Project Terminus (3 page)

Addressing the entire group, he said, “We need to survive without outside help of any kind for a minimum of five years.”

Turning to Randal and Bill, he said, “Here’s an armaments and high tech list. Feel free to substitute or change it, you both know what we’ll need. Ensure we have enough DRASH tents to sleep thirteen people, and for storage, mess, medical, etcetera.”

Handing a list to Conner, he said, “Research a high capacity, hybrid Wind-Solar powered system. Select two heavy-duty 4-wheelers, and get together a list of tools and related supplies. Include maintenance, back-up parts, and back-up systems.

“Sean, you work on what we need to maintain a hydroponics farm. We’ll want to feed thirteen people indefinitely. Oh, and Randal, before I forget, add hydroponics to the tent list.”

Handing a list to Maggie and Becky, who was a brand new RN, he said, “Ladies, you have medical and toiletries. Start with the basics, then prepare a more advanced list.

“Chris, you and I will work on survival supplies, food, clothing, camp supplies, etcetera.”

Turning to Jody he said, “You’ll be responsible for the schooling of April and Adam. Make a list of textbooks and every item you’ll need to educate them for at least five years. You’re also going to be our musical expert.”

“And last, but by no means least, Carol, you have dental supplies and recreation of all types.” 

Addressing the entire group again, he said, “This is just a starter list. Once we purchase the land, we’ll update. It’s possible our e-mails and cell phone calls are not secure. Keep that in mind if you have to communicate with each other—keep it short, sweet, and purposefully vague. And, of course, don’t share what you’re doing with anyone outside of our group. Since this is a project, I’ve given it a name.
Project Terminus
, which basically means to plan for the end.”

Three days after Christmas, everyone returned to their respective homes, and Maggie and Wade sat on the lanai enjoying margaritas. The moon was full, the crickets were chirping, and the horrendous summer humidity was AWOL.

Maggie was staring into the night sky when Wade said, “What is it, Maggie?”

She sighed. “Wade, I know you’re right. I know something bad is coming, but it just seems so unbelievable right now. I mean, look how tranquil and peaceful it is.”

Wade wrestled with that demon every day. When viewed through the prism of a peaceful morning or a beautiful evening, it was always difficult to acknowledge the dangers lurking in plain sight.

“Maggie, I understand what you’re feeling. I feel it every day. And every day I question myself. Then I look at you and Adam, or I break out the dot chart, and my uncertainty dissipates immediately. Nothing like what we’re preparing for has ever happened in the United States. People simply can’t conceive a collapse could occur. It never has. Therefore, it never will. It’s called the Normalcy Bias. Put another way, most people aren’t willing to deal with the possibility the country could collapse, so they refuse to accept the possibility even exists.”

Lost in thought, Maggie didn’t respond. Sensing her conflicting emotions, he took her hand and looked into her eyes. “Maggie, you know I’m madly in love with you, and I intend to spend the rest of my life with you. I would never do anything that would hurt you, or complicate your life unnecessarily.”

“Oh, Wade, I do know that. You prove it to me every day. And you have to know that I love you more than life itself, and I trust you implicitly. You’ve filled my world with magic, and I can’t begin to imagine a life without you.”

They held each other in a silent, prolonged embrace until Maggie broke the silence. “Wade…someone’s hand is on my ass.”

“Well, whoever he is, he has good taste.”

Pulling away, with a suggestive smile, she led Wade into their bedroom.

Six days later on New Year’s Eve, Bill and Linda joined Wade, Maggie, and Adam to watch the ball drop. Bill started on the bubbly early and was getting loud, so Wade took him out to the lanai so Adam wouldn’t learn any new words.

Kicked back in the lounger, Bill asked, “Did you ever notice how everything bad that’s happening is put on hold over weekends and holidays?”

Wade replied, “Yeah, I have.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“I don’t know why, Bill, but I’m not gonna waste my time wondering about it.”

Bill stared at Wade, then said, “You know why I think it is?”

With a knowing grin, Wade said, “I’m sure you’re gonna tell me.”

“Damned right I am,” muttered Bill. “It’s because those pricks in DC are doin’ this shit intentionally. Every one of ’em should be tried for treason and shot. They’re a bunch of worthless whores.”

Wade laughed. “I can’t argue your point, but do me a favor, and at least for tonight, can we dispense with any discussion about the morons in DC?”

Bill was silent for a moment, then exhaled heavily and said, “You’re right, Wade. Sorry, man.”

“No apology necessary, Mister Scarlett. Let’s go watch the ball drop.”

*****

New Year’s Day was in the books. On Thursday, January 3
rd
, Linda called Wade.

“I’ve found five properties that come very close to our parameters, and one of them sounds absolutely perfect. But it’s expensive.”

“I’ll be right over, Lin. Has Bill looked at them?”

“Yes, he has. And he’s excited.”

In less than five minutes, Wade was sipping the coffee Bill had thrust into his hand. “Come on, man, you’re gonna love this one,” and grinning, he led Wade to the Florida Room where Linda sat in front of an open laptop.

“Show him the first four, Lin.”

The first four properties ranged in size from eighty-three to one hundred twenty-eight acres, and while they were all possibilities, Wade could see Bill was dying to show him the piece de resistance. “Okay, Bill, wipe that shit eatin’ grin off your face and show me the one you guys are so excited about.”

Linda made a big production of clicking on the fifth property. “Voila!”

Voila, hit the nail on the head. Two hundred eighty-three acres located twenty-three miles from Robbinsville sat in a wide valley nestled between two mountains, with a river on the east side of the valley. It also contained numerous creeks, peaks to 4200 feet, and bordered National Forest Service land on three sides. The only access was on the south side via a road maintained by the National Forest Service. The price was $1,971,000. Bill pulled up a minimized page and a sat-map from the USGS sprang into view. 

“Wow!” exclaimed Wade. “Now I see why you’re wearing that grin, old buddy. This one is definitely worth a look. Have you been in touch with the listing agency, Lin?”

“No. I’ve been waiting to see if you wanted to set up a showing.”

“Yeah, we definitely want to look at this one. Set it up ASAP.”

Two days later, Wade and Bill arrived in Robbinsville. The realtor, Connie Atkins, told them they were welcome to spend as much time as they needed to check out the property, and handing Wade a plat map, she said, “Come on, I’ll take you as far as the forest service road.”

The service road turned out to be little more than a goat path. Wade said he would contact her when they finished, then headed into the wilderness with Bill.

Before they’d left home, Wade downloaded area maps into his GPS. They were on the east side of the valley floor about a mile in from the forest service road, walking along the riverbank, when Wade stopped and stared at the mountain to the west.

With a confused look on his face, he said, “Look at that, Bill. There’s something odd about that area. Right there…about a quarter of the way up that peak.”

Fixing his gaze where Wade was pointing, Bill viewed the area through his binoculars and after a minute said, “Yeah, you’re right. That’s…I don’t know what the hell that is. It’s subtle, but there’s definitely something different about it. Pull it up on the GPS.”

Wade did so, but neither the topographical map nor the satellite imagery showed anything unique. The area in question turned out to be a 150’ long plateau, about 100’ deep, roughly 250’ above the valley floor; a huge overhang from the mountainside above covered and protected three quarters of the plateau. It looked like a giant hand cut a wedge out of the side of the mountain. The plateau itself was sparsely covered with brush, but there were mature trees at the edge. It was the anomaly of the indentation and the slight difference in the angle of the tree growth between the mountain and the plateau that had caught Wade’s eye.

They explored the plateau for an hour and discovered a cave with a vertical shaft coming out on top of the mountain. The cave was the clincher. It was perfect. That evening, sitting on the edge of the plateau, they admired the opposing mountains painted in hazy gold and watched the sun make its exit.

Bill mused, “You know, Wade, if it was possible to design a survival spot, I couldn’t come up with a more perfect layout. Plus, this place is absolutely beautiful.”

Wade grinned. “I agree. It’s hard to see with no foliage. It’ll be almost invisible when there’re leaves on the trees. The god’s have smiled on us. Let’s bivy here for the night and check the surrounding area tomorrow, then let’s go buy this sucker.”

When they entered the realty office two days later, Connie was all smiles.

“Hi,” she said. “How did it go?”

Wade told her the property met their criteria and asked for information on its history.

Reaching into her briefcase, she pulled out a sheet of paper. “I was pretty sure you’d like it—it’s definitely a great property—so I did some research for you. The land has been in one family for three generations. The owners are getting on in years, and since they have no heirs, they’ve decided to sell it. As you know, they want one point nine million for it, but I’m pretty sure they’ll accept any reasonable offer.”

Wade told her to write an offer for 1.5 million dollars, and wrote a check for $50,000 dollars earnest money. “How long before you can get an accepted offer?”

Connie grinned. “Well, fortunately, the owners live just up the road. With any luck, I may have an accepted offer, or at least a counter offer, within hours. Why don’t you guys go have lunch and I’ll go see them. I’ll call when I have an answer.”

Two hours later, she informed Wade he was now the proud owner of 283 acres of prime Western North Carolina real estate. Wade immediately called his bank and started the financing process, then texted Randal and Chris.
Dirt’s in the house.

At the beginning of February, the group snail-mailed him progress reports on their lists. Linda had completed her assignment and was bored, so she asked Wade what she could do to help out.

“Lin, I guarantee you we’ll welcome fresh milk, eggs, and meat. Why don’t you start researching the best goats, chickens—don’t forget a rooster—and rabbits, to keep in a survival situation? And since you love to cook, it’d be a good idea for you to learn how to bake and cook on a woodstove and over an open fire.”

Linda was thrilled with her new assignment, and beaming as she headed to the Internet to start her search.

Watching her hurry and pick up her laptop, Bill grinned. “God, Wade, she is so easy to please.”

Laughing, Wade said, “That’s a fact, pal. After all, she married you.”

Bill laughed. “True.”

On the Friday after closing, the entire group met in Robbinsville and went to the site. With a visual of what they were working with, they updated their to-do lists. That night, sitting around a crackling campfire, Sean suggested they give the site a name rather than just call it “the site” or “the land.”

Jody agreed. “A name makes it personal. Since we’re calling our preparations Project Terminus, why don’t we call this Fort Terminus?”

“I like that,” said Chris.

So did everyone else, and the area became known as Fort Terminus, or as Adam suggested, “Fort-T, for short.”

The following day, Wade went over the next step while Linda served campfire scrambled eggs, bacon, and coffee. “We’re not going to buy supplies in town, and we will
not
, under any circumstances, use local businesses for anything we need. You all know why. We have to be able to do everything that needs to be done ourselves. And the first order of business is to figure out a way to get supplies from the valley floor to the plateau.”

Everyone went home Sunday night, except for Wade, Bill, and Highlander.

When Bill first met Conner, he asked if he could see his sword.

Conner was confused and said. “My sword?”

“Yeah, your sword.”

“What are you taking about?”

“You’re Conner Macleod, right?”

Conner stared.

“If you’re the Highlander, then you have to have a sword. I wanna see it.”

Other than Jody, that was the last day anyone called him Conner.

For the next ten days, Wade, Bill, and Highlander designed, built, and tested a simple crane-winch system that could hoist supplies to the plateau. They also cleared and marked the area where the tents would be located, and in general, measured and staked out Fort-T. The three men sat on the edge of a barren Fort Terminus the evening before they were going to leave and watched the sun set.