The Doomsday Shift

Leonard had told Doreen that everyone was to remain inside the shelter for one hour once the shift stopped. They were in the shelter for five minutes when they felt the ground start to shake. The shaking lasted for about one hour, after that everything when still. Bill wanted to go out and check things out, but Doreen told him they were going to wait another hour.

After the hour passed, Bill, Steven and several other men went outside to check on the damage that might have happened. Within minutes, Steven came back into the shelter and told everyone to come outside. Steven was so excited that everyone rushed out of the shelter to see what had him this way. Doreen never saw her son so overjoyed since the war had started. When Doreen went outside, she knew what had her son excited, that was the sky had gone to it's original color, even the clouds were how they use to be.

A short time later, Bill came into the house to report that there were a few greenhouses damaged, but they would be able to repair them in no time, everything else withstood the shift.

The military had sent three trucks to pick-up the vegetables that had ripened, and they were here when the shift started. Doreen knew that if the army didn't leave without the vegetables, then Bill and Tiny would have to kill them. Leonard had told Doreen that this was what they were to do, he had told her they would have to fight to keep what was theirs , or the army would end up taking everything that they had. Doreen and her family didn't work hard all these years just to have the army step in and take everything from them. Apparently the army wasn't happy with just the vegetables, they also wanted the entire property. When Leonard had first told Doreen what the army was up to, she didn't want to believe it. But so far Leonard had never been wrong. They had decided that they would follow Leonard's directions and guidance.

Privates Andrews, Gentry and Maxwell decided to give the men a hand in the repairs, that were needed to the greenhouses, they knew that the Captain would want the greenhouses to be kept in good working order. The people that were living here at this greenhouse were very friendly. The men who were in the military were never treated as nice by the owners of any of the greenhouses, but Private Andrews had been at this greenhouse farm on several occasions and the civilians had always treated him and his fellow officers with nothing but kindness and respect.

Private Andrews walked over to where Bill was standing and he could see that these civilians had been prepared for this emergency, it seemed to Private Andrews that they knew that this was going to happen. They had an underground cold storage cellar built and from this they were bringing out already cut pieces of plexiglass. All the greenhouses on this farm were built of this. Private Andrews asked Bill did you know this earthquake was coming before it hit? Bill told the Private that he should go and speak to his mother, Doreen. With this, Private Andrews proceeded to the front of the house where Doreen was. He thought that he had better check this out.

Doreen was sitting on her front veranda with her grandson Buddy and some of the other kids that lived on the farm with them, while their parents helped with the repairs that were needed immediate attention. Doreen saw Private Andrews coming from the west side of the house, she knew that Bill had sent him to her, for she was the one to explain things to him, with that done it was up to him whether he and his men would live or die.

Private Andrews walked up to the veranda steps and asked Doreen if he could have a few words with her. Doreen gave her head a nod of consent and pointed to a chair that was beside her. Private Andrews took the seat that she indicated and before he could start to ask her any questions, Doreen started telling him what he wanted to know. After she finished telling him everything from when it first started and up until now, which included the army going to try and take the property from them. Private Andrews just sat there wondering if this lady was right, he knew that the army was taking a lot of food and all the food that the army was getting from all the greenhouses, there shouldn't be civilians dying from starvation in the city. He had seen some of the shipments that went out in the city and there was enough food to feed an entire country, yet there were civilians dying like flies.

Private Andrews explained to Doreen that he would go back to the base with his men, but they would leave all the food with her, he also went on to say that he would tell his commanding officer that the greenhouses were destroyed in the shift. Doreen looked into the young privates eyes and she could see he was telling her the truth. She went on to ask the Private what his men would say to their commanding officers? He told her not to worry, whatever he told his men, they would back him up, She was satisfied with the young privates answers, he also told Doreen that she wouldn't have anymore dealings with the Military once he got back to base. Private Andrews left Doreen sitting on her veranda and went to give the others a hand. When Bill saw the Private coming back and started to help the others with the repairs, he went to see his mother, to find out if the army men were staying on their own accord or if they were going to have to kill them. Bill hoped that everything was going to be alright, he really liked these guys and they seemed to be pretty good heads.

Doreen explained to Bill what the Private was going to do for them so that they would be safe from the army. He wasn't sure if he should let the military men leave or not, but his mother talked to him and they decided to let them go. If it came down to it, they would fight them. If Private Andrews kept his word then they would be alright.

Doreen went into the house and started to get lunch ready for everyone. As she went to tell that that lunch was ready, she noticed that it was dark. Everyone came and had their lunch, shortly after that, Private Andrews and his men took their leave and headed back to the army base.

Everyone had to stop doing more repairs once it got dark, with what they had gone through and the hard work they had done, had them tired and ready for their beds.

Doreen went to her bedroom and was communicating with Leonard while Bill was listening to their short wave radio, listening for any message from his father or one of his sisters, when his brother, Steven came in and told him he needed his help with the generators.

Private Andrews had told the other two army men that were with him, what they were to say to their commanding officers when they got back to the base. Both Gentry and Maxwell were drafted into the army and they only had another six months to do and both of them had made up their minds that they were getting out of the army as soon as it was possible. They had liked the Burkes and they wouldn't put it pass the army to try and take the property away from them. They knew for sure of the army taking away at least two greenhouse operations already, that was one of the reasons why they had believed Mrs. Burke. There was no way that she could have known about what the army was doing to all of the greenhouse operations.

Private Andrews was in the lead truck with Gentry following him and Maxwell in the rear. They were travelling on the highway for about an hour when in Andrews headlights loomed a large maple tree that had been uprooted. Andrews hit his brakes hard, but it wasn't soon enough, his truck hit the tree with a resounding whack and all he heard was the loud wood splintering. Gentry hit his brakes and swerved his truck, he went into a skid and slid into the ditch, on the other side of the road. When Maxwell saw Gentry's truck go into the skid he applied his brakes, but he didn't have enough time to come to a stop before he went into the back of Andrews truck. Maxwell sat dazed for a few minutes before his head started to clear. He got out of his truck and went as fast as he could to see how Andrew and Gentry were. All three men were bruised and they all had a few bumps but otherwise all were well. The trucks however were another matter, Andrews truck was a complete write-off, Maxwells wasn't going anywhere either, the rad had lost all the water that was in it and most of the grill was pushed into the engine. Gentry's truck was the one with the least damage but it was almost on it's side and they had no way of pulling it out from the ditch. The only thing they could do was try and radio for help. They would take turns until they got an answer or until daybreak, whichever came first. If they couldn't get anyone, then they would have to turn back to the Burke's. They knew that the Burke's had some all terrain vehicles and they also knew that they would give them to them if they needed them. Andrews knew that the Burke's had everything that they ever would need on the farm, so he reasoned with himself that the Burke's would also have a C.B. or a shortwave radio. They were to efficient not to have one or the other, he was sure of that. They started to send out the S.O.S. signals.

Just as Bill and Steven were entering the house from the back door they heard their mother screaming at the top of her lungs and at the same time they could hear her running down the stairs. As they went to see what was wrong with her, they could hear someone coming over the C.B. Bill sent Steven into the dinning room to get the message as Bill went to his mother who was coming down the last few steps. Bill grabbed hold of her and asked her what's wrong? Doreen just stood there with a terrified look on her face and was clutching her notepad to her breast. Bill took his mother by the shoulders and led her into the kitchen, by this time Connie, Bills wife came down the stairs and wanted to know what happened. Bill asked Connie to make his mom a cup of tea, then he got his mother to sit down. Bill looked at his mother and told her to relax and take some deep breaths and not say anything until Connie brings her a cup of tea. Connie sat the cup of tea down in front of Doreen and went and sat down at the chair across from her. Doreen had a few large gulps of the tea before she tried to tell him.

Bill was squatting down beside his mother when his brother came into the kitchen and told him that it was the three army guys that were there earlier and they had an accident. Just as Steven had finished telling Bill the message . Bill was talking gently to his mother , she showed her sons her notepad that she had been clutching to her breast. On the notepad was questions that she had written out for Leonard to answer, on the question of how Tom and her girls were, was the message, in great danger, this was written several times, under that message was an answer to a question that mom didn't ask, it was Collinswood. Under the word Collinswood was another message, and that was she must send Bill and three other men to help them.

As soon as Bill saw this he sent Steven out to get Tiny, Doug and John, these were the toughest men in the compound and they were also fighters and trackers. They would be the men that he would take with him. While Bill was waiting for the men to come to the house, he told his wife, Connie to go up to his mothers room and bring down a couple of sleeping pills, he was going to get his mom to take them so that she would sleep until morning. Connie returned within a couple of minutes and Bill got his mother to take the two sleeping pills, then he turned to his wife and told her he had to go to help his father and sisters and that she would have to help mom around the house until she came to. Connie hugger her husband and told him how much she loved him and that she did understand and would try to help out mom as much as she could. They took Doreen back up to her room and within ten minutes she was fast asleep.

Tiny Sullivan was forty years old and he got his name when he was born because he was only seventeen inches long and he weighted in st five pounds even, his mother had told him he was the smallest baby she had ever seen, but he had grown up into a six foot four inches and he weighted in at two hundred fifty pounds. He was a great hunter and tracker. That was his profession before the war, now he was here and he liked it. When no one would give him a chance the Burke's did and he and Bill had become like brothers, the entire family had become his and he had become a part of theirs. Doug Carter was the next one to come, he was six feet and weighted in at two hundred pounds, and before the war he was a cop, but there was too much corruption in the force and he left and came here. Word had spread that this place was up here and how the Burke's were good people, so Doug packed up his family and came here and the rest is history. He and his family were never treated as good by their own families as the Burke's treated them. So when Steven came to him and told him of the problem it made Doug feel more like family than it ever did before. Doug went to talk to his wife, Karen and she agreed with Doug, so at the age of thirty-two he was going out to fight the bad guys again, but this time it was for his family.

John Franks was another big man, he was six foot one and he weighted in at one hundred and ninety pounds. He was thirty-nine years old and was still single. He had never met the right girl so he never felt like he should marry just for the sake of it. He was a fireman before the war but since then, he found it too rough in the city, it wasn't that he couldn't handle the problems that he faced each day in his job or how it was dangerous just living in the city, it was watching the kids starving to death and the men and women fighting over a stick of gum that got to him. When he had first heard of this place, he really didn't believe that it could be like it was up here. Everyone looked upon each other as a family member and when one was in trouble, then all the rest came to do battle.

Once Bill had all the men in the living room, Connie brought in the coffee, after it was served to the men, Connie left the room and went into the kitchen. She knew what her husband was going to tell the men and she wanted to wait until the meeting was over so that she could have a little more time with Bill before he had to leave.

Once the men found out that it was Tom, Dini and Angel who were in trouble, they wanted to leave then and there, but Bill and Steven told them they had to wait until the search party returned from rescuing the three military men that were here earlier today. While Bill was waiting for the men to come to the house for their meeting, he had sent Martin who was on watch, with the strict instructions to return as soon as he picked up the three guys. Martin was a young kid of twenty but Bill knew that he would do what he was asked. Tiny, John, Doug, Bill and Steven started to get the things that they were going to need on this trip. As they were getting theit things, Connie packed up enough food to keep them going for a month. She also packed them a first aid kit and medication.

Martin was gone for just over two hours and with him he had brought back the three military guys. When Bill opened his front door and invited the men in for something to eat and drink. Privates, Andrews, Gentry and Maxwell felt as if they had just reached home. When Bill told Private Andrews what had happened, all three men offered to go along with Bill to give him a hand, Bill thought that it might be wise if he took them as far as Brandon, then they sould be alright. Private Andrews told Bill, if he had a more powerful vehicle, and if he could loan him a man who would be able to drive the vehicle back here, then they would be able to pull one of their trucks out of the ditch and then they would be on their way. Bill told Private Andrews he would let Martin go with them, they all would go to where the truck was and help get it out. Once they did this then Martin would be able to bring the vehicle back to the farm and then each could go their own way. Everyone was in agreement and they loaded up the vehicles and headed out.

Once they reached the spot where the accident happened it only took them thirty minutes to haul out Gentry's truck. Bill checked out the trucks engine and found it to be in good working order, with that done, Andrews, Gentry and Maxwell got into their truck and led the way. It was slow going, when they came across a fallen tree in the middle of the road, they would have to remove it before they could continue on. This took time and it was very tiring to all the men.

They were twenty miles from Brandon, when they came across a large Elm tree, this tree was so large that it covered the two lanes of the highway, the men knew this was by far the largest tree they had come across so far and it would take them quite some time in removing this one. As they started to work on the removal of the tree, the sun started to rise. This sight stopped the men from working, and they watched this with sheer astonishment, this was something they haven't seen in years. it was like something new to them and they wanted to hang on to as much detail of this occurrence so they would always keep it in their minds.

They reached the city of Brandon, two hours after sun-up, there the military men took the highway heading southwest and Bill and his men headed northwest.

Connie was working in the kitchen and every so often she would slip up to Doreen's room and check on her. Doreen was still sleeping from the pills that Bill had given her last night. This was something strange, for Connie never knew her mother-in-law to sleep pass sunrise. If that happened then it meant that Doreen was so ill that she couldn't stand and Connie had never seen her miss a morning making breakfast for the entire family. Connie was trying to keep up to her mother-in-laws chores but no matter how hard she tried she couldn't do it and it made her wonder how her mother-in-law could keep up without breaking out into a sweat. Connie never realized how much her mother-in-law did until now. Doreen would have breakfast ready, when everyone came down, then she would do the clean-up of the kitchen, then she would work in the greenhouses all morning. When lunch time came she would have that meal ready for everyone and then the clean-up of that meal, then back into the greenhouses she would be, working until four or five in the afternoon then she would have the evening meal ready for everyone. Connie knew that she would never be able to do what Doreen did, but she knew that she could do the house chores and meals without a problem. She knew that she wouldn't be able to help out in the greenhouses and she had told Karen that, half way through this morning.

Once lunch was finished and the clean-up, Connie went back up to see how Doreen was doing. When Connie entered Doreen's room her heart jumped into her throat, Doreen wasn't even in her room. Connie hurried to the washroom and knocked softly on the door, a few seconds later, Doreen came out. Connie took Doreen by the hand and asked her how she was feeling? Doreen told Connie she was feeling alright except her legs felt a little rubbery and it felt like she had a bunch of cotton in her brain. Connie took Doreen back to her room and told her to rest up until she felt strong enough to walk and she would bring her something to eat and a hot cup of tea. Once Connie left Doreen alone, she went over to her desk and sat down, there she took out her notepad and started to write down some questions that she wanted Leonard to answer. She was in the process of doing this when Connie returned to her room with a tray, Doreen asked Connie " would you mind if I stayed in my room for a little while longer, I would like to ask Leonard some questions and it might take me a little longer to contact him?" Connie told Doreen not to worry, she had everything under control in the house and Karen was keeping everything going in the greenhouses. She was just to take it easy until she was feeling strong enough in herself. As Connie was leaving Doreen she reminded her not tyo forget about her food and hot tea.

Connie felt a great weight lifting off her shoulders as she came into the kitchen, she was happy that Doreen had finally awakened, it was starting to worry Connie that Doreen had slept so long. She had started to think that Bill had given his mother an overdose.

As Private Andrews turned onto highway four hundred, heading south he could make out a pick-up truck up ahead of them. He said to his men, "I think I'll follow that truck until we reach our turn-off, this way here, if the truck in front of us comes across something in the road, we'll see them swerve." When they got to their turn-off, the pick-up truck that they were following had taken the same turn-off. Every time the pick-up in front of them hit their brakes, Private Andrews, did the same. Private Andrews could see when there was something in the road because the pick-up truck would slow down to a crawl and inch by the obstacle. When he saw the pick-up pull over to the shoulder, he did the same. As Andrews, Gentry and Maxwell were getting out of their truck, they noticed that the two men who were driving the pick-up were also military men. Andrews, Gentry and Maxwell hurried over to the other two men.