The children played on for several more minutes before a parent’s call broke the spell. The other three children ran off towards home. Cooper stood up, unfolding his stiffening muscles with a grimace.
His movement caught Jake’s eye. The two gazed at each other for a long moment. Jake’s face changed right before Cooper’s eyes, the innocence fading away. His eyes lost the wrinkles of joy. They became encircled by tight lines of worry. His smile shrank from a wide, unencumbered grin, to a tight-lipped visage. His face fell unto itself. His ears dropped lower. Cooper knew that this grim look of determination didn’t belong on an eleven year-old. In submission, he turned to fetch his rifle that he had left leaned up against a car. When he turned back towards Cooper, the transformation was complete. A child-soldier had replaced his young son. Impotent to stop it, Cooper wanted to rage at the sky. Instead, like sour milk after cake, sorrow’s foul taste lingered.
Cooper picked up his own rifle from its resting position and began walking towards Jake. The rifle had never been so heavy. His heart was heavier.
Chapter 19
After dinner, he and Jake tried reading together again. They returned to the same position on the couch, but now everything seemed cold, stale. Cooper’s mind was filled with the stench and sight of bodies burning. Jake’s was still swirling with the thought of Antonio’s death. They soldiered on, trying to recapture the magic from earlier in the day. Neither wanted to be the first to admit defeat. So, the charade continued.
A sharp rap on the front door interrupted them. Cooper glided to the second story window that overlooked their door, shotgun in hand. Dranko was looking right at him and waved. He knew Cooper’s security procedures. Cooper went downstairs, stretching his muscles out as he did so.
Cooper opened the door and Dranko barreled past Cooper, bumping his shoulder as he rushed in.
“We gotta do something. The news isn’t good,” he panted.
“Slow down, what’s happening?”
“I’ve spent the last hour catching up on the news, both broadcast and internet. It’s coming loose all over.”
Cooper sat down on his couch, “Start from the top, please.”
“The short version is that what happened here today was no fluke. Attacks are going on everywhere, too many for the news to keep track of. But they know there are a lot. Most end badly because they aren’t organized like we are.”
“You mean everywhere, Portland? Or, everywhere, USA?”
His eyes were grim, “Both. The worst part is some are random, like ours, and some are definitely with a purpose to steal or even take over.”
“Take over?” Cooper’s eyebrows came together in surprise.
“Yes, there have been reports of gangs moving into an area and taking it over, getting the residents to hand over money, supplies, or do work for them.”
“What kind of work?”
“All kinds. Using them to carry loot back from other raids. Medical people are pressed to treat injured gang members. There are at least two reports of them being used as human shields. Women are being put into sexual service. One group in Detroit is building a monument to their leader from wood and scrap metal. It’s crazy.”
“Unbelievable,” Cooper sighed.
“No, not unbelievable. Lots of people are making the call that it is ‘game over’ time. They see people dying all around them with no cure or remedy in sight. All levels of government seem to have broken down. When a vacuum this big gets created, strong men always step in to fill the gap. I told you it was a bad idea to try and stay here.”
Cooper held up a finger, “Don’t go there.”
Dranko retreated with a flurry of waving his hands back and forth, “Of course, forget I said it. But, the bottom line is its going to get worse, much worse. What happened today will happen again. It was no fluke.”
“Did the news have any estimate of casualties?”
Dranko’s face went slack, “Yeah, over tens of millions. Mostly from plague, but a goodly number from violence. So far.”
Cooper shook his head in disbelief, “That’s almost five percent of America. Gone?”
“Yeah. No end in sight either.”
“One in twenty? More sick every day. No wonder the wheels are coming off.”
Cooper leaned back into the couch, cocked his head to stare into space, and cradled his head in his hands. He let out a deep sigh and then remained in silence. Dranko counted the seconds, knowing his friend would soon have a response.
Sure enough, a few moments later, Cooper returned to the upright position, his eyes alive again.
“I know just what we should do.”
“What’s that, brother?”
“Get bigger,” Cooper said as a sly smile crept across his face.
“Why don’t you fill us little people in on your grand master plan, Obi Wan Kanobi,” Dranko mocked.
Cooper ignored the jibe. “We survey all the neighborhoods around us. We can find out if they are organized. If they are, we work out mutual assistance pacts. If they’re not, we try to help them become organized. It will be like…”
“…our own gang,” Dranko finished for him. “But, we are still talking about untrained people fighting back against hardened gangbangers. I just don’t see how…”
“People defending their own homes is a powerful thing. Don’t underestimate it. Every occupying power has learned it the hard way throughout history. So, too will anyone coming here,” Cooper’s jaw was firmly set as he talked. “Besides, we will find some ex-military who do have experience. We build the defenses around those people. Don’t forget, barricades will buy us time against the real gangs. They will go after easier pickings first. The random crazies, like today, won’t be as well trained or organized as you think.”
“OK,” Dranko reluctantly agreed. “If nothing else, the wider reach out will give us more warning before our neighborhood is attacked.”
“That’s why I love you Dranko, you’re the master of low expectations!”
He fished a spent shell casing from his pocket and threw it playfully at Cooper, “I do my best!”
“First thing tomorrow morning, we should send out survey teams to find out what’s happening around us.”
“How many?”
“Four teams, four people per team. The right number for security without appearing to be a threat.”
“Consider it done. I’ll convene everyone involved with defense in the morning and send out the teams.”
Cooper nodded in approval. Just then, his walkie-talkie buzzed alive.
“Boss, you there? This is western post.”
“Eagle’s nest here. What’s the report?”
“You better get down here. We have refugees.”
“Refugees?” Cooper gave a quizzical look at Dranko.
“Yes, refugees. Can you get down here, please?”
“Coming,” Cooper stuffed the walkie-talkie back into his pocket.
“Can you stay with Jake while I go check this out?”
“Yes, ring me up if you need anything.”
Cooper grabbed his gear and donned his body armor as he left and began trotting towards the western barricade.
As Cooper jogged, the late afternoon sun played wistfully among the leaves. Every so often, he would step into a gap between the trees and catch the full sun, becoming momentarily blinded. When lit up by the bright sun, the myriad shades of green in the leaves fascinated Cooper. It always had. He’d never known why.