Reinke Faces Life

It happened in Church - October 19, 1962
Chapter Seventy Eight – Details Details Detailing

Monday 19 Nov (concludes)

Back 2 School

Alyssa moved the “empty trailer”, which was now about half full of ‘treasures’ saved by Marie’s ‘cans of corn’. Everyone was getting rather tired of recovering. Most people took a few family treasures, but there was little enthusiasm. The Leadership team had to keep encouraging people to take what they would EVER want since it was unlikely that they’d get back here again. John had thought they’d have to discourage people from taking the kitchen sink. Perhaps, it was being in proximity to the dead in the basement.

That weighed on every one’s mind. Except John’s. He was totally focused on getting everyone alive to Vermont. There’s be plenty of time to mourn then. In safety in Vermont.

June organized the move and return to school. She got Marie to drive the bus with the first half back to school. John hooked a ride along. The Classmates were glad to hit the showers They had gotten used to the cleanliness. The Guests were standing by for laundry. Clean sweat suits were available and towels. And all sorts of shampoo and soap. The Guests had been busy “shopping” in the area. The school was well stocked.

The Mrs. team had hot chow ready. Choice of Ravioli or spaghetti O’s. And COLD lemonade. John was astonished at that. The unlicensed electrician had found that the kitchen circuit breakers had popped. John found that interesting since the downstairs laundry room had not. It was attributed to a bulb burning out in the kitchen. Bottom line they now had refrigeration and ice.

In fact, if the supermarkets were only resupplied, they’d never have to leave.

Marie took June and the bus on to the North Mobile Recovery site. Some of the Classmates stayed on at the school. They’d recovered and were not needed. Some of the Guests joined in. They were bored of the School and wanted adventure and treasure. Of course, there was little adventure and not much treasure. But it was a change of scene. John fretted about someone getting lost.

John went up to the new site. The short leg had gone ahead and ’secured’ the area. Everyone was trying to be vigilant. But they never even saw dogs. Everything had either died or moved on. Birds, cats, dogs, people, rats, and roaches. They were alone. In a dead zone. Spooky. Everyone was itching to pull the trigger and leave for Vermont before there were any unpleasant surprises. As the time got close, the itchiness got worse.

Alyssa was moving the water buffalo into place as the bus pulled up. June got folks organized into four teams. They had air cover so it was just a matter of the team ’securing’ the apartment and calling for the subject. The Guests on the team went into the neighbors’ apartments. June figured that they be done sometime tomorrow.

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Marie and Tolentine

Back at the school, Marie asked Brian to help her think about Tolentine. She be back later. She drove up to the North site, dropped off, and drove back to the south site. They were all waiting patiently. Only took a few minutes to load and leave. The Lurp team was now alone. Back to the school, where they also were surprised with a warm welcome, showers, clean clothes, hot food, and cold lemonade. (Marie was mum on the surprise and wanted the Guests to get the chance to surprise the Classmates.)

Brain reminded Marie that Isabella was from that neck of the woods so they invited her to join them.

Brian sketched out he thought it should work. Brother Kevin and Lurp were going to the University, so Marie and her team should tag along with them and drop off as they go by. Then, they talked about how to search it. Unless there was a shelter or a basement, they were looking for dead folks. If there was a shelter, they may be locked in.

Marie was anticipating that Tolentine would have the same inventory of buildings to search — church, school, nunnery, and monastery. Isabella corrected that these were all big private homes. The school was smaller than Good Shepard. And, they were in gang country. Marie was concerned about that.

Brian suggested ‘air cover’ and different search teams. He didn’t have answers how that could all be coordinated. Silently.

Marie was undaunted by the problems and risks. She’d have a small security detail. She take some of the Thrids for searching. She’d ask for volunteers. One pair for the school. She’d do the Church. The Security detail the houses. It would be quick. Less than an hour and then hide until the pickup time. Bicycles?

She’d ask for Isabella leading Sherman Dyckman OP David & Anthony Machine Gun Rear Guard Sydney & Zachary. And either Lisa or Linda with their respective team.

With that, maybe she didn’t need young Classmates to help?

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Sam plans the BGHQ

Sam was detailed the BGHQ. He had Brother Kevin and some folks to the University. Marie and Short Leg to Tolentine. That left him the Long Leg. He’d need it all. The Guests would have to supply the security detail for their 145th depot effort. So how would he pull this off?

He’d have the machine gun. He’d want that on the roof looking down. That would be the surprise. Like the Library, light infantry rifle fire to draw the defense out to the car line. The Temple had no windows to speak of so they would be unlikely to try to defend the building. Could he shoot a rifle grenade into the window to help them outside? Pretty fancy shooting. Could he put someone on the Temple roof? Nah, way too risky.

Light sporadic rifle fire and hope they rush out. If they don’t, punt.

Hold back the long leg from everyone firing. We don’t want them to judge our strength immediately. Want them to think one or two annoyances to be dealt with. When they get to the cars, use all of long legs fire to drive them to the center. Blow the car. Hose them with machine gun fire. Get out of town?

If there were any signs of hostages, then get them.

He had his plan. Now he needed the resources.

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Brian School load

Brian was faced with his own problems. He had two tractor trailers outside. One full of the hospital antibiotics and one full of the Guests takings. He had a trailer with sacred and not sacred stuff. With dead bodies in it. That was going to be ripe at the other end. Certainly didn’t have to worry about anyone stealing the gold chalices stored in front of the dead bodies. John and the Ford would tow the trailer and double as rear guard.

How was he supposed to do this?

Most of his adult Guests would be off on the jaunt to 145th street. Either as drivers or security. The driving teams were going to the depot. He probably could drive one truck; he’d been practicing like everyone else.

The buses were at the mobile site. They had 78 Classmates + 38 Library Guests + The H’s + The W’s + the Hog Manager. He’d be left with the non-driving Guests and the injured. He’d have to get help.

Roy would be a resource when and if he got out. He’d have to have one truck driving team for the Guest stuff. And one bus from the mobile site. Ahead of time. He’d need help loading the patients. And, he need to do it all ahead of the dust off.

He’d have to secure the school and out buildings well in advance of the dust off.

Maybe the Guests could do that before they left for 145th street.

He had discussions to have.

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Put Bread Truck

In the bus trips, John took the opportunity to move one of the bread trucks into position by the Dyckman subway stop. He went down into the stairwell with a bead bag from the truck put the keys in it and tied it to a June Rope. He strung the rest of the rope across the exit. If Roy was late and hurrying, he couldn’t miss this signal. If he was being chased, he’d have the ability to “reel” in the prize as he went.

John said a little prayer that it was overkill.

And hopped back on Marie’s bus.

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Mission Alternatives

TomT and Brother Kevin talk about the mission. They had time to kill. Lurp was up on air cover.

TomT said: “If there are guards, we’ll need to distract them. I was thinking booze. If we scout and see them, I could pedal a bike loaded with booze nearby. They’d see me and give chase. I’d drop the bike, gently and run. They’d capture the booze and drink it. Fall asleep and I plant the explosive.”

Brother Kevin had to admire the lad for thinking. “I should do it.” “No, a full grown man, they’d shoot you. And, maybe even raise the alarm. No, it’s a kid’s job. Mine.” “Well, we’ll script this out so that if something goes wrong, you’re running into the protection.” “That’s OK. But I’m not planning on cutting it that close. I’ll just pretend that Jody found out and is chasing me.” Brother Kevin had to laugh.

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Guv Coord

The Colonel mediated a call between the Guvs. After the usual security protocol, Colonel ‘Ears’ dropped the metaphorical bomb. “Gentlemen, the Children have announced they will arrive on Thursday. With your permission, I will limit the guest list to the arrival to the bare minimum. I’d suggest each of you send one representative to welcome them. I’d suggest we keep it low key to not show the military value. Just because they are in Vermont, doesn’t take us completely off the hook. A complete story would give the Opp For just the clues to develop the capability we are afraid of.”

“Wise thinking!” from one of them.

“Further, we will have sufficient medical staff on the ground to deal with any medical emergencies. I’ll ask the Chief Justice to officiate at the Vermont citizenship oath, as well as the military oath for Top Dog, Under Dog, and their G2. That’s important because we want to shut them up.”

“We will begin our secret military ops on Tuesday. Tomorrow, how time flies. The firewalls will begin to move. Next day the lead and rear forces.Pittsfield also on Wednesday. So Wednesday is a good day for any political action.”

“Agreed” Both men said at the same time.

“Thanks, Gentlemen”

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Zeke in Pitts

Zeke was such a nasty coot he was thrown out of the Pittsfield Hells Angels, Pioneers, and Road Rats successively. When his wife died, he lost his digs. He’d taken up residence south of the Vermont line. Wasn’t healthy to be TOO close to that line these days. And north ofPittsfield . He earned his daily bread from odd jobs and ripping off anything he could steal. He and his four sons had a camp in a grove of wood beside the Interstate.

Heaven help you if your car konked out in his neighborhood. By the time you got back with the tow truck, you’d only have a frame to tow away. THat’s if he couldn’t fix the car and drive it to the chop shop.

His boys were not exceptionally bright and needed his direction to keep from getting caught.

The Abomb was manna from heaven for him and his. Refugees to rip off galore. Some who tried to sleep in ‘his’ woods would wind up with a slit throat and a shallow fall in one of the many mine shafts.

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Invite the welcomers

Colonel Ears invited his poker buddy the State Supreme Court chief justice to do the citizenship honors. He drafted a cadre of medical folks, ambulances, and first aid squads to participate in a military drill. Similarly the Salvation Army and Catholic Charities with their welcome wagons were similarly enlisted. He “rented” theLadd motel for two weeks to their joy; before Christmas was dead time. He need to make sure he had what they needed. He dispatched the Irish Sargent to invite theHerow’s , their lawyer, doctor, and accountant to the shindig. With all that wealth, they’d need a lot of eyes and fingers to count; the Free State was very honest, but “trust, but verify” was a good motto.

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Pequot Indians

The Vermont Governor’s Chief of Staff rung up the local ‘embassy’ of the Pequot Indian nation. A small Connecticut tribe, they claimed a swath of ancestral lands up across Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, to and across the Vermont border. The Vermonters, in accordance with their live and let live ethos, had allowed them to establish an ‘embassy’ in the Vermont capital for the purposes of fairly adjudicating their claim. Snowball’s chance in Hades of the two sides ever agreeing, but Vermonters were polite old hippies.

“Hi Stan!” Recognizing the caller id, Jill answered the phone with her standard “Howya DO in?”. She was caught coming back from vacation in Boston by the Abomb and managed to land a job working the Pequot’s computers. Their staff was in NYC for a techie nerd herding and were lost. The Tribe had substantial investment and businesses that needed the computers for accounting. It was a marriage made in heaven. Although the tribe had a hard time getting used to the Hoboken accent. And, she wasn’t “hard on the eyes” either. She had won their trust by making the “magic box” spit money. They were able to unload some of their stock positions to unsuspecting European trading partners when she got the box’s networking going. Instead of being broke and busted, the tribe was in pretty good shape.

“Hi Jill” Stan had heard about the beautiful blond programmer that was suddenly in the tribe’s inner circle and receptionist. (That’s the job they originally hired her for.) He had some modest interests in any blond of the opposite sex. “The boss would like to meet with the tribal council on Wednesday afternoon late. He wants to talk about giving the tribe western Mass in exchange for their Vermont claims.”

Jill almost fell off the chair.

“Well, it’ll be a hard sell. These guys ain’t the Canarsie Indians, you know. You can’t sell them something you don’t have to take what’s rightfully theirs. Ya know?” Stan had trouble with the Hoboken slang. But he just continued on: “Well, see if they’d like to listen to him. Then they can say ‘no’. But I bet they’ll take the deal. Besides, it’d be impolite to ignore the only Guv who allowed an ‘embassy’ in his State.” “I thought it was the People’s State.” “Details, he’s the people for all intents and purposes. At least until the next election. And, between you and me, they are going to landslide him in the next election.”

Stan obviously knew something.

Jill said: “I’ll use my wiles to get the old guys to agree.” Stan said: “Thanks. Maybe we can have dinner some night? Strictly business of course.” “We’ll see” she said coquettishly. She was no dumb blond.

+++++

Spy Report

In a dark NYC apartment, a book came out, a message encrypted, and was coded out: “subjects seen near slave market. expect action shortly. advise if you want intervention.”

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Batavia Refugee

Colonel Gunston was the elected leader of the combined militias of Belknap Cheshire, Hillsborough, Merrimack, Rockingham, Strafford and Sullivan Counties. Colonel John Francois, lately of Batavia, taking refuge with relatives near the top of the state, had earned the rank by being elected in Carroll, Coos, and Grafton County. It was a sad state of affairs but while they personally got along, their respective militias didn’t. In fact cooperation between any two counties was quarrelsome at best. Everyone was a sovereign; that presented challenges when one just want to give orders in time of duress. They had the military problem of dividing Massachusetts andprotectng the Children. One thing in their favor, the NH militias universally hated Massholes . That would be the unifying force that everyone would agree on. But that couldn’t be divulged too soon. There would be no holding them back.

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Colonel update

The baby monitor gave a bell. Pa D ran in. “Someone is reporting to New Hampshire that the Children are going to blow the Slave Market! Should we tell them?”

Now Colonel Ears was going to earn his money. He said a very bad word. He had a ton of problems and not many minutes to decide. First, tell them? Second, what? Third, how did that expose that they could read the NH Guv’s private code? And, the 6PM radio check, the clock was racing.

Yes! Not much! Nothing specific!

He gave Pa the few words.

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6PM Radio Watch

At 6 PM sharp, Marie began sending: ‘new york city calling vermont.’ ‘vermont here. suspect that your southern efforts are under friendly observation. suggest extra care and discretion. tomorrow same time.’ ‘new york city out’.

“John!”

Now, they had real trouble. John drove down to talk to Brother Kevin. Neither had any idea of what to do. The plan was concrete.

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Dinner

Chef Boyardee at the school and Mobile Base.

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Staff meeting

John started with “Bravo Zulu all. We are really on the last legs! Let’s be real careful. Our Vermont friends have shared their concerns.”

Centurion Sam: “We have to choose up sides for the final battle. I think we have enough peanut butter, but it’s real thin!”

G1 Personal Marie “I have my plan for Tolentine.”

G4 Logistics Jody: “Nothing to report”

G5 Morale June: “We have started the Third Mobile site recovery. We’ll finish and move tomorrow?”

Seventh Squad One Linda: “Nothing to report.”

Seventh squad Two Lisa: “Nothing to report.”

Atlatl Infantry Commander Isabella: “Nothing to report.”

That made John sad. “OK meeting adjourned. Let’s keep working smart.”

Marie went to Dave and the CB. Marie coded John’s opening remarks to Brian and Roy.

Then John took over: ‘father goose would like base commander to report.’

G2 Intelligence Brian coded back: “All quiet. Miss June.”

John turned the code key over to June.

Then John took over: ‘father goose would like to hear from the mole’

Roy coded back: ‘dark. tears. pray.’

John took over again: ‘gn gb gba’

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Time With Marie

Marie asked: “If something happens to me, you have to go on!” John said: “Don’t even think like that. The Universe supplies what you think about.”

Sleep came very slowly for John; Marie zonked out. What would he do without her?

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Brian worries

Brian followed his routine. Doom. Cold and fearful. He didn’t sleep.

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Roy worries

Roy sat in the warm smelly darkness. He prayed his rosary. For all the wretches caught by the Bravo Golfs. For their safe arrival in Vermont. And, for forgiveness for all the human beings he was about to kill. He didn’t sleep either.

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Bash worries

The girl he’d just had didn’t please him. She died to soon. He could not consume her fear. He was running low on “livestock”. He have to buy some more from the market on Friday. Maybe he should pursue the new North Gang for raw talent. He worried what was to come of him. He didn’t sleep either.

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