Pulse Read online

  Pulse:

  A small Texas town

  By: David Lisenby

  This book is dedicated to the men and women in law enforcement, especially those in Hardin County, Texas (that includes you, too, Officer Bre Whitmer). It is their courage, honor and dedication that ensure our safety every day. Their commitment to duty is unwavering, even in the face of overwhelming odds and a modern society that sometimes unjustly demonizes them. Thank God for those who walk the thin blue line.

  Thank you to the friendly folks of Silsbee, Texas (my hometown) who have offered their support and words of encouragement while I used our town as the backdrop for this trilogy. Though there are some who may not like my attempt at storytelling, we are all still bound together by one common element – the effin’ train!

  Maybe it’s a good idea to keep a paperback book in your car so you’ll have something to do while you wait for it to pull forward, back up, pull forward, back up, pull forward, ...

  I would like to thank God for allowing me to be a part of this moment in time. In a world full of chaos, He has filled me with peace. I am truly blessed.

  There have been so many humans who have imprinted a lasting effect on my heart and mind in my life. For that, I am eternally grateful. Some of you know the part you played in making me the man I am today, so there is no need to be specific. Others are unaware that their role in my life had such a strong influence. God knows who you are. So do I. Thank you.

  I have to acknowledge that the newest generation in my world are awesome. Kaymin, Ethan and Josi are destined for greatness. I hope to be around long enough to see all of you grow into the adults you will become. I love each one of you.

  For Marsha: CBH

  For Bethany: sorry about Emma’s character.

  And thank you, dear reader, for taking the time to read the words I’ve written. If a person writes a book that is never read, is it still a story?

  DISCLAIMER: The following story is a work of fiction. The locations in the story are a fictious account of actual places in Southeast Texas. No business, governmental entity or public servant depicted in the story is an actual, living human. Any resemblance of any character to any other human, either alive or dead, is purely intentional. However, as stated in the beginning of this disclaimer, this is a work of fiction. Basing a character on a real person helps make the character come alive in the mind of the reader and not meant, in any way, shape, or form intended to criticize, mock, make fun of or insult the human the writer draws from. If anyone is offended, for any reason, about the characters, locations or the overall storyline, please accept my apologies in advance. Just remember, however, that this is a work of fiction that only lives in the mind of the writer and on the following pages.

  Copyright 2018 – David Lisenby – All Rights Reserved.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Chapter 01 – Catsup

  Chapter 02 – October 11

  Chapter 03 – The lawmen cometh

  Chapter 04 – Hidden treasures

  Chapter 05 – Eyes wide open

  Chapter 06 – Over at the County Seat

  Chapter 07 – Not what one would expect

  Chapter 08 – A moment of silence

  Chapter 09 – The morning after

  Chapter 10 – Planting people

  Chapter 11 – Wasted time

  Chapter 12 – Seeds of discontent

  Chapter 13 – Ghost

  Chapter 14 – Dinnertime at the Landing

  Chapter 15 – Dessert

  Chapter 16 – Wouldn’t you like to be a Pepper, too?

  Chapter 17 – First watch

  Chapter 18 – Second watch

  Chapter 19 – Coming to a head

  Chapter 20 – Epilogue

  Chapter 1

  Catsup

  After the River Bend meltdown caused the death of several hundred people along the Gulf Coast, and thousands of others were exposed to high levels of radiation, things didn’t seem as if they could get much worse. As if an electromagnetic pulse wasn’t enough.

  Shorty after that disaster, two more nuclear power plants caused havoc along the East Coast. Over 8,000 people died, and tens of thousands of others were contaminated with radiation in the Catawba meltdown, not far from Charlotte, North Carolina. Then the Indian Point Catastrophe contaminated millions and causing a staggering death toll.

  In the month since the Pulse had brought on the 2k Dark Age across most of the planet, the amount of human lives lost was so high it was difficult to comprehend. The world had become a dark place, and not just because there was no electricity.

  The human race was no longer on course to advance technologically; there were now in a struggle to merely survive. With almost 100 nuclear reactors across the country, it was fortunate that only three had failed so far. Those three, however, were located near enough to major population centers, especially Indian Point near New York City.

  Those cities, like so many others of various size, were already suffering serious fatalities from violence, starvation and disease. Panic was the common state of affairs in most areas. From the suburbs to the Inner-City, it was everyone for themselves. Chaos ruled.

  Resources were limited, and need was rampant. Science fiction became reality and doomsday preppers became the new leaders of society. The theory that only the strong survive proved false, as the reality that wisdom and common sense are the traits it takes to navigate in the new world ruled.

  The actions of President Trump, his close advisors and his cabinet in the days leading up to the Pulse were nothing short of remarkable, as they coordinated and executed a covert mission to gather and store as many essentials in safe locations as possible. Even with the media’s ever-attentive eyes focused on the White House, the team achieved and exceeded its goal.

  Underground bunkers designed to house humans was used to store electronics, transformers, generators and a wide array of machinery necessary to start the rebuilding process. Plans were enacted immediately, but the process moved at a snail’s pace.

  FEMA had been storing survival food for years and had a stockpile that could be easily distributed. Their partnership with the Walton family enabled Distribution Centers to open within a week, but a lack of ready staff hindered things in the beginning. Maybe not so surprisingly, the centers in the smaller communities were among the first to become operational.

  Jasper, Texas was the first FEMA Distribution Center to reach 100 percent capacity of operation. The Jasper/Newton/Sabine Counties Emergency Management team had activated their Preparedness Plan and implemented the process they had coordinated with FEMA before the Feds even contacted them. MRE’s had been stored close to the local Supercenter and a fully-operational water well was a couple-hundred yards away.

  40 miles south, in another small Texas town, word had gotten out that water was available for barter. An enterprising group of people had come together to form a new community on the outskirts of Silsbee. Clean water was an important commodity. There was no set price for water, but those who wanted it had to bring their own container and were required to offer something in trade.

  Unbeknownst to most, the items received in trade were redistributed in the area to contribute to the common good.

  Chapter 2

  October 11

  “God,” Harold said aloud as he turned his gaze toward the sky. “I just wanted to say that I’m grateful you allowed me to wake up on this side of the dirt this fine mornin’. Thanks for bringin’ all these fine people together. Life has been pretty hard for the past month, but you’ve allowed us all to survive through these tough times.

  “The crops are lookin’ good and all the animals are providing us with nourishment. Through all the tragedy that is going on in the world, you have blessed us more than we deserve. I am truly g
rateful for all you have done for us and all you continue to do. Please watch over these people and guide us in the right direction as we begin a new day. Amen.”

  As he stood under the old oak tree, next to his mother’s grave, Harold looked to the east to see the sunrise paint the morning sky. The sounds of people beginning to stir were carried upon the light breeze. The slight scent of fresh coffee tickled his nostrils as he looked down at the cross marker near his feet. He knew that the little community would soon be a flurry of activity.

  “I sure miss you, Mom,” Harold said softly. “You wouldn’t believe how things have changed since you went away. Life is so different now. Everything is different.”

  And it was.

  In the four weeks that had passed since the pulse, Lindsey Landing had become a refuge for a growing number of people. The little community had gained a reputation as the place to go when you needed something. Those who lived there had pooled their resources to help each other survive, but, as it played out, ended up helping more than themselves.

  Kay had become known as the Queen of barter, dealing and trading in any form of goods in a fair and honest way. She never set any solid price on anything she had, but she insisted that a person be willing to pay a fair price for whatever they wanted from her. Her little store had become so busy that she had to expand to accommodate for the needs of those around the area.

  When it became obvious that fresh water was in short supply, Kay had Kenneth build her two mobile tanks, so water could be transported closer to town. Every morning the tanks would be filled with water and be pulled to Pine Plaza with the old tractor. A box trailer, another of Kenneth’s creations, accompanied the tanks to town behind the pickup truck. That trailer was used to transport the items people had traded for water. The system worked pretty well.

  After the Schott’s hadn’t return to their home next door for a week after the pulse, Harold moved all their belongings to the rooms in the back of the house and converted the living room, kitchen and den into a larger place for Kay to run her store. Kenneth and Roxie moved all their things into the Deet’s garage. The garage was more of a large metal building where Deet had worked on vehicles.

  This allowed Kenneth to store all his tools and make himself a workshop. He was an industrious individual who could work magic on small engines. His talent served the little community well. He was also able to grow his own barter business; working on other people’s machinery, motors and equipment and being paid in goods. It didn’t take long before the large building was almost too small.

  Ashlyn set up a little school for her children and the others at the Landing. Word spread and before long there were over 20 kids who attended the little school every day. With local parents pooling their resources, the school functioned very smoothly, and the children learned and had organization back in their lives. Although she didn’t charge for her services, she did very well for her family.

  Arlene also gained quite a reputation for her nursing skills. The Main House had been almost entirely converted to a makeshift hospital. People would bring their injured or sick family to see Arlene and usually left feeling much better. She used home remedies that she had learned from her grandparents and her mom whenever she believed they would help (which they usually did) and resorted to pharmaceuticals when necessary, as medications were few and far between.

  Of course, whenever drugs became available, Arlene would add them to her collection. She was amazed at how much she was able to collect, but she never over prescribed. It was better to have the drugs available if they were needed than to give them out like candy and not have them if someone really needed them, she figured.

  Tommy and Ellen had found their own niche with the animals. Over the past weeks the small herd of animals had grown substantially. Several calves, a few more goats, and a couple of horses were added through trades for goods or services. A whole slew of baby chicks had hatched, and the biddies were coming along well.

  People had come and gone at the Landing. Some stayed for a short time after learning that everyone had to earn their place. Others fit in and stayed longer. There were some, like Pam, that came around about once a week to barter and to share news from other communities. The primary source of information were the radios, but there were things that you would never know about if it weren’t for friends in those places.

  One of the new additions to the Landing was Bruce. He was a homeless guy before the pulse who stayed in a tent in a little patch of woods not far from the Supercenter in town. After everything went haywire and people started freaking out because they didn’t know how to live in a world without all the creature comforts they had grown accustomed to, he decided it was time to move on to another place.

  He showed up one day out of the blue. Harold and Kay knew Bruce before he lost his wife, his job and then his home. They had tried to help him out as much as they could without trying to interfere or insult his dignity. Bruce always appreciated that and never took advantage of the situation.

  While he was searching for where he belonged, Bruce found a perch at the Landing. He told his friends about the trucks and soldiers that had taken over the Supercenter. They blacked out all the front windows and parked their vehicles in front of the entrance, like they were trying to hide whatever was going on inside the building.

  It was weird enough that there were so many of them and that they were driving newer Hummers and trucks and SUV’s, but when a convoy of 18-wheelers started showing up the next day things really started getting strange. In all, Bruce counted four convoys of big rigs arrive and back into the loading docks in three days. That was when he decided he needed to be somewhere else.

  Bruce didn’t have any idea what was going on there and he didn’t really care. All he knew was that there were some vehicles that didn’t get fried like all the rest and muscle-heads in fatigues were driving them.

  Kay offered him a place to stay if he was willing to take care of the water wagons each day. She knew she could trust him to do the job. She also knew that he had an advantage over most because he already knew what it was like to live in the dark, uncertain world out there. He had been doing it for years. If anyone knew what to look for and how to listen to what others were really saying when they talked, it was Bruce.

  Ray Lynn pretty much took care of the water business. He was glad when Bruce came along to help out. It was up to Ray Lynn to work out deals with people for exchange and then to collect the goods and bring them back to the Landing. He had, for all intents and purpose, set claim to the pickup and drove it to Pine Plaza each day.

  Beetle and Victoria had become a great team. They were both young and, as the found out very quickly, had a lot in common. Everyone started calling Victoria “Squirrel” because she was so quick, and she hung out with a nut (that would be Beetle).

  The dynamic duo grew into the scouts for the community. Whenever there was a need for, say, a particular drug that somebody needed (like inuslin or antibiotics), Beetle and Squirrel volunteered to go out and find it. Sometimes they would be gone for days in search of something, but they always came back with what they were looking for.

  It was on one of those trips that they discovered the Supercenter was being converted to a FEMA distribution center (FDC). People were able to go and sign up to receive MRE’s and bottled water. Beetle and Squirrel watched from afar as hundreds of people lined up at the Supercenter and went through the process. Each person that filled out the paperwork received seven MRE’s and a 6-pack of bottled water. That, FEMA mandated, was sufficient to nourish a person for a week.

  Once the information was shared with the group at Lindsey Landing, everyone discussed it and decided that nobody was going to sign up for the handout. There were far too many people who needed the supplies more than they did.

  With the opening of the FDC, you would think that the barter business would slow down dramatically. It didn’t. If nothing else, it picked up. The only major difference was that the area around the Superc
enter quickly became a tent city. A lot of people moved their families closer to the source of food and water, most living in makeshift tents. That brought a larger portion of the population of the small Texas town further north; closer to Lindsey Landing.

  Jake, Allie and Abe took care of the garden and the warehouse. The fall garden was still in the early stage but was already producing food in spurts. Freddie Costner had planted his garden, too. He was much more experienced at farming and was enjoying a bountiful harvest of pumpkins and greens. Someone from his place brought a little something from the garden over every day. The philosophy of sharing and caring ruled the neighborhood.

  The supplies that Ray Lynn and his crew brought home each day either went into the store, in the warehouse or in the Grub Hut (which was the name tagged onto the food preparation trailer after Roxie and Kenneth moved out of it) for use of the common good.

  Keeping everything organized was a virtually impossible task, but Kay could tell you exactly where every bag of rice or package of Pop Tarts was at any given time. Not saying that she kept a keen eye on everything or that she was sometimes hard to bargain with (even the kids had to gather firewood if they wanted a piece of Hubba Bubba or gummy bear), but she was. Yea. That was exactly what I was saying.

  Harold watched as the sun eased higher into the sky. The realization that, even in these times, life was good for his family washed over him and he felt a tear roll down his cheek.

  “Thank you for so many blessings, Lord,” he said sincerely.

  Harold walked toward the back gate to fetch a cup of that coffee for himself and his lady.

  From somewhere off in the distance the sound of a motor could be heard. Harold recognized it as that of an ATV. Judging by the direction it was coming from and the way it was being throttled (wide open), he could tell that it was Pam coming for her weekly visit. She usually showed up early in the morning when she came.