Through Many Fires (Strengthen What Remains) (14 page)

C
aden limped back toward
his car wondering what to do now that Hoover had confirmed he killed those men.
Well, blackmail is always a possibility.
He smiled, but shook his head.
Three
weeks ago I was working for Senator Stevens and enjoying the good life in D.C.
and then the first bomb went off and changed my life.
He fumbled in his
pocket for the car keys.
The bombs changed everyone’s life. In the last two
weeks I’ve killed one man, Maria shot another and Lisa may have run down three.
Did any of us do wrong? Did Hoover do wrong?
Legally he knew the answer
might be yes, but morally he found it hard to condemn the actions of Hoover or
his family.

Family.
He had included Maria
in his thought about family. A smile spread across his face. Thinking of her
that way felt good.
I need to take some time and sort out my own feelings
about Maria and Becky. When, in this crazy world, will there be time to sit
alone and think? Come on, you know what you feel about Maria.
He sighed
deeply.
This is all so quick, so crazy.
But still he could not deny his
growing feelings for Maria.
You definitely need to get Maria something for
Valentine’s Day.

As he
slid the key in the lock, he glanced across the street to the century old
building that served as the county offices.
I still need to talk to the
commissioners and head of emergency management.
Pulling out the key he
headed across the street.

Ten
steps led up from the sidewalk to the county offices. Caden remembered taking
them two or three at a time as a child. Now, with his hurt leg, they were a
formidable barrier.

Reaching
the top, he found the large wooden doors locked. He considered going around the
building to try each of the four entrances, but his leg pleaded for some other
solution. As he stood considering his options two police cars sped past with
lights flashing and sirens blaring.

Maybe
Hoover can answer my questions.
With a sigh he hobbled back toward the
Sheriff’s office. As he entered, Caden asked the deputy on guard, “Who is the
emergency Manager?”

“
Sheriff
Hoover is the head of that office, but he left on a call a couple of minutes
ago. He’s also the local head of Homeland Security.”

Inwardly
Caden groaned, but tried not to show it.
He’s head of Homeland Security too?
What does the governor want me to do if Hoover is in charge of everything?

“
The
Emergency Management office is at the end of the hall. The lady there handles
all the day-to-day stuff.”

Caden
stepped in that direction.

“
Oh,
but the LEPC is meeting in the county office building right now.

“
LEPC?”

“
Local
Emergency Planning Committee or something like that. The back door of the
building should be open. They’re meeting on the first floor, but I can’t
remember the room number.”

By the
time Caden found the location his leg felt like it was on fire. Ten people sat
around a conference table as he hobbled in. “Hello, I’m Major Westmore, the new
commander of the Hansen armory.”

A gray
haired woman said, “You’re looking better this morning?”

Caden
was confused.

“
This
is Trevor’s boy,” she said walking over to him “I’m Dr. Scott. I bandaged your
leg last night.” She shook his hand. “It is good to see you conscious, but you
really should be at home in bed.”

A man
across the table pointed a pen at the doctor and said, “Don’t lecture the man.
I know you’ve been working 18 hour days since the Seattle blast.”

Dr.
Scott smiled at him then turned to Caden. “Perhaps we should both sit down.”

That
was a welcome suggestion. As soon as Caden sat the pain faded to a dull throb.

They
took turns around the table introducing themselves to Caden. Dr. Scott was
there representing the local hospital. The mayor of Hansen was next along with
delegates from the fire department, civil defense, health department, city
utilities, a county commissioner, a city police officer, the Emergency Manager
from the sheriff’s office and someone from the Salvation Army.

“
We
run the local food bank,” the church member said.

“
Do
you still have food?” Caden asked.

He
shook his head. “Even with rationing we ran out days ago. People are going
hungry.”

With
that everyone looked at Caden. He was tempted, just for a moment to repeat the
old Ronald Reagan line, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help,’ but
decided against it. “Well, as I said I’m the new C.O. of the armory. Governor
Monroe wants me to help maintain law and order in this area and assess local
needs.”

“
Need?”
The Emergency Manager said cupping her hands before her and leaning forward as
if in prayer. “We have refugees from the west end of the county along the
freeway. We put some up in the motel and others are at the campground. We might
have a three day supply of MREs for our police and firefighters but after
that…. In this county I mainly coordinated with FEMA during floods, but we
can’t make long distance calls and the Internet is down. I can’t….”

“
Okay,”
Caden interrupted, “I’ll try and get some communication restored. Meanwhile,
make me a list of what you need.”

The
county commissioner said, “We need everything.”

With
feverish intensity the civil defense coordinator took up the litany, “We’ve
done everything we could, no one in the county plans for nuclear bombs. I’ve
attended every meeting, done everything according to regulation but….” He shook
his head. “It’s not my fault.”

In a
much calmer voice the man from the food bank stated, “Many are already going
hungry.”

Another
said, “The drugstore pharmacy was robbed. Three thugs tried to raid the
hospital pharmacy, but….”

Annoyed,
Caden interrupted, “People are hungry. The hospital must be short of medicines,
but what I need is a list of critical supplies that will keep people alive.”

“
I’ll
get you a list of medical supplies,” Dr. Scott said.

“
In a
voice barely above a whisper the Emergency Manager said, “I’ll get you a list.”

Caden’s
emotions were mixed as he left the office. If he alleviated some of the
shortage it would be a big help to the community, but the need was huge and
growing. He feared people would die before life returned to something
reassembling normal.

He
opened the door to his car.
Now, onto the armory.

He
drove east, about a mile out of town, and then turned onto a side road that led
north up a large hill. The area was well wooded on the right with the left side
looking down into the valley and over the town. Nice homes had been built along
this part of the hill and as a young man Caden had been up here many times, but
never onto the armory. As he rounded a curve near the crest a light snow fell.
A few hundred yards farther and a large, gray, two-story building surrounded by
a chain-link fence came into view.

As he
slowed to stop at the gate a soldier stepped from the guardhouse. The guard, in
ACUs, the now standard camo uniform, carried an M-4 over his shoulder. A dozen
or more children played on the large grassy lawn that surrounded the main
building. Despite the growing snow several adults in civilian clothing mingled
among the children.

The
sentry saluted and asked for identification.

Caden
flashed his ID. “Who is the commanding officer and where are they?”

“
Lieutenant
Brooks. His office is on the second floor. I don’t know the room number.”

“
That’s
fine. I’ll find it.” They exchanged salutes and Caden pulled into a nearby
parking lot. He glanced back at the guard who was on the phone. He knew he
would not have to find Brooks, the lieutenant would come to find out why a
major had arrived. Using his cane, he walked as casual as possible, for a man
with a limp, toward the building.

Several
kids ran over to him.

“
My
dad is in the Army.”

“
What’s
wrong with your leg?”

“
Do
you have a gun?”

“
When
can we go home?”

Just
like the kids at the refugee camps. No.
He glanced at the growing number of children
around him.
These kids are more…bouncy and none have asked me for food.
Well, as yet anyway.

Only
as he approached did he notice the keypad beside the main door.
Do the kids
know the entry code?
Before he could ask, a young second lieutenant exited,
popped to attention, and saluted.

“
I’m
Lieutenant Brooks. How can I help you sir?”

Caden
returned the salute and looked him up and down. Other than the rank insignia at
the center of his chest, and the unit badge, there was little else in the way
of ribbons or insignia. However, he wore a pistol on his hip.

The
lieutenant stood about as tall as Caden and had close-cut blond hair.
I’m
young, but this guy is a kid, probably fresh out of some college ROTC program.
“I’m
Major Westmore, here to assume command. Let’s go to the office.”

Brooks
seemed tense as he turned to open the door.

On the
upper floor a small office served as headquarters for Bravo Company, the unit
stationed at the armory. To his left several motivational prints hung on the
wall, while the right featured recruiting posters, a picture of Governor Monroe
and Adjutant General Harwich, the head of the Washington Guard, along with
random thumb tacks that no one had bothered to remove. In the corner a radio
played the numbing drumbeat of emergency announcements. Beside it was a
SINCGARS army transceiver that was on and a shortwave radio that was turned
off. Caden stopped and talked briefly with the four soldiers in the room.

The
next space was a mid-sized conference room. One wall was covered in a large map
of southwest Washington and on another were smaller maps of Hansen, the county
and the state. A large table and chairs filled the center. In many ways both
rooms were much like any of the hundreds of other military offices Caden had
been in, old and in need of fresh paint, but it would serve as a decent command
center.

Two
open doors led to offices, but Brooks stopped, “Perhaps this would be a good
place to begin the transition.”

Caden
handed him the written orders.

Brooks
read them, came to attention and said. “What are your orders, sir?”

“
I’ll
need a detailed report on the company’s personnel and equipment status. When
that is ready we can bring in the other senior personnel, but for right now I’d
like a briefing from you.

“
Senior
personnel, well,” he sighed, “that’s a good place to start. Other than First
Sergeant Fletcher there are no senior personnel. We’re shorthanded, about
half-strength at fifty-two soldiers.”

Well,
that’s the brief on personnel. Not so good.
“Why do we have children and civilians
here?”

“
I
know it is against regulations, but many of the soldiers were worried about
their families. I was the only officer here; I don’t know where the commander
is….”

“
He’s
dead.”

“
Oh.”
His eyes went wide and he took a slow deep breath. “Do you know when or how,
sir?”

Caden
told him what he knew.

“
About
the civilians…well, most of our soldiers live outside Hansen, some as far away
as Seattle. I authorized them to move their families here if they feared for
their safety. Most chose to do so.”

“
Good
call.”

“
Really?”

Caden
smiled. “Really. Any soldier worried about his family isn’t giving us his
best.” In jest he asked, “Have you broken any other regulations?”

The
tension returned to Brook’s face. “After the Los Angles bombing refugees came
down all the roads from Seattle.” His eyes seemed to stare off in the distance
for a moment. “We took a soldier, injured in a car accident, to the hospital.
While we were there three armed looters attacked the pharmacy. The drugstore in
town had already robbed. I’m sure these three were addicts looking for a fix.”
He sighed. “They pulled guns on the staff and started shooting. I returned fire
and…well…I killed all three.”

Fifteen
minutes later, as he inspected the gun vault with Brooks, Caden was still
wondering how many people had died, and who really shot them.
Looters and
drug addicts looking for a fix, what should they have done? Arrest them; feed
them while law-abiding citizens go hungry?

“
Sixty-eight
M4s and ten M9s,” Brooks said with a gesture along the vault wall.

These
are awful times. Hoover and Brooks have made difficult choices. How many are
alive because they made those decisions
? The faces of the people he had known and who
were now dead lingered in his mind.
So many have died, perhaps even Dad,
Peter and Susan.

“
And
over here are the night vision….”

“
Why
are there so many empty slots?” Caden asked pointing to one row of M4 rifles.

“
Two
squads are deployed at the moment and one is on alert and, ah, I loaned seven
to the sheriff’s office.” Brooks stood stiffly as if at attention. “I take full
responsibility. I know there are all sorts of regulations that prohibit….”

“
I
assume he came and asked for them.”

“
Yes
sir. It was when the looting began we…he…all of us really…we were trying to
keep order and….”

“
You’ve
done paperwork and logged the serial numbers, of course.”

“
Yes
sir.”

Caden
nodded thoughtfully. “I’m sure it was the right thing to do.”

Relief
flowed across the young lieutenant’s face as he stood at ease.

“
I’m
going to need an M9. How many rounds of ammo do we have?”

Brooks
handed Caden a pistol and holster. “I’d have to look up the exact numbers, but we
have less than I’d like. We returned from field exercises a month ago and had
not been resupplied when the terrorist attacks began.”

Caden
strapped on the holster as they exited the vault.

Brooks
said, “I’ll show you the rest of the facility. This way sir.”

“
My
name is Caden, at least when we’re alone.”

“
Thank
you sir, my name is David.”

Passing
through the lobby, Caden noticed a cross carved in the stone wall and recalled
that the building had been a religious school of some kind fifty or sixty years
earlier. In one wing, a large room now served as a barracks. Storerooms and
offices had been cleared and married soldiers assigned individual rooms.
Clearly his XO had been a busy officer.

In the
basement David showed him an ancient coal furnace with no coal and a modern
backup generator that was low on diesel fuel.

Ammo,
food and fuel.
He
sighed inwardly.
I need to get more of just about everything.
Fumbling
in his jacket he pulled out a small notebook and wrote several notes to
himself.

As
they walked back toward their office, Brooks suddenly turned to his left and
opened one side of a double door. “We can cut across the gym. It’s shorter.”

Walking
into the large room, the sound of their footsteps echoed off the old hardwood
floor and bounced off the wooden walls and bleachers. Large windows high above
on one side provided light that cast the old gymnasium in a yellow glow.

“
Assemble
the men in…” Caden glanced at his watch.
Almost noon.
“one hour, 1300.
We’ll do the change of command and I’ll speak to the soldiers at that time.”

When
they arrived at the office, Brooks sent two privates to make preparations for
the assembly.

“
Where
is the first sergeant?” Caden asked, “I’d like to talk with him before the
change of command.”

“
He’s
with second squad guarding the North Road Bridge over the Cowlitz River.”

Caden
nodded. “You mentioned we had two squads out?”

“
Third
squad is east of town along the highway. A few days ago we had four squads
deployed guarding the north and east perimeter of the town, but things are quieter
to the east.”

“
The
north road isn’t secure?”

“
There
is a large unofficial refugee camp just across the Cowlitz River Bridge.”

“
When
you say large, what do you mean?”

“
I’d
estimate a thousand individuals.”

“
I can
understand us not wanting another thousand mouths to feed, but why don’t we let
them pass through, maybe in small, manageable, groups?”

“
Most
of them stopped there because they were either low on gas or out of it. They
can’t go anywhere and now they’re out of food and getting desperate. I’ve seen
fights, riots really, and heard gunshots but, thankfully we are able to keep
those problems on the other side of the river.”

“
How?”

“
The
river is running high and fast and the bridge is barricaded.”

Caden nodded
thinking of his father, brother and sister-in-law who were all on the wrong
side of the river.
When my leg is better I’m going to need to go up that
road and try to find them.
He continued to his office where he strained to
concentrate on the reports and assess the readiness of his command.
Not very
ready.
As he tried to come up with a plan, the lights went out.

From
the next office he heard David moan. “We have been experiencing more brown outs
and power failures with each passing day.”

Caden
nodded to no one and continued to read by the light of a window behind him, but
after a couple of minutes he gave up and leaned back in the chair. Even though
it was barely afternoon, he was tired, his leg ached and the dim light strained
his eyes. He stood and hobbled to the window. Gray clouds covered much of the
sky casting the valley and town below in shadow.

It’s
going to be a long hard winter no matter what the weather is like. I’m
fortunate to be home…to even have a home to go to.
He thought of the
people he had seen walking along the highways. At that moment he wanted
desperately to be with his family at the farmhouse. He realized that once again
he had included Maria and even little Adam in his mental image of family.

A
shiver passed through him.
The farmhouse has a fireplace and woodstove, but
how many don’t have that
? Again he shivered. Perhaps it was just his
imagination, but it already seemed cooler in the room. He reached out and
touched an ancient radiator beside the window. It was cold.
No coal for the
boiler.

Brooks
stepped into the office holding two cups of coffee and handed one to Caden. “We
might as well drink it while it is still hot.”

“
What
causes the power to go out more each day?”

Brooks
shrugged.

“
Why
doesn’t the backup generator come on when the main power goes out?”

“
We’re
so short of fuel I’m only using it at night.”

Caden
nodded.
All I need is more food, fuel, ammo and soldiers, and this command
will be ready for anything.
He grinned and Brooks gave him a quizzical
look, but he ignored it and sipped his coffee.

David
did the same and then said, “I hope we can get people back home and get the
economy moving. If we don’t and the power fails for a long period of time…well,
just imagine, heat, communication, refrigeration, cooking, it’s all electric.”

“
If we
don’t find or grow a lot more food in the next month or two most of us won’t
need to worry about electricity.”

Static
crackled over the radio and Caden glanced that direction and then at the still
dark lights.

David smiled
at his confusion. “The radio has battery backup.”

They
both returned to their coffee.

Forty
minutes later Caden stood in a darkened hallway still considering what to say.
As he did he stared at the backs of those assembled in the gym. About forty soldiers
stood in formation waiting for him to enter. Behind them were about ten
civilians, mostly women, and about as many children. A podium stood at the far
end with Brooks to the right of it.

He
took a deep breath and marched into the room.

“
Company,
attention,” Brooks announced.

“
At
ease,” Caden responded. As he walked up to the podium he still had only a vague
idea of what he wanted to say.
Give them a sense of purpose, a mission and
direction.

After
reading his orders aloud, Caden scanned the faces of the assembled soldiers.
Taking a deep breath he proceeded. “I was in Washington D.C. on that terrible
day. I know the horror and the pain of loss that many of you have experienced.

“
I
traveled with Governor Monroe back to Washington State. From the moment I met
him he has been striving to solve problems brought on by the terrorist attacks.
He is working hard to get people home and the economy up and running. Food and
fuel are being distributed. Power is being…will be restored.

“
We
are going to be a part of that process. The road ahead will not be easy, but
each of us has a role in the restoration of this nation.”

The
lights blinked, came on for a moment then died. Caden sighed and continued.
“Our orders are to assist local authorities in maintaining law and order and
help provide aid. Together with Sherriff Hoover we are going to secure Hansen,
the farms around it and outlying communities. The army already has secured the
freeway. It is open to travel, both to the north and south. We are going to
clear the state highway from Hansen to the on ramp so that the town can be
supplied.” He looked up at the darkened ceiling, “The lights will come back on.
The day will come when you can go home.”

Looking
out at those before him, Caden could see emotions ranging from hopefulness to
despair.

“
Finally,
Lieutenant Brooks has done an outstanding job. I concur with his decision to
move families into the armory. We are going to keep our loved ones safe while
we do our job.”

A
murmur of approval swept the gym.

That
seems like a good note to end this on.
Caden stepped away from the podium and said,
“Lieutenant Brooks, dismiss the men.” Walking quickly through the ranks of
soldiers he exited the gym.

From
the hallway he heard, “Company attention. Dismissed.”

Back
at the office Caden sat staring out the window. He could barely detect the
position of the sun through the gray clouds that cast the world in shadow. He
felt the cold now on his nose and ears. A few snowflakes flitted through the
air outside.

“
Excuse
me sir.”

It was
Brooks’ voice. Still looking out the window Caden said, “Yes?”

“
I
just wanted to say that I liked what you said, and not just the comment about
me. I think it helped.”

He
smiled and turned to face Brooks. “Thanks. I hope it did.”

The
radio crackled and then a frightened, hurried voice was heard. “Company HQ this
is second squad.” From the small speaker the sound of gunfire and metal
scraping metal seemed to fill the room. “We’re under fire.”