Forgotten Forbidden America:: Patriots Reborn (3 page)

Not understanding how this got to be her fault, Michelle had to replay the conversation. “So you don’t think he’s responsible enough, or there is no danger to be expected,” Nelson said, crossing his arms.

“Nelson, I… Well…” she stuttered. “Damn it, I just thought we should’ve talked about it before you did it.”

“Will this talk fit that category?”

She took a deep breath, and Nelson crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her. Michelle busted out laughing. “One day, I’m going to pop you.”

“Bring it. I’ll let the dogs chew up your panties.”

“Okay, you win. I’ll drop it, but please, talk to me about this kind of stuff. I want to have a say even if it’s to say, ‘Hell yeah.’ I don’t want the kids to see me on the sidelines and it’s only Dad that believes they are trustworthy.”

“Now, that is a valid argument and one I will admit I was totally in the wrong,” Nelson said, shocking Michelle again. “So go tell him that’s why you were upset, and on that part, I was very wrong. You wanted to let him know to be careful with it, but you trust him.”

She leaned over and kissed him. “This in no way changes my point of view on the dirt bike.”

“Yeah, that I know,” Nelson smiled and hugged her.

As Michelle went to talk to Gavin, Nelson heard Zeus whining and saw Devin on Zeus’ back, chewing on the back of his head. “Well, now you know what my house shoes and Momma’s panties feel like,” Nelson said as he walked over to take Devin.

Devin reached out, wanting the furry chew toy, as Nelson grabbed his vest. Juggling Devin from arm to arm, Nelson put it on but didn’t buckle it. Grabbing the diaper bag, Nelson saw Gavin hugging Michelle, and she was rubbing the back of his head. “Yep, first one that says they aren’t our baby gets thrown out. That should bring the others in line,” Nelson said, walking to the gun rack.

“I’m hungry. I’ll see you next door,” Nelson said, walking out.

Seeing the sky to the east getting light, Nelson smiled and looked down at Devin chewing on his fist. “Looks like a good day to show the trees I’m the tree warrior, and they will fall before me, right, soccer head?”

Stopping in his tracks, Nelson said, “Hey wait, I’m missing a kid.” He spun around and opened the door to see Michelle putting on her vest and Gavin waiting on her. “Where is my daughter?”

“You just now realized we are missing a child?” Michelle gasped but had a smile.

“I knew a fight was coming, so I had to prepare,” Nelson said. “Then soccer ball head here took a dump that burnt my nose hairs out, so yeah, but there are two of us for a reason.”

“Bernard came and got her after we went to the gym. Nellie didn’t want her to be alone.”

“Gavin was here,” Nelson said, pointing. “Then we have those two horses that people think are dogs.”

Picking up her AR, Michelle said, “Bernard left a note that they were in the bed with her again.”

“Well, she is the best protected one then,” Nelson said, turning around. “A damn poltergeist would run from those dogs.”

Chapter Two

As Nelson walked in the back door, Gerald charged him, holding out his hands and scaring the shit out of Nelson. “Give me my bubble warrior.”

Devin squealed, holding out his arms as Gerald took him. Setting Devin on his hip, Gerald walked around, talking to him. “I need to talk to Michelle about having more kids since everyone is taking mine,” Nelson mumbled.

Taking off his vest and hanging it and his rifle up, Nelson looked in the kitchen to see Nellie with a gaping mouth staring at Gerald holding Devin. Moving around the kitchen island, he didn’t see Olivia but did see Nancy playing with Mike at the table. “Nellie, where’s my kid?” Nelson asked, turning around, but Nellie was still staring at Gerald and Devin.

Giving up, he walked into the living room and found Olivia and Brittney in Bernard’s lap as he read a story from the Bible to them. “She doesn’t sit that still when I read the Bible to her,” Nelson mumbled. “I have to read about fairies, pigs, or Barbie dolls.”

Walking back in the kitchen, Nelson saw the stack of plates on the counter. He picked them up and started setting them out as Michelle and Gavin came in taking off vests and hanging up rifles. “Where are Matt and Ashley?” Nelson asked Nancy as he put a plate in front of her.

“Guess still in the cabin,” she said then continued playing with Mike. “I went and got Mike after I got dressed just to chap Gerald’s ass.”

Setting the last plate down and turning to Nancy, Nelson said, “I’m not following.”

“He wanted to go get Devin but was scared to ask. So I went and got Mike just to show him he was acting like a little sissy,” Nancy said as Gavin came around and sat down by his buddy. Gavin was soon playing with Mike.

“I’m emotionally confused now,” Nelson said, turning to the kitchen island and grabbing the silverware.

“You’re not the only one,” Michelle said, walking past him carrying glasses. “I had to check for a pulse on Nellie to convince myself she was okay. You find the child you lost?”

“I didn’t lose her; you did by not telling me where she was,” Nelson said as he started putting silverware out.

Knowing there wasn’t something right about that, Michelle thought about it but couldn’t decide exactly what. “So is she asleep?” was all she could come up with.

“Bernard’s reading stories from the Bible to her and Brittney,” Nelson said and finished the silverware then looked up at her as Matt and Ashley came in.

“I can’t get her to sit still and read to her unless it’s a book about pigs or mice driving a car.”

Nelson put his hands on his hips. “You know, I said almost the same thing. We need to sit down and talk about having another kid since everyone has taken the ones we have now.”

“Nelson, I thought the same thing not more than thirty minutes ago.”

“What same thing did you think of?” Ashley asked, sitting down on the other side of Nancy, and Mike almost crawled over Nancy to get to his momma.

“Nothing,” Michelle and Nelson said together.

“Daddy,” Olivia cried out, running over and latching on his leg, and Nelson picked her up. “Nana is teaching Pappy how to brush my hair and put my ponytails in,” she said, twirling her ponytail.

“What story did Pappy read you?”

“About David and some lions.” Olivia smiled and saw Michelle. “Mommy!”

Olivia threw out her hand, leaning for Michelle. As Michelle took her, Nelson let her go. “Huh,” Nelson said and walked over to find Nellie out of her catatonic state. He grabbed the napkins and started setting them out. Brittney was in Matt’s lap, telling him about the stories as Nelson set out the napkins.

Hearing Devin’s giggle, he looked up to see Gerald bringing him to the table. Nellie was setting down a plate of bacon and again froze, watching the interaction. “Hope you didn’t mind me getting Olivia,” Bernard said as he sat down. “Matt and Ashley drop off Brittney on the way to the gym, and Nellie said Olivia needed to be over here.”

“I don’t mind; I guess we could drop her off when we go to the gym,” Nelson said, staring at Nellie in her catatonic state.

“Oh, I’ll come and get her. She’s as light as a feather,” Bernard said and looked up to see Nellie gaping at Gerald and Devin. “Nellie, you need me to get the food on the table?”

Shaking her head to break the trance, she said, “No,” as Michelle set down the biscuits.

Michelle looked at Devin having a blast with his new friend. “Ready for food, Devin?”

Gerald and Devin looked up at her in shock. “Already?” Gerald said as Devin wrapped his arms around Gerald’s face.

“Well, you could feed him if want, Gerald,” Michelle said, sitting down.

“Okay, how do you do it?” Gerald asked as Devin clapped his hands, making him laugh.

“My word, Gerald, I’m sitting right beside you; I can help you,” Nellie said, setting down plates of eggs.

Gerald held Devin up. “It’s eatin’ time, buddy!”

Devin howled out laughing as Bernard got up to move Devin’s highchair between Nellie’s spot and Gerald’s. As Bernard pulled levers to move the tray, Gerald watched like a hawk. Then when Bernard set Devin in the chair, Gerald looked under the tray as Bernard made sure Devin’s legs were under it. Even Nelson was impressed with how fast Bernard got Devin in the chair.

“We are talking tonight, so don’t make plans,” Michelle whispered in Nelson’s ear.

“Damn right,” Nelson said and started filling his plate.

When Nellie sat down and showed Gerald how to feed Devin his oatmeal and biscuit, Nelson fought the urge to just walk outside.

After breakfast, Nelson tossed his rifle in his side by side and made sure his gas can was full. As he climbed in, Matt ran over and jumped in beside him. “If you don’t mind, same deal as before. You run that monster you call a chainsaw, and I’ll stack limbs.”

“I got the little chainsaw today, so you can do some limbing if you wanted to,” Nelson said as he started the UTV.

Looking over his shoulder at a chainsaw half the size of the monster in the bed, Matt nodded. “I will try that one.”

“Believe it or not, more accidents happen with the smaller ones.”

“I said ‘try,’ not run it,” Matt clarified as Nelson shot out the gate. “We may be wanted, but I’m happy we aren’t wanted for murder.”

“It’s just a matter of time before they try to find something on everyone.”

As Nelson pulled through the area they were cutting down, Matt looked over at him. “How long you think we got before they come here?”

“Matt, we are on a farm in the middle of nowhere. We stand a good chance of them never coming here. Contrary to popular belief, America is a big place.”

Stopping near the area they were going to cut, Nelson turned off the UTV. Matt said, “We were listening to the HAM radio last night, and riots are widespread. Food is starting to run short in major cities, and Wyoming joined with Texas, Montana, and the other states in withdrawing from the Union. It’s rumored that Missouri was going to announce it, but the governor was called to Washington, and his plane crashed.”

“Funny how that happens,” Nelson said, putting his chaps on, “that someone who wanted to follow the people’s wishes ends up dead.”

“A guy outside St. Louis reported that Homeland has thousands of military contractors there.”

“Missouri is vital ground. We are in the middle of the country north to south and east to west. Those southern boys in Louisiana and Arkansas are going to freeze traffic on the southern routes. Iowa doesn’t have the population to make a massive stand, but there aren’t a lot of cities, so the government might be able to move traffic east to west, but Iowa gets snow. They need Missouri to remain with them or at least neutral.”

“That’s what I mean; everyone that I’ve heard on the radio is talking about all the government people moving around the state. The only other states that are reporting more than us are Ohio and Mississippi.”

Buttoning up his cutting jacket and putting on his helmet, Nelson said, “Ohio because of location, and it’s got some good farmland. Mississippi because it is farmland.”

“So if one does show up, what do we do?”

Nelson grabbed his chainsaw. “Kill ‘em,” he said, lowering his ear muffs.

Matt sighed. “Dude, what I’m trying to say is, what if they come in force? Shouldn’t we run?”

Looking up with a hard expression, Nelson said, “Matt, if we have to run, our lives become instantly a thousand times more challenging. We have little kids. They can’t hike far or fast, so running for them is almost impossible and most likely a death sentence for them and us. I’m of the mind of come for me and my family, I’m going to kill you and find your family. When I find your family, I’m going to make them scream as I kill them to let others know: Fuck with me and my family, I’m killing yours.” Nelson put the chainsaw on the ground. Pulling the choke, he grabbed the cord and yanked it.

As the chainsaw roared to life, Matt stared wide-eyed at Nelson as he moved over to a tree. “Shit, that pretty much separates who we kill,” Matt mumbled. Hearing a motor moving behind him, Matt turned to see Nancy, Michelle, and Gavin driving out of the house on a UTV with Gavin in the back, spooling out cable in the trench Nellie had plowed.

Setting down his gear, Matt put on the leather chaps and other gear and grabbed the smaller chainsaw. Groaning as he put on the hardhat and lowered the ear muffs, Matt flipped the choke and yanked the cord. “I hate these damn things.”

When they had three trees down and limbed out, Bernard pulled around with the tractor and scooped them up with the front-end loader. Feeling the ground tremble, Matt turned to see Nelson dropping another tree. He looked at the area they had cleared, and only trees that a person couldn’t hide behind were left. The area still had many trees but none bigger than twelve inches around.

Refilling his chainsaw, Matt stood up and yanked the cord as Nelson moved to another tree. Waiting for the tree to hit the ground, Matt moved up and started cutting the limbs off. The only thing they stopped for was to refill the chainsaws with fuel and oil.

When Matt felt a hand tap his back, he jumped and turned to see Bernard stepping back and holding up his hands. “Bernard, next time, throw something at me,” Matt said after he shut off his chainsaw.

“Thought about that, but as small as that chainsaw is and how big you are, I figured you would’ve thrown it at me,” Bernard laughed, looking over at Nelson dropping a big oak tree.

“Like I would throw one of Nelson’s chainsaws,” Matt scoffed. “He would use that giant son of a bitch on me.”

“It’s lunch time; go get Paul Bunyan, and let’s eat.”

Taking off his helmet and goggles, Matt looked at Bernard. “Bullshit, that damn blade on that chainsaw is thirty-six inches long. He turns around fast, I’m in two pieces.”

Bernard laughed. “That’s why I’m letting you go get him.”

Putting down his stuff, Matt glared at Bernard then eased over to Nelson and waited until the massive pine tree he was cutting hit the ground. Yelling and waving his arms, Matt slowly walked over to Nelson, who was climbing up on the trunk of the fallen pine. Nelson walked down the trunk, cutting off limbs as Matt came closer.

Seeing something out of the corner of his eye, Nelson turned to see Matt jumping up and down like he was dancing. Killing the saw, Nelson lifted up his earmuffs. “You are not MC Hammer,” Nelson said, walking back down the trunk.

“Well, I sure as hell wasn’t about to walk up and tap you on the shoulder to get your attention,” Matt said, waving an arm around at all the tree stumps. “I don’t want to join the ones you’ve attacked with the saw. Bernard just keeps driving over and hauling their bodies off to the sawmill.”

Nelson laughed and looked past Matt as Bernard walked up. “He’s scared of me when I’m cutting,” Nelson said, jumping off the fallen tree.

“That’s why I sent him,” Bernard said, smiling. “Lunch is ready.”

Taking off his hardhat, Nelson looked around. They had cut a hundred yards back from the road across from the house and several hundred yards east along the road. The house was hidden behind the berm this far out, and only the top of the roof could be seen.

Shifting his gaze from the berm around the house, Nelson sighed, looking at the massive barn. It was several hundred yards away on the other side of the road, but there was nothing they could do to even attempt to hide such a massive building. “That barn blocks a lot of what we can see to the east,” Nelson said, balancing the chainsaw on his shoulder as he held the bar, and the engine was past his head.

“Gerald said he had that covered a year ago,” Matt said, grabbing the smaller chainsaw. They walked back to the UTV and unloaded the gear in the back.

“When you boys start after lunch, you need to head west and clear the tree line back,” Bernard said, jumping beside Nelson. Matt grabbed their weapons and gear, loaded them in the back, and climbed in.

“Yeah, we’re good here. If they want to hide and watch us from here, fine by me,” Nelson said, starting the UTV, and sped back to the house.

Pulling up behind the house, they saw the UTV Nancy, Michelle, and Gavin were using already parked. They heard a motor coming and turned to see Gerald and Ashley pulling up with Duke, Gerald’s dog, running behind them.