Arks of America

by D A Carey

  When the sheriff finished speaking, he turned and walked off a bit to be by himself. One of the deputies nearby stepped closer to Vince and said in a low tone, “Don’t push him. I shouldn’t be telling you this, but that deputy he told you about was his son-in-law. Those girls were his daughter and granddaughters.”

  That story made Vince sick at his stomach and eager to get back on the road to his own daughter. He didn’t know what to do and was unsure of next steps for the first time in this mission. “Is it true that the Army and National Guard are coming?” he asked, mostly to buy time to think.

  “It’s true inasmuch as they have good intentions,” the deputy answered. “I was in the room when the message came across the shortwave. I know the military is stretched thin, and lots of Guardsmen are not reporting for duty. So many of them chose to stay home and protect their families and ignore the call up that it’s hampering the Guards’ ability to respond. Anyway, there’s some backroads you can take to get around the city and head north again.”

  As the deputy described the route around the city, Vince worked hard to control his anger and frustration at the potentially deadly delay. This detour would cost them too much time and risk. It could mean the difference of life and death to his family. After thanking the deputy, Vince again approached the sheriff. While the sheriff was still staring off in the distance, Vince asked to speak. The sheriff nodded.

  “Sir,” Vince began, “I know you all have experienced some hardship in this town, and probably personally as well.”

  “My deputy talks too much,” the sheriff muttered under his breath.

  “I have a proposal to make, Sheriff. I only make this because I’m desperately trying to get my ex-wife and daughter and a few other women out of Chicago. As bad as things have been here, you can imagine how much worse they are in the city. As a family man, you must know how much this detour hurts my mission and my heart. These few hours could be the difference between life and death for them.”

  This earned Vince a moment of side-eye contact from the sheriff.

  Emboldened, Vince continued. “I know how much a man’s honor and word are worth. As much as I need you to break your word, I won’t ask it.”

  That earned raised eyebrows from the sheriff.

  “What I will say is this. You’re still the sheriff, and you still wear the badge. My two friends and I are armed in your jurisdiction. I’m sure there is a penalty for that. I suggest some hard labor. If you were to cuff me to the back of that black truck I came in with and I had to push it the length of your fine city, would that about cover my debt?”

  Sheriff Cooper paused and stared out over the fields for a couple of minutes, then walked away stone faced. Vince felt both rage and despair at his failure.

  When he heard the sheriff say to his deputy, “Arrest that man,” with a nod toward Vince, he wasn’t sure if he should be elated or if this was a real arrest. The sheriff peered at Vince in a stern, angry way, maybe partially regretting his decision, and said gruffly, “Do you want to call your men in or do we have to go get ’em?”

  “I’ll call them,” Vince said.

  The deputy escorted Vince to his truck. In cuffed hands, he picked up the walkie talkie. “Andy, I need both you and Dwight down here on the double. Leave the weapons in the truck and no shenanigans.”

  When Vince set down the walkie talkie, the deputy asked, “Why didn’t you tell them you were all three under arrest?”

  “Because these are very experienced special operators, I need to look them in the eye and let them know we don’t need rescuing, and the sheriff is only doing his job.”

  “I don’t know what you and the sheriff have cooked up,” the deputy said, his face grim. “I’ll tell you this, though. That man has been through too much. If you let him down, I’ll take you out like a dog, no questions asked. He’s like a father to me and many of us on the force.”

  “I have no intention of letting him down.” Vince matched the deputy’s serious glare with one of his own. “I know I only met him for the first time a few minutes ago, yet I respect him and what he’s doing. He’s doing a hard job during hard times, and I admire that. I won’t fight his directions.”

  When Andy and Dwight parked their truck alongside Vince’s and got out unarmed, Vince said, “I need you both to remove any knives or hidden guns and drop them in the truck.” They both paused and exchanged sideways glances. Vince stared them both in the eye and used his command voice from his military days to make his point, “Now!” Andy complied right away. Dwight still hesitated. “Dwight,” Vince said in a calmer tone, “I need your trust on this. I know you haven’t been with me long. I won’t let you down.”

  Dwight finally complied.

  “Now for the hard part,” Vince said. “We’re all three under arrest for violating the town’s conceal carry laws. Please trust me and let the deputy cuff you.”

  Vince was worried Dwight would bolt or fight back at this moment, but he accepted it easier than Andy did. With a bit of betrayal in their eyes, both men allowed themselves to be cuffed.

  Then the sheriff walked up and said to the deputy, “I have no intention of feeding and housing these vagrants. I do, however, think the judge would agree that making them perform hard labor in front of the townspeople as an example would be an appropriate punishment for their crimes.”

  The deputy wore a funny expression and looked at the sheriff as if he’d lost his mind. “Sheriff, I don’t know what we have in the way of hard labor. Do you want them to chop wood or something?”

  “No,” Sheriff Cooper said. “Cuff them to the back of their trucks and make them shove the trucks around town a bit until they’re worn out, sweaty, and the townspeople have seen their punishment. You can let a couple of the young boys steer the trucks while these men push.”

  “Okay,” the deputy said, drawing out the word. This was the strangest bit of police work he’d ever been a part of. “How much time should they push and what should I do with them when they are done?”

  “They don’t have to push much longer than it takes to get them all lathered up and appreciative of our laws,” Sherriff Cooper responded. “When you’re done, make sure they’re out of our town. I don’t care where. The bridge on the other side of the Wabash might be an option, though. That will teach them a lesson.” The sheriff walked off.

  By now, the deputy was grinning. “He must like you,” he said to Vince. “I hope you don’t mind a little work and some catcalls. This ought to be fun.”

  It didn’t work out that way.

  Vince smiled and teased and turned on a charm the men never suspected he had. Halfway through, the kids of the town were helping him push and the ones who weren’t pushing Vince’s truck rode in the bed of Andy and Dwight’s truck, making it harder for them to push. Some people had a knack for making things work out for them.

  Dwight thought Vince was a good man to follow and probably a bad man to fight. Very few people knew Dwight well. Those who did knew him as a reader and somewhat of a philosopher. Once he figured out what Vince had planned, he chortled to himself as he pushed and thought of a line from Sun Tzu and The Art of War: “He will win who knows when to fight and when not to fight.”

  When they got to the bridge, the sheriff was nowhere to be seen. Many of the townspeople were there cheering and laughing with the kids who had played along.

  The deputy gave Vince a strong handshake. “This town needed something to smile about. Thanks, and I mean that sincerely. If I can do you a good turn sometime, just let me know.”

  << Dave >>

  Dave wanted to call Vince. Sitting and waiting for an update was driving him crazy. Still, Vince would be on the move, and he didn’t need the distraction. He did call Ellie, whom he’d always had a soft spot for. It hurt Dave a lot when she and Vince divorced. It took several tries to get through on the SAT phone. When Ellie answered, she sounded frazzled. Dave was proud that she didn’t let it stop her from what needed to be done. She reported t
hey were doing well and that Liz and her team made it to her house, although they’d lost a member of their team along the way.

  Ellie enjoyed talking to Dave. He had a way of making her feel comforted and at ease. He had that effect on a lot of people. Perhaps that was a part of why he’d been so successful in business. She told Dave that Liz was a pleasure to be around, not like some spoiled Hollywood star Ellie had worried she might be. Kate was on cloud nine getting to talk to Liz. Kate peppered Liz with questions about Hollywood and different stars. Eventually Ellie had to pull Kate away so Liz could get some sleep.

  Dave asked to talk to Kate, mostly because he was missing his family. It could be lonely in his mountain retreat. Talking to Kate always made him smile. He could get so caught up in her world and her infectious personality and energy. They talked about his new home in the mountains, her school, and her impressions of Liz. Finally, Dave hung up and got back to the business at hand. He’d begun to worry that the charter towns were too exposed and well known. It needed to be done in the past to attract investors. Now was the time to make people forget about them. He made a mental note to follow up with his leadership team on how to best hide these locations in plain sight so they would blend into the white noise of the public psyche.

  << Liz >>

  Liz woke to sunlight streaming through the slits in the blinds and hitting her face. She could see the dust motes dancing in the sunbeams. She hadn’t slept this deeply in days. The sheets were clean, the bed comfortable, and she could smell coffee brewing. The sounds and smells were the normal waking sounds of a regular home on a normal day. It was so incongruous after the last few days. Liz pivoted on the bed to put her feet on the floor and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She noticed clean clothes and house slippers waiting for her on the chair beside the bed. That made her smile and brought a tear to her eyes. There was some sanity and goodness left in the world. Although getting here had been incredibly hard, being here was the right move.

  There was an old fashioned washbasin in her room. It had probably been an antique objet d’art a few weeks ago. Now it was ready for use again with a matching pitcher filled with steaming water next to it and a towel and washcloth draped over the back. Whoever tiptoed in to fill it and leave the clothes was probably what woke her up. She washed her face and body the best she could from the basin, much like people would have done a hundred and fifty years ago. She brushed her teeth with a toothbrush left at the basin, still packaged new from the store. When she dressed to go downstairs, she felt refreshed.

  Liz was the last one in the room. She didn’t feel guilty as she might have had she been this late to her grandmother’s kitchen. The others were conversing in low tones to avoid waking her. She was shocked to see a casual breakfast going on and people in good spirits, eating. She was astounded to see eggs, sausage, and toast cooked on a griddle laid over top of the barbecue coals on the screened-in porch.

  The conversation paused when she appeared. Ellie saw the surprise on her face at seeing the spread and chuckled. “It’s the last of the perishable food Malcolm stocked up on. Gas for the generator is running low, and we know we will need to leave soon, so we might as well enjoy.”

  Before the conversation got serious again, Kate broke in anxiously. “Can I ask you something?”

  Liz smiled, knowing her own nieces and nephews were just as interested about the Hollywood scoop when she visited the family farm. Kate surprised her by not asking more about Hollywood. Instead, she wanted to know more about Liz’s childhood and the family farm in Kentucky.

  “I’m from Kentucky too, and my dad and grandmother still live there,” Kate said in a rush. “My grandmother has a farm near the Ohio River east of Louisville.”

  “My family’s farm is in Trimble and Henry County!” Liz exclaimed. “They must be practically neighbors.”

  “How did you come to know Dave Cavanaugh?” Ellie asked.

  Liz explained the details about the business venture and her manager’s recommendation that she meet Dave. She admitted her own interest in who he was as a man on a more personal level.

  Kate appeared confused. “Why do you want to be part of a charter town in Colorado if your family is in Kentucky?”

  “Frankly, I never believed for real anything like this would be needed long term. I expected when there were riots or social unrest I would take a vacation to the mountains with other people in my social circle. Then a few weeks later we would just go back home. I never envisioned things going this bad for this long for real. If I thought I needed a place for months or years and had known Kentucky was an option, I’m pretty sure I would have chosen that location.”

  Malcolm cleared his throat. “We need to have a more serious talk. I want everyone in the house to be a part of the conversation.” They moved to the living room, everyone finding a comfortable place to sit or stand. “I want to get straight to the point. Mr. Lewis was killed at the roadblock last night by some of the local gang members before we could run them off. I suppose it’s a good thing his kids are married and living down south and that his wife passed from cancer last year. Even one death, though, diminishes us all, both spiritually and in defense of this block.”

  As Liz listened, she couldn’t help but relive Frank’s death on the way here.

  “More concerning at the moment is the Jordan family,” Malcolm said. “There were five of them with Thomas and Lena, their two sons, and teenage daughter. They disappeared during the night. There was no sign of bloodshed or violence at their home. I hope they made a run for a safer area and have not been kidnapped or worse.”

  “Didn’t they have family in another part of the city?” Ellie asked.

  “I think so,” Malcolm responded, staring down at the paper towel he was twisting into knots. “I hope I’m not pushing people so hard to stay that they’re afraid to tell me this isn’t what they want. We’re all more exposed when they leave and even more so when we aren’t prepared.”

  That left them with only a handful of adults on the block, counting himself. Some of the others were getting nervous and talking about making a run for it. There was a block meeting scheduled later to discuss options.

  “If the others choose to run, we will need to get out too. We can’t hold out here on our own. The gang led by Raheem and his brother have an eye on this place. Still, I’m not sure where to go that’s safe.”

  “My dad is coming to get us,” Kate spoke up with a fierce note of pride.

  Malcolm got along well with Kate and was coming to love her. This note of pride and confidence in her father tugged at his heart. He wanted to be the one that Ellie and Kate looked to with that confidence and enthusiasm. He wasn’t the type to be insecure about his relationship with Ellie and her ex-husband. Seeing Vince through this lens as Kate did was different.

  So Far

  “It had long since come to my attention that people of accomplishment rarely sat back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.”

  - Leonardo da Vinci

  << Malcolm >>

  The meeting the previous night lasted for more than two hours and hadn’t gone well. People were scared and wanted to run. Malcolm argued that if they ran, they’d be picked off one by one. They needed to either fort up and protect the block or retreat together. They did finally agree to stay another day and discuss it again. Most of the people who remained did so with the fading hope that the government would roll in and save them. Ellie wasn’t sure how soon or even if that would happen. In either event, she didn’t want to depend on it. She chuckled, thinking how much Vince had rubbed off on her over the years.

  That afternoon Malcolm made sure they each had a backpack ready with essentials like water, food, and a change of clothes. He checked to ensure each person packed extra socks and a tarp or blanket in case they were forced to hike, and ensured the few guns they had were always close at hand and any spare ammo was packed and ready.

  Malcolm and Ellie worked together to pack all their e
xtra food, water, and ammo into plastics bins. They put the bins by the back door where the red minivan and a Ford Expedition were parked in the yard, close to the house. The idea was to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice when they needed. Even so, Malcolm didn’t want to pack the cars yet in case they were stolen or fire bombed during the night.

  That night, as Jeremiah Walker went to the south side barricade for his duty, he noticed it was unguarded and ran to get Malcolm. It was John Keselowski’s turn to be on guard, and he was nowhere to be found. Steve Williams was supposed to be his backup, and he was gone too. Malcolm asked his older neighbor Mr. Goldberg to watch the barricade while he and Jeremiah went to search the neighborhood.

  Mr. Goldberg, an older Jewish man whose family survived the German concentration camps, had asked to join Ellie’s group on their trip south with Vince. All his friends were dead or gone, and he didn’t think the city would get much better for a long time. He wanted to see what was in Kentucky. He didn’t want to die in such a meaningless way as this would be if he stayed in his home and starved to death or was beaten to death by thugs for a few morsels of food or silver coins.

  An inspection of the Keselowski home revealed that they had packed up and left in a hurry. Then they found Steve Williams asleep in his home. He had no idea what happened or why Malcolm was upset. He said that soon after he came to the blockade for his shift, John’s wife came out and said she couldn’t sleep and wanted some time with her husband. The two of them agreed to take the watch and told Steve to go home and get some sleep. At the time, he didn’t think anything of it. Steve was genuinely surprised when Malcolm told him John and his wife were gone and the barricade was unguarded.