Chapter 107

I drove to Mossberg to talk to Bart. He was the closest thing I had to a best friend. I found my Mossberg key ring right where I left it. Once inside my condo, I found everything there dusty and damp but undisturbed by human hands.

I walked down to the cafe before settling in for some deep thinking.

Boxer: My god look what the cats dragged in, a stray dog.

Me: Nice of you to make me feel welcome after all these months.

I recognized most of the lunch crowd. At least I had a nodding acquaintance with them all.

Me: What's the Lunch Lady Special today?

Boxer: Fish with Mac and Cheese.

He shouted from the grill room. It might have been a kitchen in any other cafe. But in the downtown Cafe, it was the grill room.

Waitress: Why don't you let me tell her. You supposed to be the cook, and I'm supposed to deal with the customer.

Boxer: You might be my daughter, but don't give me no attitude in my Cafe.

Me: While you two have a family moment, you think you could dish up the Lunch Lady Special for me.

Waitress: Sure Miss Iris ... Daddy, fix her a special ... You want tea with that?"

Me: Of course. I don't see Miss Sadie is she okay?

Boxer: She is feeling poorly these days, but she does come in now and then. Mostly on Friday when that lady who cleans her house can drive her over.

Me: Shit I really hate to hear that.

Waitress: We all do. Miss Sadie is like family.

Me: Yeah she is.

After that the food came out of the window in the wall. The fish sticks were catfish fillets and the Mac and Cheese was a three cheese casserole baked in the pizza oven the Boxer bought in New Iberia years before. It was all delicious especially the cornbread sticks.

Me: As always it was delicious. (I raised my voice so that it carried into the grill area.)

Waitress as I paid: That fancy lawyer is back in town. Thought you might want to know if you didn't already.

Me: Damn I'll have to keep my clothes on when I knock on Bart's Door. (Several people giggled.)

It was mid afternoon when I walked from my place to the factory across the street. I found Bart running the blending machine. It was a much newer and larger one than I remembered.

Me: Hey old man.

Bart rushed to hug me then said: Damn it's good to see you.

Me: It's good to see you as well.

I backed off after the hug and took a good look around. I saw a couple of young people busy doing shit around the place.

Me: Do you have all Miss Sadie's grand kids working now.

Bart: Hell no, she must have fifty. I only have one full time and one after school. Not high school the community college. She is majoring in dental hygiene.

Me: From herb tea to teeth cleaning. The job must be helpful in her school.

Bart: It buys gas for her car. (pause) What brings you back here? I figured you were going to stay lost this time.

Me: That was the plan but some people showed up from Directorate Eleven or something like that. They tried to recruit me.

Bart: You aren't going to do it are you?

Me: That isn't the point. The point is they found me. They have a super computer that they fed my background into and it analyzed everything that happened until they found a connection.

Bart: You always said that it is all connected. So they found one.

Me: You don't get it. If they could do that, there is nothing they can't do. Nothing is private any more. No one is safe.

Bart: Sure it is. You just have to find somewhere that is so backward there is no information dirt roads, let alone information super highways.

Me: That sounds so simplistic.

Bart: It is. It just has to be somewhere no one in their right mind wants to live. You always said you don't need the money, so do it.

As usual Bart could cut right to the chase. I appreciated that about him. I gave it about a nanosecond's thought.

Me: Well, I can survive in the swamp and in the mountains, but not off the land. It's a hell of an idea and I am willing to give it a try. I need a place and some help learning how not to starve.

Bart: You also need to change your mind set. You can no longer be social, if you want to pull this off. You will need supplies but you don't need to be friendly with the shop keeper. Walk in, get what you want and leave. Get a post office box and then order your shit by mail from an account that is in no way tied to home.

Me: Walmart cash credit card. I have done that a few times. I'm gonna need a four wheel drive to get to the drop box. I expect you are going to suggest someplace with poor roads.

Bart: Yeah but somewhere you don't need no passport. Where you lived in the blue ridge mountains just won't do it. You need Maine, Montana, Washington State, Oregon, or best of all Alaska.

Me: There are a lot of survival Alaska shows. Maybe that is where I should go.

Bart: You decide. I know a couple of guys who teach that survivalist shit. It's one step up from the shit they did back in the old Church Camp days. They are running a survivalist school in the old Church Camp. It's not the skill you need to get back to a pick up point in a week or two, it's how to live the subsistence life style. In other words, live totally off the land or at least as close as possible to it. The price is five grand a month. You can stay for the whole three months then go for an advanced course of two more months. It's up to you how long you stay.

Me: How do I sign up?

Bart: I will have to find out when the next class begins. You need to use the time at Camp to think about where you want to go. Also empty your bank account and turn it to gold or diamonds, maybe some silver since you can probably convert it easier.

Even Bart didn't know about the batteries filled with gems and precious metals. There were five of them in the rear of the SUV at that time. There was still a huge amount of cash in the bank accounts. At that time I owned real estate in Mossberg and the Cord Bayou as well. In other words I could afford to disappear in style. Choosing to take on the natural world was nothing more than foolhardy. Yet it did sound like a challenge I wanted to accept.

Me: How do I get in touch with these guys?

Bart: You don't. I'll leave your background information and references in a dead drop. They will get in touch with you.

Me: Are you sure I want to get involved with something so paranoid.

Bart: The IRS has placed them on a terrorist training watch list. They don't like people learning how not to pay taxes.

Me: What are these guy's politics?

"Bart: I have no idea. Why don't you ask them when you get there? I do know they are not connected to the American Nazi Party or any other hate group. Just a couple of guys trying to teach people how to survive.

Me: So what will I need to take to the Camp?

Bart: A complete survival setup. There will be lots of things to learn about subsistence living. That is a lot more complicated than just short term survival. Go to their website to learn what to take with you. The website isn't for the school. It is just an information drop.

Me: Shit these guys are paranoid.

Bart: Maybe but there are some folk who would say you are. Also a little delusional for talking to a dead guy.

Me: It ain't my fault. He is the one who starts it.

Bart looked at me as he always did. He just wasn't sure that I wasn't truly delusional. I left the factory for my condo. I spent the afternoon making calls and having the place put back in shape. Since the bank was also a bill payer account for the utilities the condo had been livable from the moment I walked into it.

I called Sterlin to see how Lady and Tramp had done in my absence.

Me: Sterlin it's me how you doing?

Sterlin: Is it really you Rose?

Me: Yes it is. So how are you and Steve doing?

Sterlin: Steve got married to one of the twins. I'm living in your house and they live in the bunkhouse.

Me: That's nice. Are you still seeing the other twin?

Sterlin: Now and then we go out but nothing serious.

Me: Okay so how about Lady and Tramp?

Sterlin: I hope you ain't gonna be pissed. A local family heard about them. I'm not sure how they knew the story, but they wanted to adopt them. They were pretty miserable after you left.

Me: I know I'm a real bitch. So have you checked out the family?

Sterlin: Yes Rose, they got about a dozen kids and a big ole farm. I swear I make a check once a month to be sure they are okay.

Me: Since I'm just passing through, I won't disturb them. I do miss them more than anything else from my time here. We did a good thing didn't we?

Sterlin: We did a real good thing. I have not missed one moment's sleep worrying about dog man.

Me: That's good to know, because I haven't either. I was beginning to wonder if I should.

Sterlin after a short pause: How long you in town for?

Me: I'm not sure yet but I'm passing through for now. Tell you what if I'm here through the weekend maybe we can go to dinner. I'll give you a call.

Sterlin: Good I know Steve and his wife would love to see you.

I spent the evening reading about different wild places in the USA. I did not want to get lost in some third world country or worse yet some island paradise. I had learned my lesson about islands and jungles. I didn't like the cold, but I liked the jungle a hell of a lot less.

I couldn't go look at it, but I found the property I wanted. I bought it in the Rose Seabold identity. It was a pure gamble, since I knew nothing about the area or the land. I bought it because I could get a large tract of undeveloped land for one hundred thousand dollars. I managed to purchase one hundred and five acres adjacent to a managed national forest.

According to the brochure's pictures there was a logging road into the interior of the property. The site had been logged twenty plus years before. It had not been clear cut nor had it been replanted. The fact that there were very few trees to be harvested gave it its bargain price.