Tumultus by D. W. Ulsterman Page A

back with her.  Before she left she had no idea how bad things had gotten down there – and now she was really worried about her mom and dad staying behind by themselves with all those drones and military vehicles in the area.  She knew something wasn’t right.
     
    “Her fourth night there, she called me again.  I could tell her voice, she was really worried.  Told me two men had come to her parents’ house that day.  Came in and asked a bunch of questions.  Asked if they knew any of the people who were at the encampment that was about five miles away from their house.  Then they found Arlene’s dad’s gun.  It was an old family hunting rifle handed down from his grandfather.  They found that gun and a half empty box of ammo that went with it.  Arlene said her dad told those soldiers, she called them soldiers, but they were compliance officers.  Her dad told those compliance officers he hadn’t even moved that gun from the closet in about ten years and it hadn’t been fired for longer than that - just an old hunting rifle.  The officers took down all their names, took the gun and the ammo, and then they left.  Arlene promised she was leaving the next day and her parents were coming with her.  Just like before, I was able to say goodnight to the kids.
     
    “That was the last time I ever spoke to my wife or my kids.  Two, three days go by and no word.  Then I start to hear rumors about some kind of military action in Grant County, Washington - a couple Internet reports.  Then those reports are taken down and there’s no information at all about what happened.  I go into Juneau and ask around - nothing.  Another day goes by and a county sheriff pays a visit to the house here.  I know him.  He was a friend of my dad’s.  Name was Tillman.  He tells me there’s word of some kind of rebellion in Grant County, and some locals in the area got caught in the middle.  He says he’s got no information on Arlene or my kids’ whereabouts, but promises to let me know if he hears anything.  He never comes back.  Two more days and I try to look him up in Juneau.  He’s been reassigned they tell me – and that’s all they tell me.  Sheriff Tillman just disappeared.  Gone.  By then I’m figuring somebody didn’t like him going out of his way to talk to me.
     
    “So by then, I’m a hell of a mess.  I’m calling out to anyone and everyone I know in Washington State about where my wife and kids are. Nobody has any information.  Or, they don’t want to talk to me.  Then my phone service is cut off.  My Internet access is shut down.  It’s nearly two weeks since I last heard from Arlene.  Two damn weeks.  Then I get something in the mail.  Plain white envelope with no return address.  Inside are two aerial photos of a house.  One shows the house with the address printed below it, and the other shows that house blown to bits.  Almost nothing left of it.  There’s a truck in the driveway though.  Damaged, but still enough of it there in the picture for me to recognize it.  My truck.  The one Arlene drove to see her parents.  The house was their house.”
     
    “Ah shit...”
     
    Mac’s two words spoke for the other three who were listening intently to Cooper Wyse’s story.
     
    “I show my mother the photos, tell her something bad might have happened.  She just…she broke apart.  Screaming. Sobbing.  For days.  I’m holding out hope though.  Maybe Arlene got out of that house.  Maybe her and the kids and her folks are holed up somewhere trying to make their way back to me.  Then the other envelope arrives.  Five copies of five little cards.  Has their names on it.  It’s some kind of death report.  A very brief one.  Simply says, Grant County, WA :  Subjects terminated .
     
    “I figured it was Tillman, the sheriff that disappeared.  He was trying to let me know what happened.  I still don’t know for sure though.  I want to drive on down there myself to