Dark Days Rough Roads (51 page)

Brad
walked over to Jerry. “Man, I thought I knew you, Jerry. I had no idea you
could do this.”

“Do what?”
Jerry asked, “Try and survive. Try to live through this shit?”

“No,”
said Brad, “turn on your community, steal from them, kill innocent people.”

“Don’t
pretend you would do anything different Brad.”

“I did
Jerry, I’m doing what’s right,” he said. Brad walked away and called Rob.

Rob told
Brad that two vehicles were still out there. He wasn’t sure how many people
were in them. A Jeep and a Bronco. Everyone was looking out for them. Rob
thought the ambush was going to end it all, but the lack of training and the
speed at which they had to prepare had made it hard to control the inbound
militia convoy.

Rob
called a few guys together and they met at the police station. Brad was there
as well. Let’s set up shop here. I don’t think the police will be back any time
soon. We can watch the prisoners then too. Let’s see about getting a duty
roster together and see about heating the place somehow. Brad said he would
handle it. Rob went back to help try in tracking down the remaining two
vehicles.

When Rob
had returned another man came up to him. “Hey Rob, we found the Bronco. It was
empty, and it had two flats. Looks like whoever was in it made a run for it.”
Rob told him to let the guys watching the airport know to be on alert in case
the people tried to sneak in there. No telling what they would try in order to
get back into the compound.

As
morning was approaching nothing else had happened. They never found the Jeep or
the people inside. Everyone was tired and Rob and Brad sat down and wrote down
some notes. They would post four people here around the clock for now. Everyone
would take turns. He went through the militia gear they had captured and
distributed it. They would be getting the vehicles repaired and use those as
well. Rob called Haliday on the radio.

“Roger,
how did you make out over there?”

“Hi Rob,
we did all right. We have some injured, nothing major, but we’ll need that
nurse or preferably a doctor if you have one. I’m surprised we didn’t lose
anyone. We came close, that’s for sure. Our neighbor across the road is no
longer with us. Weird circumstances, I’ll have to tell you about it later. How
about you guys?”

“We lost
a couple, some injuries here too, but that was expected. We have a couple of
prisoners but we aren’t going to turn them over, not sure what we’re going to
do with them. We injured a few and killed a few, but they managed to get into
the compound for the most part. We picked up some vehicles and guns too. I’ll
give you a call later today. I have a bunch of questions for ya.”

“Ok, Rob,
talk to you later.” Haliday had a feeling that it wasn’t over yet.

Haliday
walked over to Mark. “Mark, I want you to go in the house and get some sleep
for a few hours. One of us will have to be up at all times for a little while
here. I don’t expect any trouble any time soon, but we can’t stop now. We need
to see it through until we know for sure we’re good to go.” Mark went inside
and went to sleep next to Lisa.

After a
few hours of sleep, Mark got up and grabbed some coffee. He checked on everyone
in the house before he went outside. Haliday was still out there keeping an eye
on things and making the rounds. Mark approached him. “What do you think,
Roger?”

“Let’s
pull everyone off except for the security detail. One in the crow’s nest and
two outside. Everyone else needs sleep, rotate them through.”

Mark took
over and Haliday went in to get some sleep. Mark started getting everyone
inside and everything in order. He extended his patrol to cover as much of the
surrounding area as he dared. He was amazed at what he saw. The militia bodies
left in place, blood sprayed all over the place. It wasn’t that he had never
experienced this before, it was the fact that it was here on U.S. soil, Americans against Americans.

Haliday
woke up, grabbed his gear, grabbed a coffee and went outside. Mark was standing
there. “Good thing it’s quiet,” Mark said.

“Ya,
that’s for sure,” Roger replied. “You take a look around at all Mark?”

Mark
said, “I sure did, let’s take a ride, I’ll show you.” They climbed into the
ranger and took off. An hour later they pulled up by the house. Haliday was
sickened much like Mark was and for the same reason.

They
walked back in the house. Breakfast was being cooked. It smelled good.
Scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, oatmeal and hash browns. Orange juice, coffee,
tea, cocoa and it was a hell of a meal. There was plenty to go around and
everyone ate more than they had in weeks. It was well deserved. Dinner would be
a feast as well.

“Ok
everyone,” Roger said. “I need three volunteers. Kevin, Randy, Blake, let’s go”
said Roger. “Everyone grab your gear, everyone in the ranger.” They all went
across the street to the neighbors. Haliday cleared the house and then went and
cleared the barn. There was an older Kubota in there. He went over and luckily
it started. He drove it out and over to the back of the yard. There was the
tree with the tree house. Dull faded pink paint peeling off.

“You guys
go grab all of the bigger rocks that you can. Load them in the back of the
ranger, keep bringing them until I say stop. You’ll find plenty along the creek
bed.” They took off and Haliday used the small back hoe and dug a large square
pit about four feet deep. While he was digging the rock pile had grown large
enough and he told them to stop.

Next he
went to the house. You guys grab the two in the living room, I’ll grab the
other. He looked through the closets and grabbed a bunch of sheets and
blankets. Wrap them up in these he said. He went into the bedroom. The young
girl was lying there, tucked in bed like she was sleeping. Haliday wrapped her
blankets around her and took her outside. “You need a hand, Uncle Roger?”

Roger
answered, “No, I got this. I promised him.”

He placed
them all into the pit with the daughter in the middle, they were all wrapped
up. He covered them up with dirt and tamped it down gently. They used the rocks
and formed a crude large cross formation over the grave. Haliday wasn’t overly
religious, but he looked down at the grave and spoke.

“Lord, we
have forgiven them for their sins and we ask that you forgive them for their
sins and take them into your kingdom. They were lost, but we pray in the end
that they found you in their hearts and souls. May they rest in peace. Amen.”
He couldn’t leave without at least a few simple words.

Next they
dragged out the couch, chair and mattress and set them on fire. No sense in
having it sit there and become a contaminant. They walked out and he locked the
house behind them. They went back to their own house and everyone showered up.
“Get some more rest guys and thank you.”

Haliday
walked over to the radio and spoke to Rob, “Anything new over at the compound
Rob?”

Rob told
him that there wasn’t anything going on that anyone could really see. “Just
some normal activity and some security patrols. They had placed some
emplacements around the back of the buildings instead of trying to secure the
south part of the complex. That was about it. I did see them take food to the
prisoners too. I tried to call the militia, but they did not answer.”

“We do
have a nurse and a doctor who are going to come by to see you guys shortly. I
can bring them if you give me an address.”

Roger
answered, “I’d rather meet you guys close by than give my address over the
air.” They set up a time and a spot to meet. It would just be about an hour so
Haliday got ready. He took Mark and Randy in case there might be problems.

They met
at an intersection close by and then went to Haliday’s. The doctor and nurse
got busy checking everyone out. Mark and Roger sat with Rob, who had brought
Brad along as well. They talked briefly about what had transpired, but not too
much in detail. Haliday said they went through and grabbed the equipment and
firearms off the militia’s dead.

“What did
you do with the bodies?” Brad asked him.

“Brad, I
didn’t do anything yet. But I’ll tell what we are going to do. You are going to
get your prisoners, and one of the pickups. Bring them back here and make them
pick up each body. You guys know where the sheriff lived by chance?” Brad said
he had the address at his shop on some of the FFL paperwork.

Roger
looked at him. “Make those people bury their dead. Use the sheriff’s front
yard. That’s going to send a hell of a message to those people. Any idea on
whether or not he made it?” Neither Brad or Rob knew. “Well, either way it’ll
be a reminder for them. The sooner the better. I’ll have the guys wrap them in
plastic, try and keep the animals from dining on them.”

Brad and
Rob exchanged glances a few times. Roger noticed this. “What gives guys? What
do you have on your mind?”

Rob
spoke, “Roger, we are at a crossroads here and don’t know what direction to
take. We need some help trying to figure this out. We need some suggestions.”

“Ok, I’ll
give you a few, Mark here can offer some as well.”

They
spoke for about two hours and wrapped up when the doctor and nurse finished.
Haliday walked them out to their vehicle. The doctor filled them in on what was
going on and told them he left directions with the folks in the house. Randy
and Kevin came walking up with two of Haliday’s welfare buckets. He handed one
to the nurse and one to the doctor. Roger said, “Here’s payment. I can’t thank
you guys enough.”

“With
that being said, this is why I keep telling you guys that you need to get into
that compound. You need those supplies for everyone. You all need to work
together. Now you guys get going. Keep me up to speed and I’ll be talking to
you later. Don’t forget about the bodies. The sooner the better.”

Rob said,
“They’ll come get them before it gets too dark out.”

“No, wait
until morning.”

Dawn went
and brought the horses back. She found them in the neighbor’s barn, which was a
cinderblock built barn, but it looked like they hadn’t had horses in quite some
time. Seems they didn’t want anything to do with the battle. Romeo and Max were
still afraid to come upstairs. The kids were kept in the house; they didn’t
need to see any of the bodies. The day was about over now.

Dinner
was cooking and Haliday went back over to the radio. He started writing down some
more notes on what he heard. He even asked for other frequencies so he could
gather more information. Any frequency he was on he would listen for specific
information or he would ask a few questions. He had quite a note pile going on
now. Still no word on any government activity.

They sat
down for dinner and enjoyed the meal. They had some meatloaf that Bev had
canned, canned corn, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn bread muffins and pudding for
dessert. Haliday even told a few corny jokes to lighten the mood. “Blake, you
ever look in the sky and see a flock of geese in their ‘V’ formation?”

“Ya,”
Blake said.

“You ever
notice how one side of the V is always longer than the other?”

“Ya,”
Blake said again.

“You know
why that is?”

“No, I
don’t,” Blake answered.

Roger
looked at him, “It’s because it has more geese in it.”

Blake
rolled his eyes and said, “It’s going to be a long night.”

Rich
called Roger over to the radio, “Go get ma’,” he said, “hurry up.” Roger went
and got Bev and they both went over to the radio. Susan down in Texas had managed to find a ham and finally got through to them. They were doing fine she
said, they caught up briefly and said they would keep in touch. This was great
news. Now they need to find out about Greg in Missouri.

Now the
one thing Haliday had noted and now confirmed was that the lower part of Texas was more functional than the rest of the country, they even had power in some of the
southernmost areas. He had heard the same about California, Arizona and New Mexico. That’s what really struck him as odd.

The next
few days were extremely uneventful. The prisoners, while under guard, had
picked up the bodies and taken them away. The group cleaned up the area the
best they could and replaced the glass in the windows with Plexiglas that Roger
had stocked. Easier to cut and handle than glass was. They plugged all of the
holes in the sides and roof of the cabin and checked for leaks. It was pretty
much all back in order now.

Haliday
had extra shingles, putty, Plexiglas, screws, nails, insulation, wood boards,
piping and all sorts of building materials to maintain the cabin. This was all
kept in the storage building and pole barn. They would be able to fix
practically anything that had broken or became damaged.

Haliday
accessed his underground Faraday cage. This thing was quite different. It was a
beast as far as a Faraday cage was concerned. The effort put into it was
extreme in nature. If it worked, great. If not, he had a big tub of modern
antiques. He borrowed the back hoe from the neighbors. He felt odd using it,
but he would pay whoever laid claim to their property if family ever happened
to show up.