Not Dead in the Heart of Dixie (86 page)

The brides and grooms said their vows
, kissed, and then it was over and everyone was eating cake. Nana outdid herself. The cake and cookies were delicious.

We didn't dance. We simply spent time together talking and enjoying the moment.

We ignored the shots coming from the road because we all knew guards were taking out straggler HDI's. Folks started leaving around 9:30.

Amber and Michael are spending the night here, and Shawna is headed to her new home in Ian's little wooden house.

The only ones missing from this happy event was Soo and Merry. Their absence broke my heart. Several times, I caught myself looking around the room for them and suddenly realized that Hisa wouldn't be here when the baby arrives. I tried to push those thoughts to the back of my mind and bask in Marisa and Shawna's happiness.

Chris emerged from the important folk's motorhome right before supper. He and Josie wore
solemn, tense faces and fake smiles throughout the evening. I saw fear in Josie's eyes.

I'll be able to spend time with her in the morning and she can fill me in. I have a feeling it's not gonna be pleasant.

I'm tired and I wanna go to bed happy.

Hisa, if you're listening, I truly loved you. I wish you could have been here tonight and I wish you could be here to help bring my new grandchild into the world. I know your spirit will be there. Thank you for everything you did for us. You saved us over, and over. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I will never, ever, forget you. I pray that you're happy and carefree.

PS - I promise to remember those Japanese curse words and use them on unsuspecting folks who deserve them.

Bye for now.

Saturday, April 26

4:00 PM...

The mess tent smelled wonderful when Mick and I walked in this morning. They were serving the usual but, nowadays, the usual is a blessing. We had eggs, bacon, sausage, grits, hash browns, oatmeal, omelets, biscuits, and muffins to choose from. Mick and I both loaded our plates with a little of everything and took a seat at one of the folding metal picnic tables.

I noticed Josie and Chris sitting alone at a table in the corner of the tent. They were deep in conversation and oblivious to everything going on around them.
They were holding hands and leaning in close to one another with their foreheads almost touching. Their whispered conversation couldn't be overheard.

Jeremy and Rebecca came in while we were eating. They never left
each other’s side. Jeremy stood and waited for Rebecca to finish preparing her plate before they both walked away from the buffet and sat side by side at one of the tables. I caught a sparkle of light from Rebecca's hand, and my nosy self-had to investigate.

I wa
lked over to give Rebecca another hug and asked about the shiny thing on her finger. I figured Ian had helped Jeremy dig around in the jewelry bag.

She and Jeremy are engaged. They plan to wed before the unit leaves and takes the minister with them.

I was happy for them and loudly announced their plans to the entire tent.

Everyone applauded and Jeremy stood up and took a bow. I can't wait to tell Nana and Emma to begin preparations. On second thought, I think I'll let Jeremy tell them. I don't wanna be in the line of fire when Nana starts throwing cake pans.

I suppose Shawna and Marisa started a trend and I think it's a good one.

Chris and Josie finished their breakfast and Chris stood and headed out the door. Josie came to our table and sat down beside me to make small talk and stare at Mick until we finished our breakfast. She wanted to speak with me alone and I knew it, and I dreaded it.

I chewed every bite twice as long as usual until I could dawdle no longer. Mick finished a minute or so before me and was ready to get going. He stood and kissed me on the forehead before heading out the door.

Josie told me to hurry it up because we needed to talk somewhere private. I rolled my eyes, took the last sip of my coffee, and stood to lead her up the hill.

I told her that I wanted our stash map back, and Chris “must have forgotten to bring it to me” this morning. We walked to her trailer and dug around in all the papers he has all over the top of the table until I found the map. I folded in and stuck it in my jeans pocket before going out the door.

We walked to the house and into my room. I plopped down on the bed and she plopped down in the computer chair and started talking,

Here's the good news...

Chris and Josie were married last night in a private ceremony. I told Josie I was happy for her and asked why they'd kept it private. She said both she and Chris wanted it that way. They wanted the moment to be special and shared by no one other than themselves and the minister.

I thought about it for a moment and understood. Josie and Chris are both very private people and not really in to pomp and circumstance unless someone's pinning a medal on their chests.

Here's the bad news...

There will be a meeting tonight. Every member of the unit and both compounds will be asked to attend including anyone over the age of fifteen.

The North Koreans and Chinese have moved through the western states and are now fully involved in war with each other
, as well as the fake military AND the real military in the north and central USA. Four separate groups are fighting four different enemies each if you include HDI's.

The real military is calling for any and all retired personnel still living and under the age of 65 to rejoin the ranks. At this point in time
, active duty is optional. That's expected to change within the month, and maybe sooner.

If numbers of returning retirees is too low, an involuntary draft will be ordered. Men and women under the age of 65 and over the age
of 16 will be called to active duty. Refusal to comply will be met with severe punishment NOT including death or torture.

The draft will exclude land owners and members of any compound assigned to jobs essential to the survival of the group.

It will also exclude the elderly, infirmed, and handicapped people with records of their illness dated before the collapse.

Pregnant women will be excluded if the pregnancy is confirmed and recorded by a military physician. When the
pregnancy comes to term, and the baby is delivered, mothers will be allowed to spend 6 months with their newborns before returning to active duty. They will spend two weeks on the battlefield and two weeks with their children per month. Military “nannies?” will care for the children in a group setting while the mothers are away.

School aged children of military members will be raised in group settings and schooled by military officers and teachers in the basics as well as other subjects including military tactics like weapons and ammo, hand to hand combat,
camouflage, torture, wilderness survival, troop movement, planning, war history, and more. Students who excel in these specialties will be recommended for more advanced training.

All military members will earn three days of “leave” per month. Military “pay” will be in the form of food and supplies for each members host group.

Any man or woman willing to volunteer for service may do so regardless of exclusion status. Military members will receive three meals per day, uniforms, weapons, and shelter

Teenagers over
sixteen years of age will be required to attend military training camps three days a week to prepare for the battlefield when they turn seventeen.

These training camps will be mobile
, and will work from large survivor compounds and settlements across the United States. Each compound or group that hosts the training camps will receive extra supplies is their quarterly allotments.

School aged children raised in compounds or groups will be provided textbooks and traveling “teachers aids” to help prepare them for their basic training and camp at age
sixteen. Students who excel in these subjects will be recommended for more advanced training.

Survivor groups and compounds will be required to either grow food for the government, provide a service, or manufacture goods for use by the military. Quarterly allotments of food and supplies will be payment for these services.

Extra supplies can be purchased with precious metals.

Former US Currency holds no value whatsoever. The “dollar” will become something written about in history books.

There are no elections planned. The “Man in Charge” will be there until he dies or someone kills him. When that occurs, he will be succeeded by his wife or his oldest child over the age of 35. If he has neither a wife nor child over 35, he will be succeeded by the second “Man/Woman in Charge.”

The big wigs are still working on details. That scares me even more.

Of course, there will be a black market. Isn't there always?

In other words...

WELCOME TO THE COMMUNISTIC WAR STATE OF THE USA

My brain began to swirl and I became dizzy and sick at my stomach. I ran out the front door to vomit all over the antique rose bushes. I fell to my knees and couldn't walk. My chest was on fire and I couldn't breathe. I thought I was having a heart attack and would die right there on the front porch.
I almost wished it were so.

Josie called to Nana and Emma to help me back inside and onto the couch. She yelled for Mick
, and he arrived about five minutes later, but it felt like an eternity.

He screamed for a doctor, and several minutes later
, Battle-axe was beside me and running her hands and equipment all over me. She diagnosed me with a severe panic attack and medicated me with a big needle full of something divine.

I began to cry and didn't stop until the medicine took the pain away. I told Mick not to leave my side
, and he picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. I woke up an hour ago and I feel bad. I feel very, very bad.

I don't know what we'll do. I need to get a pad of paper and pencil to write down everyone's name, age, and circumstance. I need to figure out who they plan to take away. I need to do it now, before I pass out again
, or lose my mind.

I'm being honest when I tell you I'd rather fight HDI's and flies for the rest of my life than go through this mess.

I'm getting up to make my list. God, help us all.

See ya later.

11:30 PM...

I can't think clearly. I asked Battle-axe for more of her divine concoction at supper tonight and she refused, however, she did hand over a small supply of Xanax of the blue variety and told me to take one when I feel a panic attack coming on. Well, duh! If I'd known a panic attack was imminent, I would've taken two before I sat down with Josie.

The meeting tonight was delayed and set for
10:00 AM tomorrow morning. I told Mick, Pop and Rona everything Josie told me. They left the room with horrified looks on their faces. They're “chewing” on the information now.

The only news I have for today is that the tunnel entrance has supports in place and the backhoe is eight feet in. We need more. We need lots more
, because those government assholes aren't taking my babies away from this compound. I'll die before I let it happen. Rona agrees and says they CANNOT have Luke and Larson. If she's forced to go, she wants her boys to stay here.

I'm not sure about Wilky Place. I can't even think about it right now.

Okay, my plan is to get as many of us as possible listed as landowners. Mick and I will “deed” Jason and Marisa's property to them. I want this done ASAP.

I want every frickin' piece of property around us deeded to anyone old enough to own land. That means anyone over the age of
eighteen.

If Chris will go along with it, we'll only need to worry about our teens. Hopefully some of them can be listed as “
essential to the survival of the compound.” I don't know the age limit on that and neither does Josie. She says she'll ask Chris tonight.

I told her she better “hold out on him” until he comes around to our way of thinking. She laughed, but I meant it.

This needs to be taken care of before the big wigs change the “details.”

I need to lie down.

Bye for now.

Sunday, April 27

Breakfast is over and I'm getting' ready to head down the hill for the big meeting. I still have a few minutes and wanted to sit down and write about the supplies that were loaded into our reefer trailer and garage beginning at 5:00 AM this morning.

I heard trucks coming up the driveway, and it startled me awake. I haven't slept well since Battle-axe gave me the divine concoction.

I grabbed a robe and went to the fro
nt porch to ask the guards what was going on. They told me our allotment was being unloaded. I was surprised because, well, we just got an allotment not too long ago. Hey, if they were gonna unload anything, I was gonna take it.