Dominatus (26 page)

“That makes two of us, Mac.”

Mac made his way back to the hallway leading to the cavern, his hand waiving goodbye behind him.

As Mac left the main room, Clancy Tedlow cleared her throat behind me, waiting to get my attention.

“Reese, Mr. Neeson, my husband wanted me to let you know he’s willing to talk to you if you want, if you want an interview with him.  He thought, and I think so too, that maybe his story might help you with your next program.  Since he used to be a professional athlete, and how the government banned the sport, what they did to his family, his father, all of that.”

“That would be great, Mrs. Tedlow…Clancy…whenever he is ready I would love to hear his story.”

“We are set up in room 4A, Reese.  I’ll tell him you’ll be there in about an hour?”

“Absolutely, Clancy, I’ll see him then.  And tell him thank you – it’s appreciated.”

Clancy Tedlow left – following the same route Mac had just taken into the hallway.

Lucille followed Clancy’s departure.

“Just to let you know…Bear has hardly said a word to anyone all these years up here about his life before Dominatus.  We’ve picked up bits and pieces here and there…mostly from Clancy…so that’s something rather special that he’s willing to talk to you, Reese.  You must have earned his respect and trust.”

Dublin agreed.

“Even my grandfather told me how private Mr. Tedlow is, though he did indicate Bear’s father was a part of the old Texas Resistance, the one that happened just outside Waco.  Almost ten thousand citizens stood up to the government, and were wiped out by the drones.”

I knew the stories of the Texas Resistance well – my father had monitored them closely, and had known some who were directly involved as a number had been former military who he had provided legal services to.  For months thousands of Texans had gathered inside a sprawling trailer park some ten miles east of Waco refusing to comply with the mandatory gun buyback program initiated by the then Obama administration.  This had been 2016 – the last year of Barack Obama’s second term as President of the United States.  Federal authorities descended on Texas residents and went door to door searching for unregistered and/or illegal weapons.  Thousands were arrested.  Tens of thousands were fined.

Weeks after the search and seizure program was initiated, Texas residents began gathering at the trailer park outside Waco, the trailer park’s owner, a former McLennan County Sheriff, was openly declaring no residents of the trailer park would be required to comply with the newly passed federal gun laws.  That declaration attracted thousands of gun owners refusing to hand over their weapons to federal authorities, and the trailer park’s population increased substantially in the weeks and months that followed until nearly ten thousand were calling the park their home.

The park’s new residents constructed a large concrete barrier around the entire perimeter of the park, with armed guards stationed every sixty feet. Donations were dropped off at the park’s entrance from people across the nation until authorities blocked those donations from reaching them, hoping to starve the park residents into compliance.  Both the McLennan County Commissioner and Texas governor attempted to intervene on behalf of the Texas Resistance, but by June of 2016 the trailer park and the surrounding area was placed under the full authority of Homeland Security.  A comprehensive media blackout was initiated, as both the electricity and water were shut off to the park.  Family members or friends who attempted to reach those they knew inside the park were themselves taken into custody and detained – often for several days in violation of their Constitutional rights – rights that were being more openly being ignored by the federal government until finally it was as if they had never existed.

The Obama administration ordered two thousand members of the Texas National Guard to prepare an assault on the park.  This order was followed by a stand down order from the Texas governor, who was then himself placed under arrest and custody by Homeland Security authorities by order of the President of the United States.  The general of the Texas National Guard also refused to comply with the assault order, and he too was relieved of duty and placed under arrest.  During this time, no reporting of the conflict was being done by any Mainstream Media organizations.  The only information to reach the public was by various Internet blogs and alternative news radio programs.

One by one those too were silenced by federal government authorities until for nearly two weeks, no word was heard from those inside the trailer park, or any word on the status of the Texas Resistance.  Nothing was said of the conflict by government officials or law enforcement.  Everything had gone strangely silent.

On July 7
^th
, 2016, family members attempting to make their way into the park found all roadblocks had been lifted and no sign of any military or Homeland Security personnel.  The road to the trailer park was clear, though when they arrived at the park’s location, only a few remnants it had ever existed remained.  The earth was newly dug, the smell of explosives still hung in the air, but for the most part, the entirety of the park and the thousands who had fled to safety behind its barriers, were no more.

It would be the same pattern utilized repeatedly by the federal government against any other pockets of resistance as the nation transitioned from the United States into merely another member of the New United Nations.  Secure the location, cut off communication, and, in order to avoid the conflict of military or law enforcement personnel refusing to engage against citizens as had happened in Texas, simply send in the drones to eliminate those resisting the mandates, and then bury any evidence of their existence under the earth.  The lesson was one quickly learned by all citizens of America – resistance against Federal, and soon after, New United Nations’ authority…was futile.

An hour later, as I made the walk to room 4A I couldn’t help but feel just a bit of nervousness creep into me – Bear was an imposing man, and made little effort to lessen his naturally dominant physicality.  Helping people feel at ease did not appear to be a high priority for him.   That said, I had witnessed his gentle and protective nature around his wife and children – ample evidence that underneath his gruff exterior was a simple father and husband who wanted nothing more than to protect his family.

The door to Room 4A was open, and I could see Bear’s massive frame seated on one of the beds inside the room.  Hearing my approaching steps he stood up and opened the door fully, nodding to another bed opposite the one he had been sitting on.  A couple of toys were on the floor of the room, and a small framed portrait of the Tedlow family was hung on a wall next to the bed Bear once again sat down on.

The big man cleared his throat and folded his hands in front of him.

“Uh…I don’t talk to people much, but Clancy thinks my story might help you with your…your own description of things up here. The story, or whatever you’re calling it.  So, if you want to ask me some questions, go ahead and do it.”

Inwardly I smiled as I realized the incredibly large and imposing man sitting across from me was nervous.

“First, let me say thank you, Mr. Tedlow for giving me the opportunity to speak with you.”

“Just call me Bear…been called that for a long time.  Since high school.  And as far as talking with you…that was Clancy’s idea.  Not mine, so…you can thank her.”

“Ok…I’ll be sure to do that, Bear.  I would like to record this – is that ok?”

Bear shrugged.

“Sure – whatever.”

“Ok then - let’s start with your full name, age, and where you were born.”

“Walter Tedlow.  I’m forty-eight years old…born in Marlon, Texas.  Small town.  A…a good place to grow up.”

“Did you have any brothers and sisters?”

“No…only child.”

“Tell me about your parents.”

Bear raised his head to look up at me, then lowered his head again, his gaze falling onto the floor.

“Dad and Mom ran a little coffee shop in town.  It was successful enough that we never wanted for anything…and me being the only child, I had my share of being spoiled I suppose.  Dad also volunteered as an assistant football coach at the high school.  He had played some college ball.  Was a pretty big guy too – like me.”

“Was he the one who introduced you to the game?”

For the first time, I saw a small smile break across Bear’s face.

“Yeah…Dad loved football.  He wasn’t much of a talker…except around football.  Coaching it or watching it, football took him out of his shell.  It gave us a bond I guess…a connection between father and son.  Him and me would play catch…watch the games on television after we got home from church…and I’d watch him coaching on Friday nights.  Home games, away games…Mom and me went to them all.  Me and her would talk all the way to the games and then we’d both watch Dad coaching on the sidelines.  By the time I was no more than five I knew I was going to play football too…never a doubt about it.  And it helped I kept growing…Mom would always joke I was eating them out of house and home.  I got taller…bigger…by 8
^th
grade I was already becoming known in town for being one hell of a ball player.  They had me running the ball on offense back then, and playing the line on defense.  As much as I liked scoring touchdowns…I loved tackling people even more.  So by the time I was a freshman in high school, my focus was on being the best defensive player I could.  Laying a hit on someone…I loved it.”

“So you had a loving, supportive home?”

“Oh hell, yeah…the best.  Now Dad, he could be tough on me.  Didn’t say much around the house…outside of football, and if I messed up, he would come down on me pretty hard.  Mom was the peace maker between us as I got older…I could always talk to her.  With Dad…you know as a boy gets older they’ll test their parents.  Kind of a push and pull thing…and I would test Dad and piss him off and he’d push back…but overall…we got along.  And when I started playing high school ball and he was one of my coaches, it worked out.  I was worried going in that it would cause more stress between us but he always kept that separation between being my coach and being my dad…and he helped to make me a better player.  And…and a better man.

“High school football...what a great time.  Friday night football in Texas – you felt like a god out on that field.  And I was good.  I’m not saying that to brag, just how it was.  By my sophomore year I was defensive captain…had recruiters calling the home, coming to the games.  But Dad and Mom kept me grounded - always emphasized my education.  I remember my junior year…I was already about six foot six by then…about two hundred seventy pounds…there was this pro scout who stopped by the house.  He talked to us for almost an hour and then at the very end he suggested I didn’t need to go to college – that I could go pro right out of high school.  My dad literally picked the guy up by his collar and walked him out to the car.  I was going to college and that was that.  My parents always told me that an education had to part of the deal or else I’d just be another idiot cashing big checks and blowing the money and then when it was time to be a father myself, I wouldn’t have the common sense to do it right.”

There was a pause in the conversation, and I sensed Bear fighting to control emotions that were now beginning to re-surface. 

“Both of your parents are now deceased, correct?”

Bear’s hands rubbed the temple area on each side of his head, as his eyes continued to stare down at the floor.

“Yeah…Dad went first.  Mom…she went about five years later.  It got…it got messy between them toward the end.  That last year before Dad was gone.  None of us really knew what…what he was doing.  Or why.  Not then.  We understood later…he was right about it all.  But…at the time we just thought he had gone crazy.”

“You’re talking about the Texas Resistance, right?”

“Yeah, the resistance.  That was…it was my sixth season in the pros, was playing for my second team – Dallas.  A few years earlier my dad started to…he was always going on about the government.  There had been a bunch of lawsuits against football.  Some injuries…people were talking about banning the game.  That talk had been going on for about ten years before that…I remember when I was playing high school football there was some talk about it.  Well…by 2013 that talk started getting more serious and my dad was very upset over it – Congress was looking into it.  So we had at that time the whole gun restriction movement going on…then the football ban…my parents’ coffee house business was getting fined by the IRS because they were being told they had screwed up with the new Obamacare regulations.  Just a bunch of stuff came down on my parents’ heads all at once.  And I was off playing pro ball…so I wasn’t really around.  I didn’t realize how angry my dad was getting until…until later.

“It was early 2014 when Congress passed some idiotic bill on required safety for high school sports – and football was banned for all minors.  It was called too dangerous.  There were some schools that ignored the ban the next year…there was an athletic director in California who was arrested and sentenced to nine months.  That was the first time I heard the term “re-education facility”.  That was also…I got to spend the holidays at home that year because I was coming off knee surgery – tore an ACL the third game of the season.  Dad was…they were closing the coffee shop by then due to the IRS fines.  Had to lay off twenty-two employees right before Christmas.  That had Mom upset – but Dad was the one who was getting scary pissed.  The school where he coached at dropped football, and people were starting to talk about home visits by government officials looking for illegal firearms.  Now, this is Texas where owning a gun is…it’s like owning a stove, or a microwave.  And my dad, we’re at the dinner table that night and he’s going on and on about how the government is coming for us.  How it’s turning into some kind of one-world organization.  He seemed really volatile…really angry.  And then he was pointing at me and saying how the NFL was going to be banned too…that he had read that Congress was about to shut it down just like they shut down high school football.  That they were going to take away my ability to use my God-given talent to make a living.”