Glimmer of Hope (Land of Tomorrow Book 1) (5 page)

Chapter 4 – Rumor Control

Reginald Philips was not a man who sought duty or responsibility, but throughout his life he seemed to consistently find both. He was voted high school class president despite telling anyone who would listen he didn’t want the job. He had grudgingly served as county judge when the incumbent died without warning, and then he was voted back into office for three subsequent terms. Reginald had even been put in charge of his neighborhood watch program, despite telling his neighbors he would not be around often enough to watch said neighborhood. He had accepted the post as Kentucky Lieutenant Governor mostly as a favor to Governor Jason Henry, his old college roommate.

Reggie was told he simply carried an air of purpose and quiet dignity about him that people admired without feeling threatened. Right now he wished he did not have any of those qualities.

He paused in front of the mirror and continued to knot his tie. A tall, gaunt figure with grey hair and wrinkles stared back at him. Many would say he was ridiculous for putting on a suit and tie; that such trappings were now out of place. Reggie could not disagree more; he believed appearances were even more vital now.

He also knew people were desperate for any type of information, and without it they would believe anything, no matter how outlandish. This was the main reason he agreed to the weekly radio broadcasts in the first place. They were initially a simple means of putting out information, but they had since turned into one of the most anticipated events of the week. Reggie became the public voice of the Jackson Purchase; even though he wasn’t really officially in charge of anything.
Heck, no one is
, he thought.

The Jackson Purchase as a geographic area was an anomaly. It was composed of the extreme western part of Kentucky bounded on the west by the Mississippi River, on the north by the Ohio River, on the east by the Cumberland River, and on the south by the Tennessee state line. The region was technically part of the state of Kentucky when it was organized in 1792, but in practicality remained under Indian control for many years. Only in 1818, when Andrew Jackson and Isaac Shelby purchased the area from the Chickasaw Indians, did it really open for settlement and development. For nearly two hundred years the name ‘Jackson Purchase’ was no more than quaint tradition and history, of no real significance. That all changed with Nuke Day or N-Day for short.

Reggie made his way down the stairs and out the front door of his father’s old house after giving his wife Janice a quick kiss. He rode towards the radio station on the ancient three-speed bike he resurrected from the garage. It had needed some oil on the chain and air in the tires, but otherwise was in decent condition.

The town of Murray was mostly quiet, which he thought of as a good thing. The people he passed waved back to him readily enough.
Armageddon is no excuse not to be neighborly
, he thought.

At the WKPO station, he entered the front door and walked back to the control booth where Tim was setting up for the broadcast.

“Hey, Reggie, you ready?” Tim asked.

“I believe so. Same as usual?” responded Reggie.

“Yes, I’ll introduce the show, then you, then allow you to put out general information,” Tim explained. “Based on available time, I’ll ask you some of the more popular questions that people have requested we bring up. Here’s a list of what we’ve got.” Tim handed Reggie a sheet of lined notebook paper with all too familiar topics written down. “We’ve got about six minutes before air time. I’ll signal you one minute out.”

Reggie scanned the topics and was not surprised by anything on the page. People wanted to know exactly what had happened and why. They wanted to know who was responsible and who was to blame. They also wanted to know when this would be over and they could go back to their normal lives. Reggie had held off as long as he could, but he was afraid it was time to wake everyone up for their own sakes. It had been over three months since N-Day, and society had not yet fallen apart, at least not in the Jackson Purchase. Reggie suspected things would eventually get much worse.

Tim signaled him from the booth and Reggie moved to sit next to him. Reggie put on the headphones and pulled his own sheet of paper from his jacket pocket.

The clock on the wall was right at noon when Tim flipped several switches and a light on the wall went from red to green.

“Good afternoon friends and neighbors. This is Tim Reynolds of WKPO and you have tuned into our weekly discussion with Lieutenant Governor Reggie Philips where he talks about the issues that are important to you. Good afternoon, sir.”

“Good afternoon, Tim, it’s good to be here and thanks for inviting me back.”

“My pleasure, would you like to talk about a few of the topics that have come up at the latest Jackson Purchase County Cooperation Council?”

“I certainly would, thank you. For those of you who do not know, this council is made up of all the county executives and mayors from within the Jackson Purchase area. They all work together to cooperate on our common interests and I can frankly tell you this initiative has been a grand success so far.” Reggie thought it best not to talk about the fistfight between two of the county executives that occurred at the last meeting.

“Let me go over a few of the key issues decided,” Reggie continued. “First, the moratorium on the use of fuel remains in effect. No consumption of gasoline, diesel, natural gas, or kerosene is allowed without authorization until further notice. Any violators will have their supplies confiscated.”

Tim raised his hand and Reggie nodded, “Reggie, why is this such an important issue, I mean won’t we get more fuel soon enough?” Reggie gave Tim a smile and a thumbs’ up gesture.

“Actually we have no idea when we will ever get more fuel. We have every resource we need to survive for a long period of time, but the fuel we currently possess may be all we have. Eventually horse and manpower might replace gas engines, but we’re not ready for that yet and we’re going to need all the fuel for this coming year’s planting and harvesting. We also need the fuel for emergency and essential vehicles. We’ve been fortunate that we’re going through a mild winter and spring should come early. Electricity and wood will have to fulfill our heating needs for now.”

Reggie was off his agenda, but went with the flow anyway, “I also want to remind everyone that electricity and water will not be a concern due to the continued operation of the TVA hydroelectric dam at Grand Rivers. The hours of electricity and public water operation are still limited to six hours per region each day.” Although he had explained the rationale for this move many times, he decided to cover it again because people were always upset by the rationing. “The reason we have applied these limitations is in order to minimize wear and tear on electrical equipment and the dam turbines. Currently we only operate one third of the turbines at any one time.”

Reggie paused remembering an argument he'd had yesterday with an irate citizen over the limitations. “Folks, we don’t know when, if ever, things will get back to normal, and we need to conserve and take care of the resources we have. Need I remind you of the horror stories we’ve heard about in other places? There are people out there starving and freezing and dying of sickness and violence. I think we’ve got it pretty good all things considered.”

“Indeed we do, Mr. Lieutenant Governor” said Tim with a slight raise of his eyebrows, “Perhaps we should move on.”

“Right you are Tim, thank you. I want to remind everyone also of the importance of fulfilling your responsibility by paying the levied taxes. Again the preferred means of payment is a gallon of fuel per family per month, but other items can be substituted in lieu of fuel if necessary such as batteries, light bulbs, medicine, salt, canned goods, harvested food, or farm animals. I would also ask families that are better off to help their neighbors if there is a need. We don’t have the resources to tax according to people’s prosperity at this time.” Reggie decided to hold off on mentioning the threat of seizure by force that the committee was considering. Let everyone think cooperation was universal, and maybe it would be.

“Also, please cooperate with all Kentucky State Police and National Guard forces you encounter as they are here to protect you. General Anderson has assured me that the Jackson Purchase borders are secure as per the FEMA plan, and he asks that everyone practice patience and understanding under such trying times.”

Tim raised his hand again and Reggie nodded, “What about those borders? A lot of listeners want to know about freedom of movement.”

Reggie rubbed his hands together and continued on, “Let me assure everyone that the purpose of the closed border is to protect the people of the Jackson Purchase. Anyone who wishes to depart may, but I would strongly advise against it since things appear pretty nasty in certain places. Additionally, we are fortunate enough to be in a belt not affected much by any of the radiation fallout, but we can’t vouch for any other areas. I want to remind everyone to continue to practice caution in that regard and stay indoors during cloudy or rainy weather to avoid potential radiation exposure. Also filter any non-bottled, or non-well, water through six to eight inches of uncontaminated soil.”

“What about other people wanting to get into the Jackson Purchase, such as relatives or friends?” Tim asked with some intensity.

“Well, we have decided for the time being to be very judicious in that regard. It sounds harsh, but we have to take care of the people here first. Anyone who possesses a valid driver’s license or other proof of residence, from one of the eight counties of the Jackson Purchase will be admitted in. All others’ entry will be reviewed by the on-site border crossing commander.”

“Can you talk about the food situation?” asked Tim.

“Certainly,” said Reggie. “We estimate that supplies are enough to get us through the next planting and harvest as long as we’re smart and don’t waste anything. With that said, I want to remind everyone not to throw away any old fruits or vegetables even if they appear to have gone bad. Plant these in gardens in your yards and they may grow. This is especially true for potatoes. Cut them up into as many small pieces as you can and plant them. Each eye can produce a plant which could grow as many as eight or more potatoes. Everyone needs to start planting, not just the farmers.”

Tim pointed at the clock and then a question on the sheet. Reggie nodded after rubbing his head. “Reggie, we’re almost out of time, but before we’re done, could you please comment on what you know about Governor Henry and what your role currently entails?”

“First, I want to say that we have heard nothing from the Governor since N-Day. He activated the National Guard placing them under state control, ordered martial law, which we have since decided to suspend locally, and initiated the FEMA plan for a state of emergency. At the time, as you know, I was home in Murray for my father’s funeral.” Reggie thought back,
was that really only a few months ago? It seemed like years
.

Reggie continued on, “We have heard nothing from the Governor since that time, but I must remind you that most everyone else likely does not have electricity or working phones. The roads are also blocked in many places, so even if there is an operational state government in Frankfort, they have no way to contact us or share any information. This is the main reason we decided to set up the cooperative council.”

“How would you respond to some who claim the Governor is dead and that you are now in charge?” Tim asked quickly.

Reggie frowned at Tim. This was not on the agenda, and was a rumor he did not want to encourage. “I would tell them that we know nothing yet. Yes, there were rumors that the Governor suffered a heart attack, but that’s all we know. Governor Henry is a dear friend of mine and I know he would want each of us to do our best. I also want to add that I am simply the lieutenant governor, and in the governor’s place I have assumed control of state resources such as the National Guard, State Police, and public lands and works like Kentucky Dam. I am only an advisor to the cooperative council, which is the lawful operating local civilian government at this time.”

“Thank you sir. Until next week, this is Tim Reynolds and you have been listening to WKPO. Stay strong friends.” Tim flipped the switch, turning the light from green to red, and faced Reggie.

Tim spoke quickly, “Reggie, I’m sorry, it just kind of came out,” he said with obvious embarrassment.

Reggie sighed wanting to be angry, but knew that feeling was counterproductive, “I know and its okay. Others are thinking and asking the same thing so it’s probably best to bring up. My intent was to give everyone a cold hard splash of reality, but something kept me from it.”

“Ran out of time I guess?” asked Tim.

“No,” answered Reggie, “I just decided that it might not be a good idea to suddenly take away their hope without replacing it with something else. That leads to chaos and then society breaks down.”

Tim smiled, “Oh you don’t really think something like that could happen here, do you?”

“Actually, I think it might take a miracle to prevent it,” said Reggie grimly.

Chapter 5 – The Surprise

Joshua saw the men running across the bridge toward his family below. He had seen them sitting and smoking cigarettes at the opposite end of the bridge before his father even approached the road block, but he saw no way to warn him in time other than by firing a shot.

He tracked the approaching men in his rifle scope, not sure if his father wanted him to fire or not. Joshua couldn’t even see his family now, only knew they were somewhere at the bottom of the hill.

He saw four men running their way, one tall, thin and fleet in the front, the other three trailing behind. At the very end was an old codger who couldn’t have been a day less than seventy, carrying a double-barreled shotgun. The two in the middle looked like they were brothers and Joshua could easily spot the resemblance from his vantage point two hundred yards away.

Joshua tried to think. Normally his father initiated all the action, but maybe he hadn’t foreseen this. If those men got to the road block, saw what happened, and then took up covered positions, they would be in the same situation they were when they first approached except without the element of surprise. Retreat would be difficult at best. They probably also didn’t want the men to escape now that they were in the open. If they escaped, they could run back to their barricade at the other end of the bridge and prevent them from crossing. They needed to take these men in the open before they reached defensible positions on either side of the bridge.

The tall thin man in Joshua’s scope slowed to a jog as he saw the bodies. His arms sagged and he looked around in disbelief. He didn't look to have any thoughts of a possible threat nearby, only staring at his dead comrades in disbelief. Joshua knew his shock could wear off quickly. He also knew he should look for stationary targets and “Mr. Tall and Thin” was now standing still less than twenty yards from the barricade.

Joshua forced himself to slow his breathing and his heart rate. He closed his eyes and then opened them again, sighting on his target. He drew in a deep breath, held it, then let it all out slowly. As the last of the breath left his lungs he began to pull the trigger slowly and steadily. When the rifle jumped against his shoulder it was a surprise, like always.

*******

You bumbling fool
, Nathan thought of himself.
Of course, they would block both ends of a long bridge like this one. It would do no good to only bottle up one end!
He heard the approaching men’s footfalls and muffled yells although he could not yet see them. He needed a plan.

If he attacked them now in the open it would be touch and go. He didn’t even know how many men he faced. Joshua might give them an advantage on the hill, but he would be waiting for Nathan to make a move. Nathan couldn’t let these men occupy the position they had just cleared or they were dead.

“Cover me,” he whispered to Bethany and signaled to David. Bethany looked at him in alarm seemingly to ask him if he were crazy. Nathan just shrugged. He would have to count on the element of surprise and hope there weren’t too many to deal with.

He saw a tall thin blond man come into view and then stop in his tracks. His eyes were wide and he looked like he could not believe what he saw. The man just drank in all the bloodshed and horror. Sudden comprehension showed in his face and he pulled the rifle up from his slack hands and began looking around at the tree-line. His eyes met Nathan’s a split second before a bullet tore through his chest, sending him to the ground in a crumpled heap.

The silence was deafening. Nathan couldn’t see anyone else; maybe there was only one. That thought left his head as he heard other shouts from beyond the barricade and then another shot from Joshua. He couldn’t wait any longer.

Nathan sprinted up to the parked cars and carefully peeked over one of the hoods. He saw the tall thin man trying to crawl under one of the cars, bleeding badly. He also saw an older man around the middle of the bridge lying on the ground without moving, evidently a result of Joshua’s second shot. There were two other men who looked a lot alike at the edge of the bridge, using the concrete barrier as protection. They appeared to be in a heated discussion. One looked to argue for heading back over the bridge and the other for the closer protection of the road block. As they were arguing, Joshua took out the man on the right drawing a scream of frustration from the other.

The remaining man wasted no time and began running towards the road block. Joshua took a shot at him, but it hit the road behind his churning legs. The man sprinted and dived near the cars and then cautiously lifted his head up to get a look at the sniper just as Nathan stuck the barrel of the shotgun over the hood of the old Chevy Nova. The poor man’s eyes showed comprehension, seeing the barrel of the shotgun only three feet from his face, as Nathan pulled the trigger and took his head off.

Nathan quickly scanned the bridge for other movement, but saw nothing. He went around the other side of the car and saw that the tall man had already bled out. He collected weapons, ammo, and anything else of use as quickly as he could. He then ran back to where Bethany and David were. Nathan jumped down between them again and soon Joshua approached them from the hill to their rear.

Joshua was breathless, “That’s all of them that I can see, the other end is clear. I’m also starting to get low on ammo for the Weatherby.”

Nathan looked at the three rifles he had just collected and selected an impressive Remington .300 Winchester Magnum with a Leopold scope. He handed the rifle to Joshua along with about sixty rounds of ammo recovered from the former owner’s backpack. “This should do you until we find more .270. It’s not sighted in for you, so don’t go trying to take any long shots until you get a feel for it,” Nathan explained.

Bethany moved closer to find out what was going on. David, without being told, ignored the meeting and continued to provide then security scanning the road and the bridge for anyone else who might approach them.

Nathan thought for a moment. “We could cross now. Might even be the smartest thing, but there could be more of them waiting hidden in the trees on the other side. We would walk right into them. Be sitting ducks out there on that open bridge.”

Bethany grabbed his arm, “But we have to get across. Another bridge could be days up or down river. We have to keep moving if we're going to make it.”

“Yes, we have to cross here if we can.” Nathan quickly came to a decision. “Joshua, go back up to that position and watch for any movement. Anyone crosses the bridge you take them out. If no one crosses by sundown, come to us and we’ll make our way over in the dark.” Joshua nodded and took off back up the hill.

Nathan turned to Bethany and told her, “Wait here a minute.” He moved quickly down the road and uncovered their packs hidden in the snow. Gathering them all he ran back to their position. He passed David and Bethany their packs, and traded weapons again with David.

After he briefed them on the plan, they all settled in to wait the few hours until dark. Bethany pulled out an old t-shirt from her bag, wet it in the snow, and began to clean spots of blood from Nathan’s face. “That was pretty foolish of you,” she said.

“Which part?” asked Nathan playfully.

“The part where you ran up to those cars. You had no idea what was waiting for you.” She sighed disapprovingly as she kept cleaning, “Don’t you always tell the boys to know what they are getting into before they jump. Besides, it looked like Joshua had it under control.”

Nathan smiled, “Yes he did, but I wasn’t sure he would act without me telling him to. He did well.”

“You know you’re not alone in this. We’re all together.” Bethany smiled shyly, “Even I can do my small part, although you know I don’t want to have to shoot anyone.”

“Babe, want has nothing to do with it and you know that."

She placed a calming hand on Nathan’s shoulder, “I know, and that’s not what I mean. Besides, you’d be proud of me. I’m pretty sure I winged at least one of the first bunch.”

“Really? You okay with it?” Nathan asked.

“I think so…” said Bethany thinking to herself. “Should I be freaking out over it or something?”

“I’d prefer you didn’t.” said Nathan in a tired voice.

“Besides, I already told you I’ll do what needs to be done.” Bethany searched for words and then continued. “You act as if everything is on your head and it’s not. Some things you just can’t control. Some things even work themselves out…and we’re here with you.”

“Are you trying to say I should have handled things differently?” asking Nathan defensively.

“No. I’m saying you don’t have to be so eager to jump right into danger just because you want to protect the rest of us.” She looked him in the eyes, “We can handle it too, but if something happens to you we’ll be lost. We need you.
I
need you.” She grinned and said “So use your head,” as she slapped him lightly on the shoulder not knowing it had been grazed by a bullet.

He had forgotten about getting shot, and groaned. Bethany inspected and saw that it was minor but still hissed with exasperation, “That’s exactly what the hell I’m talking about!” The look on her face caused Nathan to laugh and she laughed quietly too.

Bethany cleaned and bandaged his wound with care as they waited in the snowy cold ditch for nightfall.

*******

Shortly after the day’s last rays of sun fled from the sky, Joshua came back down from his sniper position. Nathan decided that he and David would go across first, one on either side of the bridge while Bethany and Joshua following about fifty yards or so behind them. If things went bad, they would flee back to their original position.

They stealthily crossed the bridge under a dark and cloudy sky. Around the middle of the bridge they passed a sign welcoming them to the State of Kentucky. At the other end they found another barricade and signs of long occupation. The remains of a fire was still warm and they spent blessed time warming their hands and feet after making sure the nearby wood-line was clear. Another sign on the road told them they were only a mile from the town of Louisa, Kentucky.

They relaxed for the first time that day, and Nathan even took off his wet boots and socks to dry by the replenished fire, when David jumped up abruptly. He stood still and alert like a deer looked into the woods. David slowly turned his head from side to side with a concerned look.

“What is it?” whispered Joshua.

David paused before answering, pushing the long dark hair out of his face. He nodded his head in decision, “Voices, and not far away.” He then got another confused and uncertain look before saying with surprise, “And a dog.”