make better decisions with a full belly.”

  As the gang leader is polishing off the last few slices of stewed apple sweetened with maple sugar, I start off the negotiations.

  “So I guess you know my friend Dave Jones, the one I clubbed?”

  “He’s a useless piece of shit. He don’t know his ass from a hole in the ground. But you broke your treaty with him. You let some farmers take back some farms against your agreement. So I ain’t trusting the one legged white man too much.”

  “We kept up our end of the bargain,” I state softly. “We secured our areas. The independent farmers came in from the west. That was Dave Jones area to secure. We didn’t help them and we don’t support them. I have no complicity in that matter.” Big Paulie eyes me up after that statement.

  “So trading for food with Jones didn’t work out so well I imagine,” I continue.

  “He can’t feed his own people, let alone trade with us. Even if he had food to trade, they are too disorganized to do anything.” Paulie replies. “But still, Gimpy, how can I trust you. I hear you are a badass, killed some of my meth suppliers.”

  “My name is Mark, or you can call me General Mays. Show me respect and I will show you respect. As for the anarchists, they attacked me and mine, they got killed for it. God has forgiven me for that. But you have killed some of the kin of these folks here. Your people killed my brother-in-law. Do you know God, Paulie? Has he forgiven you for the people you have killed out of greed? We have killed out of need, not greed. Can you answer to your brothers around this table about killing their family members?”

  Everyone at the table sits in stunned silence. Lieutenant Hasselrig’s eyes bore down on anyone who looks his way.

  I decide I better break the tension, my point well made. “We are not here to pass judgement. We all our sinners in God’s eye. Let’s let that all pass for now.

  “Let’s talk trade, Paulie, that’s why you came. I have a dozen steers ready for butcher. That’s about ten thousand pounds of meat. I also have two thousand pounds of potatoes. It’s yours for twenty-five thousand gallons of fuel, but I also want free access to town, so that we can set up future trades. I got a fuel tanker up the road hooked up to a big farm tractor. The food is yours, but I want access to town.”

  “Why is access to town so important to you Gimpy? What’s in town that you want access to?” Paulie responds.

  “This discussion is over. Little man, have your punks assembled and leave now” I state sternly. “Escort these men across the bridge, Lieutenant, consider all these assholes hostiles as of now. Inform the command center that negotiations have failed and the gang bangers from Johnstown are to be consider a hostile group.”

  Standing, I turn and look at Paulie, who sits, about to take one final bite of sweetened apple slice. I slap it out of his hand and it smacks against the plaster wall. “I will not be generous to a self-indulgent thug who insults me on my own land. Leave now you punk ass piece of shit. I treat you with respect and dignity, feed you and offer you fair trade. But you respond by insulting me. That don’t work in my world.”

  The metallic sounds of guns being drawn and readied fill the room. But every one of Paulie’s men is looking at two rifle barrels aimed at their foreheads. The grim look on the faces of the Cashaw clan let Paulie know they would gladly finish the job right now, and Paulie knows it. The six foot five Lieuteant Hasselrig hauls Paulie out of his seat with one hand and pins him to the wall, a forty-five pressed to his temple.

  “The man’s name is Mark Mays.” Lt. Hasselrig growls lowly at the man whose life is in his hands. “His rank is General, punk. Apologize now, or I may just beat you to a pulp right here and now. You have the blood of my people on your hands. I wouldn’t lose one minute’s sleep if I killed you right now. The General is the only reason you are not dead. You treat him with respect.”

  Paulie gasps for air as the big man’s forearm bears into his throat.

  “Ease off Lieutenant, I believe he wants to say something.” I state. The point of who is in control firmly made.

  Paulie gasps for air as Lt Hasselrig lets him down. “Holy shit! You don’t play! I was just ribbing you dude, calm down.”

  Lt. Hasselrig pins him back against the wall. “His title is General, not dude. Get it right, punk.”

  “Okay, okay. The one legged man is the General. I got it. I got it. Sorry General, I meant no harm, I was just playin’ with you.”

  “I gave you warning Paulie. I will treat you with respect, but I demand respect in return. And I just did you a favor. If you kept thinking of me as gimpy, you would have totally misunderstood me and our militia. Now you know where we stand, remember that. Your friend, Jones, got smacked down for his own pack of bullshit. We don’t put up with bullshit.

  “Your apology is accepted. Let’s get back to business. Stand down everyone, our new friend has apologized.” Dutifully, but a bit reluctantly, our people release the rest of Paulie’s guard.

  “So twenty thousand pounds of beef plus two thousand pounds of potatoes, and I’ll throw in a thousand pounds of cabbage, will get my fuel tanker filled up? You good with that Paulie?”

  Still trying to get his wits about him, the gang leader nods.

  “The sticking point is free access to the city,” I state

  Paulie nods. “I ain’t so sure I want your people in my town. What are you looking for,” he states, getting his wind back.

  “I don’t know, but I want to find out. This situation is not yet a month old, and you see the chaos it has caused. I don’t want chaos, neither do you. We all die if chaos reigns. There are things in Johnstown that can help stop the chaos, at least in our little part of the world. Supplies, machines, medical equipment, whatever. I don’t want my people to have to fight your people. There is no reason for that to happen. Let’s trade, but I want my people to have access to town. I’ll throw
in another kicker.” I nod to one of the attendants, who brings out a small glass of clear liquid. “Take a sip of that.”

  Paulie sniffs the glass and takes a small sip. “Ahhh”, he says. “Now we’re talking. If you can provide me with that, you got a deal.” Food that he and his people are in desperate need of could not seal the deal. But some clear Appalachian distilled spirits seals the deal. Man is flawed. But people will get food… and drink. The details of the deal are worked out before we breakup the meeting. A dozen steers and a truck load of potatoes, cabbage, and distilled spirits head across the bridge to help feed some desperate people.

  As Paulie and his crew begin to leave our security house, he turns to me, “Dude, I mean General, you may have a gimp leg, but you got a badass attitude, especially for a holy roller. You supply me with food and your white lightning, and we can trade.”

  Lt. Hasselrig and I watch them leave with their bounty, followed by our tractor pulling a tanker with a strong security detail. “I’d a just as soon killed the bastards,” states the lieutenant.

  “Me too. But we can’t fight small wars. They have stuff we need. And a big war is coming. We need to be ready to fight that war. Paulie and his crew will be fighting with us, not against us.”

  “I’m not sure I fully get that, General. But I trust you, we trust you. My group, that is. You make sense in a weird way. We could have killed all those gang bangers today, but that would have meant a war. And you’re right, we don’t want a war, there’s been too much killin’, too much dyin’ already.”

  “I don’t fully get it either, Lieutenant. I’m not sure exactly what we may face. But I would rather make allies than enemies, even if I don’t agree with how they lead their lives. That judgement is beyond me. Thank you for your support today. You and your men showed great courage, and restraint. Thank you.”