“This must have been quite a battle,” remarked Gibbs.
“A lot of bodies left to rot and be eaten,” Cameron said.
“They stripped everything of value though. No weapons, gear…and clothing missing.”
“I wonder how many dead there are. It looks like it must have been a pretty large group. What do you think?”
Gibbs was silent, studying the layout of the remains, trying to reconstruct the scene, “I’m guessing this was an ambush. They were caught as they crossed the bridge. It’s a natural place for an ambush—the one lane bridge, a narrow gorge with cliffs on either side. From the cliffs the shooters could pin down a force of superior numbers. Still, they had to be pretty good.”
“And these guys lost.”
“Yeah. If they had won, they would have salvaged their vehicles and cleared the bridge.”
“So the bridge was left closed by the victors…to keep others out of the valley,” Cameron concluded.
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“Think these guys were gang members?”
“Yeah.”
“Then…up the road, in that valley, are some farmers, people who know how to fight and protect themselves,” Cameron concluded.
“And they’re well armed. Shall we investigate?” Gibbs looked over at Cameron.
“Carefully,” he replied.
Gibbs directed the patrol to clear the bridge. The men worked somberly at their grizzly task.
The family sat down and Jason quickly went over their options.
“We only have a short time to prepare. There’s no time to round up the rest of the valley. If it’s a gang, we’ll have to defend ourselves like we did before. The others, at least Tom, will come quickly when they hear the gunfire, so help will arrive if we can hold out for a little while.”
“You said this was the military. Why will there be any shooting?” Sarah asked.
“The vehicles could be stolen.”
Sarah swallowed hard. The prospect of another firefight at the farm was unnerving to everyone.
“If it really is the army, then we have to be prepared to greet them, properly but carefully,” Jason continued.
“How do we do that?” Catherine asked.
“We really don’t know what they want. But they’re not on a sightseeing trip. They must have a purpose. Since we don’t know what that is, we have to be cautious.”
“Then we do not run out to them with open arms.” Anne concluded.
“Right. We don’t know how things have changed since the EMP attack. This could be a very different army from what we remember.”
“So what do we do?” Sarah asked, “If it’s the army that should be a good thing.”
Jason frowned, not having a ready answer.
“We show them hospitality,” said Anne. “We’ll set up a table out in the front yard,”
“That’s it,” Jason said. “Anne, you and I will stand behind it, like welcoming hosts.” He gathered momentum as the plan unfolded in his mind. “We’ll be armed, but not holding our weapons at ready. I want them to get the message that we are capable of taking care of ourselves, but we are not threatening them.”
“How about we put on good clothes? If we’re welcoming guests, we should be well dressed,” Catherine offered. “We’ll get more respect that way.”
Jason nodded with enthusiasm. “But I want you girls to stay behind, in the house. Keep your weapons at ready. I don’t know how the army might react to two beautiful teenagers. I’ll call you out when I am confident it’s okay. When you come out, have your rifles slung over your shoulders, not ready to fire.”
The patrol stopped briefly at the first two farms. They were long abandoned and of no interest. They had seen many just like them on their trip. As they came closer, Jason confirmed they were all in uniform.
He ran down to the main floor. “It’s the army,” he shouted. Everyone began to move.
“Now let’s quickly set out some food.” Anne had put together a platter of dried venison, ham and bread. “Sarah, get some glasses of water. That will complete the table. This should have a pacifying effect,” she said.
The table was set. Everyone was wearing their best clothes as if they were greeting important visitors. Anne stood with Jason behind the table. She was obviously pregnant and obviously armed. Jason had his rifle shouldered and his 9mm strapped to his waist. Inside, the girls took up position on the second floor with their rifles and handguns. They were to watch carefully from the house in case anything went wrong. If shooting broke out, Jason had instructed Catherine to shoot at the senior officer and Sarah to fire at the machine gunner. He had no hope of winning a battle, but he would try to give his family the best chance he could.
Chapter 11
Everyone took their positions as the convoy turned onto the drive. The two vehicles wound up the hill and stopped at the front yard. Jason and Anne stood quietly behind the table covered with a white cloth and with the food spread out.
The first vehicle had a machine gun mounted with the barrel pointed forward and up. A young man lounged at the gun, not at the ready position. Finally two men got out of the second Humvee. Jason waved at them and shouted a hello.
Lieutenant Cameron waved back. They studied one another.
“The house is set up for defense. Check out the second floor—the screening,” Sergeant Gibbs remarked.
“And the fence,” Cameron replied, “looks like they’ve seen some action here. And this”, he continued, referring to the table and food, “looks staged”.
“Thinking the same thing,” Gibbs responded.
“You’re from the Army?” Jason shouted out. “We’ve been alone for two years. We never thought we’d see the likes of you.”
“I’m Lieutenant Cameron—Kevin Cameron—and this is Sergeant Rodney Gibbs. We’re from the Second Brigade Combat Team headquartered at Fort Bragg. We’ve come from Hillsboro.”
“We’re very glad to meet you, Lieutenant Cameron and Sergeant Gibbs,” Jason watched and evaluated the men as he spoke. The lieutenant was young, probably not very experienced. The sergeant seemed a more serious man, older and stockier than the Lieutenant. He had a more hardened look about him.
Probably seen action. Now helping his Lieutenant learn what he needs to know about field work.
“I’m Jason and this is my wife, Anne. We are pleased to meet you. Come, sit with us. We have lots of questions. We have no idea what’s going on outside of our valley. You’re like someone out of a dream. We had begun to think there was no society left and now you show up.” Jason gestured for them to join him and Anne at the table.
The men walked forward. The girls kept watch unobserved from the house. After shaking hands, the four sat down. Anne offered them some of the food they had laid out on the table.
“No thank you,” Cameron said. “We shouldn’t be eating your food,”
“Nonsense,” Anne replied, “You’ve been on the road and probably eating just your rations. This is fresh food and we have enough. Besides, you’re the first guests we’ve had since the power went out.”
“So, please tell us what’s happening in the outside world. Has the power come back? Jason asked.
“Not yet,” Cameron responded.
“Do you have any idea of when it will return?”
“No,” he said.
“I assume that most vehicles still don’t work,” Jason continued.
“I’m not sure the newer ones will ever work again,” Cameron responded.
“So, no power, no transportation…that means there must still be shortages of food and fuel?”
“Yes. Those are still in short supply,” Cameron said. Everyone was silent.
“What do you think of our venison and ham?” Anne asked.
The two men took their first bites. “It’s very tasty, ma’am,” Cameron replied. Sergeant Gibbs nodded in agreement. There was an awkward pause in the conversation. Jason worried about why they were here.
Jason watched the men as they got out of the vehicles. They were all properly dressed and looked like regular troops, not some rogue group. The sight encouraged him.
When Gibbs came back and sat down, Cameron asked, “So how are you doing? Do you have enough food?”
“We’re doing well,” Jason responded. “Life is more like it probably was in colonial days, but we can get enough to eat.”
Then Jason turned to wave at the house. “Let me introduce you to the rest of our family,” he said. The girls came out of the house, dressed in their best skirts and blouses, their rifles slung over their shoulders and their pistols strapped to their waists.
“Lieutenant Cameron, Sergeant Gibbs, this is Catherine and Sarah,” Jason said proudly.
Cameron looked stunned. He had been around women in the army, but the sudden appearance of these attractive teenage girls, all dressed up, looking very feminine and carrying serious weapons caught him off guard. Gibbs smiled at the sight. Catherine and Sarah shook hands with the officers and sat down, casually slinging their rifles over the backs of their chairs.
Catherine stared at Cameron, studying him, while Sarah’s gaze flickered around to all the young men back at the Humvees who had turned their attention to the table when the girls emerged from the house. Catherine’s focus remained on Cameron and the conversation.
“You have two beautiful daughters,” Cameron said to Anne.
“Thank you,” Anne replied. “With Jason’s help they have become quite self-sufficient.”
“Are they proficient with those weapons?” Cameron asked.
“Very,” replied Jason. “We all help with hunting and defense.”
Cameron looked again at Catherine to find her still gazing at him with a solemn expression on her face. He turned to Jason, “How many other farms are there in this valley?”
“There are four more that are inhabited.”
“Are they getting along as well as you?” Cameron asked.
“Yes.”
“Was that your work? Down at the bridge?” Gibbs asked.
Jason looked at Gibbs, sizing him up. Finally he answered, “Yes. All of us took part in defending the valley. My whole family included.”
“That looks like it was quite a battle,” Gibbs said.
“We lost two men but we destroyed the gang that attacked us. It was led by a man called Big Jacks.”
“Was that his remains we saw tied to the bridge?” Gibbs asked.
“Yes. I left it there as a warning to others to stay out of the valley. We killed over thirty of the gang and the rest dispersed. I have no idea what became of them.”
“We heard of this Big Jacks,” Cameron said. He turned to Catherine, “Did you take part in the battle?”
“We both did,” Catherine replied, staring straight back at him. Her gaze never strayed far from him. It was neither cold nor friendly, but serious—measuring.
“It looks like you’ve been attacked here…at your farm as well,” Gibbs went on.
“That’s right. I guess you noticed some of the bullet holes,” Jason said.
“And the fence,” Gibbs replied.
“We’ve been attacked twice here at the farm and once at the bridge. Here at the farm we were completely on our own,” Jason said.
“That’s very impressive,” Cameron said.
“We have adjusted. We have learned to protect ourselves and are getting along pretty well. Everyone in the valley is,” Jason paused. Then he continued, “But why are you here, Lieutenant?”
“Well, we’re doing an inventory of the countryside. Our Captain wants to know who’s out here, how many people and their condition. It’s in preparation to move everyone closer to Hillsboro so we can provide better support.”
“Well, you can report that we’re doing fine. There’s no sickness or injuries amongst us and we are feeding ourselves adequately.”
“I’m glad to hear that, but I still have to make out my report. And there is the issue of preparation for relocating,” Cameron said.
Silence. Then Jason asked, “Wouldn’t that be counterproductive? Seeing as we are already self-sufficient?”
“Well, the city can provide better medical care and protection from gangs.” He turned to Anne, “it looks as if you are pregnant. Being closer to Hillsboro would be a benefit when it comes time to have a baby.”
“Women have had babies for thousands of years without hospitals,” Anne replied. “Yes there is more danger, but it’s a natural activity, however difficult. I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine,” Anne smiled at Cameron as she reached out to touch Catherine.
Catherine continued to fix her gaze on Cameron, occasionally shifting to Gibbs. Jason noticed her focus and sensed she was carefully evaluating these two men, trying to figure out if they posed a threat. So far, the conversation had gone well, but the plan to get people to relocate closer to Hillsboro disturbed him.
Sarah grew bored with the conversation and got up to fill the water pitcher from the pump in the front yard. Facing the young men at the Humvees, she bent over the handle allowing a calculated amount of cleavage show. When she finished, she looked at the men, smiled, and strolled back to the table. Catherine watched with an expression of disdainful amusement.
“You see, Lieutenant, my wife agrees with me. We feel we are fine on our own.”
“Still, those are my orders,” Cameron responded.
“So you would have all the families leave this valley?” Catherine asked.
“It looks like some have already left of their own accord.”
“And no one knows if that was good for them or not. What we have here now is good for us,” Catherine responded.
Jason spoke up, “Just so we can understand, would you explain this relocation process? I want to make sure I understand all its ramifications.”
“We’ll survey everyone we locate, like you and the rest in this valley, and note any injuries or other needs. We can address some urgent situations with supplies we’re carrying,” Cameron said. “We have some forms to fill out and later, we’ll return to transport everyone back to the Hillsboro area. The plan is not fully developed at this point. When it is ready for implementation we will schedule transportation by sectors. You will get a date so you can prepare.”
“How will that work? Will we transport all our belongings—all our household items?” Jason asked.
“That wouldn’t be practical. We’ll leave you a list. We’re going to get vacant houses back at Hillsboro ready for everyone coming in from the countryside.”
“You mean houses of those who died in town?” Cameron was silent. Jason went on, “In general, what can we bring with us?”
“Really, just your personal items—clothes and personal effects, mementos and such.” Cameron’s enthusiasm grew, “There is no need for furniture, bedding, or cooking utensils. The houses will have everything you need in them.”
“What about tools, or knives, or guns?” Jason asked.
“No,” Cameron replied, “weapons will not be allowed.”
Jason paused, thinking for a moment. “Lieutenant, I’m glad to see you…I think we all are. Your presence suggests that things are improving, but I’m not convinced that we would want to move back to Hillsboro. I left Hillsboro almost two years ago because of growing corruption. I’m concerned about taking my family back there. After all, we’ve survived pretty well on our own. Let’s assume for the moment, we decide not to move back. How does that work for you or your commander?”
Cameron pondered his question, “I think that you could choose to stay here.”
“And we keep our weapons?”
“I’m not sure about that part. Smooth bore guns and maybe a hunting rifle would be allowed. I’d have to confirm that, of course, but not military grade weapons. We have to demilitarize the countryside
. We can’t have everyone armed and shooting each other. You’ve experienced the problems with gangs and guns so you know what I’m talking about.”
“Yes, and it was only because we had weapons that we are still alive—all of us in this valley. We had to fend for ourselves. There was no police or military to turn to.”
“First of all, the solution to that is to relocate to Hillsboro, like that plan calls for,” Cameron responded. “But if you don’t want to do that, we will protect you. We have to stop the gangs as well as the vigilante groups; it’s the only way to bring order back to the area. Frankly, I don’t understand why you would not take us up on our offer, considering your wife’s condition.”
“My wife is fine, as she said. But even with your best efforts, you could not come around here more than a few times a year. In between we’d have to fend for ourselves. We can do that, but we will need our weapons—both for hunting and for defense. I’m not sure you will eradicate all the gangs, and if we’re defenseless even one or two outlaws would be disastrous. They won’t be disarmed. Besides, what problem or threat could we pose this far out in the country?”
“I hear you. But it still sounds like you should relocate.” Cameron ignored Jason’s last question.
“Lieutenant,” Jason was trying to be as persuasive as possible, “you give us a choice that is no choice. You say relocate, or disarm and stay here, which would be almost suicidal. You’re giving us an option we don’t want and an option that we can’t survive. That’s not a choice.”
“I’m sorry. My orders are my orders. I can’t offer you anything else.” The lieutenant looked as if he were about to get up.
“Lieutenant, have you ever killed someone?” Catherine asked.
Cameron stopped and turned to her. Her steady gaze bore into him. “I’m not sure that is relevant to our conversation,” he replied.
“It is relevant,” Catherine responded, “These are different times. My question is relevant for the way of life we have now. Have you ever killed someone?”
After the Fall: Jason's Tale Page 25
