Her Name is Beth: Alone: Book 5

by Darrell Maloney

  While I was running through the streets I heard Beth’s voice all around me. She was crying, “Daddy, please come help me, Daddy. They’re hurting me, Daddy. I don’t want to be here anymore.”

  I finally got to Baker Street and turned on it. Block after block I ran, hoping that every time I came to an intersection it would be Cuervo Avenue.

  Finally, I saw a sign on a street light up ahead. It said Cuervo Avenue.

  I ran to the middle of the intersection and called Beth’s name. I said, “Daddy’s here, sweetheart. Tell me where you are so I can come and get you.

  I looked in every direction and yelled until I was hoarse.

  Then I noticed something, at one corner of the intersection, under a huge elm tree. There was a little grave marker. Made of brown granite.

  I didn’t want to. I tried my best not to. But I had to. I just had to go and look at it.

  I got closer and closer to it, and when I could read the words I fell to my knees and wailed. It said:

  Elizabeth Marie Speer

  Jan 15, 2008

  Feb 7, 2016

  Then I heard the witch cackling again. Cackling as though she were inside me. Inside my very soul. She cackled first, then laughed. She said, “Be careful what you wish for, Sonny. You might just get it.”

  Then I woke up in a cold sweat.

  I’ve got to go on. I’ve got to go with the assumption it was only a dream and nothing more. I just don’t know what I’ll do if it turns out to be a premonition. And that it’s all true.

  I wish you were here to tell me what it all means.

  Chapter 41

  Dave Speer was nothing if not flexible.

  Sarah would call it indecisive. But what did she know?

  The Marine Corps had a credo. Actually it had a lot of them. But one of Dave’s favorites was a Marine Reconnaissance saying: “We will adjust. We will adapt. We will overcome. For no one is smarter or more capable than we are.”

  Training in the Marine Corps was full of last minute modifications and changes. They were designed to keep Marines on their toes. To teach them to think on their feet.

  An example might be an exercise in which a recon platoon humped for twenty miles with heavy packs to rendezvous with another platoon at a certain map coordinate. They would make camp and rest for a day before heading back.

  Marines would approach the camp with great glee, thinking they were almost finished with their mission.

  Instead, they might find a team of instructors waiting for them with very bad news.

  “This hill was taken over by enemy forces. Their snipers picked some of you off as you approached, because you were stupid and sloppy.

  “Those whose last names start with A through P are dead or wounded, regardless of their rank. They will be taken back to the base on these trucks. The rest of you will evac to Sector Charlie, where you will locate your sister platoon and retake this hill. A flag will be planted on the hill when we leave. You will recover the flag and return it to base.”

  A lot of Marines thought the curveballs they were thrown were just meant to mess with their heads.

  The smarter ones knew the real reasons. In the process of dealing with such changes, Marines learned many things.

  They learned to reconstitute decimated platoons. They learned how to restructure their chain of command when their leaders were killed or wounded and gave all levels of leaders the chance to take charge and prove their mettle.

  They learned never to take anything for granted. And to think on the fly.

  They learned that the key to success was being able to constantly reevaluate the situation, to make modifications as necessary, and to always have a backup plan.

  And a backup plan to the backup plan.

  So while Sarah might call him indecisive for frequently changing his plans, Dave preferred to think of it in another way.

  He was adapting to an ever changing situation.

  In this particular circumstance, the changing situation involved his dream.

  And the realization that he was going into a strange environment where information might not be provided willingly.

  At least not for free.

  If Albuquerque was as bad as it was rumored to be, there was no law. And therefore no rules.

  Dave certainly wasn’t afraid of such a place. He’d gone into a war zone in Iraq and had been shot at. Several times.

  No, Dave wasn’t afraid.

  But he would be careful.

  He suspected that in such a place, he’d have to offer to pay for any assistance or information he received. And he might have to pay a toll as he moved around the different parts of the city.

  The problem was, cash was worthless.

  The new currency was gold or silver in any form.

  It was out there, for the taking, if one knew where to look. And Dave knew where to look, thanks to a drifter he’d met named Marco.

  He’d been collecting it of late, every time he happened upon a Walmart truck during one of his morning walks.

  But now he’d make a special effort to find it.

  Most of the trucks he’d been going through had already been picked by people looking for food and water. The smarter among them had looked for the precious metals as well..

  Dave knew that the farther away the trucks were from a town or rest area, the more likely he’d find a truck that was still sealed and hadn’t been touched by looters.

  Those trucks were the ones most likely to still contain their treasures.

  He knew they were out there. He passed by two or three of them every night.

  They were easy to spot because when the moon was out that great big bright white Walmart trailer stood out like a beacon in the night. With his night vision goggles he could easily read the big blue letters on its side. And he could tell the truck hadn’t been looted yet because the roll-up door was still closed.

  And there wasn’t a big pile of diapers and office machines and dish towels… and other things nobody wanted or needed anymore… thrown onto the highway.

  Dave found such a trailer eighty seven miles east of Albuquerque and pulled his Explorer in front of it.

  It was three a.m.

  The perfect time to rummage unmolested through a trailer out in the middle of nowhere. For very few highway travelers moved at night. Nearly all of them were tucked into sleeper cab bunks or in small tents set up along the side of the road.

  He used his crow bar to break the metal seal on the back of the truck. Then the padlock.

  Then he looked around to make sure he was alone, and crawled inside.

  Dave was fortunate in that the trailer was only half full.

  He could close the rolling door behind him to attract less attention, just in case someone did happen by.

  Then he could use his flashlight without anyone sticking their head in the back of the trailer and asking how in the world he had a flashlight which still worked.

  That would be awkward.

  In less than an hour, Dave found what he was looking for, in a cardboard box marked with a bright orange label reading:

  INVENTORY AND SIGNATURE REQUIRED

  He opened the box and surveyed its contents. He’d bought enough jewelry for Sarah over the years to know that this was pretty good stuff. He estimated its worth at between four and six thousand dollars.

  It should buy a lot of information.

  Before he reopened the door he stacked three more boxes at the end of the trailer: a case of canned Spam, a case of Wolf brand chili without beans, and a case of Star-Kist tuna.

  As a prepper, he knew that all three items had very long shelf-life dates, were high in protein, and weren’t damaged by having been frozen over the winter months and then rethawed. He knew that to be the case because in the months before the blackout, when he and Sarah were deciding what food to hoard, he’d done an experiment.

  He’d taken cans of each of the items and frozen them solid in his freezer for a week. Then he let them thaw
on the kitchen counter and ate them out of the cans.

  Sarah thought he was nuts and didn’t mind telling him so.

  But he suffered no ill effects at all.

  Dave also liked that they could be eaten right out of the can, without any preparation or cooking.

  It was a big plus for a guy like him who traveled at night and hated building campfires to cook his food.

  He rolled open the door and hopped to the ground.

  Five minutes later he was once again on the move, in search of another truck.

  Chapter 42

  Mark walked into the bunker’s kitchen to find Sarah and Lindsey finishing their scrambled eggs and sausage.

  Lindsey had had the eggs a couple of times before, but Sarah had been reluctant to try them.

  “I don’t know. Just something about canned scrambled eggs makes me queasy.

  “But canned breakfast sausage doesn’t?”

  “Not quite as much. I knew you could can cooked meat. I just never knew you could can scrambled eggs.”

  “You can can anything if you know how to do it.”

  “Can can? You’re a dancer now?”

  “Better than Fred Astaire.”

  Lindsey joined into the fray.

  “Who’s Fred Astaire?”

  “Never mind. Just a movie star a very long time ago who was known for his dancing more than his acting.”

  “And why do they call it canning if they put the stuff in jars? Why don’t they call it jarring?”

  Sarah looked at Mark, who shrugged his shoulders, then said, “Hush, Lindsey. You ask way too many questions. Questions before I’ve finished my coffee give me a headache.”

  “Oh, sorry. And by the way, I thought the eggs were pretty good.”

  “Did Kara or Misty teach you the secret?”

  “Yes. A teaspoon of white vinegar and a dash of salt. They really did taste like they were fresh.”

  “Good. Did you save some for me?”

  “Over there in the pan.”

  Mark turned to Sarah.

  “You’ve got a great daughter here, Sarah. You and Dave did a good job of raising her.”

  “Yep. She’s one of the best. Her and little Beth…”

  Sarah suddenly choked up, and appeared ready to tear.

  Mark deftly changed the subject.

  “So, today’s the day I’m going to work on the wind turbine and the battery bank. Are you still going to help me?”

  “Yes. And if you call within the next five minutes, you can take advantage of a special offer. You can get a second helper absolutely free. All you have to pay is shipping and handling.”

  Mark was confused, and said in his best Archie Bunker impersonation, “Hahh?”

  Sarah smiled.

  “Sorry. I was watching some of the old TV shows you guys recorded before the blackout. One of the commercials was selling some stupid product and it stuck in my mind.”

  Lindsey tried to help.

  “Sometimes you have to overlook my mom’s weird sense of humor.”

  Sarah stuck her tongue out at her daughter.

  Mark said, “I think the only people who understand your mom’s sense of humor are other aliens who also came from Planet Weirdo.”

  He turned back to Sarah.

  “So, I think what you were saying that Lindsey is coming along to help also. Right?”

  “Indubitably.”

  “What?”

  “Indubitably. It means definitely. Positively. It’s a word Dave likes to use. He says it makes people think he’s smart.”

  Lindsey smiled. “He is smart. The smartest man I know. I sure wish he’d find a ham radio and call in, so we knew he was okay.”

  “I know, honey. Me too. But you know he’s okay. He’ll call or be back soon. Just keep the faith.”

  Once again Mark felt the need to break the sadness.

  “Well, give me five minutes to wolf down some eggs and I’ll be ready to go. Y’all aren’t going to wear pajamas all day are you?”

  “Why not? I used to wear them to Walmart and McDonald’s all the time.”

  Mark looked at Lindsey and asked, “She didn’t really, did she?”

  “No. She made fun of people who did.”

  “Good. I’d recommend blue jeans for both or you. And long sleeves.

  Chapter 43

  The three met in the pill box a short time later. Mark put a headset microphone on and checked it to make sure it was working.

  “Testing… one, two, three…”

  “Reading you loud and clear,” his brother Jonas said from another radio somewhere in the bunker.”

  He took a handheld radio and handed it to Lindsey.

  “This is a backup, in case the other one goes out. Or in case we got separated for some reason. But that generally doesn’t happen. We try to stay together when possible, unless one of us needs to disappear into the woods to go to the bathroom or something.”

  “How long are we gonna be out of the bunker?”

  “An hour. Should be no more than that.”

  “We’ll go before we leave. Going in the woods is a lot easier for you guys than it is for us girls.”

  “Good thinking. Lindsey, you said your father trained you and your sister how to use handguns?”

  “Yes. And his AR-15 too. Taught us how to take them apart and clean them too.”

  “So, I can trust you to use them safely?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Good. We’ll all arm up just in case. We don’t expect any problems, but we’d rather err on the side of caution. Kara will be closely watching the monitors while we’re out there and will let us know immediately if she sees something out of the ordinary. Jacob and Mason will do the same from the pillbox. If anything happens out there, remember, we stick together if at all possible. If we have to separate, stay on the ground. Don’t make yourself a bigger target than you have to be. And don’t shoot at anything unless you’re damn sure what you’re shooting at. And who or what may be behind it.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  There was no humor in either of their voices. Usually Lindsey, like her mother, liked to joke around and keep things playful and light.

  But they both knew that humor had its time and place. This was a deadly serious situation with deadly serious consequences should someone make a mistake.

  “Good. Let’s go. Stay directly behind me until we clear the mine field. Watch my feet and try your best to walk in my footsteps.”

  They could plainly see the mine markers and could have cleared the field by themselves if they had to. But the Dykes brothers had survived intact by being extra cautious every time they left the safety of their bunker.

  They certainly weren’t going to cut corners now.

  Once free of the mine field, the three jogged to the edge of the woods and disappeared into it.

  For a hundred yards they fought through heavy brush until they came to another clearing.

  This clearing was several times larger than the clearing the bunker was in. A farm house stood in one corner, but it didn’t look occupied. Boards were nailed over the doors and windows.

  “That’s our farm,” Mark explained. “The tunnel that extends west from the bunker opens up into the basement of the house. That’s the root cellar where you got the jarred scrambled eggs.”

  Sarah protested.

  “But… it didn’t look like a basement. There were no steps leading into the house. No door either.”

  “That’s because two days after the blackout we took the door out and walled in the hole. The basement is no longer accessible from the house. The only way in and out of it is through the tunnel.”

  “But why?”

  “Because we didn’t have enough people to guard the bunker and the house too. The bunker was by far the more secure of the two structures, so that’s where we settled. We boarded over the house hoping none of the squatters thought it worth the trouble of moving in. So far th
ey haven’t. But that might not always be the case. And if they move in, we don’t want them to find the basement. If they found they basement, they’d not only find our main food supply. They’d also have a back door into the bunker.”

  “So that’s why you had a security camera in the root cellar.”

  “Exactly. We have a motion activated alarm there too that we have to deactivate every time someone goes in there for food. If anyone ever breaks into the house and discovers our hidden basement, we want to know about it before they go exploring that tunnel. We want to be ready for them.”

  On the other end of the clearing was a wind turbine which closely resembled the ones Sarah had driven by on the plains of Texas.

  Actually it more accurately resembled a scale replica. For the turbine before them was only about ninety feet high, as opposed to the full scale version, which is typically three hundred feet or more.

  The blades weren’t turning.

  “Is that why we’re doing maintenance on it?” Lindsey asked. “Is it broken?”

  “No. We came out yesterday while you girls were sleeping and furled the blades and used the electromagnetic braking system to bring it to a stop. Then we applied the manual braking system to keep it stopped while we lubricate it and check all the systems, just to make sure everything’s working right. We’ve been on battery power since about this time yesterday. Bet you didn’t even notice, did you?”

  “Well… no, actually.”

  Lindsey was full of questions.

  “How much electricity does this thing provide?”

  “About eighty kilowatts. Before the blackout it was plenty to cover all the needs for our farm, and we were tied into the electrical co-op so the extra power went to them. Now the extra power goes into our battery bank for use when the wind isn’t blowing. Or, like today, when we need to do maintenance on the system.”

  “How on earth did you protect it from the EMPs?”

  “When we had it built we brought enough extra parts to replace all the electronic components. We stored them in the bunker, so they were protected when the EMPs hit the earth. Of course, we had no crane to take the components back down again. So what we did instead was send Jonas up every day for three weeks to replace individual pieces. Jonas is our resident genius, you see, when it comes to all things electrical.”