Dark Road (26 page)

“That’s sick, ma’am.” Bill said.

“Yes it is and it’s not what we’re supposed to be doing, but I’ve run up against more than one in my time in this Army. I’ve helped drum out a few, but I’ve seen far more make a name for themselves and move on. If you’ve got a patron and you don’t mind sucking up you can go far in life, and the Army is no different—isn’t that right, Eric?”

Eric was scowling, “Yes ma’am, it is, which is why I got out of this Charlie Foxtrot in the first place.”

Mallory was quiet for a few seconds and then turned to Bill. “Sergeant, you are dismissed.” She said. “We all have some misgivings about where things may be headed but I’m not ready to disobey a direct order just yet. Having you and Captain Tripp in here for the call was as far as I am willing to go at this time.”

Bill nodded in understanding.

“Eric,” Mallory continued, “you don’t get off so easily. You’re my second in command and it’s up to me whether or not you get to see this. You’re stuck.”

Eric also nodded his understanding. “Yes ma’am.”

The three of them got up and Bill went to go get the radio operator whose shift they had interrupted while Mallory and Eric headed to the command tent to begin digesting their new orders.

…

“We can’t do this.” Eric said as he pushed back from his side of the desk. When Mallory didn’t immediately respond he went on. “Major, we can’t follow these orders, especially not after the public vote three days ago and the voting,” Eric checked his watch, “earlier today.”

“I know,” she finally said. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted it all taken care of before this call took place. I had hoped it wouldn’t be necessary but I had a nagging fear that this was either the ultimate plan all along or, worse, this
isn’t
the ultimate plan and even
more
is on the way.”

“
More
than declaring martial law from coast to coast?” Eric hissed, trying to keep his voice down while his temper and blood pressure had been skyrocketing with every word he’d been reading for the last hour.

“
More
than,” and Eric did actually laugh out loud, “confiscating
all
of the firearms from the citizens that aren’t bolt action single shot rifles?
More
than confiscating all ammunition above twenty-five rounds per
family
per caliber?”

“I get it Eric,” Mallory said. “I read the same orders you did.”

But Eric wasn’t done, “They want us to be the keepers of the food, the water, the medicine, and anything else of value and hand it out as
they
see fit.” Eric said. “Not even as WE see fit but as THEY see fit, because all of the sudden they have time enough to start micro-managing things!”

“ENOUGH!” Mallory snapped and slammed her hand down on the table, which actually made Eric jump. “I said I get it, Captain. Believe it or not, Mister, I even know which Executive Orders they are using as the quote unquote legal basis for this abortion. Executive Orders which, by the way, I personally believe are
all
unconstitutional, going all the way back to FDR, just so you know. So put a sock in it and quit lecturing me on what we can’t do and why we can’t do it. Thank you!”

Eric was stunned and it was all he could do to keep his mouth from hanging open. He’d never had Mallory dress him down like that and never
ever
heard her mention or discuss politics, good or bad, under any administration. Either she was really rattled or he’d pissed her off good.

“I’m sorry…” Eric began until she held up a finger to silence him. Yeah, she was mad.

“We don’t know where this is coming from, Eric,” she said. “If it’s really coming from the top brass, or if the Colonel is acting on his own and running interference and telling the people above him what they want to hear while he creates a fiefdom. He could go rogue and have carved out the United Southeastern States of Americastan under his own personal control before anyone even knows what’s happened.”

“So, two points; first off, I have determined that we have received a number of illegal orders today, starting with the Eyes Only restriction.” Mallory said. “That doesn’t mean I’m going to let just anyone read this, but I’m not going to restrict it to you and I. Second, the civilian population has begun forming a local government; a government to which we legally and lawfully report, in my opinion.”

“Eric, Joel needs to know what,” Mallory paused, “what at least some in the military feel needs to be done with the civilian population in this country.” Mallory said.

“I’ll go get Joel.”

…

From where Mallory and Eric sat it looked as if Joel aged before their eyes. It only took him twenty minutes to read what had taken them almost an hour. When he was done he shook his head, tried to sit up straight, and looked back and forth from one to the other.

“Although I’ve never said it out loud, and might screw up the pronunciation, I believe the term is Molon Labe.” Joel said.

Mallory made a small smile and Eric said, “Come and take them.”

“Pretty much sums it up. I hope,” Joel paused and then started over. “I hope we’re on the same side here. After the public vote on The Constitution and the amendments, and then your speech about letting the Guard be in on the vote for Mayor, and the laws…well, I hope we’re on the same side.”

There was silence in the command tent for several seconds before Mallory spoke.

“Joel,” she said. “You’re in here reading that because we,” she made a motion with her arms that indicated more than the three of them at the table; “
we
are in this together.”

Joel let out a breath he hadn’t been aware he was holding.

“If I thought the orders were legal then I wouldn’t have,
couldn’t
have; let you know what was in them based on how they were classified.” Mallory said. “I would have been disobeying a direct order and breaking the law by letting you read them. As it sits, I think we’re going to need to work together to get through this and I’m going to need your help, because this is just getting started.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

According to the wind-up clock on the nightstand, it was 7:18 and Dan had been awake for almost a half an hour. He was still tired, but not exhausted like he had been for the last several days.

“So,” Dan said as he rolled over, once he was sure Marissa was awake. “What are you thinking?”

“That’s an awfully loaded question,” Marissa said. “We made it. The Taylors are here. I’m clean and dry and I slept all night long. I’m not exhausted. I’m not starving. Shall I go on?”

“You forgot we’re under guard.” Dan added. “Our guns are useless, and we have to ask for anything else that we need.”

Marissa sighed. “No, I simply chose not to mention those things, and you’re wrong about the guns.” She said. “Either one of our knives or your EMT shears could cut the zip tie without a problem. As long as we were being watched we couldn’t cut it, and it was perfectly safe to let us keep the gun.”

Marissa stretched. “Now that we’re in here and not actually under surveillance, it was foolish to let us keep them unless they don’t consider us a threat, which means they most likely talked to people from the neighborhood last night and consider us safe.” Marissa said. “I’m not going to risk cutting it off, but I’m guessing that if they didn’t trust us they would have actually taken the guns last night and told us to deal with it.”

“You thought about this already?” Dan asked.

“While I was stuck here with only my knife and you took your shower.” Marissa said. “That’s when I considered cutting the stupid thing off and then I realized I
could
cut it off, and it clicked.”

“Well, I think we should wake the girls up and see about getting them a bath.” Dan said.

…

“Can we stay here, Mommy?” Jessie asked as Marissa was finishing her second braid.

“Well,” Marissa started to answer when there was a knock on the door.

Dan and Marissa looked at each other and both of them waited for the other or possibly even someone else to say “Come in” or “Who is it”.

Finally Dan got up and simply opened the door.

“Mr. Clark,” a soldier with a nametag that read Hook said. “The Mayor is here to speak with you.”

“Great. I get to deal with a jumped up post-apocalyptic politician.”
Dan thought.
“What exactly did I do to deserve
this
?”

“Oh for heaven’s sake, Fish,” Joel said from behind his escort, “get out of the way and just let me talk to Dan and Marissa.”

“Joel?” Dan said.

“Yes,” Joel said as he stepped around Specialist ‘Fish’ Hook. “For my sins I was elected Mayor two days ago. Pretty good timing, huh? Hook, head on over to the HQ for a bit, I’ll call over when I’m done here.”

When Hook was gone, he asked if he could come in and was welcomed with a handshake that turned into a hug, even though Joel and Dan really hadn’t known each other very well. It was more because they had known each other at all.

“Marissa,” Joel said, and got another hug. “I’m sorry to hear about Danny, we all are. Nothing more needs to be said—I understand.”

Both Marissa and Dan nodded in agreement and appreciation, but also knew that they were getting to the point that
they
would need to start talking about it, with each other if nothing else. They weren’t healing and they weren’t grieving, and they needed to move on.

Once everyone was sitting on couches or chairs, or the floor for the kids, Joel started to find out a little about their trip and get more details about their last few days, how the neighborhood was doing, Carey.

“Well, I can’t say I’m surprised, or that I hold it against you.” Joel said. “If I’d found him—or anyone else—in my house, I wouldn’t have said word one to him before I pulled the trigger. The situation just made it that much more serious. I’m glad you found the extra key and that the old sleeping bags came in handy. I’d forgotten those were up there.”

Dan hung his head. “I’m sorry about the shotgun and the deer rifle, Joel.” He said. “It was a stupid mistake and we could have been here three days earlier, with more stuff to boot.”

Joel snorted. “And if the Government had listened in the first place and tried to harden the infrastructure, or not bickered about the plan they had and actually put it in place and shut down the grid, we wouldn’t be in this predicament.” Joel said. “Play the cards you’re dealt, Dan.”

Joel paused for a second and then continued. “I’ve hated this phrase since the first time I heard it because it’s just so trite but ‘It is what it is’. Well of
course
it is…what the hell else would it be?!” Joel said. “We are where we are. We aren’t somewhere else, we’re here.” Joel looked around and spread his arms out.

“The situation is what it is, it isn’t something else. We have the resources we have, not what we wish we had.” Joel said. “And those resources are more this morning than they were yesterday morning, assuming you were planning to stay. You are planning to stay aren’t you?”

“That was the idea,” Marissa said with a mirthless laugh. “It’s a bit of a walk back with no food and a neighborhood that may or may not want us.”

“So we work with what we have.” Joel said. “I would like to have you take some time and talk to some of our patrol teams and help them develop their intelligence on the raiding parties that seem to be roaming the area. You aren’t the only group that has been hit, and the more information we can gather, the better our odds are of putting an end to them at some point.”

“Tell me where to be, and when, and I’ll talk their ears off.” Dan said.

“Will do,” Joel said. “In the meantime, I know it’s not the park, which was your initial final destination, but…”

“You obviously have something in mind,” Marissa said. “Spill it.”

“Well, two things.” Joel said. “First, the house is the right size for a family of this size. Second, this is where the clinic is and you are, while not a doctor, one of the more highly trained medical technicians we now have.”

“I think I see where this is going.” Dan said. “Are we being offered a place in the community?”

“Yes,” Joel said.

“Will work for food,” Marissa said with a sly grin.

“Well,” Joel chuckled, “Yes and no. Everyone contributes—but that’s a given, obviously.”

“Obviously. We didn’t expect to be able to just walk in and, you know, get stuff.” Dan said.

“I know,” Joel said, “but you would be surprised at the number of groups who wanted to do just that two weeks after the power went out. If a group has someone who physically
can’t
contribute, that’s one thing, but someone who
won’t
help out? That’s just not going to fly.”

“Well, I guess we should get started getting the lay of the land, and I should take a look at this clinic.” Dan said.

“Actually,” Joel said, “I need to take care of one more thing. Let me see those two handguns.”

…

“So that’s it?” Marissa asked as they were walking with Joel towards the Post Office, where they had been…processed…for lack of a better word, last night, and where the National Guard had set up the local headquarters.

“Well, I
am
the Mayor, and that does come with some privileges.” Joel said. “Being able to say who stays, but not necessarily who goes, on a whim is one of them.” Joel shrugged. “It doesn’t hurt that we need the medical help and you have skills we can use.”

“I was serious about getting over to the clinic, though,” Dan said. “I didn’t mean it as a joke. I’m not a doctor, but I did play one last week.”

“We have a full-fledged M.D. with the guard unit, but I’m sure that they will be happy to have the help.” Joel said. “And what do you mean, you played one last week?”

Dan recounted the appendectomy of a week ago to raised eyebrows and a shaking head. “In that case, I think you may end up back in school part-time.” Joel said when Dan was done. “Assuming Dr. Novak is up to teaching, you may be a very busy guy, Dan.”

“I live to serve.” Dan said.