When The Fault Breaks: Life Will Never Be The Same Page 31

  The flow of the water took us back out to the Mississippi. We traveled down river a ways until we approached St. Louis. As we got closer, we spotted the remains of the Arch and it almost made me cry. It was sad to see it like that, because I remembered when I was younger I was able to ride the odd elevator to the top and look out it on the river.

  Seeing the destruction, we knew we had to be careful, but it was too late. One militia group had taken control of the Chain of Rock Locks and was patrolling the waterway. When they saw our boat they came out after us. Over a loud speaker we heard, 'This is the Missouri Militia stand by to be boarded, or you will be blasted out of the water."

  Amanda paused for a bit, you could see tears welling-up in her eyes. As she started to speak again her voice was cracked and broken. I stopped her and told her that she didn't need to continue. She took a deep breath wiped the tears from her eye and replied.

  "I know Peter but I think I really need to talk about it, I have not been able to do so since it happened and I need to get it out."

  Tammy came over to her and held her. Amanda sobbed for a bit more and said, "Thank you Tammy but I think I'm ready to continue." Tammy replied, "Okay but I'm going to stay here with you if that is alright with you."

  Amanda replied, "That would be nice."

  Amanda continued, "We were still under power so Bill hit it and we tried to run away. They opened fire on us and Bill returned fire as I tried to steer us around all the obstacles. I wanted to die when I saw Bill get shot and fall overboard. I spun around and tried to reach him but they overtook us. They came on board and took me and the kids ashore. They hauled us up to some guy who told me I was his property now."

  Amanda was so upset she was shaking, Tammy tried to stop her but Amanda insisted she needed to go on.

  She continued, "When I told him I was no one's property he pointed his gun at Billy's head and pulled the trigger. I was in shock, hysterical and screaming at him. Then he pointed the gun at Samantha and asked me, "'Whose property are you?'" I already knew this guy had no qualms about killing a kid so I told him I was his property then he shot Samantha just out of spite. Instead of breaking down I attacked him, I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. While I was hitting him, I was smacked on the back of the head and knocked out cold."

  Gasps could be heard throughout the crowd, almost everyone there was crying as well. Amanda had tears flowing down her face again. With that Amanda just fell into Tammy's arms crying. We decided to call it a night and that we would continue the next day if she was up to it.

  Amanda felt better the next day and decided to continue where she left off.

  "When I woke up I was handcuffed in the back of a van with a hood over my head and gagged. We rode in that thing for who knows how long. When we came to a stop, I heard the doors open and they dragged me out. Someone screamed at me to stand so I did, that was when they removed the hood. I looked around and saw several others around me also hand cuffed and gagged.

  Chapter 39: The FEMA Camp

  "A man stood on the back of a big truck and called out.

  'Welcome to our labor camp you are officially the property of the Missouri Militia. You WILL do as you are told, when you are told, or you will be shot, no warnings.'

  They had divided everyone with the men separated from the women. The men were to be taken for manual labor and the women taken for other uses. The guy on the truck told some sergeant to take the men to their barracks and Frenchy to take us to the women's barracks.

  This Frenchy guy led us along a long path to what looked like nearly brand new buildings. I wondered what the hell they were. As we all filed in the barracks they locked the door behind us and Frenchy stood in front of us.

  What we later learned was that it was a FEMA camp before the quake. After the quake hit and things started to get out of hand, FEMA began rounding up people and moving them into the camp. They claimed it was for everyone's own good and that it was to keep everyone safe. But after the government folded, the militia took the camp by force from FEMA and made it theirs.

  Soon after we arrived, Frenchy called out, 'Alright ladies you are now in Camp Nelson, this will be your new home from now on. Any attempts to escape will be punished by death on the spot. As you can see my men are moving down your ranks removing the cuffs. If you want to live I suggest you do not try anything stupid.'

  I could not believe how much those cuffs hurt. While I was rubbing my wrists, a guard removed the cuffs from this really tough looking chick. She immediately turned and kicked him in the nuts and then bolted. She did not get far before a half dozen guys opened fire on her and killed her right there. The rest of us dropped to the floor hoping we would not get hit in the cross fire.

  The commotion didn't faze Frenchy, he continued on telling us what was expected.

  'We are outside of Livingston, Louisiana but this is only temporary for most of you. How long you stay here will be very dependent on you. When we have enough suitable women you will be brought to the main hall where you will be displayed for auction.'

  You could hear the gasps from all the women including yours truly and many of them started to cry uncontrollably.

  That asshole then went on to tell us the better we looked for the buyers the sooner we would get out of there, and maybe even to a nicer location. He said the people that could afford to buy us had lots of gold or other assets and wanted their property looking nice. So if we wanted to get out of there fast we would take advantage of the dressing room in the barracks. With that he turned and left the room leaving several men behind with AK 47's at all the doors.

  Many of the women started talking. A younger blond turned to me and said, 'I'm not going to parade around in front of some fat rich guys trying to find their next lay.'

  A red head screamed, 'NO WAY I'm not doing it, I would rather die.'

  One of the guards chambered a round in his gun and replied, 'That can be arranged.'

  Several of the women that had been captive in the barracks for some time, went to the dressing room to shower and get dolled up. When I asked them if they were really going to just give in and give the creeps what they want, a very pretty girl with dark brown hair and the prettiest eyes you ever seen explained the facts of life to me.

  'It is far better than what happens if you are not ready for display when they come for us.'

  I asked her. What do they do if you are not ready? She replied, 'It depends; if you are only slightly attractive they may just shoot you. If they think you are not worth the trouble or will not sell for much, then they just get rid of you.'

  I could not believe what was happening. Who were these people and what made them think they could do it? Then this girl grabbed my arm and dragged me towards the dressing room. Her name was Angie and she said she was from Gulf Port Mississippi.

  As we made our way into the dressing room we saw naked women everywhere. Some were crying as they were forced to get dressed, while others that had been there longer were laughing as they got dressed and put on their makeup.

  One girl turned to the guard standing at the door and asked if he was going to leave and let us get dressed? The man laughed and said no and that we needed to strip and get ready for the presentation.

  The girl shrieked at him, so the guard slapped her in the face. One of the other guards came over and stopped him from hitting her again. He told the first guard to be careful with the merchandise and called him a moron. He said we don't make as much if they are damaged and that we didn't grow on trees.

  Later that night they paraded us down a runway in a smoke filled room just like the ones they use for models. The lights were in our eyes so we could not make out much but I did get a few glimpses of men at tables with booze and smokes. One by one we had to walk the runway while we heard them whooping and whistling.

  These auctions were only part of our hell. The entire winter it was cold and we had very little heat or food. We all lost weight, but that seemed just fine to the men because the skinn
ier women sold faster and for more money.

  I can't count how many of those stupid freak shows they made us put on or how many times I was happy no one picked me. I had been beat countless times because I did not do all the moves they wanted or even try to look good for any of those pigs. Then one day I heard a bunch of catcalls when I went down the runway.

  I could hear the auctioneer calling out something, I could not make it out but I could hear the excitement in his voice. This time as I came to the beginning of the runway one of the guards pointed for me to return and do it again. I had seen other, much prettier women, asked to do the same thing, but this was the first time it had happened to me. I knew this meant my time there may be at an end and I really feared what was in store for me.

  That night I was not returned to the barracks like every other time. This time I was taken to a small room with a large full-length window on the wall. They told me to walk around and show off, I walked but not any different than I ever do. Then a voice came over a speaker and told me to undress. I screamed and told them there was no way I was going to do that. The guard came over and poked me with his gun but I still refused.

  Just as the guard was grabbing my dress I heard a loud tapping on the window and the guard stopped. Shortly after that I was lead out to a van with a couple other women. One of those women was a blond haired, blue-eyed beauty. Her name was Jonie and she looked like she had spent most of her adult life as a trophy wife for some guy.

  They did not blind fold or tie us up, and there was food waiting for us in the van. While we drove I had a chance to talk with Jonie. I asked her how long she had been there and she said just a couple of nights. While we were riding I asked her to tell me about her experiences.

  Jonie seemed happy to fill me in on the events.

  'Oh My God,' she said in that dragged out irritating manner, 'My husband and I were living in a house deep in the woods. I always told him he was crazy stocking up all that food, weapons and ammunition, but after the quake I found out why. The first two weeks after the quake we had to fend off people trying to get to us.'

  As her tears began to fall Jonie continued.

  'It was horrible I had to shoot people and kill them, I never thought I

  could kill anyone. But when it comes down to it being either them or you it's not as difficult as you think. After a month or so, fewer and fewer people came down our road until we did not see anyone any more.

  We spent the winter there and did not see a soul so we thought we had

  made it through the worst of it. We had plenty of food and water and George always had several cords of wood for the wood stove on hand so we stayed warm too. One day about two weeks ago a couple of armored personnel carriers drove down the road to our house. One guy stood up in the turret with a RPG and another stood up in the other one with one as well.

  Then a man stepped out of the lead APC and walked up to the house. He

  called out that if anyone fires on him or his men both RPG's would be fired. George looked at me and told me we had no choice but to surrender, which we did. I don't know what they did to George because they separated us right away. The next thing I knew I was in this hell hole being sold like cattle.'

  Did you say two weeks ago?!

  'Yes why?'

  I told her I had spent months there before I was sold and was amazed that she had only been there for a couple weeks. She said I misunderstood her, she said it was two weeks ago that they found her. She said she was sold the first time down the runway."

  Laughing Amanda continued, "I wonder if it had anything to do with the fact that I did everything I could do not to be sold, but not so little to beat me into submission."

  Amanda continued describing Jonie's story.

  "'Anyway even though I loved my husband he was many years older than

  me and very rich. I knew what I was doing going into my relationship with him. In some ways this is not much different. I made myself look hot and dressed with as little as I could and got out of that place right away."'

  I told her, oh girl you sold yourself to the highest bidder. She said sometimes you have to do what you have to do. Jonie also thought it might be easier to get away outside of that camp.

  I also asked Jonie if she heard anything about what is happening in other parts of the country or the world. She said, yes, that everything changed after the destruction of Chicago. Up to that point China had been leaving the rest of the country alone, but that eventually changed. China started bombing militia strong holds, churches, schools and hospitals. They spread out and tried to take over the smaller cities. That ended up being a big mistake for China, and a fatal one at that.

  She heard that those attacks galvanized that part of the country for the first time since the quake. With a common enemy to remove, the militia turned their attention to the Chinese and cries went out to the rest of the world to help get the Chinese out of our country.

  It seems none of our European 'friends' could help us even if they wanted to. Like

  us they too were now living in the dark ages. They had no Army or Navy and no means to get help to us from on the other side of the pond. Jonie said it was our neighbors to the north that came to help."

  I called out, "WHAT CANADA?"

  Amanda replied, "Ya that was what she said, Canada, and be careful there, many of them gave their lives trying to free us from the Chinese."

  I replied, "Sorry I love Canadians, some of our best friends are from Vancouver, BC. I was just surprised because they are not really a very aggressive people."

  Chapter 40: Hail Canada

  Amanda continued on with Jonie's story.

  "After the Chinese bombed Chicago the rest of the world, that still had any means of communicating, condemned their actions. But that was not worth much because none of the old methods of punishing an invading country were worth anything. Actions like embargoes or economic sanctions would not work since there was no way to enforce them. But since Canada was in a better position to help, they stepped in. Still many questioned their motives believing Canada only offered to help because they knew the Chinese were on their own doorstep and they did not like that at all.

  While Canada was considering how it could help, Preppers and various militias were looking at options as well. But the problem was communications. Many Preppers had VHF radios, but they were not safe to use. They learned early on that the militias had radio tracking equipment which enabled the militia to find them.

  As time went on several of the militias began broadcasting in their own areas. Some would spew their own political bull shit while others worked on coordinating borders for mutual protection and trade.

  With the increased connectivity some sense of unity started to form. When the word about China made its way around the region more militias joined the network of stations and some use of VHF radios began again as well. It was close to a year before any real communications network was restored, but when it was discussions about China began in earnest.

  Meetings where set up to discuss attacks and to make contact with the outside world. While the responses were disappointing, it did not come as a surprise to anyone that few countries were able or willing to help. But when asked, Canada said yes.

  In the spring after the bombing, representatives from several unified groups attended a meeting in Oak Park, Illinois as an act of defiance to the Chinese. Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb of Chicago. Not all militia groups wanted the unified groups to represent them, some did not even want them to exist. Even so the meeting went ahead and Canada sent their representatives.

  The groups took no chances, as many of the leaders who had made their way there had come under attack. There was heavy armament all around the city, but it was worth it because the Chinese needed to be destroyed. With a lot of effort on everyone's part, they were able to work out a coordinated plan of attack on the new Chinese foothold in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

  Jonie said she knew a guy that was in Oak Park and that h
e told her all about what had happened in the meeting.

  'I want to thank everyone for coming. I know many of you have taken a large risk by coming here. We all understand how important it is to hash out a plan of attack as quickly as possible. I'm Ambassador Glenn Boarder from Alberta, Canada and I represent the entire country. I have brought along General Louie Van Pander; he will be in charge of all forces.

  Before we go any further I want each of you to acknowledge that General Van Pander is in command, and agree to support him and follow his orders, even if you don't fully understand his decisions. Let's begin by going around the table and introducing ourselves. When it's your turn, please state the region you represent and confirm that you understand and accept our requirements.

  The general began, 'I will start this out, and we will go to the left from here. My name is General Louie Van Pander, but you can just call me General or General Pander. I have been appointed as the General in Charge of eradicating the Chinese from North America. I was born in Vancouver, BC and have been in the Army for 35 years.