Chapter 33
TEN YEARS LATER
Ohio was no longer a Confederation, but now reorganized into an independent State. The northeast part of Ohio, which included Cleveland, was still controlled by the Axis. The border with the Axis regime had not changed in several years.
Ohio was part of the Continental Army Military Organization (CAMO) with other independent states throughout the Midwest.
Ohio was a law and order State because they were proactive in pursuing those who caused the problems. The clans found it better to carry out their bandenkrieg in Indiana and Kentucky. This vigorous prosecution of the clans in Ohio did make it worse for those States.
The Chinese-Backed Mexicans had not made further gains in territory, but it was thought that Mexico would annex the southwest, as they consolidated their hold on that vast region. Many Mexicans considered this area to be rightfully theirs, based upon nineteenth century history.
The southeast was starting to congeal into black and white areas. The blacks controlled the cotton belt area, and the whites controlled almost everything else.
Canada was fearful of the Axis, so was careful not to appear tilting toward one side or the other of the Axis-CAMO conflict.
Without the restraints of the old US Federal Government tax and regulations, Texas was turning back into an economic dynamo.
The refineries in the Lone Star Republic were now running in fits and starts, but enough to bring hard money into the ornery Country. Texas was pretty much hands off by those in their neighborhood because it was said that Texas had purchased at least one medium range nuclear missile from Israel.
Because of Texas, gasoline could be bought for the unreasonably high price of fifty cents silver per gallon. The gasoline demand for the military or farming was extremely high. States closer to Texas and friendly to Texas got a better deal.
The automotive junkyard industry sprung up almost overnight. Everyone had a Chevy or Toyota 2015 or whenever this or that part for a dime.
Every year it was still the same. The Ohio Army came to each town on Mayday, and rounded up all of the twenty year-olds for their mandatory five years of military service. Now it was Ayanna's turn. The Ohio Army Captain had made his visit there and made the announcement, they would depart the next day.
Phil and Amy were in their seventies now. They were in decent health, but were slowing down now.
Phil was going to be lost without Ayanna. When Phil looked at Ayanna, all the crazy memories of her youth came rushing back into his consciousness. The trouble she got him into; hunting; the bullet he took; the battles; military discussions; the hugs.
Ayanna had grown from a dysfunctional troubled little girl to a woman who knew how to handle people, her own emotions, and small arms, extremely well. The problems of her past did not control her, but she would never be totally rid of those lingering ghosts any more than any other imperfect adult who ever lived.
Ayanna was collecting as much gear as she could carry for the march she would be taking to the Ohio Third Army Training Center. It was all laid out on the dining room table so she could see what was going into her pack.
Amy placed a small New Testament and Psalms on the table. "Here, you got room for this, soldier."
"Thanks." Ayanna inspected the semi-automatic pistol that Phil gave her as a going away present, and a means of self-defense. Phil could see that it was more than just inspecting the pistol, she was staring into it like a crystal ball. Wondering, maybe worrying about what her future would be.
In a way, Ayanna would be glad to get a fresh start. She never really clicked with those of her own age group. Her peers always had some kind of negative adjective to describe her, even to her face. "Geek", "weirdo", "zombie", or even "random". Amy came into the dining room and sighed. "I sure hope you don't find some boy out there away from here."
Ayanna half smiled. No matter where she went, there was always going to be an available boy, that was a given. But Ayanna learned the basic fact about boys even before Ella demonstrated proof positive in the garden for the Hexmen, that boys thought with the male member of their bodies.
"Little darlin'. . ."
"Don't call me that right now, Amy. I don't think I can handle it right now." It was a long hike to the Third Army HQ, then possible deployment on the other side of the State. There were no guarantees that she would ever come back.
"Well. . .What I was going to say was, there are plenty of nice boys around here. Don't go finding one someplace else."
"I'll try to keep that in my thought processes. I think I'll go visit Elijah one more time."
Ayanna walked over to the Farm, probably for the last time. Elijah was sitting there with the chess board, when she walked in, reading a sheet of paper.
"Ayanna," Elijah said. "I've been waiting on you. It's your move."
Ayanna smirked and took a seat. "What's with this chess? We rarely finish a game."
"Oh, it's not about the chess, Ayanna. I thought you had that figured out long before now." He made a move.
"Oh I did." Ayanna moved. "When you want to interrogate someone, you tell them to 'move' when you want them to quit thinking or talking. You can also tell something about how competent they are by their moves. Who knows what else you are doing while this game is going on. But you know what? I just wanted to play the game once in awhile, you know?"
"Not me," Elijah said. "I didn't want to get my ass kicked by a damn little girl." He started crying hard, looking at her.
Ayanna broke down as well.
Elijah got up and turned his head, wiping his tears. "The world is a big place, Ayanna. You are too big for this little place. You've got to move on. You've got to use what you have to make the world a better place for as many people as you can. We can't be selfish here, we can't keep you here. Don't come back." Elijah moved toward Ayanna,
Ayanna got out of the chair and hugged Elijah. "I love you, Elijah."
"Me too."
It was time. Ayanna had her pack and was heading out the door. Phil and Amy clutched their little darlin' one last time before she left. They were scared that she would not be able to return. They were scared for her safety. Five years in the Ohio Army was a long time.
After Ayanna went out the front door, Amy turned to Phil for comfort.
The Crawfordton Ohio Army recruits assembled on Harris Road directly in front of the House. The town was a lot less populous than it was a decade or so ago. So instead of a couple of hundred recruits, there were only forty two sobbing young adults who had spent most of their lives trying to survive the collapse the older generations left for them to deal with.
The entire town was there to bid the recruits farewell. Jayden saluted those who had served in the Crawfordton Guard.
The order was given by the Ohio Army Captain and the recruits started marching out. The Ohio Army could have sent a bus for them to travel the sixty miles to the HQ, but it was tradition, and part of their physical training.
The march was long, but there was very little complaining. This generation was one that knew how to handle hardship, and took this event in stride.
They arrived at the HQ on the second day. The camp was a bare-bones no frills place. There were no tanks, helicopters, or heavy artillery around. Just a few buildings with an Ohio flag flying in front of them.
The recruits met their drill master and were assigned quarters. Then they were given obstacle course training. Ayanna finished somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Then they were given testing on military science. All of the recruits knew they would be in the Army at some point so tried to do some preparatory work ahead of time for it. Ayanna thought the test was extremely easy.
A couple of days later her name, along with several others were called upon to take another test. This test was harder, but she still felt she did pretty well at it.
Ayanna suspected that she may be on some kind of fast track to moving up in rank; which was her lifelong goal.
The Major was looking at Ayanna's file when she went into his office. "Crawford, I commend you on the excellent result on your testing."
"Thank you, Sir."
"You did as well as anyone. Outstanding."
"Thank you, Sir."
"Crawford, you are being sent to Sandusky Bay for further training."
"Sandusky Bay, Sir? What is that?"
"That is the home of the Ohio Navy."
"What? Navy?"
"Yes, Navy. Who do you think protects our north shore from the Axis? Here's the thing. You did as well as anyone on the Army testing criteria, but on the Navy testing criteria you finished in first by a large margin."
"But, Sir. This is a mistake, I'm not a navy person."
"You are now. You leave tomorrow by car."
Ayanna sat there in a daze, trying to figure out how to object.
"Anything else?" the Major asked.
"No, sir"
"Dismissed."
Ayanna got up and saluted the Major.
Nothing could have seemed more wrong than being shanghaied into the Navy. It made no sense at all. She had spent her whole life running around on solid ground and had never even seen a large body of water. She never even learned how to swim.
It seemed her unspoken dream of leading a large army into battle was never going to happen. That was over now. So now what?
Ayanna felt important being delivered by car all the way to the Naval Station. She almost forgot what it was like to travel by car. She saw more sights on that day than most of the rest of her previous life. The driver didn't try to say anything and she didn't try to engage him. She just sat there and took it all in.
Travelling up Interstate-75 seemed to go by very fast. Ayanna saw ramshackle houses and an endless amount of abandoned vehicles alongside of the road. The countryside looked decimated and poor, but it looked a lot less dangerous. Maybe there was hope for the future.