Shivering in the dark storage closet, nestled into some old flooring material that stunk of urine and rotten vegetables, I was relieved when around 2:30 am the lights came back on and some heat started to flow into the tiny closet of a room. I just hope that the goons had left and I wasn’t in any mood to prolong my voluntary imprisonment. Frank had of course been kidnapped or abducted could not tell which--but it did not matter. He had talked himself in and out of trouble but at least he had left me out of it. All I got from the conversation was that they were all heading to DC to release their January 6 friends and get jobs for themselves in the new illegitimate GL administration. I was pretty confident that both Ed and Joe whoever they were sooner heading for jail than any desk job--but I could have been wrong. I had been wrong about a lot of things lately most of all agreeing to take a job with that fascist prick Dave Ross.
Taking the job with Ross it if truth be known was an act of desperation pure and simple. It was take his radio production job or go back to waitressing. I had to hold my nose concerning his rancid politics so much so that I found breathing to be hard work at times. The gig was aligned to what I had been doing in my prior life—I was once a producer at one of the local network stations--earned big money and spent it like a drunken sailor but then we were taken over by a big billionaire mogul who cut the staff in half. Even though I was one of the few females there as the jargon has it ‘let me go’. I was given four months severance--more than enough time to look around but it took me months before anything worth a look showed up. This gig with Ross had some things going for it. A decent wage but not stupendous, flexible hours and surprisingly enough a pension, if I ever lived that long. His passion for GL seemed a bit eccentric until GL like Houdini seemed to cast off the metal suits that the government lawyers wanted to fit him with and Ross was all in. Every show contained some kind of hopeful nugget that his second term was not as most of us thought going to unleash his own unique brand of chaos, racism and vindictiveness on the whole human race but rather usher in a new enlightened era. It would all start of course with us getting the border issue straight. No more refugees. No more immigrants at least of the brown skinned criminal and rapist variety.
I thought for a moment whether I should take the equipment --it might help me-It was expensive and if push went to shove I could trade it--for something like my life or freedom. I pulled the case out of the locker and fortunately found an elevator that worked and lowered it and myself to the parking garage where we had left the van. So far so good. Using a lift mechanism we had in the rear door I lifted the case into the back storage area and found the car keys pulled out of the garage and soon enough found the freeway only after touring past a bunch of wrecked police cars and burning buildings. This was some of the wreckage that GL had caused and turning on the radio just a fraction of State Capitals all over the US were on lockdown as was Washington DC where crowds of people were circling the White House. Fifty five people were declared dead including twenty police officers--but this according to CNN was a low estimate. Some fires were burning uncontrollably in some cities and looting of not just commercial buildings but the government properties where the vote counting was taking place. As usual the security officials were unprepared for this eventuality--January 6 having taught them nothing. One unnamed security official was saying how “if they had known GL was going to give such a fiery speech they would have asked for more back up and the national guard to be called in, particularly in DC.”
Well Hitler had his Kristalnacht and GL had his equivalent. Columbus nacht or something. GL many of the pundits were saying was simply exercising his free speech rights--he said to protest “ democratically” and “peacefully” as if those words meant anything to his supporters who thought the Third Reich was a comic book creation and when they thought of anything German thought only of beer. I turned off the last pundit who was blaming the rioting on far left elements --the antifi wing of the democratic party who were disgracing the peaceful protests by looting and violence.
“This country is fucked up--way more than I thought” I whispered aloud to myself.
I pulled into the parking lot of the crummy Motel 6 and after pushing the plastic key card into the lock--threw myself on the bed and wept for at least five minutes if not longer. It did me good. I grabbed the half eaten sandwich and a bottle of juice I had stored in the mini fridge and consumed most of it in little less than a minute. Then after a quick shower in the plastic cabinet that they devoted to the rusty old apparatus changed into my PJs and slept the sleep of the dead.
I woke with knocking sound of Housekeeping
“Housekeeping” a voice spoke through the door
I checked the time--9:30 am
“I thought the check out time was 10?” I replied
“No lady 9:00 am” she said
“Give me 15 minutes?.” I asked politely
“You got it ma’am” she replied
My head felt like it had been bashed in and my stomach had swallowed whatever had been doing the bashing. I quickly showered again--it was hard to get the smell of the janitor closet out of my nose particularly with the small sliver of what they liked to refer to as soap. I packed and had to think where do I go now? DC to my dingy apartment or down to Florida in Jupiter beach to my parents try to tell them I had been fired and might need some financial help --knowing how difficult it was to land jobs that actually paid any one a decent liveable wage, clean up and regroup with the added benefit of sunshine and no riots--at least not yet. I calculated on my phone the driving distance from Columbus to Jupiter. It was a 15 hour two day drive. Better fly. I can’t stand driving that long. The only problem was what to do with the equipment ? I’m not going to pay all that money for the freight-so will have to make the trip down south. Not impossible. Was I up to a life on the road? I could bear it for two days and at least it would keep me out of DC, a city if the news reports were close to accurate aflame with violence. I called my mom as soon as I could dress in standard jeans and sneakers and check out.
“How are you mom? I asked softly
“Im fine but I am so worried about you” she said excitedly
“Don’t worry I’m OK. Things got a little fucked up here last night” I said trying to keep her calm.
“We heard about the riots --you were doing something at the Columbus stadium when GL spoke?” she asked tentatively trying to get all the details right so I would not dodge the question.
“Spoke? He incited the crowd --he drove them to a frenzy. The guy wants a civil war and he’s about to get one. Did you see how many people were killed last night as a result of his craziness?” I said more forcefully than I should have given that my mother was on in years.
“The number has gone up to over 400 and many more injured” She stated having probably listened to the news all nght.
“Still supporting him?” I asked hoping that at least she would have seen the error of her ways.
“I don’t know anymore--your father thinks the sun rises in his behind and sets somewhere in that topee of his--he’s giving half his social security to his legal defense fund.”
“Oh no--he’s demented..Can’t you stop him?” I yelled down the phone as if the volume of my voice was my only weapon against the tide of GL insanity that was infecting the nation like a giant Covid bug that was forever morphing into new shapes.
“No but maybe you can --he might listen to you.” Taking the hit as she may have realized that things may have gone slightly off the rails.
“Listen mom I was thinking of coming down there--I’m thinking now might be the time.” I said feeling there might be a reason and purpose to visit home.
“Please Dana” she said so meekly I was near tears
“I’ll be there in three days” I said boldly
“Why not fly?” she asked
“Its too complicated. I got some equipment I have to return and it's too expensive to ship it by air.” I replied
“Well, drive safely and when can we expect you?” she asked
“I’ll call you from the road when I am near--what’s the day to day--Sunday--should be there by late Wednesday morning if everything goes well.” I said and hung up shortly after.
To save money I rented a Subaru Outback that had plenty of room at the back to curl up and the addition of tinted windows. I paid a premium for it. I also went to a camping store and picked up a sleeping bag and a few odds and ends for the trip like bottles of water, protein bars and plenty of chewy stuff.
Listening to the news on the radio driving down the Blue Ridge highway things seemed even more desperate than they were. With every electoral counting center either closed down or on fire the Supreme court is now in emergency session hearing arguments as to who won the election. The military had been called out to create a 1 mile buffer zone around the Capitol, the Supreme Court and the White House. Crowds of protestors “from both sides” are currently testing the barbed wire and concrete blocks surrounding those cordoned off areas. The streets are empty around DC. The federal government is closed as are schools and colleges nationwide as the Department of Homeland Security is calling for a level 3 emergency--that is people without a reason to be traveling (medical appointments, food etc) are to stay indoors. Wall Street is closed and the networks have been warned to not show video that might inflame supporters of “either side” The National Guard is patrolling the streets of major downtowns to prevent looting. I probably was wise not to return to DC as I turned off NPR and coasted down the fairly empty highway except for trailer trucks and the usual heavy vehicles. GL was going to win. It was as certain that Macy’s would have a Black Friday sale or that winter would bring blizzards and sub zero temperatures.
He needed to win because he needed to stay out of jail--but winning to most people meant playing by the rules --for GL winning meant winning at all costs. That is what they all missed. Winning at all costs meant that nothing was off the table--even calling for the destruction of the voters--what was that quote from one of those Chinese philosophers, 'An evil man will burn his own nation to the ground to rule over the ashes.’
The pattern seemed set --drive for a few hours--hit a horrendous pit stop--go to a rest areas where there was some kind of Cracker Barrel with its fake southern charm and its sausages and biscuits--and of course coffee. Grab a newspaper and over hear some locals talk. I wasn’t successful in listening in on the first two stops but on my third --somewhere deep into West Virginia where information goes to die in order to be remade into whatever bullshit suits the speaker’s mood. Fifty miles outside of Evansville were the only interesting things to look at were signs for defense attorneys wanting you to contact them in case of an accident. There plump Matlockfaces starred out at you carrying their all will be well grin—they would take care of any fuckup—even a mass murder if you had the cash. The only restaurant that seemed half way to resemble one I could see myself eating at and not succumbing to food poisoning was one that looked like a cross between a Deli and a 7-11 —one side of the shop were the fridges full of fizzy drinks and beverages and a store with the usual array of lottery tickets and further back was a space that resembled a restaurant.
There were only three or four free standing tables, the rest were booths—at one of the tables two young kids were laughing at something—probably boyfriend and girlfriend playing hooky from high school I fancied. Seated at the only occupied booth were four truckers squeezed into seats opposite each other. One had whitish wisps of hair escaping out of his baseball cap and was speaking while two others listened to two others a bald guy in his thirties with tattoos covering his arm and neck, and a hispanic looking short guy with bulging biceps, too busy with his phone to pay much attention to whatever was going on. I took one of the chairs near enough to the booth to overhear the conversation
"Cities burning," the man with the whitish hair was saying trying to keep an even tone but every now and then the name Biden would be spat out like a curse word "Blame falls on Biden. If only he'd conceded when the fraud in Ohio surfaced. A man should face the music when it starts playing."
The young guy with the tattoos chewing on his burger nodded in agreement. "It's a tyranny, plain as day. Biden's a puppet, cities burning, and he's nowhere to be seen. You can't ignore the signs."
“ Mind if I join in?" I asked, my voice surprising me with its confident cadence. The truckers exchanged glances, momentarily pausing to look up at me. One of them gestured for me to sit next to him. There was clearly not enough room in the booth. The Hispanic guy turned to me —you can have my place —got to get back on the truck. “OK Joe-not a bad swap," said the younger guy and she is a lot easier to look at.”
“Now now make the lady feel at home—none of your sexism here Ted” I hesitated for second but managed painlessly to slide into the empty booth,
“Why are you so down on Biden?”
“The man lost and now the humiliation is too much for him so he vanished when the Ohio recount fraud came to light. Concede, face the music – that's the script he failed to follow."said the young guy.
“What’s your name young lady and where are you from?” said the old man.
"Name's Dana and I am originally from upstate New York"
“That explains it—you are one of those woke libs from the media no doubt.” Said the young dude
“I don’t like it when people pigeonhole you like you are just a category—I don't start off with the assumption that some people’s views can be dismissed depending where they come from or what work they do. How would you like it if I did that to you?”
“She’s got a point,” said the older man.
“So let's get back to it” I said ready to enagage
They both nodded their heads so far so good playing on their gentlemanly side was working but I was not sure for how long.
" So tyranny, you say? What signs are we talking about? Let's dig into the details." suddenly hating my school marmy tone.
“He’s not conceding even though he lost.” said the older man
“How do you know?” I asked
“Everyone knows—why otherwise would he be silent. We've seen enough. It's a façade. The media shields the truth” said the older gentleman
“You from the media” said the young one failing to hide his accusatory tone
“Sort of I replied--I worked for a well known GL supporter” I interjected as a form of self protection almost in case the younger one in particular got violent.
“Whose that?” asked the young dude
“David Ross--I was there covering the event at the Columbus Superdrome when GL gave that speech.” I replied
“For real?” asked the older dude.
I nodded my head.
“Ross is a good guy--he is GL’s strongest supporter on the border issues” he replied
“Wish I could have been there” said the young skinhead
“Trust me count your lucky stars you weren’t’” I replied
“Why?” said the young dude in his unreflective way.
“It was a shit storm--we were lucky to get out alive--one of my coworkers was abducted by one of your supporters” I said
“Not my supporters” said the older dude
“Sorry, correction..” I started to reply but my response was interrupted by the arrival of a waitress,
“Want some coffee?” Asked a goth looking lady-with dark hair pulled back and into a bun and heavy mascara and black lipstick to complement the look.
“We got her tab” said the older one. The aroma wafted through the air, momentarily diverting the focus from the heated exchange. As the waitress left, I took a sip, gathering my thoughts like a chess player contemplating the next move.
"But isn't it our duty to scrutinize claims and demand evidence? I mean, just pointing fingers won't get us anywhere." I asked
"Evidence, sure. But the system's rigged. They control the narrative, bury the truth. Have you ever think about that, Ms. Journalist?" said the young dude starting to get more aggressive again.
"Rigged? There are checks and balances, and the media's role is to uncover the truth, not bury it," I retorted,
"No matter how the count goes, American cities are all aflame and he’s hiding in a bunker somewhere--, that's not leadership. That's avoiding accountability. We need leaders who face the music, not ones who disappear when the tune gets tough." said the older man sipping his coffee and about to get out a cigarette.
“No please don’t light up. I’m allergic to smoke” I said.
He stuffed the cigarette back into the pack as he started a new line of thought
“ Suppose he was waiting for the Supreme Court to rule--that is what he said recently he respects the rule of law’ he said that. He wants an orderly process. He said he was committed to the peaceful transfer of power--your guy never said that in the last election and he never said it with regard to this one either.” I said trying again to use reason and logic to no avail.
“ We did not see him on TV--that’s a problem. Anyone can write a statement. We don’t know whether he's alive or dead. With respect the media isn't helping. They are covering up” said the young buck going in for the kill or so it seemed to him
“Covering up why? For who?” I asked
“Deep state does not want GL--he had to survive how many prosecutions--a dozen or so? Impeachments--he stands tall and he fights for us.” said the youngster
“That's why he gave the biggest tax break for the wealthy. You working people got zilch and all that malarkey about building the wall and having Mexico pay for it was so much BS.” I retorted
“When he gets into office he's going to finish the job.He will stop immigrants coming in. Period. Biden has done zero. He just welcomes wetbacks like they are his best friends.” said the older guy now getting up from the table-signalling the conversation was over-
“Listen, we have to get back to work—time being money and all that.” He said
I got out of there offering to pay a tip to the waitress. They refused.
“Take it easy media lady--if you spot Biden anytime soon--tell him we say hi” said the young dude
“Ha ha I said after firstcursing these crackheads under my breath. I avoided other rest stops--and ate alone when I had to. I arrived at my parents’ home in Jupiter--tired hungry and ready to avoid any news or talk with my parents. I just wanted a dark room and silence.