“When do I learn what you bought?” Karin asked, also exiting the car.
“Two steaks, two baking potatoes, two prepared salads, a loaf of French bread, garlic, salt, pepper, two root beers, and a bottle of cabernet sauvignon. You wanted romantic, I’m giving you romantic.”
“Is a secluded cabin on the lake a part of that romantic scene?” Karin asked.
Jake smiled at her. “Yeah, it’s the biggest part.”
Jake made use of the charcoal grill outside the cabin to cook the two steaks. There was no charcoal available, but there were pine cones, and they made a suitable substitute. Karin put the potatoes in the oven and the salad and drinks in the refrigerator. That done, she came back outside to stand with Jake.
“I wish I had known we were coming to the lake, I would have brought my bathing suit in to work this morning.”
“You can always skinny-dip,” Jake suggested.
“You tease, but as deserted as the lake is now, I believe I could do that. I know it is still duty hours, but there is almost always someone here. Where is everyone?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if half the people on the base were gone by now,” Jake said.
“Gone where?”
“On their way home, wherever that is. Karin, did you know that Clay Matthews knew about this even before the general announced it?”
“How did he know?”
“It’s the NCO underground,” Jake said. “I learned a long time ago that NCOs and even the lower-ranking enlisted personnel tend to find out things a lot faster than the officers do. I doubt, very much, that there was one enlisted man on this base who did not know what the general was going to tell us, even before he told us this afternoon. There’s no telling how many of them have packed up and left today.”
“You mean they’ve already gotten their RIF orders?”
“No orders, they just left”
“Deserted, you mean.”
“Who deserted, Karin? Did they desert the Army? Or did the Army desert them?”
“Yes, I see what you mean. When you think about it, I don’t believe they deserted the Army, and I don’t believe the Army deserted them,” Karin said. “It is Ohmshidi who has deserted us all.”
Jake lifted up one of the steaks to examine it; then he looked back at Karin. “That’s about the size of it,” he said.
They had an early dinner, then sat out front and watched the sun go down over the lake.
“Karin, have you given any thought to what lies ahead?” Jake asked.
“I try not to. Every time I think about it, I just get more frightened. Have you thought about it?”
“Yes, I have given it a great deal of thought. It’s like flying, and always anticipating the worst so you can be prepared for what might happen. I believe we must think and plan ahead.”
“Plan and think about what?”
“Survival.”
“I know what you mean. Unemployment is now at thirty-six percent, or so they say. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it is much higher than that. If we are riffed, it is going to be very hard to get a job in civilian life.”
“I’m not talking about getting a job,” Jake said. “Very soon there aren’t going to be any jobs anywhere, for anyone. I’m talking about survival as in staying alive—the kind of survival when there is a complete and total collapse of civilization.”
“Jake!” Karin gasped. “You don’t mean that, do you?”
“I do mean it,” Jake said. “Believe me; it cannot go on like this. I believe our republic is going to have a complete breakdown.”
“If that happens what will we do? What will anyone do?”
“I’ve already started,” Jake said. “Actually, I started a couple of months ago, but I didn’t say anything to you about it then, because I didn’t want to worry you. As if you didn’t have enough sense to be worried, just by listening to Ohmshidi.”
“You already started what?” Karin asked.
“Do you remember when I told you I was going to see to it that you and I would survive? I am putting together a team,” Jake said. “A team of survivors.”
“By team, you mean there will be others?”
“Yes.”
“Who do you have in mind?”
“Sergeant Major Clay Matthews, for one. I’ve already got him getting things ready. He is the kind of person I will be looking for, people who possess skills that can contribute to the survival of the team. Like your medical skills.”
Karin hit him on the shoulder. “What? You mean the only reason you want me is because I’m a nurse? And here, all this time, I thought you wanted me because I am me,” she said in mock mortification.
Jake laughed, and pulled her back to him. “Well, yes, that too,” he said. “The steaks are done.”
Jake returned to the grill and started picking up the steaks when he saw Karin just staring out at the lake.
“Karin, what is it?” he asked. “What’s wrong?”
“This,” she said, sweeping her hand across the lake.
“What? I think it’s very nice here. Don’t you like it?”
“Oh, I love it, Jake, but have you considered that this might be our last time like this? I mean, if things really do get worse, much worse, if we actually do have to go into a survival mode, something like this will be only in our memory.”
Jake leaned over and kissed her, lightly. “Then, let’s make this a good memory,” he said.
“Yes.”
They were just finishing their meal when Jake glanced at his watch. “It’s about time for the news,” he said.
“Are you sure you want to watch? I mean all the news is so depressing now.”
“Do I want to watch? No, I don’t,” Jake said. He sighed. “But I don’t think we have any choice. I am now morbidly obsessed with watching this man to see what he is going to do next. It’s like being unable to turn away from a train wreck.”
They moved over to the sofa, where Jake opened the wine, then poured each of them a glass. Handing a glass to Karin, he sat down beside her, then clicked on the TV.
