Forgotten Forbidden America:: Patriots Reborn (15 page)

“Nancy, did they ever think any of the states would break away?” Michelle asked, almost begging.

“Oh yes, they always programmed Texas, Montana, and Utah to break away.”

Stopping his pacing, Nelson looked over at Nancy. “Did they ever program this many?”

“Yes, and they even ran scenarios with more,” Nancy said.

Nelson stood, waiting for more, but Nancy just stared at him. “Well, don’t hold out now?”

“The scenarios stalled, and the side with the most willpower to sustain losses through starvation, disease, and casualties won. In almost every scenario, it was the federal government. They have forced labor programs to work crops, industry, and infrastructure with manpower instead of machinery. Doing that, they don’t have to use fuel and can save it to retake the areas not under their control.”

“You make it sound like they are going to kick our ass, and the game hasn’t even started,” Nelson cried out, throwing up his hands.

“Nelson, this game was started before we were born,” Nancy said, shaking her head. “The scenarios I’ve been referring to have been running for two decades on computers. Before that, they were done in group think tanks. Even when the public got wind of parts of what the government was doing, no one believed it. You had senators, congressmen, and even presidents making excuses, and the public bought it. Most would think, ‘Why would our government want to do this to us? It was just a mistake.’”

Ashley wiped tears off her face. “Why?”

“Power,” Nancy mumbled. “Eisenhower warned of the military industrial complex, but he was wrong. It’s the entire industrial complex. Most elected federal officials aren’t rich when they take office. All of them are multimillionaires before they leave. They have nice salaries, but it’s hard to make a hundred grand a year turn into twenty million dollars in four years.”

“I know we have limited information now and need to fix that, but have you noticed any big monkey wrenches they hadn’t counted on?” Nelson asked.

“Only one, and I don’t know if it worked.”

“What was it, and when do you think you’ll know?” Nelson asked, feeling a breath of hope.

“If the problem I saw is a ‘monkey wrench,’ we’ll know in three days,” Nancy said. “I don’t want to say what it is right now in case it doesn’t work.”

“We aren’t going to tell,” Nelson huffed.

Nancy laughed. “I know that, Nelson. Even trying to picture any of you betraying us makes me laugh,” she said then became serious. “If this ‘monkey wrench’ doesn’t work, I’m going to have to get directly involved.”

“We’ll be with you,” Nelson said with a grin.

Nellie reached over and held Nancy’s hand. “You won’t be alone if you have to get involved more than we already are.”

Gerald held his hand out over the table. “Michelle, give me a go pill. Seeing Nelson bounce around is making me tired.”

Getting up, Michelle laughed. “I’m sure you know the risk.”

“Believe me, I’ve taken them many times before and have some in my cabin. Your bottle is just closer,” he said as she walked over to her vest hanging on the wall, pulled out a big medication bottle, and shook out a pill.

“We had to take Nelson’s away from him in Iraq. One person kept his bottle and would have to give them to him,” she said, walking back to the table and giving Gerald the pill. “He would stay awake for days, going out on every mission that came up.”

“It was fun,” Nelson sang out with a smile.

With a face of stone, Michelle looked at Gerald and growled, “If you give him a bottle, I’ll break your legs.”

Tossing the pill in his mouth, Gerald shifted his eyes behind Michelle to see Nelson pacing the kitchen. “No worries there.”

“If you want to do something, Nelson is good for ten hours because he’s not getting another one unless
I
,” she stressed, “think it’s necessary.”

“We’ll be done by then for the day,” Gerald said, standing up. “Bernard, ready to go see Hank?”

“We’re taking my truck,” Nelson shouted then ran over, kissing the kids on their heads, then kissed Michelle before he darted out. Everyone was startled at just how fast he did it.

“I’m warning you, he makes snap judgments like this. They are sound, but like I said, he makes snap judgments. He’s supposed to be on Adderall but won’t take it. The go pills only seem to pump up his hyperactivity.”

“Can’t you come?” Gerald almost pleaded.

“No, I told him I wouldn’t,” Michelle said, sitting down. “And I would have to take a go pill, and when both of us are hyper, we encourage each other just a little too much.”

“Well, that’s a good thing,” Matt said, patting Ashley’s hand.

“Not all the time,” Michelle said, picking up her fork.

Bernard grabbed a napkin and wiped his mouth as he stood up. “We should be back in an hour, or I’ll call on the radio,” he said, hearing Nelson’s diesel crank up.

“If things go bad, be ready for casualties,” Gerald said, kissing Devin on the head.

“If that happens, don’t get in front of Nelson,” Michelle warned. “He attacks fast and without warning if he feels a shit storm coming. If you see him step away from the group, get ready.”

“Maybe he needs to stay here,” Matt said, getting up.

“If you want one of you to get killed if it goes bad, leave him,” Michelle said, turning to Matt. “He can raise his rifle and fire, killing three targets within a hundred yards, in under two seconds. He always goes for the leader and the two strongest threats, so adjust accordingly.”

Hearing Nelson blowing the horn outside, Gerald grabbed his vest. “Bouncing bunny comes with us,” he said. “Call and tell Hank we are coming over.”

Grabbing his M14, Bernard followed Gerald out the back door as Matt kissed Ashley and the kids. Pulling his vest off the wall, music started blaring outside. “Glad I like that song,” Matt said, pulling his vest on.

“That’s country. When he starts listening to heavy metal, he gets ‘frisky,’” Michelle laughed.

Matt walked outside to see Nelson parked at the back deck. A large American flag was hanging off the CB antenna. “Get your big ass in here!” Nelson shouted over the music. Seeing Bernard up front and Gerald in the back on the passenger side, Matt climbed in behind Nelson.

When his door shut, Nelson stomped the pedal. “We have so much shit to do, this better not take long!” he shouted over the music.

“Can you turn the music down just a little bit!” Bernard shouted.

“This is Hank Williams Jr. Don’t you like Bocephus?”

“Yes, but not this loud!” Bernard said, grabbing the dash as Nelson shot out the gate doing fifty. Nelson yanked the wheel, shooting up dirt as the truck sped down the road.

Reaching back, Gerald grabbed his seatbelt and put it on, seeing the overturned truck and trailer approaching much too fast. “This should be interesting,” he mumbled as Nelson yanked the wheel, hitting the ditch and speeding through the gap barely wider than the truck at sixty.

“Nelson, will you slow down? We aren’t in that big of a hurry!” Bernard shouted, pulling his seat belt on.

“You complain just like Michelle!” Nelson shouted as the truck leapt in the air, and he steered back on the road. “You’re going too fast. This music is giving me a headache. I need to pee. Come on, it’s just the guys.”

“I think I already peed, so I didn’t need to say that one,” Bernard shouted, grabbing the dash as Nelson weaved through the Y heading to Hank’s.

Seeing Hank’s house in the distance, Gerald was impressed with the work they had done. A barbwire fence surrounded the house a hundred yards out. The tree line behind and on the north side had been cut of all big trees fifty yards back.

Nelson took his foot off the accelerator and stomped the brake. Bernard said a thankful prayer for anti-lock brakes as the truck stopped at a makeshift gate at the barbwire fence. Hank and his boys were at the gate and opening it when Nelson jumped out, killing the engine and grabbing his AR off the dash.

“Damn it, Nelson, let me talk first,” Bernard shouted, fighting his seatbelt.

“What’s the hurry?” Hank asked with a smile. He and his boys had the ARs they had given them over their shoulders. Nelson scanned the three, seeing the 1911s they had given them on their hips and more people running from the house to the gate.

“I take it you’re Hank?” Nelson asked, slinging his AR across his chest, letting it hang down.

“Yes, and since you’re not the size of a mountain, I take it you’re Nelson,” Hank said, reaching his hand out.

Taking Hank’s hand and shaking it, Nelson said, “That would be me. ” He let the hand go as the group of people reached the gate, all of them smiling. This was more people than he knew about. He saw two middle-aged men. The two men were holding a hand of a woman about the same age, and there were six kids that Nelson couldn’t account for. He saw one woman with her arms over two kids’ shoulders, and from the description Gerald gave him, Nelson knew they were Steven’s wife and kids.

“I want to say thank you for the weapons.” Hank smiled, tapping the AR on his shoulder.

“Hank!” Bernard shouted when he jumped out. “Nelson, I’m talking. Step back!”

Nelson nodded and stepped back, and the smile fell off Hank’s face. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Your brother almost got us killed,” Nelson growled.

Hank pointed at the fence and gate. “That’s what we have been getting ready for. When they show up, we’re going to tell them leave or die, but we ain’t going.”

“Valiant. Stupid, but valiant,” Nelson said, making Hank startle. “You don’t fight from your house. You attack before they get here so you have room to move. They can seal you up and destroy your house around you; I’m sure Gerald went over that.”

Getting angry, Hank shouted, “This is my land, and I’m going to fight for it.”

“Nelson, will you shut up?” Bernard snapped. “Let me talk,” Bernard sighed as Matt and Gerald got out of the truck. Watching the group, Nelson gave a slight nod and was going to move off but found Matt and Gerald blocking him from moving.

“Why’s he so mad?” Hank shouted at Bernard.

“Because your fucking brother sold us out!” Bernard bellowed, making Hank and his entire group lean back. “You couldn’t have stopped the ones that were coming with this crap!” Bernard shouted, waving at the fence. “They have military weapons and rockets! They would just sit back and blow your fucking house up!”

“I dealt with Steven!” Hank shouted with his face turning red.

“Excuse me, Bernard,” Nelson said calmly as he stepped up, and Gerald and Matt did the same, staying at his side. “Did you talk to an Agent Palmer?”

“Yeah, I have a card he gave me,” Hank snapped.

Grinning, Nelson reached in his vest, pulling out the plastic bag with Palmer’s severed hand, which now looked grotesque. “You can have his hand to go with that card if you like,” Nelson said, tossing the bag over. By reflex, Hank caught it but dropped it, stuttering. “He said he was coming to kill our families. I had a long talk explaining the errors of his ways. When I was done, Bernard ran him through the wood chipper.”

As one, Hank’s group’s jaws dropped as they looked at Bernard. “Those fuckers raped Williams’ wife, daughter, and granddaughter in front of him!” Bernard bellowed, stepping up in Hank’s face. “They have pictures of it on their cellphones back at the barn. You want to see?”

Hank shook his head. “Bernard, we had nothing to do with that.”

“I’m not fucking stupid! I know that, but that’s what your brother was willing to turn loose on us!”

“I took care of him,” Hank said, narrowing his eyes.

“Is he breathing?” Bernard asked, stepping up and looking down at Hank.

“Yes, he’s sleeping in the barn now.”

“Not good enough,” Bernard said, stepping back with a calm face.

Nelson grabbed Bernard and pulled him back another step. “Hold for a second,” Nelson said, stepping in front of Bernard. Matt grabbed Bernard and moved him out of the way as he and Gerald moved to either side of Nelson.

Taking off his sunglasses, Nelson stuck them on his neck, looking at the four middle-aged men and women. “You four are staring at me and Matt awful hard. May I ask why?”

One of the women leaned up to the ear of the man whose hand she was holding. “It’s them. I know it,” she said with a smile.

“I sure hope you mean that in a good way,” Nelson said, suddenly stepping away from Matt and Gerald. He moved off to the side, staring at the four.

The man the woman spoke to stepped up beside Hank. “You and that big man rescued us yesterday,” he said with a smile. “I’m in your debt.”

“Kevin, when did you get here?” Bernard asked, realizing other people were around. “Josh,” he said, looking at the other man. “What are you doing here?”

“They rescued us yesterday, and we took their advice. We headed to someone we knew on a farm.” Josh smiled, reaching out to shake Bernard’s hand.

Bernard shook his hand. “Glad you made it.”

“Nelson, why are you staring at me like you’re ready to fight?” Hank asked.

“Because I am,” Nelson said in a monotone. “If you want your brother turning your family over to be raped and killed, that’s on you. But I have kids and friends, so it’s not alright with me. I can show you pictures of what those government agents do to boys like yours if you want. I got to see it firsthand.”