# Life after Independent Texas



## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter one: Linda
She woke up in pain wondering again how the hell I got so damn old. At 55 she had lived a pretty rough life, now her man was gone, dead from the cupras and she was just plain worn out. She married young and had three kids before she was 25 her man and her worked construction for 30 plus years until IT happened. Then they tried to hide out and make it through. The kids they had together lived far from them and at first they thought they would join them here at their camp place in Independent Texas but only the daughter and her family had made it to them.

The sons and their families lived too far away. She prayed everyday they were safe, but now after her man died, she did not hold out much hope. It seemed strange now to think that before the collapse they had traveled the 2000 plus miles twice a year to visit them. Now, with the near complete collapse of the US, and the fragmentation of the country and the war against Independent Texas she did not hold out much hope. After the US economy collapse, the federal government let the border between Texas and Mexico completely collapse, the different gangs & cartel's came swarming into Texas.

When state and local authorities raised their own militia to fight them back, the US sided with Mexico and called them insurgents and so began Independent Texas and the war. The new war was a mixture of blockades, financial attacks, and actual combat. IT was winning on the ground but the financial attacks had left everyone spent and poor. The only consolation was that the US was doing as poorly as or maybe worse than IT, and now several states wanted to join IT maybe the tied would turn. In any case, Linda was no political leader, only a formally middle class 21 century woman now thrust into living like a an 1880's Texican without the help of her life mate.

The camp is a 40 acre piece of woods about 40 miles outside the city it is bordered on one side by a paved county road and on one side by a private dirt road. The land in front is about 20 acres owned by one family and behind them is a large 1000 plus acre ranch. They bought it when things were already looking bad and did just a few improvements on it, not intending to move there unless it was untenable where they were. While things were still going along they had a cut a gate into the acreage and a gravel lane leading to a camping spot, they had a well and had hooked into the city water and they had community power. Her man and her had talked about a travel trailer but never got one, instead they built a little shed and an outdoor kitchen so when they came out to the camp they could cook without burning the trees down.

They would come occasionally & camp out and they kept just a few head of cattle there, just enough to keep the agriculture exemption, and not enough to be too much work. They used to bring the grandsons out occasionally to ride 4 wheelers and camp with them. They always tried to encourage them to learn the way to get to camp and navigate around camp and meet the neighbors when they could. All this was common sense, and in preparation for if they ever needed to get to them as their mother & step dad never came out to camp, not even when they had a cook out, it was just too primitive for them.

Also if you are going to buy a camp, it should be up in the hill country was her daughter's favorite call. Linda would have like to have afforded a 40 acre piece in Fredericksburg, but the price difference would have met an additional mortgage, which they just were not willing to commit to, not with the economy in the shape it was heading toward. All of their preparations were a start but not enough, the best thing they had done was make a relationship with the neighbors. Now the home they had lived in closer to the city was sacked along with most of the food & tools they had there. They were lucky to make it out with what they did and make it to the camp, lucky that a few of the country neighbors around the camp knew them and helped them be accepted. Lucky that their daughter found them as she had never been to the camp ground, her kids led her to them.

Climbing out of "bed" a sheet thrown over a pile of leaves and hay in the back of the small cabin they had started building at the camp just before IT happened she padded toward the door so she could go out and start a fresh pot of coffee. The youngest boy, Jules was sleeping in the corner on the blow up mattress the kids hot bunked on the older one, having been up for the night shift with Trav was still outside. Just then Jules woke up and sat up wide eyed, hey Grandma, where is mom? She turned her head and gave Jules a reassuring grin and said; you know mom probably out there nagging Trav right now. Jules grunted and laughed his usual response and rolled over to grab his jeans.

It never ceased to amaze her how alert Jules was all the time. She really doubted that he ever slept, he would have liked to be on the night watch but his step dad Trav and her man had both said it was too dangerous and so had relegated him to day watch and help around camp. Before IT happened, Jules had been on some of the medicine for overactive kids, she never agreed with doing that but it was not her child so she could not stop him from being put on the meds. Now, with no meds available, she could see that the child hardly slept and seemed to have boundless energy. Her answer for this was to put it to good use, give him lots of work to do and maybe he will get tiered enough to sleep. Before she stepped out of the shed she reached up and lifted the sling that hooked up to her sawed off shot gun and slung it over her shoulder she had never shot a gun before IT happened and the shotgun seemed to be the easiest thing for her to handle. She stepped out into the muggy morning air and looked toward the outdoor kitchen her man had built for her before IT happened.

At the kitchen the firebox was still warm with coals inside from last night and there was still some small split wood in the stacker, she added some wood to the coals to bring up the heat & filled the camp coffee pot with water from the big 15 gallon cooler sitting on the counter. The boys would need to split some more wood today but first things first, coffee & breakfast, where is Lacey anyway? As she started a pot of water to boil for grits and heated a fry pan for the eggs her daughter rounded the corner. It always struck her to see the woman, her daughter without red hair.

Lacey had dyed her hair red since she was old enough to read the hair dye directions and scrape up the money to buy the dye. Since IT happened she had no way to obtain the color and actually found the bright red a hindrance to blending in so here she was with dishwater blonde hair. She was still beautiful with cream white skin and green eyes, at 37 she could pass for 10 years younger. Lacey was pregnant when IT happened, they had just found out and now 4 months later she was heavy with the pregnancy, about 7 months along. This was a hard transition for Lacey; she had expected so much from life and worked hard to find a comfortable life, now here she was living in the woods like a savage Lacey would say.

Her mom said hi, have you checked on Trav & Vaughn. Well here, the coffee is ready pour us some and take some up to our hero's she said only half joking. Trav & Vaughn, only 14 years old had been the hero's of the camp since her man died. Her man died, every time the words escaped her lips or the thought entered her mind she was pulled back into that experience and she almost broke. Almost is a big word, were it not for the kids needing her she would have let it go and just stopped. Her man, Henry had been in her life since she was 14 and he 18, they had rarely been apart for more than a day or two. They had built houses, raised children; cleared land worked jobs in the city, built fences and traveled through much of the United States back when it was safe to do that. He was a strong person, sometimes stubborn and hard to live with but always dependable, hardworking and smart.

When the kids were young they thought he was a slave driver because there was always an endless list of chores to do and projects to complete. Now, knowing how to do things was one of the few legacies a man could leave his family and he had left them with that. He was sick when the collapse hit and IT happened and he could not get more medicine to keep the illness at bay. At first they tried to ration the meds and use them sparingly but when the blindness hit, he wanted her to kill him. He told her every day that he was a burden and they did not need another mouth to feed who could not do any work or even keep watch. One day they got up and he was dead, a stroke had taken him in the night. They found the meds that he was supposed to be taking to keep the stroke at bay and knew that he had not taken them so that he could pass and she would not have to feel responsible. So even to the end he was stronger and more stubborn than she and he was taking care of her and the family.

Just as she was coming out of the thoughts of her man, the low whistle Trav used to communicate was heard to the road side of the property. The whistle was not an alarm, just a communication that someone was coming into camp. She turned and was startled to see her niece and family walking into camp. Her niece's husband was carrying their daughter, a special needs child and their son was walking behind him as though in a trance. They all walked into camp and sat on the low benches her man had made they looked tiered, thirsty and desperate.

She offered them some water, some coffee and told them she would put on some more breakfast. Her niece Jane almost broke down in tears at the offer. Janes' words came tumbling out in a jumble while the rest of her family just sat and starred ahead and drank the water she handed them. Aunt Linda we thought it was OK, that the riots would die down and that we could make it but things have just gotten so much worse. We had to leave in the dark last night and we have not been able to buy fuel for weeks, we packed up the van and started out of town but it ran out of fuel about 1 mile from here.

Linda thought for a minute and told Jules to round up a gas can and strap it to the 4x4. While Jules was occupied Linda asked Jane, was there medicine or food or weapons in the van? When the answer was yes, Linda told her then its worth going after and we need to do it now before it gets scavenged. People out here are still pretty law abiding but there is no sense taking chances that some outsider might come by. Can your boy show Jules where it is? At this, James snapped out of his trance and said yea, I'll drive the 4 x 4. No, Jules will drive he knows my rules and he knows the trails through the property grab a water bottle to take and Jules will get everything else you need. Jane give the boy your keys he can drive your van back.

She thought Jane would gag when she told her to give the boy the keys; he doesn't have a driver's license Jane sputtered. Just then Bryan came out of his trance, I'll go with Jules and follow him back, here Jane take Kelly she needs to be feed you can do that while I'm gone and he took a backpack off that obviously had Kelly's feeding tube and other immediate needs items. Jules go with Uncle Bryan and show him the best way back into the camp and take my shot gun with you. Bryan looked at her and said, is that really necessary the answer from both Linda & Jules was a short yes, and Linda continued if you have a weapon you should take it as well. Like I said the people out here have been pretty calm with us but if you left a loaded vehicle on the roadway for an hour or more there will be some scavengers hanging around, better to be safe than sorry.

Jules, as soon as Bryan gets his vehicle started turn around and come back, if you pull out and it looks too dangerous, turn around and come back. We can use the supplies but it's not worth you getting into trouble for. Jules just smiles, his 11 year old smile, a skinny little kid going out with a shot gun to take a grown man to retrieve his belongings. Lacey, looking wild eyed at her mom, says why are you sending Jules with him why not let James go? Look Lacey, James does not know the neighborhood or the neighbors and is more likely to draw trouble than Jules. Trav & Vaughn have been up all night on watch and Jules can handle it, he is far more grown up than you give him credit. It's a mile down the road; the neighbors are used to seeing Jules fly by on the 4 wheeler going up to check on a neighbor. He can handle it; now both of you go, the longer that van sits the more likely some outsider will be to spot it.

Jules heads out the door with Linda's shotgun slung over his back. He is so little the gun is only 6" off the ground; he adjusts her sling raising it up a few inches and strides to the door with Bryan right behind. Bryan asked Jane to check his pack and for his glock the only weapon he carried with him from the van and tucks it in his waist band. Linda tosses Bryan a small pack and tells, him Jules needs this be sure he takes it. By this time Lacey is hysterical, how can you seen my baby out there with a gun? Linda's curt answer is, would you rather he goes without a gun and no way to signal us or protect himself?

Chapter 2: Cholo's
Jules is so proud to be in control of a situation involving guns & the ATV he almost forgot his pack. Grandma says never to leave camp without it, as Uncle Bryan hands it to him the thoughts going through his head are embarrassment as being so forgetful and excitement at the prospect of an expedition. Grandma hasn't let me go down to the road in 4 or 5 days, how is it out there, Uncle Bryan. Bryan looks at the boy and responds, it didn't look bad once we got about 4 miles past 1604 but your grandma is still right to be careful, some bad stuff is starting to happen. Jules pulls his cap low and makes sure his glasses are tight on his face as he starts the ATV. Well, let's get going, I have 4 gallons of gas in the back and a can of carburetor spray in case you need it, is there anything else you can think of? Bryan is amazed that the boy is ready to go and take on this task when his own son, James has been shell shocked for days. No Bryan comes back, let's take off. The ATV races through the brush on the trails that are not marked by much except that the branches overhead have been cut back about 5' off the ground. Watch your head for branches, we don't have much clearance yells Jules over the rumble of the engine.

They speed along and within minutes are at the side road which they will stay on for about a mile till they get to the paved FM road. Once they hit the FM, Jules is more cautious, knowing it's more likely to see an outsider someone who is not a close neighbor, who might think it is OK to take the ATV or maybe himself. It is still early and they see no one on the road so they head west toward where Bryan & Jane left their van. As they pull up they see a car approaching them and starting to slow down, Jules un slings Grandmas shot gun from his back and lays it on the front of the ATV for support. He has only shot it a few times in practice but he readies it now in case this is needed. At the same time Bryan leaps from the back of the ATV with his glock in one hand and his keys to the van in the other. The occupants of the car seeing both of them are armed back off and start to drive on by. Jules thinking like a kid, thinks the danger is over but Bryan after starting the van tells Jules, don't go just yet. They may be waiting to follow us back and see where we came from. Is there somewhere safe we can trail back from? Jules is silent and pulls a handheld radio from his pack, Granny camp this is Christmas we need a look out at the road, comeback. Bryan is once again in awe of the little kid standing before him, his innocent thoughts just moments before have stopped and he is dealing with the situation without fear and with reason. Christmas this is Granny camp, Wyatt Earp is on your North West and will signal you when it is time to come in.

Linda had alerted Trav to Jules and Bryan's trip and he was standing by on the North West corner of the property in an old dear stand up a tree where he could see the main FM road in both directions. If the shadow car passed by and kept going he would signal Jules to come on in to camp, if not Linda was also preparing to talk to some of the other neighbors to see if they would help with this trouble. Lacey, you are going to have to be in charge of the camp radio, I know we have only done basic codes but here is our code chart, I am walking down to Sam's house to try to get some help. With that she heads down through the woods to Sam's house she has given up her only gun to Jules, Trav has his up in the deer stand and she is leaving the only other gun the little 22 Evan usually carries with her daughter Lacey as something is better than nothing. She walks alone through the woods with a hunting knife on her hip and a family service radio in her hand she clicks to Jules, are you still safe Christmas? Still safe is the only reply.

As she enters Sam's property a big white dog comes charging at her barking loudly she knows this is Sam's alert mechanism and does not try to shush the dog simply saying friend, Snowy, friend. Before she gets 50 feet into Sam's property someone is there standing to the side of the fence line in the trees, Hi Sam sorry to have to ask for help but we got a shadow car bothering Jules, he ran an errand up on the FM road and is afraid to come home because a small red car is hanging around do you know who it would be? Sam chuckled and said probably one of those idiots that hang out at Richards, let me get Matilda on the radio and ask her if someone is over there. With that Sam walked briskly away and stepped into his house which looked more like an old barn from the outside.

In a brief minute he was back out, that car full of idiots is up at Richards right now and they are trying to run them off. Radio Jules and whoever is with him to come into my place because you can't see my road from Richards and they can be safe here until we get the riff raff to move along. Linda answered, thanks Sam he will be arriving with my nephew in a blue van once they are here we will see what we can do to help Richard and Mathilda. Linda radioed Granny Camp this is Granny mobile send Christmas and his friend to Snowy's place for now trouble went to Richards. Lacey answered, OK granny mobile will send Christmas and friend to Snowy's place there was no relief in her voice. Within 5 minutes Jules came flying into the yard on the ATV with Bryan following behind.

Bryan, this is Sam & this is his place he is nice enough to help us solve this problem we are having. You feel up to helping your new neighborhood get rid of the problem? Bryan, always the bragger about his guns, his motor cycles and all his toys looks white and shaken but says; yes I am ready to do whatever it takes to keep us all safe. Sam chuckles again and says well, Bryan welcome to the neighborhood, do you have any real guns or just that pea shooter he says pointing do Bryan's side arm. Yes sir I do and that is the main reason we needed to get the van off the road and into camp. He opens the back of the van and reveals an AR and several hunting rifles and two shot guns with all the ammunition you would need to use them.

OK Bryan, grab what you want to use rig yourself up a bag and Jules is going to stay here with the van and guard the rest, you and Sam and I are going to visit the folks that are bothering Richard and Matilda. Jules is crestfallen at being left behind he also knows that grandma is not going to let him go and keeping watch on a bunch of guns is better than cleaning chicken poop, with that he giggles and says yes grandma.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

More please.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

thanks for posting the begining of your story on the forum, nomadjanet 
I love the font size (yep the grumpy ole hillbilly said love)


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 3
Sam quickly explained to Bryan & Linda what they would do. They would go further west and circle around to approach Richard's from the North as the road was to the South of Richard's and the trouble makers would be parked there. At that point they could each take a side and advance close enough to see what was going. If Richard gave them the signal or if they saw any aggression toward Richard or Mathilda they would start firing and hopefully catch the Idiots as Sam called them by surprise. Bryan's comment was how did you know they would bother Richard's and not bother anyone else? Well, boy you are not from around here, but Richard's used to be a bar.

Richard & Mathilda lived in an old house out back and ran the neighborhood bar, 12 stools, 2 picnic tables a pool table and a bar b Que pit. Cold beer & brisket on Friday - Sunday. The locals know there is no more booze & no more refrigeration but every time a new idiot passes through they show up at Richard's demanding beer & food. He took the sign down and all the bar lights, but somehow they just know that it used to be a bar and they think they can pretend that we still have happy hour. Sam grinned and said now we all clear what's up?

What will be Richard's signal asked Bryan, Sam laughed and said, he'll send out a fighting rooster, I know that sounds crazy but that is what he'll do. That means he's ready to fight or that he sees no other choice but to. We've only actually had to shot two groups so far, most of them leave on their own when they see Richard and Mathilda putting their shotguns out the window. Bryan said, you shot two groups, did you have to kill them? Well boy, do you think we have a jail or a sheriff around here? Linda looked at Bryan to see how he would react to that news and was pleased to see a determined look on his face.

By the time this exchange has taken place they here two blasts from Richard's Protecta shotgun. Sam knows there are many more rounds available to Richard as this is a 12 gauge large capacity assault weapon, and one can only guess how Richard got his hands on the thing. By this they are close enough to see the bangers car and cans see two of them crouched down on the passenger side, Bryan being on the east side of the building can see two of them crouched down by the passengers' side unaware they are about the be caught in a cross fire if they advance on Richard's place. Richard had shot his gun toward the car and the front seat passenger windshield was shattered but there he could not see blood or a person in that spot so he had no idea if there was a hit. Sitting & watching the two, crouched on the passenger side he decided maybe one was the front seat passenger and he had made it out. Why in the world when the shots hit, they had not slammed it in reverse and left, Bryan could only wonder.

In the few moments that it took to have these flashes, something happened in the car that caused the four bangers to jump up, without thought, all at once and began firing on the bar. Oh, boy here it comes wide open engagement against a concealed and covered enemy was stupid enough but they have community backup. Richard, his wife, Bryan, Sam and Linda all shot at once as the bangers opened their AR's on the bar. Within seconds they all collapsed riddled with every type of ammunition carried by the neighborhood crew. The sight was a little too much for Bryan, the guy who bragged on his big time guns, is motor cycle and his hunting prowess had just participated in killing 4 men and he was puking his guts out when Linda came out of cover to check on him.

When Bryan & Linda walk up into the parking lot/yard of the neighborhood bar, Sam is already policing the guns/ ammo and any other useful items from the would be invaders. He finds 2 Glocks, one older 357 Magnum revolver, two AR's and one AK 47 which was actually left in the back seat of the car. Evidently these guys figured this was such an easy mark they did not need all their fire power to hit the joint. There was plenty of ammunition for the AK 47 and the AR's however not much spare ammo was found for the hand guns, so these must have been their main weapons or maybe they had just stolen the long guns and did not have a change to get the ammo for them. The group would never know, all they would know now is they needed to be rid of the bodies and more the car away from the bar so it did not attract attention and serve as concealment for the next group of invaders that would come their way.

Richard and Mathilda came out of the bar as Linda and Bryan walked into the scene. Richard was still holding the Protecta and Mathilda carried her AR they were an older married couple who had run the neighborhood Ice House bar for 20 years before the collapse began and IT happened. They were a neighborhood staple and a force to be reckoned with as they both knew everyone in the area and they had been there for every emergency and every good time and every bad time. More than the neighborhood churches Richards place had kept this poor little community pumping along. Now the community still depended on Richard and Mathilda and they had the support of the community on those occasions when the bar was threatened. Richard had the best producing well in the neighborhood and had both a windmill and a solar jack he was somewhat of a closet prepper and since he and Mathilda had no children and no family of their own they had decided to prep for the entire neighborhood. This might sound like a stretch but they had been getting ready to help for all of those 20 + years before IT happened and they had helped with the little emergencies before and the big ones since.

Sam spoke first, Richard, I am going back up to my place and check on Jules we left him alone there with supplies. Once he is OK I will let you know Linda and I will radio your home base and let them know. You go ahead and introduce Bryan around and I am sure Richard and Mathilda can get some help with the clean up from Frank and Rose and their boys after we give the all clear. Linda was happy Sam was going to check on Jules, knowing the older man had a soft spot for the boys as none of his grandkids had made it home after the collapse much less the changes that came after IT. 
Linda introduced Bryan to Richard & Mathilda as her nephew by marriage and explained how he and his family would be staying with them at least for now. Richard & Mathilda were both friendly & appreciative of the help and Bryan needed the normal interaction between neighbors to take his mind off the battle that had been his first ever. His head was reeling as he contemplated the fact that he left his home to get away from the violence and here he was helping to kill people.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

sorry folks somehow when I was trying to copy & paste my story I erased about 4 chapters. Now I have to try to remember and rewrite lots of stuff so it will be awhile before the rest gets going.

Aha, just found the file where some of my chapters were hiding.

Tell me if you like this one and I will keep going.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 4
After the introductions, Bryan asked if Richard and Mathilda needed help in taking care of the bodies and the vehicle. Richard's answer is if you can stop at Frank's across the road before you head back to Sam's and let him know we need help, we can take care of it. Linda asked Richard if he had a way to let Frank know we are coming, he is sure to be worried after hearing all the shooting. Mathilda said, don't worry honey we have everyone on our radio, Richard has a ham and a MURS system out in the shack, we can pick up everyone and communicate with everyone. I'll let them know you are on the way, now go on and get home to your family we appreciate your help here today and we won't forget.

Gathering up the guns and ammo and stuffing them into Linda's backpack took only a few minutes and Bryan and Linda were on the way. The short walk to Frank's house was quite, when they approached Franks house Bryan was a little surprised. This whole area was rather poor and run down even before the collapse but behind the trees & the run down privacy fence in Frank's compound as it were was a really nice home with a comfortable porch, shade trees and even a bit of grass that had not cooked away from lack of water. Frank came out on the porch with a gun in his hand and waited for Linda to speak first.

Hello, the house Linda shouted as soon as they were inside the gate. It's me Linda; Richard sent us with news. Hi, come on up was Frank's response in his sing song accent, Spanish was Frank's first language and although his English was good he still had the accent of an immigrant. Frank, this is my nephew, by marriage, Bryan Bryan, he and his family are going to be staying with us. Frank smiled widely and said, that is good Mrs. Linda, you have too much land to protect and work all with just your small family. Look at me, I have all my kids and their families and my cousins and I still can't keep it all done. Looking around at the spotless homestead with massive gardens and healthy livestock Linda laughed and said looks like you are doing a pretty good job of getting it all done to me.

Linda then proceeded to tell Frank about the shoot out at Richard's place and ask him if some of the boys could go help Richard take care of things as she and Bryan needed to get back to camp and settle in the new arrivals. Sure, Sure Mrs. Linda, no problem I will send 4 of the boys to take care of things, Mr. Richard can tell them what they need to do, it's the least we can do since Mr. Richard helps us all stay safe. By the way Mrs. Linda can you ask Trav to come over and see us when he has time, my cousin Juanita is having problems again and he always helps her with her breathing machine. Linda assured him she would let Trav know, and by the way Frank how do you keep enough power to run so many things?

Frank smiled and said I use my tractor to power the generator that charges my batteries after the regular generator died. One of my boys thought of it and we have more power now than we did with the regular generator. That's a great idea; we will have to take a look at how he did that as we have very little power at our camp.

All the while during the conversation, Bryan was quit and observing Linda acting so casual with this man speaking about shooting people and cleaning up bodies and in the next breath laughing. He was floundering in the guilt at having participated in killing four people and the fear that this is how life is going to be now. Without thinking about the flow of how the conversation had veered away from the shooting Bryan blurted out, what will you do with the bodies? Isn't there any police to call and handle this?

Still smiling Frank took a deep breath and answered softly, don't worry Mr. Bryan, we are not criminals, we will take the bodies away from Richards's yard and put them down at the crossroad at 775. The sheriff has a yard there where a deputy comes by every other day to take reports and see if there is anything he needs to investigate. I am sure Richard is reporting everything to the sheriff right now; he has the only ham in the area. If the sheriff thinks there is a problem he will come by and ask but if these Cholo's have any bad past they will just bury them and forget them and that is what you should try to do. Go home now and take care of your family, and be glad you still can.

Bryan shook his head yes, and said you know what I am going to do that and he and Linda walked out of Frank's compound and toward Sam's house to pick up Jules, and the van and head back to camp. We are going to have to come up with something to call our place besides camp if we are going to have so many people living there. And we are going to need more shelter and more beds and more garden space, all these things are going through Linda's head. More reasons not to give up, her man stayed with her till Lacy and her family got there, now she had 4 more reasons to hold it together.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 5 Frank
Frank was a Mexican national before the collapse and before the war. Now he was a proud Texican he was 47 and had 4 boys and 8 nephews and numerous grandchildren. He had been a construction worker; rough carpenter and concrete finisher were his two most worked trades. At any given time 4 of the men in his family were riding with the Texican guard. All of his family had been naturalized Texicans after the IT was established, except of course for his grandchildren, 3 little babies born here in Independent Texas.

Just now Franks, oldest and youngest sons were away riding with the guard, his daughter in laws and grandchildren were of course here with the family. Frank was a hard worker and demanded the same of anyone who stayed on the little homestead. It was hard work to make his 20 acres support the 48 people that lived here in make shift homes and trailers. It is amazing to think that once, only he and Rose and Jorge his youngest had lived here in their 1800 sq foot home. Now the garage was a home, the barn was a home and several cabins had been built it was almost as big as his village in Mexico when he was a child. With that he laughed and began to call out the people who would go help Richard clean up the Cholo's that had attacked the neighborhood.

That is how Frank saw the attack, an attack on the neighborhood. Never did he imagine the people in this area would be pulled together as tightly as they were by the financial collapse and the invasion of the Cartels, and now the war with the US. These were mostly lower middle class families, many of them having relied on government help to get by; and here they were making it through the roughest time Texas had seen since the first Civil war. Before the war, the Mexican Americans and the Anglo's did not work together they only tolerated each other as neighbors and did not feel connected. Now, they kill for each other, and sometimes die for each other united against the common enemies of the Cartel & the Federalist who want to take over their everyday lives.

Frank rang the bell on the porch 4 times and within minutes 6 men appeared on the porch. This was his code, the group was broken down into crews this was crew 4, his only all male crew, they were usually the crew he called out when sending someone outside the neighborhood. Frank was old fashioned and he did not believe in sending a woman on a trip away from her family, he sometimes argued this with the younger women, but it was his home, his hacienda and this was the way it would be. Of the 6 men in the crew Frank appointed 4 to go to Richards and help take the bodies up to the Sheriffs yard. If the vehicle would run, they could use it to move the bodies, if not they would need the truck from the homestead. If the vehicle does not run, the other 2 men from this crew will move it with one of our tractors to where ever Richard needs it moved. The men set off with the tractor and truck to Richards place and Frank uses his MURS radio to contact Richard and let him know what to expect.

As Frank stepped back into the house, Rose, his wife of 25years is in the kitchen washing dishes and Juanita his youngest cousin is busy shucking corn. Hey Juanita, Mrs. Linda said she would get Trav to come check your machine, so you can breathe better tonight. Frank settles down with his youngest grandchild for a few minutes to reflect on today's "battle". That's what it is he thinks, a "battle" each day to keep what is ours and to keep our family and our friends safe.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 6: Lacy

Lacy always felt she was privileged somehow. Her parents, Linda & Henry had made a good living and a good life for themselves. Although they were strict and sometimes hard on their kids, they always provided for them a better than average lifestyle. When she met her first husband at university, he was ambitious and full of plans and she began expecting he would take care of things the way her mom & dad had. She also felt slightly rebellious at dating a Latino, she being of milky white skin & green eyes made a stark contrast to his olive skin and black hair & eyes.

Too late she found out that his ambition was more driving than his love for her or their children. While she was pregnant with the second child he abandoned them to live with a rich older woman who could advance his career in ways that Lacy could not. There were many trials after that, but she had come to realize that not many people were like her parents, tough, resilient, hard working, independent & dependable. 
Now with her third husband, Trav a quite, Anglo man who accepted her Latino children with all the love of a father she should have been happy. But when the collapse started, she did not want to see it coming. Her mom & dad warned her and told her that she should not overload herself with debt.

They tried to talk to her about buying a house that left them with too little money to get by on, but she wanted to believe that the financial problems were going away and the world economy was getting better. When the collapse finely hit, they lost the big house on the tiny yard in the fancy neighborhood. By this time crime was already getting so bad they were afraid to let the kids come home from school to the empty house and then Lacy lost her job. This was the third job she had been laid off from in 3 years and it was too much to handle.

The week the Cartel declared war on Texas and the US stopped helping Texas control the boarder, Lacy found out she was pregnant. Her feeling of privilege disappeared; she was back at home with her mom & dad in their small homestead near a poorer side of the city with her entire family living in two small rooms. Dad was always taking the boys out to his camp as he called it, trying to teach them to live independently, Lacy thought it was crazy, what are we going to do, go hid out in the boonies till this is over? Then when the war for Independent Texas started, her dad said yes, that is exactly what we are going to do.

They left her parents home with as much as they could carry on the vehicles in one trip, each adult driving a vehicle loaded down and two trailers her dad loaded. They even let Vaught drive a vehicle, although not pulling a trailer. That night her mom drove her dad and Trav back and they brought two more old vehicles her dad had stored and loaded as much as possible. They live now like she never thought she would live, scratching to get by, everyone seemed to adjust to it better than she and it was crazy to think of having her baby here, now in these conditions but this was her life now.

Lacy was sitting in the shed that her mom liked to call a cabin holding the fsr praying to a God that she had never given much faith to for her son's safe return. When she heard a click on the radio and her over excited son's voice. Hey Granny base this is Christmas, we are on our way in to camp from Snowy's place. Her answer was short, OK we will be waiting, and then she radioed Trav, poor guy he was still up in the dear stand after a 12 hour shift. Good thing his previous life was as a respiratory therapist working nights in a hospital, he was used to nights & long hours, not so with her oldest son. Now looking at him passed out from fatigue it was hard to remember when Vaughn played video games every spare moment or if pressed to do something else he read a book. He looked likes like a grown man was her thought watching him sleep. Now Jules will come "home" and I will be safe here with my boys and my husband in just a few minutes I will be safe.

She was taken aback by the thought she had just had; this was "home", this plot of woods in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by people who a year ago she would not have spoken to on the street corner. Here in a place where her 10 year old had to carry a gun to leave the yard, she was safe? Here where her Dad & Mom had made this makeshift camp and squirreled away beans and rice this was her future? Lacy being prone to depression had to stop herself from going further down the process with these thoughts so she could hold it together, for Trav, for Vaughn for Jules and for this unborn child. Her mom would be here soon and she would have a plan, as she always had to make it through and do better tomorrow. Her mom never looked for a permanent solution to temporary problems, she never let the situation stop her from thinking of the next right thing, and this was something Lacy was trying to achieve as well.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 7: Trav
Before Jules and the group could make it back into camp, Trav was down from his deer stand. Beat, after 14 hours mostly in the dark with no sleep he walked to where he would meet up with the group on their way into camp. They rarely kept watch during the day, as Frank had his crews watching the road and alerting people when there were strangers in the area. Things were not quite so desperate that they needed to be afraid of their own neighbors yet, not like it was in the city.

At 38 Trav was the youngest man in the area not committed to some type of military service. He had sworn to Lacy that he would not leave her while she was pregnant. Not being an aggressive guy he really was not attracted to ride with the IT patrols but he did feel he should do his part, after the baby comes, and is safe. Trav chuckles to himself as he waits, who would have thought that as a respiratory therapist with a bit of Emergency responder training he would be the most skilled medical person in his area?

When they first moved into camp with Linda, when Henry was still alive he felt that everyone expected him to ride with the guard. But after Henry passed and he was the only adult male in camp, the neighbors cut him some slack. Once they found out he had some medical training, they quit expecting him to go and started asking for the type of help he could give. Trav never offered more help than he felt qualified for; after all there were still doctors in the small town, within 30 miles of our little neighborhood. Being a practical guy he always believed in under promising and over delivering and that is what he was trying to do now with his family & with his neighbors.

Trav was an only child, raised by divorced parents, shuffled between them in west Texas and New Mexico. He had lived the single life until he was 35, when he married Lacy who at 33 had two kids and had been married 2 before. At first he was a little leery of the demands of a full time family life but as time went on he found that someone needing him, really needing him was a high unlike that of getting drunk with his buddies. Now for the first time he could remember he was one of the most important people in his neighborhood. He was security for his family, a role model for his boys, the medic for his neighbors and the person keeping his wife from spinning out of control during this crazy stressful time.

All those cold west Texas mornings being forced to set in the deer blind with his divorced dad who believed you weren't a man if you did not hunt, were finally paying off. Working 12 hour night shifts at the hospital and learning to sleep any where day or night were also invaluable in his new world. To Trav it almost seemed like the collapse of "normal" life had changed him from an average worker bee to one of the pillars of his neighborhood.

Now as he walked up on the group heading into camp, he noticed Linda was riding in the van with Bryan trying to guide him through the trees & brush that surrounds the camp. He is relieved to see Jules smiling as he pulls to a stop and ask Trav if he wants a ride. This situation has done wonders for Jules, too; the ADHA diagnoses & strict medication routine was dropped for now. Jules had adapted to the lack of electronic stimulus the best of everyone. When you took away the game boy & the Xbox Jules became a warrior child ready for anything and it amazed Trav to see the change. He climbed onto the back of the ATV, letting Jules drive as he knew the more responsibility you gave the kid, the better he reacted.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 8 Jules;
Jules, I hate that nickname; I used to tantrum every time someone used it; Julian is my name. Now though since grandma decided if she can't call me Jules she will call me Christmas, I have begun to adjust to whatever name comes along. I hated it when grandpa & grandma brought me here the first time, even the chance to ride the ATV wide open tearing through the trees was not enough to make up for the loss of video games. Grandpa always was tough on us saying, don't be lazy only sissy boys sit around pushing buttons all day. You want to be a couch potato? Grandpa was sure a grouchy old man, but now that he was gone we all miss him and his strength.

Now, things have changed. No video games can be as real or as exciting as the rush of running from Cholo's or even hunting for the wild pigs we have been living off. Grandma lets me do the neighborhood runs to deliver messages or pick up information; in the city I would never have this much freedom. Sometimes the work is boring & dirty and hard like cleaning the animal pens or tilling in the garden. For every boring hour, I get two exciting ones and I don't have to take all that medicine they were telling me I needed.

I think mom is losing it because we can't live in that big fancy house they bought just before the collapse, but I like camping & the freedom that we have now. I can't wait to get old enough to ride with the guard. Trav is teaching me to shoot and use a bow and Sam is teaching me trapping & tactics but the person I learn the most from is Grandma. She always seems calm, even when Mom is coming unglued and she always seems to have another idea of what to do next.

Another thing that has changed since we moved to the camp is how I get along with Vaughn. We used to fight every day, mostly over video games but sometimes just because I wanted his attention, and he lived in his own world. I remember bitching about his habit of just sitting & starring & talking to his hands, he doesn't do that as much now. It's easier to get along with everyone since I don't have to sit still all day. Grandma says if you fell agitated, I'll give something to do that will wear you right out; and it's usually digging a trench, or cleaning chicken poop off something. It has calmed me right down that's for sure.

Now, we are pulling into camp with Aunt Jane & Uncle Bryan & James & Carla, I don't know how the relationship between everyone at camp is going to go. I never have gotten along with James, he is to bossy & uncontrolled. I hope they have not let him bring any of those stupid knives he used to sling around and try to scare us with. One of these days, that one is going to go too far and someone is going to have to hurt him. As we pull into camp, I can see by the look on Vaughn's face that trouble is already starting.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 9: Vaughn
Vaughn's anger was obvious only to Jules as they approached the camp. While the adults wanted to unload the van and set up the newcomers, Jules could see Vaughn seething. Vaughn rarely showed his anger until he was mad enough to explode; he was a quite young man who preferred to be alone and struggled with social interaction. As a small child the school had tried to label Vaughn with a mild form of asperger's syndrome, but mom would not let it stick and so Vaughn had never gotten therapy or treatment. 
Vaughn was the kind of kid who years ago would have been a loaner and left alone; but in the age of the leftist educational system he would have been labeled special and poked and prodded to make him more social. In the excitement of the unloading of the van, Jules and Vaughn slipped away to talk between themselves. Jules spoke first as usual, prodding Vaughn; so what did James do to you so far? Vaughn grunts and says; it's nothing, he just starts in that he and Uncle Bryan are going to take night watch from now on, and how Bryan is going to be in charge. It's ridiculous; they wouldn't even have a place to come to if it was not for grandma and now they are going to come in and tell us what to do?
Jules just laughs, and says Vaughn you can't let that kid mess with your mind, you know grandma is no push over, she won't let anyone tell her what to do. Besides, Uncle Bryan is not the one saying it, believe me he was just as scared as me when we were up on the FM with those Cholo's. You just take everything, way too seriously; and I'm the one they thought was messes up. With that Vaughn gives Jules a shove and says hell yea, you are messed up you skinny little squirrel and before you know it both boys are laughing. Be quite Jules, if we make too much noise James is going to come over here & get in our business. You go on back & help them; I'm going to find a place to sleep for a few minutes before someone asks me to do something again.
Vaughn slips away from Jules and head for one of his many sleeping spots he has made in the wooded center of the property. He had put up plat forms in the trees, hollowed out logs and even little pits dug in the ground in areas where he knew he could be alone. He had set up three of them the first week they had been in camp. It always distressed his mom when he chose to sleep out away from the camp. But the noise of the camp was too much for him and he could not shut them out with electronic gadgets anymore so he physically removed himself from the annoyance. His thoughts wander to the games and eBooks he used to use to get away from other people and how now he used the night shift, where quite and darkness were his friends. At 14 he is 5' 6" and 120 lbs a sturdy boy with vanilla colored skin showing both his Hispanic & Anglo heritage, he has hazel eyes and dark brown hair and he is angry with his confusion about life.

As Vaughn settled into his tree platform to sleep he thinks again of his birth dad. He tried never to think of him, always to think of Trav as his father. How could he not come to see if they were OK? They had not heard from him at all since the financial collapse, over 8 months now. He did not even know if they were dead or alive, that thought stopped Vaughn, well we don't even know if he is dead or alive. He is a lot more likely to be dead than we are, because he has no one there in Fort Worth to go to and Wella & Wello live four hundred miles from him. It was a sobering thought that his birth dad might be dead, although they were not really close, Vaughn always held out hope that one day, they could be. One day this man would explain to him why he left them adrift. He thinks about his grandpa, the grumpy old man who was so hard to love, but who always was there for them till he died. 
Vaughn tries to clear his mind, of all the thoughts running through and the clatter that is emotion. Smell the earth and the decomposing leaves and the green of the tree tops, breath slowly and shallow, think of one of grandmas' silly childhood stories and let it all fall away. In only moments Vaughn is alone in the trees, only about 8 foot off the ground on a 6 x 3 platform made of branches out of the trees themselves. Under the platform all limbs & rocks are cleared away, Vaughn has prepared this so that if he falls, it is not too hard on him. He used to tie himself to the platform but has found this to be a better solution. The last few months, the wild pigs have been more active and he has not wanted to sleep on the ground. A bandana is wound over his face to keep the sunlight out and ear buds are in his ears with his mp3 player going, grandma just charged up his batteries last night. It is not safe to sleep blindfolded and with music in his ears but it is the only way he can be alone.


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Chapter 10: Jane
Jane is Linda's niece, her deceased sisters' only child. She is married to Bryan, her childhood sweetheart and has two children. Jane has always been a "material girl" as she joked. Always wanting the latest technology or whatever new thing that comes along. For many years Jane and her family had been living with the "extra income" as she put it from her grandmothers' retirement, but when her grandmother died that all changed. The spending decisions they had made all those years where just coming back to bite them when the collapse hit. Bryan was a local government employee, after having been trained by Henry to his trade (but that was another story). He made just enough to keep them off the government dole, but not enough to keep up with their chosen life style.
In addition to her spending decisions at the start of the collapse Jane was grossly obese, at 5' 2" tall she weighed in somewhere around 300 lbs. The weight affected her health in all the ways that extreme overweight does. The problem is once it has gone that far, it seems impossible to lose the weight. The collapse had started her toward weight loss simply due to the fact that they could not live the fast food life they were living. Once money became worth much less than it had, Bryan's' once working class salary became a pittance. When a $3 hamburger costs $30, you have to adjust. In the last 8 months Jane had lost 120 lbs. She was still a chunky woman but you could see the person she used to be starting to emerge. Eight months ago, she would not have been able to walk the mile from the van to camp on the uneven surfaces.

When the war with the Cartel's began, and Henry was still alive he told them to come out to camp and stay with them. It would be a help to Jane & her family and they could be a help to Linda but Bryan would have none of that plan. He had guns, he could protect his home and family he did not need them. After that, neither Henry nor Linda mentioned them again. They had made their decision and it would be respected. Maybe Bryan's' guilt at leaving Henry in the lurch after 8 long years of training him held them back. Maybe it was Henrys' reputation for being bossy & a perfectionist. Maybe Bryan really believed he could hold his home in the middle of a crowded lower middle income subdivision in the middle of a large city against all odds. At any rate that brings us to where we are now, once the war with the US started and the IT forces started in earnest to drive the Cartel from the area, the streets of San Antonio became as the streets of Beirut.
The best thing that Jane could say was she remembered how they got to Uncle Henrys' camp and by surviving day by day on whatever they had on hand and scrounging and stealing enough gas to get here they might have a chance. Jane was tiered of Bryan's' objections to them coming and his claims that all he needed was his AR and some ammo to keep them safe. Her son was almost a zombie coming down off the psychotropic meds he had been on for years and her daughter was losing what progress she had made against the disease that had damaged her brain; without her therapy for the last 7 months now. Now here, someone could help them stay safe, help them get to sleep for more than an hour or two at a time. Help them know what was going on around them and most of all help Jane with the decisions that had to be made, her mind was worn out from trying to hold them together in the middle of the fight. At least here there was some space between you and the world.

While the others were off trying to retrieve the van and all their stuff; Jane talked with Lacey and asked how it was here. Of course Lacey being like Jane, used to the city and not roughing it ever, she dwelt on that quite a bit. But Lacey had been here, safe in camp for about 3 months so she did not realize how bad the city had become. When Jane begin asking how the neighbors got along and if they had to watch for people stealing their food or livestock or gas Lacey started to answer a little differently. Our neighbors are all mostly poor and in the same boat but we all have gardens and raise some type of animals; we really have not had much violence from within the neighborhood. We keep watch at night because if outsiders come into the neighborhood in the dark, we don't want to be caught off guard. During the day we pretty much don't worry, Richard and Mathilda have several types of radio and they keep everyone in the loop during the day. The sheriff sends a car out every few days to check on things and the neighbors have really kind of pulled together. When Dad & Mom first moved out here; I understand there was a group living up at the FM that had some mentally ill patients living there and when the meds ran out there were some problems. Richard called the sheriff and he came and relocated them to the county hospital; they are not letting controlled drugs leave the hospital due to the danger from drug addicts. Since I have been here we have not had a problem with neighbors and only twice with outsiders including today.

Jane started telling Lacey her stories of the city, how at first when the collapse happened the little mom and pop restaurants all shut down, and then the chain restaurants. Then the Cholo's started robbing the stores and the stores started reducing their hours and limiting what you could buy. We were just getting buy as long as the schools stayed open, we could get the kids to school and they could get two meals and clean water there. Once the schools shut down last month, I begged Bryan to bring us but he was ashamed that he could not make it without help. He always felt he knew your Dad held it against him for leaving him like he did. We had bums coming to the door asking for food and water and it was hard but two weeks ago the raids on the residential areas by the Cholo's started. They never came to our house but they were working the neighborhoods across Military drive, it was only a matter of time till they came to us. We had sold off or pawned nearly everything of value already, so there was really nothing to take but our little bit of food, Bryan's guns and our lives. So we packed up and came here, you are lucky you left when you did and your kids did not have to see what mine saw, I don't think James will ever be OK.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Excellent work, I like how you characters have extra chalenges to deal with rather than being rich and all prepped living in a bunker


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Bump for some input. OK guys do you think it should go on or is it to boring?


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

I would like to see it continue, to see where the characters you have developed go.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Good stuff, nice pace, PDF it!
Jerry Ahern is pale!


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

Magus said:


> Good stuff, nice pace, PDF it!
> Jerry Ahern is pale!


who is Jerry Ahern and why is he pale?


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## rockinr (Dec 30, 2009)

great story. Please keep it going


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## nomadjanet (Mar 28, 2011)

OK I googled Jerry Ahern and found out he was a well known PAW writer. I think this was a complement and I want to say thank you very much to Magus.
I am going to continue the story but I am doing some rewrites as I have decided not to have Henry dead in the begining of the story. I think it will be more of a challenge to have someone who waning but thinks of himself as the alpha male in the story. Sort of a changin of the guard thing along with the other story line of the not so civil war, the cartel war & the lowering of the standard of living. May be a while before I get it roughed out.


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## Magus (Dec 1, 2008)

Your stuff is better than Jerry's.I don't see yours going into some strange time travel alien invasion acid trip.


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## Wags (Dec 29, 2008)

I don't think you need to rewrite it. You have done a good job of telling us what an Alpha male Henry was. The flashbacks are plenty, just go one from where you are.


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## PipLogan (Apr 25, 2011)

I'm hooked .


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## Graebarde (Aug 30, 2011)

I wouldn't rewrite it. In my experience, which is slim, the rewrites are NEVER as good as the original concepts and loose much if the inspirational flow. I am waiting for the continuance of this story however. Thanks for the efforts you have put into it thus far. FB


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