After the Solar Flare (Book 1): Alone in the Apocalypse

by AJ Newman

  Her real advantage with the suppressed AR was that the sound convinced the men she was to about to kill that the shot came from much farther away.

  She had her sights on second target before the first hit the ground. Both of the attackers took a round to the chest. She took a deep breath before shooting both in the head to assure the kills.

  Patty ran across the loft, slowly climbed down the ladder. Her wound hurt but she ignored the pain and forged ahead into the fight.

  Mary had the rifle sticking out the window with the stock propped on a chair. She watched me work my way to the side as she split her surveillance between the scope and the monitors. She saw me take out two of the bastards and then found one trying to close in on me. She shot him and started looking for another target.

  “Matt there are two men hiding behind the large bush strait across and 75 yards from you. The one with the blackbird.”

  “I see the bush, but don’t see the men.”

  “I’ll put a couple of rounds into the bush and you shoot when they jump.”

  I heard her rifle bark several times and dirt flew up on the left side of the bush. One man jumped out and hit the ground. I nailed him on the way down. I couldn’t see him, but he kept screaming.

  “Mary, the other one didn’t move.”

  “He can’t move. I got him with a lucky shot.”

  “Mary, Matt, I took care of the two on the back forty. Are there any left for me?”

  “I replied, “Way to go girl. Mary and I have killed all but one and that bastard is hiding. We’ve taken out all six of George’s army. Let’s go find that chicken shit bastard.”

  Patty replied, “I’ll bet he’s hiding behind a tree just waiting to escape after starting this turkey shoot.”

  “Work your way up on the right side as I come up on the left. Mary, watch our backs.”

  We both arrived on either side of the pickup to see George frantically trying to start the truck. He didn’t see us come up behind him.

  “George, drop your gun.”

  He opened the door with his hands raised. He suddenly turned with a pistol in his hand and I shot him before he could fire at Patty. He fell to the ground, raised the pistol and got off one shot at me as I dove around the front of the truck. Patty kicked the gun from his hand and placed hers on his forehead.

  George said, “Patty I love you and have to have you back. Forget Jones and come back to me.”

  Without apparent emotion, she looked upon George with the eyes of a King Cobra about to strike. “You murdered Wilma, and for that I’m sending you straight to Hell.” She shot him twice while I lay on the ground bleeding.

  “Let me check your wound. Pull your pants down.”

  I pulled my pants and shorts down to expose a wound in my ass. The bullet had gone in from the lower side and came out beside the top inside of my right butt cheek. It hurt like hell; however, it was in all honesty just downright embarrassing.

  My first thought was that we now had three wounded people who couldn’t take care of themselves.

  “Matt, don’t you even think about whining. I’ve cut myself worse while shaving my legs. The bullet passed through just below the skin. It will hurt like the dickens but you should be okay in a couple of weeks.” I think she really did try not to smile; she failed in that attempt.

  She tore a large strip off her shirt, wadded it up and said, “Keep pressure on the exit wound while I get the ATV and a wagon to haul your pitiful butt back to the house.”

  I used my rifle to help me stand up, and keeping pressure on the wound I started walking back to the house.

  “Patty, I appreciate your help, but I don’t want you to strain and open your wound. We can patch me up when we get to the house.”

  “Thanks for being a regular Quick Draw McGraw and keeping me from getting shot. George was like a mad dog and willing to kill me.

  Matt, I want to correct something between us. I do care for you and something might happen between us down the road, but I just got rid of one husband and don’t want another for a while.”

  “That was supposed to make me feel better?”

  “I just meant that I don’t hate you and don’t give up on me.”

  “I didn’t propose. I just like you and wanted to see more of you.”

  I was struggling to walk the remaining 50 yards to the porch when I broke out laughing and replied, “Perhaps a dinner and a bird watching or skinny dipping and snuggling? Dating will definitely be different in the days after The Flare.”

  “Okay, I’m interested enough to go to dinner and a movie.”

  We both were in pain and moved slowly as we walked up the steps and into the house. Mary saw us come in the door and said, “Aren’t we a bunch of crippled warriors. We need to find some purple hearts and pin them to our hospital gowns. Patty, will he live?”

  My face turned red as I replied in my best southern drawl, “Ma’mm, it’s nuthin but a small scratch high up on my right leg. I’ll be a rubbin’ some dirt on it and be as good as new so I can protect my women folk from the Injuns.”

  “He got shot in the butt after shooting, but not killing George. Actually, it was rather chivalrous of him to leave that final pleasure to me.

  George tried to shoot me and old Quick Draw was faster. George can rot where he lies.”

  “I was wondering why he had his hand on his ass as he walked to the house. Does it hurt?”

  “Damn Skippy. I mean, no ma’am, it’s just a little old scratch.”

  Thankfully, the medical supplies needed to treat my wound were on the coffee table between Mary and Patty’s chairs. Patty went to the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with a pan of boiled water.

  “Move your hand, drop your pants and bend over the arm of the couch so I can clean and dress your wound.”

  I loosened my belt and pulled my pants down just enough to expose the top wound. Patty moved the coffee table to her then sat in a chair behind me. She pulled my shorts down to expose both wounds.

  “The bleeding has mostly stopped, and it does appear that you will need a couple of stitches for each. Thank the Good Lord George didn’t have hollow points in his pistol. You’ll have two scars on your butt and won’t sit down for a while on this cheek, but you’ll be fine.”

  She cleaned around the wound, and then washed it with the sterile water. She popped two anti-biotic pills in my mouth and went to work on my ass.

  Patty said, “I cleaned the wounds, applied antibiotic ointment and sewed the edges together. We’ll keep you on the anti-biotic pills and save the IV anti-biotic for serious wounds. You need to lie down and let the wound heal before you move around too much. We’ll keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t get infected.”

  “My ass is throbbing; don’t I get some pain pills?”

  “Sorry I forgot that big strong men have terrible pain when they get a boo boo.”

  “That was just plain old mean. Give me the pills.”

  “One a day for four days and then you’re on your own. We have to ration them for real wounds. Matt, I know it hurts, and I’m sorry for teasing you.”

  Mary chimed in, and said, “Well, I’m not. Patty, what a wuss!”

  They both nearly busted their own stitches howling in laughter.

  Mary interrupted with, “I’ll watch the monitors while you two rest up from your victorious battle.

  Patty, we can take turns checking his ass for infection.”

  Both women laughed until I threw a pillow at Mary and said, “We have to keep someone on the monitors 24 hours a day and someone on the front porch window at night, awake and on guard duty. Patty and I will pull that watch.”

  Since I was the most recently wounded, the girls allowed me to rest for the remainder of the day as they took turns watching the monitors. Only a few buzzards had started picking at the dead so far, but larger scavenger animals would soon follow behind them. I knew I had to get up the strength to go out and bury the bodies.

  I thought
about the job of burying the bodies, but the frozen ground was like concrete. I came to realize that the bodies were already frozen, and would remain that way for around 10,000 or so years.

  We all giggled at what the archaeologists who would eventually find them would think.

  In truth, I could think of no better end for any of those bastards.

  I slept until Mary woke me with, “Get up sleepy head. You have to pull guard duty by the window.”

  “Whose stupid idea was that?”

  “It’s your stupid idea and keep your voice down,” she said as she pointed to Patty who was asleep in the recliner.”

  “Sorry, I was still asleep,” I whispered. “I’ll get a bite; make a thermos of coffee and head on over.”

  “Patty made you a couple of sandwiches and a pot of coffee before zonking out for the night.”

  “Bless her little heart, as my dear sainted mother used to say. I’ll hit the bathroom and headed to the window and monitor.”

  “That reminds me that at some point we’ll have to check to make sure the septic tank is working properly. The truth is that the lateral lines can’t handle too much waste water. You need to reroute the bathwater and any gray water from the waste water or the septic tank will be over whelmed.”

  “Is this digging ditches or turning valves.”

  “Turning valves.”

  “That’s a bit of good luck ‘cause diggin’ ditches is not in the cards for a few thousand years.”

  “Frank planned for this day and has the system set up for most contingencies. We put a lot of thought into this bunker.”

  “Thank God for that.”

  I went to the kitchen to get my coffee and sandwiches.

  “Matt, come over here, drop your drawers and let me see your butt.”

  “Why Mary, I didn’t know that you liked my butt so much.”

  “Well, yeah, I do, but more importantly it’s the only male butt around and even an old gal like me likes to look at a good butt every now and then. Now stop the bullshit and let me clean and bandage that wound.”

  I smiled and said, “Wound, you say? Well, that is an upgrade from scratch and boo boo.”

  I walked over to her, turned my back to her and lowered my pants. She cleaned the wounds with Patty’s help, placed anti-biotic ointment on the wound and applied a bandage. Before I could pull my pants up Mary slapped me on my good cheek when she was done.

  “Everything looks good.”

  “Mary, you said old woman. How old are you? You don’t look like you are much older than I am.”

  “I’m 42 and Frank was 65 when he died. I was one of his students and a child bride.”

  “You didn’t have any children?”

  “No, Frank had two by his first wife who died in a car wreck. His two girls disowned him when he married me. I wanted children, but Frank had a vasectomy and couldn’t father any more children.”

  “Frank must have been a great man. He has certainly helped save our lives.”

  “Frank was a great man, but not a great husband. His work with NASA was his passion and it almost killed him when they parted. Then preparing for this catastrophe became his life’s work leaving little time for me. I thought about leaving him when I had an affair with Gary last year, but I couldn’t leave Frank. I guess I really did love him.”

  “Wait a minute. You had an affair with Gary Allen the restaurant owner. Did Betty find out?”

  “Yes, it was Gary, and for over a year we slipped around meeting for our low rent rendezvous in the old cabin at the back of the property.”

  “Did you love Gary?”

  “I don’t know. I did love being with him. He made me feel alive where Frank just made me feel old.

  Whoa, that is enough about that, ‘cause I can’t get off the couch to go take a cold shower.”

  “I’m sorry. Would you like me to go into town and check on Gary when I get better?”

  “We both will.”

  “Speaking of Frank did you ever find his notes on how cold it could get here in Wyoming due to the collision?”

  “He never mentioned a temperature, but always referred to ‘Colder than a well digger’s ass’.”

  “Oh shit!”

  “A cold ‘oh shit’ is more accurate.”

  ✪✪✪

  ✪

  Chapter 11

  Strangers

  The Ranch

  Pinedale, Wyoming

  Mary’s recovery was slow, but she was getting better every day.

  Patty was much better, and tried to hide her pain from us. She was a real trooper and wanted to pull her weight even though her arm was still in a sling.

  My butt was sore and I watched how I sat, but otherwise I was able to complete my normal duties by favoring that leg.

  Mary and I thought that Patty would take George’s death hard, but she was like a new woman. Laughing, giggling at my corny jokes and full of life. I liked seeing her be herself instead of the repressed woman I met at the airport. I figured maybe for the first time in her life, she felt free, especially from George.

  I split some more wood and got the fireplace cranking to allow the battery bank to stay topped off. Each passing day brought lower temperatures and more concern.

  I later learned that the reason our luck held out on the snowfall was that it was just too danged cold to snow, coupled with the fact that there are fewer storms because of the new environment, or some such, whatever.

  I knew that our luck wouldn’t hold much longer, but for now the snow remained on the ground, the skies were bright and clear.

  I also knew that we should be getting on the road, for every day, that we stayed at the ranch increased the chances that we would end up exactly like George, and his army of drunks.

  We looked forward to the President’s weekly broadcast and were always by the radio ready to listen an hour before airtime.

  ***

  The radio crackled, popped and had static, but was getting better. Soon, we thought the airwaves would, once again, be clear. Now, we could hear most of what the Director of Homeland Security said.

  “My fellow Americans, I am filling in for the President who is in high level negotiations with China and Russia concerning their recent annexation of large swaths of equatorial lands.

  Now moving on, I must say that we, your leaders are proud of each and every one of you. You have braved the recent turmoil’s, the lack of electricity, and the recent polar vortex that has yielded cooler temperatures than expected. Keep your chins up and this too will pass with time.

  The good news is that power has been restored to our government offices, our major military installations and we are slowly bringing power to our major cities.

  The bad news is that it will be months until we have power back on in the smaller cities and perhaps years before power is restored to the more remote areas of our country.

  Stay inside as much as possible this winter, and please endeavor to conserve your fuel, food and strength. You may soon see the DHS Humvees in your area. This will serve as the first signal that reconstruction is ongoing to bring this nation back to normalcy.

  Thank you for your support and goodbye until next month.

  Mary became excited and in a loud voice exclaimed, “He said next month instead of next week. These are supposed to be weekly presidential addresses. The damned President hasn’t spoken to the country for weeks.”

  Patty replied, “The head of the DHS must think we are idiots, I mean, we know that the country is in much worse shape than this DHS lackey says in his address to the nation, but how do we find out what is really happening?”

  Matt replied, “Is this any different than when the news media told us what the government told them to tell us. The public has been in the dark and only spoon fed what the party in power wants us to hear.

  I’ll make a trip into town and see if any state officials have contacted the mayor. Perhaps he knows something.”

  “She.”

  “
She what?”

  “The mayor is a woman.”

  “Okay, I’ll talk to her. You two know her. Is there anything you want me to say?”

  Mary laughed, swirled her martini around and said, “Don’t tell Betty that you know me.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask. Oh shit.”

  Patty looked confused.

  “Her husband and I teamed up to perform some afterhours work on improving constituent relations.”

  “Oh shit.”

  “Yep, say hi to Gary for me.”

  “Why didn’t I know that Betty Allen is the mayor?”

  “Humph, easy you don’t listen. My theory is that men’s ears are prosthetic, you know, not real. They’re like zeros, just place holders.”

  “Ha Ha, very funny.”

  I drove into town the next morning to see how the town’s people were doing and gain some info on what was going on in the outside world. I wanted to fit in so I left my AR at home, shouldered a lever action 30-30 and strapped on a Ruger P95 9mm pistol. I also took a small backpack with a Ruger MKIII, plenty of ammo and my survival gear, which held rations for three days.

  Patty suggested that I park my truck in the woods before the first major side road in case there was a roadblock. I drove for about 10 minutes, saw the side road and sure enough, there was a roadblock. I pulled off into a stand of pines before being seen and walked up to the roadblock.

  “Who are you and what do you want?”

  “I’m Matt Jones and why are you blocking the road.”

  “I said what do you want?”

  I didn’t recognize two of the three men and replied, “I’ve come in to town to talk to the mayor.”

  “Where are you from?”

  “Here, I live a few miles northeast of town and wanted to see how everyone was doing.”

  “Well go back home. We’ll tell the mayor you dropped by.”

  The third man grabbed the other two and had a private conference with them. The man Matt recognized moved a barrel from the roadblock and said, “This is Matt Jones. The mayor will want to see him.”