by Joe Nobody
Terri finally exited the courthouse, a look of satisfaction beaming from her face. On the way out of town, she glanced at Deke and announced, “We’ve just added another city to our little coalition. DA Gibson is going to hold an election and then tour Meraton to see the market. Fort Stockdale has agreed to work with Alpha and Meraton on defense, food production, energy and several other projects. They want to join our alliance.”
“Really? That’s great news,” replied Deke. “What do you call your alliance?”
“What do you mean?”
“It seems like to me you’re building up a little country… a small state at least. A phoenix rising from the ashes.”
Terri smiled at her driver. “You know, you’re right. Maybe we should call it the Alliance of West Texas, or something like that.”
Deke laughed, “I love it!”
Chapter 9
Not all of the Alliance’s expansion was initiated from within. With word of a better life spreading rapidly throughout the region, the council was occasionally solicited by other outlying islands of humanity. Rule of law, electrical power, trade, education, and the opportunity of a better life resulted in the coalition being approached by a few towns for membership or an association at minimum.
The first was the minute village of Preston, Texas. Nothing more than an intersection with a single store, gas station, and a smattering of residences, two representatives of the community arrived at Alpha’s south welcoming center one morning and asked to see whoever was in charge.
“We want to be conquered,” announced the ad-hoc mayor of the berg. “There are 31 people still alive in our little settlement, and we conducted a vote of the entire population last Tuesday. The ballot consisted of a single question, ‘Should we ask to join your new country or not?‘”
“Go on,” managed Terri, barely keeping a straight face.
“All 31 citizens voted, with 30 wanting to join. One person abstained.”
Diana cleared her throat, “I don’t understand what you mean by, ‘You want to be conquered.’ We don’t have folks stroll in here every day with a request like that. What are you looking for, exactly?”
The gentleman interrupted Diana’s question with a chuckle. “Preston isn’t the issue. It’s the farms and ranches just south of us who really need organization and help. Their crops are rotting in their fields. They don’t have electricity, fuel or the capability to store next year’s seed. Preston isn’t much value to anyone, but the farmers along the Rio Grande are. That’s why we want to be conquered.”
Terri leaned back in her chair and responded. “Sir, we don’t invade towns. We don’t even have an army. Even if I did send some men to the town, having a ‘war’ would result in people being hurt or killed. There has to be a better way.”
The man nodded, “No one in Preston is going to fight you, ma’am. We don’t have the energy or the time. The farmers along the border are scared - trying to walk a tightrope. They are Americans, but in their minds, there’s no America anymore. Right across the river, there are remnants of the old Mexican army, drug cartels, and even some officials of the now overthrown régime. Those people need to know there is an America, or at least an organized government to their north, resembling America.”
Diana asked, “Why do you think joining our merry band will help?”
“The population on the other side of the border is larger than on our side, at least in the immediate region. There are more and more sporadic rumors of rogue groups crossing the river. Reports of rustling, looting, and attempts at intimidation are on the rise. If your government shows up in Preston with a show of force and takes over, word will spread all along the river. We firmly believe it will give the farmers backbone and cause the troublemakers on the other side to think twice before crossing into our territory.”
Terri nodded, having heard similar stories. It seemed that humanity had divided into two groups, those who produced and those who survived by preying on the producers. It’s probably always been that way, she mused. It probably will never change.
Diana surprised Terri with the bluntness of her next question. “What’s in it for the Alliance?”
The expression on the visitor’s face showed that he had anticipated the question. “Food... lots of food. Right now, the fields along the river are full of crops. If the Alliance can deliver diesel and gasoline, the harvest would fill several warehouses to the brim.”
Terri looked at Diana, the two women exchanging nods. Diana spoke next, “I can offer you accommodations for the night. The council will meet in the morning, and I’ll make sure your request is on the agenda. Attend the assembly because I’m sure there will be additional questions. You’ll have our answer by the time you leave here tomorrow.”
‘Thank you,” replied both guests. “That’s all we can ask.”
An assistant escorted the two visitors to nearby lodging. Terri and Diana sat and pondered their situation.
“I wonder if I’ll ever get used to hearing these stories?” began Diana.
“We have to bring them in under our wing. They’re no different than any other group of folks that have joined us so far, and if what they’re saying about the crops is accurate, that could mean survival for us all.”
Diana rose and pointed to the map of Texas hanging on the wall. “But this is growth in the wrong direction. We need to be expanding toward the east, not the southwest.”
Terri sighed, understanding Diana’s logic. The subject had been discussed over and over again, the facts undeniable. With the exception of El Paso, everything was to the east. Oil and gas fields, refining, population… all in the eastern part of the state.
Diana continued, “We are spreading our resources thin as it is right now. Who knows what predators those people are facing? There’s no telling how many criminals are orbiting around those ranches and farms. Our security people are already stretched thin, and adding another big slice of mostly unoccupied territory is going to make the situation worse.”
“Diana, our system is working, and we can’t lose faith in it. We’re helping more and more people every single day, and it’s paying off. Who knows what skills those people have in that little town? Not to mention, we could sorely use our own ‘breadbasket.’ The more citizens that join our effort, the more experience, knowledge, and momentum our society inherits.”
The deacon nodded and then laughed aloud. “Do you know what this reminds me of? You and I sound just like the federal government when they were debating immigration issues. How many immigrants should we allow in? Do they help? Do they hurt? We’re beginning to sound like Washington politicians.”
Terri covered her mouth in mock terror. “Say it isn’t so! Oh my goodness, Diana, if it’s come to that, we should retire right now and let Bishop and Nick put us out to pasture.”
Both of the women laughed, but Diana’s point wasn’t lost on either. Terri rose to leave the office, pausing at the door. “I know neither of us want to follow in the footsteps of the previous government, but we can’t assume everything they did was a mistake. We would be foolish to dismiss something just because Washington did it. They weren’t wrong all of the time.”
Deacon Brown grinned at Terri and replied, “You’re right again, old wise one with the baby bump. We need to keep that in mind going forward.”
The Coalition Council consisted of an elected mayor from each town within the Alliance. The normally scheduled meeting was each Monday morning at 8am, but special powwows could be called with two days’ notice by any member, the HAM radio operators always giving the council’s messages priority.
The location of the meeting rotated from major town to major town. Despite Alpha being the unofficial capital of the newly formed government, Terri thought it important not to establish a “seat of power.” Bishop’s words were a constant companion in her ear, “Know the people. Work, live, walk and talk with them. How can any government be ‘by the people, for the people,’ if it doesn’t know the people?”
Terri thought her husband’s words were sage advice and thus she tried to spend as much time visiting the other population centers as possible.
It was Alpha’s turn to host this week’s meeting. Diana, Pete, Pat and the other representatives used the old city council’s chambers on the second floor of the courthouse. The public was welcome to attend, and the seats were typically full. Firearms were checked at the entrance to the courthouse.
Every meeting included an open forum where the public was allowed to speak, raise issues, and comment to the council. Some discussions were heated, others intellectual. Terri had always made it clear that the council meetings weren’t the place to settle disputes or identify new issues. There were representatives and processes for both situations.
On this day, the council decided to accept Preston’s application for annex. The assembly agreed it would raise the security forces necessary from the usual sources, including the contractors, volunteer security, and law enforcement.
Terri had made plans to have lunch with Bishop, the couple deciding to splurge at Alpha’s newest café. The original restaurant’s kitchen and dining room had been thoroughly ransacked after the collapse, a state common to any building that was thought to possess food. The resulting damage required outside seating, each table protected by a dark blue umbrella.
A young Latino woman seated them, producing a single page, handwritten menu. The bill of fare had obviously been copied on a machine, but to Bishop and Terri it was as fancy as any. There were three dishes available, all prepared on the barbecue grill residing just a few feet from the patio. Water was the only offered beverage offered by the establishment. The experience was a true luxury, and after ordering, the two sat and gazed as if they were on a Paris boulevard primed to visit the shops.
Bishop sipped his drink and smiled at Terri. “How did the council meeting go?”
“Fine. We decided to integrate another small community. I’ve got a job for you.”
“Oh? Do tell.”
“The town is called Preston, and they’ve got the potential to become the area’s breadbasket. There’s a catch though – it seems their friends across the Rio Grande are becoming emboldened. It’s not a serious problem just yet, but they’re concerned. I’ve got a small job for you and Nick – we need to make a show of force to discourage cross-border incursions.”
Bishop snorted, almost spitting his water. “Hmm? That’s all?” he responded sarcastically. “Now tell me about the small job.”
Terri tilted her head, obviously wanting Bishop to expand.
Her husband shook his head and continued to press his point. “Preston, as I recall, is just a crossroads sitting out in the middle of the desert. It’s not the end of the world, but you can see the edge of civilization from there for sure. How are we supposed to send a message to our friends on the other side of the border? There are hundreds of square miles of absolutely nothing on both sides of the river.”
Terri shrugged, “I don’t know. I handle the decisions, and you implement them. I like our new roles.”
“Very funny. I don’t see anything ‘new’ in our roles at all. Seems to me it’s been this way since we’ve been married.” Bishop flashed a knowing grin at his wife.
Terri leaned across the table and covered Bishop’s hand with hers. “You always come through for me too. There has to be a way to send a message.”
“That task has historically been extremely difficult in this terrain. Every president for the last 25 years failed to secure that border. Too many canyons, too few fences and way, way too much unpopulated turf. Let me think about it though – I’ll talk to Deke and Nick and see what ideas they might have.”
Terri smiled and said, “Seriously though, it’s probably worth the effort. I’m afraid we’re going to see more and more of this sort of thing.”
After their meal, Bishop convinced Terri to steer her golf cart to what once had been a 3-star motel on the town’s main drag, and now served as temporary housing for visitors. Pulling into the parking lot, Bishop found Deke easy enough – the contractor was doing pull-ups using the building’s second story rail.
“Trying to work off lunch?” Bishop hailed.
The panting man turned and smiled, extending his hand. “It’s all conditioning and discipline – that’s what makes the world go around.”
“The council has blessed me with an old problem that needs a new solution. I thought I might stop by and see if the local high-tech bad asses had any ideas.”
Deke laughed, “Well, this high-tech bad ass is at your service, sir. Do we have to overthrow a third-world government or something?”
Bishop grinned, “Naw… that would be simple enough. This is a tough problem… we need to display a show of force, visible over an expansive, lightly populated stretch of territory.”
Bishop went on to explain the situation, Deke absorbing every detail. When Bishop finished, Deke whistled. “You’re right, that is a difficult mission. Too bad we don’t have air assets. That’s the way to do it… a big ass parachute deployment.”
Bishop snorted, “That’s no shit. I was with the 82nd Airborne. We would do an annual exercise where an entire combat brigade would jump. People would come from miles around to watch the sky filled with paratroopers. It was impressive as hell.”
Terri rubbed her brow, “How about a sky writer? We could paint a message in the clouds that read, ‘Leave us the hell alone.’”
Both men laughed, Deke adding, “I would make the message a little stronger than that, but I might offend some of our more religious citizens and small children.”
The idea sparked another thought. “Deke, didn’t the allies drop hundreds of fake soldiers during D-Day in WWII? Seems like I remember seeing that in one of the Duke’s movies.”
“Yeah! I remember that. They were like little dolls and had firecrackers that started exploding when they got close to the ground. The plan was to make the Germans waste ammo shooting at fake paratroopers. Is there a doll store in Alpha?”
Bishop grinned at the concept, but then shook his head. “We’ve only got one pilot that I know of. There is a sign at the Alpha Airport advertising a sky diving school, but it didn’t look like a big place.”
Terri piped up, “Wasn’t Diana a pilot in the Navy?”
“Even so, I don’t think there’s a big enough plane around to haul up a bunch of fake paratroopers.”
Deke scratched his head, “You wouldn’t need hundreds. If you got everyone’s attention with some low flying planes… like fighters making a strafing run, and then dropped in 20 parachutes, it would make a good show.”
“Some large explosions on the ground after the fakes had landed would make a lot of people think a battle was going on,” Terri added.
Bishop snapped his fingers, “I know. We just send in the cops. We have one heck of a police force and a parking lot full of squad cars with pretty strobe lights. We’ll just ask Sheriff Watts to provide a prominently visible presence in the area. Maybe even send our plane up to zoom over the region now and then.”
“Folks, this is Deputy Ramirez, he used to patrol the area along the Rio Grande, including Preston. I’m sure his expertise will add value,” Sheriff Watts began.
The mayor’s office was full, the Coalition Council members all in attendance as well as Bishop and Nick. Once introductions were completed, Terri addressed the topic.
“The gentlemen from Preston said that the farmers along the river were in a state of uncertainty over a lack of fuel and a lack of security. We can provide the fuel necessary to harvest crops and for ongoing operations, but the security aspect is critical as well.”
Diana continued, “We were hoping that a strong law enforcement presence would deter any cross-border incursions and help spread the word on both sides of the river that the people of Texas are well protected.”
Both Watts and Ramirez nodded their understanding. The young deputy cleared his throat. “That area is sparsely populated on both s
ides of the river. Many of the farmers are isolated, several miles from the nearest neighbor. Sheriff Watts and I have estimated it will take 16 officers in order to establish a visible presence. Knowing the people in the region, I would guess we could cut that back by 50 – 80% after two weeks. Word spreads quickly along the river. Many of the families on both sides are related to each other.”
Sheriff Watts added, “There may also be an opportunity to establish trade with the Mexican side. Their agriculture zone along the river is almost as large and productive. I think it is a safe guess that the farmers on the south side are suffering from many of the same issues as their neighbors to the north. If we offered fuel, transportation and other services, they might be happy to barter their harvest.”
“Twice the breadbasket, perhaps,” observed Diana.
Pete made a motion to dedicate the necessary resources to support Sheriff Watts with the establishment of security along the river. The item passed unanimously.
Preston, Texas
February 20, 2016
The small town of Preston had never seen such an event, at least as far as anyone could remember. The first indication that it wasn’t going to be the typical day was the low buzzing of an airplane. Air traffic hadn’t been common in the area before the collapse, none of the gathering citizens could remember a single flyover since.
At Terri’s urging, officials from Preston had been visiting the local farmers for days, begging and even bribing the busy men and their families to come and witness what they promised was going to be a grand celebration. The public relations campaign had worked, the town’s population nearly tripling in size due to the number of visitors.
The next eyebrow-raising event was a long line of police cars, complete with flashing lights, rolling down the highway and into the sleepy town. The convoy comprised ten vehicles in total, the sheriff even deciding to include his SWAT team and their menacing-looking armored van.
The law enforcement officers entered town with friendly smiles and warm handshakes, Sheriff Watts instructing everyone that the days’ activities were intended to be a public relations event, not an invasion.
