Mad World - Descent Ch. 02

"When was that?" I asked.

Barbara just shrugged, "Days ago."

"Unfortunately, I have no idea where to start looking for your daughters," I said, "However, we will bring you home with us. Once you've recovered, as we explore we will keep our eyes and ears open. Since you know these men, if we come across them, then we can do something. For now, Esmeralda, will you help me get Barbara to the truck?"

Picking Barbara up I carried her out of the house. When Fernanda and Marisol saw Barbara the two girls found a blanket in the truck and brought it out to wrap around the naked woman. Once the women were in the truck Nathan and I did a walk around the property. The place was pretty thoroughly gutted.

We continued driving down Country Road 260 until we were about a mile from Kahlotus and then Nathan and I used the rangefinder to scope out the area. After finding Barbara and the rest of her family slain or missing, I had little hope of finding anything that looked remotely civilized. And yet, as I looked through the rangefinder, that is exactly what I saw.

Only two or three streets made up the small village that was Kahlotus, and along those streets was a tavern, an unmanned fuel station, grain silos, a small general grocery store, a saloon, and a coffee house. There was a public school, a public pool, and a small city council chamber. Other than that there were a few stick-frame homes and mostly mobile homes and RVs. There couldn't be more than fifty people, but there they were. All of them. Walking about town like the world as we knew it hadn't ended four months ago!

One thing I did note was that almost everyone was packing at least a pistol on their hips. The road was unobstructed from what I could see. If we got going real fast we could probably pass through without issue. The problem would be getting back. They might expect that and lay a trap.

"What do you think?" Nathan asked.

"I think we need alliances," I said, "And these people are our closest neighbors."

"They could be the ones that killed Barbie's family too," Nathan countered.

"True," I agreed but then added, "But we won't know until we meet them."

"Okay," Nathan said, then asked, "So how do we do that? They outnumber us and outgun us by a lot."

"I'll go in," I said.

"Not without me," Esmeralda said from behind us a little further down the ridge we were crouching behind. She had a hand on her lower belly emphasizing to me particularly her pregnant state though she was not showing, and without a word, stating my responsibility to her and our new child.

"Me too," Fernanda chirped as she came up beside her mother and adopted the same posture.

I glared at both of them, but their expressions said I was not going to win the argument, so I relented.

"Fine!" I growled, "But we're leaving our weapons and gear here with Nathan and Marisol!"

Both women nodded, and we descended the ridge to the truck. Barbara was eating an energy bar we brought for lunch and drinking a bottle of water. She was already looking healthier.

"Nathan," I said, "I want you to wait here, but keep a lookout. If these people are suspicious they may send a party to backtrack our trail. If they do, I want you to bug out and go home. Get Barbara to the compound and see if you can find her some clothes. Marisol, help her take a bath. Then, tomorrow come back here and wait for me. If we don't return by tomorrow night, then don't return for a week. After that, if we still don't come back then we are probably dead. Go back to the compound and do your best until you run out of food. Hopefully, by then, your mother will have shown up if she's alive.

"Okay, Dad," Nathan said as he gave me a stoic nod.

"I'm proud of you son," I said as I gave him a handshake.

"I love you, Dad," Nathan said.

Esmeralda and Fernanda said their goodbyes to Marisol in Spanish, and then they joined me walking down the road and into Kahlotus.

At first, I thought we were going to walk right into town and into the general store before anyone noticed us, but then, just as we approached the fire station a group of five men and young men surrounded us with guns.

"Who are you? Where did you come from?" Came questions from two different men.

"We are survivors," I answered, "Like you. And we came from the direction of Washtucna."

"Then why didn't you go there?" One particularly suspicious young man asked.

"We were raided in the night. All of our belongings were taken. We're from Kennewick, and that's where we were headed," I explained.

"There has been a lot of that happening lately," One older man said as he approached from behind the other men, "That's why our boys are so jumpy at the appearance of strangers."

"Understandable," I replied.

The older man was a large man, almost as if his ancestry went back clear to the Vikings. He was at least 6 feet 6 inches tall, and his arms and chest were thick with muscles built by long years of doing something--strenuous.

"My name is Paul," The man said by way of introduction, "Paul Wolf. What are your names?"

"I'm Jon Sutton," I replied, "And this is Esmeralda and Fernanda Gutierrez."

"Gutierrez?" Paul mused as he looked at the two beautiful Spanish women, "So, the older one isn't your wife?"

"No," I replied, "My wife was in Hood River, Oregon when the bombs started falling. Esmeralda and her daughter were neighbors before we bugged out of the city."

"Hmm," Paul said as he sauntered toward me. He looked at me and then cut his eyes to the women. Then while looking at me he said, "The world has gone to shit in the last few months. I'm sorry for the loss of your wife in Oregon. From what I've heard, the coast was carpet-bombed with some sort of engineered virus. From what I hear, every bridge between Oregon and Washington has been blocked by those locally in charge."

"So, there are survivors?" I sighed thankfully.

"Some, like our little village," Paul replied, "Seattle is gone. Several million people are dead. But those outside the blast range survived. However, some of them may die soon from radiation poisoning. Spokane was nuked, but the Tri-cities were spared. Most likely because of Hanford. Now! Jon. If you don't mind, or even if you do, my boys here are going to split you up from the ladies and then they are going to be questioned as to if they are with you willingly, or not. Unfortunately, a side effect of the fall of civilization is that not many people are all that civilized anymore. Kidnapping, enslavement, and the flesh and vice trades have made a comeback in a big way."

"No!" Esmeralda and Fernanda shouted in unison, and then Esmeralda continued forcefully, "No! You will not separate us! Yes, we are with Jon of our own free will!"

The women then matched their words to action by each of them grabbing one of my arms and wrapping their legs around one of mine as the men started struggling to separate them from me. After a few seconds of absurd wrestling, Paul called his men back.

He gave me a slight smirk but directed his remarks to the women, "My apologies ladies, but I had to know if you were willing to fight to stay with Jon."

"He may have not accepted the loss of his wife yet," Esmeralda growled, "But once he does I will be his completely!"

"Ours!" Fernanda amended.

"So, yes, Paul, we are with him of our own free will!" Esmeralda growled.

Paul was surprised for all of a minute then he burst out laughing, then he clapped a huge hand on my shoulder and said, "You lucky fool! Two women! Man, I don't know if you're lucky, or cursed! Either way, I'll pray for you!"

He continued to laugh while I replied, "Thanks." A touch bitterly.

"Okay okay," He chuckled, "You seem fine enough if a bit lecturous. Here, let me see if I can appeal to your vices then!"

With a wave of his hand, he dismissed the guards.

"Go on back to your posts men," He said, "These three aren't armed, I figure I'm safe enough."

Paul gave me a jolly grin as he waved for me to follow him as he said, "Come with me. Let me give you the dime tour!"

As soon as he turned to lead the way I gave Esmeralda a nod to signal Nathan then quick-stepped to catch up with Paul.

Across the valley, Nathan saw the signal and repeated it for Marisol and Barbara, "All is well. Hold position. Stay alert."

"With the end of the world as we know it," Paul said cheerily, "I feel like this is our time more than ever. Trade routes, industry, and interstate highways, all relegated Kahlotus to being nearly inconsequential. Where a hundred years ago we were, at the least, a thriving little village servicing the needs of the railway. Now, with all the work in Pasco, Richland, or Kennewick, more and more of our citizens and youth have left for better opportunities. However, with the fall of civilization, community and family are more important than ever, and we're far enough off the beaten path that hopefully trouble won't come looking for us."

"I hope," I replied doubtfully, "We stopped at a farm halfway between Washtunca and Kahlotus before we came here. Everyone was dead. Killed. Even the child. Seems like you may not be far enough off the beaten path. Do you know anything about that?"

Paul grunted and shook his head before responding, "The Stockwells. They're the only ones I know who live where you describe. We haven't seen them since before D-day. They were all dead, huh? Even the children? You said, child. There were five children. Four girls and a boy."

'So,' I thought with some relief, 'These are not the Stockwells' murderers, rapists, and kidnappers.'

"There was only a single boy child killed alongside a grandfather and what I assume was his father," I replied, "The grandmother was killed in the kitchen and the mother in the back bedroom after what I assume was very long hours of rape. It--was a gruesome sight."

Paul cut his eyes in my direction but only looked at me from the side. As he led us down a long street that led to a shorter cross street he mumbled, "A terrible thing to see and hear about. I fear that it will only get worse without government enforcement of some form of civility. In the meantime, it is left to us to maintain some form of law and order as our small township decides."

"So," I mused to myself but let Paul overhear and answer as he would, "You're going to maintain some form of republic, or democracy?"

"Don't know," Paul answered honestly, "It seems to me that the republic didn't serve us all that well."

"That's because people have been brainwashed for a hundred years that America is a democracy and not a republic," I said, "For years sinister actors have spent much time dividing this nation, segregating it into a million hateful minorities fighting amongst themselves leaving the government to its own devices and the only cohesive majority. And look! This is the result! Right before our eyes, they turned from representatives of the people into self-entitled, lying, lawless, authoritarian aristocrats. There was no law or justice or consequences for them, and yet, all of that and more for the citizenry. They abused their stations and power and taxed the public to their eyeballs while making sure there were loopholes so they never had to pay anything substantial. Then, they went about destroying the currency, and raising food, fuel, and housing costs until people just couldn't pay anything more. I tell you, the rebellion was no surprise to me. The only thing that surprised me was that the American people-- No! That the whole world put up with all of these corrupt and lawless governments and their politicians and their enforcers for as long as they did!"

"And look where that has gotten us now," Paul grumbled bitterly, "I have family in Oregon and California. As far as I know, they're all dead!"

"My wife and eleven daughters were in Hood River, Oregon," I said, "I understand your distress. Don't get me wrong. I don't agree with the rebellion, and I am appalled by the government's response, but I think any man that sits down and analyzes the circumstances can't help but have seen this coming a long time ago."

Paul nodded but said nothing more on the subject. Instead, he showed us around Kahlotus and gave us a brief history of the town. When he mentioned that when the town was first incorporated in 1902 there were saloons and several brothels, I jokingly asked if he was going to bring them back. He gave me a smirk and another side-eyed look before saying, "Maybe. The government outlawed that, not me. For those that have no skill at a trade, or resources to barter, well, sometimes the only way to make enough coin for a meal at the end of the day lies in selling the only thing we ever possess--ourselves."

"As long as the women are doing it of their own free will," I said, "Then I have no criticism to give."

"Mmm," Paul hummed noncommittally but then voiced his opinion, "Yes, well, there too, there is the matter of settling debts."

"So," I said and was very careful to load my voice with as much indifference as I could, "You're not opposed to enslavement and slavery yourselves?"

"I don't know," Paul replied in a low, thoughtful voice, "This is a new world we find ourselves in. One without law, except that of the gun, or who is carrying the biggest stick. I will do as I must for the sake of those looking to me for leadership."

This time it was my turn to quietly nod my head. Paul took us to a tavern and there he treated us to a meal before he came to the point of why he was being so ingratiating.

"Jon," He said as he gestured all around at the very few men, mostly boys, and the larger number of women idly talking in the common room and the young women serving as waitresses, "It's a dangerous world out there now and it is a long and dangerous way to Kennewick. We've already had attacks by marauders. We've repelled them, but only because of our strength as a community. During the raid, many of the very few men and young men we had left in this town after D-day died. What we need now more than anything else are good men to homestead here with us. There are about eighty of us and most of them are women. The ratio of women to men is roughly four to one. So, even with your two women, if you were to stay here and become a Kahlotus citizen we would be willing to give you your pick of any four women you want."

At this proclamation, I cut my eyes from Paul and scanned my surroundings, pointedly the women's expressions. There, I noticed that most of the patrons of the tavern were conversing with each other, but a discernible hush had filled the room at the end of Paul's proposal. An air of palpable expectation hung in the room. As I looked at the women in the room I saw their warm smiles and hopeful anticipation, but as I searched their eyes and noted the trembling bottom lip of one woman and the constantly falling corners of another's smile, I realized that it was a veil. None of these women were truly as accepting of this new circumstance they found themselves in, being leveraged and bartered to a stranger like property for my fidelity to their community!

After looking around the room, I look at Esmeralda and then Fernanda. They returned my looks with ones of complete indifference. Only a short time ago they had been willing to fight like feral cats to keep from being separated from me, but the possibility of four more women being added to my harem didn't bother them in the slightest. I found myself suddenly wondering if all Argentinian women were as placible as these two, or was their opinions and perspectives of my ownership of them unique to them.

Well, no matter what Esmeralda and her daughters thought, or felt, I certainly still had feelings of reticence toward the idea of owning women. More women! Still, while I hadn't gotten a warm and homey feeling from Kahlotus, or Paul, now I was feeling a strong spike of alarm and suspicion. I had the feeling that if I didn't answer Paul correctly I just might disappear and the Kahlotus female population would go up by two.

"You make an appealing offer," I replied with a wink and smile before I cut my eyes to leer at a couple of the more attractive women in the tavern, "However, I must decline at this time. First, I must get back to Highway 395, at the least, and attempt to get enough cell phone reception to call my wife. If I can not get in touch with her, well then, Kahlotus is as good a place to live as any."

Paul's expression seemed flat as if he didn't believe me. He also seemed to be debating within himself what to do. Either he wasn't a good leader, given to indecisiveness, or he was not used to being told no. Either one could prove fatal for me. Finally, he seemed to come to a decision but looked at Esmeralda and Fernanda as he said, "It is hard for me to believe that you are honestly seeking out your wife when you have these two beautiful women with you."

"Esmeralda's husband went crazy on D-day," I confessed, "He pulled a gun and I was forced to shoot him. Esmeralda and Fernanda have sworn themselves to me body and soul. I can't and won't disrespect them by rejecting them."

"However," And here I lied as I continued, "I have not given myself to them, nor taken from them their virtue. Esmeralda is in mourning, and I am still ascertaining whether I should be or not. As far as I know, my wife and children are making their way back to Kennewick as we speak, or are already there waiting for me. I can not move forward until I know the fate of my past."

Paul looked at me for a long time then nodded.

"Fine!" He said, "But, if you're going that far for the sake of a phone call, then I request that you allow me to provide you with some transportation. You can take your women with you, but accompanying you will be four of our women. Maybe you will take the opportunity to get to know them?"

"Are we being held captive?" I asked, now addressing Paul's aggressive sales tactics directly.

"No! No," Paul denied immediately with an expression that reflected his denial and a shake of his head, "I am simply helping you complete your task sooner. The wilds after dark are no place for three armed people these days. It can be deadly for those unarmed. How you got this far without molestation from man or beast is quite remarkable. I wouldn't see your record spoiled when Kahlotus could help and quite possibly have three new and valued citizens. Here! To show my--no our--magnanimity, once you reach the highway if you still wish to go on your way to the Tri-Cities, then leave. The women who accompany you will not try to detain you!"

There was a flash of surprise across the faces of several of the women in the tavern. The question I had now was, was their surprise because Paul was letting us go, or was their surprise because now they saw an escape for themselves, or were they upset that I might leave?

I didn't have time to ponder the question for very long. Paul was expecting an answer, so facing him as one strong capable male to another, letting him see that I was not afraid of him in the least, I gave him a single nod and answered, "I appreciate your generosity. The sooner I conclude my business the sooner I can return."

Paul was pleased by my answer and his face lit up in an expression of purest relief, "Good, good! Now, let me introduce you to some of our fine ladies!"

"If you don't mind?" Esmeralda spoke up, "Are the women in this tavern the only ones currently widowed or single?"

"No," Paul answered as he reclined back in his chair.

"It has only been four months since D-day," Fernanda said, also speaking up suddenly, "Isn't it soon for grieving widows to be shopping for new husbands?"

Paul turned his head to look at Fernanda and Esmeralda with an expression of consternation as he retorted, "It has been that same four months for us as it has been for you, and yet, you and your daughter have laid claim to this man!"