The Collapse Box Set, page 25
part #1 of The Collapse Series
“How is patrol?” Haley asked Dan.
“Dexter put me on Main Street.”
“Not much to guard there,” Lawrence remarked.
Dan said, “They want me to be there in case someone needs help. Most of the police are holed in the farmhouses protecting the cattle. Dexter put an emphasis on guarding the livestock. When people really start starving, the animals will be the first to go.”
It was by some miracle no one had died of starvation. Kent Matthews’s supplies were going a long way. To keep up appearances, Haley only took rations for her children and shared the rest with the locals. The people were confused but also inspired by her selflessness.
“I’m glad you’re on Main Street,” Haley said. “We’ll need to stay close.”
“Expecting trouble?” Dan asked.
“If anyone finds out about our stash, we need to be able to escape together,” Haley said. “Lawrence, without trash duty, where has Dexter moved you?”
“Nowhere yet,” Lawrence said.
“I want to put you on a supply recon team outside of Greenhill,” Haley replied.
“In this weather?” Lawrence asked.
“I need you on the team nonetheless. Having supplies from other towns will get people off our trail and will do Greenhill a service.”
“That’s fine and dandy, but it's dangerous out there,” Lawrence said. “The risk isn’t worth it.”
“It will be. The more we help Greenhill, the more we benefit. If we can get to springtime and the farmers can plant crops, it’ll be smooth sailing until next winter. We just have to get that far.”
“I guess,” Lawrence mumbled.
Haley smiled at him. “You’re an adventurous guy. Do you really want to be cooped up inside all day?”
“I’ll do it,” Lawrence said reluctantly. “We’re all going to die sooner or later anyway.”
The next morning, Haley joined the council in Town Hall. Though early in the meeting, she discovered that the rest of the members were present.
“You started without me? Everything okay?” Haley asked, taking a seat.
“Not really,” Dexter replied.
Hosea said, “We’re not having any luck with food.”
“We’ve agreed to butcher the livestock,” Norma added.
“Why not mate them?” Haley asked.
“That takes too long,” Dexter said. “The farmers aren’t going to be happy. We’ll probably lose some from the community.”
“That’s unfortunate,” Haley replied. “I imagine that the farmers that refuse will keep their livestock.”
“They won’t,” Dexter said.
Norma spoke soberly. “The needs of the community outweigh the needs of the few.”
Hosea nodded. “The police are already at their farms. We can easily secure the animals.”
Haley said, “What will we do in the spring? We’ll need the cattle.”
Dexter glared at her. “We won’t get through the winter if we don’t do this.”
The other council members nodded.
“I think this decision is short-sighted,” Haley said. “I’d feel much better sending out recon scout teams first.”
“We’ll do both,” Dexter said. “Moving on--”
“Hold up,” Haley said, “You didn’t give me a vote.”
“The three of us decided, meaning your vote wouldn’t matter,” Norma said.
Haley gawked at her for a moment and then said, “I don’t understand. What did I do wrong?”
Dexter sighed. “Haley, we appreciate all the hard work you’ve done, but we were doing a fine job running this town before you got here.”
Confused, Haley looked at the others. They stayed quiet.
“Is this about Steven’s trial?” Haley asked, frustration in her voice. “You asked for my opinion of what should be done, Dexter, and I gave it. I never said you had to follow it.”
“The trial is not the issue,” Dexter said. “You had a chance to stop that Kent Matthews disaster while it was happening and did nothing.”
His words angered Haley. “There is no one who regrets what happened more than me, but look at the food we got because of it.”
“Three people died,” Hosea said.
“And I’m responsible?” Haley asked rhetorically. “Kent and the others were killing each other.”
“You were supposed to lead,” Dexter said. “You didn’t. We brought you into our council because the people liked you. If they don’t respect you, you’re failing to fulfill your role.”
Haley replied, “I think I’ve more than proved myself. Moving the police to the farms for example. Now the livestock is safe so we can eat.”
Norma said, “The same police that should’ve have been protecting our food from robbers.” Her words were pointed. “Not once has Greenhill’s livestock been threatened, but our food stores have suffered majorly. Not to mention all the supplies spent on fortifying your home.”
Haley set her jaw.
“You’ll stay on the council,” Hosea reassured her.
“I never thought I was being thrown off,” Haley replied.
Dexter said, “We’ve discussed this enough. Our next order of business is finding more pharmaceuticals.”
Haley stewed in her anger. She stayed quiet for the rest of the meeting, letting them decide where to send the recon teams and how to find a way to filter frozen pond water. The solutions for both problems were solved before the day’s end: teams of three were sent in all four directions, and the frozen water would be hauled out of the local ponds and watering holes and moved to metal pots to be boiled.
With Lawrence gone, Haley had to trust Ashley and Jermaine to watch over the kids.
The next day, police started ushering cows, pigs, and goats to Main Street to be slaughtered. Farmers living there protested but were quickly put in line by the police. A few men were beaten, and others were threatened at gunpoint. The majority of the people agreed with the council’s ruling. Those who didn’t agree stood in sober silence while their livelihood was marked and labeled for weekly execution. There were over five hundred and fifty people left in Greenhill. The livestock would go quickly.
After three days, two of the recon scouting parties returned empty-handed. Lawrence’s party, the one that went south, hadn’t come back. Neither had the other scouts.
Dan spent his time guarding the animals on Main Street. They were brought feed and given shelter in an auto shop until the day they were butchered.
Cold water and one rationed meal for the day left the people hungry and desperate. Rumors spread through the town. Unguarded dissenters were being robbed. A few of them showed up, claiming that a mob of masked men took from them. The council quickly turned them away, despite them being desperate and starving like everyone else.
When Haley was walking home with Dan one evening, she spotted Hosea talking to Steven beside the church.
Telling Dan to wait for her, she snuck around the side of the church just as Steven walked away from Hosea. The pastor glanced around before unlocking the shed behind the church. When he closed the door behind him, Haley approached the shed. There were no windows. Making sure no one was watching her, she stepped inside.
Hosea held a candlestick as he sifted through an old clothing chest. He twisted back to Haley the moment he saw the door open behind him.
“Haley? What are you doing out here?” Hosea asked, trying to keep his nervousness under wraps.
Haley shut the door behind her. “I saw you talking to Steven.”
“Yes, he’s been going through a rough time,” Hosea replied.
“You wouldn’t be discussing the houses he’s looting, would you?”
Hosea froze.
“Not every house is empty, is it?” Haley asked.
“Y-you’re not making any sense,” Hosea replied.
“That chest behind you must be pretty special to be guarding it like you are,” Haley said.
“I don’t--”
“Don’t play dumb,” Haley replied. She blocked the door and kept her hand on her holstered weapon.
Hosea stared at her pistol. “It's for the children.”
“Is that all?” Haley said.
“Yes,” Hosea said desperately. “One meal a day isn’t enough. We need to do all we can to keep them safe.”
“And Steven is your lap dog,” Haley said.
“We’re all playing our part to keep this community alive.”
“Like robbing people who have rejected the government.”
“You have children. You know what it's like to watch them go hungry,” Hosea said. “The system we have right now isn’t working.”
“Dexter wouldn’t like this,” Haley said.
“You can’t tell him,” Hosea said.
“I won’t,” Haley replied. “But I want a part of what you’re doing.”
“How so?” Hosea asked.
“I want an inventory of what you’ve taken. If I’m ever in a tough spot, I expect you to give me what I ask for. That will keep us both happy,” Haley said.
“Deal,” Hosea said.
Haley shook his hand and left.
Reconvening with Dan, she continued her walk home.
“How did it go?” Dan asked.
“Good,” Haley said. More knowledge, more power, she thought.
The next week, the council convened to discuss the livestock arrangement. As suspected, the cattle, pigs, and chickens were going quickly.
Dexter and Norma looked haggard. Hosea had lost most of his weight. His goatee grew into a thin, graying beard. Haley rubbed her hands together, trying to keep warm. Snow fell outside, cloaking their little town in white.
Norma coughed into her closed hand.
“I was thinking the other day, and I believe I found a solution to our problems,” Dexter said. His eyes were bloodshot and sunken.
“More scout parties?” Hosea asked.
“We’re all aware of the robberies that have been occurring around the dissenters, yes?” Dexter asked.
Hosea and Haley traded a quick glance.
“Serves them right,” Norma said. “I’m fed up with the selfishness.”
“I believe the robbers live among us,” Dexter said.
Haley replied, “Makes sense. They’ve only targeted people who refused the food bank.”
“Yeah, and they’re storing it away somewhere,” Dexter said.
Hosea sweated. The man was terrible at lying. Haley might’ve made a mistake siding with him.
Dexter said, “I thought about sending patrols across town, searching homes and farms, but it was too much ground to the cover. Then it hit me.” He opened his folder and pulled out a hand-typed report. “This is the document that solidified the Shared Resource Act. Within it is a list of everyone who was for and against the act.”
“I don’t understand where you’re going with this,” Hosea said.
“The people who voted against the Act never cared for the community’s interest,” Dexter explained. “They chose selfishness.”
“As I recall, even those who voted against it still gave to the community,” Haley replied.
“But what if they didn’t give everything? What if they withheld resources?”
“You and I checked their houses,” Haley said to Dexter. “They’re clear.”
“Maybe… maybe not,” Dexter said. “Either way, we need to check again, starting with the names on this list. This time, we’ll be taking police with us, and we’ll search every inch.”
“You’re talking about ransacking their homes,” Haley exclaimed.
“If they have nothing to hide, then it shouldn’t be a big deal,” Dexter defended his argument.
“I agree with Haley,” Hosea said. “This is a violation of privacy.”
“We don’t have any other options,” Dexter said.
Norma rubbed her veiny hands together. “Yes, it's a small price to pay if we plan to survive.”
“It's a witch hunt,” Hosea replied.
“We vote,” Dexter said. “All in favor, raise your hand.”
Norma and Dexter raised their hands.
Hosea said. “Sorry, Dexter, but our people have been through enough.”
Dexter frowned. “The people can decide for themselves. We’ll settle it on a community vote.”
“I don’t agree with this,” Hosea said.
“I know,” Dexter said, “But I’m not backing off. We bring them in the morning.”
“May I see the list?” Haley asked.
Dexter pulled it closer to himself. “After the vote.”
Haley went home that afternoon and paced in front of the living room fireplace.
Holding Barbie dolls, Dee-Dee entered. The little blonde girl watched her foster mother. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just thinking,” Haley said. “Where are your brothers and sister?”
“Carter and Ashley are at Mr. Peters’s house. Jermaine went on a hunting trip.”
“So it’s just us then?” Haley asked. “Well, that’s okay. Come here. Have a seat.”
They scooted next to each other on the couch. Dee-Dee rested her head against Haley’s shoulder. Haley gestured to the dolls. “What are their names?”
Dee-Dee shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“Why not? They have to have names.”
“Mom?” Dee-Dee asked with her soft voice.
“Yes, baby girl?”
“When are we going home?”
“This is our home,” Haley replied.
“I don’t like it here anymore,” Dee-Dee said.
“Have you gone sledding yet?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you like that?” Haley asked.
“Yes,” Dee-Dee smiled.
“This place isn’t that bad, then.”
“Only Eve plays with me though,” Dee-Dee said. “I never see any of the other kids.”
“They’re staying out of the snow,” Haley said.
“Can they come over?”
“Maybe one day,” Haley lied.
Dee-Dee frowned.
Ashley and Carter returned home and took off their boots and scarves.
Haley stood up. “Can I talk to you two for a moment?”
Suspicious, the two children agreed to meet with her in the dimly-lit kitchen.
“What’s happening?” Carter asked. “Can I finally go hunting with Jermaine and Dad?”
Haley spoke to Ashley in a serious whisper. “There is going to be a vote in the morning. If the people agree to it, our home is going to be searched. I need you two to promise me that you won’t anyone about our food.”
“Well, duh,” Carter replied.
“I’m serious,” Haley replied. “These people will be hungry. Some may be your friends. They will beg you or may even threaten you. Keep your mouth shut, okay? When Jermaine comes home, I’ll tell him the same thing.”
Ashley turned pale. “You don’t think they’ll try to bust down the door, right?”
“If they come peacefully, I’ll let them do what they need to do. If they attempt violence, we stay inside and defend ourselves.”
“That will be breaking the law,” Ashley said.
“If that’s the route they take, there won’t be any law.”
When Jermaine got home, Haley told him the same thing she told the others. Dan was the last to arrive. He and Haley went downstairs and stored all of their food in the secret room.
“I’m worried about Lawrence,” Dan said.
“He can take care of himself,” Haley replied.
“It’s been ten days,” Dan said. “What if he’s injured?”
“Dan, I have enough stress on my mind to worry about Lawrence,” Haley replied.
The next morning, a light snow fell over Greenhill.
Bundled in warm clothes but still trembling, roughly three hundred and fifty Greenhill citizens gathered inside Town Hall. Haley sat at the council’s table overlooking the crowd of hungry, desperate people. Like the iron clouds above, they carried a dreadful atmosphere with them.
Hosea mumbled, “Not everyone is coming.”
Norma whispered back, “Not everyone cares.”
Haley glanced at the crowd. Her family lingered in the back, as near to the door as they could be. The Peterses weren’t there. Why?
Chatter filled the room. People complained to one another about the weather or lack of food. When you were starving and cold, that wasn’t much else to discuss.
After a few minutes of waiting, Dexter stood up. He gestured to the guards on either side of the stage. They shouted at the crowd to be quiet.
A cold silence fell over the people as they settled.
Dexter said, “I want to thank all of you for coming out here today.”
“Where’s our food?” A woman shouted.
“We gave you everything and you do nothing for us!” A man shouted.
Dexter raised a hand to quiet them. “I understand your frustrations. Thanks to the greedy, all of us have been living on two small meals a day. I am no exception. My own daughter has fallen ill because of malnutrition.” Dexter eyed the crowd. “I have reason to believe that the same selfishness that caused this catastrophe is still present among us. Some of us, maybe people in this room, are hoarding supplies.”
Hosea turned to Haley and whispered. “What’s he doing? He doesn’t have evidence of that.”
Dexter said, “It's time we stopped being abused and take back what should’ve been given to us.”
A few of the people nodded.
Dexter gestured to the guards in the back of the room. One of them slipped out. Dexter said, “We’ve had strict punishment for those who have turned against us, and the only way to separate a traitor from a loyalist is to test them.”
The guard returned with large stacks of paper. He quickly walked the aisle, handing them out to people in the crowd.
Haley and Hosea exchanged confused looks.
Dexter said, “Here is a list of every potential traitor and their address. When this community needed their support, they turned against us. Now it's time to see who they really serve: our collective family or their bellies.”
Hosea stood from his seat. “Dexter. We agreed to a vote!”
Dexter ignored him and spoke to the crowd. “People of Greenhill, I’m charging each of you to go to these homes and find the traitors that aim to destroy us. It's time to take Greenhill back into our hands!”
