Chapter 2: Home

As I hurried my family into the car late that night. I hoped to disappear before anyone would realize it. I would hope to remain out of sight but if not I would be able to defend myself. Early in the morning we arrived at a cabin that I had bought from a survivalist shortly before his death. He had died in a skydiving accident. I chuckled to myself thinking it was a dangerous hobby for someone who was worried about surviving a worldwide catastrophe.

The house was as he had left it 3 years ago. I had paid for someone to do maintenance and hadn’t been there. I knew the place was furnished had 4 bedrooms, solar and wind power. It also had a safe-room and stores to last ten years. It had its own water a safe room and a bomb shelter. It had a security system and video surveillance. It sounded almost like a fortress. I opened the door and turned on the light switch. Although it was dusty and the furniture was covered I turned to my wife and children. “Welcome to our new home.”

They rolled out their sleeping bags and slept on the living room carpet. Tomorrow they would clean the house and make up the beds. My wife whispered to me as my young son and daughter slept.

“Joe, could you turn on the hot water so that I can bathe JJ (Joseph Junior) and Cathy in the morning.”

JJ was 8, and Cathy was 6.

“Sure Mary, I’ll do that right now.”

I got up went to the basement and found the control panel, I turned on the switches and was on the way out when I saw the entrance to the safe room. I opened the door and saw another door next to it. On the door was a painted sign. In large red letters the word Armory painted on it. I opened the door and looked inside. There was enough equipment and arms to supply a battalion. There were 3 Bradley fighting vehicles with M242 chain guns and Tows attached. I would have to do a lot of cleaning and maintenance. I peeked inside to see if the M240 machine guns were still in place. They were.

I went back upstairs into the living quarters, and found JJ and Kathy watching cartoons. Mary was preparing breakfast. The TV was interrupted by a public service announcement.

“This morning King Norman has declared Marshall law. He has announced that all non Americans are to be relocated to relocation camps. He has defined Americans as being American born, white non Papal Christians. All others will forfeit their property and be moved to relocation camps until the final solution could be reached.”

“Mary call our families, and tell them to join us here. Tell them to leave quickly before the roundups start. He is moving everyone who is not American born, white and Protestant to internment camps, just another name for concentration camp. I don’t think they are any different than Hitler was in their final solution.”

My phone rang. I looked at the screen Pete Kaufman a friend from my days in a ranger recon platoon.

“Hi Pete whats going on?”

“Joe what are we going to do Joe? This isn’t good.”

“Do you remember Walt’s vacation place?”

“Yeah.”

“Pack your family I’ll meet you there at 4pm justice time.”

He knew Danny justice was always two hours early.

“Don’t be late, I have a safe place for you and your family. Invite anyone else you trust and you think might help us trouble is coming. Bring any tools you might have.”

He would know I meant weapons, because he was all thumbs except for using firearms.

“OK I have a few items and a couple of friends.”

If they thought the Warsaw Ghetto was the worst the resistance could get they had a lot to learn. Many Jews and Blacks were military trained. They were threatening my family and starting the war. He had disbanded the Army for his SS like Blackshirt rabble. The Hispanics and Catholics would join us once they saw what was happening. Now is the time to prepare.