The Mystery of the Blazing Cliffs - M. V. Carey [11]
“Mr. Barron, he as good as told us we’re being invaded,” said Hank Detweiler. The foreman looked stunned. “An invasion! By someone who has cut our communication lines!
We’re … we’re alone here! We can’t reach anybody to find out what’s going on outside!”
Chapter 5
“Get Off My Land!”
“COMMUNISTS!” shouted Charles Barron. “Anarchists! Riffraff! I don’t believe there were any aircraft! They’ve grabbed the radio stations; that’s what they’ve done! They’re trying to frighten us into surrender! Or they’ve taken the President prisoner, or … or …”
Barron paused. A look of steely determination came over his face. “I’m going to drive into town,” he announced. “Better yet, I’ll go to Camp Roberts. I’m going to talk to someone who knows what’s going on, and no one had better try to stop me!”
“I have orders, sir,” said the lieutenant. “N-n-no v-vehicles on the road.”
The lieutenant straightened himself, took a deep breath, and spoke slowly and carefully.
“I’d appreciate it, Mr. Barron, if you’d remain at the ranch for the time being. My orders, sir, are to keep the road open to the San Joaquin Valley, and to see to the safety of personnel, equipment, and installations at Rancho Valverde.”
“Safety?” It was Elsie Spratt who spoke now. She had come out of the kitchen. “Our safety? Why? Who’s threatening us? What’s going on out there, Lieutenant?”
Elsie gestured toward the cliffs — and the world beyond. “What does it have to do with us?” she wanted to know.
“I … I don’t know, ma’am,” said Ferrante.
“Exactly what did your superiors tell you, Lieutenant?” demanded Charles Barron.
The lieutenant did not answer.
“Come, come!” snapped Barron. “What did your commanding officer say to you today?”
Again the lieutenant did not reply.
“It isn’t the road they’re so worried about, is it?” said Barron. “There are dozens of other roads much more important. It’s Rancho Valverde that the people at Camp Roberts want to guard, isn’t it? Why? What are we? Some kind of natural resource?”
“Maybe that’s just what we are, Mr. Barron,” said Elsie Spratt. “I mean, how many places are there in this country that are as … as self-sufficient as we are? We can live here for years without going outside!”
“Aha!” cried Barron. “So that’s it!”
“What, Charles?” asked Mrs. Barron.
“It’s happening,” said Barron. “I said it would! All this falderal about unidentified aircraft is a bunch of nonsense to throw us off guard. They want to make everyone stay at home until the top dogs are safe — safe here in my valley!”
“Mr. Barron, I don’t understand what—” began Hank Detweiler.
“Understand?” said Barron. “Of course you understand. Either we’re being attacked by some foreign power—and you can take your pick which one it might be—or there’s been an uprising in the country and it’s spreading. Probably started right there in Washington. I read that there was going to be a rally there by some group of people calling themselves Workers United. What are they united for, I’d like to know! Sounded like they were up to no good. All they need is a few members in major cities—just a small number of militants—
and they can pull down the government in a day!”
“They would have had to do it in less time than that,” said Jupiter mildly. “Everything was normal when we left Rocky Beach this afternoon.”
“Things are not normal now,” said Barron. “Something disastrous is going on and that mediocrity who calls himself a President hasn’t the faintest idea how to deal with it, so he’ll run away! He’ll run to a place where he can be safe and he’ll dig in and—”
“Mr. Barron,” cried Elsie, “I can’t manage if he’s coming here. I was hired to cook for you and Mrs. Barron and Hank and the others, but the kitchen isn’t big enough for too many more and—”
“Elsie, you will not be asked to cook for any of that gang from the East,” declared Charles Barron. “I prepared this retreat so that I would have a place to live while our civilization is … is adjusting itself. I have a right to enjoy this property without the presence of government officials of any stripe!”
Barron glared at Lieutenant