Jacqueline Druga - Fallout

“We’ll dip. I’m not worried about finding rations after we get out of the city.”

“Really?”

“Really. Yeah, some cities got hit by terrorists. We’re a big country. Right now, everyone is rallying, looking for survivors.”

“You don’t think this is more than terrorists?”

Harris shook his head. “I do not. I think once we make our way out, we’re gonna be surprised how fine everything really is,” he said. “I believe it.”

“Well, when you said you wanted eggs,” Joe said to Saul in the kitchen, “I didn’t think you wanted me to be your own personal Waffle House.”

“You have the best eggs in the county.”

“Yeah, well you could have made them yourself.” Joe set the plate of two fried eggs in front of Saul.

“Look at these, perfect.” Saul grabbed his fork. ‘Say, have you heard from Toby?”

Gripping the back of a chair, Joe shook his head. “No. But that kid is smart. I don’t believe for one second he got caught up in trouble. He’s safe, I feel it.”

“That’s good.”

“Listen, you got me confused, I called you to talk about…”

“Eggs.”

“Goddamn it, Saul. Listen…”

“Let’s go outside.” Saul stood.

“What about your eggs?”

Saul grabbed the plate and walked out the kitchen door.

It took a second delay, but Joe followed. By the time he made it outside, Saul was standing a good distance from the house eating his eggs.

Clearly, his friend had lost his mind.

Joe took the gentle approach and cautiously walked to Saul. “What’s happening, my friend?”

“I didn’t want to be in the house in case it was bugged.”

“What do you mean bugs?”

“Not bugs as in buzz-buzz insects. Bugs as in listening devices.”

“Oh, now…” Joe waved out his hand.

“Oh, now, what? No. No. That’s why I came over. I don’t trust the phones.”

“The television is awfully screwy. It’s like the twilight zone. People are all happy and chipper and not one word about the bombs.”

“Exactly. It’s like none of it happened. But it did. That’s why I don’t want to talk on the phone.”

“Why would they listen?” Joe asked.

“Because they need to hear what’s going on,” Saul said. “They need to hear if people are planning a rebellion.”

“Hold on.” Joe lifted his hand. “I watched the news when things started. This was all some terrorist group made up of Americans. Very un-American but Americans nonetheless.”

“I think it’s more,” Saul said. “The un-American had help. They had to. There is no way they go the power up, the phones, and the television. Not on this level. I heard… I heard there were soldiers from another country parachuting from the sky.”

“Like that movie?”

Saul nodded.

“What country?” Joe asked.

“I don’t know. A big one. Like I said has to be big to get things up and running so fast.”

“Why would they do that?” Joe asked. “If they are gonna invade our country why would they make us comfortable?”

“That’s easy,” Saul said. “We’re comfortable. We don’t fight back.” He took a huge hunk of eggs and placed it in his mouth.

“Honestly, Saul, even if the kitchen was bugged or the phones. Nothing we said here can be taken wrong. We aren’t rebels.”

“Not yet.”

Joe looked quickly at him. “What are you saying? Take arms and fight?”

“War and fighting is a young man’s game. Survival is a farmer’s game. That’s how we fight. Right now, you and I have to find a way to get our crops and food and hide it. Hide it somewhere fast. Before this other country takes control of the farm.”

“Will they do that?” Joe asked.

“I would. Control the food, control the people.”

“Starve the fighters.”

Saul nodded. “So, you and I have to control what we can now. Stock it. Store it. Hide it. We can do our part in this rebellion by being a safe place for food, supplies, and to hide.”

“You think they’ll be a rebellion?” Joe asked.

“Oh, without a doubt. This is America. We’re gonna fight back. We’re gonna help.”

“I’m in, man, but the television, you wouldn’t even know anything was wrong.”

“That’s exactly how they want it. After a while people will believe it,” Saul said. “And that’s what makes this all even more scary.”

Steve Tanner worried about his wife, but Bear Grayson told him to “pipe down” about it. Last he heard through radio chatter she was safe and sound in a government bunker.

Then Bear followed it with, “However, if I am picking up that chatter, the enemy is too.”

Bear was a no-nonsense, old war vet who had lived on the mountain for fifty years. He was a communications specialist in the war and conveyed to Steve that no means of communications were safe.

“How the hell are we supposed to gather forces?” Steve asked.

“What are you shooting for?” Bear asked.

“Right now, our men and women of the military are out there. You know they want to fight. You know that people like me, you, they want to fight. We need to organize.”

“Yes, we do, but we can’t go halfcocked, get a bunch of goofs together and attack a brigade. We need a strategy. We need intel. Ten men with a plan can do a lot more damage than a hundred running haywire.”

“But if they hear what we’re saying, how do we reach out?” Steve asked.

“It’s less a matter of them hearing and more of them understanding.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean. I can get on the radio and say, ‘hey all you guys ready to be part of the resistance, tomorrow fluff Barney the Dinosaur’s tail.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Exactly.”

“It means…” Gus’ voice entered the room. “Code words. Code phrases. They can listen all they want, but if they are clueless to what we’re saying, we have the upper hand.”

Bear looked at Gus. “Don’t you knock?”

“You’re on the sun porch, Bear, the door was open.”

“Oh, yeah, that’s right, trying to air it out from Stevie Boy here. He ain’t smelling that good.”

Steve facially grimaced at him, then walked to Gus and embraced him. “Glad you’re here.”

“Safest place I know,” Gus said. “I don’t expect it to be long before others join us. We can get and secure the east coast, then hit others using Bear’s coded methods. I’ve been spreading the word from home to here. Letting them know this is home base. Word will travel.”

Bear looked at him curiously. “Word will also travel to the enemy.”

“Eh,” Gus waved out his hands. “I don’t expect the Procs to even get this.”

“Procs?” Steve asked.

“People’s Republic of China,” Gus answered.

“Hot damn.” Bear smacked his hand on the desk. “That is a good one. Lot easier than saying People’s Republic of China, that’s for goddamn sure.”

“How are you spreading the word?” Steve asked.

Gus reached to his back pocket and then set down a bright orange flyer. On it was a big fish center and the words:

Gene Autry Fishing Battle

Hosted by Gus Cash

Holly River, WV

Refreshments provided by Honeymoon Chinese

“There you have it,” Bear said. “Any soldier knows Gene Autry. That’s a call out to warriors. Gus here, his name is famous, they see that they know he is organizing. The Chinese food is a nice touch to say it’s against the Chinese.”

“You posted these?” Steve asked.

“Everywhere I could,” Gus said.

“They’re good. But honestly, Gus, just my opinion,” Steve said. “With all that’s going on, I don’t think a single person is going to understand your coding. So don’t feel bad if no one shows up.”