American Survival (DeLeo's Action Thriller Singles Book 5)

by Bernard Lee DeLeo

  “For the same reason each one of us knows CPR, and has extensive first aid training. Have you practiced with the 9mm Steve took from your room?”

  “Not often,” she admitted defensively, “but I’m competent with it.”

  “Define competent.”

  “I can hit a target from twenty five yards.”

  “I’ll settle for seeing you load and unload it, clear a jam, and fire for effect. I also want to get you competent with the rifle we have picked out.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, “I know things will not be the same outside, but I hope to be busy with the inoculation program.”

  “You will be, but I might need you for a little more than inoculations if things go sour. It will be better to get you a little training in here.”

  She stared at him for a moment. “I better get to work Jack. I’ll meet you there about 2:30, okay?”

  He nodded, kissed her briefly, and turned away. She reached out and grabbed his hand. He turned back to her, and pulled her hand up to his lips for a second. “I’ll see you in a little while.”

  She watched him walk away down the hall. Dr. Morrison felt her fate reveal itself as she gazed at the receding figure. Whatever lay in her future, it would come at his side. Her office door was partly open. She went past the reception area, and into her office and examining room. Kardel stood leaning on her desk, with his arms crossed and a smile on his face.

  “What do you think of Jack now Doctor, any progress?”

  “I told you, he doesn’t trust anyone but his group,” she replied, regaining her composure at his unexpected appearance.

  “He likes you. I’ve heard you two are getting along very well.”

  “He’s not dead, and he’s been without a woman for four years.”

  “I guess that does give you a little advantage. His lists and plans so far show imagination, and a ruthlessness even I had underestimated. I believe he will go too far too quickly. Can you think of any way to slow him down a little?”

  She shook her head. “Not without tipping him off. I explained Jack and his crew see things when they appear out of order.”

  “I think you may be overestimating him a little now Doctor.”

  Dr. Morrison laughed. “I may do a lot of things in the next few months, but overestimating Jack will not be one of them.”

  “You seem a little more impressed with him than I had hoped you would be. Can you maintain focus on your mission?”

  “Absolutely. I only wish to warn you we need to let this play out at the speed he wishes. You may have to stay ready to move faster than you anticipated.”

  Kardel nodded. “You may be right, and I will rely on your judgment. Just so you realize how important your role in this will be. I will need some warning. Timing will be everything.”

  “He wants me to train on the range with them.”

  “Excellent,” Kardel paused. “What’s his reasoning for it?”

  “He told me he might need me for more than inoculations.”

  Kardel paced around the desk shaking his head and smiling. “I ask for a small attitude adjustment, and I end up fighting off World War IV. Our timing will definitely have to be impeccable, or I’ll be filling out food requisitions in the back of what’s left of the Pentagon.”

  “Wait… you’re taking orders?”

  “Everyone takes orders, Doctor.”

  “How far up does this go then?”

  “Sorry Doctor, you know too much already. General Anthony wants to have elections, within a year’s time. My sponsor thinks America needs a longer guidance period.”

  “Where do we fit in this grander scheme?”

  “The world awaits a few decisive leaders. America will lead the way.”

  “How do you know you’re not being used like you’re using Jack?”

  “I don’t. I’m afraid high ambitions call for rather large gambles. I would like a report on their training procedures.”

  “I will pay close attention. For what it’s worth, you should bring Jack in on this.”

  “Now who’s underestimating?”

  “I mean tell him half-truths, and stall him when he gets close,” Dr. Morrison suggested.

  “Old ground Doctor,” Kardel replied. “Tell him only what you get from me, and warn me if he looks to be ending it. I only want the leaders.”

  “Understood. I better get to work, so I can get away to the range this afternoon.”

  “Come to my office in a few days, after you have a chance to observe their training.”

  “Why not ask the guy who has duty there?”

  “Because I want as few people to know I’m interested as possible,” Kardel answered.

  “I’ll let you know everything I see.”

  “Good, until then Doctor, I will leave you to your work.” Kardel left the office as the first patient scheduled for the morning walked in, saluting Kardel as he passed.

  Jack grinned at his group’s faces as they stared at the range exercise Jack had set up for them while they were at lunch. There were five stations set up for standing, crouching, prone, sitting, and kneeling. Each station had a rifle and ammunition, and a sign directing the stance to take. The range distance at each station varied in distance from seventy-five to one hundred yards. The Range Master stood off to the side, smiling at the reactions Jack received.

  “What’s this all about Jack,” Mitch asked.

  “It’s pretty self-explanatory. At first you will have three minutes at each station to load the rifle, assume the indicated stance, and fire five rounds into the target.”

  “Before we get into this Jack,” Steve broke in, “I have something else to discuss with you real quick like.”

  “This about Dr. Morrison’s office?”

  Steve nodded, and drew Jack off to the side. Jack smiled as he put on the headphones Steve gave him, and listened to the tape player Steve handed him. He took off the headphones a few minutes later, and gave everything back to Steve. “It seems like he’s fishing around already,” Jack said.

  “That’s my take on it too,” Steve agreed. “More importantly, we’ll get to see how the Doc lets us in on this new development.”

  “No time like the present. Here she comes now. Let her bring it up, if she’s going to, Steve.”

  Steve nodded and stepped back over to the rest. Dr. Morrison walked up to Jack; and he readjusted her range gear for her, and led her over to where he had the exercise set up. "You won’t be doing this, Doc. Corporal Pierce will work with you personally, while we go through this exercise.”

  “Okay,” Dr. Morrison agreed.

  Paul came over and tapped Jack on the shoulder. “Hey… Mr. Big,” Paul joked, “since you set this up, why don’t you show us how it’s done?”

  “I had planned to smartass. Remember to be deliberate in your actions, and think ahead to each step.”

  Jack signaled the Corporal, and went quickly to the first station. Dr. Morrison watched him go smoothly through loading, positioning and firing at each station without pause, and without a missed step or hesitation, as if he had practiced for months in advance of this moment. When he finished, the targets were brought in for inspection. Jack had blown the center out of each target, and he had completed the entire exercise in just over five minutes.

  “Show off,” Paul gripped, ignoring the fact he had asked for the demonstration.

  They all laughed as Jack cleaned up the area in each station, and put up fresh targets. He turned back, and took Corporal Pierce’s place, as the Corporal took Dr. Morrison to the other side of the range. “Okay, who’s first,” Jack asked, as he readied his timer.

  “Remember, hitting what you aim at from the position called for will be top priority. Speed will come with practice. When we get good in here, we will set up the same way outside, only from a greater distance. Firing at night will come after that.”

  Paul stepped up, and signaled Jack to begin timing. The next two hours went by quickly. They were all ready to go dow
n to dinner when Jack called a halt to the exercise. Dr. Morrison, who had been watching the exercise for the past half hour, accompanied them down to eat.

  When they had picked out their food, and went to their usual table in the back of the mess hall, Dr. Morrison again sat next to Jack. “Kardel wants me to report on your training program, Jack.”

  “Anything else?”

  “He’s worried you’ll go too far, too fast, and he won’t be able to stop you in time.”

  “Corporal Pierce said you did very well. He said he will have you shooting expert within the week.”

  “What should I do about Kardel?”

  “Tell him the truth,” Jack answered. “We have nothing to hide as far as the training goes. You did real well with him. Just keep it up.”

  “You knew… I… okay, I get it.”

  “We have to protect you, Doc. You re one of us now.”

  “You needed to know what I’d tell you, or even if I’d tell you anything.”

  “That too,” Jack admitted.

  “You don’t trust me,” Dr. Morrison pouted. This drew laughter from the rest.

  “Tell me they didn’t have my room bugged last night,” Dr. Morrison pleaded comically.

  “Only your office, Doc,” Steve laughed. “I don’t think we want one in your room.”

  “Anyhow,” Jack said, “we need you to keep him happy until we get out of here and control our own destiny. Believe me, once we hit the Bay Area, we can get things more to our liking. By the time Kardel realizes we may be planning to exceed his wishes, it will be too late. Steve and I knew a lot of the resistance members when we were there at the beginning. All of them will not be dead, and the ones who have survived, will not like Kardel’s vision of the future.”

  “Retirement will have to wait a little longer,” Steve said with some regret. “Jack’s right, we will not be alone out there. Even if they have electricity and water to some extent, there cannot be much in the way of conveniences and manufacturing. I know with the right items, we can get quite a following. With the population cut down to a fraction of what it was, and with police help, we can get the problem scouted out pretty quick.”

  “The people there must be living a real hand to mouth existence,” Mitch added.

  “Kardel told me it resembles World War II Europe to some extent,” Jack said, “only without the bombed out buildings. They were able to control the fires somewhat, and goods and services are starting to pick up, thanks to factories coming on line in the Midwest.”

  “Think of what a few cases of Bushmills would buy you,” Paul said.

  “I imagine quite a bit, but I bet food will be even a hotter commodity.”

  “Medical supplies, like you said before Jack,” Dr. Morrison added, “were in short supply before, and must be nearly nonexistent now.”

  “Yep. We’ll have the tools to attract some support,” Jack said. “You can bet the gangs under foreign control will not be supplying anyone. They will be stealing everything not under guard.”

  “Makes recruiting that much easier,” Steve said.

  “It sounds like we have so much to do,” Debbie remarked.

  “I know Deb,” Jack said. “We stay focused, and get it done one step at a time, as always.”

  “What will we do first,” Sarah asked.

  “I have to get a few things clear with Kardel. If I do, we will get our base established, and get the inoculation program and medical center set up first. Then we take care of business so fast, Kardel won’t know what hit him. We’ll make connections as we go, and maybe surprise some people.”

  “Or,” Dr. Morrison retorted, “things go into the crapper right from the start, and we have to flee for our lives.”

  “I sense negative vibrations,” Jack said.

  “It sounds too much like a movie version of The Partridge Family meets Frankenstein.”

  “You know Doc,” Paul said, “you’re beginning to sound like that smartass you’re sitting next to.”

  “In a way, I’m trying to be serious. Not to belabor the point, but with plans like this, why are you all still alive?”

  “Stop it, Doc,” Jack said as the others laughed, “you’re killing me.”

  “I guess you know what you’re doing, but we could just do it Kardel’s way and have done with the whole thing.”

  Steve started to respond angrily, but Jack waved him off. They had all fallen silent at the Doctor’s remark.

  “You don’t know this yet, Doc,” Jack continued, “but we never do that.”

  “You know it now though,” Steve added. “We don’t play that for anyone.”

  “We’ve all agreed Doc,” Mitch said.

  “All this time we’ve wanted to go home, and get on with things, just like you said, Doc,” Jake explained, “but we have to do it the right way.”

  “What if Kardel had picked someone else, and just told you all to go home?”

  “Then we would have just gone home,” Paul answered. “We know now, and we know what’s right. We can’t ignore something as bad as this to be a little safer, and a lot less free.”

  “I’m beginning to like your whole very strange group, and I thought maybe we should figure out a way to keep all of you alive.”

  “We like you too, but we wouldn’t be the same weirdo’s you’ve come to like if we did what you say,” Mitch replied.

  “Okay… I’m in. No more negative vibes, but I still can’t understand how you could laugh at torturing me, and get so upset over a simple question.”

  “We know you don’t understand,” Jack answered. “If you have a belief system, you can joke about it, but you can’t question it.”

  “So torture has nothing to do with your values.”

  “Not when it involves someone plotting to sell us out to the enemy,” Steve replied quietly, “and if we had voted, you would be dead.”

  “You could change your mind about all this now,” Paul added.

  “And then we could vote,” Mitch finished.

  Dr. Morrison smiled. “I love this plan.”

  Chapter 25

  The New Member

  Jack heard a knock at Dr. Morrison’s door. He looked at the clock next to the bed. It read 5AM. Jack slipped quietly out of the bed, and put on his pants on quickly. He picked up the 9mm next to the bed, and went to the door, crouching to the right of the door when he reached it.

  “Who’s there?”

  “It’s me Jack, John.”

  Jack opened the door as he hid the weapon behind his leg. A smiling John stood outside on crutches with an armed Marine PFC guard next to him.

  “Your kids told me where to find you.” He looked down at the right arm Jack held slightly out of sight. “Your two kids greeted me in the same way, only your son didn’t bother hiding his weapon.”

  Jack smiled and looked at the marine. “Sorry Private, old habits.”

  The guard smiled back. “I sleep with my weapon too, Sir. I probably always will.”

  “Come on in you two. I can give you some instant coffee." Jack squeezed John’s shoulder. “I’m glad to see you up, John. You’re way ahead of schedule.”

  “It is good to be out of that damned bed. I wish to train with you starting today.”

  Jack laughed as he guided them both to chairs in the small kitchen, and began boiling water. He set out three cups, and put a packet of instant coffee into each one. He turned and leaned against the counter, folding his arms over his scarred chest, as he waited for the water to boil.

  “What can you do, John?”

  “Shoot, weight train, and swim if I cover my leg.”

  Jack shrugged. “It sounds like you had better stay with me, and do only that. At this rate we may get out of here on time.”

  Jack filled the cups and set out sugar and powdered creamer. When they all had a chance to sip their coffee, Jack turned to the Marine. “Can you release John to me, or do you need to stay with him? What’s your name anyway, Private? I’m Jack.” He exten
ded his hand and the Marine shook it.

  “My name's's Dave, Sir, Dave Gorbin. My Lieutenant said I could release John to you only." He took out a form and set it on the table in front of Jack, handing him a pen. "I just need your signature.”

  Jack signed the form and handed the pen back.

  “You understand Sir, you will be responsible for John’s every movement from now until you leave?”

  “I understand Dave, and thanks for bringing him up.”

  The Marine nodded, and stood up as he gulped down the last of his coffee. “I will leave you to it then. Nice meeting you Jack.”

  Jack shook his hand once more, and walked with him to the door. As they walked out past the entryway, the guard handed Jack a small hand held tracking device. “Will this be sufficient Sir,” The Marine asked quietly.

  “Where did they put the chip?”

  “The pin in his leg, Sir.”

  Jack nodded and the Marine turned away. Jack closed the door and slipped the device into a shelf just off the entryway. He walked back over to where John sat. Jack refilled both of their cups and joined him.

  “Do you really feel up to training, John?”

  “The nurse told me the faster I moved around on the leg, the faster I would be able to leave. Can we talk?”

  “I scan this place every time I walk in the door. I get uneasy sometimes that Kardel has not tried to bug this place, but he probably doesn’t want to take a chance of my discovering it. He knows we’ve been working with the surveillance gear. The only reason we didn’t get our bug discovered, I think, was Steve did it the first day we could get the equipment. Hell, Steve surprised me, thank God.”

  “You have good people. It will be an honor to join your group.”

  “How far do you want to go with this, John?”

  “I have always been an American in my heart. It took a bullet in the leg, and meeting you to wake me up. I should have turned while undercover. I could have prevented all of this.”

  “Hey, we have our own problems, like Kardel.”

  “You always will, and the road back will be a long one. I want to be part of the journey.”

  Jack looked up in time to see Dr. Morrison emerge from the bedroom, brushing her hair back sleepily with her hand. She tightened the robe around her, and joined them at the table, as Jack poured her a cup of coffee.