Stealing Second (The Amendments Book One 1) (29 page)

Dad stood up and stretched. Then he looked at me and smiled. “I’ve actually given this quite a bit of thought. Are you sure you want to hear it?”

“Yeah Dad, you’re one of the smartest people I know. I’d love to hear your plan.”

“All right, but remember Gary, you asked to hear it. First off, what I really meant by forming a union, was forming a new political party.
A party by the people, for the people, looking out for the wants and needs of regular folks just like us. I hadn’t thought of a name, but let’s just call it the Unionist Party. What do you think?”

“I like it, I like it a lot.”

“Well, I’m not so sure people will latch onto it, but we’ll use it for now. They’ll probably think it’s a new name for socialism. I can assure you that it isn’t. What I’d like to do is turn back the hands of time and bring America back to her former glory. Ideally, I’d like to go back sixty years and take a good long look at every law and regulation the American government has passed. I know it’d be a long process, one that would take decades, but we’ve got to go in and get our hands dirty. Washington has crammed a load of crap down our throats and its time we put an end to it.”

“Why do you say sixty years? Why not say a hundred? Why not two hundred?”

“That’s a fair question and I’ll answer it for you. Sixty years ago, we weren’t armed with nuclear weapons. From the moment we dropped that first nuclear bomb, we’ve been a different country. Think about it—in the history of the Nuclear Age, only the United States has felt the justification to actually use these terrible weapons. Those atomic bombs were dropped as a message to the world. From that moment on, this planet has never been the same. I know we can’t change the past, but we sure as hell can change the way we look at our future.”

“So, you want to rid the world of nuclear weapons?”

“Ah, of course I’d love too, but that’s impossible. There’s no getting that cat back in the bag. Sit tight. I’m getting to my point. Since that time, Washington has used the same scare tactics on the citizens of this country. When FDR said, ‘All we have to fear is fear itself,’ he had no idea how true those words would ring. Every American President since that time has used that fear against the people. How do you think things like the Patriot Act and the NDAA get passed through Congress? How did we allow our government to fill the goddamn sky with drones? Fear, Gary, they are passed out of fear. They created all of it, all of this
fear,
so they could create laws that would weaken the Constitution. We no longer have rights. We have privileges, privileges that can be taken away from us at the drop of a hat. We allowed this to happen. The government took a little bit of our freedom away from us, over a period of decades. I think it’s high time they returned everything they’ve stolen from us.”

I didn’t know much about the Patriot Act, but it sounded as American as apple pie.
And as far as I knew, the NDAA was a secret club for alcoholics in North Dakota. I now understood two sad facts. My ignorance may have insulated me from worry, but my apathy had allowed the government to run roughshod over the Constitution. I knew I wasn’t alone. There were millions of ignorant fools out there, just like me. Dad wanted to change that. “How are we supposed to get our message out there?” I asked. I wanted Dad to tell me that he would need money, lots of money, and then I would tell him about the gold. “Won’t that be expensive?”

“Sure it’ll be expensive, but we can’t let that stand in our way. If Americans aren’t willing to roll up their sleeves and do what needs to be done, right now,
there’s no hope for this beautiful country of ours. We need to put aside our petty differences, which is how our government has divided us, and stand together for a common cause. This is our country, not theirs. We have to organize as Americans and take it back from the corporations and special interests. People have to see that. The two-party political system is broken. It’s an illusion. We need to take what’s salvageable from both parties and create something that people can believe in.”

“You must have been giving this a lot of thought.”

“I was thinking about this before you were born. Yeah, I’ve given it a lot of thought. But I’m not alone. There are lots of people out there, just like me. We’ve got to get everyone on the same page and that isn’t going to be easy.”

“You mean it’s going to be expensive, right?”

“Of course, but it goes deeper than that. We’re going to have to change the way people think and that isn’t going to be easy. America’s problem is an ever-growing chasm between the right and left. This chasm didn’t happen by chance. It was created as a diversion. Americans need to wake up to that. Both sides are one and the same. That’s the message I’d like to send to America.”

“But how do you plan to deliver it?”

Dad looked at me as if a light bulb was suddenly switched on. “What’s on your mind, Gary?” he asked. “If there’s something you’d like to share with me, go ahead and do it. Do you think I’m crazy for having a dream? Our country was created by men who shared the same dream. I’m simply trying to preserve it for future generations.”

“No, I don’t think you’re crazy at all. I agree with everything you said. I may not be up to date on current events, but that doesn’t mean I can’t see what’s been going on. What if I told you that I could finance your message? What would you say if I suddenly came into a whole bunch of money, more than you could possibly imagine. What if I told you that it was yours to use, however you wished?”

Dad laughed, just like I knew he would. “What, did you win the lottery?”

I shook my head. “No
, I only wish it were that simple,” I said, and then I began my story about the buried treasure.

Chapter 21

The next few days were for the dead. A few of the area farmers had taken it upon themselves to gather the bodies and create temporary morgues. We found Duke lying under a canvas tarp in a neighbor’s barn. The smell was hideous and something I’ll remember for the rest of my days. Cheryl was beside herself with grief, but she was also stronger than I ever could have imagined. During those terrible days, I learned a great deal about death. The Great Equalizer is also a test to be taken by those left behind. Those who pass begin to put it behind them. Those who fail are consumed by it and begin to die a little bit each day until they either die themselves or make the grade and finally begin to move on. Including Kyle, there were dozens of suicides in our little town in the days following the raid on the camp.

The United States military was a constant presence during those days. We were told that there were still rogue groups operating in the area and that the roads were unsafe. This prevented us from driving to Milaca and retrieving the gold. Even as we buried our dead, I was able to think of little else.

We buried Duke behind the barn, next to Gunner and Thor. He loved those dogs and I think he would have liked that. Dad carved them all wooden tombstones and he used his wood-burner to highlight the names and dates. They were horribly beautiful.

Cathy and Violet followed me around like an extra pair of shadows. I told Cathy that if she wished to rejoin her unit, she was free to do so, and Violet would be welcome to stay as one of the family. She wouldn’t hear of it and swore she would never go back to the military. I can’t say that I blamed her, but I was worried about what might happen to her in the future. Despite everything that had happened, she was still a deserter. I knew the army wouldn’t turn their heads to that sort of thing. Gradually, Cathy and Cheryl began to form a friendship. Violet started spending time with Matt and Janis and it warmed my heart to see them playing together. Things seemed to be gradually returning to normal, as close to normal as the times
would allow. I began to think about the future.

Dad was torn about what to do with the gold. He agreed with me that we should retrieve it as soon as possible. But he wasn’t so sure that he could use it to suit his purposes. What bothered him wasn’t so much his conscience, but more a matter of explaining how he was able to fund his movement. There were still laws to follow and taxes to pay. Foolishly, I had never given this the slightest bit of thought.

We were told that great chunks of the United States were still in the hands of the United Nations. The entire West Coast from Washington State down to the southern tip of California was being held captive. The middle of the country had been retaken by the United States military, but a great swath from Wisconsin on east stretching down to the original Mason Dixon Line all belonged to the government and their army of United Nations soldiers. Battles were being fought less frequently, at least that is what we heard. Both sides seemed to be taking stock of the situation and there was an uneasy truce.

Cash became something to set as
ide; it simply held no value, no meaning, in the new world. Thankfully, Dad still kept a dozen milk cows and nearly a hundred head of prize beef cattle. How they weren’t run off or stolen during their captivity is a mystery. We found them at the very back of the pasture. Dad led them back to the barn with a white five-gallon bucket. You’ve never seen happier cattle. Dad formed alliances with other farmers and we never lacked for good food.

A week after arriving back at the farm, Dad sent me to town to see if I could barter
for some diesel fuel for the John Deere. People were free with their food, but as tight as a drum with their fuel. I rode my bicycle to town and that was how I ran across Jack. He was working at the Co-Op and he seemed genuinely happy to see me. We talked for a while and I learned that during his absence, his home had been trashed by U.N. soldiers. “We’re living in a tent, Gary,” he said. “I’m paid for the work that I do here in canned food. It ain’t much of a life.”

I could tell by the stench of his breath that a portion of his wages, were being paid by the bottle, but I didn’t mention it. I had never much cared for Jack. He was crass and rude and a hopeless alcoholic, but he had also been part of our group. We weren’t together for more than a few days, but we were together long enough to where I felt that I owed him something.
His eyes lit up when I told him about life on the farm. “There’s no booze there, Jack,” I said. “But we have plenty to eat and everybody is expected to pull their fair share of the load. I could talk to my dad. I can’t make any promises, but I’d need you to promise me that you won’t drink if I can get you in.”

Jack waved his hand in the air, as if he were swatting a fly. I should have known right there that he was going to lie to me. “Gary, on my dead mother’s grave, I swear to God that I won’t touch a drop if you can get us in. I’d be in your debt for the rest of my life. Hel
en is about ready to leave me. Have pity on me, we’ve been married almost forty years.”

Believing him, I assured Jack that I would see what I could do. I left him there, dirty, salivating, stinking;
a man with good intentions, but drowning in a jug-full of alcoholic lies.

I found a couple of sources for diesel. Neither source was reasonable, but both seemed desperate to sink their teeth into some fresh beef. I told each man the same thing. I gave them my dad’s name and the address to the farm. I left them by saying the first one to deliver would be eating steaks for dinner. Hunger is a powerful motivator. I hadn’t even
made it back home and Dad was finalizing the deal for a 55-gallon drum of number two diesel. Later that night, I talked to my mom and dad about Jack.

The next day, tearfully, Jack and Helen moved out to the farm.
What a mistake.

Cathy became distant and I thought it was because of her trying to establish relationships with the others. Something c
hanged in her when Jack arrived. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but I was sure I wasn’t imagining it.

Ten days had passed since we had arrived back at the farm. We were told that there were still rogue groups of UN troops on the loose. As much as I wanted to drive over to Milaca and dig up the gold, I knew Dad would never forgive me if I left before we were given the all clear. I spent my days working around the farm. Nights were spent dreaming of the gold. I wondered about Ace and his family. I missed him, as if he were the big brother I never had. I also wondered about Lisa, but in her case I was merely happy to know she had been reunited with her family.

The day had been blistering hot and the evening was downright sultry. I talked Cathy into taking a walk. I needed to know what was on her mind. When I tried to take her hand, she pulled it away. The effect was the same as a slap. “What the hell is going on with you?” I asked. I had spent the past few days walking on eggshells and I was done pretending to be stupid. “Was I imagining how you felt about me?”

We were behind the barn. Cathy was dressed in a t-shirt and a pair of Cheryl’s capris. Her forehead was covered in sweat and her hair was damp with perspiration. Oddly enough, I have never wanted a woman more than I wanted her at that moment. You always want what you can’t have, why is that? She turned to me and stopped walking. “You weren’t imagining anything,” she said. “I’ve had a lot on my mind and I might as well be straight with you. I want to turn myself in. I have to come clean, Gary. If I don’t do it now, I’ll be running for the rest of my life.”

I hadn’t expected this and my mind suddenly raced ahead. “What about Violet?” I asked. “What happens to her if you’re locked up? What happens if they force you to join the fight? Are you out of your mind?”