“What’s happening?” he asked James as quietly as he could.
“It’s all right, Jason,” he replied. “They just don’t like new things they don’t understand. Let’s take it slow and win them back.”
“Okay. Now hear me out!” he shouted above the raucous crowd, reminding him of the bleacher incident not long ago, just down the street. He waited until they quieted down before continuing. It gave him a chance to think, and he was upset at himself for underestimating their response. For a guy who’s always two steps ahead, I really screwed the pooch on this one, he thought.
“I won’t get into everything now,” he started again, “but the former Sheriff and Judge of this great town were not fit for duty.”
The crowd started turning slowly again, this time with many nodding heads in agreement.
“Most of you here have met me, and some of you know me well.” The next part was a bit of a gamble, but James needed a trust factor to pull it off. Having already been through so much since the lights went out, these citizens were about to find out how much worse it could get.
“It’s not who you know necessarily, but who you know who knows the person you’re wondering about,” James was telling Jason just last night.
“Raise your hand if you count me as a friend,” he said, hoping it worked.
Only a few hands were raised, with many in the half-hand raise camp one might see at church. Committed in mind but still not wanting people to see.
“Raise your hand if you count me as a friend!” he said again, gesturing with his own and watching nearly half going up in the air. He smiled, as the bluff paid off. He added, “Now those of you unsure about me and my qualifications as a leader, take a few minutes to ask one of these fine citizens with hands in the air.”
James sat back in his chair and didn’t say a word while his citizens discussed whatever they may about his qualities as a man and a leader.
“Are you going to say something?” asked Jason.
“Nope. Not yet. Right now, half the town is hopefully singing my praises, and you can’t buy better publicity than that. This process can’t be rushed, and when it’s done, that same trust will extend to you and David. It just takes them doing it, is all.”
“That makes sense, I guess,” replied Jason. “When do you start back?”
“When they’re done.”
“James VanFleet! James VanFleet!” came the chant—starting low, then building steam.
“And there it is,” he said to Jason. “I would feel guilty if all the wonderful things they are saying weren’t true,” he added with a smile, remembering someone saying, “It’s not bragging if it’s true.”
“Thank you, thank you all for coming today,” James continued. “Please listen to what we have to say, and we will answer as many questions as time allows.
“The United States Military is now running the show. We all knew it would happen; the only question was how soon. We, in exchange for taking in some FEMA families...” he continued, as the crowd stirred again. But this time he expected it. “In exchange for taking in some FEMA families, not so different from you and me—and they may even be some of your friends or loved ones from other towns—we will be allowed to earn our freedom and keep our great country under US rule.”
James paused, knowing the crowd would get loud and drown him out again, and he would not be wrong.
“I think we are going to have a lot of questions soon,” said Jason.
“That’s good,” replied James. “I’m interested to see how you handle them,” he added with almost a straight face. “Now, for the punch in the gut. They have to be told.”
James continued: “We have but one chance to work hard, sacrifice if needed, and fight for our freedom. If any or all of us lay down, our children will be fluent in Chinese and Russian by year’s end and we will all be working for them, without a choice in the matter.”
This last statement brought a hush over the crowd, with some mouths hanging open and others shaking their heads in disbelief.
“I know this is a lot to take in, and probably not what you expected to hear today. However, we are still a lawful town of good God-fearing people who watch out for each other. That won’t change. Those added to our town, whether temporarily or longer, will be expected to pull their weight, as we all do. I will get with our new Mayor, David Jenkins here, and of course Deputy Mayor Jason Davis,” pointing to Jason. “We will determine the best location for our new arrivals and work with local farms to rent land as needed to grow crops and to raise livestock on a large scale. When properly executed, we all will have something we can count on and be proud of in this Next-World. Only by working together with each other, our United States Military, and still intact Government can we hope to turn this great country of ours around and get her on the right track once again.”
Now James was getting head nods of agreement, and the crowd as a whole looked a bit more relaxed than when he was talking about the Chinese and Russians.
Every adult man in America has seen the movie Red Dawn, James thought, where the high school kids fight against invading Russians, leaving family behind, to head into the mountains. He wondered how many in the crowd had that mental image now.
“That’s all for now,” James added, “unless, of course, there are any questions.”
He expected a few but was surprised to see nearly every hand in the air, with people squirming like a classroom of children who all
