Not Dead in the Heart of Dixie

by R Kralik

  He made it to Cullman, Alabama several days later. He found a small shed behind a house in a residential neighborhood. He pushed the bike inside and slept on the floor.

  Even though he'd put many miles on that bike and rode all day, he was restless and was in and out of sleep. He never got to the deep sleep, you know, the kind of sleep where you're oblivious to everything happening around you.

  During hazy moments when he thought he was sleeping, he had nightmares. He was yanked to his feet inside the muggy shed. Dust was riding sunlight, streaming through the one and only window, and he tried to shake himself awake and out of his dream. It wasn't a dream. He quickly figured that out.

  He was punched in the gut so hard that he doubled over and pain shot through his abdomen all the way to his spine. Someone kneed him in the chin so he'd stand up straight again, and he bit his tongue so hard that he thought he'd bitten it in two. He fell on the ground, vomiting. He watched the steaming contents of his stomach pool on the ground with blood from his mouth. He felt numb and his confused mind “stepped out for a minute.”

  He finally came to his senses in the bed of a Chevy Avalanche. It was traveling so fast that Pao had trouble keeping his glasses on his face. There were two men in the truck bed with him. They were in the deep sleep of the “recently knocked unconscious.”

  He found that his hands were zip tied behind his back, and his ankles were in the same predicament. He scooted on his butt to the rear window and looked inside. He saw two men dressed in military garb. He had no idea why they'd taken him and figured they'd let him go once they got a chance to interrogate him. He leaned back against the window and waited for the soldiers to reach their destination.

  He guessed he'd been riding for 45 minutes before the truck came to a halt inside a large clearing.

  He was ordered to scoot down to the tailgate so the ties on his ankles could be cut. He did as he was told and stood beside the truck while his traveling buddies were brought back to consciousness by a bucket of cold water to the face.

  Pao received no explanation as to the reason he was taken and ordered to keep his mouth shut. He had no idea why he was thrown into a dark trailer without the ability to explain who he was and that he was no threat to them. It didn't take long for him to realize that his captors weren't the real deal. He moaned with the realization and sunk to the floor.

  He sat on the floor and waited. He scrambled for crackers and water along with the rest of the group. He waited until Mick and Dane were captured, and then he waited some more. Finally, he was rescued. He has no idea how long he was inside that trailer.

  He asked to stay here because he has severe anxiety about traveling alone to his family cabin.

  I like this kid a lot. We're keeping him.

  It's dark and I'm tired. Chris assured me that the mess tent will be set up tomorrow morning and I'm looking forward to it. I wonder if I can steal a couple of those metal folding picnic tables.

  Bye for now.

  Thursday, April 17

  I've just returned from breakfast in the big mess tent Major Knellson's group set up. It was a smorgasbord of all the basics and I ate my fair share and then some.

  The hill and field have come alive. There's troops working on the Wilkersons's compound, now called “Wilky Place.”

  Early this morning, the wood shop was brought over from the old Peterson property and now, Dane and Elaine have their own place. They’ll let Jesse to bunk with Jeremy while Rebecca’s gone.

  The magic log splitting machine is back and working on wood for Wilky Place as well as Kapper Hill.

  The vet is thoroughly checking Lilac, Buttercup, Madonna, and Peaches to find out if they're pregnant. I wondered aloud why he hadn't done it before. He rolled his eyes and said the only males we had on the place was a gelding and a little bull.

  I smirked and asked if he could recall they'd only been here for a couple of months. He marched out to the meadow with a bag of gear and his young assistant in tow. Let’s just say, I wouldn't wanna be a horse right now, or a cow... OR the vet's rear end if Chris finds out that he didn't thoroughly check the animals the first time around.

  Battle-axe will have Tessa, Bree, and Pao along with the folks from Wilky Place on display in the tent with the flimsy flaps today. She doesn't trust the “big-fingered” doctor traveling with the strike team. I told everyone to make sure the flaps were tied to the center post of the door before they even think about removing anything covering their bodies.

  By the way, Battle-axe's name is Velma Dodson. She's been in the Army 29 years.

  We sent the survivors to Clinic Diane for hot showers last night. Carisa asked for their sizes and went to the basement to see if we had anything to fit them. I took what we had over to the Clinic.

  I swear, if I didn't know better, I would a thought someone was in the shower with Tessa. The sounds she was makin' while that water poured down almost made me blush.

  Pao was seated on the couch, waiting his turn with his hands folded in his lap. Bree was sitting beside him, giggling every so often behind her hand. I left the clothing there and headed back, laughing the entire way. I told Mick about it and he said we should torture the single men and send them to stand guard on that side of the motorhome. We laughed but of course, we didn't send the single fellows over there.

  Oh joy. Amber just ran in and told me that Buttercup's having a baby. I wonder if she meant NOW or “pretty soon.” I better go find out.

  See ya later.

  1:00 PM...

  Buttercup has a little filly! The vet stuck his arm in and, whoosh, he broke the sack. He was covered in lovely fluids (snort). Serves him right, dontcha think?

  Anyway, we're all excited and Jason's throwing together a stall in the tractor shed.

  Chris' “special weapons” arrived right after Buttercup gave birth. I saw two women and three men get out of a vehicle and go inside the command tent with him. A larger vehicle held its occupants inside. I wonder if I can sneak down there and listen. Nah... I like my head on my shoulders.

  Peaches is about three months pregnant and Madonna is about five months pregnant. Hay needs have doubled, again. We'll need to fill the horse barn behind the Masterson house and try to come up with more trailers, simply for storing hay. I believe we only have one empty trailer left on the trailer fence.

  I'm headed out to watch the new little filly trying to stand and walk. See ya later!

  3:30 PM...

  The entire unit is packing up, double time, to get the heck outa here and back to home base to await orders.

  Josie's having a hissy fit because Chris left with his “special weapons” and she can't go with him. Chris has known about her pregnancy all along and refused to take her for safety reasons. He asked Ian and Rick to stay behind as well. I believe he wants them here to keep Josie safe. I overheard him tell Josie that he loves her, and by the sound of his voice, he meant it.

  I can only tell you what I know. Some of it I really shouldn't know, but I have an “in” with Josie who's become my “non-family” best friend.

  Last week, North Korea invaded Southern California. They brought thousands of troops on hundreds of ships.

  Japan is gone. It's simply an island with very few residents trying to survive throughout the countryside. Tokyo is now a large HQ to North Korean Officials. North Korean troops took care of everyone else, including the large numbers of HDI's.

  China was there, in California, to welcome them, but something went wrong and the top commanding Chinese Officer was killed along with his cabinet of lower ranking officers and several dozen troops who were supposedly there to protect him.

  The “second in command” Chinese Officer was not present at the meet and greet, and is now in hiding.

  Meanwhile, North Korean ships continue to dock and unload troops in Southern California.

  Our Mexican allies are all but beat. Many are smartly dropping their weapons and hightailing it back to Mexico. The North Korean and Chinese troo
ps outnumber them 20:1.

  US command bases and radio units have huge price tags on their heads. They are targeted and destroyed immediately upon discovery.

  American planes and helicopters have been carrying messages detailing these occurrences to top officials in Canada, Mexico, and the UK. Small numbers of Canadian and British troops are supposedly on their way by ship, and on foot.

  Neither country is willing to risk the loss of what precious aircraft or munitions they have left as well as the bulk of their military troops. Since they have “no dog in this fight” other than their alliance with the US, they plan to save most of what they have to protect their own countries in case the same thing happens to them, and it will, oh... I promise, it will.

  In the meantime, South Korea has taken full advantage of the large number of missing troops from North Korea and has invaded. Farmers are fighting farmers, teachers are fighting teachers, and so on. No one has any idea who will have control of the country when the fighting stops, if the fighting stops.

  The Middle East is in a tug of war of its own.

  A former dictator from Iran has overtaken the current leadership and raised an army. Their number one enemies are the family members of a former dictator from Iraq. Half of Saudi Arabia has thrown in with the Iraqi group and the other half fight with the Iranian's.

  Christians found living in the area have been tortured, raped, mutilated, dismembered, and killed immediately after being discovered. Their dead bodies are carried in the air, bound to flag poles, as the troops march to into their next battle.

  Smaller countries remain neutral, but men from all over the region have left home to fight on one side or the other. Rumor says that Turkish soldiers are marching toward the region, but they have no real leadership and are unorganized and out of control. HDI took away most of their military troops.

  Syria isn't staying out of the fight, and many gangs have come together to fight on the side of Iran.

  India is jumping in and plans to put an end to the whole shebang. They also have large numbers marching toward the region.

  Many private pilots and ship captains with small aircraft and boats have risked their lives to bring news to the United States. Some have been apprehended before taking off. They were tortured, and died horrific, unimaginable deaths.

  The numbers of reports the US receives grows smaller by the day, and the folks in charge fear that the number of such reports coming in by air and sea will diminish and disappear very soon.

  I told Mick to start building an Ark, because we're heading for Australia. I almost wasn't kidding.

  Our group will be on the side of the REAL military.

  Our Enemies include the fake military, Chinese troops, North Korean troops, and HDI's. I'd say we're in trouble. Wouldn't you?

  We plan to do everything within our power to protect our people and our country. I don't yet know what that will include, but I'm sure I'll find out.

  I will never sleep again.

  See ya later.

  11:30 PM...

  The unit pulled out about an hour ago. Dane, Jason, and Soo are lying on the trailer fence, taking out HDI stragglers that inevitably come with the exit of the large unit. I still jump every time I hear a gunshot. I pray that I don't stop jumping until the HDI's are all gone for good.

  Chris left the supplies he could afford to leave. He has six more large groups between here and home base that will need extra supplies.

  He promised that he would somehow get word back to us about Rebecca. I made him pinky promise. Actually I threatened to employ Emma and poison his onions. He rolled his eyes and put up with my silliness. Honestly, I doubt we'll ever see those onion starts and herb seeds.

  We are the proud caretakers of the magic wood splitting machine because Chris wants to make sure that Josie and the baby will be warm in case he doesn't make it back.

  Jason plans to split enough wood to get Kapper Hill and Wilky Place through winter, and then some.

  We plan to have a big meeting after breakfast tomorrow and discuss what we can do to make the compounds both safe and ready. The Wilky Place folks will be here as well.

  Everyone was walking around in a daze at supper this evening. They're all worried and shocked that the unit pulled out so fast. No one other than me, Josie, Rick, and Ian know what's going on. I'm not even sure that Josie told me everything. I pray there's nothing more, but I'm sure there is.

  I told Mick what I knew when we came to bed. He's lying there, thinking as I type. I don't know if either of us will be able to sleep. I need a prescription from Hisa for doctored tea. It works almost as well as Xanax of the blue variety. I wonder if she'll prescribe it for me. Probably not.

  Should we tell the entire group? Yes, I think they have every right to know. Heck, if CNN or any other news station was still on the air, they'd know already.

  I don't care what Josie thinks. I plan to blurt out everything I know at the meeting tomorrow. We need to be ready mentally and physically. We need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

  I need to go through the boxes of supplies Chris left so we can do our planning and figuring. I already know there's more animal feed out there, but I don't know how much.

  I'm tired, but I could sit here for another hour, being redundant. Instead, I'll crawl in bed to lie beside Mick and think with him.

  Bye for now.

  Friday, April 18

  Meeting adjourned. Folks at Kapper Hill and Wilky Place sufficiently freaked out? You better believe it.

  We've decided to take it one day at a time. This week will be lootin' week. We need to get everything we can before we're forced to stay on the compound twenty-four hours a day. Mick, Ian, Rick, and Dane stayed at the table after breakfast with a national map, trying to figure out how long it would take North Korean troops to get here and what route they'll use. Are they on foot? Did they loot vehicles? Every possibility has to be examined.

  I'm pretty darn sure their end goal is not the takeover of Kapper Hill. We need to figure out what the goal is. Are they headed to DC or are they looking to take over every inch or land and civilian outpost in the US? We don't know, but we have to consider both possibilities along with a dozen more.

  How can we fight them? How many troops will move through our little corner? Again, we don't know. We plan to prepare for the largest encroachment we have the ability to prepare for. That's all we can do.

  Rick suggests well-disguised tunnels in the hillside, or taking refuge in a large cave on the mountainside. It all depends on how long we have. It all depends on whether or not we're accurate in determining the correct time and date to expect them here.

  We need scouts, but we don't have enough men, including Wilky Place, to send out enough scouts who can both protect themselves and gain information. We need Chris Knellson's scouts. It's too bad he won't share.

  Anyway, looting will occur this week, and work on some sort of hidey-hole will also begin. I don't know what the men will decide. I have no experience in matters such as this. I think I'll depend on Ian, Josie, and Rick to guide us in the right direction.

  I know that Chris and Josie decided on a special channel to meet and talk over the radio. I don't know what the range for clear communication is, or if they'll be overheard. They should a come up with some kind of codes. Maybe they did and I don't know about it. I pray they did.

  While the adults are looting and working, the boys will be hunting. Pop plans to go with them and be in charge of the hunt.

  Gotta run, someone's calling for me. See ya later.

  3:30 PM...

  Lisa and Shawna had lunch duty today and Emma became their assistant. We had baked potato soup topped with crumbled bacon, freeze dried cheddar cheese, and green onions. Alongside, we had “shrimp and pesto baguettes” made with the canned shrimp we got from the restaurant haul.

  I told ya we'd have a few gourmet meals when those girls joined us. Anyway, the soup was divine and so were the baguette's,o even though we ha
d to use a thin layer of the shrimp and pesto mixture so everyone could have a piece.

  The shrimp and pesto was mixed with butter, garlic powder, and powdered cream cheese we got form the instar-food supply at the Masterson house. I doubt we'll have meals like this very often. We had no idea what we were gonna do with that canned shrimp. Problem solved.

  Shawna says they can make hearty, filling soups, but they need to get those big pots and gas range set up inside the mini-kitchen. Shawna and Lisa are amazing cooks.

  Note to anyone reading this. When the SHTF and you have a large group to feed, soup is your best bet to stretch your supplies. Remember that.

  Three lootin' crews went out, and all three came home safely and well stocked with various supplies.

  Rick and Ian found a mid-sized gun shop that had already been looted for guns, knives, and ammo. The looters left a small display section with a bunch of silver coins, so they grabbed them.

  They also got half-a-dozen silencers that fit many of our weapons. That's gonna make a huge difference simply because of the fact that HDI's from long distances won't be drawn by our gunfire. It'll also hide our gunfire from enemy troops who may be close.

  From the same gun shop, they got cleaning kits, add on goodies, and several boxes of hand warmers which we'll store in the guard towers.

  Ian had an epiphany and they removed all the bulletproof windows from the gun shop and loaded them into a big rig trailer. It took all day to loot the shop and remove the windows. Now, they're on the hunt for more. I told them to check bank windows as well as convenience store cages, and maybe even fast food drive-through windows. They couldn't wait to get back out there with these new ideas. I hope they make it home for supper.

  Rona, Jason, and Isaac brought home shelving from TSC. They worked all day there. While Kevin and Isaac took apart shelves, Rona kept watch, wandered the store and grabbed whatever she could find that might be useful.