The Liddy Scenario Page 7

  “Okay. Thank you, Toby.”

  Pleased with the situation, Julie Anne threw herself into the kitchen work as she waited for Angela to contact her.

  Ranger noticed the new energy Julie Anne had and asked her about it after supper a couple of days later.

  “Toby taught me to shoot, and how to defend myself. Angela is going to teach me how to do sentry duty. I feel better about being here and doing my part.”

  “Not everyone has to pull sentry duty,” Ranger said. “Very few of the women do.”

  “I know. But I want to do this. Brody, and you, especially, probably have saved my life two or three times. I want to be able to do that for myself, and perhaps help save someone else if it becomes necessary.”

  “Good for you. There was a time when I wondered… But you’ve come through this with flying colors.”

  “I suppose I doubted myself, too. And I still feel bad about not helping out in the city more.”

  “I think you did well beyond the call of duty.”

  “Maybe. But you and Brody didn’t have that call at all, and yet you did help.”

  Ranger made light of it. “Yeah. That’s just us. Good Samaritans.”

  Julie Anne smiled slightly. “I suppose so. I need to get back to the kitchen. A large pile of dishes awaits me.”

  Ranger watched her walk away, lost in thought. Ranger wondered if she was thinking of him, or Brody.

  Another month passed and Julie Anne was comfortable standing sentry duty. It would be some time before she was allowed on the roving patrols, though. That was another training scenario entirely.

  Angela had become a good friend and mentor. Julie Anne spent some of her free time at Angela’s helping to take care of the three children in the family. Something else she’d never done before. She found she liked be-ing around the children and asked to be reassigned from kitchen duty to child care.

  There was no problem with it, and Julie Anne became a teacher, using home schooling materials that were at the Farm, in addition to her sentry duties.

  Her first encounter with outsiders went fairly well, considering. Angela and Julie Anne saw the three men walking along the county road. All three carried hunting rifles and had revolvers on their hips.

  “I’ll cover,” Angela whispered and shifted position just enough to be able to watch what was happening, but be out of the men’s line of sight. She raised the MURS radio to her lips and notified the house that something was up.

  Julie Anne waited to see if the men checked the gate. As often as not, she’d been told, people seeing the locked gate walked on by. Not these three. They stopped in the middle of the county road and discussed something. Julie Anne was sure the discussion was about the locked gate, though they were speaking in low tones and she couldn’t hear them.

  When all three stepped toward the gate, Julie stepped partway out from behind the tree she was using for concealment. “Far enough,” she said firmly, her carbine pointed about two-thirds of the way between her and the three men.

  “State your business,” she said, marveling at how calm she was.

  “Looking for game,” said the apparent leader of the three. “Who are you?”

  “Doesn’t matter. This is private property. And the owner isn’t giving out hunting permits anymore. I suggest you try your luck further on.”

  “Who are you to say if we can hunt or not?” asked one of the other men. He looked to be the youngest.

  “Private land, private use. Move along.” Julie Anne was forceful but calm.

  “Maybe we just want to have a little parley with you.” This from the third man. Julie Anne felt chills go down her spine at the way he was looking at her.

  “No parley or anything else. Move along.”

  All three men took a step closer to the gate. “One more step and I shoot you,” Julie Anne told the leader.

  The other two seemed more than willing to risk the man getting shot, but he had other ideas. “Okay, guys. Let’s just back off here a minute and see what kind of agreement we can come to about hunting here.”

  The third man, with a laugh that was more bark than anything, said, “I know what I’m hunting.” His eyes were boring into Julie Anne’s, in an attempt to intimidate her. He stepped forward.

  Julie Anne shot him square in the chest, without hesitation. He went down like he’d been pole axed. The carbine was aimed at the leader now. “Move along, and take his body with you, or we can continue this the hard way.”

  The younger man looked a bit sick. “You said you’d shoot him,” he said, pointing at the older man.

  “Oh, gee. Thanks,” said the leader. He looked angry. Julie Anne suspected the anger was directed as much at the man she’d shot and the younger one than it was at her. With Julie Anne’s carbine aimed square at him, he told the other man, “Let’s get him and get out of here.”

  The two picked the third up, one on each side, their shoulders under his arm pits. They started back the way they had come. Julie Anne started to relax, lowering the carbine slightly. Suddenly the younger man dropped the one they were carrying, spun around, drawing his revolver and shouted, “He was my brother!”

  A shot came from behind Julie Anne and the young man went down. Julie Anne drew a bead on the leader, who was running as fast as he could go down the road. She couldn’t pull the trigger and shoot the man in the back.

  Julie Anne looked around. Angela was there, along with Brody, Ranger, and Toby. It was Angela who had shot the young man. She looked a bit sheepish. “I think you probably had him, but I couldn’t take the chance.”

  “I… I… Uh… I don’t…” Julie Anne went to her knees and lost her lunch and part of her breakfast.

  Angela knelt down beside Julie Anne and put her hand on Julie Anne’s back, saying, “Let it out. Happens to almost everyone the first time. Did me.”

  The three men were checking the two bodies. When Julie Anne was able to stand up again, she noted that the men’s guns and equipment had been removed and Ranger and Brody were moving them to the side of the road.

  It was Toby that told her, “I’ll send someone down for the bodies. They’ll get a decent burial. And, by the way, you did the right thing, not shooting that man in the back. Sometimes it’s necessary, but I think he learned his lesson.”

  Julie Anne, pale as a ghost, nodded. “Come on,” Angela coaxed. Brody and Ranger will take the rest of the shift.”

  “No, I should…”

  “It’s standard procedure,” Brody said. “A confrontation like this is hard for anyone to deal with. Better you take it easy for a couple of days. But don’t cut yourself off from people. If you want to talk… Well… Feel free to stop by the trailer to talk to me.”

  “Or me,” Ranger said.

  “Me, too,” Angela added.

  Julie Anne nodded and walked up the gravel driveway with Angela.

  “What do you think, Brody?” Ranger asked. “She going to handle it, or lose it?”

  “She’ll handle it,” Brody said firmly. “She’s tough. Tougher than she looks or lets on.”

  “I hope so,” Ranger said.

  “Come on. Let’s get out of sight. Those shots might bring someone else to investigate.”

  Though it was unrelated, Brody’s thoughts proved prophetic. In the months that had passed, and martial law declared for the entire nation three months into the situation, no one with any authority had stopped at the Farm. That changed three days after Julie Anne’s confrontation.

  Toby was summoned to the gate the afternoon the authorities arrived. Seeing Brody as he headed down the driveway at a slow trot, Toby waved him over. “I need you to come with me and back me up. This could be the trouble we’ve been dreading.”

  Brody nodded. What would be done had been discussed time after time. Only a general plan had been proposed and accepted. Toby trusted Brody to handle the situation appropriately, no matter which way it went.

  When they got close, Toby continued down the driveway and
Brody drifted into the woods and made his way down to one of the good look out points the sentries used to watch the gate.

  There was a small military convoy parked on the county road. “Who’s in command?” Toby said as soon as he reached the gate. There were three officers standing near the lead Humvee. Two of them came over to the gate.

  “I’m Captain Collingsworth. This is my second in command, Lt. Randal. You are Toby Green?”

  “Yes, Captain. We’ve been waiting for someone to show up.”

  “Is that a fact?”

  “Yes. We’ve been stockpiling food for distribution as soon as some way became available. Our feeble efforts early in the disaster were not successful. I can show you and your second around to see what we have available, and how much we can continue to produce ongoing.”

  Captain Collingsworth’s surprise was evident. He and his men weren’t used to being welcomed. At least not when they showed up to collect, rather than distribute.

  The third officer walked up to Lt. Randal and whispered into his ear, and then went back to the Humvee. “Sir,” the Lieutenant said, “infrared shows two additional hostiles in the woods, about thirty meters back and three meters off the road.”

  Capt. Collingsworth looked at Toby.

  Calmly Toby said. “We have security here, just as you do. Not as well equipped, obviously.”

  “Bring them out,” the Captain said. There was no question. He meant bring them out or his men would, dead or alive.

  Toby gave the signal and Brody and Ranger stepped out into the drive-way, holding their rifles at port arms..

  “Bring them down,” the Captain said.

  Toby waved at the two and both men approached cautiously, making no move to draw the ire of the military.

  “I want no trouble, Captain,” Toby said earnestly. “We have it good here, compared to many places. But we are prepared to help, and help a great deal. But we want to do it as honest, upright, loyal citizens to the United States, cooperating to with all parties to get through this time of trouble.”

  Lt. Randal spoke before the Captain could. “You don’t dictate to the military. You are under martial law. We dictate to you.”

  “Dictate as in the President is now a dictator?” Ranger asked angrily, “And you’re his jack booted thugs to carry out the dictates?”

  “Easy, Lieutenant,” Captain Collingsworth said as Lt. Randal’s right hand moved to his holstered sidearm. Looking back at Toby, the Captain continued, “We’re not used to people offering cooperation. I must say we’ve had to be… forceful… to get some needed supplies and material. Convince me why it should be different here. Some of your people are obviously not in tune with this necessary aspect of the recovery effort.”

  Toby unlocked the gate and ushered the Captain and Lieutenant inside. “An escort, sir?” the Lieutenant asked.

  Captain Collingsworth shook his head slowly. “I believe we can trust Mr. Green not to execute us or take us hostage. He knows full well that the rest of the command would lay waste to this property.”

  “Stay here,” Brody whispered to Ranger, and fell into step beside Toby as he walked up the driveway with the two military officers.

  The Lieutenant looked at Brody harshly, but the Captain neither said nor did anything in objection to Brody’s presence, so the Lieutenant didn’t either.

  It was a long tour. Toby didn’t leave anything out, except the large, well equipped underground fallout shelter. Toby gave the Captain a running account of what was on hand, ready for distribution, and what their production capabilities were, given the current weather conditions and staffing situation.

  “If we could get military security, it would turn several people loose to increase production by three or four percent,” Brody said. It was the first time he’d spoken on the tour. “Perhaps as much as five percent.”

  “Captain,” Lt. Randal said, “the material on this farm could feed five hundred people right now. I respectfully advise we take everything ex-cept subsistence rations for everyone here.”

  “He’s probably right, Captain,” Brody said. “But if we continue as we are, we can feed at least three-hundred-fifty people on a continuing basis. Isn’t that better than five-hundred one time? For a full recovery it is paramount to maintain breeding stock and seed stock. If you take every-thing the way the Lieutenant wants, we would probably not be able to take care of ourselves, and you’d have another fifty needy people to take care of.”

  They had made their way back down to the entrance gate to the Farm. “My orders are to bring in everything we can find. I will contact head-quarters and see what I can do. I like your idea of ongoing support and re-supply.”

  The Lieutenant was not a happy camper, but he followed the Captain back to the Humvee and they got in. The convoy drove off, with the Captain’s Humvee in the lead.

  “You want us to start digging in more defenses?” Ranger asked eagerly.

  “No. Settle down, boy. I’m not risking one life taking on the US military. They outnumber us and out gun us. It would be a massacre. There is no point to it. If need be I’ll start over. We’ll start over.”

  Fortunately cooler heads prevailed. Three days later the convoy showed up again and the Captain told Toby, “Higher ups approved my request to use you as an ongoing supply source. No dice on a security detachment. You’re on your own there. We expect to be able to pick up weekly.

  “I would suggest you do your best to fulfill the obligation you have taken on. It was a very mixed reaction to my request. Any problems. and I will get, and carry out, orders to take everything except enough for you to live on for a month. That includes the property. It will be manned by military staff and continue to operate.”

  Toby nodded. Brody did as well. Ranger was livid, but said nothing. Neither did Lt. Randal. He was just as displeased with the situation as Ranger.

  To make sure there were no confrontations, Toby, knowing Ranger, sent him off on an errand that would keep him out of sight and mind for the duration of the presence of the military.

  Wanting to be as cooperative as possible to minimize problems. Toby had already arranged for the promised goods to be prepared for shipment. It took only an hour for the combined efforts of Toby’s people and the military personnel to get the military trucks loaded.

  “Keep your fingers crossed,” Toby said as he and Brody watched the convoy drive away. Brody locked the gate behind them. “We’re getting off easy, compared to some.”

  “True,” Brody said. “But I plan on being ready to take off if they change their minds.”

  Toby was disappointed, but could understand Brody’s feelings. Brody turned to look at Toby. “But I won’t leave until I know you and every-one else has the best chance to survive, too.”

  With a nod, Toby turned around and the two men walked back to the ranch house, each engrossed in their own thoughts.

  The next pick up of food brought a major surprise. Julie Anne happened to be helping load one of the military trucks and asked one of the soldiers, “How is the city doing? When I left, there was a shootout going on in City Hall.”

  “Heard about that,” Cpl. Long said. “Supposed to have been real messy. Too bad the way it turned out. From the reports we got when we first showed up, the Mayor and his team were doing about as well as could be expected. This new Mayor… Well, it’s not up to me to say. That’s civil-ian business and only the Captain up deal with them.”

  “There was a new election?” Julie Anne asked in surprise. “Who’s the new Mayor?”

  “No election. The Dog Catcher, believe it or not, claimed right of succession and took over until elections can be arranged.”

  “Harvey Tinsold? You have to be kidding! Even if there was a line of succession, he’d be way down the list!”

  “Everyone seemed to be okay with it. I wouldn’t want him as my Mayor, from the things I’ve heard, but the Martial Law lawyers said it was as good as any way of getting things back on track.”

  �
��For goodness sake,” Julie Anne said. “The man is a drunkard. There had to be someone else in that line of succession willing to take on the job. I mean, I was Cemetery Administrator and I would have been ahead of Tinsold in any line of succession.”

  “You’re kidding! I think you’d better talk to the Captain. Come on.”

  A bit annoyed with herself for having spoken up, Julie Anne followed Cpl. Long as he went to find the Lieutenant.

  “Lieutenant,” the Corporal said, “I think the Captain should talk to this woman. She was in city government.”

  “I see,” the Lieutenant replied. “Odd to find you out here, instead of in the city, doing your job.”

  Julie Anne took an instant dislike of Lieutenant Randal. The Corporal made himself scarce, thankful he didn’t have to deal with the Lieutenant very often.

  “There was a gunfight going on when I left,” Julie Anne said, with some heat in her voice.

  “Yes. Well. Come along. I’ll let the Captain decide on what to do with you.” Julie Anne followed along, seething inside. Only in part of due to the Lieutenant. She was beginning to feel like she’d done the wrong thing in leaving the city. Especially if Harvey Tinsold was now in charge.

  “Captain Collingsworth, this woman was in the city government, before she ran out on them and came here.”

  “I beg your pardon!” Julie Anne said, going red in the face at what was a clear accusation. “I stayed until the shootout in City Hall. We worked weeks without pay, keeping bodies off the street. We had no idea that there was even any form of city government left.”

  “That’s enough, Lieutenant,” the Captain said. “You’re dismissed.”

  The Lieutenant acknowledged the dismissal with a salute, which the Captain returned.

  “My apologies, Miss…”

  “Baumgartner. Ms.. Julie Anne Baumgartner.”

  “My apologies for Lt. Randal, Ms. Baumgartner. Now, what is this about you being a city official?”

  “I was City Cemetery Administrator, Captain. My employees and I worked above and beyond to keep the bodies off the streets. We buried hundreds in slit trenches. In 100 plus temperatures, for weeks on end, without pay, using the employee vehicles at the end. I do not appreciate being maligned in the way that Lieutenant Randal just did.”