Chapter Twenty Four

Chapter Twenty - Four

     Olive arrived at Janice’s house. There were about a dozen cars parked there already. As Olive approached the front door she did not hear any music. It didn’t sound like there was a party.

     She knocked on the door and Janice answered. She squealed and gave Olive a hug. She led her into the house and took her jacket.

     “Oh! What did you bring?” Janice took the dish from her hands.

     “A little snack for everyone,” she replied.

     “It smells good!” Janice put the dish onto the kitchen counter. “Come this way. Matt will be happy to see you.”

     “It’s quiet for a party,” said Olive.

     “Well, it’s actually a meeting,” she said. “You don’t have a smart phone on you, do you?” Olive shook her head. “Good, I don’t want us to be caught talking negatively about Wolfe.”

     Feeling doubtful Olive said, “How terrifying.”

     Janice shrugged, “Like I care. I’d say it to his face if I had a chance. So, anyways, this is a meeting. What you posted online made me think that you would be interested.”

     Janice opened the door to the basement. They walked down the stairs. There was a group of people with a drink in their hand socializing with each other.

     Matt was standing at the end of the room behind a long table. He saw Olive and gave her a hug. He led her through the crowd.

     “You made it in time for crucial information,” he told her. “We have a special guest here tonight. We are lucky to be graced by his presence on such a busy schedule.”

     “Do you want anything to drink?” asked Janice. “I have beer, juice, and soda. Water?”

     “Water is fine,” said Olive. “So, does this have anything to do with our prescriptions being tracked?”

     “Yes, among other things,” Matt nodded. “Please have a seat anywhere. We are about to go over why this is happening.”

     Olive sat on a chair as she was handed a glass of water. Matt went to a table where a couple more people were sitting. He leaned to talk into the ear of a man who was sitting next to him. The man nodded his head.

     “Everyone, if I could have your attention again for a moment,” Matt lifted his hand. “We have a guest here who was willing to take some time out of his day to speak to us. Here is my neighbor and friend, the former mayor, Dr. Simplot.”

     Everyone looked at their guest and applauded. Dr. Simplot stood and took Matt’s place at the makeshift podium. Everyone in the room sat down.

     “Good evening, I’m glad everyone could make it,” Simplot started. “Of course, we are aware that the government is keeping track of the medicine that you take.” There was a hum in the crowd. “I resigned when this was signed it into law. I was hoping that everyone would fight against it, but they chose not to. They are under the impression that the law is somehow helping us. In a way it is, but it is ultimately violating our rights.”

     Matt raised his hand, “May I asked exactly how our rights are being violated? There are people who are for this, but they think that we are being paranoid.”

     “It is violating privacy law. The government is using your personal information against you,” Simplot explained. He paused in thought, “Not long ago voting rights were revoked for most women who were on birth control. So, the sales for prescriptions dropped. There is an underground market where prescriptions are being purchased illegally. Right now, the government is trying to track those who have had a history with these scrips and when they quit purchasing them. This is a good way to track opioids, but this is also tracking all medication and who is taking it. This new law is providing the government access to your personal information.”

     “Why keep track of all medical history?” Matt commented.

     He nodded and continued. “In addition to discriminating against those who are on birth control, they are also discriminating against those who are being treated for cancer from the nuclear attacks. They are taking away legal rights from people based on their medical treatment.”    

     “We have not been able to vote for years. If we haven’t been able to vote for a new president what difference does this make?” someone asked.      

     “Somehow we haven’t had a presidential election in years,” Simplot stated. “Wolfe certainly has not resigned nor has he been impeached. Right now, you all have the ability to vote for your local government, but soon many of you will not have those rights.”

     “Why? Are they afraid of an uprising?” Matt asked. “I would assume that a violation of our rights would cause a riot or civil war.”

     “What are we supposed to do?” asked Olive. “If our local government is not doing anything about our president how are we to ensure that our rights are not being violated?”

     “Protesting is against the law,” Matt stated. “We can’t even create a petition without anyone saying that we are threatening the president.”

     “I’m telling you, Matt,” someone said. “We need to find out where this weasel is. All we have done was fall apart and not rebuild. He doesn’t give a s**t about us. All he cares about is his safety and money. That why he is alive and in hiding.”

    “We are looking,” said Matt.

    “Dr. Simplot,” the individual raised her hand. “Since you ran for the local office and you have been the mayor would you happen to know where President Wolfe's’ office is based out of?”

     “That is a good question,” he said. “When we were attacked, North Korea bombed Manhattan and Washington DC. Wolfe has not returned to either city and his sons were found dead in Manhattan. These places are too dangerous to move back to.”

     “Did he move the capitol?” someone else asked.

     Simplot shrugged, “At one point they were moving the capitol to Texas. Nobody has seen anything rebuilt. There was one building that they started on, but there is nothing, but a large hole that has been sitting there for years. They claim that the finances were depleted.”

     The crowd groaned and a buzz of talking began. Matt asked the crowd for silence. Janice came down the stairs.

     “If anyone is hungry the food is ready,” she said.

     The crowd quieted down. They looked at Matt. He looked relieved.

     “I believe that if we were to regain our country’s government, the key is to find Wolfe and get him out of office,” said Matt. “If he fired anyone else we must find them. We have plenty of work to do. Right now, why don’t we retire to the kitchen and eat together?”