Strengthen What Remains (Book 2): A Time to Endure (15 page)

Maria
sat beside him, as Caden drove to church.

“I
feel bad about leaving Sue behind to watch the house,” Maria said.

“She
has Nikki to help her,” Caden said with a grin. “Besides, she said she wanted
to stay.”

Maria
nodded, but was clearly not satisfied.

Caden’s
thoughts drifted to the upcoming operation and battles of the recent past.
How many times have I had a gun pointed at
me this year? How many times have I been shot at?

 
Ahead the road curved up the slope, but
between old apple trees Caden saw the white, wood-frame church that had
dominated the hilltop for longer than he had lived.

I haven’t been to
church since the Battle of Olympia.
I know
Mom and Dad like it when I go, but life has been so busy.
For several
moments, images and emotions from the battle surged through him. He didn’t like
that the media included the fight at Hansen with the overall battle. The Hansen
combat was referred to as a skirmish. Caden shook his head. The Hansen fight
was small in comparison to the main battle around the capital and it was just a
part of the overall conflict that day. Still, it seemed unfair to those who
fought and died on both sides of the battle to call it a skirmish, but there
was little he could do about it.

People
riding horseback and walking in the street toward the church caused him to slow
the car. More often now, people treated streets as wide paths and cars as
intruders. He gave a horse plenty of space as he drove by. Farther ahead
another horse pulled an ancient wagon slowly up the hill. Several kids jumped
aboard as it passed.

Trees
on the edge of the church parking lot served as hitching posts for horses.
There were more cars on the lot than the last time he had been there, but
parking was more than ample. Caden pulled into a spot that faced the large
field behind the church.

A
long Quonset-hut-style greenhouse dominated one side of the field. Two smaller
backyard greenhouses stood alongside. A hill of black earth rose nearby and a
chain-link fence would soon enclose the area. Several dozen raised-bed gardens
were under construction. No one was there now, but clearly the field had been
an area of intense activity.

Caden
approached the largest greenhouse. A wooden door frame was at one end with
hinges, but no door had yet been hung. PVC pipes about four feet apart arched
like ribs from one side to the other. The entire structure was covered with
heavy plastic sheeting. Even with one end open the air inside was warm. Benches
lined the length. Narrow wooden tables with slats were designed for
greenhouses,
other tables were just available flat surfaces.
Trays and pots in a multitude of shapes, sizes and material lined both sides.

At
the sound of the church bell, Caden turned.

Maria
stood just inside the structure watching him.

“I’m
glad I saw all of this.”

She
nodded and reached out her hand. Together they walked back to the family.

The
old horse-drawn wagon pulled in front of the church and children jumped from
both sides.

As
they entered the sanctuary, Caden’s thoughts were on the greenhouses. Holding
onto the image of those beside the church and the one on the family farm lifted
his spirit. The structures seemed to say, ‘We will survive this winter. We will
be here next year.’

The
church faced east and the morning light poured in through a large stained glass
window casting the congregation in shades of red, green and blue. The sanctuary
was largely full except for the first two rows. As the Westmore clan filed into
a front row pew the congregation stood and sang,
It is Well With My Soul
.

Caden
joined in.

The
announcements were mostly about the coming planting. “If you have extra seeds
please bring them to the exchange in room ten. Also, if you need seeds go
there. You probably noticed the hill of black soil. The Grange is helping us
organize and build a community garden beside the church. You can sign up for a
plot….”

The government is
fractured, the money nearly worthless, the economy is in a death spiral, but here
there is hope.
Caden
smiled thinking of Zach and how he provided for his family and the way his dad
found the materials to rebuild the decrepit greenhouse.
Yes, there is a future.

He
was lost in thought for several minutes and then his attention focused on the
older, gray-haired man in a dark suit fervently speaking to the congregation.
Caden recognized him as the pastor of the church.

He
pointed at Caden and their eyes locked.

“Will
you?” he asked.

In
his confusion, Caden almost asked, “What?”

The
pastor turned to the other side of the congregation. “Will you?” The elder’s
eyes swept the gathering. “Who will answer God’s call in Ezekiel and stand in
the gap on behalf of the land?”

Relieved
that he wasn’t being personally asked, Caden dwelled on the question.
This town is lucky to have men like Hoover
and my father. During the chaos of the terror attacks, they saved Hansen. Governor
Monroe is struggling to save the state and maybe the country. They are standing
in the gap.

The
pastor lifted his arms. “Rise up, followers of the Lord, and strengthen what
remains before all is lost.”

*
    
          
*
              
*

Caden
stopped by the hospital later that day, in uniform. Even though Zach was not a
soldier, he considered this part of his trip an official duty. The last couple
of weeks he had performed well at the armory and earned the respect of the
First Sergeant. Not an easy task.

He
wanted to check on the young man, and his mother, and see if he could help.

After
minutes of weaving down identical halls he came to her room. The mother and two
teenage girls were inside. Caden recognized the redheaded teen as Vicki, Zach’s
sister. She sat in the corner swaying to music only she could hear on her
earbuds and writing in a notebook.

He
thought the other girl with blonde hair, was the one he had seen with Zach at
the library market. She was pretty, with well-manicured nails, new jeans and a
lacy yellow blouse, but right now, that was off-set by her snoring.

Caden
stepped into the room

Vicki
swung to her right, saw Caden and gasped. Pulling the earbuds from her ears she
said, “I didn’t know you were there.”

“Sorry
I startled you.”

The
blonde stretched and then went wide-eyed at the man in the room.

“I’m
just checking on Zach and your family.”

 
“Mom is…well the doctor won’t say, but I don’t
think they believe she will ever wake up.”

“Was
it a stroke or….” It was a natural question, but Caden immediately felt nosy
and regretted asking.

Vicki’s
head hung low.

“It
was Bo,” the blonde said.

“What?”
Caden asked.

With
a big sigh Vicki said, “I think we need help. Zach needs help. I’m afraid he’s
going to do something bad.”

Caden
sat down. “Tell me everything and I’ll see what I can do.”

More
sighs and looks passed between the girls.

“You
need to tell him,” the blonde said.

Vicki
nodded. “This guy Bo, gave Mom booze and she drank it,” she shook her head, “like
a fish. I think he liked Mom to begin with, but then he was just using her to
get to Zach.”

He
looked at her doubtfully.

“Yeah,
he wants Zach to steal things from the armory,” the blonde agreed.

“Steal
what, exactly.”

Hands
weaving in the air as if drawing, Vicki said, “Guns, bullets and parts of them,
you know like the things the bullets go in.”

“Magazines?”
Caden asked.

“Yeah,
I guess that’s what it’s called. But Zach wouldn’t do it.”

“Good,”
Caden said.

 
“But then Bo gave Mom drugs. I think Bo wanted
to get her hooked so he’d have more power over Zach, and Mom too, maybe.”

Gesturing
toward the mother, Caden asked, “Was this an overdose?”

“Kinda…ah…Mom…she
tried to kill herself.” The girl stared at the floor for a moment. “And Zach
said he was going to kill Bo. Can you stop my brother before…?”

“Is
Bo a nickname? Do you know his full name?”

“Ah…I
think Bo is his real name. I’ve heard his last name but….”

“Robert
Bo Hendricks,” the blonde said.

“How
did you know that, Delynn?” Vicki asked.

 
The girl blushed “Bo’s creepy. When he first
started visiting your house, I asked my dad to check on him.” She looked at
Caden. “My dad’s a lawyer.” Turning back to Vicki she said, “Dad didn’t care
for Zach before, but what he found out about Bo really turned him against…well,
all of you. I’m sorry.”

Vicki
hugged Delynn but looked at Caden. “Can you arrest him?

Caden
looked at his watch and silently cursed his lack of time. In less than fifteen
hours he would lead most of his men north in Operation Lexington. “I will do
everything I can. If you see Zach, tell him to go to the armory.”

The
girls smiled and nodded.
 

Caden
wasn’t hopeful as he left the room. In addition to his lack of time, Bo would
probably deny everything Zach and Vicki accused him of doing.
A classic they said, he said.

Still
considering what to do, he continued down a long straight hallway toward the
other end of the building and the less noble reason for his visit to the
hospital. He told Brooks and his family that he would visit Zach and his mother
before he left, but he told no one that he also wanted to see Cruz.

He
didn’t know exactly why he needed to see the prisoner. Perhaps it was just to
assure himself that the murderer was there and would remain in custody. Caden
didn’t plan to say anything to him. Oh, he did want to gloat that MS-13 and the
other gangs were about to be destroyed. But he wouldn’t. The less Cruz knew the
better. However, he could stand there, look the thug in the eye and know that he
would never breathe free air again and his gang, at least in this area, would
soon be decimated.

As
he walked down the hall, Caden smiled. That would be enough.

But
when Caden arrived at the room where the interrogation had occurred, three
patients occupied the space and none of them was Cruz.

He
asked about the former occupant, but they knew nothing. Caden left and found a
nurse.

“That
awful man,” she said with a visible shudder. “The sheriff had him moved to a
more secure place in the hospital a couple of days ago.” She gave him
directions.

Caden
turned down one bland pastel colored passage and then another. He waved to Dr.
Winfield, turned down another corridor and soon saw a deputy seated beside a
door.

The
lawman stood as Caden approached.

“I
need to see the prisoner.” He felt his face warm. There was no need. This was a
want, an emotional desire to look into the face of the man who had killed one
of his men, and tried to kill him. Caden had a need for Cruz to know who was in
control.
  

The
deputy unlocked the door and Caden stepped into a tiny windowless room. He
wondered if it had been a storage area before it was a prison cell.

The
space was empty except for a chair, table and hospital bed. The bed was bolted
to the floor as far from the door as possible and Cruz was handcuffed to it.

Just
inside, Caden stared at the thug.

Slowly
Cruz opened his eyes. “You’re disturbing my beauty rest soldier boy.”

Caden
remained silent wondering if he should convene a tribunal and dispose of Cruz.
Thinking about that and the upcoming operation to destroy MS-13 and the other
gangs brought a grin to Caden’s face.

“What
you smiling about?”

 
Caden had what he wanted.
I’ll wait till I return to decide Cruz’s fate.
He looked around the
small space. “Do you like your room?”

Cruz
cursed.

“I
think you’ll like your next room even less.”

“You
moving me or you gonna try and kill me?”

Again
Caden smiled. “For now I think mov….” He had said more than he planned, more
than he should. Turning away, he banged on the door.

The
deputy let him out.

In
the hall Caden wondered if the little he said was too much. The criminal had to
know that he would be moved to a jail, but Caden had confirmed it. Still he
didn’t know a day or time.

Caden
turned to the deputy. “Does Cruz have any visitors?”