“Ok, listen. We came out here to go to our cabin and get away from the city. It’s pure madness down there. We figured we might be safe up here. We went into town looking for food and gas and ran into some trouble with your cohorts,” Haliday told him.
“What cohorts would those be?”
“Your militia members.”
“I ain’t a part of those assholes.”
Haliday looked past the guy when he heard a noise and then a voice. “Hey Dad, everything ok?” Two boys walked up.
“Stay back sons, these guys might be trouble.”
Haliday looked at the boys and spoke. “You guys save some of that food you got from your aunt’s house?”
The father spoke, “How did you know about that?”
Haliday went on to explain the encounter the other night. The guy looked at them. “Why were you guys hiding?”
“Like I said it’s hard to explain.”
“You the guys that have been causing the militia problems around here?”
Haliday wasn’t sure how to answer. “Look, all we want to do is get the hell out of here and get home.”
“You avoiding the answers for a reason?”
“Look, I’m taking a guess here. You were out hunting, and we happened upon this area here and you watched us come in. You got us cold. These are your boys here and you want to protect them and your family, right? Let me ask you a question, has the militia done anything for you and your family? I mean, are they taking care of you guys or are you fending for yourselves?”
“We’re on our own, I guess,” was the answer.
“Then isn’t it a good thing someone is pissing in their Wheaties?”
The guy lowered his rifle and everyone breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m sorry man, I have the feeling I should be thanking you guys instead of pointing a rifle at you. It’s been hell around here. A lot has happened and a lot of it because of those militia. They didn’t waste any time when the power went out. No one really saw it coming. Even the sheriff is one of them.”
“You mind if we sit and talk?” Haliday asked.
“I’ll tell you what; my house is a few hundred yards that way. The blue vinyl sided one over there. We can go there if you want.”
Haliday replied, “No offense but that’s not a good idea. If we’re seen, you end up in deep trouble and no telling what they would do to you. Give me a few minutes and I’ll heat up some coffee.” Haliday put some water on to boil. He made some coffee in a canteen cup and handed it to the man. He made another with hot cocoa in it and gave it to the boys to share.
“Tell Blake and me what you know.”
The man relayed his story. “Ok, the power went out and at first everyone thought it was just the power. I was working down the street at the general store my brother and I own. After a couple hours, I locked up and walked home. In the morning when everything was still out, I figured it was bad. I went down to the store.
“When I got there I saw a guy standing outside the door with a rifle dressed in camo. I asked him who he was and he told me he was militia. I asked him to move and he told me no. He told me the store was being appropriated by the Bad Axe Minute Men. I asked him to produce some legal documents and he told me to leave. I told him I would contact the police and he told me the sheriff was a minute man and had given his ok on everything.
“They wouldn’t let me in my own store. When I looked up and down the street I saw quite a few of them standing by some of the stores and the gas station. Not every store though. Just stores that sold food. I went back home and told my wife. I took one of my rifles and went back. When I got there they had a couple extra guys walking around the area so I hid my rifle. They had taped up some kind of flyer on the windows.
“I read the flyer; it said the area was under control of the minute men, and they had confiscated merchandise for the good of the community. They had old army trucks and they were emptying the stores. The big supermarkets they chained up and had guarded. It ain’t a big town. Not many stores, but they got them all anyway.
“They said they would be posting information in town and on certain buildings. The flyers were all printed. Not sure if they can print or what. But it was really odd. I felt like it was some kind of movie or something. I couldn’t believe it. They said no one could walk around or travel with firearms. Curfew was dusk until dawn. Few more rules; looters would be dealt with and all that stuff.
“I guess they got some looters and they keep them at the airport with all of the stuff they took. They have it locked up in hangars is what we were told. They have tanks and everything.”
Haliday interrupted him, “I’ll fill you in later on what they do and do not have, please go on.”
The man continued, “They caught people on the roads leaving and going to stay with family. If they had guns they took them. Sometimes they beat the people too. People around here are pretty frightened of them, but they keep telling us it’s for our own good. Then you guys showed up. Man, they have it out for you guys.”
Blake said, “Oh ya, wait until you hear the latest from them.”
The guy continued, “They call you guy’s terrorists.”
“They put out a flyer yesterday. They said in one more week they would open the trade store up. It said you would have to trade jewelry, coins, or valuables for food or gas. I don’t know how they can do that. It’s not right. It was our stuff to begin with. My store could have fed us for a long time until the government help came in.”
Haliday rolled his eyes at that statement. Why do people insist the government will always rescue them, he thought.
“Listen,” Haliday said, “these guys are not legitimate according to constitutional law. Even the damn sheriff is wrong. They are rogue thugs in my eyes. You people need to band together and take back what is yours. Otherwise you guys are going to die. You have anything at all from the store? Anything stored anywhere else?”
“Not really. I mean I have some stuff in my pole barn, but not any food. It’s all toilet paper, paper towels, things like that which are bulky. I stored them here to save space at the store.”
“Keep it all, you can trade it for what you need. You’d be surprised how valuable a roll of toilet paper will be. Speaking of, now that we’ve made acquaintances, I really have to go squirt.” He left for a minute then returned. “Now, back to business, where’s your brother?”
“They go to Arizona for a couple months each winter,” was the response.
It was Haliday’s turn to talk a bit. “Now let me tell you what they have and what they are all about.” He told the guy everything he knew about them. The guy was awestruck over what Haliday told him. “They will be searching for us with a vengeance. We killed six of them this morning. Somebody’s brother, son, husband, father, whatever. But they got what they deserved. They got what they were giving out. But we can’t do it all. We just want to get back to our own family as well.”
The man asked them, “Where are you guys going to go?”
“We are going to go find a place to camp until it’s safe for us to move out. We are going to connect with our family and try and wait it out until we can go home. Not sure when that will be. Hopefully soon.”
“Do you guys have food and stuff?”
Haliday lied when he answered. Ya, we have about two cases of MRE’s, a few more days’ worth of food for us, so we can hang out up here for about one week before we’re hunting with you guys.”
The guy thanked them for the coffee and cocoa. Haliday told him again, “This is still your country, your state and your home. These guys don’t have the right to do what they are doing. Should be enough of you out there to make a difference. Before they summarily start executing people, I’d get an alliance together and do something.”