Sharecropping The Apocalypse: A Prepper is Cast Adrift (20 page)

David looked incredulous at everyone for a moment and then he cocked his head towards Ray in order to listen intently to him getting ready to tell the story about what he had somehow managed to observe or had noticed about the plant.

“I know this sounds pretty crazy, David, but please just remember and give me the benefit of the doubt of, that I have spent 23 years in the Army and I can recognize a Soviet “Ivan” when I see one. As a matter of fact the S.O.B. that stopped me at the gate was even named Ivan!” Ray said excitedly and then went on to explain that he had stopped by the plant on his way home from his last duty station in order to see if his friend who was Lab supervisor over there was on duty so he could tell him he was back in town and they could visit for a bit. Ray was supposed to be starting work at the missile plant in a month and he had been on his way bugging home from Fort Sill when the poo hit the fan causing the electricity to go out and all the gas pumps from here to hell and back to give up the ghost. He said that he had hoped that since the Gemini missile plant was probably considered by the Fed as a mission and defense critical facility that he might have lucked out somehow and still had himself a job to depend on while the rest of the world these days most likely tried to find themselves the means and fuel to get to a bread line.

Ray then commenced to tell a very anxious and exasperated story that was filled with his versions of fake Russian accents with added American curse words about how he had stopped at the factories entrance gate to gain access to the plant, just like he had done several other times before and was shocked to see that rather than the normal singular security guard standing duty, he had been approached by four soldiers dressed in foreign camouflage uniforms without insignia all babbling in broken English and asking him for his identification and the nature of his business at the plant at gun point..

“That’s when one of the helmeted guards called for Ivan to come give him permission to enter!” Michael interjected with a quick apology to Ray for interrupting the story.

David gave a startled quick “Whoa” look of surprise towards Ray and Michael’s direction while straightening his back and then giving Julie a knowing “oh hell we in for it now look!” side glance with a nod to Ray to continue the story and that he himself agreed that they were indeed foreign troops he had met manning that security gate.

“So this big shaved headed Russian came over and asked me to get out of the truck and accompany him back to the guard shack while the guy that had called him over was busy gibbering something that sounded like Russian I guess it was, into his hand held radio. I tell you, that commie reminded me of that big Russian giant that fought Rocky in a boxing movie once. He wasn’t as big as that sucker was, but he had the same demeanor and was a pretty stout and tough looking sucker. Once we got back to the guard shack the Stalinist son of a bitch sits down and left me standing there in front of his desk like I was a prisoner being interviewed by the warden at the state pen. He says wait for a moment then he picked up one of them old land line field phones like we had in the service and cranked it to ring another line somewhere. Then it got a little spooky, friggin Ivan Ivanovich or whatever his last name was just says “Mr. Poole please wait a few moments more while Lieutenant Rawlins comes to assist you. Evidently whoever answered the phone asked for some kind of confirmation and Captain Ivan or whatever rank he was read my full name off my driver’s license and who I was coming to visit as well as a curt couple word response of “possible worker” before hanging up the handset and staring at me like I was a bug on the rug until the Lt arrived with his aide. Finally a pair of U.S. uniformed and insigniaed soldiers come in and take charge of me and that damn Spetsnaz just waves us out like we were in a base commander’s office.” Michael said before David interjected.

“Spetsnaz? Real Spetsnaz or are you just labeling the oversized fella?’ David asked quizzically raising one eyebrow wondering if indeed the guy was Russian Special Forces.

“Like I said they were not wearing any type of indications of rank or origin but that Ivan character carried himself like a Special Forces soldier that meant business, if you know what I mean. The guards were fearful enough of him, but I don’t know if it was his rank or demeanor they respected or feared more. David, you are prior service and from what Michael told me of your own service you know that we military folks can recognize elite forces soldiers by the way they carry themselves in public. Anyway, this American newly minted butter bar of a Lieutenant takes me outside and apologizes to me for having undergone so much trouble while trying to enter the facility and explains that his aide will now take me to go see my friend Paul.

The aide said “We are going to ride over to his office on this little golf cart thing because for updated security reasons your vehicle must remain behind the barrier. You know how it is.” the aide tells me “what with the terrorist attempts to bring down the infrastructure and all, its policy now that all critical facilities were now on enforced lockdown.” This bone head then explained to me he himself can’t even go off premises without a pass.” Ray said pausing to spit some chewing tobacco a distance away from the picnic table they were all now residing at.

“Shit, I am dying to hear the rest of this story Ray. But I feel like what you’re going to tell me next requires me to freshen up my drink. This is the kind of news that alcohol seems to make it easier to swallow.  You all have one with me?” David said rising from the table and turning up his last sip.

“Damn straight!” Michael said and then Ray quickly agreed he could use one too and be much obliged if it was a strong one..

“I will go fix them for you David!” Julie said reaching for David’s glass as he seemingly hesitated to leave this little confab that he was having and dreaded having to go into the house and fix them himself.

“Thanks Sweetie, I will bring you up to speed when you get back. What kind of shoulder patch did this butt faced lieutenant you described have on? Did you notice, Ray?” David said relinquishing his plastic cup and sitting himself back down.

“Yea I did, it was a shield with crossed pistols and an X centered on it. Thought maybe that unit patch was Alabama Army National guard military police but he told me, right branch of service, however that he was from the Mississippi division of the brigade. Seems the majority of our guard troops are now stationed out of state at Camp Shelby Mississippi and for some reason the Mississippi Guard  and the Georgia National Guard are all migrating over towards Florida on active duty. All state governors activated their National Guard units for this emergency within hours of being informed the U.S. was under attack but it’s the Pentagon and Presidential executive orders under the auspices of FEMA and Homeland Security that are directing troop deployments these days instead of the governors. Michael told me that you have a background in Emergency Management as well as some Special Forces experience that might help you to explain these odd goings on and maybe enlighten us a bit, David.” Ray said looking at him speculatively.

David made a long sigh and got a far off stare before answering and then carefully crafted his words to respond.

“It is a case of knowing a shit load about a lot of things that it might possibly indicate but not knowing really anything about what these folks are actually up too. I ain`t trying to be a smartass but I would hate to even take a guess as to what is going on outside of what I consider obvious the obvious occurring. No chance that those were a contingent of UN troops on a relief mission maybe Ray?” David questioned hopefully.

“Well, I didn’t see anybody wearing any funky blue helmets or berets and there were no white armored vehicles evident.” Ray said rubbing a 5 o’clock shadow of a beard which was darkening with sweat on his face.

Evidently he must have somehow found the means and a place to spruce up for a job enquiry before he got off the road, David guessed. Most folks basically gave up on any thoughts at all of shaving regular or for that matter at all or ever again when the water got shut off a few weeks ago. David wished he had a whole lot more info to base his guesstimates of the status and risks of the current situation on, but he had already learned enough from Ray to make some pretty good educated assumptions and was torn between stating them and further inquiry.

“I am thinking that most likely the U.S. Government must be utilizing foreign troops to supplement some kind of emergency disaster continuity of government operations exercise.” Ray said, looking quizzically to David for affirmation or comment before carrying on. David agreed with him and wondered exactly which continuity of government plan they were using to have them foreign soldiers arrive so quickly.

“Perhaps the social unrest and breakdown of society that was expected in the cities after such a calamity as they were experiencing  was much worse than the main stream media or government run news was letting on.” David suggested.

“Anyway, the LT cuts our conversation short and tells me to mount up with his PFC aide and driver and off we go to see my buddy, Paul. Well from the front gate to the plant is about a quarter of a mile distance and as I was getting into that golf cart I hear the LT and Ivan arguing and turn around to look and then see them blue green clad Russkie A-holes of a security guard force trying to get the tarp off the back of my truck. I hollered at the driver for him to stop so I could go raise some of my own hell about them performing an unauthorized search on my truck when that asshole of a driver just sped up and grabbed my leg and said I should let it go and that the LT would handle it. That didn’t set well with me because I had more time in the chow hall than him and his buddy had in the Army and was trying to insist that he should pull over or I was going to be putting some knots on his noggin when I saw Ivan pointing his finger in the LT`s face back at the gate when all of the sudden the driver swerved the golf cart off the road into a designated picnic area access path. That boy told me in no uncertain terms that he had nothing but my best intentions in mind and that if I wasn’t transporting a bomb to blow up the plant in that truck  to shut up and listen to him for a bit. After I got my dander down and I told him to carry on and to drive to Paul’s office and that we would leave up it to the lieutenant to deal with comrade Ivan. Then this fella explained to me that the rules as I knew them had all changed and that he barely knew what it was all about or meant himself. Thing is he told me, we now had ourselves a very obscure chain of command to operate under that was contrary to anything we would ever expect to occur and the best way to deal with it was playing follow the leader with whatever situation you were told you were in and whoever they said follow. We didn’t have time to talk long between ourselves as he then pulled out of the company rest area pretty quick with an odd look over his shoulder to see if anyone had noticed our momentary detour and in a bit I finally got escorted into Paul’s office. I am telling you here and right now that you could of cut the tension out of the air with a dull butter knife as we walked into that building. They had door guards posted like you have in Army basic or A.I.T. (Advanced Individual Training) that let us in the doors and log booked our names and time of entry and when we got in Paul’s office, my buddy put his finger to his lips and indicated the walls had ears and that we were being listened to. Ray said at this time he felt like he was in the twilight zone and just went with the flow.

“Ray, nice to see you, sorry it’s not under better circumstances we are meeting. I am afraid I must inform you now that the position that was offered to you is on hold temporarily as we try to surmount the difficulty’s we are having after the attack on the counties infrastructure.” Paul said, shuffling papers aimlessly and then looking out the window in dismay or with some kind of weird anticipation a watcher was around observing them.

“No problem, I just wanted to stop by and see if I was gainfully employed not. You sent me an employment contract which we both signed about a month ago, if you remember.” Ray said hopefully but very distant in his anticipations of working here any time soon.

“I know! Let me assure you that US missiles will honor that contract to the letter as far as I know but the current situation may cause some delays on your start date.” Paul said, pointing a finger at the door like Ray should consider leaving post haste and coming back another day.

“I am not understanding what you are saying at all Paul, my papers say my job starts on April 1, now I know stuff happens and that the situation we find ourselves in indicates that delays are to be expected from both sides of the agreement, however I need this work and you need to speak plainly.” Ray said gruffly already tired of this dilly dallying BS that threatened him and his family’s existence.

He had spent enough time in the military and worn enough pairs of boots on the ground in foreign countries to smell a political rat a mile away but with this crap going on in his own backwoods of Alabama after doing so much time in service and retiring honorably was way too much to bear. Whenever someone said to him „do not worry, we have got ourselves a system here, just wait patiently we are going to take care of everything reminded him of the VA hospital fiasco and made him want to throw up.

“Thing is Ray, I got to answer in my position to a lot of folks and to be honest I didn’t even think you would be here blessing my doorstep today or even coming around this place for a bit, we do have a shortage of workers because of the enhanced pre-employment background investigations by homeland security but your position that was contracted for falls in to a constricted and restricted market.” Paul said rather hesitantly as he was unnerved about what to do or say next.