The Shelter: Book 1, The Beginning (27 page)

I stand up in shock, shaking my head, “That’s the end of America. Born July 4
th,
1776, died Monday, June 29
th,
2015. When the President mandated how private businesses should function. We’ve become a dictatorship. He was elected President, not King. He can’t do what he just did.”

Ricky looks at me saying, “Dad, I think he did a good thing. If the government can’t make their payments, then the banks and other creditors should be forced to wait to collect their payments. What’s fair is fair.”

“Ricky, it’s not an issue of fairness. It’s an issue that the Federal Government can’t dictate to private companies.”

We’re interrupted by a news flash, “Fox News is able to confirm that the previously agreed to deal with Greece and Germany has fallen apart. Germany has demanded Greece start making immediate payments. The Greek Prime Minister has said he is planning on resigning. There are reports of thousands of riots spreading across Greece, Italy, Spain, and Belgium. The problem in these countries is since the Euro collapsed no other country is willing to accept their original currency as payment for imports. There are mass shortages of most medications, even over the counter medications are sold out without any future supply in sight. People are dying all over Europe without medications. Even aspirin is impossible to locate. Every imported product has stopped flowing into the countries that once made up the European Union. Spare parts are impossible to locate, causing anything imported to stop when they break. Electricity, clean water, and even sanitation systems are breaking down in Europe. Today, the national police in Athens used live ammunition on hungry, sick crowds looking for help from the government. Hundreds are lying dead where they were shot in the central square of Athens. Twenty-eight blocks of Rome are burning out of control.” Fox shows overhead images of Rome burning out of control. Flames are seen licking at the clouds, smoke covers the unburnt sections of the city. People can be seen rioting and stealing anything they can grab. The camera shifts to Athens, where people are fighting the police with rocks, Molotov Cocktails, and metal pipes. The police respond with live rifle fire. The more the police fire into the crowds, the larger the crowds grow. Fire engines are called in to use high-pressure water hoses to break up the riots. When the water spray starts, the people in the front lines hold up metal shields made from garbage can covers. The people behind the front line brace to hold up those in the front line, helping them advance towards the police and fire department.

I look at the screen, “It seems Fox has access to their own drones, there’s no other way they could be getting these images. It looks like these countries are tearing themselves apart. Everyone, look at these images, this is a preview of what could happen here when people’s money and food run out.”

Ricky disagrees, “Dad, this is America, we’re not going to act like a bunch of spoiled children. We’ll sit down and discuss the situation. Those who have will share with those who need. It’s always been this way, we’re different from the Europeans. You’ll see this shelter of yours is nothing more than a huge waste of money and resources. We should be using all of our resources to grow more food to help those who are going to be hungry.”

“Ricky, whose going to pay me for the food you want me to grow and give away.”

“Dad, it’s the right thing to do. I’m sure once the government sorts out this little disagreement with China they’ll pay you.”

Laughing, “Ricky, tell you what. When the shelter is finished, you can stay up top and help those who come by looking for handouts. You decide how much each person should get while justifying your decision to those who think they’re entitled to more than you’re giving them.”

“Dad, I’m sure nothing is going to happen. This isn’t Europe. We’re all Americans. We’ll share. We’ll work together until the government is ready to start making payments again. People won’t be as bad off as you think because President Obama ordered everyone to put a hold on all payments. Dad, want to bet me that I’m right?”

“I’d love to bet you. I think I understand human nature better than you think I do. I know that not everyone is going to place a hold on payments. Many small and medium size companies need those payments to pay their workers. If I know your beloved President like I think I do, his next announcement will be to freeze prices and costs. When that happens, companies will stop making products, the shelves won’t be restocked, once something is sold, it’ll be gone. There won’t be any replacements to restock empty shelves. Think about that a minute. When your peace loving, reasonable people realize there aren’t going to be any more deliveries, watch how quickly every store is stripped bare. The black market will be the only place to get anything of value, the economy will collapse and it’ll initially be replaced by one based on a barter system.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Prize freezes and price controls don’t work. The dollar is almost worthless and hyperinflation is starting due to the lack of goods and services, we’re going to make Europe look like a grade school playground.”

“Dad, why do you say that?”

“Because, unlike Europe, there are over 300 million guns in America, brother is going to fight brother over a loaf of bread. We lost the knowledge how to live off the land a long time ago. Most don’t know how to grow food or hunt and trap. Too many think food comes from the supermarket, they don’t know where food really comes from. Millions are going to die from starvation, exposure and fighting each other. That’s why I’m building the shelter.”

“I don’t understand why we won’t be safe here in the house.”

“Even if Tony and his people join us, we’ll be only around forty against thousands of hungry people who don’t have anything to lose.”

Todd nods his agreement, making Ricky even angrier. Franco enters the back door saying, “Jay, we’ve started pouring the cement floor.”

“Franco, how thick will the floor be?”

“One foot of reinforced concrete. It has to cure for a few days before we start installing the preformed walls. There will be a steady line of concrete trucks in and out all day today as we pour the floor. I’m afraid that this may be the last shipment of fresh concrete we get. The general manager of the plant said he’s going to close down as soon as he’s done with our order. By the way, pray that it doesn’t rain for the next three days.”

“Just great, I assume there aren’t any other concrete plants close by, are there?”

“No, I’ve been checking for days.”

We spent the balance of the day watching a steady stream of trucks feeding the funnel that poured concrete over the reinforcing steel rods and PVC pipes laid in the floor. We planned to pump water into the shelter from our existing wells and pump waste out of the shelter into large septic fields. Electrical energy will be supplied by our large solar panels and the windmills charging submarine batteries. My biggest fear is the solar panels and windmills will be damaged or destroyed by fighting or the invaders will occupy the farms and disconnect the power feed. If we lose our outside electrical supply we’ll be facing a series of major problems, one’s I don’t know how to recover from yet. I’ll have to check if we can mount generators in the shelter. We have the fuel, but their exhaust could be a problem.

Chapter 14

The 7:00 PM evening news programs report that people and companies who deposited cash into their bank accounts have discovered their funds have disappeared without any notice. People and small companies are confused, worried and upset. Hundreds of thousands worry they won’t be able to put food on their family’s tables or pay their employees. Millions post on social networks their bank accounts are frozen or have been drained. None of the banks are able to tell their customers what’s happening with their funds, except to say the IRS has seized all of the cash deposits. Calls to the IRS aren’t returned. The IRS also doesn’t return calls from Congressmen and Senators, whose offices are besieged with calls and emails from their constituents. America is panicking, everyone worries the IRS will drain their accounts. In the middle of the news programs, people log onto to their bank’s websites attempting to transfer their funds and quickly learn their cash accounts are frozen. All cash transfers out of the country are blocked. The IRS and FBI inform the world’s public and private banks that all accounts held by American citizens are to be opened for their inspection and possible confiscation. While most of America is watching the news, the IRS and FBI identify over a billion dollars whose origin is in their opinion questionable. These accounts are confiscated without notice to the account owners. Americans are watching their savings disappear in front of them. This evening’s televised entertainment programs are interrupted to extend the news reports and the discussion on the confiscation of people’s bank accounts. Rumors flash across social media that the IRS is breaking into people’s homes looking for gold, silver and hidden cash. America is riveted in front of their televisions when the reporters announce the IRS has issued a press release saying, “Next year’s tax refunds will be delayed until at least early 2017. No refunds will be paid out during the balance of the calendar year 2015 and all of 2016.”

Fox’s Megan Kelly breaks the news that the White House is going to announce that it's now illegal for the private ownership of gold and silver. All private holdings are to be sold to the government at the rate of $500 an ounce for gold and $30 an ounce for silver. Megan’s audience is shocked into silence by the announcement. I’m happy we hid our holdings. I think to myself,
This time Obama hit his base, this time he went too far. He’s screwed with the wrong people. He’s going to lose the support from the media and the very wealthy. I laugh thinking how the mega-rich just got screwed by their messiah.

Our neighbors start arriving at 7:20 PM to attend the meet and greet session with Tony and Nancy. All are concerned with the evening’s news reports about the IRS confiscation of people’s bank accounts and the report that private ownership of gold and silver is outlawed. Many want to know if we’re affected too. I tell them, “Someone already emptied our accounts, we don’t know who or how they stole our money. Even our bank security officer doesn’t know what happened.”

Fred asks, “Jay, does this mean we’re screwed? Are you out of money to finish the shelter?” Everyone heard Fred’s questions, all talking stops waiting for my answer, “Fred, everyone, we should be okay. The banks have acknowledged someone broke into our accounts, the FDIC and the bank’s own security departments are working on restoring our accounts. In the meantime, they have extended us a line of credit without interest.”

Todd laughs, saying, “Interest rates jumped to 20% yesterday, how do we go about getting an interest free loan?”

“Lose 20 million dollars through holes in your bank’s security system.”

Todd smiles, saying, “I think I’ll pass.”

“Please trust me, no one should worry. Really, everything is going to be fine. Grab a beer or a glass of wine and let’s chat about what we want to discuss with Tony and Nancy when they arrive.”

Our neighbors nod while downing a drink and grabbing a plate of snacks. As we start talking about the agenda for the evening, Todd walks back into the room saying, “Fox News just reported that worldwide, over forty central banks are hoarding gold, is this something important? Megan said something about the banks decided they’re not going to sell their gold to the government.”

Nodding, I say, “Yes, it is. It says the central banks are expecting a complete meltdown sooner versus than later. None of them trust their own or any other country’s currency, they are hoarding gold as an insurance policy. Gold has always been used as an international currency.” Before I can finish, the front door opens and Tony and Nancy enter with smiles on their faces. They’re carrying three large boxes from a local bakery and Tony is dragging a case of wine behind him. Tony and I hug each other as Lacy hugs Nancy. The others in our group smile at the friendly welcome by both sides. Nancy says, “Hi everyone, we didn’t know what to bring, so we asked the bakery to make up some different cakes and cookies for the little ones.  We also brought an assortment of wine.” The kids ran over, looking in the boxes, Linda says, “Cookies! Cool!”

After exchanging introductions, everyone grabbed a plate of cake and a cup of coffee, wine or a bottle of beer. Tony looked out of the rear windows, the large construction flood lights illuminated the shelter work site. He sees Matt spreading the fresh concrete on the floor of the shelter. Tony says, “I see you’re working around the clock on your little construction project.”

“Yes we are, we don’t have a lot of resources so we work on it when we can. The floor will be finished in two days. You can see most of the preformed concrete outer walls waiting to be installed. When the walls are up and their steel support beams installed, we’ll install the interior walls and the ceiling which is also preformed sections of concrete. We’re going to use the steam shovel to lift the preformed sections into place. We’ll bolt them to the steel beams. The roof will go on in sections to allow us to finish the interior rooms. The final roof will be the soil we removed from the hole. We’ll cover the shelter so it’s not visible. If we get overrun, we’ll be able to survive in the shelter. Once the roof is covered, we’ll plant crops in the soil so in a few months no one will know there’s anything buried under the fields.”