The Directives (17 page)

“Yes, ma’am. Our gear and personnel are all loaded up and ready to go,” Slim replied.

Terri entered the makeshift day care center, the repurposed room furnished with community donations for Alpha’s most diminutive citizens. A shelving unit housed old drums, buckets of broken crayons, and Matchbox cars. An assortment of books filled one full row, sporting a hodge-podge of family favorites including several Dr.
Suess stories and some picture books for the newborns. An older man in the community had carved a couple of stick ponies for the “cowboys in training” to get a little practice. One adult was supervising the tots while two preschool engineers built a Lego city. Another worker gently rocked an infant that had cuddled into the older woman’s embrace. Both of the grandmother-types greeted Terri with sincere smiles. “Good morning, Miss Terri,” the baby snuggler offered in a hushed voice. “Hunter’s had a busy morning. He downed some mashed sweet potatoes while watching the older children build a little town and finally fell asleep to
The Cat in the Hat
.”

The architect supervisor turned to comment as Terri passed, “We were just discussing his progress. He is so alert and strong. I believe he’ll be sitting up on his own in the next few days.”

“Really?” Terri quizzed. “Isn’t he a little young for that?”

“Five months is a bit early,” one of the ladies responded, “But both your husband and you are athletic people, so it’s not unheard of. He is such a happy little boy. We both enjoy our time with him.”

Terri smiled and thanked the two babysitters, and then strolled into the adjoining room. Here, the blinds were pulled to maintain a dark, quiet place for the children who needed sleep.

Hunter was snoozing, hardly noticing as his mother gently scooped him up and held him close. Sighing with relief, she gently swayed side to side while humming softy.
You’re growing like a weed
, she thought.
Every time I pick you up it seems like you’ve gotten bigger. Your dad will really notice the difference when he gets back
.

After whispering a sincere, “Thank you,” to the two kind souls charged with caring for her child, Terri exited the nursery to find Butter waiting for her return. Slim was nowhere to be seen, but that wasn’t a concern – she knew instinctively that he was making sure the exit was clear.

“How’s the little fella doing?” the huge ranch hand inquired in a hushed voice.

To answer the question, Terri turned slightly to let her bodyguard see Hunter’s closed eyes.

Butter’s face lit up with an enormous grin as he reached up, lightly caressing the newborn’s cheek. “He needs his rest,” the big man whispered. “Growing is hard work.”

And you should know
, Terri thought. It never ceased to amaze her how gentle and affectionate Butter was with Hunter. Towering at least 6’4” and weighing close to 260 pounds, she had initially been concerned when her new security man had shown more interest in playing with her son than guarding him.
There’s a super-sized child inside of him
, she had eventually decided.

Not only was Butter extremely tall and muscular, he was the only man in Alliance territory who had gone hand-to-hand with Nick and not been bested. An undefeated state champion wrestler, it was rumored Butter was well on his way to the United States Olympic team before the collapse occurred.

When they had first met, Terri assumed her protector had earned his nickname due to his blonde, butter-colored hair, but Slim soon set the record straight. “He slaps butter on everything. Ever since we were kids… butter on breakfast cereal, butter on steak, butter on grits…. Heck, I am shocked he’s not one big ball of butter fat.”

The irony of it all wasn’t lost on Terri, especially after several months of fighting to regain her pre-pregnancy figure.
There isn’t an ounce of fat on that guy
, she thought, envious of such a metabolism.

No sooner than Terri and her guardian reached the courthouse’s side exit, Slim appeared at their side. “Everything’s in order, Miss Terri,” he announced. “It looks like another bright and clear day… good weather for a road trip.”

Slim held the door open for Terri to pass, his eyes always darting right and left as if he expected some threat to materialize out of thin air. Next to Butter, the dark-haired ranch hand appeared tiny – almost harmless. She knew that was an illusion.

Slim was actually an average size fellow with a wiry build and brown eyes that never seemed to focus on any one object. Looking like he would be more at home in a saddle than guarding a dignitary, he was hardly the type anyone would visualize as a security professional. That was a misconception as well.

Over time, Terri had found that Slim was the truly dangerous one of the pair. He was incredibly fast and accurate with a pistol. So impressive were his skills that even Bishop, Nick, and the Darkwater contractors had solicited his training and advice.

The man was also uncannily observant. More than once, he’d shocked Terri by noting some minor detail that she had missed. Nothing seemed to escape his scrutiny. 

When Terri discovered that Slim had worked at the Department of State, protecting American diplomats and VIPs all over the world, his demeanor, habits and skills all made sense.

About the only thing Slim seemed to fear was Hunter. More than once, she’d had to pull the infant away from Butter, his inexhaustible enjoyment of playtime interfering with meals and naps. Slim, on the other hand, shied away from any contact with the baby. It was almost as if the man was scared he’d break the child. The dichotomy was amazing and often humorous.

With Hunter still sleeping, Terri and her escorts strode across the courthouse lawn toward a waiting line of idling vehicles. There were six in all, a carefully selected assortment of civilian, law enforcement, and military transports. Terri’s objective was the second of two large, class-A motorhomes, one of which had become her traveling office and abode. In front of her “home on wheels” sat a military Humvee, one of Sheriff Watts’s squad cars, and another camper that was used to house her companions. Behind, two civilian pickup trucks rounded out the entourage, their beds stuffed to the brim with fuel cans and boxes of supplies. 

“Our first stop is Austin, ma’am,” Slim noted. “We’ll be on the road for approximately five hours. Is there anything else you need before we roll out of Alpha?”

Terri shook her head, “No. No, I think Betty and I packed everything we needed last night.”

“Good. The military representatives arrived early this morning and are all set. Sheriff Watts has assigned one of his senior deputies to accompany us and work with any law enforcement we might encounter. We’ve got two engineers, one representative from the rancher’s guild, and of course, my team.”

Terri scanned up and down the line and sighed, wondering if they were utilizing the Alliance’s resources in the most effective manner.

Obviously, the trip was necessary. The folks in the big cities in the central part of the state had been made aware of the federal government’s voluntary withdrawal from Texas. However, few of the officers running the military zones knew much about the Alliance or its leaders. Everyone on the council had agreed - it was time for a series of face-to-face meetings. The planning for the excursion to the eastern part of the state had begun several weeks ago. Tomorrow, Nick and Diana would be making a similar journey to Dallas and Fort Worth.

It was more than just showing the flag. A long list of objectives had been identified for the trip. The leadership in West Texas needed firsthand knowledge of what conditions were like on the ground. The huge population centers east of the Hill Country needed to have representation on the council. A thousand things had to be accomplished in order to enable a recovery and improve people’s lives.

At first, Terri had envisioned a variable all-star team of Alliance expertise descending upon their neighbors in need. She had visualized hoards of engineers, farmers, ranchers, and mechanics invading the big cities and projecting a message of “We’re here to restore order to your lives.”

But, as the council had learned more about the true conditions in the east, her desire to save the day began evaporating. In a matter of weeks, she realized that plan was utterly unrealistic.

So now, instead of making a big splash, they were going to stick a toe into the troubled waters of their fellow Texans.

“What’s the total number of people going on the trip?” Terri turned and asked Slim.

“All told, we have 16 hardy explorers setting sail with us today, ma’am,” came the response.

“And how many of those are dedicated to keeping Hunter and me out of trouble?”

“Seven, ma’am.”

Almost half
, she thought, disgusted at the use of valuable assets.

At first, she’d protested the continuous rings of security that Bishop and Nick insisted surround her. “Who would want to hurt Hunter or me?” she’d argued. “It is a waste of resources to have men guarding us all the time. Besides,” she added, patting the 9mm pistol that was always on her belt, “I can take care of myself.”

While no one doubted Terri was quite self-reliant and skilled to boot, Bishop wouldn’t budge. “You are the face, voice, and icon of the Alliance. There are always going to be people who disagree with what we’re doing. By its very nature, the act of governing often generates anger and ill will. You can’t please everyone. In addition to that, there are still dangerous men roaming Alliance territory. Sheriff Watts can’t ban every outlaw and desperado. What happens if one of these rogue individuals decides to take Hunter or you hostage? It’s happened before, hasn’t it?”

So she had agreed, deciding to make the best of it. Terri had to admit it was nice to have them around when Bishop was away. But half of their personnel? Wouldn’t it be better to take along more experts?

“I don’t need that many bodyguards, Slim,” she protested. “This is getting ridiculous. We should be utilizing those limited seats for people who can help our friends back east.”

Slim shook his head. “Ma’am, we’ve been through this a hundred times already. I beg you, Miss Terri, please let me do my job. If nothing else, put yourself in my shoes. If something happened to you or the baby, would you want to be the guy who had to tell Mister Bishop?”

Terri waved him off, knowing she wasn’t going to win the argument. “Okay, okay. I’ll quit bitching about it. Let’s get going.”

After making sure she managed the motorhome’s steps and was out of earshot, Slim turned to Butter and remarked, “She’s so damned headstrong. One of these days she’s going to let that confidence override commonsense - and that is going to get her, and us, into trouble.”

Butter nodded, accustomed to his friend complaining about Terri’s strong will and excessive determination. “I know,” he consoled his co-worker. “But remember what Mr. Beltran said when he asked us to take this job.”

Nodding after some thought, Slim had to agree. “The boss was right… as usual.”

After watching Butter head forward to one of the waiting transports, Slim mounted the steps and slid behind the motorhome’s steering wheel. He peered back into the cabin and spotted Terri sitting in a lounge chair, a seatbelt already fastened across her lap. The baby was secure in his crib. “Getting underway, ma’am,” he announced, and then shifted the transmission.

As the convoy rolled out of Alpha, Mr. Beltran’s words echoed through Slim’s mind. “That woman is special, boys. She has the right combination of grit, love, mountain lion, and commonsense all wrapped up in one soul. Protect her. Keep her safe. She’s our best hope and deserves the chance to see it through.”

Terri glanced away from her never-ending stack of paperwork, Slim’s usual activity at the helm drawing her attention. Her driver was pressing his radio earpiece tightly, a sure sign something important was being broadcast.

She tried to hear his response, but the words were undecipherable. Intuition told her something was wrong.

It became apparent that she wasn’t going to have to wait long to find out what was going on. Slim looked up into the mirror and said, “Miss Terri, please remain seated. We’re making an unscheduled stop.”

“What’s going on, Slim?”

“We just received a broadcast from Fort Hood, ma’am. The convoy is pulling to the side so you can be briefed.”

“Bishop,” Terri whispered, throwing a worried look at Betty. “Something has gone wrong with Bishop.”