Patriots Awakening

by R. M. Strauhs

  He pulled a chair close, sat down, and folded his arms across his chest. “Could just be coincidence.”

  “No, it turns out there’s a lot more than pure coincidence involved. Candice got an idea and we called eleven well-known astronomers, including Doctor Wilmot Schmidt at Cooksborough Observatory.” Sharon tapped a finger on the desktop, punctuating each word. “Not a single astronomer could be reached. Period. Someone cut them all off from communicating with the world. All these people, in all these locations and their telephones are out of whack? Something is up that doesn’t involve an asteroid, Clarence. Asteroids might be big and destructive, but they don’t selectively put peoples’ telephones out of service.”

  The President snapped his fingers, “That reminds me. I’ll be right back.” He walked down the short hall to the bedroom and into his walk-in closet. The flight jacket he’d worn on the flight to Montana lay tossed in the corner. Picking it up, he rummaged through the pockets, and removed the small slip of paper. When he read the short message it confirmed everything.

  “Sharon, someone pressed this into my hand on the trip, and I’d forgotten about it until now.” He unfolded the small paper, reread the few words written there, and handed the paper to his wife. It was then the tiny green light on the intercom caught his attention. He tapped Sharon on the shoulder, put a finger to his lips, and then pointed at the intercom sitting on her desk.

  She nodded her head, understanding, as she turned her attention to the note.

  “Mr. President. Watch your backside. Traitors among your group. Astronomers being murdered. All is not what it seems.”

  ~ 11 ~

  The Holden Compound Colorado

  The whoop, whoop, whoop, of the helicopter rotors awakened Alice at daybreak from a fitful sleep of mental and physical exhaustion. The kids and Alice had tackled the extra rooms the night before, making sure they were spic and span. Mike turned up the volume on the CD player, and they sang, and danced through the tasks, which helped take the kid’s minds off the horrors out in the world. She on the other hand could not get the images she’d seen on the television out of her mind. She was also worried about Stephan getting his family safely to the farm. The nagging thoughts of what she’d do alone if Stephan couldn’t get there were also bothering her.

  Still groggy, Alice raised up on one elbow, confused for a few seconds by the noise. When she realized what it was, she said aloud in an anxious voice, “Oh shit, they’re here.” Springing from the bed in pink baby doll cotton pajamas, and grabbing the matching pink mid-thigh cotton robe, she slipped her feet into house slippers, and made a dash for the bathroom. She splashed water on her face, ran a brush through her short dark hair, and hoped she looked somewhat presentable. As she ran down the hall towards the stairs, she yelled to the kids, “Get up. They’re here!” She scurried down the stairs and through the kitchen to open the door for her guests.

  The huge dark green helicopter sat in the open area next to the barn where no trees or lines could hinder its landing. Stephan, his wife Susan, and, their three kids, Linda, age 14, Laurie age, 13, and Phillip, age 12, loaded under the weight of backpacks and canvas bags, strolled towards the house. Bringing up the rear was another man Alice immediately recognized, and her heart skipped a beat. I’ll be damned. Wes Cordel. If he only knew how many times I’ve thought of him recently.

  Behind Alice, the screen door flew open, and her two boys ran out to get a close up of the Huey sitting in the barnyard. Major Wesley Cordel sat down the items he carried and turned back toward the helicopter and the boys. She could see Wes talking to the boys and handing them items to carry to the house.

  Stephan approached the porch. “Don’t worry, Alice, he’ll make sure they don’t take it for a spin. Cord’s a good man around kids.”

  “Come on in. I’ll start the coffee and whip up breakfast.” Alice opened the screen door to the spacious kitchen. “I’m glad you got here okay. I was so worried about you guys after what I’ve seen on the news. The reports are just horrible. Hell seems to be breaking out everywhere.”

  Turning to Linda and Laurie, who looked exhausted, Alice motioned towards Brittany. “Kids, Brittany will take you up to your rooms. We have them all ready for you.” Brittany, a skinny little girl with long hair all askew, stood in the front hall, rubbing her sleepy eyes. The tired kids picked up their bags and wearily followed the silent Brittany up the stairs.

  Walking towards Stephan and Susan, Alice said. “Now, give me a hug.” All three were immediately a mass of tangled arms.

  Susan cried softly. “Oh, Alice you don’t know how bad it is out there. People are going crazy. I’m so glad we could come here. There was no other place to go.”

  Thank God, they made it here safely. I’m not alone with the kids. She couldn’t hold back the tears of relief. Blake again flashed across her thoughts as she hugged Susan, and she felt almost a physical pain in her heart that he was gone forever.

  “Wow, Mom, you should see inside that baby,” exclaimed Michael as he barged through the kitchen door. “Boy, I’d sure love to fly in it, Mr. Martin.”

  Stephan stood tall and straight, his hands on his hips and looked down into Mike’s eyes. “I wish I could take you up son, but the truth is, we have no more fuel. I wasn’t sure we would make it here. Today we’re going to camouflage it with something, because we don’t want it seen from the air or ground. The reason for hiding it is we don’t want some thugs thinking they can take it or vandalize it for fun. We might need it later. How about we eat breakfast, then we’ll unload the bird and find some way to cover it up. I’ll need you boys to help.”

  Susan motioned toward the kitchen door. “Alice, you remember Wes Cordel?” Wes had gone back to the chopper to bring more bags to the house and now stood in the kitchen.

  Alice wasn’t sure why, but after a few months of mourning Blake, her thoughts often turned to that handsome guy who had visited here with the General several years ago. She even found herself wondering if he’d gotten married. It wasn’t that the thought of Blake didn’t still bring tears to her eyes and an ache in her heart, but she was, after all, a young, vibrant woman with needs. Being out here in the middle of nowhere without a man was lonely. She smiled back at Wes. Alice couldn’t help but think, He’s still as handsome as I remembered. Wes was 40, with dark hair, nearly black eyes and perfect white teeth. His mother was Irish and his father Mexican-American, which produced a man who looked to be Italian.

  Alice walked over, smiling, and shook his hand. “Good to see you again, Major. You ready for some coffee and breakfast?”

  “I’m hungry as a bear, ma’am, and glad to be here. Stephan insisted I tag along.” He shifted his feet and immediately pulled back his hand from hers, but their eyes stayed locked for several seconds.

  ~~~

  Stephan and Cord ate a large hearty breakfast in a hurry. Covering the large helicopter was going to be a heck of a job. Cord was hardly out the door when Mike and Simon grabbed the toast from their empty plates and followed Cord across the yard toward the barn. Stephan’s three children skipped breakfast in favor of sleeping in their new but perhaps temporary quarters.

  Stephan sat and remained silent until Cord and the boys were out of earshot. “Alice, if you’d be kind enough to pour me another cup of coffee, I have something I want show you.”

  “Sure thing. Susan do you want another cup? We still have plenty in the pot.”

  “No thanks. I need to calm my nerves and I don’t need the added caffeine. I’ll wash the dishes while you and Stephan talk.” She smiled at Alice and hoped she’d been convincing. She felt sick. The truth was she didn’t want to be sitting at the table.

  Stephan sauntered into the living room and returned with a black brief case. Susan saw the sad look in her husband’s eyes and gave him a soft smile. She knew what was in the case and busied herself doing dishes.

  Returning to his chair at the large kitchen table, Stephan said, “First of all, Alice, there is no asteroid.
We’re not all going to die from the Earth being destroyed. We . . .”

  Alice looked incredulous. “What the hell are you talking about? They showed pictures of the damn thing on television! Didn’t you see it? The world has gone mad because of it.”

  “Yes. They showed pictures of an asteroid, but it is nowhere near us and never will be.

  “I hate to seem unbelieving, but once again I’ll ask. What the hell are you talking about?”

  “Look -- Blake, myself, Cord, and a bunch of others have known for some time that something like this hoax or ploy was going to happen. We didn’t know what, when, or how, but we knew something would eventually come about. Alice, there’s so much crap out there that most people have no inkling of . . . you wouldn’t believe it if I told you. But, we learned to not trust much of anything we heard unless we could prove it for ourselves. Misinformation let out by every damned government in the world is used all the time to control people. You learned that from Blake.”

  “You mean this Asteroid story is just that . . . a story?” Alice stood staring at him.

  “Alice, we’re absolutely positive it’s a hoax. There is just the slightest chance it might be true. The asteroid might not be the ‘something’ we have expected. Personally, I’m sure it is. But if the asteroid story is true, then nothing we plan and prepare for that will help. We have to assume it’s just a story and survive the next few days. If it’s a pure lie, then by damn we have to be survivors in every sense of the word for months, maybe years. I’m afraid it’s going to be ugly out there for a long time. Don’t you see, this lie can topple governments and make people turn on one another . . . Lord only knows what we’ll face.”

  Stephan unlocked the briefcase and pulled out an envelope. He handed it to her, and she immediately recognized the name, “Alice”, scrawled across the front in Blake’s poor penmanship. Goose bumps covered her from head to toe as she stared at her name. She didn’t notice Stephan leaving the table or Susan slipping out the back door. With shaking hands, Alice reached for a knife, and slit the sealed envelope open. A loud sob escaped her throat and tears filled her eyes as she started reading.

  “My darling Alice,

  If you are reading this, I am no longer living. I have entrusted Stephan to give this letter to you at the proper time. I have kept a few secrets from you, and here is why. There are groups in the world that would love to take over, and I don’t mean with bombs and a WWIII. There are many other less destructive ways for them to achieve their goal. Contaminating crops or animals so thousands of people starve could happen. Deadly viral and bacterial attacks are another way. Outbreaks of small pox in multi locations could wipe out a large part of the population before it could be contained. You get the idea. Stephan, Cordel, and I, along with many others around the country have been preparing for this day. Remember I told you I bought this farm to get my family as far away from any major nuclear targets as possible? That was partly true, but that wasn’t my only motivation.

  Stephan, Cord, and I all chipped in and paid for the farm. It was a real stroke of luck the government owned it, because the former owner, a drug trafficker, was caught. I know you’re aware of the underground complex, but I don’t think you realize the actual extent of not only the size of the complex, but the arms, foodstuffs, and equipment we have assembled there.

  Stephan’s uncle, General Parker has been of great help to us, and if he needs refuge, I would ask you to welcome him and his family.

  We have tried to make it a safe haven for all of us. The one thing you have to prevent is the overpopulation of this complex. If people know about it, they will kill one another to take it over. Stephan will fill you in on all the details.

  I love you, my darling. Please listen to Stephan and Cord. I trust them with my most valuable possessions -- you and our children.

  One last thing I hope you will not think too strange. Cord is a swell guy, Alice. Because he is single and has no family, I asked that he stick by you, and protect you and the kids. Call me a matchmaker, but darling you couldn’t end up with a better man to spend the rest of your life with.

  Have a good life, sweetheart, and perhaps I’ll see you again one day. Tell the kids how much I love them, and always remember I left this world loving you more than life itself.

  All my Love Forever, Blake”

  Alice shuddered, and sobbed uncontrollably, then dropped her head on her arms. “Oh, Blake, sweetheart, I love you, too.”

  ~~~

  The kids pitched in and helped Cord and Stephan unload boxes from the Huey, temporarily stacking them in the barn. They placed bales of hay around the bird. Heavy black tarps, stored earlier in the haymow at the top of the barn, were dragged out, unfolded, and worked up and over the top of the chopper. Ropes were tied over the top, and down to stakes driven into the ground. When they finished at sunset, the chopper looked like a stack of hay protected by tarps. The ropes had been attached to the tarps in a manner that would allow the guys to quickly pull the covering away. The men and boys worked up a heavy sweat, taking only a short break for lunch. No one would ever guess a giant helicopter sat in the barnyard.

  Cord and Stephan explained the whole situation to the children that evening. Stephan cautioned the kids to listen, mind, and stay alert for everyone’s sake. He knew he wouldn’t have to repeat the talk. After viewing what was happening around the country on TV, the children were scared. They were young but understood the dangers and took the situation seriously. After eating a large supper, the children took baths.

  As the children made their way upstairs to their beds, Stephan said, “Let the dishes go for now, girls. Come and sit down. We have some things we need to talk about.”

  It had been a very long day for Alice and Susan, and they were all too happy to stop working, and rest at the large oval table opposite the men.

  The kitchen was a friendly room -- pale blue and white -- reflecting the sun light from a large bay window. The window opened on a picturesque view of the hills behind the house. Bright colored plants sat next to the window seat. On an ordinary day it would be a relaxing place to sit and visit, but not today. Alice realized their lives hung in the balance, and the two men sitting across the table were their main hope for survival.

  Stephan sat with his hands clasped atop the table and spoke first. “Alice, I’m not sure how much Blake told you in his letter, but I guess you realize we’re up against the wall with whatever’s coming. It might give you some comfort to know there are places like this set up all over the country. I mean military people and civilians alike, in every state. We’re ready to fight a guerilla war for our country, if that’s what it takes. God knows we had expected something like this for a long while. That’s why we’ve taken a heck of a lot of steps for this day. Every team around the country is equipped with short wave and a log for varying the frequency on which they broadcast. Each has a number and identifying handle to use, so we’ll know it’s really them. They also have certain code words to identify themselves.”

  He slid a sheet of paper across the table to each woman. “You’ll need these. It lists all the handles and code words for each group. If anything should happen to Cord and I, you’ll be able to check this list and know who to trust. Also -- in the control room -- right next to the short wave radio, is a list of frequencies laid out for an entire year by date. If you ever try to contact one of the other teams, you’ll have to use the right frequency for that particular date. You got this so far?”

  When both women nodded, he continued, “You’ll be able to type the code anyone uses into the computer to verify who they are. For each team, there’s a code question and answer. If anyone ever contacts you, even with the right code words, you should ask the question assigned to that team. If they can’t answer, break off the contact immediately and broadcast the identity of the team that couldn’t answer your question. Broadcast that on the alternate frequency for that day. You’ll find that frequency simply by looking at the tool tray on the computer m
onitor. That will change every day so it won’t be good at any other time. All the other groups have the same computer program and will know to switch channels if you broadcast on the regular channel, “Open your mind.”

  Susan asked, “If a phony couldn’t answer the question, wouldn’t the bad guys know to change frequencies?”

  Cord answered, “Not if they aren’t part of our people to begin with. You see, what we wanted to prevent was one of our group being captured and made to talk. Then, it might be the enemy trying to find your location. If you broadcast on the regular frequency for that day, they would be listening and know everyone had been warned the system had been compromised. When they heard no more traffic, they would start searching for any other frequency we might use. That’s the only scenario we have to worry about. We’ll go through all of this again down in the complex.”

  “Are we going to move down there now?” Alice asked. She hated the thought of having to live inside a cave for very long let alone a year or two.

  “I don’t think we have to completely move down yet, but we will soon. You ladies and the kids need to become familiar with the entire complex and the escapes routes. We have some pretty sophisticated things we need to familiarize you with, like our alarm systems and the perimeter monitors.”

  Alice shook her head. “I can’t believe you’ve installed so much stuff, and I wasn’t even aware.”

  “Well, the truth is, there were a dozen folks working down there when Blake came home for a visit. He drove you and the kids to Disneyland and the San Diego Zoo. Remember when you and the kids toured Europe for a month? We needed you and the kids out of here so supplies could be brought in. We had to set up a main communications and control center, with plenty of backup systems. I guess you could say this is the resistance’s Cheyenne Mountain.”