Free Kiamichi Refuge by C. A. Henry

his hands still. And he actually called me ‘little lady’ a couple of times. He made it quite obvious that he thinks I’m stupid. That makes me so mad I could scream. I hate being talked down to!”
    Tanner pulled her into a hug. “He’s the stupid one. Really. I was in school with him. He cheated on tests and bullied other kids to let him copy their homework. I don’t know how he ever made it through his law enforcement training. Maybe he bribed somebody, or blackmailed them. And that lighter? He’s had that for years, and it’s always in his hand. Pretty dumb if you ask me. He needs his hand free in case he has to draw his weapon.”
    Pulling away, Erin looked up at Tanner. “I guess you’ve heard the latest news. I’d like your take on it.”
    Tanner shrugged. “Things could go either way, depending on what the OPEC nations decide to do. They may just demand that reparations be paid to the families of the Afghanis who were affected, or they could decide on something more drastic. If that’s the case, the poop may hit the fan. Our economy can’t withstand a serious blow right now.”
    “So,” Erin speculated, “If they do something severe, what’s the worst case scenario?”
    “War, probably, but I don’t think they’ll go there. They would pay a high price for that even if they won, and I doubt they would win. They could impose some restrictions on how much oil they will sell us, or raise the price sky high. That would punish us, but not hurt them so much. It would certainly stifle trade. Every nation we trade with would feel the effects, but our economy would really suffer. The price of American goods would go up both here and overseas, and people would stop buying them. We sell a tremendous amount of grain to other nations, and with the price of oil high, the farmers won’t be able to afford the fuel to run their equipment. And if they did, they would have to charge a whole lot more for the grain. Millions of people around the world could go hungry. The US as we know her might never recover.”
    “Are you prepared for something like that? Is your family ready? What will you do if things get bad?”
    Tanner smiled and smoothed Erin’s hair back from her face. “We are prepared. Remember, my grandfather was a close friend of your uncle’s. My grandmother is an ohoyo , a wise woman. She knows the old ways that our ancestors used. My grandfather teaches classes for young people, how to live off the land, tan hides, stay warm in winter, live without electricity. They passed those lessons to my father and he taught me. And I have enough stubborn Scot in me to never give up.”
    My grandparents would like to meet you, Erin. Will you go with me soon for a visit?”
    She looked searchingly into his dark eyes for a long moment, then nodded. “Yes. I’d like that.”
    ***
     
    The next morning, she headed into town. Lydia had called and said that there were several large boxes in the backroom with Erin’s name on them. As she stepped out of the Expedition, she glanced across the street and spotted the skinny fellow who had grabbed her by the arm at the courthouse.
    He finished his cigarette, and tossing it onto the sidewalk, noticed Erin. His smirk appeared at once, but his eyes sparked with anger. He gestured toward his eyes with two fingers, then pointed at Erin. I’m watching you.
    Trying to act as though she hadn’t seen him, Erin forced herself to walk around her vehicle, determined not to hurry, and went into Lydia’s store.
    “Erin, what’s wrong? You’re so pale!” Lydia rushed over and looked out the big window. “Oh, that creep is out there again. Did he say anything to you?”
    “No. No, he just made sure I knew that he was around. It’s not the first run-in I’ve had with him.” Erin described the confrontation that they’d had in front of the courthouse, “I think he’s mad because I got away.”
    “You be careful. He and his buddies have been suspects in most of the crimes