After the Day- Red Tide Page 14

  Old titles from his childhood ran through his head. Hustler, Penthouse, and Playboy immediately came to mind. He didn’t care what decade the magazines were from either.

  After a few turns the librarian pushed a door open and inside there were stacks of magazines.

  “Believe it or not these were some of the first printed materials that were brought in for trade.” the librarian said.

  “Trade, what do you trade?” Brown said picking up an old copy of Playboy. He recognized the blonde as somebody he had seen on TV but couldn’t put a name to her.

  “At first I traded books to the local liquor merchant, but when I didn’t have anything to loan him he thought it was more important to get new material than just sit on his product. He funds the library. I let him borrow what he wants. It’s an even trade. If I didn’t know that he had sent you my way you wouldn’t be looking at that right now.”

  Brown let the centerfold drop and his eyes grew wide.

  “I’ll leave you two alone now.” the librarian said walking out.

  John flipped through countless books looking for detailed battles that happened in the states. There were a few that he picked out of the batch to study further. After two hours he looked at the stack on the floor and picked it up to carry to the study. After two wrong turns he found the entrance and the study.

  John looked out the door and saw the Bronco still parked. He didn’t see Brown anywhere.

  “Is the driver of the Bronco still here?” John asked.

  “Oh yes. I believe he would live here if you let him.” the librarian said.

  “I didn’t think of him as much of a reader.” John said.

  “Oh, the books he’s looking at are not sought after for the words.” the librarian winked at him.

  John laughed “Of course.” John set the books down on the table.

  The librarian walked over and took some of the books off the stack and examined them.

  “I suppose you’ll want a copy of the Art of War.” he said.

  “Already have it memorized.” John said.

  The librarian patted him on the back with a broad smile.

  The next couple of hours saw John reading well into the evening. He took notes and studied battles that took place in regions comparable to the west coast. He tried to take into account the Rocky Mountains as opposed to the older Smoky Mountains. John looked more at the tactics of General Lee, the use of sharp shooters, and overwhelming a larger force. John looked at the unconventional tactics of George Washington. He looked at the attack on Christmas and other rule breaking strategies that gave them the upper hand. While John wrote down notes, the librarian would look at them and disappear into the library.

  When John was finally done he had several pages of notes and his head and eyes hurt. He closed the notebook and stood up to stack the books and take them back.

  “Don’t worry about putting them back.” the librarian said.

  “I’m sorry, you sure?” John said.

  “I’m sure and I gathered some things to take with you.” The librarian grabbed a bag and set it on the table. He pulled out a few items. “Here, I have Guerrilla Warfare by Che Gueverre, the complete Chinese language course, and several military manuals on unconventional warfare.”

  He placed them back into the bag and then handed it to John.

  “Thank you. We won’t forget this.” John said.

  “Historically, pushing an army back into the sea after they set a foothold on it is impossible. However, I think it’s possible to set new standards when one is determined enough.” the librarian said.

  John looked around for Private Brown.

  “BROWN!” John hollered into the building.

  The sound of a door closing and stomping footsteps became louder as they approached him. Then, Brown appeared from behind a bookshelf.

  “Sir,” Private Brown said while holding a stack of adult magazines.

  “What the hell is that?” John asked.

  “I thought the guys might like a bit of… inspiration.” Brown said.

  John thought for a second. While the men had fought hard and put themselves in danger time and time again they rarely received any reward for it. John turned to the librarian.

  “Sir, would you mind…”

  “Not at all. Not my kind of reading as it is. Kept it mostly for trade.” the librarian said.

  “Awesome!” Brown said rushing out the door to place his haul in the back of the Bronco.

  “Sorry about him, and thank you.” John said carrying his items to the SUV.

  Chapter 4: Upstate New York

  Wang had become a man last night. It was now New Year’s Day and he had spent the night with his first woman. He had trouble walking through the streets, getting lost in his memories instead of concentrating on where he was going. She didn’t take his New Year money and he no longer knew what to do with it. There was a temple a few streets over he thought about visiting, a statue of Kuan Ti standing with his flowing beard and bladed staff. The God of War has sat in the shrines of houses and businesses for centuries. Wang often fantasized about going into battle wearing the cheongsam like his heroes in many Jet Li and Donnie Yen movies. The dress-like outfit that was traditional a hundred years ago was now dead from time.

  He once made the mistake of sharing his fantasy with some of his friends. They had become Americanized over the years and poked fun at him for wanting to go into battle wearing, what they considered to be, a dress.

  “Who would take you seriously?” one guy said.

  “They would shoot you for being a cross-dresser after they were done laughing at you.” another added.

  “And when I kill them while wearing a dress, what is more embarrassing? Killing a cross-dresser or being killed by one?” They thought for a minute, and then started to laugh.

  “That would be embarrassing.” one of the men agreed. “But you wouldn’t catch me wearing one of those. It’s fine for old fashion Kung Fu movies but for the battlefield?”

  The sound of an air raid siren echoed through the city. Several other sirens went off as their operators joined in. Wang was jolted out of his thoughts.

  “Looks like it’s time.” he said to himself.

  There was a giant hall in the center of the city they were ordered to go when the signal was given. All the men and many women showed up. Thousands of people crowded into place and lined up like they were trained. They stood in front of the podium waiting to hear from their commander. A few rows over Wang looked at the other people in line to see if there was anybody he recognized. Two rows next to him he spotted a familiar face. He wasn’t sure a first. He pictured the cheongsam silk dress and the hair tied back allowing it to flow down over her shoulders. It was her, the woman from last night. She stood at attention with a dragonov rifle hanging from her shoulder. She must be a sniper from one of the infantry units. He was jealous. They wouldn’t let him have his rifle yet.

  Then the commander walked out to the podium. The auditorium silenced with the sound of heels stomping into the ground.

  “Comrades.” a voice echoed through the spacious room. “Today is the start of a new beginning in the history of our great land. For thousands of years our people have been regarded as the sick men of Asia. Our history has been ravaged by war, famine, and invasions. Guess what? We are still here.” The auditorium exploded in hollers and cheers. The commander raised his hands for silence. A smile crept up on his face.

  “For the last hundred years our people have been suppressed by the barbarians of the west. We have been oppressed and ridiculed, never to show our true potential. Now our time has come. The west no longer exists. What lies beyond the walls of our city is a new east, a new China. A land that we can prosper and grow into a civilization the world will never forget. It was not America that colonized the moon, it was us. It was not America that fixed the world economy, it was us. It was not America that used this land the way that humans are supposed to, it WILL be us.” The room explod
ed again in cheers.

  “When we march out of those doors we will be claiming what is rightfully ours. We will be creating a new world that will live on for thousands of years. This will be a Chinese land that has never been seen before. Our greatness will shine through the heavens and the gods will bless us with fortunes that will make the emperors embarrassed to have ever ruled.”

  The commander remained silent for a minute.

  “Go now. March to the sea. Claim what is yours. A Chinese land that will rule the world to the like of which has never been seen before and will never be repeated.”

  Feet stomped in the hall. Rows of men and women turned and exited the auditorium. The units already armed marched to the main gate and flooded out of the city. Trucks and personal carriers started up, exhaust billowing out of the pipes into the air. For many, it was the first time they had heard a motor in years. Wang and many others lined up at the supply warehouse being handed AK-47s and ammo. At a separate table they could walk up and add additional supplies of grenades and sidearm’s. Wang pocketed two grenades. Some men picked up RPGs. Wang couldn’t imagine carrying the added weight for a day.

  It wasn’t hard to smuggle the weapons into the country. Cargo containers were rarely checked before The Day. Even with terrorism after 9-11, only a small fraction of containers were checked because the flow of the economy was more important.

  Wang wondered if he would see the woman from New Year’s Eve again. He had promised to marry her. He knew she didn’t take him seriously. After seeing her with the sniper rifle he knew she was a higher rank than him. At first he felt sad. Maybe their night of sex was just for fun. When he thought about it more he realized that she had used him for a night of pleasure. That thought was what stayed in his mind. A superior officer and used HIM for a good time. He felt proud marching out of the city. He was a man. If he could please a woman of her stature he could kill many Americans and make his claim in this new land.

  The sound of stomping and diesel motors filled the air until the city was empty. The streets were silent. Everything was left in their place from when the siren went off. The city from that moment on was a ghost town.

  Chapter 5: Midwest United States

  After the first week of John being gone Fatima was growing tired. Taking care of two children and having a third on the way was hard work. She packed her cart up for the next market day and planned to leave for Norah’s afterwards. Fatima had heard that Isabel and Bruce had moved out into their own small farm not too far from Norah, but for the most part it was still Norah by herself. She had hoped that they would have a horse by now but the demand was hard to fill.

  Fatima packed the rifle first and hid it under the rest of the cargo. Included were the usual herbs and remedies she used for the clinic. Most of the high calorie foods they had preserved for winter were included in the cart. Much of it was dried so it didn’t add too much weight.

  She wrote a note and left it on the dining room table.

  To whom it may concern:

  This house is occupied, if you are in need, please take what you need. Leave what you don’t and be respectful.

  Signed,

  The homeowners

  It was a simple note. It had become the new custom. Because of scavengers, a house that looked unoccupied was fair game for people to ransack. Signs were posted around their property but that didn’t mean anything if they were not home. To save from fixing a door it was left unlocked. She figured she would be gone for a day or two needing to manage the garden and chickens. She would return when rested and take care of the garden and make sure that the cabin was still standing. She hoped that little John would learn to help with his sister. She had him help with feeding her dinner. In her mind she couldn’t get past letting him watch over her for long periods of time.

  The next morning she placed the note on the table with a large rock holding it in place. Little John walked next to her for the three miles to town and Wasimah rode in the cart. She remembered driving to the hospital in an older Toyota Camry. She though at times that it was rough being a doctor and not having a better car. Days like today there wasn’t much she wouldn’t do for any car.

  When they reached the market she unloaded her supplies for the clinic at her usual spot and handed little John a piece of venison jerky. She ate a few pieces herself and waited for her first patient.

  Norah made a habit of stopping by and getting a check-up. While she was older and it was good for her to be seen, the visit was more of a gossip/catch up session between two women.

  “Fatima,” Norah said standing on the opposite side of the table. “How have you been?”

  “Good.” she said.

  Norah sat down and put her arm out for the usual blood pressure check. She looked over at the cart and noticed it was loaded with more items than normal.

  “Oh, going on a trip?” Norah said her face showed a hint of concern.

  “John is gone.” Fatima said.

  “Oh dear, I’m so sorry.” Norah said grabbing Fatima’s hand.

  “It’s not like that.” Fatima said. She leaned in and talked lower. “There is a war going on.”

  “What?”

  “We had a visit last week, someone John knew. He said that the Chinese had landed all along the west coast and were moving into the Midwest and southern states.”

  “I don’t believe it.” Norah was loud, in shock.

  Some people started to pay attention.

  “Your blood pressure is good.” Fatima said.

  “So, did he go to fight?” Norah asked.

  “He did.”

  “If you need anything,” Norah assured her.

  “Can we stay at your place for a bit, not long, I need to check on the cabin but with the kids it’s a bit much.”

  “I can always enjoy the pitter patter of little feet in the house. Of course you can.”

  “Thank you.” Fatima said relieved. She didn’t have a doubt that Norah would say yes but didn’t want to impose either.

  Fatima went through the rest of the check-up, listening to the lungs and viewing the ears and nose the best she could. She asked about any aches or pains. Cuts were becoming a big problem with no antibiotics left to give out. She had to do a little research and find some natural antibiotics to prescribe. So far garlic was becoming very handy and it even raised the value of it at the market. The funny thing with this new life was that people were relearning the practical values of many plants they overlooked. Dried dandelion leaves were being used for kidney function and the roots were tonics for the liver. Herb books were now the highest priced books being sold when they were found. Some people would work at memorizing the content and then sell it at the market. Others would keep them for reference and to teach their kids how to identify and use certain herbs.

  For a short time a man by the name of Bud tried to put together a library but the first few times he loaned books out they disappeared. There wasn’t much of a law enforcement to keep order with such events. Things were left between the two people. After the first few years of the crash people were reluctant to get violent. The survivors had learned there isn’t too much in the world worth fighting for. Bud even tried to have a reference library but found that his house would get broken into because of the high value of the books. His copy of Seed to Seed was stolen overnight and was rumored to have sold at the market the next week for a pound of venison jerky, five packets of seeds, and a quarter ounce gold piece. Bud didn’t understand why people were acting like this. With the reference library they could have sat down and wrote down the information that they wanted. There was no reason to steal anything and that was what he was trying to avoid by having the information available to everyone. Bud closed his library the next day and had not thought about it since.

  Norah visited Russell to talk shop and waited for him to ask her out. The rumor around the market was that Russell was her man. She would drop hints once in a while but most of their talks were about the market and how things
were changing. She would leave his booth hoping that next week she would hook him in and the rest of the market enjoyed watching the game between the two.

  At the end of the day Norah and Fatima attached the two carts together and had Norah’s pig haul it back to the farm. Fatima was thankful not to pull it back to the farm herself. Norah’s pig was larger now. She joked that if she was able to pull the cart herself she would have butchered him a long time ago. The state of the new world, what is handy has value.

  Back at the farm little John, Wasimah, and Fatima slept in Isabel’s old room. All of the items had been carried and stored away in the kitchen and basement cellar. Fatima’s rifle was kept in her room and Norah felt safer having another long range weapon at the farm. There were no problems since the cannibals, but you never knew when something else would happen.

  That week was the first time that Fatima had received a good night’s sleep in a long time. Norah had been able to buy a goat recently and was able to milk it. Using the goat’s milk she was able to feed and rock Wasimah back to sleep at night instead of Fatima. Waking up the next morning Fatima suddenly realized how much she was missing and for the first time felt fully rested.

  “We are buying a goat when John gets back.” Was her first thought when Fatima found out about the trick.

  Chapter 6: Midwest United States

  Chris rode his horse through the back roads and fields as he searched for former military servicemen that would be able to help with the country’s current problem. Many had turned him down saying they were retired, tired, or injured and forgotten. Chris had his own souvenir from a tour in Iraq. Besides the tattoos he came home with, there was the cancer that he developed while on tour. He had dropped in the middle of the day, heat stroke was the first suspect but the medics changed their minds after learning he had been there for nine months already. He was flown to Germany where they found the tumor in the back of his skull. Then he was flown home to the states and had surgery and started chemo.