Arks of America

by D A Carey

  ***

  Some of the people in the convoy were a bit spooked when they got the command to find a secluded place to pull over. Andy and Dwight signaled to Malcolm and pulled in front to take the lead. Dwight found a dirt road to their right that went through some trees then disappeared into farm land. The weeds were grown up on the dirt road, and there was no mailbox. There was an old red rusted metal gate hanging open to the side.

  Andy got on the walkie to Vince and said, “M46 off of 55, south dirt through trees.”

  When Vince responded with a simple, “Roger,” Andy keyed the push to talk button twice to let them know they were all on the same page.

  Andy and Dwight circled the vehicles behind the trees, facing out toward the road. They instructed everyone to take the opportunity to relieve themselves and get something to eat and drink. Dwight worked with Junior and Malcolm to set up a guard.

  “Watch the fields behind us from inside the tree line so you won’t be seen,” he instructed. “Blend in against a tree so you don’t create a silhouette if anyone is watching. Andy, I want you next to the trucks and the women. I’ll work back toward the road to see if anyone noticed us pulling off.”

  ***

  About twenty minutes passed when Dwight saw Vince’s vehicle approaching the dirt road where they turned off. When Vince was close enough, Dwight stepped out onto the road. To anyone else watching, Dwight just melted away from the bush.

  Vince lowered the window and waved to Dwight, who pointed toward the dirt road. Dwight scuffed up the tire tracks in the dirt with a tree branch after Vince pulled through, then pulled the old rusty gate hanging from a single hinge halfway across the path before following Vince back into the break area. When they got behind tree cover, Vince spoke to Dwight.

  “I didn’t plan on stopping, but it was a good chance to sweep our back trail. What did you see?”

  “I saw a couple of cars pass earlier, but it’s hard to tell if they were following or only using the same road.”

  Had Dwight been closer, he would have noticed that the two cars had Illinois license plates, and the men inside them wore matching colored bandanas on their arms.

  “Okay, I guess that’s good.” Vince glanced apprehensively back at the road.

  “You worried about something, boss?” Dwight asked.

  “Nothing in particular. I can’t put my finger on it, although a few times I’ve felt watched. If I could take the time, I’d find out for sure. If we are being followed, I could put us in more danger by leaving the group, though. If I slow us down to hunt our back trail, I may find trouble that wasn’t there until we slowed down.” Vince sighed in frustration.

  “I hear ya. I’ve been looking over my shoulder a lot as well. But the goal is to get these people down the road. I didn’t see an obvious threat, so I kept moving.”

  “Have you said anything to anyone?” Vince asked.

  “No. I didn’t want to scare anyone.”

  “What about Andy?”

  “We haven’t been alone where none of the others could hear, and it might be nothing. Besides, I’m usually on the perimeter, and it wasn’t anything I could pin down,” Dwight said, sounding exasperated.

  “Me too.”

  “So why did we stop?” Dwight asked.

  “I’ll tell everyone at once,” Vince answered. “It’s not a big deal.”

  << Liz >>

  Liz saw Vince heading back in to the shaded area behind the trees where they had pulled off, and she was both apprehensive and comforted that he was here. The anxiety was about the change of plans, why they stopped, and wondering what he wanted to tell them. Any change to the plan represented a risk. The comfort she felt was interesting, because in the period of about a day she’d begun to depend on him and trust him to keep her safe. It made her a little mad at herself. She was usually so independent and didn’t like relying on someone as she did with Vince right now. It made her understand the trust others placed in him a little better. In a moment of introspection, she contemplated what an odd mixture of feelings he inspired. Her mind was spinning on topics she couldn’t solve. She shook her head and focused on the present and chalked it up to the situation and something she could ponder another time. Any deviation from the plan caused anxiety, but something about Vince made people feel safe. Well, as safe as possible with all that was going on.

  Vince stepped into the middle of the group, and everyone focused on him and stopped talking among themselves. “Junior and Malcolm, you can come in close enough to hear, but I need you to keep your backs to me and eyes facing out please,” he said. “Safety first. The same for you and the road, Dwight, if you don’t mind.”

  Dwight gave a firm nod. “Roger that.”

  “There is nothing to worry about, so let’s dispel that right away. The good news is that I ran into a community of solid people defending their homes and fields. Finding good people banding together is very good for us and the country.”

  “So why did we stop?” Liz asked. Vince understood Liz better by now and realized she wasn’t challenging his decisions as some might assume; she was extremely inquisitive.

  “Those people asked that we not travel through their community. They don’t know us and are very wary of strangers.”

  “Couldn’t we pay them, Vince?” Desperation tinged Liz’s words.

  “I considered it. I was in the midst of working that out when I realized they were only scared and wanted to be safe. To be honest, when I saw that, my heart wasn’t in it.”

  “So where does that leave us?” Liz asked. “Won’t we be less safe while we’re respecting their community and safety?”

  “Not at all. One of the men showed me a way around the community on the map. It may add a little to our time getting to French Lick. However, I think it’s fine because of the added safety factor.”

  “What’s the added safety factor?”

  “I’ll know the roads to our right are clear and protected by that farming community. We can move faster with not needing to check a bunch of those side roads,” Vince said, trying to inspire confidence in them. “I wanted you all to stop so I could talk to you in person about my reason for this bypass route I want the drivers to take. Besides, I knew people must need a pee break and a chance to get a bite to eat. I know I did,” he said with a smile meant to relax them.

  << Dave >>

  Dave walked back into the cabin from a short hiking trip in the mountains ringing the South Park Valley. He hadn’t realized how much he had grown used to having the hulking shadow of Levi with him until he hiked alone. He’d hiked alone for so much of his life he didn’t expect to notice the absence as much as he did. In any event, he needed the exercise and the mind clearing that hiking gave him.

  When he was back at the cabin and ready to work with Louis on some details of the company, he received a call from Vince. As unreliable as the phones were lately, it was better than the alternative.

  Dave was relieved to hear that all were safe and headed to French Lick. Vince kept the call brief, not wanting to give away too much information. While perhaps they were being overly cautious, the agreement was to communicate infrequently and keep OPSEC during the calls so nothing would be given away that could allow anyone to use it to hurt them.

  After Vince gave his briefing, Dave began explaining the good news about getting Levi into Kentucky as back up. However, the call was lost before he could get that far. He tried dialing back several times but couldn’t get through.

  << Levi >>

  At about the same time, Levi was trying to call Dave with no success. He, Greg, Cami, and her little dog made the ride from Springfield toward Shelbyville, Kentucky, with no problems and were able to enjoy the trip. As planned, they bypassed Shelbyville and went through Simpsonville, stopping at Greg’s farm to spend the night.

  “No use trying to drive there in the dark and getting someone hurt,” Greg said.

  Levi wanted to protest. He was eager to get to Carrollton yet he understoo
d the wisdom in what Greg said, so he reluctantly agreed.

  “Besides, Vince won’t be traveling in the dark with those girls,” Greg said when he saw the conflict in Levi’s face. “If he’s already made it to Carrollton, they’re safe and you’re not needed. If they haven’t, they’ll soon hunker down as well. We couldn’t get to Carrollton before late in the night under these conditions anyway.”

  Levi nodded. “You’re right.”

  “Now let’s get some food in you.” Greg was once again affable and playful.

  “It’s always about food with you,” Cami chimed in.

  When they got to Greg’s place, it appeared to be nothing more than a gravel path leading into a pasture. After crossing a cattle guard, Levi saw several barns and some cattle. A couple of Greg’s friends were living in an RV horse trailer combo beside the barn and guarding the cattle. The RV had a generator that they ran occasionally for power.

  After turning right at the barn, they went downhill to a large country home with a pond behind it. There were a few cars parked there as well.

  “I have a few family and friends staying with me, both for their safety and to help me guard the herd,” Greg told Levi. “It’s what you might call a win-win.”

  “Makes sense to me.”

  “One of the men is the Shelby County policeman I told you about. He doesn’t stay here much. His in-laws have a similar farm a few miles away. He’s making rounds between these farms and the city, trying to keep order where he can.”

  “We all worry about him a lot. We still have our church meetings,” Cami said, “and we do a special prayer vigil for Jim and some others that we are worried about.”

  << Ellie >>

  Ellie was concerned with how Kate and Malcolm were dealing with everything. She supposed that level of worry was an improvement. Before now, she had been more concerned about surviving to the next day than being concerned about anyone’s feelings. Now that she was more optimistic about basic survival, she had the luxury to worry about how Kate was feeling and how Malcolm was dealing with being outside his element and with her ex-husband being in charge.

  Kate was a survivor. As much as she was missing Chicago and thought her world was crumbling around her, she would heal and move on eventually. Until then, Kate was too good at hiding her inner feelings. Ellie worried that wasn’t good and they could come out later. It was a delicate process getting Kate to share her feelings.

  Ellie moved to the back seat and got some alone time with Kate during the drive. Kate was more willing to open up and talked in the back of the mini-van.

  “I miss normal things,” Kate said. “You know I planned on being a lawyer. I wanted to work and earn the finer things in life and to travel the world. I wanted a nice home, a car, and shopping trips. I wanted a condo in Florida, or even someplace like Saint Martin, and ski trips in Colorado. I like my pedicures and social media and cable TV and smartphones. Mom, if this situation drags on for a long time or changes our lives for good, those things will never come back.”

  “I’m so sorry, honey. I never thought of it from your perspective.”

  “I want to experience the life you and Dad and Grandma and Grandpa did,” Kate said. “I want to go to movies and dances. I want to be able to call a doctor when I don’t feel well. I know I’m being whiny, but I feel so cheated.”

  It was hard for Ellie not to cry for her. Hearing Kate bare her soul made her heart hurt in the way only a mother could understand. Ellie was so angry at her generation for squandering the trust of the country and way of life for their children and grandchildren. This wasn’t the time to tell Kate that life wasn’t always easy or fair. She was right: the previous generation had ruined the sacred trust they should have held for the next. That trust was simply to keep the country’s safety, wealth, and knowledge intact for the future. Any words of wisdom Ellie might have would be lost on Kate. She didn’t need to hear it right now. They just hugged.

  Life could sometimes be mean and had a way of teaching you hard lessons all on its own without pushing it on her right now. Ellie realized that for Kate and those a few years younger than her, this could be the hardest generation on children in a century or more. The worst part of it was that it could have been avoided. Ellie wanted to cry for the things Kate would miss. She thought about the friends Kate lost touch with and didn’t know if they were okay or not. They talked about the uncertainty of whether life would get back to a semblance of what it was before.

  As they were sharing these thoughts, Kate blurted out that there was a boy she was talking to in Chicago. Now she would never know how much he liked her or wanted to date her. Would she ever find a boy to date? Or would she have to be constrained to date the odd boy on the next farm over that was the only boy in her age range? Would it now be like some old fashioned arranged marriage?

  All Ellie could do was hug and hold her tight. Her heart ached for her daughter.

  New Friends

  “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.”

  - Marilyn Monroe

  << Liz >>

  Vince took a moment to sit in the shade and have a bite to eat before getting back on the road. Seeing him relaxing calmed the others a bit. They gathered around to eat as well. He sat in a position where he could observe the road through the trees.

  Liz watched him eat and make small talk. Andy, Dwight, Malcolm, and Junior kept wandering in on short rotations to have a bite to eat, catch up on the conversation, and then drift back to the road or their assigned sector to watch for threats. She didn’t want to intrude on his personal time with his men and family. When it was clear he was done and giving instruction to the men about the new route, she approached him and asked for a few moments of his time.

  While the men were getting the vehicles loaded, she asked Vince, “May I ride with you?” She didn’t use her flirting voice, although she did speak as sweetly as possible. “If it’s as safe as you said, I should be fine riding ahead with you.”

  Liz was used to getting what she wanted. She felt cooped up and claustrophobic with the others. Vince was a man who was self-assured and in charge. She wondered why things hadn’t worked out between him and Ellie. She wanted to could find a smooth way to work the conversation around to that.

  “You’re not trained in how to handle yourself in this circumstance,” Vince tried to argue when Liz asked if she could ride with him. “I would spend more time trying to take care of you than doing my job.”

  “You don’t have to worry about me,” Liz countered. “Besides, you said this was a fairly safe stretch, didn’t you?”

  “You’re a famous movie star. People would kill me if I let you get hurt. You have a guard whose job it is to protect you. I definitely don’t need both of you riding up here on point.”

  “I’m not much safer back there with the group,” Liz argued. “It’s true that there are more guns back there, but there are more people to protect too. Furthermore, we’re a more noticeable target with three vehicles that are so obviously well-guarded back there.”

  Vince prided himself on being a man of details and focus and always kept in mind General Colin Powell’s words: “Never neglect details. When everyone’s mind is dulled or distracted the leader must be doubly vigilant.” Also, he still couldn’t shake the feeling they were being watched. He had learned during his time in Iraq and Afghanistan not to ignore those feelings.

  Vince didn’t want the distraction, and although Liz was definitely a distraction, he was forced to admit she made a good argument. He wanted to get on the road, and she was persistent. Part of him enjoyed the thought of a lady who was so beautiful and sought after riding in his shotgun seat.

  “Okay,” he relented. “But you have to follow my directions.”

  “Yes!” Liz flashed her smile that melted the resolve of men around the world.

  “I mean it,” Vince said. “Once you get in that truck, if I say something or give an instruction, there can be no argument. You ca
n’t even hesitate. If you do, you endanger me and this mission and that means my family. I won’t risk them. You’ll go back to the other truck, even if I have to make you walk.”

  Liz’s countenance changed and immediately became more serious. “I promise. I won’t be any trouble, and I’ll do whatever you say.”

  Had Vince not turned away for a moment, he would have seen a mischievous smile sneak across her face. This would be fun, despite all the death and chaos they’d been through.

  As Liz reached for the door handle of the truck, Vince asked, “Are you armed?”

  “Yes.” Liz showed him the revolver, still fully loaded since the raid on Ellie and Malcolm’s home.

  “This is not a joy ride,” Vince said sternly. “You need to be armed and ready to use that. Only not in the truck and not until I tell you. It’s possible a situation could seem like the time for a gun and not be, so don’t do anything until I tell you. Shooting is always a last resort. It’s an act you can’t undo. If you choose poorly, it only makes things worse.”

  “I promise,” Liz said somberly. She didn’t want to shoot anyone. After Chicago, she wasn’t sure she could. While she had a burning desire to not be a victim like Jennifer had been on the trek through Chicago, neither did she want to be the cause of that happening to anyone else through her inaction. She was happy Vince was in charge and she wouldn’t have to make those decisions on her own.