Back at the farm, I got busy on our garden. We expanded it to be several acres in size and planted more vegetables than I could even imagine. I hoped we would have a good crop, as the veggies we put up last fall were close to being used up. I enjoyed working in the garden. For me, it was therapy. The garden has always been a place of refuge for me; a place I can come to be alone with my thoughts and work problems out in my mind. I had so many things on my mind right now that I really needed to be out digging in the dirt. First, I was worried about Gabby. Her blood pressure continued to be very variable- sometimes soaring high and other times being almost normal. James and Lionel were watching her very closely. Neither one wanted to have to do a Cesarean Section in our primitive medical conditions, so they were trying to ease her to her due date and hope for a natural delivery. I was also worried about the people going to the sub-division. Lynn and Top were planning to move tomorrow. I knew we would all miss both of them very much, and I was worried for Lynn’s safety at the school. I was really surprised at the transformation in Lynn since her brother died. She had been a very quiet, passive type of person, always willing to help but rarely initiating projects. All of a sudden, she is bound and determined to help with the sub-division restoration and has been working on plans with Top of things to be done to improve and maintain living conditions there. I hoped they would be able to grow enough food to support all of them, because we could not continue to send food to them if we wanted to keep all of us fed.
Thinking about food made me think of our own fields. Andrew and his farmers-in-training had planted many acres in corn, wheat, hay, and oats. I was praying that the crops did well. We needed the wheat if we wanted to continue to have bread products.
I was also worried about food. Janet, Gabby, and Maria had done an amazing job keeping all of us fed through the winter. I knew they were using strict portion control and rationing, but the way they did it, we really didn’t notice. The extra food from Carter when they arrived was a Godsend, especially since we were now feeding his troops as well as all of us, but I knew it would not last forever. Last time I was in the basement storage room and root cellar, I could tell our supplies levels were dropping. We had to get those shelves filled back up or it would be a lean winter. I guess this is how the pioneers felt. All thoughts during the spring and summer were focused on getting enough food grown so we could spend all fall putting it up for winter. Then we could spend the winter planning out what to grow when spring got here again.
The kids were also on my mind. We suspended our schooling for a few days after Red’s funeral, and it was hard getting all the kids to re-engage in education. We needed to keep going, though, because we would have to suspend school again when it was time to harvest and put up all of our crops.
I was in the midst of my reverie when a voice calling my name brought me back to reality. I turned and saw Anita. She looked pale, and more than a bit nervous as she approached.
“Denise, may I have a word with you please?”
“Of course,” I answered. What now, I thought.
“I came to apologize for my behavior last week. I don’t know what came over me to act like that.” She began to cry. “I am mortified that I spoke to you and Maureen that way. Honestly, I don’t even remember all the nasty things I said, but some of the other wives told me. I don’t know what happened. It’s like the world around me just…broke or something. It seemed like my whole world was falling in and everything we had ever dreamed about having was fading away. I really am not like the person I was being. I think that I was just so depressed at everything we lost that I became someone I did not know – and don’t want to know. Thank heavens Dr. James started me on medication. For the first time in a long time, I am feeling more normal, more human, more like me. I am also spending time talking with Father Dan, and he is helping me understand how to cope with our new reality. Will you please forgive me for being such a monster?”
I smiled tiredly at Anita. “Of course. I understand that people react differently to pressure, and God knows we have been under constant pressure since all of this started. You are not a monster, just a very overwhelmed young woman.”
“Thank you.” She hesitated. “I was wondering. . . could I help in the garden as my usual chore? I mean, I know it is your special area, but I have always enjoyed gardening and am pretty good at it. I think if I could have a routine job instead of just signing up for stuff here and there, I would do better. Could I? I don’t want to intrude or anything. . .”
I started laughing. “Yes, I would be happy to have you help in the garden. I do like to come out here and think, but it would be nice to have company while I am working.” Anita gave a long sigh and visibly relaxed.
“Oh, thank you. I’m going to run back to my room and grab my hat and gloves, and then if you could show me what you want me to do, I’ll get busy.”
“Take your time. I’ll be here for a few more hours, I expect.” When Anita came back, I spent time showing her our new way of gardening. Not only did we need to pull the weeds, but we needed to check each plant for bugs that could harm the tender seedlings. Bugs were dropped into a bucket with a lid, and later, we would feed those bugs to the chickens. It was tedious, but we couldn’t just run down to the garden center for insecticide any more. I was pleased to see Anita industriously working her rows and not even flinching when she had to pick bugs. I was also glad to hear Father Dan was still counselling her. Perhaps she would be able to make it through this disaster after all.
Later that evening after dinner, we had an informal party for Top and Lynn, who were moving to the sub-division in the morning. We were all so happy that Lynn was coping with the loss of her brother, and we knew Top had a lot to do with her positive spirits. I was chatting with Tom and Patty when I heard someone tapping silverware against a glass. I looked up to see Top and Lynn standing in front of the room. Top cleared his throat as the room got quiet.
“Lynn and I wanted to thank all of you for this wonderful send-off, but also for the way you welcomed both of us into your home, your lives, and your hearts. I know we are only moving thirty miles away, but nowadays, that is quite a distance. We want you to know that you all will be in our thoughts daily. We also have an announcement to make. Lynn, will you do the honors?”
Lynn held her hand up in front of her. “We wanted to let you know that we got married this afternoon. Father Dan did the ceremony, and Amy, Kiara, and Lionel were our witnesses.” The room burst into applause and cheers. Everyone called out to congratulate the happy couple. As the room settled down again, Lynn continued, “We did not want to have a big wedding. For one thing, it is too soon after Red’s passing, but we especially did not want to cause any extra work for anyone and we knew how crazy busy everyone is these days. We knew we would be celebrating tonight, so we saved the fun for now.”
People continued to congratulate Top and Lynn and then drifted back into other conversations. After a while, the conversation around Top turned to the militia he would be recruiting and training. Several people asked if recruits needed to have any special qualifications. Top thought for a second and then said, “Well, it would probably be helpful if they had weapons and knew how to use them. They’ll need to be in decent physical condition to start, and above all they will need to have a strong desire to see this country returned to what the Founders intended it to be.”
Jeff, Sue, and Jer were listening intently. Jeff called out, “Hey Top, we want to be your first recruits.” The three stood up, and the room burst out in objections.
“You are just kids, you’re not old enough to be militia,” someone yelled. People yelled their agreement.
Lisa stood up and said, “Jer, you are only 17. That is too young to run off and play soldier.”
Jer looked at his mother, and said, “Mom, I was only 16 when the raiders came, and I manned a foxhole and shot them. I’m not a kid any more. Neither is Jeff or Sue. We’ve been though things many adults could not handle and seen things many ad
ults could not imagine. I think you would all agree that we are mature for our ages, thanks to our current situation. We have a strong desire to be a part of the solution to this mess. We three have all been though weapons training, and we know this area. A date on the calendar doesn’t matter: our ability to take orders and do what we are told is what counts. Top, where do we sign up?”
Top looked uncomfortable. He knew the kids had a point, but they were still, in his mind, kids. Suddenly, he had a thought. “You three make excellent points, and it fits in with something I’ve had in my mind for a while. I would like to start a militia here on the farm to train people to protect this area. You three would make the perfect start to that. The militia in town would be to fight alongside the troops wherever the troops may go. We never know if Carter or Mark will be forced to pull some of the troops from here to support troops somewhere else. Having a trained militia on the farm would mean you would not be left defenseless in the event the fighting comes closer to here. Lisa, I understand your concerns about your son and others who may be interested in participating, but truly, these kids are far more mature than many of the troops I’ve trained over the years. Do you have any objections to them being part of a farm defense force?”
The kids were beaming, and Lisa slowly answered, “I suppose that would be okay, but only if you train them and give them the equipment they need to keep them safe.”
Top smiled, and told the three teens, “Congratulations, you will be my first three corporals in the Langston Farm Defense Force. I’ll be back in a few days to swear you in and get your training started.” The three teens cheered and gave each other high fives, while several of the others present shouted that they wanted to be members, too. “Top turned to the crowd and said that anyone who was interested in being a part of the Defense Force should be at the meeting in three days when he returned. While some people looked concerned, most people were pleased with the solution Top found, and rejoined their conversations. After a while, people began drifting out to head to bed or to various duties. Finally, the only people left in the dining hall were Top, Lynn, Marcie, Frank, Tom and me. I thanked Top for being sensitive to the kids and understanding that they needed to feel like they were doing their fair share. I asked Top if he thought there was a chance the troops from here would be pulled away.
“They won’t take all of them, but they may need some. There is a lot of fighting going on in northern Virginia right now. So far, the Ranger squads and the local militias seem to be holding Homeland forces back, but we’re worried if Homeland breaks through that we’ll need to send more troops that way. Carter sent a company of rangers up to southern Virginia this morning to try to get the locals interested in protecting themselves.”
“Are the UN forces fighting with Homeland?” I asked.
“Not that we’ve seen. It seems they are staying in the big cities and taking care of things like soup kitchens, shelters, and law enforcement duties. We’ve not had a single report of UN troops involved in fighting here. Now, in California, it seems there is really no fighting, and the UN troops there who are mostly Chinese seem to be right at home.”
“Well, I guess it’s good that there’s no fighting, but I’m not happy to have foreign troops in this country,” Tom observed. Top laughed.
“I don’t think anyone around here is happy about that, but as long as they are sticking to California and there is no fighting, we’re not going to waste any time worrying about them. I know that Arizona, Nevada, and Oregon have troops on the border to be sure they stay in California.” I just shook my head. Who would have ever dreamed we’d be worried about Chinese troops in America? I was happy, though, that the UN troops seemed to be performing support functions rather than fighting against Americans.
Frank frowned and asked, “How will your farm defense force impact our security here? I mean, we’ve already got security patrolling to make sure we have no trespassers. What will be different with the defense force?”
“That is a good point. The way I see it, we can do one of two things. First, we can keep security the way it is. Then, if there are trespassers or s severe threat to the farm, you can call on the defense force to provide the protection. The other thing we can do is combine the two groups. Make you the Captain of the Guard, so to speak, and train all of your security staff as well as the new recruits to be able to perform combat operations as well as security. I think that is the better idea, as it makes all of both forces able to do whatever is needed.” Top paused for a moment. “I think you all need to be trained more in use of some of the larger weapons – grenades, machine guns, maybe even some air defense capabilities. The more people trained, the better. What do you think?”
Frank smiled. “I like your thinking. I was afraid you would be pulling from our security force, but in fact, you would be increasing it and making us a lot more capable than what we are right now. And, if you combine our capability to use electronic surveillance with an improved means to fight any of the bad guys that might come this way, we stand a lot better chance of surviving. Maybe we could do some joint work with the new Militia in Whispering Willows, too, teaching them some of the security techniques that have been successful for us. That way, if one or the other of us is attacked, we can help each other, and we’ll already know how to work together. I like it.” Frank nodded his approval to the idea. “I need to go talk to Bill, and then we’ll meet with you in three days when you come back.”
Top and Frank shook hands. The rest of us gathered up our things and we all said goodnight. Tomorrow morning would be here before we knew it.
CHAPTER TWELVE
It only took two days for the Air Force to get the control tower up and running. With the help of two massive generators, power was restored, and additional radar units were deployed. The Marine combat engineers went to town just hours after arriving and found the heavy equipment they needed to fix the runways. It took some work to get the equipment running, but the Marines did not let anything stand in their way. By the end of their first week in Riverdale, the existing runway had been extended to allow larger planes and fighter planes to land. They also expanded the shorter runway to allow for more helicopter parking. The non-functional planes that had been just pushed out of the hangers were dragged to a more distant area of the airport so they would not be in the way. If they couldn’t eventually get them running, the plane carcasses would be taken apart for parts.
With radar working again, everyone slept a little better, knowing that they would not be surprised in the middle of the night by enemy planes roaring overhead. At least they would have some warning. With generator power, they were also able to set up sirens so that if danger was spotted, the people living on the base would have some warning.
Once all of the runways were clear and ready for business, General McPherson put the Marines to work building anti-aircraft emplacements. That took the better part of two days, but when they were done, Fort Riverdale was well protected. Finally, he had the Marines build several large shelters. He didn’t think Homeland would nuke them, but he did not want to take a chance, especially with so many people in the area.
Lynn and Top quickly settled into the routines at the school in Whispering Willows. Lynn spent her days working with the other residents of the subdivision cleaning empty houses and getting them ready for new occupants. All of the families that had been living at the school were now settled into homes on the block next to the school, and there were two empty houses on that street. They were almost done with the eight houses on the next block, only three of which needed any repairs. Lynn and Top decided to remain in the school until a lot more families were settled.
After three days, Top went back to Langston Farms to begin training the Farm Militia. He was surprised that so many people showed up to join. Everyone he asked, though, told him that it was because they wanted to learn how to defend the farm. They were almost all excellent marksmen, but they needed to learn tactical movements in order to fight cohesively. Top started
out quizzing them on cover and concealment. He would point to an object or a terrain feature and ask which it was. He pointed to a thicket of blackberries and asked Jeff if it was cover or concealment. Jeff quickly replied, “it is concealment because blackberries don’t stop bullets.”
He then pointed to a large boulder and called on Chris. Chris correctly identified it as cover, since boulders can stop bullets. He tried to trick Zoe by pointing to an old car. She had the right answer, though. “It is mostly concealment, because bullets can pass through the body. But, if you can get behind the engine block, it might be cover if the engine is thick enough to stop bullets.”
Once everyone was clear on cover and concealment, Top started showing them how to walk in the woods without making noise. He showed them how to place their feet so that toes hit the ground first, and then the rest of the foot came down gently to avoid breaking leaves or twigs that could crackle or crunch. After a few hours, almost everyone was able to move through the forest without making a lot of noise.
Top left everyone with homework. He would be back in three days and would test everyone on walking in the woods carrying a rifle and pack to see who could make it through without making a lot of noise. Everyone got into the spirit of the training and vowed to practice until they got it right. Top reminded them that the ability to sneak up on the enemy hiding in the woods would be a valuable defensive tool.
Tom and I tried to get to Whispering Willows every few days to help where we could, and mostly so that the people there knew they were not alone in their struggle to get the community back together. We went the day after Top started his training and found a new guard shack at the main gate. It was not large, maybe ten feet square, but it had windows on all sides and a small wood stove. The two guards showed us how nice it was that they could still guard the gate, but they could be out of most of the cold and bad weather.
Premonitions: Book 2: War Page 12
