Note: This story was dynamically reformatted for online reading convenience.
 
 This is fiction and is not meant to betaken as true in any way!  If sex
with young girls upsets you go not further!

   A Different View
By: TheSearch4

   Mgg

   Chapter 11

   He two weeks flew by and Denny and his young men returned.  The next day
was the big meeting with Frank, John, Marsha, Pixie and Denny.  Breakfast
was also being served before the meeting.  This was a Friday and the girls
were planning their party for Saturday.  That would run from noon to God
knew when.  But most boys if any would be home that night.

   The meals was interesting to Frank, as he could see the girls were
really up for tomorrows party.  But the Munchkin was sitting beside him for
the meal and that was nice.  He had never made love to anyone so young and
this girl he enjoyed a lot.  But today was business and he knew it.

   Once in the meeting room Marsha went over the maps and showed the notes
they had made.  Each spot for a booby trap was noted and the back up for it
as well.  Places for snipers were shown and where weapons would be placed
and slaved to the video game computers.  Each would have a self-destruct,
so they would not later be used against the defending forces.

   Frank was really impressed.  "Very nice job guys.  There are half a
dozen places where I would have done nothing.  Using slaved weapons behind
a wall makes people think someone is there.  Then being able to destroy the
weapon after it has served its purpose taking out the ones around it does
cause fear.  Fear is the one factor we need to create in anyone attacking
us."

   John had followed all of this ad liked what he heard.  "We are now up to
seventy-five percent on the defending force.  But what you guys have done
will make defense much easier.  The more we can reduce their numbers the
better off we are.  But each booby trap will require maintence and who will
do that?"

   Denny was now into this.  "I have maintence teams that will check and
service each trap.  They are three man teams and one will be the sniper for
the other two who are working."

   "How often will you check them Denny?"

   "Every week we will check half of them.  That gives us time to scout the
area and see if anyone has been there.  There are many tell-tails where we
would know if anyone had come through that area.  I am sure anyone looking
to attack would run patrols through the lower areas to get an idea of what
was to come."

   "Good point and most likely right.  But I worry about just three young
men up there." John did have concerns.

   "Would you worry about three boys with hunting rifles walking through an
area laced with deer?  It is possible we could be stopped and questioned,
but in bright hunting covers we for sure could not be military.  We are
just hunting for meat for the family.  There are about ten rough families
who live behind us with lots of kids."

   Frank was now interested.  "What do you know about them?"

   "I met with them while checking the mountains.  If my guys supply them
meat they will cover the back of the mountains.  They know any city group
up here would kill them as well.  So that seemed like a good trade.  But
they also know the top half of the mountains is off limits."

   John considered this and made a decision.  "Look have a dozen cows
loaded up on a trailer and drive it around to their area.  Tell them if
they are short food let a patrol know and we will help out.  It may not be
more than beans and flour, but that should help them."

   "I will do that next trip John.  But getting the beef around there will
not be easy.  There are no roads for a good fifteen miles from their homes.
Those are in a small recessed area back into the mountain where a spring
comes out.  I think the families are all related and I assure you no one is
a rocket scientist.  Their weapons are old, but in good order."

   "Frank how do we help them?"

   "I can see driving some caws back there, but we would need pack horses
to move other supplies to them."

   "They showed me where to leave the meat in cold weather and a cave for
hot weather.  That is where they store theirs now.  No bear could get to
either, as they are blocked off.  They grow some food and also tobacco for
their use.  They make candles for light by using bee's wax and make
clothing from skins and furs."

   "They are living like Indians did years ago."

   "They said they were at least half Cherokee Indian."

   "In that case Frank take supplies up with as many men as it takes and
fill out their stocks of food.  Also find out what ammunition they need and
drop off some for them with a few good hunting rifles.  I want them on our
side in the coming years."

   "It would be nice to have a back door guard.  But they also need a way
to warn of if they are under attack.  So I'll take them a way to do that."

   The meeting went until lunch.  Everyone went to the dinning room and
ate. The new cook was a wonder as she fixed nice lunches and not sandwiches
as before.  But it was filling without being fattening.

   After lunch Marsha went to the guy with Frank and Denny.  Denny wanted
to watch and sat back.  Marsha and Frank went at it full force and it was
close to a draw.

   "Damn dad how can a girl of may be 90 pounds do that?"

   "Son she is the best I have ever seen.  No one ever worked me so hard
and where I could not end it quick if I wanted."

   Marsha was sweating and ready for a shower.  "Well Frank I tried to win
that one.  Guess I need more experience."

   "If you weighed about thirty more pounds it would help.  You just can't
get enough behind your hits and punches.  For that I am very thankful.  But
you also did not use any of the dirty stuff I taught you one me."

   "Hey Munchkin would kill me if I ripped your nuts off."

   That brought a laugh and confusion from Denny.  "Who is the Munchkin?"

   "Did you see the little one beside your dad?"

   "Yes I noticed her and she is cute."

   "That she is son and the only one to deep throat me and completely take
my cock inside her at any age.  At least the first time.  She it seems has
fallen in love with me for some reason."

   Denny considered this information from his dad.  Then decided he needed
to talk.  "Look dad mom has been playing around on you.  She was fucking
one of the young guns as you called them.  Now she is pissed they got sent
away and your going to hear about that."

   "Son they were not sent away as they would have been back to kill us all
and take the gold and silver.  They offered to kill Marsha after fucking
her to death.  They were two kids that could not grow up.  So they are dead
now.  This is no game son it is life and death.  Now mom will be sent back
to Norfolk when we get home.  There she can get all the young guns she
wants."

   After thinking this over and looking at Marsha he knew it was for real.
"OK I buy it and agree it was the right thing.  They would have walked over
me.  I assume the team handled this?"

   "Yes and it was a unanimous vote.  But directed by Marsha to be done as
well.  John agreed with the directions Marsha had given so it was no single
persons idea.  Today everything is weighed to assure the groups survival.
We cannot have people inside the group ready to open the gates or sell us
out."

   That was one he had not considered before.  "They I am sure would have
done that.  They cared nothing about the group."

   Marsha knew it was time to speak.  "Denny if you or one of your young
men put the group at risk, I would vote for their death.  That is a hard
position for me to take.  But I see the group as the important thing here.
If I put the group at risk I would expect to be killed.  We are thanking
not just the men, but mothers and children at risk of murder and rape. 
Shortly we will have around two hundred people here.  They deserve our
protection from inside that group."

   Now he saw just how it had to work.  "I sign up for your way Marsha."

   "No it is not my way at all.  In past history it was always the group
inside the fortress that defeated it.  That was cannot afford to have here.
We need to all be completely together.  If anyone decided not to be a part
of this group then we cannot keep them here or safe.  Your fighting this
for your sister, dad and friends as well as yourself Denny"

   That put this whole thing in a new perspective.  "That is important to
me Marsha as are those people."

   "Son your not seeing where this is going.  People are going to be
killing others for food, heat, money and for sex.  There is not going to be
enough food, energy, money or people who can defend themselves.  So gangs
that exist and new ones that form will rule.  In big cities police and
troops will hold this down mostly.  But smaller towns and the countryside
will not have the people to do that.  So if you want food where do you take
your gang?"

   He could see this would be a target.  "Now I see even better than I did.
I had no idea it was going to be so brutal for others.  But without jobs
many will starve and families will fall apart.  No money and you can't buy
the things you need if they were available.  But the forming of gangs
worries me.  They tend not to give a damn about who is hurt and just want
to enjoy what they can take."

   "Follow the news Denny and already people are killing outers for food
and money.  At some point there will be no food in any small city or town
because drivers will not go there.  Government can no longer protect the
entire country.  Our military has been cut down and much of the equipment
sold off for scrap.  How do you think we got all we have?"

   That ended the conversation and she headed off to the showers.  After
Frank had his Denny walked home with him still deep in thought.

   Franks wife started bitching at him.  "Look pack your bag and get to the
airfield and you may leave here.  If not you will be dropped off someplace
of my choice."

   "What the hell are you saying?"

   "You should not have been fucking that trooper behind my back.  So get
your stuff together and get out or get tossed out."

   She knew it was over and it worried her now.  Before she had someone
offering her a better life.  Now she would have nothing.  She packed and
met him at the front door.  He took her to the airport and put her on the
transport going to pick up more people.  She knew a lot, but not as much as
her lover.  But she would catch another man.

   The transport rolled down the strip and was airborne.  It was headed to
Ft Bragg to pick up green bennies and bring them back with families.  It
would drop her off there.  They had a major coming back Frank hoped could
run one outpost.  He had worked with seals and like joint operations.

   Frank went up to the house and sat down with John.  After his
explanation John knew he had made the right decision.  "Frank that is fine
with me and I have no problem with it.  But how are you going to handle
your daughter?"

   "I had hoped you would take her up here boss."

   "You know she would be getting fucked tomorrow night?"

   "Yes and I know she wants it."

   "Well for now I want you and her to move up here.  You can sleep with
the Munchkin and she can have her own room.  The planning room is being
changed over to the command center.  "You, Pixie and Marsha will work from
there.  That will require a commander in the village for now.  Who do you
suggest?"

   "No question Pedro is the right man for that job.  "He is forty and did
his twenty.  He is a commander by rank and very good.  He follows orders
and only questions them if he does not understand why.  So clear
instructions and good understanding is a key."

   "That I have no problem with Frank.  When you leave go see him and take
Marsha with you.  She will drive you down and help load up and bring you
and your daughter back.  Tell Denny he needs to decide if he lives up here
or down there."

   "He decided that before I came up here.  The house is his and he wants a
separate area for his team in the mountain.  The interesting thing was he
said he just was not ready to handle a pussy palace and lead his guys."

   "How many does he have now?"

   "They are now a group of twenty.  I expect that at its largest it will
be thirty.  He takes any male from 8 to 17.  But they train hard and no
slack is cut for anyone."

   "Done they will have their own place.  But he is also going to supply
the wind power people to sit up there and monitor the areas.  The computer
boys will train his people.  But that will be an important job he will be
handling."

   "I am sure he will have volunteers from the new families to train as
well."

   Marsha took him down and was a lot of help moving them.  His daughter
Lindsey was pleased to be going up to the house.  She knew about the party
and wanted to be fucked big time.  But that was many girls dream and she
knew Pixie did it.

   The nighttime meal was different, as announcement had been made about
the move of Frank and Lindsey.  The Munchkin was now off limits to all
males.  The fact of the military command center being located here made the
girls aware of how bad things were.

   Saturday at noon twelve young men showed up and the girls took them in
to lunch.  With just nine girls it made it a little odd in seating.  But
the very young boys wanted to watch and learn now.  Pixie enjoyed watching
the girls do their best to attract a boy.  It also was nice she had her man
and did not need one.

   The girls and boys headed to the pool after lunch and the rest went down
to watch and be there if needed.  Now the girls and boys were nude and
often playing grab ass.  Finally the two ten year olds had the boys lined
up to fuck them one after the other.  That started the rest grabbing a boy
to suck of fuck.

   Finally Lindsey decided she was ready.  So she grabbed her brother and
got him to take her cherry.  "God Lindsey your little pussy is so tight and
fells wonderful sis.  I wish we had done this before."

   "So do I Denny I have always wanted to, but were afraid you would say
no. I like your big cock inside me and want to do it more often.  Will you
come see me and fuck me?"

   "Sis any time your fee and I am not working I'd be happy to."

   "Hey Frank your little one is just getting banged by Denny.  He was so
careful with her I know he loves his sister."

   "Pixie if she was a little older and bigger down there, I would have
fucked her.  But I did not want to hurt her and do any damage."

   The Munchkin had listened to this and decided it was a good idea.  "Look
Frank she needs to know you both love her.  So call her over and fuck her.
Let her get into your lap and slide that cock into her."

   He caught Lindsey's attention and motioned her over.  She ran to her
daddy and hugged him.  "Denny fucked me dad and I loved it."

   "How would you like mine now?"

   "Can I really dad?  I would love your big cock in me, but I am not sure
I can take it all."

   He dropped his pants and had a raging hard on.  "Just get in my lap and
slide in what will fit sweetheart."

   The girl did get over his cock and slowly slid down on it and went a
good six inches down.  She started to ride it and watched it go in and out
of her pussy.  "Daddy I love how you feel in me.  Can we do this often?"

   Munchkin did the answering for him.  "Your daddy will be sleeping with
me Lindsey, so if you want come in and I'll share him."

   "But your just six Munchkin."

   "I can deep throat him and take all of him inside me.  But all I want is
him and not any of the boys.  But I'll share him with you."

   Frank could not believe what he was hearing.  "Well with a six and seven
year old to fuck I could end up dead fast."

   "Will you teach me how to get all of him inside me and swallow his
cock?"

   "Sure and right now you need to make him cum."

   She rode him harder and finally he shot off inside her.  That was just
as she exploded on his cock.  "God daddy that felt great and what happened
to me?"

   "You had your first climax Lindsey.  Your pussy is still milking my cock
now."

   She could feel it and did it feel good to her.  Now she got off kissed
her daddy and ran and jumped in the pool.

   "OK Munchkin why did you do that?"

   "I always wanted a daddy who would fuck me.  Why would I say no to your
daughter?  Someday I want to see your baby growing inside her Frank."

   That got him as hard as anything.  Just the idea that she would allow
him to fuck Lindsey was great, but to give her a baby would be beyond
belief.

   The day went well and dinner was served at the pool as food was sent
down and John cooked on a grill installed there.  Hot dogs, hamburgers and
steak sandwiches were there for everyone.  Kids started going off to
bedrooms and fucking on and off for hours.  At midnight John closed the
pool and sent the kids to the game room or bedrooms as they wished.  It had
been a good day as every girl had been fuck a number of times by several
boys.

   Chapter 12

   Over the next few weeks the changes had started to show.  The village
was getting ready to move and just Denny's young men would stay there for
now.  Each night they would patrol the village watching for people to show
up.  It did happen often as people were now looking for safe places.  But
John's rules were ridged and no one was added to his group.

   After some long discussions it was decided that children between 5 and
10 would be accepted if parents could no longer feed or clothe them.  A
form was printed in the print shop to give custody to John.  This would be
filed in the courthouse papers.  A judge had agreed to sign off on these to
save what children he could.

   Because these children could not fit into the big house an underground
set of rooms were built.  There was a schoolroom and many bedrooms.  A
kitchen and dinning area had also been set up.  Denny's young men used that
for PE training of the children.  Girls were kept in shape, but boys were
taught skills of fighting and defending themselves.  The boys also were
taken to the rifle range and taught to fire a gun.  At least the boys from
8 to 10 were taught.

   This added to his band of patrols and watchers.  John had picked up a
bunch of old 30-30's that he had lots of ammunition for.  The brass was
always kept and reloaded after firing.  They were good guns for under 500
yard shots.  But being old most would not want them, as ammunition would
not be easy to find.  Here they added to the idea of boys hunting for food.

   It was 2 in the morning when the first booby trap went off.  Denny's
young men had been close to where it happened and got to that point in just
twenty minutes time.  They watched the mountain and listened to people
crying.  But with 4 to 5 hours before daylight they were not going down to
check.

   When daylight came they slowly moved down the mountain.  There were
bodies laying every place.  Then a small group of men were seen at the base
of the mountain.  A count of thirty bodies had been made with may be
fifteen men alive at the bottom of the mountain.  Some could be seen to
have been hurt.

   This had been called in and the major of Special Forces came with a
group of his men.  Once he saw the damage done by the young men's booby
trap he was impressed.  "We will go down and capture the other men.  There
are many questions we need answers for.  So you guys stay here and back us
up."

   He took his twenty men down and rounded the ones alive up fast.  They
found gold jewelry, money and packs stuffed with food.  So it seemed these
people had been raiding farms.  It did not take long for undressed men who
were freezing to talk.  A full account was pulled out of them with some
help of a few beatings.  These guys had come from a large town miles away
to find food.  The best count was over fifty farms wiped out.

   Two young boys that were with them listened to the soldiers question the
older men.  The ringleaders were lined up and shot.  A three of the young
men and the two boys were given some food, no weapons, they're clothing and
sent back.  They knew this was a secret government base protected by
Special Forces.  That was the story John wanted to get out.

   It took most of the day to dig graves and dump bodies in.  Weapons were
moved back to the arsenal and used for parts or reconditioned to be used
later.  The young men rebuilt the booby trap and rearmed it.  The body
count for the day was forty-one dead and five released.

   John, Marsha, Pixie and Frank watched the events from the command
center. They had known how many were alive by inferred imaging and been
able to direct the troops in getting them all.  But the shock had been the
effectiveness of Denny's trap.  No one had even thought that could happen.

   "I am impressed with Denny's work and his troops on the mountain.  They
did not rush in and get killed.  Waiting for day light was the right move."


   "It was Denny's orders daddy.  He was in contact with them all the time.
They know if they don't follow orders it means a full day running with a
complete pack until they drop.  Once recovered they run some more." Pixie
was proud of Denny's training and the condition of his troops.

   "I saw a brave group of young men today.  Their training is really
paying off and made the job for the major easy." Frank was very proud of
Denny as only a father can be for a son.

   Marsha had waited.  "You know you can only get by with that with the
young ones.  Older men would fight that kind of punishment.  Denny's young
men will be the best trained and strongest force here.  He is now at just
short of fifty total now.  I have been teaching hand-to-hand combat to the
ones that are ten and over.  I would put some of the ten year olds against
full grown men in a fight."

   Frank knew just how good she was and she could beat him anytime now
days. "If that is your opinion then I will believe it.  We need to run some
games between Denny's force and some of the men.  The young men's abilities
will shock them and may be push them."

   John had an idea.  "I want each camp to put a team together to compete.
We will do a forced march of ten miles for time.  Then rifle competition,
followed by hand-to-hand combat.  The last will be a cross country march of
bad terrain.  Score will be kept for each team and the winner is by total
score."

   Marsha was liking this.  "What is the prize John?"

   "For the winner a roasted calf and all the fixings and the losers beans.
Wives and children eat what dad does.  That should get a lot of females
pissed at husbands conditioning."

   Frank broke out laughing like mad.  "I love the idea and know it will
work to push the men.  They have been finishing the wind power units and
doing construction work long enough now.  All the homes are built into the
mountains and really safe.  We have a wall fifteen feet high across the
pasture area for cattle protection.  It is loaded with slaved guns for the
kids to run from computers.  With two square miles behind that wall and a
load of hay for winter feeding the beef is safe.  We have sheep and hogs in
the other valleys with similar protection.  So lets get the games planned."

   The day was one of planning and setting up the rules to be followed. 
Denny's group would get cut no slack in this.  But only the men who won the
right in their own group would compete.  Teams would be ten men.

   Once they had the rules it was sent to each group.  It would be the days
of the events the exact routes would be revealed and target distances
spelled out.  The hand to hand would be inside on mats and judged by
commanders of each group with Marsha making any final decision needed. 
Commanders favoring their own people would pay for that lack of
responsibility.

   Now all the three camps and Denny's group were excited.  It would happen
again next year and the following one.  So the winner got the crown for a
year.  Last place got a pig's ass to place in the squad room.  No one
wanted to look at that for a year.  Of course there would be many jokes
they would have to suffer as well.

   The big question was how many commanders would make their teams?  That
was also one thing that would cause jokes at upper levels.  Frank had no
group, so he was a judge for events and would over see claims made.  John
would also judge, as would any commander that did not make a team.

   Pixie would follow the men on their forced marches and the cross country
one.  So games played there would be seen.  Everything was to be fair and
above board.

   The groups started competing to see who would make up the teams.  It was
full out and several men got hurt.  But that was the price of hard
training. The medics patched them up and they would have to wait for next
year.  The rules said they had to compete every day to make the team.

   Denny knew to start slow and build up.  He had a couple of very young
boys hurt.  But he never expected them to make the team.  But even he was
shocked that two ten year olds made it.  They had been at this since they
were eight.  So age was not a reason to stop their competing.

   It took a month for all the teams to be chosen.  The announcements were
made and the men would start on a Friday with the first event.  That was
the ten mile forced hike.  The course was set up and each team would start
a half hour behind the other.  Here total time for the team would count. 
Each mans time was clocked and added together.  There were electronic
clocks and each man wore an electronic locator.  It would start time when
he went through the beam and stop it when he crossed it once more.

   The first team started and each of the others waited for there start. 
At one half hour a new team would go.  This made it impossible for any team
to know where they stood.  But with full packs they all would feel the
march.  The difference was packs here were just forty pounds, as men did
not need much supplies.  But they did carry their rifles.  The two ten year
olds were laughed at, as their packs were half their weight.

   But Denny moved out with his young men and they were making good time.
He had a motion that they all followed.  Before they reached the finish
line they were right behind the team in front of them.  That afternoon the
results were posted and Denny's team was in second and just ten points
behind the leaders.  That shocked the other two teams that were fifty and
eighty points behind.  But that afternoon was hand-to-hand combat and the
area had been set up in the children's dining area.

   Here is where a team could loose future points if they lost a member. 
The fights were hard fought and a few minor injuries were taken, nothing
that would force a man out so far.  But Denny had his first ten year old
coming up and he worried.  He had won his match as had his one other
fighter.  But now he expected trouble.

   The kid walked out in his gee and bowed to his opponent.  Then slowly
started moving forward.  He started running and jumped high into the air
and hit his man after passing over his head.  The feet hit the mans
shoulders and being off balance he fell forward.  The kid landed and turned
and flipped landing on the mans back.  He reached down and placed his
finger on a nerve, pushed hard and the man blacked out.  He got up and
bowed to the judges.

   There was silence in the room.  Then applause and finally people were
standing and yelling.  This kid was really great and they liked just how
easy an 80 pound kid handled a 220 man.  Marsha just smiled at the boy and
winked at him.

   The judges quickly awarded him the match.  There were no restrictions
except no one could be permanently hurt.  A little water on the mans face
and he woke and did not know what happened.  The matches went on for the
afternoon and Denny lost two and won five more.  So at eight and two he
tied the leading team.  Still ten points back.  But his two ten year olds
had won.

   "Marsha how did those ten year olds do what they did?"

   "I taught them Denny and they had ability and desire to win.  Remember I
don't have the weight that men do, so I've had to learn different tricks to
win.  Those boys have the same problem.  That meant they had to do it my
way to have any chance."

   "God don't ever get pissed at me or I'll be dead.  The guy who got it in
the nuts by the second one may not screw for a year."

   "The only reason he got hurt as bad as he did was his own move.  He
tried to jump on the boy and landed on his foot with his balls.  If he have
kept moving it would not have happened.  He would have gone down with a leg
sweep behind the knees.  All judges said it was the mans fault."

   "Well may be it will help in the cross country as he is on the leading
team."

   "They have two hurting.  One with a banged up knee and one with his
balls hurting."

   "If we shoot well tomorrow we might have a chance.  But it will all
depend on the distance."

   "That you will know in the morning.  But to be where your at is amazing
and you all should be very proud."

   "What I don't understand is why dads old team is at the back of the
pack?"

   "He pulled in older men and they did not have ten young ones to form a
team.  His old team is the engineers, explosives experts and run the
arsenal.  They can fight as well as any team, but competition like this is
harder on them.  He needs to break it up some and pick up a few younger
men."

   "He will have them as your guys turn eighteen, that is where they will
go.  John and your dad decided that today.  These men are of great value to
us and we need them.  But they need to train the next generation.  Your
young guys are pushing the very best men here."

   Denny liked what he heard.  "I sure hope we can keep doing as well as we
have so far.  The group worked very hard to compete with grown men."

   "They will do fine and Pixie thinks they have a good chance of winning.
But that is up to you.  If your down and worried they will not do as well
as they could.  If your up they will do very well.  At young ages emotions
run high and effect outcomes."

   "Yes your right I need to be the cheerleader now.  So time for me to go
get the guys and praise them." Off Denny went to do his job.

   The next morning the range was set.  This was to be in two parts.  First
was fixed targets at 500 yards and then targets that would come from behind
a barrier.  These could be a child, woman or a bad guy.  The targets would
be at 100 yards and anyone hitting a child or woman would be disqualified.
The bad guys would be scored based on where he was hit.

   This took all morning for forty men to fire the whole set.  Denny's boys
ended up third here, but the first place team ended up forth.  It was now
just three points between first and second.

   After lunch the cross country route was briefed to all teams.  It was
fifteen miles with no pack or weapon.  There would be a half hour between
teams.  But teams would be followed by camera and would be required to call
in at certain points.  Everyone had to be at that point when they called
in.

   If ten men could not be seen and counted the team lost twenty points off
their time.  That loss would add up, as there were three points to call in.
So moving as a team was the better way to do this.

   The race started with the leaders going first.  Then Denny's team went
and the third and forth teams.  The young men moved quickly as a group. 
Denny had run them over mountains to get from point to point for attacks.
That had been good training.  He got to the first call in point lined up
his troop and called in.  They headed at a run for the next call in and
made it just behind the first place team.  I was not long before they
passed that group and made the last call in.  It was a very easy run to the
finish line and they were applauded.

   That night at the fire for the roasting calf John decided to speak. 
"Men I want you all to know how impressed I have been over these two days.
But these young men who have won really impressed me.  For many of you they
I am sure seem like kids.  But that is far from the truth.  They are young
men with a mans head and a child's body for some.  They are the future of
our ability to survive this mess passed on to us.  So I wish to present
each of them with a small gift.  Please come up here."

   They walked up to John.  "These were cast of solid gold and we had the
chains.  They are medals of accomplishment for what you have done here
these past two days.  Your accomplishments were far beyond what most
expected.  But today no one here can look down at you or your abilities."
He passed out the chains with the medals.

   The major walked up to Denny and passed his sword to him.  "I have been
beaten by a better man and wish to acknowledge that with this transfer of
my sword.  Denny I saw your men do the right things when we were attacked.
But I never expected them to be as good as they are.  As a commander you
should be very proud of them." He saluted Denny and turned and saluted his
troops.  The boys returned them as well.

   Denny took the podium and looked over the group.  "Men, ladies and young
people, my group would like to share the calf cooking with each of you. 
Winning is nice, but building bonds with you each is important.  We all
depend on each other and need to share everything we have and can do." That
brought applause and whistles.

   Marsha smiled and knew Denny had made many friends this night.  He had
not acted as others would have and was willing to share it all with every
person here.  There was no ego here just a friend with his hand out. 
"Denny please follow me."

   He did as she asked him without question.  She walked into a room and
turned to him.  "This is Shelby, Denny and she has fallen for you from a
distance.  But asked me to introduce her to you.  She is a virgin and
wishes to give that gift to you.  So my friend if you will have this
beautiful young lady she is all yours."

   His mouth was hanging open now.  "God Marsha she is the most beautiful
woman I have ever seen.  But why would she want me?"

   Marsha smiled at Shelby and nodded her head and left.

   "Because I love you Denny.  The first time I saw you I knew I wanted to
be yours forever.  You were kind to my parents and explained the rules you
had to follow.  Then you gave them food, water, some gold and ammunition
for their weapons.  You suggested where might be a safe place to build a
cabin for them.  That was kindness I have not seen in a very long time.  It
opened my eyes to see inside of a real man."

   "But I help may people who are trying to find safety."

   "That I also know about and it just made me love you more.  I know the
gold comes from people who have attacked here.  Neither you nor the people
here want it.  I have been getting an education, warm bed, plenty of food
and clothing because of you.  Now I would love to share my life with you as
well."

   He was floored.  "Shelby I don't know what to say.  Your so beautiful
and any man would want you.  But your heart is what strikes me as being
golden.  I've had sex just twice and neither time was satisfactory to me
because there was no real love involved.  It was just sex.  I don't know
how old you are or even any small things about you.  So do you mind if we
get to know one another?"

   Denny sat on the bed with his back to the wall and they talked for a
couple of hours.  Marsha had sent down two plates loaded with meat and all
the fixings.  As the two talked about their pasts he started to see things
he really like about Shelby.  Her dad had been an engineer and she
respected education.  But for a boy of sixteen Denny he was the top of her
list of people in a new world.

   "But why me Shelby?"

   "Marsha and I have become friends.  We are the same age and see much the
same way.  She told me the booklet you gave my parents was done by you.  It
shows the plants that are medicines and where to find them.  It tells how
to prepare them and how they should be used.  There are parts on food
sources in this area, how to get them, fix them and store them.  You sent
them to an over million acre national forest that should stay free of bad
people.  That was all done on your own.  Now how many men or boys would
care that much?"

   "Shelby good people need some help also.  All I did was try to give your
parents a chance to survive this disaster.  That book goes to each set of
good people I come across."

   "I know that as Marsha told me.  But at least you and the people here
are trying to help some.  She said this would be the last stop for many
large gangs preying on people.  I watched the games and was impressed with
your groups training.  The way they respect you and you them.  You have the
skills that one day I will need to live a happy life.  If that is possible
some day?  Your smart, caring, loving, well educated for your age and
someone I would love to share life with."

   "My dear beautiful lady, do you think at eleven you want to make that
long term decision?"

   "Yes, Marsha has and she is happy now.  She is John's wife in every way
but on paper.  I want to live with you, love you and have our children.  Of
course I would continue my education and yet cook and clean our home."

   Denny was just blown away by this young girl.  "Where I live is in the
danger zone, as there is little protection from people coming up the road.
If a gang comes that way there will be a fight to end all fights."

   "You know long before they get there how many are coming Denny.  I have
seen the control center and know the warning you would get.  If that
happened I would have time to come here and wait."

   He had made his best shot now.  "Shelby I would love to make love with
you.  But I worry you may one day regret it.  It would break my heart to
one day know that happened.  I want to be loved and to love.  But it has to
be real and not just convenient.  I have seen my dad go through two women
and he was happy with neither one.  For me I want to make that decision one
time and for it to be forever."

   She smiled at him and the room was brighter.  "Now that makes me very
happy as it was the only question I had."

   "What was that question?"

   "Would you stay with me forever?  I want just one man who I love and can
see us getting old together.  My gut said you were the right man, but your
words confirm that."

   He bent down and kissed her with passion.  She responded and they held
on tight.  "You know I have never kissed anyone like that.  But man do I
like the feelings you gave me Denny."

   "What kind of feelings?"

   "I was tingling between my legs and I could feel me getting wet down
there.  But I see you felt it also as your hard as a rock."

   He blushed at that comment.  "Yes I felt it and did get hard.  But you
could turn any man on Shelby."

   "The only one I want turned on is you Denny."

   He kissed her again and ran his hands over her small breast and she
shivered.  "God don't stop Denny that felt so good."

   So he ran his hands under her shirt and felt the skin and her nipples
and she moaned.  As he tweaked her nipples she went about half wild and
started playing with his cock still in his pants.  They can out of their
clothes and fast.  He was kissing her tits and she was holding onto his
cock.  After nibbling on here nipples for a time he pulled his cock away
from her and slowly kissed down to her bald pussy.  He licked all around it
and finally licked up her slot.  She shivered.  Her clit went into his
mouth and she started bucking.  Slowly he slid down and put his tongue in
her hole.  It was very wet and tasted wonderful to him.

   "Don't stop Denny."

   So he tongue fucked her and she went crazy until she exploded.  "Please
take my cherry now."

   He came back up between her legs and slowly fed his cock in her.  It was
a tight fit just getting the head in her.  After a little time for her to
adjust he worked in a little more and kept doing this with rest periods. 
They were kissing and she was pushing back at his cock.  Finally he felt
her hymen and stopped for a moment.  Then he pulled back a little and
pushed through it.  Stopping for her to adjust once more, they kept kissing
even as tears rolled down her cheeks.  Finally she started to move pushing
his cock in deeper.

   "Give it all to me now Denny.  It does not hurt like it did before."

   He started slow long strokes and she was now enjoying the feelings he
was giving her.  Her legs were now wrapped around him and pulling him back
hard to her.  So he sped up and started fucking her harder.  She went over
the edge with an orgasm that was blowing her mind.  Now she could not get
him deep enough into her pussy.  He needed to just crawl inside her. 
Finally he exploded in her and she went over the edge once more.

   He rolled over keeping her on top and him inside her.  His cock never
went down it stayed hard.

   "God Denny that was far better than I ever expected.  I must have had at
least ten climaxes.  The two really big ones I know you felt."

   "That I did dear.  Now that was love making."

   "I am still having small after shocks and feel all weak kneed.  But
still having a hard cock in me is wonderful."

   "My cock being in you feels wonderful.  Just kissing you or looking at
you feels wonderful to me."

   They stayed there for a time and then got up and showered together. 
After dressing they walked together out to the party.  Everyone saw them
holding hands and assumed this was a match made in heaven.  The group of
Denny's guys all knew something big had happened to their leader.  He sat
with them as did she and they saw love first hand.  The two eight year olds
came up to them.  "Denny we will move out of the house tomorrow.  That way
the two of you can have the house."

   Shelby was not going to let a lot change.  "That is not going to happen
guys.  As long as you respect who I belong to, you can continue to live
there with us."

   Denny smiled at the way she had put it.  "When it comes to the house she
is the boss guys.  If she asks you to do something you had better be doing
it."

   "Yes sir." That said with a big smile at her.  They were going to have a
mother once more and liked that.

   Once back at the house she was pleased at how clean it was.  "Someone
taught you well how to keep a house up Denny."

   "Not really I just like a clean house.  My two guys and I clean once a
week and do dishes every night.  Sheets and towels are washed as we get a
load.  Uniforms are washed once each week.  We all have seven of them.  So
it is not a big deal to keep the house up."

   "Well no more coking, cleaning or washing for you guys.  That is now my
job."

   "Look lover I am not hiring a maid.  We will all work together to keep
the place nice and the washing done.  You will have schoolwork and classes
to handle five days a week.  That is more important than washing dishes,
cleaning the house or washing clothing."

   Now we are often working late at night and sleeping during the day. 
Most of my group takes classes here during the day.  Because of accelerated
classes some of us are done with high school.  I am working on line on
engineering classes and military history.  But my college will be the same
as the Naval Academy education system."

   That did impress her.  "You mean at sixteen your taking college
classes?"

   "Yes, it seemed wise to keep going to school and not stop for a time.  I
work in the communications center when things are slow on class work.  We
have a center here in the house.  Pixie, Marsha and dad man the central
center.  Because most bad things happen at night dad gets that shift.  So
if I need to discuss something he is available to help me."

   "I do want to finish my education and would like to get college work as
well.  But with no colleges or universities now operating how can I do
that?"

   "Some are still on line and we have every class offered by any
university that way.  You get no favors from the boys in the computer area,
but if you can pass the class then you get credit for it.  At the end you
will get a certificate of your degree from an accredited university."

   That did brighten her day.  "This place is incredible Denny."

   "Yes, John has done far more for those of us here than most know.  Life
for us has not stopped like it has for others.  The young people I have
under me have proven that age does not determine manhood.  A ten year old
can be as much a man as at a much older age."

   That was also something different here.  She liked that age was never
the deciding factor in who was given responsibility.  It was always ability
that decided those questions.  Youth was also listened to and their
insights taken into account.

   "Well let's get a nap in so your fresh tonight.  It has been a long day
for you."

   "My second in command will handle the center tonight, as he came back
and got some sleep to do that.  I have a full dress review tomorrow of all
the troops.  That is when I get to speak of the need to not flaunt winning.
What we did was commendable, but it was just a game between groups. 
Tomorrow we could loose to another team."

   She saw he believed this and respected his honesty.  "I am sure deep
down they already know that."

   "Yes, but now they must act like men and not children.  Show their
pride, but don't shove it in others faces.  The real thing that counts is
how many people we can save."

   That night Denny was woken up as was Shelby.  "Boss there are may be
close to fifty people coming up the road now.  Your dad says some are armed
others are not, but are carrying heavy loads."

   "Set the troops up in the containment area and let them walk into it. 
I'll be down shortly."

   Both dressed and Shelby just stayed back and watched.  The command
center was now running with three of the group.  Denny took his weapon and
headed out to his troops.  He had an ear bud and mic attached to his
throat.

   Shelby watched the people and saw what was happening.  "Denny you have a
gang and they captured people to carry the loads.  Almost half of those out
there are just people trying to escape towns."

   "I kind of thought that Shelby.  But we need to get them stopped and
sort this out."

   Once on flat ground the group of invaders bunched up.  That was what he
had been waiting for.  Strong spotlights came on and the field was lighted
like day.  "Stop where you're at and don't move.  I want your leader to
come forward and discuss what your doing here."

   An older man came forward to meet Denny.  "Denny that is not the leader.
He is one of the captured prisoners." Shelby was feeding him data he
needed.

   "Take the man out of the line of fire.  Now I said I wanted your leader
and not someone without authority.  Guys if anyone moves the wrong way
shoot them and fast."

   Everyone could hear rifles being chambered and safeties clicking off. 
Finally one black boy came forward.  "Hey man what's your problem.  We just
passing through and don't want no trouble man."

   "Now if that was true you would not be moving at night.  The older
people would not be carrying the loads and the young men armed like they
are.  So don't jive me."

   "Your no army out here they is all killing brothers in cities."

   "It would shock you at the military out her just to stop you fools.  Now
drop your weapons and submit to being searched."

   "No way man your not good enough to make that happen." He whipped out a
knife and was dropped with a shot to the head.

   "Now are they any more who would like to get their brains blown out?"

   Weapons started dropping on the ground.  Men were flex cuffed and older
people were taken off to the side.  After long questioning the story was
put together.  By then twenty seals had joined the ranks and were handling
the gang members.  It took a good two hours to sort out the captured from
the gang.  But they were placed in two groups.

   "OK Denny what do you want to do now?"

   "The gang needs to be removed from life.  Now the others I need to talk
with to see if they should go on or back.  Only those who had a good chance
to survive have been sent to the old national forest area."

   The gang was removed and taken to an area for execution by the seals. 
Shelby was now talking with kids and getting a story somewhat different. 
"Denny you don't have the full story.  Most of the older people were out
looking for child slaves for their camp.  They did pick up a few families
trying to escape the cities.  So you have three families here that were not
slavers or gang members.  There are fifteen kids who have been abused by
both groups."

   Denny got really mad.  "Round up the slavers and take them to the seals.
Make sure all the kids are in a group."

   "Just know that the kids have had to suck off both groups and fuck them
as well.  I don't think any are old enough to be pregnant yet.  But all
need medical care and God knows what kinds of diseases they have?"

   One navy medic was checking out each kid and taking blood.  Each was
marked with a number to assure they knew whose blood was whose.  That was
done with a magic marker for now on the arm.  The three families were given
the book, food, water and weapons.  They took the axes and saws as well. 
But decided to leave their children here.  It was just going to be too hard
for them out in the forest.

   The blood taken was sent to the lab and quickly checked for sexually
transmitted diseases.  There were cases of clap and at least no HIV or aids
to worry about.  A full physical would be done at the clinic.

   Once the kids were driven away the families were given instructions
where to find safe land to build on.  They were also told of the couple
hundred men and women now living out there.  If they showed the book Denny
had given them, the other survivers would know them.  It would serve as a
kind of pass for them.

   Once they had left the area and were they were being watched.  One wrong
step or bad move would end up killing them.  Now days there was no room for
risk taking.

   About fifteen percent of the young children here now were black.  So the
kids matched the military that way and five percent were Hispanic and that
fit as well.  It did not matter what color they were they were just
children.  But here there was just one culture.  That was all were equal
and responsible for each other.

   Chapter 13

   Shelby was doing very well now days.  She was happy and deeply in love
with Denny.  He was happy as well having her live with him and share his
life.  The two were beyond being separated and growing into a real pair. 
She felt things he often did not see.  Those feelings he took seriously and
acted on them.  There was something she had that was very different than
anyone but the Pixie.

   The Pixie and Shelby communicated on a back channel between each other.
They had a mental link that most could never understand.  But Marsha knew
it well and liked the way it worked.  She always knew that Shelby could
summon help if Denny ever needed it fast.  He was the big brother she had
always wanted.  It was for damn sure she would protect him.

   Frank had felt the bond between Marsha and Denny.  He knew she liked the
boy and was protective of him.  It was not love or lust that caused this,
but a much deeper thing.  She had sent him to Shelby and his son loved that
girl.  So it was something very different for her.

   The raids on the compound were more frequent now and getting bigger each
time.  This week they had a group of over two hundred try it.  Not one
survived the attack.  It had required a D9 to dig the hole to put the
bodies in.  That had become he way of disposing of attackers now.  Not one
any enjoyed, but the size of the attacking groups was just too big now
days.

   The men were feeling like life for many was one big war.  Respect for
life just did not seem to exist in the outside world.  If possible they
would shut their world off from others.  But the people in the national
forest depended on their stopping these gangs.  They were now up to over
six hundred people there now.  But they did not have the training or arms
to win many fights.  Each summer a small group came down to reload their
brass.  News was passed at that time between groups.  Most of the children
from those people were here at the compound.  The older children went on
with their parents.

   Denny wanted to try something different.  So he approached the main
command center.  Shelby was right beside him.  Except in the field you did
not see one without the other.  Shelby was now twelve and breezing through
her classes.

   The meeting was John, Frank, Marsha, Pixie and the two of them.  "You
said you had a suggestion for cutting down the fighting.  Lets hear the
idea." John liked that thought and knew he would buy it if reasonable.

   "Look we have just one very thin way in here.  That road is the only way
in for any sizable group.  The mountain on that side is mostly sheer rock
wall.  The drop off from the road is into a fast moving river.  You have to
get thirty feet off the ground to have any ledge along the rocks above the
road.  So if we pick the right spot we can block the road set up fire bases
to stop people from coming that way."

   "What about those who are trying to escape?" Frank wanted to consider
them.

   "The way I would like to block the road is with the stone cut out of the
housing areas.  We have a lot of extra stone from the new children's area.
It would allow a gateway like a walled path that could handle one person in
line.  Allowing just one at a time to pass through the gate.  All weapons
would have to be sent through in a hauler, as would packs or other carried
items.  Using video slaved guns we could do a lot with a small force.  Each
shift would be just four hours long.  One commander in the control center
would follow events to assure the process was running as planed."

   The idea of mostly closing off the valley was one John could buy.  "We
have agreements with the government in the next valley.  How do we honor
it?"

   "You picked up five slicks just as the military quit selling equipment.
We have one gun ship and two choppers with rockets.  We can move 40 men in
at a moments notice.  Then support with the gun ship and rockets.  But now
they are sending those people who would attack them at us."

   That had worried Frank a lot.  "He is right about sending people on to
richer pickings.  We are only allies if we take their hits.  I think we
need to go down and talk with the mayor, sheriff and judge about how we are
now going to handle this."

   "Daddy Denny is right and so is Frank.  We have killed so far over six
hundred men.  Those men would have eaten the town up fast.  But they never
stayed they just kept coming at us.  Someone is telling them food and gold
is here." Pixie was now hot as well.

   Marsha was sitting back and saying nothing yet.  John looked at her. 
"OK lets hear it as I know you have a comment dear."

   "The town is no longer a friendly helper to us.  They are no longer
really a town as there is no state government to support them.  It is
hiding in Richmond and not coming out.  The badges they gave us a long time
ago are worth nothing today.  Each area makes its own law.  Of course you
have to be able to enforce it.  Tell them good luck and we will check on
them some day.  But I am tired of doing their killing."

   Now John was forced to make a decision.  "Our choice is to do nothing or
support them if in real trouble.  Lets vote on which we do."

   The vote was easy as the town and its people were not helping the
compound at all.  "I still need to go down and let them know the rules have
changed.  They will not know what changes we are making.  But they need to
know they had better defend themselves." John hated this meeting to come.

   "I will set up for the five slicks to go in with men and set up a guard
force.  The two choppers with rockets will be circling the town.  Then the
gun ship will be flying high cover.  The slicks will come back and one will
take you, Marsha, Denny and me down to met with them."

   "That will be safe and a good idea as we don't know who is there now."

   The plan went off well with one exception.  Marsha went down with one
chopper and took five men with her.  She grabbed two deputies and beat the
shit out of them.  "OK now what have you and the sheriff been telling gangs
coming through?  Make it fast as I am in a mood to just kill you."

   "Kid we have not said anything."

   She closed his throat a good bit.  "Are you sure you want to lie to me?"

   Fear was all over the mans face now.  "Look the sheriff said to send
them on at you people.  He said to tell them you had years of food and
gold. That you were defended by mostly kids."

   The five seals now were pissed.  "Marsha this piece of shit needs to
die."

   "No tie a cord around his balls and lead him to the meeting place.  He
will either tell the mayor and judge what he just told us or hang him by
his balls."

   The men all smiled and like her plan.  "Now none of these men would
blink at hanging you by the balls and then taking target practice.  They
will take just one little piece off you for each shot.  So your death will
not be pleasant."

   All the man had to do was looked at the men and he knew if he did not
tell exactly what he had been told he would die slowly.  Now life had a lot
of meaning for him.  The second man decided to tell it all also.  He was
set up the same way.

   The meeting was in an old house and Marsha walked in.  She listened to
the sheriff lie and smiled at him.  "Well yours is a very nice story
sheriff, but two of your men have told the truth.  You have been sending
the gangs on with stories about lots of food and gold.  Now I can bring
them in and let them tell the mayor ad judge about it.

   The sheriff jumped up and found he was on the floor before he could draw
his gun.  Marsha was sitting on him with the gun cocked and aimed between
his eyes.  "OK judge what is the mans sentence for conspiracy to commit
murder?"

   "He has not had a trial."

   "Yes he has and two of his men testified against him.  He tried to draw
his gun and shoot John.  If you had looked in his house you would have
found many stolen items and gold and silver from farms over run.  Now what
is his sentence?"

   The judge just shook his head he had known this man for years.  "Death
seems the right thing for that type of man."

   "Men take him out and hang him.  Tell the other two deputies they have
fifteen minutes to be gone from town.  No guns or other family members go
with them."

   The mayor looked defeated.  "What happens now?"

   "That is your problem now.  We are not going to let any group up the
road.  Nor are we risking our lives for people who put ours at risk.  You
have turned your backs on every small farmer in your area.  Most are wiped
out per my gun ship and what it sees.  So best of luck to you all as we
will no longer be defending you."

   John got up and walked out.  The sheriff was still twitching on his
rope. The slicks came in and everyone loaded up.  Then back to the valley.

   Denny was already building the wall across the road.  If you were headed
to the gate you had quarter of a mile of narrow walkway.  It was just 24
inches wide.  Half way there were baskets that everything a person had was
required be loaded in.  It went through a scanner before coming out the
other side.  But always where the person who loaded the basket would get
the brunt of any explosion.  Two metal plates were embedded in the walls.
They were electro magnets so any gun kept would be sucked to them pinning
the carrier.  Next came an x-ray unit for any stainless steel weapon. 
People were still an eighth of mile from the gate.  So small arms were not
accurate.

   The gate was offset from the walk to it.  You faced a blank wall then at
the end you had to slide over into an area before the gate.  Nothing was
easy here at all.  It was tight and scary if you had problems with closed
spaces.

   Once completed Denny knew that no group would be coming through this
way. So he had his people looking for other ways in here.  He was sure
there had to be some he did not know about.  But he was sure his guys would
find them if they were there.

   John went down with Marsha and Pixie to inspect Denny's work.  There
would not be any trucks coming up this road again for a long time.  It was
blocked ten places along the route of one half mile walkway.  So going
around the walkway did not get you home free.  The last two walls had steel
plates with high voltage running down them.

   Marsha knew this was a safe entry point for those looking to move on. 
Life would change some now in the valley.  May be people could move back to
houses?  But most large city gangs were now gone.  The troops were moving
slowly out into suburban areas.  But there were few people to populate
them. Almost half of the people in the US were dead now.

   Large cities that once were over populated, now had less then thirty
percent living there.  Government at the federal lever had almost ceased to
exist.  State governments were not much better off today.

   John, Pixie and Marsha now sat and discussed their current condition.

   "Daddy it is sad the country has come down to this point.  But all
developed countries have gone through this.  We need to develop trade with
the people we helped by sending them to the national park.  I would bet
they are producing things we could use by now.  We have extra flour,
vegetable oils, meat, ammunition and fresh produce in summer.  Our dried
beans would also be a good trade item.  We have been producing more than we
use."

   "So far I see no problems with suggestions.  Marsha how do you feel?"

   "I agree with Pixie and think the Denny and Shelby should make the
contact.  A dozen of his guys should go along to assure safety."

   John considered this for a time.  "Why Shelby?"

   "Her parents left her here.  They know Denny as he helped them as well
as many others.  He is the most trusted among all of us by them.  I am sure
Shelby would like to see her parents and the pending marriage between her
and Denny should help things."

   That he had not considered.  "Good reason for both to go.  Now why a
dozen of Denny's troops?"

   "The way may be safe or it may have some who have gotten around us.  You
can enter that forest from many different ways.  I think all should be
mounted and the troops off to the sides of the two of them.  But I think
horses will also be something those people will want to trade for.  We have
well over two hundred and it might be a nice offer to give Shelby's family
a small string of them.  Denny can call it a bridal dowry."

   John laughed and knew Marsha had hit on a subject that would work.  "OK
but only in this case and because it is Denny.  But the people must
understand their children will not bring these kinds of gifts.  They will
often marry children left here as well.  Besides none are as beautiful as
Shelby."

   Marsha now was chuckling.  "Your right there John and we most likely
will ever see one like her again."

   "Now I disagree there as I have two that are every bit as beautiful and
smart."

   Both loved it when John said things nice about them.  Bit Marsha was not
going to let him get by with this.  "I wish I was half as beautiful John
and I know I'm not.  But I gave her to my adopted brother and she is family
to me, so I'm not jealous at all."

   Pixie decided to finish this.  "She is also my adopted sister daddy. 
She and I can communicate anytime just by linking our minds.  No one has
ever been able to link up with me before.  I can feel yours and Marsha's
emotions and know what they are telling me.  But to communicate mentally is
really new for me.  Shelby and I talk all the time and I will know what is
happening on that trip."

   A knock came at the door.  "Come in." John was surprised anyone came
here.

   "John Pixie called me and asked me to bring Denny."

   John now knew that Pixie did communicate with Shelby.  "Come in and sit
down." He waited for them to get seated.  "You two are going to ride to the
national forest and contact your parents and others.  You will take twelve
horses to them as a dowry for Denny to give them.  But we also will send
some food and ammunition.  The horses will act as packhorses going there.
Now we want to set up to trade with them if they wish it."

   Shelby was excited and it showed.  "I think that is a great idea John.
Dad was sure he could find iron ore and was planning to build a furnace and
forge.  He was a metallurgical engineer and whatever he males will be good.
But I am sure the area is lacking in growing land and they in seeds.  So
taking some seeds with us might be a good idea.  With seed they will have
to clear land to use it.  That can only help them get stronger."

   "Do you have a connection with your parents like you do with Pixie?"

   "No just a limited one that tells me they are alive and well."

   "So you can't get a message to them?"

   "Not at this distance I can't.  But much closer I can make them aware we
are coming."

   "Denny we want you to take a dozen of your troops with you.  Six are to
ride to either side of your trail.  Your sister here said there is no way
she is going to loose her adopted big brother."

   Denny smiled at Marsha with that love he had always shown her.  "Sis I
appreciate your worrying about me.  But remember I will have Shelby with me
and will let nothing hurt her."

   "Denny Shelby is a sister also here.  But I worry about people who may
have come from different directions than this one.  If they focus on you
two and the horses, the troops will have a easy time protecting both of
you. One trooper riding ahead to check the trail will let you know of any
camp your coming up on."

   That made lots of sense to Denny now.  "I am not sure twelve is enough
if we see or come on a big group.  We also will need to be well armed
because we don't know what is out there."

   "I will have a chopper running overhead each day to check out in front
of you.  The gunship will be ready to fly at a moments notice if needed."
John would take no chances.

   "With that then twelve should be alright.  But they will need to start
taking the camp out and fast if they find one.  Waiting on the gun ship
will cause many to escape."

   "Who will handle your job while your gone?"

   "I have two command center officers.  They will just have to do eight on
eight off.  I can't bring in anyone that will treat them as men from other
groups.  Now if dad wanted to come down they would work with him."

   "Well I'll do better than that.  Pixie and Marsha can come down and do a
four hour shift during daylight.  That way your two can cover early
mornings and nights."

   "That would work great as they all love these two.  The guys would
follow either one to hell and try to take over."

   John laughed, but knew they would follow them anywhere.  "Well if there
is a night fight, tell the boys not to shoot at any large bats in the air.
Marsha found an old hang glider and she has been practicing using it.  She
could be down there in a couple minutes with it.  But it is black and at
night it could caused some to react."

   Now Denny was laughing and he saw how it could happen.  "They won't shot
up in the air.  I'll make them aware of Marsha's new toy.  But I also
suggest you come down on it in the daylight and let them see it."

   "Who is going to drive me back and bring it back here?"

   "I will sis and gladly, so I don't get you killed while I'm gone."

   With that the next comments were critical.  Shelby was in question mode.
"When do we leave and how long do you figure we will be gone?"

   "You leave Monday and will be gone at least a month and may be longer.
I've had the gun ship take pictures of where we thing the main groups is
at. It looks like sever or eight days ride.  But would take better than a
month to walk it.  It is in a mountain valley and somewhat protected.  They
have a good water supply and the valley is pretty well cleared of trees."

   Shelby was on this bit of news.  "Then they should have a planting area.
But may need to blow stumps how do we handle that?"

   "I am not having you carry explosives with you.  But if they wish to
come get some we will work something out.  I have lots of older TNT they
could have and blasting caps."

   "That stuff is dangerous when it is old."

   "Not if it has been kept right and ours has.  Our explosives teams check
it every two months and I know it is good."

   "Well we need to get down to the camp and set things up.  I need to get
the horses and work the troops on them as well.  We don't want to sound
like a heard of deer coming through the woods.  I will take two sets of
night vision goggles with me for guard duty at night.  But I also want our
medic to take a full field medicine pack with him.  There is no way of
knowing how sick some might be."

   "If they have a doctor I'll send medicines in.  If not I'll send a good
medic to help if needed.  But damn I hope they have a doctor and then we
can supply their clinic."

   "Do we have enough medicines to do that?" Shelby was concerned for this
group now.

   "Yes, I have lockers full of drugs under a vacuum now in storage and
many that could be frozen that way.  Our medic's lab can grow and produce
many antibiotics now.  So those are fresh every six months, but they are
normally good for two years if refrigerated.  We can compound many drugs as
we need them as well."

   "John did you do anything half way?" Shelby was now grinning.

   "I sure as hell hope not dear.  We are now growing about seventy percent
of what we eat.  So my lockers of food are not as depleted as I expected.
The fact we make our own flour and cooking oils helps as well.  The orchard
we planted is doing very well on the side of a mountain.  So food, medicine
and weapons are no problem to us.  My electrical supply is no place close
to capacity.  The sheep are producing enough wool for winter clothing at a
rate of sixty percent faster than needed.  So we are ahead of my estimates
in every area."

   "I am impressed with the whole of what you did.  Most would have never
considered the list of things needed as you did starting this up.  When we
get back I would love to see the whole of this and start to understand it
all."

   "That I am sure Marsha and Pixie would love to show you and take you
there.  We do have millions in the old US dollar in gold and silver as
well. Now that takes more than just one person to get into.  You have to
have computer department help as well.  I never go there myself as it just
does not interest me."

   "Well Shelby lets go home and start planning this trip." Denny then
stood and Shelby was with him.



   Chapter 14

   The day was cool, but nice as the sun was out and warming.  Shelby had
been riding each day to improve her skills with a horse.  Marsha had spent
a lot of time with her to assure she would be comfortable.  Careful
adjustment of stirrups and the best saddle with padding in the seat was
given to her.  The horse she would ride was a good mare that had a nice
gate.

   Denny had drilled his troopers to ride well off from him and Shelby. 
They would ride with two before them and four behind them on each side. 
The troops up front were looking for camps and people.  They would also
look for good stopping points before nightfall.  Denny wanted to ride from
6 AM until about 4 PM.  He would have twelve horses to bring behind him. 
So the progress would not be fast.  But they should make 30 miles each day.


   The troop mounted up at 6 AM and Marsha and Pixie were there to see them
off.  They would stay and handle the control center for the day.  It had
been an early wake up call and both felt it.  But Shelby had served
breakfast and that helped get them going.

   Denny started his troops out and he and Shelby move in the middle.  When
they got on the old road the troops moved to the sides and split up as
instructed.  The string of horses behind Denny was a lot to handle at
first. But they did settle down after an hours time.

   Riding and looking at the scenery was Shelby's pleasure.  This was all
new to her and there were some beautiful views as they rode.  They did not
stop for lunch and just ate energy bars to keep them going.  It had been
decided that using a sports drink mix would be best in their water
canteens. It did keep them hydrated and also caused a few pit stops to get
rid of the excess fluids.  But Shelby was fast at releasing her bladder and
it did not slow them much.

   The first night he figured they had covered just at thirty three miles.
His GPS said that was fact.  The fire had everyone around it but the two
sentries.  Shelby cooked up a large pot of beans in a large cast iron pot
and fixed cornbread for them.  That was done in large skillets made of cast
iron.  Thank God for the packhorses as they carried the extra weight.

   After everyone had eaten their fill, the trooper took the pans and pot
to the stream to wash them.  Each washed their own plates and silverware
except for Shelby as they took care of her.  Everyone got into sleeping
bags and it did not take long for sleep to come.  The sentries changed
during the night and did not wake others.

   The fire was ready at 5 AM and Shelby cooked sausage gravy and biscuits
for them.  Everyone ate their fill, washed their plates and the pans and
packed up the horses once more.  By ten after six they were on the road
once more.

   It was three days into the trip that it all went different.  Denny was
waiting as he had picked up notice that a camp had been spotted.  It seemed
like may be fifty men and well armed at that.  His troops had surrounded
them and just waited on top of the hills for the choppers and gun ship. 
When they came in all hell broke loose.  The camp was cut to ribbons and
people ran to the hills with little on and often no guns.  People were cut
down and finally there were no shots being heard.

   Denny and Shelby rode into what was left of the camp and dismounted. 
The troops came in and started to pick up weapons and load the on
packhorses.  They found crates of missiles that they decided to keep
quickly.  Many grenades, which were loaded on the horses and lots of
ammunition.  These guys were ready to fight a war.  Carts were found near
by and horses to pull them.

   "Get those horses hooked up to the carts.  Load everything you can find
and give me four drivers for the carts.  Put at least two loaded missile
launchers in each cart.  Make sure that the weapons if needed can be gotten
to quickly."

   "You really need two of the lead in front of you and two behind this
wagon train.  So it would be better if we were all riding on the valley
floor."

   "Your right and it would give me more protection.  We will attach the
packhorses to the wagons and that lets Shelby and I ride more freely. 
Shelby what does Pixie say?"

   "That camp was not there yesterday afternoon.  So they figure something
is happening.  Marsha is now looking over a wider area for more groups
moving toward the settlement in the forest.  The slicks are on stand by to
bring fifty men if we need them fast."

   "We need another ten just for us and to handle the forward lookout
positions.  Two on point is just not enough."

   "Pixie said they are sending you ten men and they are under your orders.
Your dad said they are older men and are to stay with us for protection. 
Use your troops to do the point work."

   Denny knew his dads old team was coming.  It was just ten minutes later
when the slicks dropped down to the camp.

   "Damn Denny did anything get away?"

   "Nope not one man got away.  But take a look at what we found here."

   The men crawled over the carts and whistled at what they saw.  "Damn
this was for a war not just a fight."

   "My gut tells be that the target was the settlement in the forest.  They
must have been fighting off small groups for some time now.  It seems
likely that some survivors have pulled together several bands to try to
take them out."

   "If we run into another group this well armed I for sure will agree. 
Now we had better get moving or your schedule will be shot today."

   They moved off and made just twenty seven miles that day.  But after
dinner talk was free flowing.

   "I don't know how your guys stay in the saddle like they do.  My legs
are hurting from just three hours on that horse."

   "Well gunny that is what happens as you get older.  You still may be
able to shoot the eyeballs out of a man at a mile away, but other parts
fail you." That brought laughter and even the gunny was grinning.

   "As I remember it you shot the same score I did Denny.  So your no wimp
with a rifle either."

   "Thanks gunny, but I am still not at your level with as many weapons. 
What did you think of the haul we got?"

   "That was like someone stole an armory.  I would guess some National
Guard armory was hit and that is where it came from.  Now put together
several loads like that and no one would survive the attack.  That is
providing they have enough men to handle all this.  But they would also
have to know how to use it."

   "Well we have over a ton of C4 and that surprised me.  But we found no
igniters for it.  I had people looking every place for them."

   "The gunny smiled at Denny.  "They were under the wagon Denny.  I found
two boxes with may be a thousand pencils in them.  Those boxes were not big
as what they held was small.  But someone did not want others to know where
they were."

   They slept very lightly that night.  Much worry was showing in
everyone's minds.  Breakfast went quickly the next morning as gunny helped
Shelby feed the troops.  They were on the road early and making good
progress.  Then they got a call from the gun ship about a camp in a narrow
valley up ahead of them.

   Denny sent his mounted men forward to scout and block off the valley
from them.  But just as they got there the choppers let go and started
blowing the place apart.  The only way out was at the end Denny's troops
had blocked.

   There had been well over one hundred people in this group.  Besides
there were six more wagons of weapons.  Much of the same materials, but for
ten machine guns and ammunition.  They made sure all weapons on the ground
were picked up and loaded in a wagon.  Clips for them were also collected
and put into boxes.  Dead men were left where they were.

   "Well gunny what do you think now?"

   "I hate to see the size of the full force moving on the settlement.  You
have killed over one hundred and fifty men so far.  That I fear is just a
fraction of the force moving at the settlement."

   "Shelby give that information to the Pixie.  John needs to make some
decisions and fast.  My gut tells me that he needs to reinforce the
settlement and us.  But he also needs to be watchful of the ways into our
valleys.  We should be in good shape with just ten more men here and the
settlement might need fifty.  That will give us eighty one once we get
there."

   She passed the word and John agreed.  "He is sending us ten more men and
fifty to the settlement.  Your dad suggests we push day and night to get
there so we have time to set up.  The gunship has seen no more groups in
front of us for now.  We have just eighty miles to go."

   A slick came in with ten more men and They quickly got into the new
wagons and started moving out.  Four machine guns were quickly unpacked and
cleaned.  Then the wagons stopped so four could be set up a rolling machine
gun nests.  Two machine guns at the front and back with stinger missiles in
the middle.

   "It seems they know of our gunship and choppers gunny."

   "Yes I think they do.  But they also know the road down this way is not
well protected by us.  It would be a good guess we are next on their list."

   "We had best get going as it will be a long night."

   They moved as fast as was reasonable and would use the extra horses to
keep going.  It was a long cold night and they were slowed often.  But when
morning came they could see the bluffs of the settlements location.  A
sentry posted on the bluff waved a flag at them and they knew the troops
were there.

   A large group of settler was waiting for them and yelling loudly.  Denny
met his dad at the opening to the settlement and jumped down and saluted
him.

   "I've got a lot of weapons for us to fight with dad.  We have a ton of
C4 and lots of missiles.  They must know about our choppers and have
brought them to stop us."

   "May be or may be they decided to try to use them as point and shoot? 
If you disable the heat seeker they work just fine that way.  But something
of importance to you.  Behind me are Shelby's parents.  They both would
like to meet the young man who has taken their daughters heart."

   He took Shelby's hand and they walked to the couple.  Shelby hugged both
of them and stood back.  "Mom, Dad this is my husband to be Denny.  He is
just exactly the kind of man I have always respected.  Matter of fact he is
very much like you dad.  He does nothing half way and is driven to win at
what he does."

   That brought smiles on both faces.  "Yes we remember Denny as he helped
us greatly on our way here.  His dad has told us of how good his young men
are and that they won the competition against all the older men.  Now we
see he had brought weapons and other tools of war that we needed badly."

   "Look I am just a soldier doing what I have trained to do.  But we must
worry about the men coming at you.  Gunny and I agree that you will see
five or six hundred well armed men coming at you.  They will lack training,
but not guts.  My troops need to get some sleep as we have been moving for
over twenty four hours.  But twelve of these horses are yours as a dowry
for Shelby's hand."

   That shocked both of the parents.  "We sure did not expect that.  But
horses here for wagons and riding will be much appreciated.  They will
allow us to trade with your group and be able to carry reasonable amounts
of goods each way."

   "The ones branded with the flying J are yours.  Now do you have a
doctor?"

   "Yes and a small clinic as well."

   "My medic needs to go there and helps set up for the coming battle. 
There will be many hurt and they will need good care.  But know that we do
not treat our enemy's, as they will just come back later to kill us."

   "That I am afraid was our big mistake here.  We treated and released
several who had attacked us.  It seems they are coming back to try to
finish the job they tried the first time.  Most here were Christians and
they had strong beliefs.  We are living in old testament times and not the
new testament period.  Here you kill your enemy and that is the end of the
problem."

   Denny smiled at them.  "We took out over one hundred and fifty coming
here and that is where these weapons came from."

   Both liked this young man and knew he was right for Shelby.  So the
mother spoke first.  "Look Denny we approve of you and Shelby living
together and one day marrying.  Please come home with us, get some rest and
we will see things get done by people who are fresh.  You both look dog
tired now."

   Denny got the twelve horses and handed them over to Shelby's dad.  "You
have two good saddles for them and one is a good stallion.  The mares are
young and will produce for many years for you.  Now my troops need
someplace safe to put their horses.  We will be riding out of here often to
harass the enemy.  It is no fun to always be looking to see where you will
be hit next."

   The troops horses were placed in a field with grass and hobbled. 
Saddles and bridles were taken to Shelby's parents home for storage.  Denny
and Shelby were shown to a bedroom and allowed to get some sleep.

   Now the camp was setting up machine gun nests and missiles were
deactivated of their hest seeker eyes.  Every man and older boy was armed.
Those with less experience were partnered with those who had it.  Denny's
young men had started to set up booby traps coming up back ways to the main
camp.  This place would be a nightmare for an attacker.

   People started coming into the main camp during the day Normally just
over three hundred lived here.  But now they were up to five hundred or
more.  Denny was now ready to get out of here and find someplace to camp
for the night.  They would bite at the flanks and rear of the attacking
force.  His group took three grenade launchers and plenty of grenades for
them.  Frank would advise him of when the full attack force was in place.

   That meant Denny might have to survive for a few days, just watching for
groups moving in.  It would require food and patience by his troops.  But
Shelby was neither happy nor patient, as she wanted to be with him.  "Look
baby you need to stay and help the doctor.  I can't be watching out for
you, my troops and me at the same time.  We can hit fast, hard and be gone
before they know it."

   "What happens if you or one off the troopers gets hit?"

   "We have our medic and he will see to that."

   "Let me set up in your camp site and run a hospital for you."

   "We will have no one camp site.  The two packhorses will be in a valley
hobbled if we need them.  If found it will look like no one else has been
there.  That it is just pasture area used by some family."

   "I still don't like it, but your going to make me live with it."

   "Yes I am afraid I am dear.  Here you far better protected and dad will
watch out for you.  The gunship and choppers will be here for protection.
For us it will be wits and speed.  You're a fair rider, but not nearly as
good as the thirteen of us."

   She knew that was true and it won the fight.  "OK but I don't like it
one bit."

   He kissed her deeply and held her tight.  "Just remember I love you more
than life itself my love.  Be assured when all is over I'll be here for
you."

   He mounted and the troop led two packhorses out with them.  The
saddlebags were filled to bursting and the packs were a good three hundred
pounds of weapons and ammunition each.  He was loaded for bear and people
who saw them go were impressed.

   The slicks had brought in barrels of gasoline and they were being buried
in the ground with C4 charges attached to them.  Radio detonators had been
brought in for these.  There were fifty places where a man could get fried
in gas.  But the object was to create fear in those charging the opening to
the settlement.

   It was expected that most charging would have flack jackets.  So
instructions were go for the head, arms, legs and crotch.  Cause as much
pain as possible for each man.  Hit a joint if you could, as that would
disable that man.

   The clinic had been moved back to the very back of the valley.  Wagons
would bring the men there and many women would check out each man.  Then
pass them on if they needed more help.  The doctor had three medics from
John to help with surgery and more drugs than he had seen in years.  A
small gas generator was set up to keep drugs that required it cold in two
refrigerators.  Surgery was a large tent set up just for three operating
rooms.  Then there were ten large tents for recovery areas.  Where you went
depended on how bad you were hurt.

   Shelby was the surgical nurse for the top medic from the compound. 
"Well kiddo this is very much like being back at my old job.  I did this in
Iraq and Afghanistan and those places I hated.  The climate was just
nothing like I was used to.  At least here I can understand the people and
feel good about saving lives."

   "Why didn't you feel good about it there?"

   "A lot of people I saved ended up coming back to try to kill us.  You
just never knew if they were friend or foe.  One day they loved you and the
next hated you.  Here I know the people of this settlement love us and we
are fighting for the same reasons."

   Shelby could not get over what this man had gone through.  She did what
was needed and thought about it.  Then she went to her parents house to
have dinner

   "Shelby dear I am sure your lost without Denny." Her mom understood her
well.

   "Yes I tried to fight with him to take me.  But he was right I would
have slowed them down and may be gotten someone hurt or killed."

   That brought a smile to her mom.  "Well the two of us are pretty much
alike that way.  I pushed your dad into coming out here.  He was a city boy
and knew nothing abut the country.  I grew up on a farm as you know.  So
for me it was a way to eat well and survive.  We did have a lot of hard
times at first, but survived because of Denny's book.  The seed he gave me
also made sure we were able to feed ourselves.  The fruit trees and berries
here are from his seeds to many of us."

   "I was impressed with how Denny handled all people who came through
looking for a safe place.  They made sure people were ready for what was to
come equipment wise.  Many an axe and saw were given to them.  He put that
book together on his own time.  Denny had no help and his own people were
impressed with the knowledge it contained."

   "I did notice that it was written to be understood.  It was kept simple
and no big words were used.  His boiling of willow bark for aspirin was
very helpful.  The use of honey for an antibacterial was brilliant."

   "He got that from the Egyptians mother.  It caused him to look at every
drug and treatment of past centuries.  All that had been proven to work was
in the book."

   "Well it saved your dad dear.  As the suggestion of using maggots on
dead flesh to clean wounds saved many.  That book is why we survived until
today.  Everyone loves that young man here.  They would make him king if he
wanted."

   Shelby just smiled at her mom.  "That would never cross his mind mom. 
He has worried about all of you and was thrilled to come out here to start
trade with you.  That man has no desire for power or money.  To him it is
all about people helping people.  His one driving belief is that people
must bond together to save this country."

   "That sounds like your dad Shelby.  He has been elected judge here and
often has to make decisions he does not like.  But we all agreed on certain
laws.  Every person knows those laws and we must live by them.  He has
rejected many religious laws and said we need to stick to day to day life.
Here you and Denny are free to marry as the age of consent does not exist."

   "John has said we can marry when we are sure we are ready.  Denny and I
are just getting to really know one another now.  In John's mind he wants a
logical decision and not an emotional one.  That I believe in as well.  So
getting to know Denny well is important to both of us and our futures."

   "What about children coming along?"

   "Not possible until I stop taking birth control.  Denny and I agreed
that was best until we are ready.  I am going to finish school and take
college courses in medicine.  Right now I have completed a nursing course.
I am the medic for Denny's troops at base camp."

   "God girl you have grown up so much in a short time."

   "Yes times are different now.  Children don't have the time they once
did to grow up.  Life is far more serious now than before.  We have girls
and boys taking college courses at fourteen and fifteen.  Kids now are
having sex by nine or ten."

   "But they might be hurt."

   "That is just one more tail from the religious groups.  If they read
their book King David and Saul had girls eight as wives.  We have had
enough bad laws in this country.  Now rape is rape and that gets punished.
But sex is something for each person to make a decision on.  Laws just push
one groups opinion on others."

   This opened a new thought process for her mother.  "I see your point
dear."

   "No not yet you don't mom.  Denny's troops are from age eight to
seventeen.  Those eight year olds have as much at risk as any man.  Many
shops are run by eight to fifteen year old girls to supply the troops and
the community.  They do as much as any woman to preserve life.  At what
point do they deserve to be heard?"

   "Your point is well made both at your base and here."

   "What point is that?" Her father had just walked in.

   It was all explained to him and he just smiled at them.  "Shelby is
right they deserve a vote and say.  Other than babies our youngest is just
fourteen and he does just as much as any man.  With eight year olds doing
the work they do they also should get a say."

   "Dad we have one six year old who can direct men and walk them through
the enemy.  Not one getting hurt or seen.  We call her the Pixie and she is
small.  But she has a brain that connects and sees so much.  She is running
Denny's control center with a twelve year old girl called Marsha.  She can
whip any man in hand-to-hand combat.  They have been adopted by John and
love him to death.  But they with Frank Denny's dad are the command and
control for the compound.  Without them we would have lost battles."

   "What about this Marsha is she really that good?"

   "She can shoot, fight and has no fear.  Men will follow her any place
she leads them.  Her instincts are beyond belief.  She can move like a cat
and is like a smoke on a battlefield.  Just everyplace and then gone with
dead bodies left behind.  She considers Denny her big brother and protects
him as best she can.  Matter of fact she introduced us at my request."

   "I see a sister you have adopted also."

   "Yes she and I are very close."

   "A remarkable young lady I can see.  But I wonder if I'll ever meet
her?"

   "If things are going bad I know you will.  She turns up when things are
not going well."

   Dinner was interesting as her dad told her of how things ran here.  This
was very different from there old life, but somewhat similar to the
compound.

   "What are you doing with the religious nuts now?"

   "They are in there own area.  It is not doing well and many just give up
and come back.  They accept our ways and find out they work.  We have built
kilns and are cooking wood for charcoal to put into the soil.  This builds
up a very good soil that produces a high amount of food.  But I also need
the carbon for producing steel and I cook coal for that.  Here I use the
wood heat to make coke.  We use charcoal briquettes to cook and heat homes
as well as for fertilizer."

   "How is your steel production?"

   "Not bad and yet not where I want it.  I still need minerals that I do
not have for some special types.  I don't have heat-treating furnaces yet.
For that I need electrical power."

   "John has that an more than he needs.  You might look at working a deal
with him?"

   "That would be nice, but I don't know what we could trade for that.  It
might now require trade if the right offer was made.  John is looking to
rebuild a country now in deep trouble.  That requires building links to
other people of the same mind.  You see he has people here defending you
and at a large cost to him.  I don't think you were asked to pay for this."

   Her dad smiled at her.  "You have a point and I am sure most have not
considered it.  But not everyone will agree to laws that don't fit the
community."

   "That is to be expected.  So major laws that are common sense are
universal laws.  Then communities must fill in those blanks with local laws
that fit them.  A local area is spelled out by GPS locations and mapped
accordingly.  But local laws must be submitted to the national court for
approval.  If a law is not approved several communities must judge it and a
decision is made.  It is not a central government decision it is a
community decision.  A counsel would be put together of elected officials
sent to advise the government.  Here a majority would have a major impact
on decisions that affect all communities.  If a decision is different the
central government can call for of vote of all the people."

   "It sounds like a lot of thought has gone into this."

   "As a group we have looked at what destroyed the old USA.  We had people
getting elected that were not responsible for their decisions.  They often
were people with agendas.  They took away the rights of people to have a
say in government.  They just voted for someone they hoped would do the
right thing.  Then lived with the results."

   "That I can also see and had problems with.  But a vote by all the
people would be expensive."

   "Not really as John has the very best computers and satellite
communications he owns.  Each person with the right to vote would have a
log on and password could if they had a computer and power vote from home.
He is working on small satellite computers with solar recharging abilities.
There is a new programming language that cannot be hacked developed by two
of his computer boys.  Very smart kids and honest as they come."

   "He is looking at the future and big time.  Who would be the main
counsel?"

   "Frank, Denny, Pixie, Marsha, Myself and John as chairman.  Every
meeting would be open for all to hear.  John believes that if it cannot be
said in public it should not be said.  But the pros and cons would be
addressed by all of us.  There are few decisions anyone could make that
does not have good and bad sides to that issue.  The job is to find a
balance."

   "How about taxes?"

   "No taxes would be set and later each community would have to support
bringing in other communities into the organization.  It would be costly in
that it means most likely fighting to free them.  So men would die for
doing that.  That is the cost each community must be willing to pay."

   "How do you pay for government?"

   "What does government cost?  We have gold and silver now and don't use
it at all.  Right now there is no federal government or state governments.
Those have fallen apart.  There are no costs to what is done within the
country.  Now if at some point we went back to being a naval power that
would cost us.  If we built a national military that also would cost us. 
We now know prisons are a waste of time, they just don't work.  Another
lesson learned is families are responsible for how they raise their
children."

   He could not argue with anything she had said.  "How do we form this new
type government?"

   "Very slowly and with great care dad.  It may end up being no larger
than a state in size.  We will take in no bleeding heart liberals or
conservative radicals.  This is to be a middle of the road government.  It
is not interested in environmental activist who cannot prove their point
clearly.  We would go to clean power, as it is low cost.  Your water supply
here could produce all the power this area needed."

   "Yes but it would need a turbine, controls and wire to distribute it."

   "But we have extra turbines for water power.  The wire could be moved
from an old town now empty.  Your going to have to work together to make
this place close to modern dad.  The local power office might have rolls of
new wire.  With the generator we brought you could find and empty fuel
tanks to run trucks and construction equipment.  Get out of your shell and
start building here for real."

   That was like cold water tossed in his face and he knew it was deserved.
"After this fight we are well armed and have horses and wagons to move that
generator and people to old towns.  We have all been thinking short term. I
know most of us hoped the government would come back in time."

   "You want to be ruled by what destroyed us?  That dad is just an excuse
for not doing what you should have done."

   Her mother was pleased as she had been pushing these issue for long
enough.  "I agree with Shelby on this one.  If the President or a member of
congress walked in here, I'd shoot them for what they did to us."

   "OK I'll get the men together after the fight and we will plan how to do
this and take action.  I have been so tied up with my own guilt I have
failed to act, as I should.  But I see your happy and doing planning I also
should be.  That makes me feel old Shelby."

   "Dad your one of the smartest men I have ever known.  Denny reminds me a
lot of you when we lived together.  So don't let me down and get back to
doing what is the right thing for the people."

   She got up and headed to her bed in the hospital tent.  For now she had
done all she could to move things forward here.

   Chapter 15

   It was two days before things started to happen.  The settlement was
well dug in and ready to fight.  Everyone knew that men would be killed and
women raped by the attackers.  So there was no one wanting to negotiate
with them.  The first hint of them being there was an explosion on one of
the trails to the top.  They had decided to try to take the high ground and
found it well protected.

   When looked at it seemed like may be one hundred men had been coming up
that trail.  It no longer existed and now was sheer rock.  Most of the men
had died from the blast and bodies were everyplace below.  No one moved on
the mountain now.  It was just waiting time.

   The second attack was from the front and was just to see how much
firepower they had.  It was fended off with just rifles and nothing else.
At dusk a large force of around a thousand came at them.  Once to the
barrels of gas in the ground a few were set off and many men were burning.
Now with good light the rifles fired and cut down the rest.  There were
bodies everyplace.

   They knew that this was still early and they had not seen the worst yet.
That night mortars were fired all night long doing little damage and
hurting a few.  The aid station up there handled those wounds.  The next
day nothing happened except for firing heard behind their lines.  Denny's
guys were chewing on them now.  There were several large explosions during
the late afternoon and most felt it was explosives.  You could see smoke
and fire from those areas.

   Just before the sun went down there was a very large explosion and it
was seen from the top of the bluff.  It lighted up the sky and many fires
could be seen burning with rounds going off like firecrackers.  But that
night nothing happened.

   There was snipping all the next day and several got hit.  They were
taken to the hospital that had been set up.  Bullets had to be removed and
wounds sewn up.  Antibiotics given and people watched to assure they were
all right.  But as the last surgery was being done mortar rounds started
dropping near the hospital.  They were coming off the mountain well back
from the lines.  Shelby reported this to Pixie fast.

   After dark things got quite once more.  That was until explosions
started happening in the enemy camps.  They went on for over two hours. 
You could hear men screaming above the explosions.  Then they could hear
men scream behind them and in front of their back line.  From time to time
you heard a shot ring out, but normally just screams.  This was where the
mortar fire had come from.

   Frank had been sent to the line to wait on a call.  He was not sure who
of the troops was there, but knew someone was killing people and with no
mercy.  After things settled down he heard a massive explosion and the sky
was bright for a short time.

   "Frank get the people to hold their fire I'm coming in." Marsha was on
his radio.

   "Hold all fire one of ours is coming in and there no longer are mortars
out there."

   Moving like a cat Marsha was in after jumping over a firing position. 
It scared the hell out of the two men there.  "You had best be more alert
or you will end up dead.  There are no more of the enemy out there now."

   No one could believe that this little girl had gotten what must have
been twenty grown men.  She was wearing black and it was hard to see her
even now.  Frank walked up and hugged her.  "Sweetheart I am very glad to
see you.  How in the hell did you get down there?"

   "I did my batman routine and came in on a hang glider.  Had to jump out
of a slick sitting still.  That was just a bit wild before the prop blast
went away.  But the night vision worked great as normal."

   "How many were out there?"

   "Just twenty and they now have no scalp, dick or balls.  Those are
nailed to trees now.  I don't think anyone will want to come that way.  The
damn fools were firing at my sister."

   Frank just had to laugh.  "Be sure to remind me never to cross Shelby
dear.  I don't want to end up like those guys did."

   Men close by had heard her comments and turned red then white.  The line
commander came up to them.  "Did I hear that right what you did to them?"

   Frank looked the man right in his eyes.  "I assure you if you wish to go
check there are scalps, balls and dicks nailed to trees.  You will not find
one live body and no one will come that way again."

   The man threw up right there.  Marsha looked at the man.  "Did you want
them killing your doctor, nurses and the men who had been hit?  Do you want
them putting more men there?  We are fighting animals and they understand
that kind of death and fear it.  There was not one man out there that would
not have cut your dick and balls off just for fun."

   She and Frank turned and walked back down to the hospital.  Shelby was
waiting to see who came down.  "God Marsha I just knew it was you."

   "Hey had to save my sister girl.  Firing at you was a big mistake for
them."

   Shelby just laughed at this.  "You just wanted to prove you're the best
and toughest trooper we have sis.  It is a shame someone did not escape to
tell the story."

   "One did sis and he was just eleven, so I circumcised him and sent him
down to the command group.  That poor boy was crying so hard he could
barely walk.  I told him if he was lucky it would not get infected, but if
it did they would just have to cut it off."

   Frank was now laughing with Shelby.  The doctor came out now.  "What in
the hell is so funny."

   Shelby told him the story of what had happened on the mountain and the
doctor was now laughing.  "Girl your either the very best or dumb as hell.
But any girl that can take out twenty men and live to talk about it must be
damn good."

   "Doc she is the very best and no man could take her in any fair fight.
But at night she is a vapor just floating on the wind.  I assure you they
knew she was there when they lost their dicks and balls.  Marsha could walk
through a rain storm and never be hit by a drop."

   Now the doctor was impressed.  "How in the hell can any girl so young be
so good?"

   "Well Frank here trained me to fight.  I had a natural ability to be
able to shoot."

   "Doc she is better than I ever was and has invented things I've never
seen before.  But when you have her IQ that seems to come easy."

   The doctor looked at her with an odd look.  Shelby picked it up.  "Doc
she beats mine by a good twenty to thirty points."

   The doc knew just how smart Shelby was and this was a real surprise. 
"God girl you have to be pushing 180."

   "I really don't know the actual number doc, as the tests just don't work
for me.  Give me a good text on how to do brain surgery and I'll read it
and go do it.  The persons odds of surviving are as good as if the doctor
who wrote it had done it."

   Frank decide to settle the doctors mind.  "She read the manual on a
rifle and went out and shot eight out of eight to the head of a target at
five hundred yards."

   The doc just shook his head and walked away.

   "Come on and you can sleep next to me tonight.  Mom and dad want to meet
my sister as well, so that will happen at breakfast." Shelby had told her
dad Marsha would come if needed.

   They hit the bed and slept well that night, as no mortar rounds were
coming down on them.  That next morning Marsha was still in her black suit
and they headed to Shelby's parents house.

   "Mom, dad this is my sister and your adopted daughter Marsha.  Like I
told you if we needed her she would be here."

   Both parents walked over and hugged her.  But Shelby's dad really looked
at this girl.  "Young lady you're the talk of the community.  Your entry to
our lines scared the hell out of two of the men, who said they never heard
you and got only a glimpse of you.  That was before you told them they
better be more careful about watching for possible intruders.  Then a group
went out and saw what you had done to the enemy and knew what fear was."

   "People who try to hurt those I love will pay a price sir.  I want fear
to rage through the people attacking us.  You can bet my brother is giving
them hell.  We may be young, but we have a clear line.  That is your on our
side or you're the enemy.  In today's world there are no sideline for
people to stand on.  If you're the enemy then your good as dead.  We have
no prisons to put people in even if they worked.  So we have returned to a
much more sever punishment system."

   That took him by the neck.  "What is a more sever punishment system?"

   "Simple if you steal you loose your hand, take a life you loose yours.
Lie and loose your tongue, rape and you loose your balls or dick. 
Misreport an event you loose an eye.  Turn on your friends and be branded
with a large T for failure to trust on your forehead.  It is not nice or
pretty but it is effective.  Each sentence is watched by many when carried
out, so people know the price they will pay for their sins."

   A cold chill ran down his back.  "That is well away from current
punishments."

   "Yes, but would you risk stealing if you knew you would loose your
hand?"

   "I would not steal any way Marsha that is not my nature."

   "But many people do and that is their nature.  So do it twice and you
have no hand to do it again.  That is one thing that will stop many from
crossing that line.  If they learn young most will never become criminals.
The real punishment does not start until a child reaches the age of eleven.
But if a child is found to have been taught by parents they get the same
punishment."

   Shelby's mother had been listening to all of this.  "I agree that we
need a more stringent system and less jails.  The one your discussing seems
to fit the crimes and if known in advance should stop people from
committing them.  I like the idea that if a parent teaches a child to steal
they get the same punishment."

   That grabbed the man, as he had never heard his wife speak like this. 
"But it is so barbaric in how it is done."

   "Since when is a doctors removing a hand in public view barbaric?"
Marsha was now pissed.  "Get a life sir.  If you steal then you pay a price
and one that does not cost the people money for years.  One simple
operation and it is done and your shame is always with you and showing."

   That did hit home as reasonable.  "Sorry I said what I did.  I did not
question how it would be done."

   "Most religious people would love it.  People were stoned in the old
days for breaking the laws.  Heads were cut off and people burned for small
crimes.  We would have people given in slave labor to cover the loss of
ability to farm.  If a man hurts another so they cannot perform their work
then the one who caused that would do the work for them.  That would be
done electronically through a collar placed around their necks.  No family
should face hunger or loose their land because of another's stupidity."

   "But slavery is not right."

   "It is punishment not a normal state in life.  But would it be better to
kill that person and let the family starve?"

   "No, I did not mean it that way."

   "Look sir you need to decide what is truly important for life today. 
Forget all the rubbish you have learned in the past, as it did not work. 
Tomorrow is going to be very different.  It will take ID cards that cannot
be copied to live in our world.  If asked for your cad it must be shown. 
You cannot buy or sell without the card.  It has your DNA, fingerprints,
eye scan embedded in the chip and it can easily be checked to see if you're
who you say you are.  Policemen will have a scanner with them to do that.
In a rape ever persons DNA will be checked at once for the criminal.  If
not found we know we have an outsider here."

   "How do we keep outsiders out?"

   "That we have developed as well.  It does require boarder guards to go
after people crossing into your area.  But people who come to the main
entry points can be checked quickly.  We have every federal and state
criminal record with prints and DNA where taken.  We will know that persons
background if they have ever been in trouble.  We also have all military
records and can run prints there as well."

   "Where did you get all that data?"

   "Hey we took it before the systems went down.  We have the social
security number and record for everyone living at the collapse.  We can
tell you what jobs they did and the money they made.  John has started to
accept people to farm our land and each is fully checked out.  No one gets
more than 100 acres of land to farm.  But we will have five thousand acres
under cultivation this year.  Now just over two thousand is our own land.
Now each one of them has been educated in our laws and has accepted them.
Children must get an education and we supply computers and power to each
farm for that.  But they must test at a school to pass."

   "How are they able to feed themselves?"

   "We offer a cow for families with children for milk.  Fields are plowed
by us ad they plant and ten crops as agreed.  We can freeze dry food, it
can be sun dried or canned at home.  Each has a large garden just for home
use.  Potatoes are always freeze dried for winter.  They are sliced before
processing or made into mashed potato base.  The food from the garden is
all theirs and the fields are split 50/50 for payment of the land, cow and
building of the house and barn.  Some request a horse to plow or till
during the growth period.  But people get together and harvest with each
other.  One farmer is growing pumpkins this year and it will be the first
year of having pies from these."

   This seemed almost idyllic to him.  "I have a real sales job to do here.
But I will do my best to sell the idea to my people."

   Breakfast was a time of exchanging ideas.  Shelby's dad had many
problems with his process.  But for some reason Marsha seemed to understand
it and made good suggestions.  Many he had never considered.  They had
found lead here and were now able to mine it.  Also a salt deposit had been
found as deer came to feed from it.  This they knew ran deep underground at
the location.

   Today was one to sit back and see what happened.  The attacking force
did not take over the area on top of the mountain again.  But now the
attacks were coming directly at the entrance to the valley.  When the
machine guns opened up it was a shock to the attackers.  But hundreds got
cut down.  Denny's troops were still raising hell behind their lines as
well.  It had slowly become a shooting gallery for the defenders.  The day
ended up with many dead attackers and several injured defenders.  A few
were badly hurt and they got immediate attention.

   Marsha got a group of troopers from the compound with a few men willing
to risk their lives and went out to find the leaders.  Denny had seen her
leave and knew where she was headed.  He circled around to the back side of
the ridge behind their camp and they worked their way up to the top.

   It was now Marsha's show time.  She walked right into the camp and took
out three men before they could shoot her.  As she sat at the table two big
men with nasty scars came out.  "Who in the hell are you?"

   "Your worst nightmare I assure you.  But then again you might not have
seen what I did to your men behind the settlement."

   This raised eyebrows and they just looked at her.  "You did that job of
butchering those men?"

   She flipped out of her chair and landed on the man coming up behind her.
His throat was cut before he knew he was in trouble.  "Now yes I handled
your bad troops on the ridge.  They were firing at a friend of mine.  Now
sit your stupid asses down and lets talk."

   One man grabbed for his gun and was shot in the head for the attempt. 
"Damn girl you have real guts.  But you know you won't walk out of here
right?"

   "No I'll walk out just fine big boy.  You're the one not leaving here
and sit."

   The man did as he was told and stared at this child.  "Just what is it
you want?"

   "You will call all your troops in here and now."

   "If I don't?"

   He felt something moving at his leg and looked down at a large rattler
and screamed.  That was when the snake bit him.  "That damn snake bit me."

   "Yep you yelled and scared him.  So he did want was natural.  Now your
going to die without antivenin.  So answer my question and I'll consider
giving you some." The snake had come over and got into her lap now.  It
just watched the man and he was really scared now.

   "Jessie call all the troops you can contact and tell them to come here
now."

   Slowly troops came into the clearing and saw the boss sitting with some
young girl.  They were laughing and yelling at her.

   She slowly placed the snake on the table and it raised its hear and
looked at the leader.  "Now little boys shut your mouths or he will get
pissed and bit your boss again.  Drop your guns and ammunition right now."

   "No way little girl am I going to drop anything except my pants."

   His head exploded right then.  Guns and ammunition started dropping
fast. It took little time for the around five hundred to be sitting on the
ground looking scared.

   "OK you have my men now get me the medicine I need."

   "I said I would consider doing that and I will.  But your not even
sweating yet so we have lots of time.  Now where did all of these troops
come from?"

   "We are from several cities and this was just our first stop on the
trip. South of here is some mean people we were going to get as well."

   "Just so you know we came to you.  Matter of fact we just brought a
small part of our force and me.  We killed over one hundred and fifty of
your friends just coming up here.  They were no better at fighting than you
were.  Of course most of our fighting force is ex Special Forces personnel.
That is where I learned to be as good as I am."

   Now he was sweating and knew they were not going to walk away from here.
"No one said who was down there just mean fighters."

   "Well may be you have heard of the old Phoenix program that the CIA ran
with the military.  I am better than any of those who killed hundreds
behind enemy lines.  I see you as cockroaches and stomping on you as vital
to human survival.  So the trick here is to get a fast death and not suffer
as your going to from that bite."

   "He looked tough and hard.  I will tell you nothing at all." That was
when a needle shot into his balls and he screamed once more.  The snake bit
him again.  Then coiled up on the table.

   Shelby had been watching with Frank and reached down and got his gun. 
She stood and walked into the clearing and smiled at Marsha.  "Well if the
big boy does not want to take lets feed the snake a little one sister." She
grabbed a twelve year old boy and put the gun to his head.

   The boy walked to the table and she pushed his hand at the snake and it
bit him.  "I'll tell you anything I know I swear I will."

   The questioning went on for over and hour and much got answered. 
Several different men and boys did the job nicely.  Now the leader was on
the ground and rolling around and crying.  The bite to the face had cost
him his eyesight now.

   Marsha sat back and looked at Shelby.  "I have a real problem with
releasing these scum.  But there are a lot of young boys with them as well.
Sort out the younger ones and get them out of the way.  If they are over
eleven they stay where they are at."

   "What about the ones that have been bit?"

   "The snake did not have enough left to do more than make them sick as
hell.  But the leader is going to die from his bites."

   There were just over three hundred and seventy men killed there.  The
seals had no problem killing this group in any way.  They had heard the
whole story and knew this had to be done.  Denny and his troops had come
down to help with the young kids.  They were moved to a location where they
were fed, given clothing and food in packs to get them home.  No weapons or
matches were given to them.  The food was all MRE's and did not need to be
cooked.  Tobacco and matches had been removed.

   The group was lined up and given directions and sent on their way home.
This had been something none wanted to ever face again.  It had sounded
like a great adventure with wealth to come.  It had turned out a disaster
with death for thousands.  No one was prepared to fight these people they
knew.

   Slicks started landing and taking troops back home.  Marsha sent one of
Denny's guys back and took his horse, as she wanted to see the land between
here and home.  It had been decided she would make the boundary between
this settlement and hers.  This one had lots of room to grow north, east
and west.  So she warned them there's could only grow north.  Because of
that the boundary would be a days ride from this settlement.

   The early feelings were this settlement wanted to join the one to the
south in forming a larger group.  So one laptop was left and a satellite
connection.  It carried both the Internet as it existed today and voice
with picture on communications.  It was in the living room of Shelby's
parents home.  He had been voted commissioner for the settlement.  So the
power had grown and he did not like that much.

   Denny, Shelby, Marsha and the balance of troops mounted and rode out to
cheers from the people.  A sign had been delivered to Marsha that said
entering Shangri-La to be posted at the boarder.  Denny would have to set
up a boarder post here to handle traffic both ways.  It for now would have
to be a reinforced squad with good firepower.  So he was looking at where
that might be defensible.

   In late afternoon they found the prefect spot.  A mountain came within
just a quarter of a mile from the river.  There was another small stream
flowing into the river here as well.  So it would require a bridge to cross
and not damage a heavy wagon.  On the south side of that spot they pounded
a large pole into the ground and put the sign on it.  The gunship took a
picture of them doing that and its location.

   Now the area to be settled was well over ten million square acres.  They
were a small state now.  So planning to fill this land with settlers was
now a goal.  On their trip Marsha saw an outcropping of very green rock and
took a sample to have it checked out.  She was sure it had copper in it,
but not how much and if it could be smelted?  Those type questions would
have to be answered by others.

   Chapter 16

   It was two days after their return that the sample had been tested and a
decision made.  It was not just a good sample, but also a great one.  The
mineral values were far above normal.  John was very pleased and started
sending people to set up miming this metal.  It was badly needed in today's
world.  He found sixteen men who had mined for coal and knew a little about
strip mining.  They would take the mountain back to where they lost the
mineral and then start down.

   A stream was found close by where a good size mountain flow was enough
to power a water turbine.  There were six springs feeding this and they
were sure to hold up.  The turbine was much larger than the one in their
valley.  It would produce a lot more power and three phase, as they needed
that.  An area for building a smelting plant, a large building with tanks
for electrically bringing out the pure copper and then another melting and
rolling into wire.  Making copper was no easy process.  This process would
give five hundred men and their families work for years to come.

   The compound was now being call Shangri-La by everyone.  The troops were
kept busy with boarder duty and running the two entries to the new land. 
People were well screened and then asked what they wished to do.  Now many
were coming that had factory experience and some engineers were showing up.
Most had hidden out during the real bad times.  But all were hungry and
down weight wise.

   Laws once explained and accepted were no real problem for most.  Where
they came from alcohol was now nonexistent and it was not allowed here. 
Education for children was a plus to mothers and some fathers.  Here
everyone worked and contributed to the family.  But children got to vote at
the age of twelve.  They were adults when they finished high school and
made their own choice if they wanted college.  Young men could become part
of the boarder guards during their college time and spend summers traveling
and school times at boarder posts.  All classes were online and taken that
way.  Tests were in schools and teachers were proctors.

   John had started a money system and a couple of banks.  The money was
backed by his silver and gold reserves.  But it was unusual as it was
called credits.  People earned credits for work or goods sold and it was
placed on computer.  Each person had a card that could be read with their
handprint used to identify them by the computer, so no error was ever made.
Accounts could be added to or transferred to a business or person very
quickly.  The system did work well and no money was needed to be printed.
This did require a special account number for deposits made as payroll. 
That was in the new programming code.

   Here was a blend of old ways and the new high technology systems.  This
new way of handling money was quickly adopted by the new additions to the
forming country.  Slowly the area covered was growing.  People were more
than ready for law and order to exist.  They would step up and fight the
current oppressors and then ask for help restoring order.

   John's people contacted their friends at Norfolk and worked out a deal
to close off a good part of Virginia and bring those areas into the newly
forming country.  It meant starting to move that direction from their
current location east to meet up with troops taking Richmond and smaller
cities to the west.  His group would move on Blacksburg, Roanoke and
Lynchburg then with half going up the Shenandoah Valley and half heading
towards Richmond.

   It was a bold plan and would stretch the resources of all their
communities.  But it was time to take back control.  There was enough gas
and diesel to handle trucks for a lot of the trip.  But they knew there
were many tanks underground never emptied before.  So small pump trucks
would suck up fuel as needed from these tanks.  With ten large tankers they
could refuel the equipment quickly.  Each place where fuel was removed
large red X's would be placed on the entries to them.

   Denny decided to take the north route up the valley.  He had enjoyed
reading of Jackson's ability to control this valley early in the civil war.
This was an area where some gangs were sure to find refuge.  But he had
horses for thirty troopers going with them.  They would unload armories
wherever they found them to add to weapons and ammunition.  Food was of
course going to be mostly freeze dried from their farms.  It was
lightweight and a lot could be carried on one truck.  The aim was to
recruit people for becoming police for their areas.  One trooper would stay
to train them and teach the laws of the new government.  Each could set up
the computer systems to function once they had power.  But they were
advisors and not leaders for these people.

   The city of Covington had already been taken and absorbed into the
group. It had two damns that fed power into the city from just north of it.
Men from the old power company had restored power to all farms and homes.
But power was something that cost credits and that was owned by the
government now.  It was how it paid for itself.  The Internet was only by
satellite so most did not have it.  The person or people living there now
owned property.  There were no landlords any more in the new country.

   One step was a city had the right, as did a county to tax its residents.
But that was by a sales tax and not other taxes.  No one shared the sales
tax it went directly to the city or county.  It paid for roads to be kept
up and schools to run.  But no official was paid for serving, as that was
an honor not a job.  But water, sewage and trash collection had to be done
by the city.  If anyone complained then John told them as Chairman of the
new country he did not get paid either.

   It took two months of hard fighting to bring the area decided on into
the new government.  But in Virginia there was nuclear plants and water
generated power enough to bring the lights on in every city and farm.  They
had to reduce the power so as not to overload the system.  Now life slowly
started to come back.  The boarder was now just south of the Northern
Virginia towns outside Washington.  But ran all the way to the North
Carolina line.  In the west it was the city of Bristol and for now stopped
there.  Ventures were made into some bases in the Northern Virginia area to
take planes for Navy fliers and choppers for moving troops and support. 
Tanks, halftracks and artillery were moved into the back of boarder points.
Storage tanks at military bases were pumped south to holding areas.  Once
power was lost every large tank farm was beyond being used.

   With Navy engineers and Army personnel this was done fast and easy. 
Fuel at airports where it was pumped in was pumped out to needed fighter
bases.  In thirty minutes planes from Norfolk or Richmond could be at
Bristol to fight any attack.  Most spare parts for those were kept at
Richmond's materials command depot.  So fixing an aircraft was much easier
than it would be most places.  Along the river near Newport News was a
major bomb and air strike weapons storage area.  It had ammunition for most
ships as well.  But all bases were now under guard 24/7 by trained troops.

   It had happened quickly with West Virginia as it jumped into the new
country.  That area was protected by rivers as its boarders except where it
met Virginia.  But they were a tough people and once after making the
decision to join the country, supplied what was needed most and that was
men who could shoot.  Of course alcohol was a problem there as in the south
of Virginia, but that was a local problem and not a national government
one. The national government had a military of just about 100,000 men and
women.

   Virginia had the wood and the mills.  It had lumber, plywood makers and
furniture plants that slowly started producing some needed items.  The
state police came together in both Virginia and West Virginia and started
to function.  Both pledged themselves to the new government.

   Then it was time for those who wish to press their concerns.  The fact
of no laws against child sex was grating them.  They wanted laws that
spelled out that no child under the age of twenty could experience sex.  It
was their belief that having sex before twenty was destructive to
children's mental health.

   Pixie and Marsha were chosen to represent the government.  That seemed
to make the protesters happy.  They were sure they could control these two
kids.  The meeting was held in Richmond in the old capital building.

   Once called to order Denny's troopers were stationed around the room. 
Marsha did not trust any of these people.

   The opening statement by a so called child psychiatrist was a real
laugh. The second was by a church leader and he knew he had all the
answers. But Marsha stopped the man and decided to ask questions.

   "Sir what was the age of both David's and Saul's youngest wives?"

   "We really don't know that."

   "The bible tells a different story sir.  Now a marriage had to be
consummated before it was a marriage right?"

   "Well that did not happen to young girls until they reached the age for
doing that."

   Marsha laughed at this.  "Sir your making up theses answers as you go.
So far I have heard no truth from you.  It has all been lies and
misrepresentations.  Now do you know the punishment for telling lies
today?"

   "Yes, but I am not telling lies."

   "In my judgment you are and have.  Troopers please come forward and take
this man and proceed with his punishment for telling lies."

   The man was seized and pulled from the chamber.  "Now the rest of you
slated to testify today be sure your facts are right and that only truth
comes out here."

   The woman physiologist stood up.  "By what right do you make these
judgments and how can you order punishment?"

   "The laws are very clear about telling lies.  Each of you signed that
you accepted those laws and would be bound by them.  Now as Pixie and I are
members of the ruling counsel we have the right to step in and order
punishment.  To be honest doctor your testimony was very close to being a
pack of lies.  Had you not covered yourself by stating it was your opinion,
you also would be having your tongue cut out.  Now we will continue if
everyone understands the rules here."

   From then on everything was in my opinion or in the opinion of someone.
There was no honest proof of ant known or proven damage except where rape
or forced sex was at issue.

   Pixie was now ready to step up.  "OK here is our ruling.  First no one
here has offered any proof of any damage done by child sex other than what
is against the laws now.  Second your opinions do not hold water.  So here
are your choices as I see them.  One you leave us and go someplace where
others accept your unproven and undervalued opinions.  Second you sign the
agreements being handed to you and live within our laws.  But know if you
sign them and one word comes out of your breaking those agreements the
death penalty will be the answer.  I assure you no one here today
understands child sex or what the benefits are or are not.  I have been
having sex since I was six and Marsha since she was eleven.  We are both
bright well adjusted young ladies.  It was our decisions to have sex and it
did not hurt either one of us.  There was no regret, trauma, bad feelings,
hurt or anger on either of our parts."

   One guard came forward and told the two of the results.  "Guards move
the people failing to sign out of the room.  They are to be transported to
the Northern boarder check point, branded and let go into the hell of the
cities up there.  They are to be given two days food and no weapons at
all."

   The room was very silent.  No one spoke at all and the two girls stood
and walked out the door at the back.

   Denny was smiling at them as they walked in.  "Well ladies you did shake
up some people today.  But according to the boys your running five to one
in approval of your actions.  Most of the negatives are coming from people
who thought you were to young to make those decisions."

   "We are a very socially young group today and most of those surviving
are young as well.  So I expected some negative feedback.  Did the preacher
sign the document or is he leaving with the rest?"

   He signed it and before his surgery admitted he did lie.  That admission
was sent out over all communications channels.  But he and his group was
paid for by a wealthy man now here.  The man has been arrested and is on
his way here."

   It was an hour later when the man was brought into the chamber.  He was
sat down and just looked at the two girls.  "Sir what were you trying to
do?"

   "Just helping government to do their jobs.  Those people had to go or we
would later have a bigger group to fight."

   "But the way you did it tied you to the group."

   "No it did not.  I did give them money to advance the rights of
children, but I did not tell them to do it the way they did.  Matter of
fact they were told direct confrontation was not allowed."

   "Why would you even support them?"

   "I have a wife who is just thirteen.  These people harassed her while
out shopping.  So they needed to be stopped.  With no military, security
people the only way I saw was to let them do it themselves."

   "You do know that causing unrest s against the laws?"

   "I did not cause the unrest they did.  Matter of fact against my wishes.
My agreement was they could speak out in small forms and try to get their
message out.  But in no way were they to challenge the government.  That is
written into the agreement I have." He handed the agreement over.

   Both girls read it and laughed.  "You're a lawyer sir and it shows here.
It seems obvious that each thing you told them not to do they did.  But I
expect you felt that would happen before you wrote this.  So you will be
watched and if just one more issue comes out your involved in, your gone
from here.  That is a certainty and not a threat.  But your young wife will
not be going with you.  Understand this?"

   "Yes I fully understand it.  How do we protect this fragile country
then?"

   "It is not as fragile as you think sir.  We have almost three million
people and a standing military of 100,000.  But we have air power and a
Navy that even the largest groups don't have.  Right now we are negotiating
with to the south of us and in less than two years the whole south will be
one nation.  New England is way to liberal for us."

   The man was shocked.  "Just how much of the south?"

   "From Texas to the Atlantic and from Virginia to Florida.  Every state
below the Mason Dixon line will be in the new government.  So we will have
oil and the ability to refine it.  If we need more oil, food can be traded
with Mexico for that.  But the US reserves will be ours."

   "Is there anything I could do to help this happen?"

   "That depends on your outlook.  We want nothing that does not help both
parties.  States laws are up to the localities and states.  No state can
make any law not approved by all voters.  Then it cannot run against the
laws we have now.  Any state doing that will have its whole government
arrested by the confederation and require new elections."

   "But who will run the confederation?"

   "That is NOT an elected body.  It is appointed by current members. 
States will not own any military base, as it will be confederation land. 
All energy production will be done by the confederation as will all oil and
refining.  The phone companies and Internet is a confederation owned
business.  We will sell access to it and also monitor its honestly.  That
is the price for no taxes from the federation.  It will support itself and
the military with funds made from those businesses."

   That was for sure a better way to tax people.  "I see no problems with
what your saying.  But how is transportation going to come out?"

   "We have taken over rail systems now.  The entire south will be
connected by rail for shipping.  Today we have three schools working on
electric vehicle production.  The idea is to phase out oil as much as
possible.  There are wind farms being built right now and solar power being
studied.  Nuclear plants will keep running for now.  But life will change
for everyone some day."

   "How do you pay for all the backing of the money system?"

   "Right now we have three mines producing gold.  There is enough to back
right at one trillion credits.  That being about what a dollar was worth
before the down fall.  But wages are lower and cost are as well."

   "So much has already changed."

   "Yes we don't need or allow lawyers to muddy things up now."

   "That I understand and agree with.  But you gave people tens of
thousands of homes they never bought?'

   "True we did that.  But then once more we no longer have a landlord
class of people.  There is no public housing and cities don't have to
support it.  Today there is no free lunch, you work or die as you choose.
If you want to someday retire then you invest in the Federations retirement
program.  That fund is invested into financing businesses.  If they fail it
is taken over and built by the Federation to successful standards."

   He could see they had a future planned and he liked what he heard.  "OK
I am in and will do what ever I can to help.  Now I don't need money as I
am well off and own three businesses now."

   "John will contact you and discuss what you could do.  He is chairman
and makes those decisions."

   They left with Denny and he was smiling.  "You know John is going to
tell you to make the decision on him."

   "Yes, but I want to know more about him.  You have his old social
security number and his handprints.  So the boys will have a full report by
when we return."



   Chapter 17

   Life is never easy when your growing a country.  A major complaint had
been the no salaries for government leaders.  That took making your living
telling others how they will live out of the equation.  The facts of having
to accept the current central government laws also seem to be a stumbling
point.  Here the lack of large churches having any power finally carried
the day.

   There were no laws against religions or any church.  They just were not
allowed to push their beliefs on others.  Any group trying to sell their
beliefs were punished.  The entire set of laws for the states to accept
were just ten pages in size.  Those laws could not be changed without that
happening at the counsel meetings.  All of those were broadcast on the
Internet each time they happened.  Everyone could watch, listen and see
just how things were handled.

   One more large issue was the fact there were no lawyers allowed to
operate.  The laws were simple and each person with a grievance was
required to bring their own suite.  Police were required to simply testify
to facts in any case.  The job was to give the judge a complete
understanding of the facts.  Of course any arrest was done and the facts
given to the judge to make the decision if it had been right.  The job of
judge was a paid one and required complete honesty.  Every case was
evaluated by a higher court to assure it had been fairly and honestly done.
So the judge was held to a very high standard.

   The ability to control trade was an issue.  But seeing as the central
government took no money from the states, it made decisions in that area.
That was trade was to be free between all cooperating states.  But imports
would be allowed to be taxed if they disrupted existing business.  If a
state allowed an import it had to stand good for any health problems from
that.

   But doctors did not get off free either.  A doctor could not earn more
than the set high amount for all physicians.  Doctors were all given an
allowed fee schedule to live by.  If one did over charge the scheduled
fees, earn more in a year or cause harm to a patient he was charged then
brought before a court.  There was no insurance for malpractice, so costs
were paid directly by the doctor.  Each case was logged on computer with
fees charged.  That way each person had a medical record available to all
doctors.  This left most doctors working from their homes.

   Hospitals were also regulated as well.  Charges here were controlled by
a pricing list.  Each service offered had set fees.  Rooms had set
requirements and services offered, but anyone working could afford a
hospital stay.

   Hiring people also had its risks.  Once someone was hired and had
completed their probation time they had that job until they quit.  To
remove a worker you had to go to court and show cause.  Judges were very
careful to be sure that the employer was treating the person correctly. 
About fifty percent of the time the employee was released.  In the rest
some form of penalty, counseling or period of adjustment was ordered.  If
the problem was medical then time was used to see how it worked out.

   As things finally fell into place one third of the old USA was now the
Federation of States.  Industry was coming back and over ninety million
people now lived here.  Boarders were very closely guarded and outsiders
not allowed in without good background checks.  Large cities were down
sized as the need for them disappeared.  But that required roads be taken
up, buildings torn down and land put back as farming ready.  Often the city
would plant orchards on these pieces of land.  Then rent them out to others
to care for and harvest.  With water lines already there a city could earn
money for water as well as the planted land.

   Atlanta was the first city to do this and they paved the way for many.
They started by removing older inter city housing and moving people to
better housing further out.  This land was then turned into orchards.  Old
streets were removed and you had to circle this area to get to the other
side.  Those who refused to work were quickly moved out and sent to lonely
camps to learn.  Many never returned from there, as it was grow your own
food or die.

   Life was easy for many now and hard for those who refused to take
responsibility.  With no so called safety net programs and the demand that
families had to help their own.  People were drawing back into family
groups.  Bright young people were encouraged to keep going to school.  It
did not matter if they were male or female.  Today a woman could reach as
far up as any man.  Age was not a barrier for brains in any way.  Many city
and state governments had a few very bright young people helping direct
them.

   The new idea of children had come from the Pixie and Marsha.  People who
watched the meetings were always impressed with them.  If a male said
something they felt was wrong they would challenge them.  In matters that
impacted families, they always made sure sound decisions were made. 
Neither every fought in any way.  They questioned and made older people
think before making a decision.

   Life was very different in the large house now days.  Most of the
original girls were gone either by marriage or to colleges and
universities. Now a few of the better ones were back open and training. 
The engineering schools were the first step, then education schools for
teachers.  There were no liberal or conservative schools, as this was a one
party country now.  So room for those ideas just did not exist.

   John still slept with the Pixie and Marsha and now Marsha was pushing
for a baby.  That was a battle John knew he could never win.  He had made a
promise and it had to be kept.  Marsha was now thirteen and would be
fourteen by the time she delivered.  The doctor had been his last hope and
he lost.  So now he was actively trying to impregnate her.  Pixie cheered
this along, as she knew her time would come as well.  The two girls were so
close they made sisters look unrelated.

   Marsha had a reputation in military circles as being the very best.  It
served her well in dealing with this group.  They would attack hell if she
led them.  Her past exploits had become the thing of many a story, most
very inaccurate or untrue.  But the saga only grew each year.  She had won
this year in both rifle and hand to hand combat at the military games.  She
embarrassed many 200 pound plus males.  They had seen every move and still
could not defend themselves.  Marsha was just lighting fast.  The longest
shot of the day was two thousand yards.  There she placed five for five in
the head.  No one could come close to that with the wind and targets.

   But life went on and the nation had stopped growing at least for now. 
There were problems that had to be solved before any further steps could be
taken.  Some of the issues were cutting off the Mexican boarder.  The
country needed no more outsiders.  Part was setting up state governments to
function, as they should.  No politicians were allowed in government now
days.  Their day had passed with failing marks.

   In Texas there were many unhappy people who lost their wells for oil and
gas.  Then the ones who lost the refining plants.  But oil, gas and
refining now were central government operations.  With the power companies
generating well and a telephone system using only cellular service.  Every
need was covered for these services now.

   Any new country needed to develop new fuels as oil would one day not be
enough.  So massive research was being done in fuel cells and other types
of electrical power for vehicles, as well as single family power
generation. They were able to trade oil for many foods from South America.
Those the government sold to distribution companies.

   Rail service was back and used often for distant travel, as jet flights
just was not cost efficient today.  Large airports now were storage yards
for planes and parts.  Most were in hangers or covered to protect them. 
There could come a day when they might be needed?

   The big issue today was electric power for vehicles.  That was moving
slowly as the universities were doing this work.  But the prize was so
large that none could fail to work on this.  Schools like Duke, Georgia
Tech, Virginia Tech and the likes were really putting out an effort.  But
the rules were not just to get something that would run.  You had to have
it run from Virginia to Florida's southern regions.  Here time would be the
factor to decide a winner.  No gas could be used to run the vehicle and
power could be added to batteries at given points.  The designers had to
show the ability to transfer this to trucks as well.

   The old issue of Global Warming was now laughed at.  The globe had been
warming since the last ice age and really was nothing new.  It had been a
science that had never taken into account the many things from the past. 
Everything was blamed on the here and now.  That had been one of the
reasons for the big collapse.  The financial markets were already in a
downward spiral and government was trying to spend its way out.  Of course
government has always been good at spending others money.  Here they went
way beyond the ability of the country to survive.

   The old liberals and conservatives were no longer in power here.  The
gangs that had been killed off on pulling the south together, would have
raised howls from liberals.  As would the lack of programs to redistribute
wealth.  The conservatives were one to project power on other nations. 
That was no longer happening today.  They would never have agreed to the
assuming of the power, oil, telephone and railroads that had been taken
over by the commission.  But this did stop taxation being placed on the
people.

   So today the Federations ruling body was far off from past governments.
Laws were simple and if a ten year old could not read it and understand it
then it was not a good law.  You needed no lawyers to make sense of them,
as they were plain and well understood.  That kept the suites down in the
courts and a judge was just charged to follow the laws.  Life here was not
really what it had once been.  But people were free and that included
everyone.  Of course break the laws and that freedom ended right there.