Trent Reedy - Divided We Fall

“I’m Sarah. Your mother has been staying with me for a while. Your mom’s fine. She’s in the shower.”

“Why do you have her comm?”

“Listen, I’m sorry if this is freaking you out, or if this is an invasion of privacy or something, but I think we have a problem. It’s your mother.”

“Is she okay? Is she having an attack?”

“She’s fine! She’s fine. But… Danny, she’s packing her bags. She’s paid someone to drive her up near the Idaho border. She’s going to try to sneak across the line.”

“What!? Don’t let her!” Anything could happen if she tried that. The whole border was lined with anxious, trigger-happy soldiers. Idaho Guardsmen could mistake her for the Fed. The Fed could figure her for a smuggler or a Guardsman. My uniform was still stained with the blood of soldiers who had tried to cross the border this morning.

“That’s the thing. I don’t think she should try to cross the border by herself, but she also can’t stay here. It’s not good for her being trapped over here, Danny. She can’t handle it. Wait. Here she comes. Danny…” Sarah became very quiet. “You gotta do something. You’ve seen the news. People get arrested, shot, trying to cross—” Her voice picked up. “Hey, Kelly, your son’s calling! It was nice talking to you, Danny. Here’s your mom.”

“Danny?” Mom said.

“Hey, Mom,” I said. “How’re you doing?”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, Mom. Fine.” No way was I going to freak her out with the story of this morning’s shoot-out. “They gave me a little time to make a call this morning, and I thought I’d check in. How are you?”

“I’m good!” she said. “Better than I have been in a long time. Danny, I’m going home. I’ve paid a friend to drive me to the border, and I think I know a good place to sneak—”

“Mom, no.”

“But Danny, I can’t handle—”

“Mom, you can’t—”

“— being away from home any longer. I need to get home. I need to get back to work. I really think I have it worked out and—”

“Mom, listen to me! Be quiet and listen! Be quiet!” I closed my eyes and pressed my comm to my forehead, taking deep breaths to calm down. I could hear her sniffling on the line. She was crying. “It’s not safe for you to cross the border. You’ll never make it.”

“I’ll never… make it if I… if I have to stay here,” Mom choked out her words through heavy sobs. “You don’t understand, Danny. I have to come home. I have to.”

Neither of us said anything for a long time. I pressed my fist to the side of my head, trying to figure out what to do.

“Okay,” I said. “Okay, fine. You need to come home. I get it. But I’ll come get you, Mom. I’ll bring the Beast and I’ll pick you up. I’ve been working the border for weeks, and I know how to get you across safely. Okay?”

It sounded stupid even as I said it. Leaving Idaho was easy. Trying to sneak through the Fed blockade and back across the border into Idaho was nearly suicidal. But what choice did I have? I couldn’t let my mom try this alone and on foot. She’d have a better chance with me in the Beast.

“Really, Danny?” she asked. “I don’t know—”

“Stay where you are for now. I’m on my way to get you. I’ll bring you home, Mom. I promise.”

A few hours later I was approved for a three-day pass. I hadn’t screwed around putting in a leave request and waiting for it to go up the chain of command. I just called Governor Montaine directly and told him I needed a few days to settle some things at home now that my mom was trapped in Washington. He bought my story, sent the leave orders to my unit, and ordered my chain of command to give me a gas ration card. I know I pissed off the captain and first sergeant by jumping rank, but I didn’t care. I’d do anything to protect my mother.

I told the truth to Sergeant Kemp, though. A guy learned real quick not to talk about too much personal stuff in the Army. Lots of times, the other guys had a sick sense of humor and would give you a lot of shit about your family or girlfriend if you were stupid enough to tell them about it. But Kemp seemed like a guy I could trust.

“You really think you can get over the border and back?” he said.

“I’m going to try,” I said.

“As your team leader, I should let the chain know what you’re up to. They’d put a stop to it. I doubt even the governor would approve your leave if he knew what you were really planning to do.”

“No way you or anyone else can stop me, ’cept if you put me in handcuffs or something. I have to do this.”

Sergeant Kemp clapped his hand on my shoulder, and I spun away, thinking he meant to keep me from going. But he smiled and pulled his hand back. “I know we couldn’t stop you.” He held out his hand. “So I wanted to wish you good luck. Bring her home safe.”

“Thanks, Sergeant. I will.” I shook his hand. “And keep your comm on, will you? In case I need a little extra help getting back.”

“You got it,” he said. “Give me a call when you’re coming home.”

Having said my goodbyes and leaving my Guard-issued M4 with my unit, I climbed into the Beast and started her up. Then I drove down the highway to begin my most dangerous mission yet.

—• A spokesman for Governor Montaine’s office has confirmed earlier reports of hostilities on the Washington-Idaho border in northern Idaho. Montaine claims that early yesterday morning, a small group of federal troops crossed the border into Idaho. The troops were repelled by soldiers from the Idaho National Guard, including Private First Class Daniel Wright, who is already wanted by the federal government for his alleged involvement in the shootings in Boise. The White House admits that one federal soldier is recovering from wounds received in this action, but declined to comment further on the incident, particularly on the squad’s reason for crossing the border. •—

—• Thank you for joining us on NPR’s Weekend . I’m Renae Matthews. It’s been twenty-six days since President Rodriguez announced the federal blockade of Idaho, and while there have been several incidents of violence between federal troops and civilians trying to run the border to return home or to smuggle goods, yesterday was the first time that an open firefight has broken out between Idaho and federal forces. With us this morning is one of NPR’s top Idaho Crisis correspondents, Richard Arwell. Richard, the White House seems to be downplaying the recent border skirmish. What is the real significance of these events?”

“I’m afraid this could be fairly serious, Renae. First, word of this firefight is bound to increase anxiety in both federal and Idaho troops, and that’s going to lead to trouble. Second, I can’t imagine that this incident will help the negotiations, which were finally beginning to show some progress toward arriving at a conclusion to this crisis. If Idaho and the federal government are going to come to any sort of an agreement, it simply won’t work for either side to be negotiating under the threat of violence. •—

By the time I got home, I had been awake for the better part of a day. I was fried, and even though I had to fight to avoid thinking about this morning’s firefight or Mom’s trouble, I fell asleep almost as soon as I flopped down on my bed.