Jon Smith Read online

  Chris noted the club security headed toward the table.

  ‘I agree I think it is time to call it a night.”

  Chris took Brittany’s hand.

  “It was more than a pleasure to meet you and if you ever want to really live, come to my home.

  She looked up into his eyes and did what any smitten girl would do. She put her hand around his neck and bent him over and kissed him.

  “Maybe one day I shall.” said Brittany.

  Chris and Amanda wasted no time departing the club as the security guards began to question the four young men that had been in the encounter. Out the front door they headed and ran a few blocks down the street. When they felt they had put enough distance between themselves and any trouble they stopped running and walked. At once they both took a look at each other and began to chuckle.

  “Well what do you think of the wild night life here in the city?” asked Amanda.

  “It is interesting and quite surprising. As I asked you in the club, I thought that all this urbanization and socialization had made you all more civilized than those of us in the outlier world?”

  “Well the reality is for the most part people are less driven here and are not controlled by emotions or anything else for that matter. But some things don’t change and when you get young men and women together in a place like that the hormones do take control. I guess at the end of the day while we may have great powers of reason; we are still controlled by the animal urges that can’t get bred out of us.”

  “Nor does it seem that they can get indoctrinated out of you either. I think it bodes well for our country.” said Chris.

  “Well one thing is for sure, young females certainly are attracted to you. Maybe we should stay here instead of going back to your valley?”

  “Amanda, I wouldn’t stay here if it was the last place on earth and to tell you a secret, not to be bragging, I get the same reactions from the girls in the valley.”

  “I just hope that I don’t have too much competition with the boys.”

  “Sis, something tells me that you don’t need to be worried about that.”

  Shortly the two were back at the building that housed their mother’s condominium. They came in and entered the elevator which rapidly took them to the seventh floor. It was ten thirty at night as they walked into the abode which was very quiet. Jon and Catherine had gone to bed for the night and likewise did Amanda and Chris head for their berths. Chris lay awake on the sofa thinking about the events of the evening. Could he really fit in to this kind of world, he was wondering? Shortly he came to the conclusion that what made him attractive to that girl was the fact that he was not of the urban world. His lifestyle had created the type of alpha male that most women craved and there was no way if he lived in the urban world would he remain an alpha male. With that thought Chris slipped into a happy deep sleep.

  Chapter 10

  As the family began to awake the next morning, they began to talk about what the day would bring and what plans were to be made. Jon was working on breakfast as Amanda, Catherine, and Chris sat at the table.

  “Well what should we do?” asked Jon.

  “Girls are you sure you want to leave this exquisite life to go and scrape of the land with us scarecrows?” asked Jon

  Catherine looked at Amanda and without hesitation replied.

  “Fact is I am ready to go now. In fact, let’s eat, pack up and go after breakfast.”

  “Ok that works for me.” said Chris.

  “How much do you need to pack?” asked Jon?

  “Well I don’t think we have much in the way of clothes as something tells me we will need to change our wardrobe to something more appropriate in your world. I have some family things I want to bring and just a few more personal things.” said Catherine

  “About the same for me.” said Amanda?

  “Ok then let’s finish up eating and Chris and I will straighten up while you two get ready. Do you have to let someone know you are leaving or do you have to leave a key?”

  “No, I think it best that we just slip away with no questions. Amanda and I have talked about this for months and we are ready.”

  Amanda and Catherine excused themselves from the table and went back into their bedrooms and began to pack. Jon and Chris cleared the dishes, washed them and put them away. Jon walked back into Catherine’s room just as she was sliding some of her last possessions into a bag. Jon got a good look at the object and let out a slight sigh.

  “So you have kept our wedding album all these years.”

  “Of course, I have Jon, that day meant a lot to me. Our differences created a lot of issues between us but I have never regretted marrying you and absolutely never regretted us producing these two great kids we have.”

  Jon walked over and gave Catherine a kiss on the forehead.

  “You about ready to go honey?”

  “Yes Jon, let’s go.”

  Amanda came out of her room carrying two bags and Catherine had two bags as well. Chris and Jon put their backpacks on and picked up the girl’s luggage. The four walked out the front door and Amanda pulled the door shut.

  “Well, so begins a new life.” said Amanda.

  ‘Yes it does honey but I think it will be good.” said Catherine looking at Jon.

  The four came down the elevator and out the door onto the street. It was about nine in the morning and people were making their way toward their jobs. They all had the look of heading to something they dreaded rather than something that made them excited. But that was the way of the new world as every day was the same as the last. The thrill of change was gone, just as the ability to win or fail had been removed.

  As the four rounded a corner, not two blocks from Catherine’s condominium, they immediately ran into two of the urban security guards. Both of the men wore the silver-grey uniforms with a single stripe on their sleeves. On their belts they had an electronic communicator that had multi purposes such as transmission back to headquarters, or re-homing any of the multitude of security cameras that filled the city streets.

  “Well what is your business?” said one of the guards.

  “I would say that the women belong here but you two definitely don’t based on your clothes and the way you look.”

  The guard reached toward his communicator and pressed one of the buttons. Jon looked up to see one of the cameras swivel and point directly at the four of them. He knew they were being taped and reviewed and he needed to be careful. While he didn’t think that this would get them into legal trouble, he just didn’t want to cause any attention to be placed on them.

  “Yes you are right, the boy and I are here visiting from the South Metroplex and have just arrived. My sister and her daughter have come to meet us and we are heading back to her place.” said Jon.

  The guard looked at the bags and at the two men. They seemed harmless enough and fact was he had no idea what people from that part of the country look like or how they dressed.

  “Well how does our city compare to where you are from?” asked the guard.

  “From what I have seen it is a most excellent place. I also love your climate.” answered Jon.

  Catherine and Amanda smiled and went along with the story. Deep down they were nervous but like Jon just were not sure if anything legal was happening wrong.

  “Ok well be on your way folks, and men, if I were you get some clothes to fit in and cut your hair.” said the guard.

  “Yes sir that is the first thing on our agenda this afternoon.” said Jon.

  The two guards moved off down the street and the surveillance camera switched back to its original direction. The four watched as the guards rounded the corner and then the four let out a sigh of relief.

  “What do you think they would have done?” asked Chris.

  “I am not sure; it is not like laws were broken
. I think they would have just taken us to their headquarters if they had become more suspicious.” said Catherine.

  “Well let’s get going. The sooner we get out of here the better.” said Jon.

  The four continued on, wary of any security personnel and the security cameras. They made their way to the station where the trams were loading up for the workers that were off to the suburbs.

  They boarded a tram that had the right description for a final destination and took a seat. Again, the faces around them seemed not to care about this strange crew. The workers had their faces into reading devices or were busy looking at the screen that was the I. The news blaring over the screen was about how productivity was up and that recent polls showed that a vast majority of the people felt the New World Order was doing the best for the world.

  Jon and Chris just looked at each other and shook their head. They were careful not to say anything as they wanted to raise no interest in them. The tram was making the distance at a good clip as the whirring of the electric motor and the smell of electricity filled the compartments. It truly was a wonder of development that these vehicles ran so well. Jon was thinking that it was such a terrible waste that wonders such as these were being used to only promote the bureaucratic socialism of the New World. What if these devises were part of a capitalist society that was creating wealth for those that aspired? Oh what a world it could have been.

  His musing was cut short as the tram began to slow as they reached their destination. The vehicle stopped and the doors opened, releasing the workers to their daily task of manning machines that were tearing down the living quarters of a civilization of the past. Jon looked around and soon recognized the location.

  “Ok it is about three blocks in that direction” said Jon.

  The four of them made the three blocks and Chris went to the garage door of the abandoned house. He lifted the door and to his and Jon’s relief the truck was there. Jon crawled inside the cab and ignited the motor. He backed out the vehicle and helped Amanda and Catherine into the cab. He and Chris placed the bags in the back and the four were soon on their way.

  “I didn’t know people could still have gasoline powered vehicles?” said Catherine.

  “How else would we get around in the mountains?” answered Jon.

  The truck was soon flying down the highway headed straight toward the tall mountains. The suburbs were left behind and only the rare abandoned building was seen. Shortly Jon began to look around at his location and then slowed as he approached a dirt road that was on his right. He turned the truck and proceeded down the road in search of a building that he knew well.

  ‘Father, I don’t remember coming this way we came out of the mountains?” said Amanda.

  “Because we didn’t.” answered Jon.

  Jon pulled in front of a building that looked little more than an old storage facility. He gave three honks on the horn and the panel door began to open. The truck pulled inside and came to a stop. An overhead light came on and a rather dirty looking man came out to greet the party.

  “Jon, Chris, good to see you.”

  “Good to see you Dick. How have you been?” asked Jon.

  “Doing well, business is good and the deliveries are coming through without problems.”

  “You good on fresh meat or do we need to bring you some.” asked Chris.

  “Son, I am doing fine. Fill it up Jon?”

  “Yep, fill it up.”

  Dick went over to what looked like an old gas pump and opening the truck’s fuel tank began to fill the fifty-gallon tank with fuel.

  “Ok, where in the world do you all get gasoline? I know that has been outlawed and all the large corporate refineries were seized and dismantled.” said Catherine.

  “Yes ma’am that would be correct. But what the federals don’t know is that down in old Mexico they still pump oil and refine it. In the dead of the night big old rigs bring it up north. I would tell you what I pay a gallon for it but then Jon here might not like what he has to pay Me.” said Dick.

  “You see Catherine, there is an entire underground economy that your New World Order knows nothing about or rather can do nothing about. Goods and such flow up from the South and down from the North. We supply meat and other food for those same people. Even in a controlled economy a rich black market can flourish. And to name it a black market is not right in that what that market is reflects the will of people to have and participate in a free market.” said Jon.

  “Ok, so how do you pay for this gasoline as I don’t see anything you have to trade right now?” asked Catherine.

  “Well it is not all just about barter.” Before things got really bad a lot of us recognized that the end of what we enjoyed was near. Before they outlawed money, we all decided to convert what wealth we had into gold coins. Good thing as about two years afterwards your bureaucracy seized all wealth in the law that was passed in 2013 known as the Fairness Tax. Remember the tax that took all investment and inheritance. The money that my mother left me, I converted into gold.”

  Jon leaned close to Catherine.

  “Fact is in a sort of treasure vault under the house I have about one million and two hundred thousand dollars’ worth of it. I brought one hundred and fifty dollars’ worth with me for this trip.” said Jon.

  “So you are a millionaire huh, and I thought I married your for your looks.” said Catherine.

  Jon laughed but then continued. “We use gold coin when there are things we need such as electronics, gasoline, and of course ammunition.”

  “Now where does that come from since I know that has been banned?” asked Catherine.

  “Well in the valley, there is a guy named Roy who has himself all the tools to make ammunition and he gets regular supplies to make gun powder. I don’t know how we would survive without him since a large store of our meat comes from the animals we hunt.”

  “And what can I expect on the menu when we get back to your place?” asked Catherine.

  “Well we hunt for Deer, Elk, Wild Hog, and Turkey. Some folks hunt Bears but I have just never been able to bring myself to kill one. We also have wild quail and dove. In the warmer months we get into the rivers and lakes and catch trout. Other folks in the valley raise chickens so we have chicken to eat and we have fresh eggs. Vegetables are grown in season and we of course have our imports.” said Jon

  “Imports what and where do those come from?” asked Catherine.

  “Salmon comes in from the Northwest; flour and sugar come from the Midwest and the South. We get rice from Asia, and believe it or not we get cheese and wine from Europe. Our Beer and some other wine we do produce ourselves and get some from California.”

  “How does all this go on without the World Government stopping it?” asked Catherine.

  “Bottom line my dear is that not all people believe in socialism and totalitarianism. Many folks throughout the world still believe in freedom and capitalism.”

  At that point Dick placed the fuel nozzle back in the pump and shouted to Jon.

  “You ready for the damage?”

  “Yes sir how much?’

  “Well we got thirty gallons in her so it’ll be seventy dollars.”

  John reached into his sack and pulled out a smaller sack that contained his gold coins. He pulled out seven ten-dollar pieces and handed them to Dick.

  “Here you go. Are you sure you don’t need any meat for the winter or anything else?” asked Jon.

  “I have a full elk and half a cow in there, along with fifty pounds of rice, about twenty cases of beer, and a case of tequila. What else does a man need?”

  “I guess he is set dad.” said Chris.

  “He is at that and no women to be bothering him.” said Jon.

  That comment drew a look and a small punch in the arm from Catherine.

  “You know I am just kidding honey.” said J
on.

  “I know, but you need to be reminded some time.” said Catherine.

  The four travelers crawled back into the truck and were shortly, back on their way. For the time of the year no significant snow had fallen so the roads were dry. As the vehicle began to climb Catherine looked out the window with a smile. The rising mountains covered in gold Aspens reminded her of those days when the family used to come into the area camping. Her love for the city life began to fade the higher up they climbed.

  Presently the truck climbed over a mountain and the road leveled out. They had entered a wooded valley that was at least some sixty miles from the city. It was the valley that Jon and Chris had made home some ten years ago. A seven to eight-mile trek through the middle and then there was a dirt road to the right. Jon turned the truck to the right and headed into a thickly wooded area. To the right was a deep gulley and to the left a ridge line. The land then flattened out and they began to pass the homesteads of other outliers in the valley.

  “All these people live here?” asked Catherine.

  “Yes they do.” said Jon.

  As they passed the Johansen place Mort was standing out front stacking some long logs. He waived to the truck and Jon slowed and rolled the window down.

  “How goes it Mort, ready for that Elk hunt?” said Jon.

  “So, you coming with us this year huh, no solo hunting?”

  “I thought you need Chris and I to make sure we all get enough for the winter. I think it is going to be a rough one this year.” said Jon.

  Mort stood in front of the window and saw Amanda and Catherine.

  “I had heard your daughter had come up but who is this attractive young lady with her?

  “Mort this is Catherine, Catherine Mort Johansen.” said John.

  Catherine extended her hand out the window which Mort politely took and shook.

  “Mort, Catherine is my wife; she and Amanda are coming to stay with us.”

  “Well welcome to our valley ladies and lucky for you it is almost time for the festival.” said Mort.

  “So we have heard and we are looking forward to It.” said Amanda.