Forgotten Forbidden America: Rise of Tyranny (10 page)

Seeing Zeus not alerting, Nelson relaxed. “Boys, there are drums out here on the dock. I need you to get the dolly and pull some inside so we can fuel yours and Daren’s rides,” he said, walking further out. Zeus followed, looking around. “Zeus potty,” Nelson said.

He could see some traffic on the street but not much else. One thing he did notice from the sounds he heard was somewhere, there was a large crowd that was pissed off. When Zeus finished his business, he trotted back to Nelson.

Turning around, he saw the boys rolling a drum inside, so he kept watch as they rolled in several more. Figuring that was enough, he headed back to the door as Keith came back outside and grabbed a hand pump for the drums.

When he came in, he was shocked to see half a dozen drums. “Boys, if those rides need that much gas, you’re screwed,” he said, holstering his pistol.

“If you don’t mind, sir, we would like to fill up a few gas cans and strap them on,” Keith asked.

“Get to work, and fill up Devin’s truck as well,” Nelson told them. “I’m going to my office, but I’ll be back soon.”

“Sir,” Keith called out. “One of the drums is diesel. Do you want us to fill up your truck and those side-by-sides?”

“Yes, and thank you,” Nelson said. “Keith, my name is Nelson. That’s the same for you, Ben.” They grinned as he headed for his office for what Nelson was sure would be his last time.

Chapter 6

When he reached his office, he started going through everything to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything he needed or wanted. Finding a few personal items, he grabbed them then went to his computer and printed out the e-mails about the ATF and from corporate.

He grabbed the phone and dialed home, and the phone never rang as Michelle snatched it up. “When are you coming home?” she snapped.

“Is something wrong?” he asked, getting worried.

“Hell yes something’s wrong; you aren’t here,” she snapped, on the verge of tears.

“Baby, I’m leaving as soon as it’s dark. Matt is coming by to give me an escort home,” he said, trying to calm her down.

“Whatever you have, it’s not worth you risking your life,” she said as the first whimper started.

He let out a sigh. “Baby, Matt said it’s all good here now, so I shouldn’t have any problems, but I need you to stay strong, okay? When the kids see you cry, they lose it.”

On the other end, he heard Michelle take a deep breath. “Okay, baby,” she said in a calm voice.

“Matt is sending Ashley over to stay with us tonight, and before you freak out, he had to help the feds today and is worried someone might come after him,” Nelson explained really fast.

“When are we leaving?” she asked.

“Soon, probably tomorrow morning,” Nelson told her.

“Good. We are packed and ready here,” she said in a final tone.

“You’ve got everything already?” he asked, stunned.

“What we need and have on the list. Both trailers are full, as is my Suburban and the Blazer,” she told him.

Very proud of her, he grinned. “That is a great job, baby, with you watching all the heathens.”

“I put them to work,” she laughed.

“Ask Nellie if she would mind driving the Blazer since I have a full load in the truck and a trailer full,” he said.

“She’s standing beside me and heard you,” Michelle said.

Nelson heard Nellie in the background. “You know damn well you don’t even have to ask that.”

“Thank you, Nellie,” he said. “Any other news?”

“Too much to tell you before you leave.”

“Baby, I want you to call Gerald on our new phone and ask him what he thinks and tell him we are leaving tomorrow. Don’t forget to give him the phone numbers for the new phones.”

“Okay, baby, I will; now, be careful. We love you,” she said, fighting to stay strong.

“Love you guys,” he said and hung up. He looked at his computer and started erasing files just in case. Checking his desk, he found a few odds and ends and threw them with the others.

Satisfied he had everything, Nelson stood up and walked out, closing the door. He stopped at Mildred’s desk and sighed. “This was a good job with great people.” Turning away, he walked down the hall and headed to the back.

He found the boys strapping gas cans to the Razor. “You get the truck filled up?” he asked, walking up to them.

“Yes, sir,” Keith said. “I’m sorry—Nelson. Yes, both are full; we put several cans of gas on Daren’s trailer, and we found four yellow cans that we filled with diesel and strapped to the side-by-sides after we filled them up. Your truck was almost full.”

“Yes, I try to always keep it full. It has two eighty-gallon tanks, so it gets expensive.” He smiled and pulled out the two rolls from the petty cash he had counted out. “Keith, Ben, I’m giving each of you fifteen hundred dollars for your work here today,” he said, shocking both. “Boys, don’t go buy stupid shit. Money is very scarce now. I want you to use this getting home and for buying what you need when you get home.”

“Thank you, Mr. Nelson,” Keith said, reaching out and taking one of the rolls, and Ben followed suit.

“You two did good work today, and I wish we didn’t have to part this way, but it’s better safe than sorry,” Nelson said, walking over to one of the back registers, and he grabbed a candy bar and a Coke.

“Mr. Nelson, we have been keeping up with what’s going on,” Keith said, pulling out a smart phone. “The bigger cities are becoming very dangerous.”

“That will be everywhere soon,” Nelson said as he pulled out a chair and sat down. As soon as he did, his legs started tingling, and he got real tired. Nelson shook his head, really wanting to stand back up. His body told him, “Hell no,” so he just relaxed.

“We don’t go to the regular news sites. We stay on the alternative sites, and they are reporting a bunch of federal employees have been murdered,” Keith said, walking over with Ben. “They are saying it’s just regular people killing them.”

Nelson looked away. “Boys, the government took everything from a lot of hard-working people, and they are pissed. Now, the government is trying to tell them how to live.”

Holding up his phone, Keith turned the screen to face Nelson. “Mr. Nelson, the crowds making up these mobs aren’t the inner city people; they are regular people. Many of them are in their uniforms from work,” he said, showing a scene of a mob. “There are reports Homeland has opened some of the FEMA detention centers.”

“Like I said, they’re mad. They can’t even get money out of the bank—their own money. The camps don’t surprise me,” Nelson said as Zeus came over and laid his head on his lap. “Get your stuff ready; we leave when it’s dark.”

The boys left, talking to each other as Daren walked around his truck, wearing a smile. “Talked to the wife and my brothers. They are packing up, and we will meet them at the camp. I told them not to invite anyone else,” he said, pulling up a chair.

“That’s good to hear,” Nelson said and reached back to grab another candy bar.

“I noticed some stuff in my passenger seat,” Daren said with a grin.

“You will need it; I assure you,” he said, ripping the package off the candy bar.

“Yes I will.”

After shoving the candy bar in his mouth, Nelson took a long drink of Coke. “I’m glad you are starting to understand,” he said when his mouth was mostly empty. “If they catch us, we are screwed.”

“If we follow the rules, we’re screwed. At least this way, we have a chance.” Daren grinned.

Letting out a laugh, Nelson fought to stand up. “Yes we are, and you get it,” he said, stretching out. “You really need to have a gun on you when we leave.”

“I have an XD-M .45 in the front seat,” Daren said, standing up. “I talked to Carl, the assistant manager, and he will come in to pay the cops and check the store for one week; then, corporate will take it over.”

“Put your gun on, and just a piece of advice: Don’t be far from one for the near future. When the cop escorts you home after he leaves, you be wary of all law enforcement from then on,” Nelson told him, grabbing some beef jerky. He opened two and gave one to Zeus.

Daren nodded. “If a cop tries to pull you over, what are you going to do?” he asked.

“If I’m not doing anything wrong, I’m going to shoot him,” Nelson answered truthfully. “I don’t care if he’s following orders to help the feds. I would rather him be dead than me or locked up for that matter. I’m no good to my family if I’m not there.”

Daren looked back at his trailer and saw all the empty space he could’ve filled up like Nelson did. “I should’ve got more stuff,” he said.

“You have over two hours to load up what you can, but I’m going to warn you; don’t come back unless I call you and you hear everything is going back to normal,” Nelson said. “I’m going to fix some coffee.”

They parted with Nelson heading to the break room and Daren to gather more stuff. Zeus followed Nelson with his tongue hanging out. “Sorry,” Nelson said, looking down at Zeus as he held the door open to the break room. Finding a big bowl someone had left, he filled it with water and put it on the floor, and Zeus started lapping it up.

Walking over, he fixed a pot of coffee then headed out into the store and found the biggest coffee mug there. When Nelson got back, Zeus went back to the water as Nelson fixed his coffee. Seeing that the mug held almost the entire pot he made, Nelson fixed another one in case the others wanted some. Then, having an idea, he went back into the store, and Zeus groaned, following him.

He came back with a thermos and filled it. Then, putting on another pot, he headed to the front of the store. As he walked by the registers, he grabbed a bag and filled it with snacks and two coffee cups and carried the stuff outside.

Both cops were sitting in the car as he walked up. “Gentlemen, I have some coffee and snacks,” he said, handing them over. Both cops jumped out of the car as he took a sip from the giant mug.

“Damn, you don’t know how much we appreciate this,” one of them said, and Nelson saw it was Netter.

“Thank you for coming on short notice,” Nelson said, looking around, and he noticed several people on the road, looking at the store. “Seems we are starting to draw a crowd,” he said, and Zeus let out a low growl directed across the street. Reaching down, Nelson patted his back.

“Yeah, they burnt a bank down the road and started standing on the road about an hour ago,” Netter told him.

“Should we be getting worried?” Nelson asked.

“Nah, they are looking at a bank down the road and are just keeping an eye on us,” Netter said as Nelson poured a cup of coffee. “We have one officer down there inside the bank.”

“Be damned if I would stay inside one,” Nelson said.

“We don’t have a squad car for him to sit in. Every off-duty cop is now at a bank. Your store is the only one in town we are allowed to guard when we are off duty.”

“When do you go back on the street?” Nelson asked.

Netter took a long sip and savored it before answering. “Both of us are here till tomorrow and get replaced at ten in the morning. We get an hour off then have to report for work.”

“Guys, there are offices in there with couches. If you need to, one of you can catch a nap in my office,” Nelson offered.

“Might take you up on that if it stays like this,” Netter said, digging in the bag.

“There’s a break room on the right side of the building just as you enter the stock room. It has a coffee pot, and you’re welcome to use it,” Nelson said, digging out one of his business cards, and he handed it over. “If anyone says anything, tell them I approved you full access to the building.”

“Man, I can’t thank you enough for that,” Netter said.

Nodding, Nelson watched the small crowd across the street slowly turn as one and walk down the road. “Any more problems in town?” he asked as Netter looked at the crowd, watching them leave.

“Besides five banks being burnt down, one grocery store being ransacked, and a Homeland agent shot, not much else,” Netter said, opening a pack of Twinkies. 

“I believe that will change before long,” Nelson said cautiously.

Netter turned to look at him with a grave face. “On that, you would be right,” he said with a mouthful of Twinkie. “Our saving grace for now is we may be a city of half a million, but most people still know each other. If what the federal boys keep talking about comes around, the shit will hit the fan.”

“I’ve heard of some of what they’ve said,” Nelson said.

“Nelson, my brother is working with them right now, and he stopped by as they ate lunch. The shit he was telling me was scaring the shit out of me. Talking about gun confiscation, martial law, forced labor, and more,” Netter said as a shiver ran down his spine.

“I fought for this country, and I hate to see this happen,” Nelson said, watching Netter.

“So did I, and I’m going to tell you if they do really start that I’m quitting and going to—” he stopped and looked at Nelson.

“I understand,” Nelson said, taking a long sip. “You know they opened the FEMA detention centers, don’t you?” he asked.

The color drained from Netter’s face, and his partner started coughing. “Where did you hear that?” Netter asked in a hoarse voice.

“On the web,” Nelson said. “There is video already up of people being arrested by the feds and being transported to them,” he added some embellishment.

Moving back, Netter sat down on the hood of the patrol car. “What’s next: gas chambers?” he mumbled.

“I hope not,” Nelson said, not liking what he was hearing but kept his face neutral.

They talked for a few more minutes, and when the sun set, Nelson showed Netter where his office was and the break room. When Netter headed back out front, Nelson went to the back and found Daren and the boys packing down stuff on his trailer.

He looked back at the Razor and saw the boys had hooked a small trailer to the back and had loaded it down. “Glad to see everyone getting supplied up,” he said, taking a sip and noticing two bikes strapped to the front of the Razor.

Daren stood up, tying the tarp back down. “Thanks for the coffee,” he said. “You find out anything else?”

“Not really except more banks have been burnt down,” he answered.

Daren adjusted the gun on his belt, “Well, don’t think I can get much more before we have to leave, and I’m wore out,” he stated, and the boys nodded.

“Keith, when are you and Ben going to head home?” Nelson asked.

“We are going to head to the apartment and get the few things we have there then head out to a spot we know and camp there, get some sleep, then head home,” he answered.