Chapter 9-War: What’s it good for?

Story by Richard Allen

“The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the spirit is life and peace.” Romans 8;6   

Everything was changed in their mountain home. Even during the Cannable Crusades, they didn't have this much defense in place. All the tunnels are fitted with blades and controlled by people on watch. If any unwanted people come through, they would get chopped up and stabbed. It looked almost like a giant worm's mouth filled with teeth, but the teeth kept going on as far as the tunnels ran. The usual smiles on people's faces were looks of concern and discomfort at knowing they were in a conflict. Jenna made eye contact, and a warmth came back to some of the people's faces, and smiles came back for a few moments.  

Paul was leading and looked straight ahead, focused on the journey. He held Jake’s hand. Jake was strong and fast, but Paul kept him from moving with an iron grip even though Jake tried to go in every direction and wanted to touch everything that he saw, which were blades and rock walls, but Jake was locked in place by his dad, no matter how much he tried to go his own way. The tunnels looked so different that Paul could barely recognize the patterns on the walls to even tell how close they were to the center, so it felt as if the tunnels went forever until they ended abruptly. The guards acknowledged Paul with a nod, but Paul didn't look to the right or the left but nodded back to them. 

Most of the vendors were still in place, but no one filled the street. Only a handful of people at a time to keep it clear, but most people were at stations to keep watch or just at home. They didn't have to be told or make laws, but everyone just knew the proper way to act. Even the new people recently woken up knew to get their necessities and not linger, almost as if by instinct. The citizens learned to imitate their leaders as individuals, so they didn't even need words... even the kids with petty quarrels worked together. Dudley and the girl who bullied him stood watch at the Capitol Building. The looked at one another, and Dudley opened the doors and smiled at Paul and Jenna; Karren waved them through.  

Rick talked with council members who were debating and writing things down with pencil and paper, but they all stopped talking and looked over in unison. Paul waved. Rick acknowledged him, then looked to Jenna, and then down at Jake, and Rick’s eyes grew big. 

“Look how much you've grown.” Rick smiled  

Paul looked down at Jake, he remembered he had a son, and his smile grew from ear to ear. “Just knowing you exist makes my heart full.” Paul thought to himself. 

Rick picked up Jake, then said  

“It's been a long time since we got to smile around here. Jake smacked him on the forehead loudly. Rick’s face rippled a little from the hit, and it startled Jake, but Rick scrunched up his face, making his small facial features look even smaller. They both laughed, then Rick looked at Paul and Jenna. 

“We’ve gotten word of the attack on Union soil. The first attack here came at the same time as the one in the Union, about a month from this day. The enemy sent his forces to fight our army and sneak in behind us, so I destroyed them completely and utterly.” 

Rick paused only for a moment, but everyone knew it weighed on his heart. 

Rick continued. “Thank the lord we were able to stop them from taking Phoenix Ash and killing any more good people. Now, because of these attacks, the president ordered all borders to be closed.” 

“What about the nomadic people?” Jenna couldn't help but interrupt. 

Rick looked at her and said, “They were notified and are taking refuge at the closest place to their native land. Both Beaners and Crackers brought their harvests and stores of grains and many types of Fabaceae.”  

“The president cannot solve all our problems, so we are instructed to follow our paths and to communicate immediately. The hunter and trapper clans are all back working for the people.”  

“Where is Id?” Paul asked. 

Rick made a face at the mention of his name and the laughed.  

“He is helping a great deal. He is the man responsible for gathering up all the Beaners and Crackers and ensuring they were safe. He complained a great deal about the Crackers because they won't eat beans as you will hear him talk about relentlessly, but he will be back with us here as soon as he can.” 

“That’s good to hear.” 

“Jenna, please give us your account of what happened,” Rick asked with a concerned under score in his voice. 
While she was speaking, Rick pulled Paul aside and asked him,  

“You did not fight?” 

“Uhhh, No, I stayed with Jen and the baby.” 

“Huh, ok. Why didn't you just take them out?”  

“I was trying to keep my family from danger.” 

“How's that working out, Paul?” 

He wasn't the man he used to be, before he died and became a zombie. “I used to be a man.” He thought to himself. 

Jenna told them all accounts of what happened;she recorded in her memory every person she interviewed. She had the best memory, extensively more detailed than the gatherers could give.  The scientists working for Jeson, who is making mind-controlled zombies, his cannibal army, the people who were taught that bad was good. Everything the president told her for strengthen the immediate communities and not just rely on the Union.  

She was almost done speaking when Id appeared beside her. 

The word “Battle” came before they recognized he was there. 

“We went to the beach after all interviews were... uhhh ahhhh,” Jenna yelled, then held her hand over her racing heart. 

“Ah, sorry, Jen. Id said then kept talking. 

“Hope City, I heard Jetson talking about attacking in three days.” 

Jenna gasped. 

“We must head there immediately. You can make it to the city; help defend and keep their attention then we will have a group of soldiers to attack from the side.” 

“Yes,” They all agreed. 

Paul muttered, “I can do it.” 

“Hmmmm, Wait. I have another plan.” Rick said then scratched his chin. 

“Paul will go and attack head-on.”  

“Are you sure, Rick? The first plan we all talked about seems so much better.” Sal said. 

“What...?” Jenna said with wide eyes. 

“I am guided by the spirit; I can guide you to the tools and weapons you will need. Come with me if you want to live.” 

Sal laughed, and everyone looked at him blankly. 

“Come with me if you want to live,” Sal repeated in his best Arnold voice, then laughed, but no one else did.  

“Oh right, I'm super old, sorry.” No one paid attention. 

“It is God who will give us what we need. What can you give me that equals that, Rick?” Said Paul. 

Rick smiled. “That’s exactly why I'm sending you.”  

Paul said his goodbyes and kissed Jake and Jenna, then headed to the stables to get a horse. Sal, Id, Jenna, and Rick walked with him. 

“We prepared you a thirty-horsepower horse.” Said the stable master. 

“Thirty-horsepower.” Laughed Sal. 

Everyone looked at him like he was crazy again, so Sal backed up behind Jenna and Rick. 

The stable master smiled because he had to explain it a lot more lately. 

“Yes, over the years, all things have become faster and stronger after zombies came; everything has adapted to the new king of the world, but the king quickly lost his grip... Zombies even adapted to animals; they imitate escalating this battle of adaptation, but life is winning. Each generation of man has conquered the unnatural zombie and the natural world even before a cure was found.” 

They all looked at him blankly. 

“Sorry, I'm feeling a little spacey right now. To summarize, this horse is equal to one of the horses from the time you lived, Sal.” 

“That makes sense.” Sal Said. 

And Paul was out of sight before Sal finished his sentence.  

Id ran beside Paul's horse, and they caught up a little, and they told each other about things that had happened to them until Id finally asked.  

“Do you need any herbs or caffeine?”  

“No thanks, Id. I don't smoke anymore.” 

“Not those herbs, I mean anything to help you sleep better or for extra energy.” 

“Caffeine makes it hard for me to sleep, too.” 

“Herbs can help with that, and that other herb should too.”  

“No, I'm going to go all natural and herb, herb makes my mind race, and I don't sleep well. It's my specific type of person, I guess.” 

“Ohh, ok.” Id smiled. 

“Go with God, my friend, I love you.” 

“Love you too, Id.” 

Paul, the loneliness hit him like a ton of bricks the millisecond after Id left. He was riding to Hope all alone. The warmth in his heart radiated as soon as he decided to be more optimistic. He felt the horse under him moving effortlessly, each muscle stretched and pulled the exact way it was designed to move... so effortlessly.  The sky parted and a ray of evening sunshine lit his path; he didn't look right or left, only at the sunlit path before him. 

A voice exploded out of nowhere. 

“We were getting hungry,” and ten men appeared in front of Paul. 

The horse stopped on a dime, and then a band of one hundred roving scouts surrounded him. 

“What's your name?” A sly and nasty-sounding voice asked.  

“I like to know what to call my food.” 

“I'm just a man, fighting for someone.” 

The voice cackled a nasty laugh. 

“The names Nunya... Nunya Business.” Paul said in a gruff voice. 

The first ten attacked in unison. Paul dodged six punches and broke two arms, but four men hit his horse square in the middle of its chest, and he bucked Paul into the air and hit the ground kicking and smashing a man's face into pudding... but three men still clung to him. In an explosive gallop forward, the enemy flew behind a hill where Paul couldn't see. 

Paul wanted to look for his steed, but he still stood before a hundred men who wanted him dead.  

“I wonder if these guys want me dead.” He whispered to himself.  

“Let's kill this guy!” The crowd yelled. 

“Well then, yippy Coyote, my friend.” Paul smiled with confidence. 

Many of the cannibals in the crowd asked, “What?” 

“It's from an old, old movie.”  

“I don't get it... None of us gets it.” 

“Let's get ‘em!” yelled the one hundred enemies. 

Paul killed a few of them, but was struck repeatedly. He landed in a tree as he flew and slammed into a tree. He felt the blood flowing out of his nose and eyebrow. He was mobbed, but he killed a few more, but was struck repeatedly again. His fighting spirit slowly came back to him. He killed ten men, then another twenty without being hit a single time.  Then signaled for them to attack with a gesture that said, “Come at me, bro.” 

The remaining nine hundred men yelled and charged. 

Paul killed the rest before the end of the hour. He was bleeding from all over his face and one knife wound, but smiling. His horse whinnied and stomped, looking at his friend from the hill, and watched him kill the last guy.  

Paul whistled, and his steed trotted up, throwing its head up and down. When he came up, he put his nose under Paul's hand, so he rubbed his nose and muzzle and inspected him for a moment. Its legs were covered in blood,d and its chest plate was dented, but it was in good health. Paul said,  

“Good horse.” Then mounted again and went on his way. 

He came to Hope City when it became fully dark; the once shining mesa was pitch black. No light could be seen. While he was thinking he heard scouts pacing him from a short distance to his right and left. They let out a bird call, and he knew they were Hope scouts. No one said a word until they were inside the city.  

Judy was in her battle suit. Only her mouth was visible. He knew it was her because she had her old judge's robes that she was famous for. 

“Id told us that you are alone and going to help us.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

“Thank you for helping us,” Judy said  

“I'm going to get you patched up. The fight can come at any moment.” 

At that moment, the fight began.  

Two zombies over 300 feet tall peered their heads above the flat mesa top.  

Paul jumped at the closest zombie. Its huge head was larger than a building. It lost its grip a little and threw its head back, exposing its neck, so he slashed with his spear. The massive zombie flew to the ground, hitting so hard it made a small crater around him. Blood gushed from a slice in the zombie's neck, but it stood back up and snarled. Paul waited for it to make a move, it lifted its arms into the air and disappeared into the night’s sky, and its head wobbled back, unable to keep its head upright from the cut tendons. Paul slashed again. Its head fell all the way backwards and hung from the remaining connecting tissue, then it fell. A dust cloud rose up after it hit the ground, then its body fell on top of it, smashing its own head.  

The second zombie swung and destroyed an entire group of buildings. 

Judge Judy was on its shoulder, she hit with her hammer, breaking bone and tendon, then was launched from the zombie’s spasmic reaction to her hit.  

Blood gushed from Paul's body from his earlier fight. Moving so quickly reopened his wounds that had started to heal. The rush of the fight reminded him of why he loved Jenna so much. She fought with all her heart. He remembered their first kiss, their first argument. The hundreds of times they almost died together and the one time he did... but he was back now, back to the man he used to be, but energized and renewed with love for his wife and kids.  
Something from deep within him growled. His eyes started to glow green, then flash green and turn emerald green. 

He smiled, then caught mid-air as Judy flew off the zombie's shoulder and threw her back at the zombie. She swung her hammer and made a hole in its head, then Paul followed up with a slash, cutting the zombie’s face down the middle and positioning himself to slash its throat.  

Judy yelled, “No!... Just knock him out. We can save him. We can at least save the zombies; they don't know what they're doing. Or at least we must know for sure before passing a sentence of death.”  

Paul stopped his final blow to the throat and jumped to grab Judy again and threw her to the zombies' nerve on the back of its neck and she knocked it out with a final blow that shook the entire mountain. It fell and hit the ground, shaking the mountain once more. 

Judy was flying still, so Paul jumped out after her and threw her back to the mesa top, and he landed on the ground and ran at the Legion of soldiers  

They abandoned their siege works and ran for their lives. All the soldiers ran, and Hopes’ scouts and fighting men chased them and killed them as they fled, until the forest edge where the trees began. 

Paul fell to his knees and felt his body. The great pain throbbing through his body got stronger but it felt so good to him. A reminder of who he was and is, life is pain, and he was still alive. He smiled at the thought of life's struggles. 

“Let's go.” Echoed inside his brain.  

He stood and went to pursue the enemy, but a scout came back and told him the enemy was almost gone and convinced him to go get healed, so they went to the healers of Hope town, and he lay on the hospital bed and he smelled band aids and alcohol. He fell asleep watching them work, the cold towels and stitches faded into numbness and darkness, and he slept deeper than he had slept in months. 
The day’s sun crept through the clouds and beamed into Paul's eyes, and he woke. He stood up, and the nurse tried to make him lie back down, but he stood, and Judy was there dressed as a Judge, but her robes were clean and new. Her smile was accentuated because it was her only visible facial feature. 

“Welcome back,” Judy said. 

“Good morning, your honor.” 

“You were still asleep?” She laughed. “Good job. We beat them this time, but we had the high ground.” 

“We have Tony,” Paul said and smiled. 

“Tony died in the battle.” Judy frowned. 

“Noo. No. They killed Tony?” Paul said sadly. 

“Yes, they killed Tony,” Judy replied sadly. “But we still have the high ground. 

“They have an army and hulking monsters.” 

“But still, we have the high ground,” Judy said.

“We do have a good position. But Tony is dead, they killed Tony.” Paul nodded in agreement with Judy and just sat with the feeling of loss in silence for a moment. 

“Can you stay and help prepare for the next battle?” Judy eventually said softly. 

Paul thought deeply and then said. “Yes.” 

After three days of working the field and setting up ballistas all around the mesa’s cliffs, he headed back home, where Id intercepted him, and he was with two other men who happened to be white. 

Id appeared close to Paul, and the two other men took a long time to catch up. One ran up and gasped for air. 

“I hate Crackers.” Said Id. 

“I am deeply offended... We are people too!” The Cracker said. 

“Oh, no, I meant eating crackers. Like the food. Not you, I like you, but I don't like the food you eat, although you guys are super slow.” 

“You dang Beaners. Always looking down on us Crackers.” Said the other cracker finally catching up. 

“I don't look down on you at all. I respect Crackers because you plant seeds and grow your own food and collect it from the wild like we do.” 

“Oh, well... I'm sorry.” 

Id threw up a peace sign and smiled.  

“You guys should try some beans, and I'll try some crackers.”  

“No, we can't. It's against our code, but you can eat whatever you want; we don't hold food against you.” 

From that day on, Beaners and Crackers understood each other way more than they ever had, and the trio all got along way better from then on. Paul just sat and listened and finally said,  

“What's going on, Id?” 

“Nothing bad, we are just training, but there is word about the cure and Sal's past back at Phoenix. We will catch back up with you when we’re on the way back.” 

“OK.’ Replied Paul. 

“we’re gonna have to beat our time to catch back up to Paul, so we’re gonna go faster today. Let’s gooo!” Id smiled. Finally gonna go faster, these guys are sooo slow.... Id thought to himself, then disappeared.  

The crackers groaned, then disappeared in a flash. 

Paul made his way back to Phoenix. 

The purple mountains of Phoenix appeared in the distance. Happy to be so close to hope Paul started running. Id jogged beside him and smiled.  

“We ran five hundred miles, then five hundred more and we still caught back up.”  

“I was walking. Paul laughed. 

“It's just awesome, these Crackers are so fast. They kept up. I think we really aren't so different than my tribe. They dedicate themselves and improve exactly as we do. I'm not talking trash, I promise.” 

“Ahh, but I think you were.” Smiled Paul. Then he ran ahead of Id. 

They raced to Phoenix. The crackers outran them both, but Paul ran faster than he had ever run before. His lungs were on fire, then it just felt right, and he ran faster, then even faster. Id did cartwheels because he had never seen Paul so energized. He felt that Paul's spirit had changed. 

Paul looked at him like he understood what Id was thinking, then put his arms back while he ran, and his speed increased. They made it to the mountain. Id let him win, and Paul knew it, but he was still in high spirits. He felt the life coming back to his core... to his bones. 

Back at the Capitol 

The whole party was called when Paul was spotted by the scouts, and they were all at the Capitol now. 

“We have news about the cure,” Rick said. 

Paul kissed his wife first, then said, “What is the news?” 

“Peter and Rickey found traces of a molecule in the shell of the pill. Such a small amount it was almost imperceptible, and something else called Iversonmeckatain. The first thing they called the God particle and the Iversonmectain was just what it was coated with.” Said Rick. 

Jenna smiled and said, “It was holy water purified by a priest.” 

“Which the scientists have believed...” Rick paused to look at their faces.  

“Was supposedly taken by force from holy men by Sal's father.”  

Sal looked at the ground and frowned. 

“All of the news articles found on Sal's father were very, very bad.” Rick continued. 

“It doesn't make sense. We went to church every Sunday and Wednesday night. My dad lost sleep every week because we attended church. It doesn't make sense.” Sal protested. 

Rick nodded in agreement. “Good could have been called evil at that time, so this is all alleged.” 

“They said it was my father's fault the world ended. Alleged nothing. He was a good man.” 

“Nevertheless, we have a lead. It turns out Iversonmectain is the cheapest thing to make from common ingredients. Dr. Omura and Dr. Campbell are making it quickly and easily. We just need our priests who are true to help. They have recreated the cure, but not all the priests can do it. Only the true-hearted ones.” 

“We will find out more,” Sal said resolutely. 

“Jetsons men aren't strong, but they use these zombies they mind control to make up for it,” Sal said. 

“Yes.” Rick replied. 

“It's like the priest thing.” Id interjected. “They can't grow because they don't know God. They destroy themselves. We know God and don't always do good, but we try...” 

“That is why God’s word is so powerful,” Rick said and smiled. “Just hearing the words draws you in, and you work and continually strive to do better. This is why you must read the words every day so you can have all the strength you will ever need.” 

Id smiled, then read a quarter of the bible, then started daydreaming, so he stopped because he knew he couldn't pay attention at the moment, so he would read another one when his mind was clearer. Everyone was still looking at him as if he was going to continue taking, but Id stayed silent and let Rick talk. 

“Jetsen is hitting everyone even harder since we found these things out. We might be spread thin, but we all must fight. We can do it if we have God on our side.” 

 “My concern is not whether God is on my side; my greatest concern is to be on God’s side, for God is always right.” Paul quoted the ancient proverb by Abraham Lincoln. 

Rick let out a belly laugh, and they grasped hands as if they were going to arm wrestle midair. The contrast of the black the and white of their hands accentuated their brotherly gesture.

“It's time we strike first,” Rick said. “We have a plan to stop the production of the chemicals and their mind control facilities. I need two groups. Paul, Blase, and Cin. You have the chemical factory.” 

Blase and Cin waved from the back of the room, remaining silent; they both tipped their hats.. 

“Sal, you're heading up the charge against the mind control facilities. Id and Duncan will go with you.” 

“I don't think I'm the best one for the job. I'm not really a leader type.” Sal protested.  

Rick looked Sal in the eye. “It is your turn to lead. If you don't learn, you will die.” 

“Ok, I'll try.” 

“The Id no try, just do.” Id tried to make a joke, but it went over everyone's heads. 

“Where is Duncan and when do we leave?” Sal asked nervously. 

“You leave right now; Duncan will be in Autherman. He will be there an hour before you get there so make haste.” 

Paul asked for the horse he rode before. The others received their own thirty-horsepower horses, and they rode swiftly to Aurtherman. Paul looked back and smiled at his wife and baby until they were out of sight. 

                                                 The End of Chapter 9 

Into death they rode, or was it life? Or a morphing of the soul for the better, perhaps... Maybe even for the worse. Maybe someone will get PTSD.

They lived because it was all they could do and waited to see what the next chapter of their lives would bring. Their spirits were high and strengthened by their love for all that is good. They looked ahead.