Travis raised his hand.
“Yes?” Charlie said imperiously.
“You try new tactics, but you have to keep a constant attack from all angles. Armies try to attack from the front, the sides and the air. We need to do the same from the streets, in the media, behind the scenes.”
Charlie gazed at him pensively and then seemed to stare off into space. He was sad to say that he’d never made that connection, but it was a brilliant one.
“I like that,” Charlie said, almost purring. “You’re right. We need to keep the pressure on from all angles.”
The discussion went on for over an hour and Charlie looked over his new army in admiration. What they lacked in experience they made up for with passion. He would have traded them for a platoon of Weather Underground members, but this crew was willing, he could see. Sometimes merely having the will was enough, especially when the opposition didn’t know they were about to be at war.
CHAPTER 9
Summer weather arrived in June. The mountains and hills were full of hikers and backpackers. The lake was full of boats and jet skis. One enterprising man started a baseball league for youth. Following suit, other groups formed leagues for other sports, including soccer, softball, and golf. There were even baseball and softball leagues for adults. It was during this period that a group of citizens held a contest to name the town. Residents of all ages submitted suggestions and an essay to explain why their name should be used. Ultimately, “Blue Creek” was selected. A twelve-year-old boy studied the history of the area and found it once had this name.
Some townspeople raised money to buy signs with the town’s name emblazoned on it. A large metal arch, which spanned its way over three lanes of traffic on Main Street, was erected. A large ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to commemorate the event. A high school marching band from a nearby town performed and there was a community picnic at the city park that included games and activities. To cap the festivities, a concert was held that night at the amphitheater, along with a large fireworks show that was sponsored by several local businesses.
A strong sense of community had begun do develop among the citizens. As June ended the good feeling remained, but there were a few incidents were cause for concern. A man was attacked by two people while stopped at a stoplight. Witnesses told the private security company who investigated the incident that the attackers pulled the man out of his car, beat him and robbed him at gunpoint. However, the witnesses weren’t able to sufficiently describe the attackers so no arrests were made. It seemed to be an isolated incident, but just days later, two businesses were burglarized and vandalized. Some money was stolen, but worse was the fact that the store owners didn’t have any insurance to pay for the damage.
These incidents, which were reported in the local newspapers and on the TV news, prompted concerned citizens to talk about forming a police force. It would have the authority to investigate crime and punish the guilty. However, it was the night of the Fourth of July celebration that increased talk of a government and an official, organized police force.
The celebrations during the day transpired without incident. There was a large parade and then a carnival at the city park with games, rides, and concerts. At dusk, the townspeople gathered to watch what was promised to be an even bigger fireworks show than the month before. The show lived up to its billing, but about halfway through, a light up in the hills north of town caught everyone’s attention.
The fires started as small, disconnected patches, but began to merge together to form a recognizable symbol. Once the fire reached its fever pitch, a gigantic anarchy sign—the capital “A” with a circle drawn around its edges—could be seen from all over town. Several citizens raced up the hill to try to find the culprits, but the streets were packed with people and cars. By the time the first people reached the fire, there was no sign of the perpetrators. No real physical damage had been done, but whoever started the fire had inflicted major damage on the fragile psyche of the new community. Some residents demanded that authorities from the outside be called in to investigate.
In the days and weeks following the incident, a debate on whether a government should be formed seemed to consume the local newspapers and online bloggers. Many of the stories were planted by Charlie Henry’s group, which was behind all of the incidents in the first place. Time passed and the heated debate died down, however, the pro-government movement regained traction after a family was murdered while they slept.
After a few more break-ins, including one where a would-be burglar was caught and shot by the home’s owner, it was decided that forming a government with a legitimate police force was the only way to ensure the safety and security of the people and their property. No one knew exactly what form it would take, but fear and hopelessness made much of the citizenry feel like they had no other choice.
The summer evening was warm but comfortable and the dry air hung like a blanket around those who milled around on Main Street. The setting sun cast pastel hues on the soft clouds. The downtown area was buzzing with activity. It was a perfect night for the people to get out and enjoy. Patton and Jennifer were among the many taking advantage of the beautiful evening. They walked along the sidewalk, swinging their clasped fingers back and forth like young lovers.
Occasionally, one or other would stop in front of a shop to gaze at the wares. Twice, Jennifer made Patton stop in front of clothing stores that had ‘cute‘ window displays. Luckily for his wallet, all of the stores were closed. In retaliation, he made her stop in front of a gun store. She laughed at the childish way he guarded his eyes with his hands so he could see all of the big boy’s toys that were inside.
“Oh!” he said, admiring the store’s new Barrett .50 caliber sniper rifle. “That’s the one!”
She yanked at his arm but he didn’t budge. He looked down at the sign that announced the store’s hours and yes they would be open the next day at nine in the morning.
“Oh no you don’t,” she said, half laughing, half annoyed, tugging at him like a harried mother with a wayward child.
He stood erect and looked at her. “What do you mean ‘Oh no you don’t’? If I want to get it I’ll damn well get it,” he said defiantly, but with humor in his eyes.
“You want to put that monstrous gun in the same house as our children?” she said, her hands defiantly on her hips.
He shrugged boyishly. “If I bought it, it would be for our children. Look at what happened to…” he began saying but stopped, knowing that she wouldn’t want to hear about the family that was killed. Neither of them knew the victims, but the crime had hit them both very hard.
She raised her hand to stop him, conceding defeat and said, “I can see why you want a gun but does it have to be so big? I mean, wouldn’t a simple handgun do just as well?”
She had a point, he admitted to himself, but he wanted that rifle.
“I’ll get a handgun too,” he said, laughed, and began to walk away with a triumphant grin. She followed him, trying not to pay attention to him, just blindly moving forward. Suddenly, she crashed into him and nearly fell. She hadn’t noticed that he’d stopped dead in his tracks.
“What the hell!” she said, grabbing onto his arm so she wouldn’t fall to the concrete. When she regained her balance, she realized that he was looking at a bright orange poster with black print. It read: