*******
The three went into the cabin and sat around the kitchen table. Johns and the guard stayed outside on the deck.
Anderson started to speak, but Nathan had evidently had enough, holding up his hand.
“Sir, I held my tongue out there for the sake of politeness, but now it's my turn to talk.”
“Go ahead,” Anderson said with a resigned tone and sat back in his chair.
“Thank you very much,” Nathan said sarcastically, “Now where to begin. Oh yes, with being prisoners.” Anderson started to speak and Nathan just kept talking. “We walk eight hundred dangerous, cold, terrible miles to get home and when we arrive, we’re separated from our party and imprisoned here. I haven’t even been able to call my family and tell them we’re alive.”
“Where is your family?” asked Butch suddenly.
Nathan was temporarily thrown off his tirade which he had rehearsed in detail over several days. “My wife and I are both from Mayfield.”
“No kidding!” said Butch, “That’s where General Anderson lives!”
Nathan looked at them in surprise and wondered if they were playing with him, but saw serious looks. “Did you go to Mayfield High School or Graves County High?” asked Nathan simply as a point of conversation, his brain working quickly to process information.
Anderson shook his head, “Graves County consolidation was before my time, I went to Wingo High.”
Nathan smiled in spite of himself, “Wingo? My uncle Dale Turpin has a farm out there.”
“Crazy Dale,” Anderson smiled. “Knew him well when I was younger. Now only see him every so often.”
Nathan re-focused himself, “I was planning to give you hell for what you’ve done to my family, but this conversation has made my point for me. Damn man! I’m from here! Our families are from here! We probably know two dozen of the same people. Why are you putting us through this? You know we belong here!”
Anderson sighed, “Yes I know. You getting in was never in doubt. I just wanted to meet you and thought it was important enough to keep you where I could find you until we had a chance to talk.”
“Are you serious?” Nathan asked incredulous. “This wasn’t the best of beginnings, I can tell you.”
“I understand that,” Anderson explained. “But it was necessary. Let me ask you a question.”
“By all means, go ahead,” said Nathan, still annoyed and trying hard to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
“Why did you come here?”
Nathan was momentarily taken aback, “To see my family, to make sure they were okay, and to make sure they knew we were okay. We’ve lived a lot of places in the military, but at the end of the day this is home.”
“What about the people you came with, why are they here?”
Nathan was glad Anderson had mentioned them instead of him having to do it. “Actually they came because they heard this was the last place where there was courtesy, civilization, and decency. Imagine their disappointment.”
“Yes, I think I can,” said Anderson. “But…as wonderful as all of this is, especially compared to the outside world, it is in reality a house of cards, ready to blow away at the first strong wind.”
Nathan was surprised and kept quiet. The man had his attention.
Anderson continued, “We have electricity and good borders and that’s it. We also have everyone else in the world trying to get into the JP and our resources just can’t support that many. And we also have a covetous neighbor to the south who is only waiting his chance to take what we have.” Anderson let that all sink in. “One wrong move and we’re done for.”
Nathan nodded. “Sir, I appreciate that, but what does that have to do with me and my family?”
“In short, major, we need you,” said Anderson. “We don’t have enough smart and capable military men to protect our borders. Our National Guard troops are spread too thin and new recruits are raw and unreliable. We need you to take charge.”
“Take charge? Of what, exactly?”
“Well, I’m going to have to explain a little bit of background first,” said Anderson as he pulled out a map. “I’m sure you’re familiar with the Land Between the Lakes Park which basically makes up the JP’s entire eastern border. Well, it doesn’t technically fall into any county for government, nor does it have inhabitants to protect it. We thought about abandoning it, but we just can’t.”
“Because of the dam,” said Nathan, looking at the map.
Anderson smiled, impressed. “Exactly right. The dam sits right at the top of the park and makes electricity from the water flowing northward from those two manmade lakes. We can’t abandon the park without making the dam vulnerable. We’ve already got squatters and other people making their way into the park and we have no control over them. The southern portion is also a wide open highway for General Sampson, should he choose to come north.”
“You mean invade?” asked Nathan, surprised.
“Yes,” said Butch. “This is the Wild West, friend. We’re going to have to fight to keep what we have, and real soon. Which is why we need your help.”
Anderson got to the crux of the matter. “I want you to be the military governor and commander of the Land Between the Lakes region.”
“We’re prepared to overlook any charges we could bring against you for desertion of your post at Fort Meade,” said Butch casually.
Nathan was suddenly furious again. He pointed his finger in succession at first Matthews and Anderson. “One. Piss off and piss off. Two. You can take that desertion crap and shove it up your asses. You’ve been here the whole time and have no idea what is going on out there.”
Both men’s face showed surprise and then anger. They started to say something, but Nathan overrode them by talking louder. “And three, I’ll do it.”
The generals became quiet in sudden surprise.
“But…” said Nathan in a very intense tone, “I have conditions to accepting this headache of all headache jobs and I’m not going to quibble about it. If you don’t give me what I want then you can let us go and I’ll be on my way. I’m serious.”
“So are we,” said Anderson. “Tell us your conditions.”
Nathan paused as he quickly ran things through his head. “First, the group I came in with gets into the JP. Not next week, not tonight, right this very freaking minute. We’re not going to discuss a damn thing until you tell me that’s happening.”
Nathan sat back and crossed his arms and the two men stared at him for a moment and then at each other. Anderson shrugged his shoulders and Butch got up and spoke quietly with Captain Johns who then ran off.
“Done,” said Anderson. “But they settle in the park. They’re your first settlers.”
“Fine,” continued Nathan tersely, but inwardly immensely relieved. “Second, if I’m in charge, I want to be in charge. Oh, I know I’ll have to report to you or the guy in charge of the JP, but you know what I mean. If it’s my business, you’ll let it be my business and that means appointing who I want to be in charge of stuff to include military commissions and such. I’m not just some major anymore."
“Again, no problem and more power to you…” Anderson held up his finger for emphasis “…as long as you get the job done. We don’t have the luxury to tolerate someone who can’t do the job.”
Nathan smiled, “Wouldn’t want it any other way, besides what are you going to do, fire me? Don’t think so. Last one. I want support, real support. You’re not going to give me a job and then not equip me to do it. I’ll not be your fall guy. That means men, equipment, food, houses, electricity, and whatever else I decide I need.”
Butch spoke up, “We understand the importance of the job we’ve given you, and we need it to succeed. We’ll give you everything we can and support you in every way we can, but…you are going to have to solve problems yourself and find resources on your own.”
Nathan wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, but he decided to let it go for now. “Sorry, o
ne more thing I almost forgot about.” Nathan looked at them both as he leaned across the table towards them on his elbows, “If you ever confine me or any of my family again, that will be the end of us working together on anything…ever.”
Anderson sat silent for a moment staring at Nathan and then said, “Well, it looks like we understand each other. Welcome aboard. Butch here will sit down with you tomorrow to help work out a strategy and to see what you need. I have to go back tonight after we have dinner.”
“So that’s it then?” asked Nathan as they stood suddenly.
“Not quite,” Anderson said as they walked back outside onto the deck. He pulled a box out of his pocket and stood stiffly in front of Nathan. “As of now you are promoted to Colonel and assigned as the military governor of the Land Between the Lakes.” Anderson pinned the bright shiny eagles to the collars of Nathan red flannel shirt.
Nathan was stunned and almost laughed out loud at the ridiculousness of it all. “Sir, is that even legal?”
“Who cares?” said Anderson. “It’s legal in every way that matters now and I’m deadly serious. Never doubt that.”
Bethany and the boys were looking at him with some confusion and surprise.
“Does this mean that we get to go home now?” asked Joshua.
“No,” said Nathan. “It means we are home now.”