“He may not be your friend when this is over.”
“He’ll understand,” said Grady. “Either way, he should be insulated from the fallout.”
“If this is what we think—nobody will be insulated.”
“Let’s hope he finds what he’s looking for,” said Grady.
Chapter 26
Belgrade, Maine
Alex slumped into the couch facing the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the deck and the lake. He looked weary, but not from physical work. Mentally exasperated might be a more accurate description. Within the span of three days, he’d seen one plan after another crumble beneath them.
Kate sensed a big decision hinging on this conversation, which jaded her perception of his state of mind. Conflicted?
The boat wasn’t an option, which meant they were staying. But Alex seemed unsettled. She could see it on his face. He was about to propose something that wouldn’t sit well with any of them, especially her. She glanced at Alex’s father, imperceptibly raising an eyebrow. He returned the gesture with a similarly subtle tightening of his lips. Amy Fletcher caught their exchange and shook her head.
“What’s going on?” demanded Alex’s mom. “Why all the secret looks?”
“Nana’s on a tear this morning,” said Ryan, setting a glass of water on the coffee table and sitting next to Kate.
“Never mind, young man,” said Amy Fletcher. “Your father looks like he’s seen a ghost, and your mom is twitching her eyes at your grandpa. Something’s up.”
Kate was glad Amy jumped in. Alex might have sat there for ten minutes, grimacing and winding up for what he had to say. Alex’s mother leaned forward in the leather armchair next to the flagstone fireplace and raised her palms. “Well?”
“Well what, Mom?” Alex said testily. “Is it possible for you to settle down a little?”
“No, it’s not. I’m hungry and cranky. Lunch is simmering, and I’d like to eat.”
Alex rolled his eyes, and Kate almost laughed. Alex and his mom had been at each other since they reduced the food rations. Neither one of them had responded well to the cutback, which had provided plenty of comical moments in the house. Kate and Tim had shared hundreds of “looks” over the past month, as the two of them bickered about every possible mundane facet of living.
“All right, you two,” said Tim. “What are we looking at, Alex?”
Alex weighed his thoughts and started, “There might be an easy way to solve our food problem.”
“Nothing easy is worth having,” said Tim.
“I think it’s ‘nothing worth having comes easy,’” Amy corrected.
“I was just saying,” said Tim, shaking his head.
“Well, you have to get it right if you’re going to say it,” said Amy.
“I’m living with the Bickertons,” muttered Alex, causing Ryan to laugh.
“Anyway. What is this supposedly easy way to solve the food issue?” said Kate. “Before the three of you kill each other—over food.”
“It involves a trip to the Bangor area,” said Alex, grimacing.
“That sounds risky,” said Kate.
“We’d be on the interstate for most of the trip,” Alex explained, “which is probably the safest way to travel.”
“Most of the trip,” stated Tim.
“Most of it. The rest will be spent on local roads, presumably well outside of Bangor city limits, searching for a storage facility.”
Ryan shifted uncomfortably on the couch next to Kate, avoiding eye contact. Alex was omitting way more than he was including in his description of the trip.
“Just a storage facility?” Kate asked.
“Doesn’t sound too bad. How far away from the interstate?” said Tim.
“I don’t know yet, Dad—and it’s not any old storage facility. Something a little different,” said Alex, meeting Kate’s eyes. “And a lot bigger.”
“What are we talking about?” she asked.
“A battalion-sized Category Five load-out depot. Probably twenty to thirty warehouses of gear and supplies. Untouched. There’s enough food in a depot like that to feed five to six hundred soldiers for thirty days,” said Alex.
Tim Fletcher whistled. Kate had to admit, it sounded like a tempting prospect. With the SUV, Jeep, and trailer, they could load up enough food to last another winter. Possibly more. They might even consider two trips. Two years of food security. It sounded too good to be true.
“Untouched?” said Kate. “How is that possible?”
“A crazy set of circumstances,” said Alex. “One of the soldiers we ran into yesterday said something odd. It led me to believe that the battalion based out of Bangor hadn’t been issued their category five equipment,” said Alex, explaining the rest of his conversation with Lieutenant Colonel Grady.
Kate processed the story, analyzing the variables and identifying potential risks or flaws in their logic. Overall, it seemed like a relatively low-risk venture, as long as Alex approached the facility with caution. Still, a few aspects of the mission didn’t add up.
“Why doesn’t Grady send someone to check it out?” asked Kate.
“This is the only way it stays a secret long enough for us to take what we need,” said Alex.
“Doesn’t he have a few vehicles without tracking devices?” she said.
“Yeah, but, I don’t know, honey. This has to be easier than trying to sneak an armored vehicle two hundred miles through Maine. We’ll do this carefully. If anything seems out of place, we bolt,” said Alex.
“Assuming it’s not too late,” said Kate.
“I can’t imagine we’ll run into a problem. If the facility is being used, we’ll know before we get too close. My biggest concern is attracting the wrong kind of attention from locals,” said Alex.
“Nothing we can’t handle,” Ryan said.
Kate shared a quick look with Alex.
“Nothing we want to handle,” said Alex. “The name of the game is avoidance, Mr. Ryan.”
“I was just saying,” said his son.
“Well, you won’t have to worry about that,” said Kate.
Before Ryan could respond, Alex shook his head and pointed at their son. “Ryan’s coming,” said Alex. “We need two people per vehicle.”
“Take your new neighbor friend,” Kate suggested, “or your dad.”
“Hey, why did I get listed behind the neighbor?” Tim groused.
“I’m going, Mom,” said Ryan. “Dad and I are a team. It’s already decided.”
Kate shook her head. “I don’t want the two of you out there.”
“Why not?” Ryan persisted.
Kate didn’t want to answer.
“She doesn’t want to lose both of you,” said Amy. “I know where she’s coming from.”
“We’ll be fine, Mom. Seriously, it’s a one-hour drive each way. I’ll keep Dad out of trouble.”
“I need Ryan, Kate. He’s far more observant than either Charlie or Ed, and we won’t take any unnecessary chances. I promise.”
“You were about to say that he’s better in a gunfight,” said Kate.
“Firefight,” Ryan corrected.
“Same thing,” she said, glaring at her son.
“I’m a lot more careful with him around,” said Alex. “Plus I feel safer.”
“You better not let anything happen to my boy.”
Tim chuckled. “I have a feeling Ryan is the one keeping tabs on his dad.”
Kate appreciated their attempts to lighten the conversation, but she wasn’t in the mood for the distraction. Her analytical mind wasn’t finished with the scenario. “We have enough gas for this?” she asked.
“Staff Sergeant Taylor filled up the SUV and gave us twenty additional gallons. Waterville to Bangor is fifty-five miles. Depending on the exact location of the storage site, we could be looking at a one hundred to one hundred and twenty mile round trip,” Alex told her. “We’ll be in good shape, even if the mission is a bust. Taylor sends his best,
by the way.”
“How did he get stuck in Searsport?”
“Luck of the draw,” said Alex. “Plus he’s one of the best staff NCOs in the battalion.”
“Why can’t they make the trip? Never mind. Tracking devices. Big brother again.”
Big brother. Huh. She started to form a thought; then Amy stood up from her seat.
“What else?” asked Amy. “I’m starving.”
“What are you cooking up?” Tim asked.
“Everyone’s favorite. Savory stroganoff and barbeque beans with natural bacon flavor.”
“Yeah, everyone’s favorite,” Alex repeated flatly.
Kate stifled a laugh. “I sure as hell hope you find something other than freeze-dried food in one of those warehouses.”
“Careful what you wish for,” said Alex. “We’re looking at B-rations and MREs. After about twenty days of those, you’ll be begging for savory stroganoff.”
They all laughed, except for Kate. Something bugged her about the whole deal, though it did seem to be pretty straightforward. Not a lot of “moving parts,” as Alex would say.
“When will you leave?” she asked.
“As soon as Grady sends me the location and the codes to access the facility.”
“I don’t like the fact that he’s doing this on the sly. Something doesn’t add up.”
“It’s funny you say that,” said Alex. “I kind of had the same feeling when I was talking to him.”
“Maybe you need to trust your instincts.”
“My instincts say we have to take the chance,” said Alex. “Otherwise, we’ll have to think seriously about taking Grady up on his offer to station Marines here. We know that’s not a good option.”
“If this trip doesn’t pan out, we’ll have to consider it.”
Chapter 27
Belgrade, Maine
Alex and Ryan looked ready for a small war—in stark contrast to Ed’s interpretation of their “road trip” north. He’d anticipated the rifles, but not the full military load out. Tactical vests, thigh holsters, dozens of extra magazines, night vision. Not at all what he expected. Certainly not what he had been led to believe, or he wouldn’t have been so quick to approve of the trip. He gave the trailer hitch coupler lever a tug to make sure it was secure before stepping away from the Jeep.
“Did I miss the war declaration?” Ed asked wryly, shrugging his shoulders.
“You’re still funny,” said Alex, smiling as he patted the hand guard of his rifle. “Just a precaution. I really don’t expect a problem, but I’m not taking any chances. Not with something this important.”
Ed shook his head, breaking a grin. “Charlie’s gonna throw a fit. I told him civilian clothes and a stripped-down rifle. This could add an hour to our departure.”
“Mr. Walker, is Chloe inside?” Ryan inquired.
“She’s out back, but I don’t want…I think you might scare her looking like that,” said Ed. “Can it wait until we get back?”
Ryan’s eyes darted between the house and Ed. “Sure, Mr. Walker. Sorry. I didn’t think about that.”
He looked genuinely apologetic and extremely disappointed.
“No worries, Ryan. I didn’t expect your dad to show up dressed like a Navy SEAL,” said Ed, winking.
The front door of his cottage slammed with a sharp crack, announcing Charlie’s arrival. Without looking in Charlie’s direction, he patted Alex’s shoulder.
“Don’t antagonize him, please,” said Ed, getting the words in before Charlie started his diatribe.
“What the hell? Why do I look like I’m going to church, and the Fletchers are dressed for prolonged combat operations?” said Charlie, jogging up to them.
“We took a vote and decided to suit up the most capable in the group,” said Alex.
“What?” Charlie stomped.
“Alex,” Ed warned. “Don’t.”
“Just kidding, my friend. I made a last minute decision to enhance the group’s security posture,” said Alex, checking his watch. “We have time if you want to bump it up a few notches.”
“I told you,” said Charlie, pointing at Ed. “Be back in a few minutes.”
“Before you go, let’s take a quick look at the map. I just got the coordinates and access codes from Grady. Looks even easier than I originally thought,” said Alex. “Closer at least. Grab your map, Ed.”
Alex pulled a folded map out of one of the pouches on his vest and expanded it on the hood of the Jeep. When everyone was situated around the map, he pointed to an area northwest of Bangor International Airport. A pencil mark was visible near the end of a road that appeared to stop at the western boundary of the airport.
“Mark this on your map, Ed,” said Alex.
Ed reached into the front seat and grabbed his map, refolding it so the airport was centered in the middle of the compact map area. He laid it on top of Alex’s and copied the location with a pen from his pocket. Alex watched him with a pained look.
“What?” said Ed.
“Using a pen on a map—ughh,” said Alex.
“Marine Corps no-no? Sorry, I didn’t have a chance to run to Staples to buy office supplies,” said Ed, finishing his sacred transgression against the map. “Runway Road looks like a dead end.”
“It’d be easy to box us in there,” said Charlie.
“Yeah. We’ll have to make an assessment when we turn off New Boston Road. It’s a quarter of a mile from the turnoff to the point where Grady said we should find the first gate leading to the facility on the left side of the road,” said Alex, shifting his finger to an area north of the road. “The storage depot is up here somewhere.”
“You sure you want to do this during daylight hours?” said Charlie.
“I don’t want to be dicking around in the dark—especially on unfamiliar ground. We’ll push our arrival as close to sunset as possible, so we don’t have to use our lights going in. I presume we’ll be coming out of there after dark. Is everyone good with that?”
Nobody had a problem with the plan, which didn’t surprise Ed. The drive from the interstate to the storage site looked easy enough. Maybe five to six miles tops, depending on which interstate exit they used. Keeping the lights off on the way in was important. Few things would draw more attention than a pair of headlights, and the last thing they wanted to do was attract any local attention. Alex had no idea how long it might take them to locate the food once they reached the warehouse depot. If people from one of the nearby neighborhoods decided to investigate, they’d have an audience on their hands at the facility. The less distance between the interstate and the storage site, the better.
“Which exit do you anticipate taking?” asked Ed.
“Probably the Cold Brook Road exit. I don’t want to jump off the interstate any sooner than necessary. The exit before Cold Brook will require us to snake through a handful of rural roads to find Route 2,” said Alex.
“I was just going to say that we should keep this as simple as possible,” said Ed.
Alex nodded. “I agree. It’s a fairly straight shot to New Boston Road from Cold Brook. Three turns in total. Easy deal if we get separated.”
“We don’t separate,” said Ed, wondering why he would say something like that.
“Not on purpose, but we need to consider every possibility. If we find ourselves separated and unable to communicate via radio, I say we get on the interstate and head south to the Hampden Road exit. Go a little past the exit and pull to the side of the interstate,” said Alex.
“What if one of us is forced to take Route 2 past that exit?”
“Then you keep going and head home,” Alex replied. “Whoever makes it to the exit waits an hour and returns to base.”
“This group doesn’t separate,” said Ed. “Under any circumstances.”
Alex shook his head.
“Now what?” said Ed. “Did I violate another sacred Marine Corps rule?”
Alex grinned. “No. You just reminded that I almost forgo
t the most important rule. Never leave a Marine behind, or in this case, never leave a friend behind. We stay together no matter what.”
Chapter 28
Hermon, Maine
Interstate 95 had been empty…and not in a two o’clock in the morning, sparse traffic kind of way. They’d seen nothing. Not a single car, stopped or moving, on either side of the four-lane highway for fifty-three miles. It was the loneliest feeling Alex could recall—ever. For the first time since waking up on his sailboat to a bizarre purplish-red glowing sky, he felt pangs of hopelessness.
The rapidly approaching green sign read Exit 180 Cold Brook Rd. Hermon. Hampden. They were less than fifteen minutes from the moment of truth. Alex glanced at his watch. 7:08 PM. They were cutting it close. Sunset was in thirty-four minutes.
“Radio Charlie and let him know this is the exit,” said Alex.
Ryan grabbed the radio from the center console while Alex scanned the off-ramp ahead. They had heard reports over the HAM radio that some of the towns along the turnpike had erected barricades to dissuade travelers from exiting. Of course, they’d heard this during the late fall, when they could still power the radio with the deep cycle batteries they had brought from the Limerick compound.
He doubted any of these blockades were still active at this point. There was nobody on the road to stop. Winter had effectively sealed everyone in place—permanently. For most civilians, where you stood today was most likely where you’d stand a year from now. Maybe longer.
“They’re good, Dad,” said Ryan.
Alex eased the car onto the ramp, glancing in his rearview mirror to confirm that Ed followed. The turn tightened after the shallow exit drive, bringing them several hundred feet away from the interstate and eventually winding left to reveal distant stop signs flanking the road. They arrived at Cold Brook Road, searching for signs of activity. Like the highway, the town of Hampden, Maine, appeared dormant.
“Looks clear,” said Ryan, staring south with binoculars.
“Fucking ghost town,” muttered Alex, staring at the empty gas station and variety store across the street. “Make sure they stay really close.” He accelerated north onto Cold Brook Road.
THE ALEX FLETCHER BOXSET: Books 1-5 Page 144