It Ain't Paranoia if... Pt. 02 Ch. 05

"How many of The Brotherhood belong in one of those subgroups, do you think, Doc?" I asked.

"Not as many as in society, if any. You remember the training and the oaths, don't you? Pretty good screening happens before, and evaluations continue after you join."

"Tom?"

"I know more about your little militia group down in the Bend than the Brotherhood, but I was briefed once. 'True patriots', if I recall, meaning not extremists but committed to the American ideal. Is that your reading?"

"Yes, I guess so. And I know the militia members are!"

"Well, how many does that give us?" he asked.

I looked around. Clay answered, "About 38 in the militia, not counting the Border Patrol officers. Which reminds me, General Yonkers, someone in that chain of command was in cahoots with the Escamillas. The BP was set to help when the Escamillas raided the Desert Lair, but got called off by someone 'above my rank', according their commander in El Paso."

"I'll get on it; I already had suspicions about ICE - it's gotten very political and there are allegations of corruption in the upper branches.

"Does anyone know many Brothers there are?"

I shrugged; Paul said, "Currently, 106, with eleven pending training."

I refocused on him. "So how far up are you?"

"Not nearly as far as my boss. I'll second what the General said; TRUE patriots, not nut cases.

"Eleven in training is an unusually large number, but there are so many that have returned after serving in the sandbox, and they are highly concerned about what's going on here in the states. We could have a couple of hundred in training, but vetting all the candidates for stability and to find the true patriots is time and resource intensive, and we all have to work.

"If we were encouraged and supported financially, in six months we could triple or quadruple in size, because once aboard, the new members are crazy-good recruiters of the men and women of similar beliefs they served and fought with.

"And, by the way, Rob, the air support was not coincidental. He and the sheriff are way higher up than me!"

Well, shit! My head really has been buried in the sand! I need to get out and about more.

"So, I guess we can involve the sheriff after all?" They laughed in return.

Paul, Clay, Tom, and Coyote adjourned to the bunker to plan. Claude and I visited with the kids and loaded them into the armored Suburban with the 'Green' team.

Their security teams are named for the school colors of green and gold, and the 'Gold' team had preceded them to make sure the way was clear; nothing was being left to chance.

Watching the growing relationship between the avowed bachelor and the feisty warrior princess / medical doctor / mom had been fascinating. For a while, Claude kind of watched her from a distance, but she was well aware that he was. When he took a little too long to act, she did it for him.

It started with light flirting and deep discussions, transitioned to teasing and touching, on into conversations about kids and future plans, and then into kissing and petting. Claude was lost by then and their relationship was headed toward marriage.

After Claude walked them to the SUV and got them seated, he kissed Eva on the lips, and waved goodbye as they drove off; only then did he go to the planning session.

I returned a call from my contact in Budapest, who was fired up and ready to get the ball rolling... or actually, the pipeline trenchers digging and the rigs setting up. He assured me of government cooperation, as long as we were fair in our offer. He and I worked out a preliminary plan, and agreed to talk again in three days. If things kept falling in place and the money was right, he would expect to greet me with the needed documents in two weeks.

I called CCM Ltd, only to learn that this project had been kicked upstairs to their parent company, Capitol Oil and Gas (COG) Recovery, and that I had new contact named Albert (Al) Varga at COG. I was so excited about the prospects that the changes didn't faze me; in fact, they excited me more - the company was obviously committed, and the country was welcoming.

After introductions and assurances that he was up to speed, I laid it out for him. He grew as excited as I already was, and agreed in principle to all the terms I presented. Of course, that was pending approval from his operations manager, which he described as a necessary formality.

This was going to be a cakewalk paid for by my contracted employers, and I could take my new assistant with me to get introduced and indoctrinated into international business! Life was good... assuming the Second Civil War didn't start before we left or while we were gone!

I rejoined the planning session with new spring in my step, only to promptly get brought back to earth. I'm pretty good at a number of things, but I don't know shit about the military, and their jargon was a foreign language. I sat, listened, and typed an email to Ash telling her we might be leaving for a week or two in Budapest on her first day on the job. She sent a bunch of emoji!

WTH? She's my age, so it isn't that - I guess I'm just not edgy enough. Or is hip a better term? Ha! I'm neither, nor nearly nerdy enough! Can't people just use words? The emoji seemed happy and excited, so I moved on in my mind.

The kids had another email from Mom. Yes, they know I have access to their email - I'm their parent, and there are dangerous characters out there!

Kaitlyn's missive was cheerful and enthusiastic, bubbling over with love and questions for her children! Not a word about me or her future plans, of course. I guess her only interest in me is that I continue to pay for her stay at The Retreat. I hope the spa treatments and massages are working the hate for me out of her.

I do know the steaming pile emoji used to express my feelings about that!

Thinking about the kids and their mom suddenly gave me pause. We were sitting here planning military operations in case a 'civil uprising' broke out; were they in danger being here?

I asked, and got shrugs in response. I frowned, and Tom answered, "If only we knew. This might be the safest place in the state or country, or ground zero. If it were me, and I had this place, these men, and the bunker below, I'd stock up and stay right here, at least until we know more."

That begat a conversation leading to a commitment to expand our stockpiles of necessities and ammo to accommodate more people for a longer period of time, and a plan for the uncles to make that happen. There were logistical issues with acquiring that much food, water, and other supplies, but they knew ways to make things like that happen.

Our planning team then put together a larger planning team composed of members of the Brotherhood and the Terlingua Militia, and started contacting them about a meeting. The purpose of the meeting would be consideration of adding new components to the annual training.

I guess there was some code in the phrasing, because they unquestioningly agreed to meet in Fort Davis in two weeks for an in-person planning session. Not that I cared; I wasn't on the team, and I would be in Hungary anyway... with beautiful Ashley.

That thought gave my mind something to do while they considered ways to make the training advanced enough to prepare for the coming apocalypse.

My fantasy was quite enjoyable. I've never been with a jungle cat, but absent my sudden development of a policy about consorting with employees, I just might be. That thought gave me felt a flicker of guilt, which was immediately buried by resentment: Kaitlyn had already made her position clear - why should I feel guilty!

Thankfully, I then received another phone call from country code 36, so I excused myself and walked away before answering. It was my Hungarian contact, Ambrus Kovacs, who was full of good news about the progress he was making. He assured me they would be ready to finalize contracts with COG Recovery in less than two weeks.

I beat my chest a little when I talked to Al Varga, which spurred him to share a highly relevant fact about himself: that his grandparents on both sides of the family emigrated from Debrecen with their children when the Russians began their campaign of conquest in the 1950s. Debrecen is in the Northern Great Plains region of Hungary, but Al had relatives all over the country, including in Budapest.

His grandparents and parents made sure he spoke the language fluently as a child, and he had traveled to Hungary with them as a young man and adult. Add that he had studied Russian in college, and I honestly believed he was the perfect contact for this operation. After all, I knew more than a few Hungarians, and they believed a person with Hungarian blood was Hungarian, no matter where they were raised. His bloodlines can't hurt as we close in on the contracts and licenses.

Al promised to push everything upstairs and get it fast tracked. I knew this would make his career with the company, so I wasn't concerned about his dedication.

The two calls left me giddy; I felt compelled to share my excitement with someone, so I phoned my assistant-to-be on her cell; she answered immediately. "Two years on your account and I didn't get a single call; now I get two in a week! To what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I wanted to give you a heads up that the trip to Budapest is looking like a go. We'll have to do orientation on the fly, so to speak, but I'd really like to have you to come with me. Sort of a crash course in international business and European governments at one stop." Little did I know...

Ashley wanted details about the itinerary and clothing she would need. I told her the itinerary was in the hands of our hosts, but based on previous experiences, expect a business meeting or negotiation every day or two, at least one formal evening event, and two, maybe three dinner events, possibly with top government officials. I explained that a lot depends on whether they want this 'partnership project' played up as an economic boon for their country, or want to downplay American involvement in deference to their Russian "trade partners."

As to the rest of the time, dress would be casual around the hotel and when we explored the sights of the city. The climate is such that we should expect it be only slightly cooler than here, so no need for heavy jackets.

She redirected me to spell out expectations for 'formal events and dinner events'. I told her it wouldn't be much different than what you encounter in Washington, DC or New York City.

She quickly reminded me was born and raised in west Texas, that she went to college in west Texas and then went to work in Texas. She had no experience with formal and dinner events like in DC, NYC, or even around the capitol in Austin, so I needed to be clearer about such things. I promised I would try, and that she could ask all the questions she wanted. She chuckled that she thought it would be better if she called a socialite friend for the female perspective.

That out of the way, she asked what she could do in the interim to prepare for her 'onboarding'. I laughingly asked if she had a life, because I expected someone like her to have a waiting list on dates, not be looking for homework.

She didn't laugh, and her voice didn't indicate a smile behind her words. "I don't date, other than business events that require a Plus 1. My ex-husband left a bitter taste in my mouth about men in general and relationships in particular. Present company, excepted, of course."

"Without prying...?"

"He was tall, pretty, smooth, and a serial cheater. I'm so naïve, or I was, that it took me two years to figure it out. That was two years ago, and I'm never making that mistake again!"

"Been there, done that, in a very different way and with kids involved, but I've got the sweatshirt.

"So, with that out of the way, I'll send some background information to... I assume you have an encrypted email account?"

She did; I gathered a starter kit of documents, scanned and sent them, while wondering how long it would take her to devour the whole bunch.

That she had been divorced for two years, didn't date, and was suspicious about men made me wonder if she had a sex life, even if one made up of fuck buddies. I mean, that body remaining chaste for two years seems criminal!

I spent the heart of the day in my office, before Felix came calling. Ninety minutes later, I was thrilled that the kids were coming home and I had an excuse to quit working out. He reminded me that skipping workouts when I was just beginning to get in shape meant more pain and less gain. By bedtime, I knew he was right about the pain part.

We need to have fewer earth-shaking events around here so I can focus on improving my conditioning and martial arts skills.

The kids both shared their emails from Mom, even though it was the same email, and then each shared his/her school day. Their enthusiasm was heartening; they seemed to be learning a lot, and were excited about it. I vowed to attend the next round of parent/teacher conferences and meet the women who were having such a positive impact on my children.

After I tucked them in, I went to the covered porch, stretched, and climbed into the hot tub. I'm not old enough to be feeling this sore after an hour and half of workout and training. I need to get my butt in gear, get past the injuries and hospital stays, and get back in tip-top shape - I've been malingering, using 'poor hurt/busy me' as an excuse instead of doing what needed doing!

After all, you never know when you're gonna need to take a three-night hike in the desert, or fend off bad guys with your hands and feet.

I went to bed early, slept like a rock, and awoke before dawn sore from neck to toes. 'So, what now?' I asked myself. 'Do I go get coffee and start the business day, or...?'

I put on running shoes and gear, stretched on the patio, signaled to the man on guard at the house, and began jogging to and down the road. I was pleased at how easily I handled the run to the gate, until I looked at the road back and realized it was all downhill to the gate and therefore uphill all the way back to the house.

I panted through my cooldown, and then went to get coffee. Paul was grinning when I made it to the table. "Remember that Felix was recently training 18 year-olds, not thirty-somethings. He'll kill an 'older gentleman' like yourself if you don't rein him in."

'Older gentleman' drew chuckles, but the warning drew words of agreement. Maybe I should... nah, I need to be in the best condition a 30-year-old can be; I'm rising to Felix's challenge, not begging off!

Resolution aside, he gave me six hours to conduct business, and then worked me until I wanted to yell 'calf rope!' (Which for some reason means 'no mas!' in Texas). Still, I survived to shower and go greet the kids. Before I left the gym, though, I warned him that tomorrow is Saturday, and I'm taking the kids and anyone else who wants to go to Balmorhea, so no workout!

"It's still September hot, but the first cool fronts are gathering up somewhere, and I want one more outing in 'the worlds' largest natural spring-fed pool', or whatever they claim, before it cools off!" I explained.

He laughed and said he would go too, so we could swim a few laps to make up for missing the workout.

Eva was thrilled, the kids were thrilled, the uncles were overjoyed, and pretty much everyone in our security force volunteered to help. They had to draw cards to determine who had to stay and keep the Moon and Lair safe.

We were going to look like a presidential motorcade, although not ALL our Suburbans were black. On the other hand, let the damn North Koreans start something on THIS picnic!

The proposed swim party and picnic necessitated a run to the local grocery store, and a frenzy of activity in the kitchen making potato salad, ceviche, and fresh salsa. You wouldn't think hot dogs and sausage wraps would require much prep or organization, but Eva and Claude thought differently.

The rest of us decided on popcorn and a movie or two, after baths were taken and nightclothes donned. I sat in the middle of the big couch, with Tavo and Dos on one side and Esmy and Grace on the other. After extensive negotiation, and my agreement to DVR the several movies everyone wanted to see 'soon but not tonight', we settled on Dora the Explorer and the Lost City of Gold, and How to Train Your Dragon, the Hidden World.

Eva and Claude joined us, sitting on the loveseat to watch the Dragon training. Like me, they spent most of the time watching the kids shriek and holler, laugh, giggle, and hide their faces during the suspenseful parts. The way they had bonded and become like the closest of siblings was disconcerting in a way, or at least begat questions such as why. They had little in common, beyond their experiences in captivity.

The three adults considered that fact after we put the kids to bed, before accepting their affection as something as simple as natural affinity.

The 76-degree water from the Balmorhea Springs was invigorating without shocking your system like the 68-degree water at Barton Springs in Austin does, or chilling you like the San Marcos river can at 71 degrees. In fact, it was about perfect; although Eva and the kids shrieked a bit when they first went in, and a lot more when the little fish began nibbling on them.

Felix let me play with the kids and show off on the diving boards, where I proved I can still do that pike 1.5, half and full gainers, and a layout 1.5 with a full twist!. He let me bask in their shouts and applause, and helped me conduct a refresher course in swimming safety for the kids.

It was after that when he insisted we start leisurely swimming laps... after laps... after laps, up and down that long pool. I was weak-armed when the whistle sounded for our mid-afternoon meal. The running was helping my lower body, breathing, and stamina, but it was obvious my upper body needed attention. Felix's smirk said, "I told you!"

We lazed around the in the shade of the cottonwoods after lunch for about an hour, which included naps by the kids - who had just informed us they weren't sleepy at all and were ready to go swim!

There were a few dozen other swimmers there, but they kept their distance from our alert, fit, and tough-looking group. The kids talked to and played with some of the other kids in the pool, but their parents were reluctant to let them join us around our cluster of tables. I could understand that, even if the kids didn't.

About four I got a text from Ash, who asked for more to study. Damn! Took care of all that and wants more? I wondered if she is as insatiable sexually as she is intellectually? Then I felt guilty about constantly sexualizing a colleague, who just happened to be the daughter of friends.

I told her where I was and said I'd send more when I got back, but she could go to the 'company' website to see the public face we present. She sent a sad face emoji with, "Wish I was there! Love that wonderful place!" and a string of hearts and stars.

I laughed; Texans in general, and west Texans in particular, think any water hole big enough to swim in or have a barbeque near is an oasis. Although, come to think of it, Balmorhea really is a dessert oasis!

****

To everyone's surprise, Tom flew in on Sunday with a mystery guest and a large security team. They called after landing, said they were on the way to the house, and it would be great if we could convene a meeting of the planning team plus the sheriff.

He introduced his guest as, "My friend and compatriot, Don." Don nodded toward us without changing the cool expression on his face; I had no idea who he was, but it was clear this wasn't some Washington bureaucrat

Our stone-faced guest conducted the meeting. He was organized, to the point, and unyielding in his assessment of the situation. I wondered if he was actually US Government, as intimated by Tom, or part of some shadow organization. Military background for sure, but he sounded like he belonged on one of the conspiracy sites, not fronting for a government agency.