Near Total Eclipse: Solar Plexus 2 (A Dystopian EMP Post-Apocalyptic Fiction Novel)

by Victor Zugg

Charlie looked at his daughter and then shook his head.

  Chet turned right on Alexander Parkway and headed south, deeper into the foothills. They talked about supplies and equipment they would need as Chet maneuvered the hummer along the back roads. He pulled to a stop in front of Sam’s cabin.

  “Your ten acres and the surrounding forest should provide plenty of hunting,” Charlie said. “Are there any fish in that stream behind your cabin?”

  “Yeah, some trout, maybe bass, but mostly brim,” Sam replied. “The water is deep enough, and it runs all year.”

  An elderly woman about Charlie’s age stepped from the cabin and approached the Hummer.

  Chet glanced at Charlie. “Your wife doesn’t look happy.”

  Charlie glanced at Tiff. “Chet doesn’t think your mother looks happy.” He glanced at the woman. “I’d have to agree.”

  Tiff nodded and then slipped out of the truck. “What’s up, Mom?

  “You said you would be back before noon,” the woman said. She glanced at the sky. “It’s well past noon, and I was worried.”

  Sam stepped out of the truck. “Sorry Emma, my fault. It took a little longer than we expected.”

  Emma dropped her shoulders and relaxed the muscles in her neck as she let out a long sigh. “I don’t know what I would do if I ended up here alone.”

  “Alone here would be better than alone back home in Ohio,” Charlie said.

  Emma threw a hard look at Charlie. “I don’t intend to be alone anywhere.” She turned back to the cabin. “There’s beans and rice ready.”

  Chet jumped from the Hummer. “Lunch,” he announced.

  Everyone went inside the single story cabin and took seats around the wood-plank kitchen table. Emma placed a bowl of beans and rice in the center of the table and took a seat. “Well, start eating,” she said.

  Chet shoveled food onto his plate and started munching. Everyone followed, in turn.

  “While we have everyone together we need to discuss a couple of things,” Sam said. “First of all, are the sleeping arrangements okay?”

  “Emma and I really appreciate you giving up the master bedroom,” Charlie said.

  Sam nodded. “Chet?”

  “You know me,” Chet said, “I can sleep anywhere. The sofa is fine.”

  “I actually feel guilty about taking the only other bedroom,” Tiff said.

  Sam finished chewing a mouthful. “You’re fine. I’d rather be closer to the front door, anyway.”

  “Emma, how are we doing on food?” Sam asked.

  “We have a few MREs left and probably three or four week’s worth of canned goods, including some canned meats and soups. We have three five-pound bags of rice, along with plenty of flour and sugar. Although, without an oven there’s not much we can do with the flour. Tortillas, maybe. We have olive oil. And we have several containers of dried beans. And we have plenty of salt and pepper.”

  “Was the rice stored to prevent infestation?” Chet asked.

  “The rice came from my house,” Emma replied. “I froze the bags first thing, which is supposed to kill any weevil eggs, and then put the bags in airtight containers. They should be fine. Same with the flour. I vacuum sealed the beans in glass jars.”

  “We definitely need whatever we can get from those grocery distribution centers,” Tiff said.

  “What grocery distribution centers?” Emma asked.

  “There are a couple of large centers outside of Knoxville,” Sam said. “I thought we would take a run up there tomorrow.”

  “Everybody?” Emma asked.

  “No, we need to leave the cabin well defended,” Sam replied. “But we plan to stop in town tomorrow morning and see if we can get some volunteers to drive one of their pickup trucks.”

  “Who stays behind?” Chet asked, as he pushed his empty plate forward and sat back in his chair.

  “That’s a tough one,” Sam said. “I’m thinking you, Charlie, and Emma should remain here. I don’t like being that far away without knowing there’s substantial firepower here at the cabin. Maybe you can catch some fish.”

  Chet nodded.

  “Just you and Tiffany on a trip like that?” Emma asked.

  “Yeah, seems like at least one more person would be in order,” Charlie said.

  “We don’t have one more person,” Sam said. “We’ll have to make do with what we have.”

  Tiff stood up and started shuttling dishes to the sink. “It’s settled then. What time do we head out?”

  “Sunup,” Sam said. “It will be a full day.”

  “You’ll need to fill up the Hummer,” Chet said.

  “You and I should probably do that today,” Sam said. “We still have plenty of daylight.”

  “I don’t like it much, but I guess we don’t really have a choice,” Emma said. “We definitely need the food, as much as you can carry.”

  Sam stood up. “Chet, let’s see if we can find an abandoned diesel truck and fill up the Hummer.”

  CHAPTER 2

  Tiff pulled up to the Townsend police station and parked next to both pickup trucks.

  “I’m surprised the trucks are still here,” Sam said, as he opened the door and slid out of the passenger seat. He tugged at his belt to better position the weight of the holstered Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm on his hip.

  “They must have worked out their differences,” Tiff said. She opened her door, hopped out, and joined Sam as he approached the front door.

  The door swung open and two men carrying rifles stepped outside. Both were in their early forties, lean, clean shaven, wearing jeans and T-shirts. The first man out the door stuck out his hand to Sam.

  “I’m Hank Nelson; this is Bill Williams. We were in the background yesterday, listening to what you had to say. We completely agree.”

  Two more men and a woman, all in their thirties, came out the door behind Hank and Bill. The woman carried a few extra pounds and a rifle. She brushed her long dark hair out of her face and smiled. The two men, both looking a little more serious, each wore holstered semi-automatic pistols.

  Hank glanced back at the three. “This is Jimmy, Lance, and Wanda.”

  The three stuck out their hands and shook with Sam and Tiff. Jimmy was wiry, the nervous type, but he had a firm handshake. Wanda’s grasp was equally firm. Lance didn’t put a lot of effort into the shake, but he seemed sincere.

  “With some persuasion from the town, the five of us volunteered to try to keep order,” Hank said. “We all spent time in the military.”

  “What’s up?” Bill asked.

  “Well, we’re making a run up to the grocery distribution centers on the interstate to see what we can scavenge, and thought you might want to come along with one or both of your trucks.”

  Hank glanced at Bill and then back to Sam. “Good idea. Probably better if we leave at least one man and a truck here to tend to the town, just in case.”

  “Okay,” Sam said. “We should head out as soon as possible. Is the truck you’re taking gassed up?”

  “Yep,” Hank said, “did that yesterday.” He looked over at Jimmy, Lance, and Wanda. “Jimmy, do you mind staying behind?”

  “No prob,” Jimmy said. “I can catch up on my knitting.”

  Hank smiled and winked. “Bill, you, Lance, and Wanda can drive the truck.” He turned back to Sam. “Mind if I ride with you guys?”

  “Not at all, hop in, and let’s head out.”

  Everyone piled in the vehicles. Tiff behind the steering wheel; Sam in the front passenger seat. Hank got comfortable in the middle of the bench seat in back.

  “Main road back to Marysville, then north on Route 33 to Interstate 140, and then northwest to Interstate 40,” Sam said. “About twenty miles. With no problems we should be there in well under an hour.”

  “Got it,” Tiff said, as she started the engine and steered the Hummer toward the main road.

  Bill, driving the pickup, pulled out and stayed close.

  “Hank, you said you all had
a military background,” Sam said. “What branch?”

  “Air force,” Hank said. “Academy, fighter pilot for almost eight years, and then went to work for the airlines. Based out of Memphis, but just happened to be passing through here when this thing hit. Actually, I was raised not far from Townsend. I’ve known Bill for years. In fact, I was meeting him for a little fishing. I only met Lance, Wanda, and Jimmy a few days ago, but they seem very capable. What about you guys?”

  “Retired air force major. Started out as a combat controller, then officer training, and finished out the twenty as an OSI agent.”

  “And you Tiff?” Hank asked.

  “Six years in the marine corps, two combat tours. I was one of the few women they let go on patrol. Ended up a squad leader.”

  “And Chet retired as an army sergeant major, airborne the whole time. We both had tours in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

  “What about Jimmy, Bill, Lance, and Wanda?” Sam asked.

  “Jimmy and Bill spent four years in the army. Lance and Wanda are married. They met in the navy. They were both military police.”

  “Are you married?” Tiff asked.

  “I was until last year,” Hank said. “My ex and my son live in St. Louis.”

  “I have a brother in St. Louis,” Sam said. “How old is your son?”

  “He turned thirteen a couple of weeks ago. That’s the last time I spoke to them.”

  “I’d be worried sick,” Tiff said.

  “I’m worried but my ex-wife is highly independent and very resourceful. So is my son.”

  “Marysville coming up,” Tiff said.

  “We actually drove over here yesterday. Place was fairly quiet. The throngs of people heading for the mountains haven’t made it this far yet.”

  “Yet,” Sam said. “They will.”

  “I know,” Hank said.

  Tiff slowed the Hummer a bit. “Looks like a road block up ahead.”

  “Wasn’t here yesterday,” Hank said.

  Sam squinted through the windshield. “I count four men with rifles.”

  “Should we take a different route?” Tiff asked.

  “I say we cautiously approach, but be ready for anything,” Sam said. “Hank, can you hand me those two rifles back there?”

  Hank passed a Sig Sauer semi-automatic rifle with a red dot magnifying sight to Sam, along with a cheaper made AR style rifle. “Nice Sig,” Hank said.

  “Thanks,” Sam replied, as he took the rifles and placed them barrel down next to his seat. “Make sure they see our empty hands as we approach.”

  Tiff eased off the fuel pedal and rolled to a complete stop thirty yards in front of various vehicles strung across the roadway to form a barricade. The pickup truck came to a stop directly behind the Hummer. Bill, Lance, and Wanda remained in the truck.

  Two men, one with a rifle the other with a revolver in his hand, stepped through a narrow opening and started walking toward the Hummer. One, in his fifties, close-cut gray hair, wore a police uniform. The other man was much younger, with long dark hair. They kept their weapons pointed at the ground.

  Sam, Tiff, and Hank opened their doors and stepped out, but stayed within arm’s reach of their rifles.

  Sam raised both hands in the air. “We’re from Townsend.”

  The man in uniform shifted his rifle to his left hand and stuck out his right hand as he came up to Sam. “I’m Chief Martinez. This is my son, Juan.”

  Juan nodded.

  Sam shook hands with Martinez and Juan and then pointed to Tiff and Hank. “This is Tiffany and Hank. That’s Bill, Lance, and Wanda in the pickup.”

  “I would have expected Chief Daniels to be with you,” Martinez said.

  “Unfortunately, he and his officers were killed by some renegades who took over the town a few days ago,” Sam said. “The renegades are now dead and the townspeople are back in control. Hank here is pretty much the acting police chief.”

  Hank stepped forward and shook hands. “This barricade wasn’t here yesterday. I drove out this way in the late afternoon.”

  “I’m really sorry about Chief Daniels,” Martinez said. “He was a good man. We played golf pretty much every Friday afternoon, when the job and weather permitted. Our officers backed each other up when needed. As for the barricade, we were a little slow in getting organized. Our first priority was securing the town’s food and getting transportation. We barricaded all main entry points to the town this morning.”

  “We’re just passing through,” Hank said.

  “Where to?” Martinez asked.

  Sam and Hank glanced at each other and Sam shrugged his shoulders. Hank nodded.

  “The grocery distribution centers up on the interstate,” Hank said.

  “I expect those are empty by now,” Martinez said.

  “Probably,” Sam said. “But it’s worth checking out. We’re going to need the food. You’re welcome to come with us.”

  Martinez scratched his head and looked back at the barricade. “The entire distribution center full of food won’t feed twenty-eight thousand people very long. Still, every bit helps. You’re right, it’s worth a shot.” He motioned for the two men still behind the barricade to open up and then began walking back. “Drive up, I can be ready in a couple of minutes.”

  The two men behind the barricade pushed a new BMW back until there was an opening large enough to drive through.

  Hank waved at Bill to follow and then slid back in the Hummer.

  Tiff eased the Hummer forward.

  Martinez spoke to his men for a few seconds and then walked up to Tiff’s side of the Hummer as she came to a stop inside the barricade. “Juan can drive the old pickup we have. Mind if I ride with you? We can talk on the way.”

  “Hop in,” Sam said.

  Martinez opened the back door, took a seat next to Hank, and closed the door. He placed his rifle on the floor next to Hank’s rifle.

  Tiff accelerated away from the barricade and followed the main road through town, weaving around stalled vehicles and people. Bill followed close behind. Juan, driving an old Ford pickup, brought up the rear.

  “Have you guys had any trouble?” Hank asked Martinez.

  “Not really. Some people in town went a little loco right after the power went out, but we’ve managed to get everyone calmed for the moment. Our biggest problem right now is that some folks are well stocked, and some are completely out of food and water. We’re making trips to a nearby stream for water, but food remains an issue.”

  “Do you plan to centralize the food?” Sam asked.

  “That would be ideal, but those who are well stocked are resisting. Some have threatened to start shooting if we come for their food or guns. We have control of the grocery stores for now, but Marysville has a population of twenty-eight thousand. People will run out of food soon. There’s no way to control that many hungry people.”

  “Townsend is only four hundred, that’s doable if we don’t get invaded,” Hank said.

  “And it’s only a matter of days before people from the larger cities start showing up,” Tiff said. “How do you plan to handle that?”

  “Well, the barricades of course, which we will man twenty-four hours a day. And I’ve been going door-to-door to explain the situation and recruit people for a militia. Pretty much everyone in town is armed. We’ll have more people at the barricades later today.”

  “Do you think that will work?” Tiff asked.

  Martinez paused for several seconds and scratched his head. “Unfortunately, no. These people have no idea what’s coming. The whole thing will fall apart, eventually. I’ve already lost three officers. Deserted.”

  “A lot of scared, hungry people swarming to the mountains,” Sam said.

  “I figure we’ll see a wave from Nashville and Chattanooga first,” Martinez said.

  “Eventually, Louisville, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, and maybe even Atlanta,” Hank said.

  Sam glanced back at Hank and Martinez. “Maybe. A lot of them
will die trying.”

  At the sign for Route 33, Tiff turned right. “The streets are pretty quiet around here.”

  “We have five vehicles that still run. I have some officers and volunteers out checking on people who live just out of town. We’re working to bring as many people as possible into town so we can present a stronger defense.”

  Tiff weaved around more stalled vehicles as she continued north. After a few minutes she turned left onto the Interstate 140 ramp and was able to accelerate a bit.

  “Has anyone come through Marysville from up this way?” Sam asked.

  “No,” Martinez replied. “That’s probably a good sign. Hopefully, the people in Knoxville have been occupied with Knoxville since the EMP.”

  “The distribution centers are about ten miles out from Knoxville,” Sam said. “Easily walkable, but not if you’re carrying or pulling a bunch of stuff.”

  “Where is this place?” Tiff asked.

  Martinez scooted forward in his seat, pointed through the windshield, and made turning motions with his hand. “About eight miles up. We’ll be crossing the Tennessee River. And then go west on Interstate 40 about five miles out. There’s a Costco and a Walmart Supercenter near the intersection. Hopefully, most people have been occupied for the last few days with what those stores have to offer.”

  Sam picked up his Sig rifle, extracted and then reinserted the magazine. “I’m not counting on these places being unoccupied.” He placed the rifle back on the floor next to his leg and then did the same with Tiff’s rifle.

  “What kind of supplies are we going for?” Tiff asked.

  Sam pulled out his pistol and checked the magazine. “Grains, especially rice in bulk, oatmeal, dried beans, and anything in a can. Meats and fish would be nice. Pretty much anything that is edible, and will keep. Propane will be worth its weight in gold.”

  “Not really,” Hank said. “Gold and silver are pretty much worthless. Can’t eat it.”

  Sam glanced back. “Good point.”

  ***

  A drop of sweat rolled off the tip of Chet’s nose and landed on his bare chest as he muscled two five-gallon buckets of water and set them on the floor next to the bathtub. Charlie, with his shirt soaked in sweat, came in behind him carrying two more buckets and set them both on the floor next to the toilet.