Landslide Chapter 2

Sirens wailed and police cars sped down the street but nobody knew quite whom it was in the car. An underground network was created by people with short wave radios and word was out that your policemen might not actually be policemen. It seems that police stations were being taken over and nobody was announcing their arrival. So, it was advised that nobody stop for a police car. But as like before, if you see a police car you can count on it seeing you, too, only now you have much more to worry about than a ticket. It was very important for the invasion to control law enforcement.

Listening to short wave radio, Armando learned that England, France and Spain went down, too, right along with America. The president’s assassination was a non-verbal cue for all involved to strike. Northern Ireland was a war-zone like in the 1980’s only this time the British would not be responsible, they are fighting a common enemy. But they weren’t quite sure who they were. Nobody was.
The third world was taking two giant steps forward. The West was stuck in the cement boots of complacency. And the East was here to open our eyes, it was our turn to sit in the backseat, to play second fiddle to a country that is not necessarily “better”socially or more prosperous economically, only the most ruthless bully on the playground. Numbers have nearly always trumped skill on the battle field and even Sparta would have to concede to defeat in this situation.

This was a hostile takeover like the world has never seen. Americans were not even given a reason as to why half of the world has come to take them over. We didn’t ever listen to reason anyway or otherwise they would have used more diplomatic methods. It didn’t matter what border we ran for, they were occupied, too. It was a takeover of the continent not just America
although the narcissistic Americans thought it was just them. But it was not, it was Canada, Mexico, Central America and all islands in between. Besides Cuba, they were not included in the circle of Western countries even though they are now more Capitalist than ever. Their years of loyalty to the Soviet Union paid off, apparently. The U.S. government was motoring along corrupt as ever bilking their own people out of their life’s savings.The appetite for suffering of America’s Congress was astounding. This was supposed to be a representative government. Just who are they representing? It was questions like this one that made some of the population lean toward the propaganda. Citizens like hearing that they wold no longer be a pawn in a tawdry group of men’s penny ante chess game. And it wasn’t just the uneducated, it was the socially aware, business owners sick of the exorbanent taxes they pay the Feds, and those who held a grudge against the United States for years of repression. They called this the land of the free and the home of the brave. While the ladder is sure true, the former is only true if you play by their rules which are based on the morality of men, who are faulty. These rules were written by the same men that wrote, “We the People...”. Even that needed amending. So, some were leaning toward the propaganda and the American government couldn’t actually defend it’s tenets. This country was a melting pot that grew to despise immigrants. A supposed “democracy” with corruption like a virus working it’s way through the entire animal, head to toe, making it legal to steal by calling it “taxes”.

Armando was arming all the family members that were old enough to fire a weapon.

“No, not her, she’s just thirteen” says Armando’s wife Lupe.

“It’s OK,” turning toward his niece “just don’t point it at anyone you don’t want to hurt. OK, mija?” Armando says completely dismissing Lupe’s misgivings.

“I didn’t know we had so many guns.” Lupe says.

“You never know, you know how they are.” ‘Mando says, “Recordar?”

“Si”Lupe says like a scolded child. But with that one word, remember, ‘Mando expressed mutual fear. Lupe did remember living in central Mexico and seeing the remnants of cartel hits in the streets. What Lupe was remembering and what ‘Mando was trying to convey to her was how they came to America.

Armando got involved with the cartel through a chance meeting at a party in Chihuahua thrown by his sister.
“Yo creo, los estadounidenses so estupido” a man who has introduced him self as Guillermo says. “What do you say ‘Mando?”

“Yeah, they’re not my favorite people.” ‘Mando said just to be going along with the crowd.

“And they’re all on drugs, if it’s not street drugs it’s doctor drugs. But they put food on a lot of people’s tables.” Guillermo and ‘Mando were sitting in the backyard of ‘Mando’s sisters house at a rot iron table and chairs. Guillermo had brought a buddy with him and was sitting next to him at the table. “Oh, I apologize, this is my compadre, Juan.”

“Hello,” Juan extends his hand across the table and ‘Mando shakes it. His grip is particularly firm but Armando doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t know just who these guys are. They both sit back down and sip thir beers.

“I can get you in if that’s what you want.” Guillermo volunteers a little too much information because Juan kicked Guillermo under the table. But’Mando was interested in making more money so he could get himself and his new bride out of Mexico. Guillermo and Armando talked more later on at the party and the next day he was working. He had a smuggling assignment. He was to take five kilos of coke and thirty pounds of marijuana across the border in a new car and he was told to bring a female companion but tell her nothing.

Not everyone can do this job, you’ve got to be cool under pressure or else end up in prison. ‘Mando and Lupe agreed to not to keep secrets so he shared with Lupe what happened at the party when she was off with the girls and Lupe got very angry, it was more than Armando had ever seen.

“Estupido, dios mio!” Lupe exclaimed

“I was just thinking about us.”’Mando said.

“What, getting us killed?! Lupe asked.

“No, getting us out of Mexico!”’Mando expained.

“And what to you plan on doing?” a furious Lupe asked.

“Get across the boarder, make the delivery and disappear.” ‘Mando had given this some thought.

“Disappear to where?” Lupe was starting to calm down because she liked the idea but was still concerned.

“I have cousins in L.A. and family in the mid-west.” ‘Mando informed his wife.

“Not Los Angeles, there are too many eyes that know too much.” Lupe said.

“I agree.”’Mando said.


So, that is how ‘Mando and ‘Lupe got to America and ‘Mando had not thought about being wanted by the cartel since this whole thing broke out until now. Late at night he scanned the airwaves for Spanish speaking people because he knew that this would not slow the cartel’s roll, if anything it would speed it up. Without border patrol illegal drugs and guns were rushing into the country like a wave from a broken dam. Unstoppable. One night while patrolling the radio he came across a language that he would later learn was Russian. He heard the sound of a helicopter behind the voice and heard the voice saying only names of cities in English, St. Louis and Kansas City. The helicopter was in the area although ‘Mando couldn’t hear anything outside of his house.

David made it to his girlfriend’s apartment and he saw his little boy for the first time.

“I’m so glad you go away, I was so scared.” his girlfriend, Jennifer, says as she wraps her arms around his developed arms. “Did you see anything out front?”

“Yeah, they have soldiers posted but they don’t know their way around like I do, I made it here didn’t I.” David says while holding his little boy. “What did you name him?”

“What we agreed on, Michael.” Jenny says.

“Here, hold him, I need to make sure the apartment is secure, did you move my pistol?” David asks.

“Not in five years have I moved your pistol.” Jenny says.

“That’s my girl.” David says as he goes into the closet and reaches up to the shelf where he last put the Glock. He pulled it down and it was loaded just as he left it five years ago.

“Wait, before you go.” and Jenny gave him bedroom eyes.

“Now...damn it, let me just make sure everything is OK. I’ll be right back, hold that thought.” and David was out the door.

Jenny didn’t like it but in a way she did, she liked seeing her man take control of the situation and fresh from the penitentiary he was huge, arms, chest and that shaved head made him look really dangerous. He turned her on. Nothing changed in the five years he was away, and occupied with her first child she didn’t have the time to entertain a new man even if she wanted to which she didn’t. Jenny had gotten used to hearing gun shots since the siege began but what she wasn’t accustomed to was her boyfriend coming in the door sweating with a hot pistol.

“Those guys are crazy, they act like this is their home turf, I had to remind them where they were.” David says as he tries to catch his breath, “Only took two well placed bullets. They’ll be leaving us alone for a while.

Now what was on your mind before I left?”David says knowing full well what was on her mind. It’s been on his mind for five long years.David picked up his girl by the waist and put her over his shoulder and went into the bedroom and plopped her down on the bed and shed his clothes like a strong breeze blew them off. She only had a sundress on so she was naked ahead of him. She lay before him in all her feminine glory and he crawled onto their bed and started kissing her feet first and slowly moved his way up her calf to her thighs past her prize and onto her flat stomach up to her full breasts where he toyed with her nipples until she could take it no longer. He grabbed her head in one hand and kissed her hard enough for her to taste all those years of pain. He then went back down to her prize and tended to it until she was bucking him off. Then they made slow love, David wasn’t going to rush this, he dreamed of this moment too long to rush through it.

They had to be quiet be quiet because their little boy was sleeping on the couch and the apartment was a small one bedroom. They were rolling around in each others scent and taste. They heard the creaking of from footsteps and then heard a knock at the door.

　

The lodge was overtaken by Russians. Kelly and Jessica made it down the hill. It was a ghost town, no cars on the street, no pedestrians on the sidewalk. Kelly and Jessica were on skis and stopped at a diner on the edge of town.

“You open?” Kelly shouts as she walks in the door.

“Yeah, come on in, you ski down here?” the elderly waitress says. “And we ain’t going nowhere!”

“Can we have some coffee?”Jessica asks as if reading Kelly’s mind.

“Yes, that would be nice.” Kelly adds, “What has been going on down here?”

“I was gonna ask you the same thing.” the elderly lady says, “ My name

is Jean, by the way.”

“Yes, we skied down here from the resort because there was just too much activity and foreign forces invading. I imagine it was the same for you.” Kelly accepts the cup of coffee, “Thank you, I need this more than you know.” she says to Jean.

“Well, it started early yesterday with the foreigners scantly wandering through town, I guess doing reconnaissance. Everyone noticed them, everyone knows everyone in this town, but nobody said anything to them or about them. We just figured that they were tourists that got separated from their group. Then this morning those wandering tourists were donning camouflage and had rifles on their backs. They seem to have multiplied, too. Who are they?

“We don’t know who they are or what they are doing.” Kelly says and then is interrupted by a frightened Jean.

“Because nobody wants to come outside, you had to have noticed that when you approached the diner. Ever since the president got shot things have been crazy around here.” A frantic Jean stops to catch her breath.

“Can you turn on the television?” Kelly asks.

“And that’s another thing, the television is out and it’s not just here, it seems to be everywhere.” a worried Jean says. Her parents come to mind and she wants to call Boston.

“Can I use your phone? I seem to have forgotten my cell.” Kelly asks.

“Here, you can use mine.” Jessica offers. But no luck.

“Cell service is out.” Kelly says and then asks. “Can I use your land line?”

“You can try but I tried earlier and it was out, too, not even a dial tone or busy signal.” Jean informs the two young ladies dressed in fluorescent orange jump suits and jackets.

“Oh, shit! Excuse me, this is bigger than I thought. We gotta go, stay inside, Jean.” And Kelly and Jessica were gone. Kelly was leading the way and Jessica was putting everything she had into following her.

“Kelly!” Jessica shouted and Kelly stopped about fifty yards ahead of her. After waiting there a second she backtracks and meets Jessica.
They both continue to run then stopped and were mesmerized by the sky above. Two objects were doing a dance creating consecutive figure eight’s. Those objects were roaring fighter jets.

“I hope the guy coming up the back is us.” Kelly remarks.

“Yeah, I’m sure he is.” Jessica says.

“Or she, right?” Kelly says.

“Yeah, right.” Jessica adds.

serendipity VI

In the morning Lisa explained, then introduced Rod to her Mother and Kevin, who was all too happy to help, once he heard of the reason why he was there. Lisa played it up a little saying that, if Rod goes back, he will be in serious trouble with the gang. Lisa explained that he was there to protect us.
“You’re in the house of the lord, you need no protection here.” Kevin said.
“That’s right, you need no protection.” Michael suddenly appeared out of nowhere, Maria was sitting at the dining table and Lisa and Rod were sitting across from her while Kevin was standing at the edge of the table. No one saw Michael walk in and it surprised Rod who jumped up from his seat.
“No, no, Rod it’s OK, he’s a friend.” and Rod sat down. Michael stood off to the side, but it suddenly appeared to be the center of the room due to the well of energy that he brings with him everywhere. The angels sang, the heavens parted and the sun shone around his body as if he were a sail on a boat. His halo was visible, but only those that knew could see it.
“I will take care of the protection, you my friend, have other thing to deal with.” Michael was talking to Rod and motioned with his eyes toward Lisa. He needed to allay her fear and comfort her. Lisa’s nerves were ruined from all the time worrying about her Mother and her Mother was always worrying about her son in the hospital. Michael was there to take the worry away and give confidence that it will all play out in it’s proper way.
“The lord does not wish us to be bogged down with worry, it ages your body and puts shackles on your spirit. Isn’t that right?” Michael looks over toward Kevin and nods, Kevin nods back. “Now,when are these people supposed to be coming?” he directs the question to Rodrigo.
“I don’t know exactly but it will be soon. You don’t care if they know you are here, do you?” Michael was looking straight into Rodrigo’s eyes and could see the previous evening when he came there, he knew that the gang didn’t know he was there, yet.
“We’re going home today.” Michael announced, the information landed on Maria and Lisa like a boulder.
“But.” and that’s all Lisa got out of her mouth.
“The gang knows you are here and we can’t put the church in jeopardy anymore. Thank you, father.”Michael said.
“So, you’re just going to drive out of here.” Rodrigo said
“No, we are going to drive out of here.” Michael said.
“But, remember what happened when we drove over here.” Lisa was referring to the shots that they magically dodged.
“Yes, I remember the ride over, it was quite breezy that day.” Michael completely discounted her concern because nothing actually happened.
“And I want you to have this money, Father.” Lisa was putting wrapped stacks of hundred dollar bills in his hands, while saving some for her brother..
“That’s ill gotten money.” Father replied.
“Then do some good with it, then that will make the money righteous, right?” Lisa said.
“Well, I suppose so.”the Father said
“Well, gather your things.” Michael said
“So, we’re leaving right away?” Maria, an obedient listener, finally speaks up.
“Yes, sister, we’re leaving right away.” Michael said lovingly to the faithful Maria.
“Well, don’t forget this,” Kevin takes a wooden, hand-made rosary from around his neck and gives it to Maria.
“Wow, thank you, Father.” a devout Maria said.
“And you,” Kevin turns toward Michael and grabs his hand, “It has been divine.”
“You are doing a righteous job with your church and he is very proud of you. I think Cynthia wants to see you off, too. Cynthia!.” Kevin calls his right hand nun. She enters the room drying her hands off on a rag.
“Yes, yes, Father.” Cynthia
“Michael is leaving with Maria and Lisa.” Kevin said.
“Oh, well, it was nice having you and your little friend,” Cynthia is referring to Rod, “May God be with you along all your travels.”
“Thank you, you were very gracious welcoming us in like you did.” Maria said.
“OK, we should go now.” Michael said as Lisa got her last bag packed and stood up ready to go.
“I’m ready...and a little scared.” Lisa admits in front of everyone.
“Fear is a good thing, but completely unnecessary right now.” Michael informs the group. Kevin opened up the door and Maria bravely walked out first,Lisa followed because if anything were going to happen to her Mommy, it was going to happen to her, too. And Rod came out after Michael.
The white Mercedes started fine and Michael backed out of the parking spot. Everyone instantaneously felt a sense of calm come over them when they hit the street. Again, Michael and Maria sat up front while Lisa and Rodrigo sat in the back.
“Just who are you?” Rod blurts out involuntarily. Lisa elbows him.
“No, that’s quite alright,” Michael makes eye contact with Lisa through the rear-view mirror and winks. “I’m a family friend. A very close family friend”
“El es nuestro amigo divino.” Maria said that he was a divine friend.
“Mom! That’s enough!” Lisa demands.
“Usted dice demasiado!” Lisa tells her Mom she talks too much.
“Now, now, let’s not argue in front of company.” Michael looks in the rear-view mirror at Lisa who is closed off and sits with her arms folded; he gives her a look acknowledging her frustration and sending her love.
“Yeah, I don’t want to hear a Mother and daughter fight at a time like this, aren’t there bigger fish to fry?” Rodrigo responds not paying any attention to the lukewarm explanation of who Michael was. They came upon low-rider rolling four deep at a stoplight. Rodrigo and Lisa cringed as the gangbangers looked over at them. But they couldn’t see them, somehow, Rodrigo thought it was the reflection off the windows that made them unable to see. Lisa and Maria, who were really oblivious to the situation, knew differently. Suddenly Lisa felt a strong sense of pride wash over her. Pride for knowing Michael, pride for giving the money to the church, pride for having a Mother like she did. And her dear brother.
“I have a surprise for you, Maria” Michael said as he turned a corner going away from their house. “I can’t tell you but you’ll know where we’re going before we get there.” They all sat in silence just absorbing the presence of divinity. Rod sat quietly knowing somewhere inside that he was in the car with someone very special, besides Lisa, whom he honestly had feelings for. That was the only reason he was in the car. They rounded the corner onto the street that the hospital Julian was in.

“Oh, dios mio! Michael, you know just where my heart is.” Maria said.

“I am here to care for your family, it was Lisa’s prayer after all, she called me.” Michael said. “Do you even remember, Lisa?”

“No, I don’t” Lisa admits

“But I pray to you every night.” Maria said.

“But Lisa’s prayer was at the perfect time.” Michael said.

“What’s that?” Maria asked

“That’s all I know, the rest is from him,” Michael points upward. “Apparently, Lisa’s prayer was too honest and desperate to leave unanswered and that’s how I got my assignment.”

“Just who are you?” a confused Rod says.

“I work for the church.” Michael gives an honest answer without divulging anything he did not need to know.

Michael pulled into the hospital parking lot and before getting out of the car he asked Maria for her Rosary.

“Sure.” she takes it from around her neck and hands it to him. He holds it to his chest and bows his head. Suddenly a glowing ring appeared above his head. Maria gasped and Lisa’s eye’s widened. He made the sign of a cross on his chest and his head rose and Michael was smiling. He handed the rosary back to Maria and it was warm, as if someone heated up the whole thing in an oven or microwave. The sun was setting and the sky was a swirl of orange, red and blue like some new ice cream flavor. Rod was outside the car when Michael prayed. And he and Lisa were walking together toward the automatic doors of the hospital. It is usually a walk of sorrow, but tonight it was different. Maria walked with Michael.

“Beautiful sunset isn’t it?” Michael asked.

“Sure it is, what were you doing back in the car before we got out.” Maria asked without hesitation.

“Do you think that just because I’m an angel I don’t pray.” Michael said very matter-of-factly.

“We saw your halo.” Maria said proudly.

“That happens when I connect to the source” Michael said. “You can connect, too, that is what rosaries are for. But I know that you know that. Well, you believed that and now you know it like you know your own name,OK?”

“OK.” Maria said.

“When I was praying I was asking how much I’m allowed to help your son. Whatever happens to your son you must know it’s part of the grand plan. It’s for the better of mankind.” Michael finished and the entered the hospital through automatic glass doors. Michael walked directly to the elevator that they needed to go up to reach the room.He knew what floor and the room number. It was as if he had been there before.

“I’ve been here before, for your son” Michael whispers into Maria’s ear.

They enter Julian’s room and his eyes are closed, a mass of balloons in the corner. People that work at the hospital were buying him balloons and flowers. Tubes were attached to her son like he was some science experiment. Maria put her hand over Julian’s and instantly his eyes opened as if he was waiting for that touch to come back. Michael stood on the opposite side of the hospital bed, he put his hand on his chest and closed his eyes and took deep breaths as if meditating. Lisa was sitting in the corner with Rod.

“Finally, where have you been?” Julian said to Michael like he knew him.

“Julian!” Maria was getting ready to reprimand her son for being rude to someone he doesn’t know.

“No, it’s alright, he’s right, I am a little late.” Michael said.

“But how...” Maria started.

“When children get close they see and talk to angels and God even.” Michael said.

“Close to what?” Maria doesn’t want to know the answer.

“The end.” Michael answers as softly as he can. Maria doesn’t make a sound but tears begin flowing down her cheek like an overfilled glass. Lisa wraps her arms around her Mother from the back and rests her head on her tough Mother. They both are crying but neither make a sound.

“They told me you were coming to show me the way and you gotta get back soon, that’s just what I heard and I think you know who I heard it from.” Julian said.

“What is he talking about” Lisa asked.

“I think right now we should just let love fill our hearts, all of us.” Rod stood up and walked to the hospital bed and reached across and grabbed Michael’s hand creating a circle of love that enveloped Julian.

“Did you help Lisa?” an exhausted Julian asked Michael.

“How did he know?” Lisa said.

“Yes, Julian I have touched them all you can go.” Michael said.

“Mama, hold my hand.” his Mother grasped his hand. “This is forever.”

“Julian, I can’t show you the way, you have to find it on your own.” Michael said. Lisa put her hand on his leg. And the circle of energy they created through hand holding became electric and started glowing

“The...it’s so bright.” Julian said.

“That is your guide, if you move toward it, it will start to pull you. Follow your heart, my son. And he took an enormous breath and slowly exhaled. By the time the wind was out of his lungs, his soul ready for . his journey

“Mama...don’t forget...” and Julian slipped away. He rose above his body as an apparition. Maria was crying then she smiled, Lisa was dumbstruck as was Rod who was now holding Lisa’s hand hard. Michael had a smile on his face that looked like the smile on Buddha’s face. He had the look of joy, empathy and knowledge of all that is and all that ever will be.

Landslide Chapter 1

The president is touring the country making public speaking engagements to gain support for his reelection. He’s hitting all the major cities across the country and today he is in Los Angeles. The presidential motorcade is making it’s way downtown winding it’s way through the crowded city streets. Confetti is being thrown down from the skyscrapers, children lined the streets with the hopes of seeing the president. It was a normal Southern California day, sunny and seventy-five degrees. Upon rounding the corner at fifth and Broadway the presidents car slows and a shot rings out and hits the president. It was all too reminiscent of the Kennedy assassination except the president car is supposed to be bullet-proof. The decoy cars are not and somehow the president was put in one. The very next day, while mourning the president’s death terror cells begin erupting in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Austin, Chicago, Orlando, Norfolk, D.C., Philadelphia and Brooklyn..

The country has descended into chaos like clockwork. Congress cannot convene due to roadblocks surrounding the capitol building with armed Middle-eastern men who shoot first and look for I.D. later. The cities are not in contact with each other and no one can see the scope of this coup.The country knows the president has died due to television,  but it was cut-off after that report, along with cell phone service.

But the millions in Los Angeles are not taking this lying down. Neighborhoods are mobilizing into mini militia’s to protect their own. The riots of 1992 were a dry run for this day. Koreans were on the rooftops of their businesses guarding their patrons as they hustled in for supplies. San Francisco was not aware of the battle going on down south nor was Los Angeles aware of the battles going on around the country. This was planned, no doubt, and probably  before September 11, 2001. If the media were still viable, someone on television would definitely speculate that this was revenge for the killing of Osama Bin Laden.

D.C.fell like a deck of cards erected by a child. All the starched white collars in the country couldn’t talk their way out of this mess.  Militia’s in the Midwest were arming entire counties as if they knew what was happening in the big city. They were waiting for this day and it was now here. A man named Armando had family in Los Angeles and communicated with them via shortwave radio and so he was the lifeline to the midwest. Although there was not much life to speak of, but Kansas City as well as all surrounding municipalities, were aware of what was going on in Los Angeles, thanks to him.The hispanics in the country didn’t seem to be as rattled as the Anglo’s or the African Americans. They had lived in police states before in their home countries. And almost all of them were familiar with assault rifles and semi-automatic pistols.

Armando was head of household to a family of five and worked as a roughneck on an oil derrick. It was hard work, one of the most deadly jobs that can be had on land but that didn’t matter to him. He was second generation Latino born from immigrant parents who endured weeks in the desert to get to this country. They instilled in him gratitude for this country’s opportunities and abundant services. He had his first full time job at fourteen years old working under the table at a lumber yard and had been working ever since then. He graduated from High School but had no time for college as he was one of seven children and the family needed the income. But now, Armando’s house was about to become a hub of activity, being that he had a shortwave radio and knew how to use it.

“Yeah, we know the president is dead but everything cut off after that, this radio is all we have left.” Armando says.

“Well, there’s more than that, someone sent paramilitary troopers into the city,this place is a madhouse. How is it there?” his cousin says.

“We don’t have paramilitary troopers falling from the sky but a what-looks-like Chinese army has taken over downtown. We don’t know where they came from, they just seemed to have come out of the ground.” Armando says.

“Do you have any weapons?” his cousin says.

“We’re in the country and aren’t as regulated as you Californians, of course we have weapons.” Armando replies. His cousin chuckles.

“You know that I don’t listen to regulations, I gotta have my AK and so should you, it’s time to arm people” his cousin says and then there’s nothing but static.

Prisoners were released from their cells but they would not find a ride back to their hometowns. Upon release they were inducted the local militia and given a rifle. The prisoner’s knew what was going on, somehow, even better than free citizens did. David took his rifle and got away from the militia the first free moment that he had. He had family in Los Angeles and was determined to get there. He had wanted to run free for years now, being down for trafficking cocaine five years, he had to get 600 miles south and had no car or mode of transportation. He was just running alongside the highway looking for a ride. He knew the police would not be looking for him. All bets were off, at this point, the country was being invaded from the inside.

Soon enough a big rig  rumbled along and stopped with a loud squeal of the air brakes. David climbed up gratefully on the side door and opened it. Climbing inside, he found Jerry, an overweight truck driver hauling a flat bed with concrete pipes that were sealed on both ends. “What’s in the pipes?” David asks as he plops himself down in the passenger seat.

“You never mind what’s in those pipes, whatcha name? Mine’s Jerry. I would shake your hand but these pipes are mighty heavy and I wouldn’t want to lose control and drive us into a ditch.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right, my name is David.” David says but that’s it.

“You comin’ from a rough place aren’t you. What, the militia’s didn’t want you?” Jerry says as he pulls back onto the highway, looking into his side mirror.

“No, I didn’t want them, how do you know so much?” David asks.

“CB radio, the world is broadcast through this thing,” Jerry pats his CB on top.“Shit, anyone that tells you that men don’t gossip has never had a CB radio before.” laughs “I guess you’re headed south because you got in my truck but where are you headed?”

“Los Angeles, I have a girlfriend there that just had my baby son.” David says not really knowing whether or not his girlfriend was still there for him, as she said in all her letters.

“Into the belly of the beast, huh?” Jerry says as if David knows nothing of what happened.

“Yeah, I know it’s going to be chaos but I gotta’ go” David reveals the seriousness of his trip without having to go into detail,”How far are you going”

“Well,if you must know, and since you already have that rifle, these pipes are filled with weapons for a newly formed militia down near San Diego.They might be Mexicans, I don’t know, I’m just doing a friend a favor”

“I had a feeling about those pipes because you picked me up even with this AR in my hand, I knew you were armed at least.” David finishes.

“You better believe it.” Jerry.pulls a .45 out from the side of his door and points it skyward.

“That’s a nice piece, I’ve worked with one of those.” David says

“Worked?”Jerry questions.

“No, don’t get me wrong, I never robbed anyone, I sold large amounts of cocaine and used one of those to protect myself, it was my only partner. And still I got popped.” David says with an angry tone.

“Well, those days are over now, right? Look you’re in for a long ride, I have a bed in back, or you can just stretch out in your seat.” Jerry says.

“I appreciate you stopping.” David says.

.They rolled unimpeded down the relatively empty California Highway 99. Jerry didn’t take the tourist-friendly Interstate 5 that nearly runs parallel to the 99 because he knew if there was going to be road-blocks they would likely be on the Interstate. Like Interstate 5, cruising down highway 99, was a tour through Napa in the north to Sequoia National park in the south. It was early morning when David got on board and after they passed Fresno and dropped down into San Joaquin Valley they came across dense fog that made them slow to a crawl, not because they couldn’t see, but so they wouldn’t completely destroy blind drivers in cars. They inched their way along until the fog broke about 100 miles out of Bakersfield, one of the only towns in Southern California with a truck stop. On the outskirts of town they came across their first truck stop and road-block, of big rigs. They couldn’t just plow through the rigs like they were cars, they had to stop. And when they did they got a surprise. It wasn’t whomever was trying to uproot the American government, it was other Americans trying to recruit Militia fighters. Jerry slowed the truck to a crawl as he approached the block. Then a man with a blue bandana wrapped around his face climbed up the passenger side off the truck in a hurry with a semi-automatic pistol in his hand. David was quick on his feet, a survival tool in prison, and had his AR-15 pointed out the window when the man reached his door.

“It’s OK, it’s OK,” the man said in broken English then jumped down from the truck. Then a voice on a loudspeaker came on and said,”Please step down from the vehicle.” this time it was perfect English and David and Jerry talked about what they should do.

“This is my ride, it’s all I got.” Jerry says

“This freedom, it’s all I got. If you want to shoot it out with them, I got your back. I will not serve another man, other than family, for as long as I shall live.” David says with the energy of a man just released from a cage.

“Nah, maybe they’re friendly...alright we’ll get out but I’m carrying this,” he displays his .45,  and he hands David a .38 revolver but doesn’t say a word, only gives him a look that says many things, including ‘not until we need to’. Jerry was the first to open the door. The people at the roadblock were just as apprehensive as they were about them and cocked their guns as David opened his door. David let the AR fall to the ground so as to divert them from the odds that he’d have a pistol in his back David jumps down and puts his hands up.

“Who are you?” the loudspeaker says.

“Concerned citizens” David says as Jerry sits, still in the truck

“You can come down from there.” the loudspeaker says to Jerry. Jerry slides down the outside handle landing hard and with a wince he raises his hands.

“Who wrote the Emancipation Proclamation?”

“What!?” David says as he looks to Jerry who clearly has no idea what’s going on.

“Just answer me” the loudspeaker says.

“Abraham Lincoln” David says.

“Alright, stand down boys.” the loudspeaker says and the barricaded crew comes out to introduce themselves

“We just needed to know that you were real Americans.” A lumberjack looking man says,”My name’s John, I put together a posse to protect Americans from the invaders.”

“Who are they?” Jerry asks.

“We thought they were Middle-Eastern but there are also some Chinese and some Russians.” John says.

“How do you know they were fighters?” David asks.

“Because we killed them” John looks beyond David and Jerry to the roadblock and yells, “move that damn thing, yeah, clear a path for our new friends.” he looks back at David and Jerry, “And they were all using Chinese or Russian made AK’s. But I’m assuming you have important business and I’ll let you go if you want, just remember a few things. Don’t stop at all unless you absolutely have to, don’t be afraid to use that rifle, and don’t trust anyone. And get on that CB and let everyone know, if they don’t already, that America is under attack.”

Kelly was a world-class snowboarder living in Vail, Colorado and working for the search and rescue team. Her parents were in Boston, She was a tough chick that all the guys were friends with though none had the courage to ask her out. She’s tall and slender and had a face that would make Cindy Crawford cry with jealousy and a body that would turn Tyra Banks’ head. She was in her early twenties and not quite sure what to think of this life, yet. Everyone was fighting not to be miserable all their lives, it seemed. Now, she didn’t know what she wanted, but she knew that, definitely, she didn’t want that So, she decided at a young age to follow her heart and her heart was in snowboarding. Directly after high school she moved to Vail and got her first sponsor. While she was still in Boston travelling for competitions was nothing new. She handled the money properly and is living off of interest but still rides.This morning she had an interesting encounter. While patrolling the back country she came across a man obviously urinating but had his back turned.

“Hey, we have bathrooms for that!” Kelly yelled. The man turned around and he looked Chinese or Korean but the thing was, he didn’t say a thing, just picked up his rifle and ran away. When Kelly got back down the hill of fluffy powder. She dug her edge in twenty feet from the front door to the lodge and people were running around frantically.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Kelly shouts to the whirl of people moving by and nobody answers. Until finally Kelly’s friend Jessica ran by.

“Kelly, come with me there’s big trouble.” Jessica is also part of the rescue team. Jessica took Kelly to a cabin where all the others were.

“There’s an invasion.” Jeff  a senior member of the team.says.

“What do you mean,’an invasion’? Kelly says There’s a group of five, they were all sitting on couches and loveseats except Kelly, she had the chair.

“Like, men with weapons coming down from the sky and shooting people. We have to stay here.” Jeff says.

The American radar saw them coming but they were coming with the power of four Air Force’s. The American fighter pilot’s, while exceptionally talented, were falling from the sky faster than they could take off. The American skies became a tarmac, unloading supplies and people This was George Bush’s Axis of Evil at work.

“This morning I came across a Chinese man with a rifle urinating but he just ran away.” Kelly says.

“That was a soldier, where was he?” Jeff says.

“On Saddle Ridge.” Kelly says.

“Holy shit,they’re going to come down the hill into town.” Jeff says.

“I’ll call the sheriff.”

But that would not matter, within a matter of hours North Korean and Chinese paramilitary trooper will have landed like a tipped over cereal box full of cockroaches, spilled out everywhere. Jeff and Daniel, a sophomore member of the team,  grabbed two carbine rifles that were on the wall and peeked out the windows.

“Don’t shoot unless they’re coming this way.” Sissy, a new member of the team, says..

“We  gotta shoot them on sight!” Daniel says as his attention is drawn outside a window at the front of the cabin. He’s peeking out like a child playing a very deadly game of hide-and-seek..

Kelly and Jessica were huddled in the corner, the only one’s grasping the big picture. If soldiers are hitting Vail, then what must that say for bigger cities? It’s not like Vail was on the coast or something, at the front door of the country. Many cities would have had to have been over-run to get to Vail. And Jessica and Kelly while not college graduates were no dummies and were globally aware. They ascribed to the well-known bumper sticker,”Act locally-think globally” So, they both wanted to call home.

They were similar in age and back story. They both came from loving households and were prodigies that took to snow like a Gazelle to the Serengeti. They left high school and moved to Vail and had been there ever since. They were both romantics but were currently involved with their sport, exclusively. Kelly and Jessica saw themselves  as the only one’s thinking rationally and they felt it was their duty as American citizens to do something. That something did not include weapons.

“I have to go check on someone” Kelly says as an excuse to get away from the trigger happy men.

“And I’m going with her” Jessica steps up and tags along.

“You can’t go anywhere!” Jeff demands.

“Watch me!” the defiant Kelly says and opens the door and walks out with good friend Jessica in tow. They march through the snow together both having the same feeling of ‘oh my God this is really happening’.

“Thanks for coming with me Jess.” Kelly relays to her friend. “We’re going back to the lodge.”

“The lodge? Why?” Jess says “We don’t have weapons.”

“And neither does anyone in the building, if they’re still there.” Kelly is not thinking about her own safety, which is part of being on the team. They hid behind trees as they approached the lodge, dashing from shadow to shadow. People were no longer running and the last one’s  there were hiding in the shadows, too, everyone knew what Kelly and Jessica’s jackets meant and they were greeted with hugs. Trees cast shadows at high noon and it was morning on an overcast day. The lodge was empty as they were told that nobody wanted to stay there for everyone was confused and lost and running just to be running. No one knew what was going on. Kelly acted like she did just to because she knew that somebody needed to.

Washington D.C. had been taken by Syrians that were in the country legally as students. They found that they could ship supplies through England and as long as the package wasn’t too big, it would fly right through Customs. They were sending rifles and ammunition piece by piece for years prior to this.

The Chinese and North Koreans were coming in through the west coast and the Russians were already here, though citizens have left their country, love for their homeland ran deep. And when it called, they answered.

Jerry and David climbed back into his rig. With a turn of the key the Cummins diesel engine roared to life. They inched passed the roadblock, blew his horn twice as if to say good-bye and good-luck.

“Wow, I knew this shit would happen. The East was only going to be third world for so long. This is the rebellion. The Chinese want their money back, the Middle-East is mad at the Jews, who are our friends, North Korea wants to kick our ass just for bragging rights and the Russians have beef with us that goes all the way back to Stalin.” David finishes.

“You sure know a lot for a...” Jerry starts but then gets tripped up on his own words.

“For a what? A prisoner!” David feigns anger.

“Well, no, of course not,I just never thought of the penitentiary as a university.” Jerry and David laugh. Jerry sounded a little scared but with a loaded .45 in his door pocket, he coudn’t have been too scared,but he was. David was an intimidating man at 6’4” 250 lbs. and with a shaved head, to fit in with the white gangs in prison. It doesn’t matter how big you are, you don’t want to stand out when you’re in prison.

“Ah, I was just messing with you. But seriously, you’d be surprised how many men go to prison completely ignorant and come out with degrees.” David says

“No shit?” Jerry says through his overgrown grey beard

“There’s nothing to do in there but read and write. And the majority of the guys in the pen don’t have any writing ability so, all we do is read. But trust me, if they could write, bookstores would have to open a section dedicated it to inmate authors and their books would me more scary than Stephen King. But back to the point at hand, all great empires collapse sooner or later, and with America it is going to be sooner than later, I’m afraid.”

“Well, look how long Rome lasted or the Egyptians.” Jerry argued.

“Yes, let’s look at Rome and the Egyptians; Rome lasted some six hundred years and contributed to the growth of mankind, Egypt lasted for 3000 years and contributed so much to mankind that we are still discovering things from them, today And let me ask you a question; what has the united states contributed to the world? The assembly line, the combustion engine was not discovered in the U.S., it was exploited in the U.S. Freedom, liberty for all, do I really have to go there? Our founding fathers were hypocrites and no one called ’bull shit’ for a hundred years. Not until Abraham Lincoln was hypocrisy annihilated, before that Washington, Jefferson, and Jackson and many other presidents were having babies with their slaves. No offense if you’re a patriot and I’ll get out of your truck if you wish but the United States of America didn’t even invent Capitalism. This country is using as collateral the ground we walk on. The Chinese just kept loaning us money like giving a child rope, they always hang themselves in the end. And this  is them pulling the noose tight. America is standing on top of other countries bullying them into not moving. It looks like they all decided to move at once”

“Wow, .I would have never expected such a diatribe from a member of our prison system.” Jerry says as he passes another truck and blows his horn.”And don’t worry I do not consider myself a patriot, you should see the amount of tax I pay owning my own truck. They say this is the land of opportunity but sometimes it seems like it’s just opportunity to make someone else money. Because I’m just barely getting by. And this is the American dream? I’m my own boss, I have my own business but I don’t have a large enough house for my family, I don’t have any expendable income. This American dream is more of an American nightmare.