Shortage (Best Laid Plans Book 2)

by Nathan Jones

  Lewis caught his arm as he went for another load. “You might not even find them there! They could be long gone, halfway here by now, and you'll just be heading into danger yourself looking for them.”

  “We had that same worry with April's family.” Trev quirked his lips in a wan smile. “Actually we even had this same conversation, more or less. And the argument for going is the same then and now.”

  “It's not the same at all! You went a hundred and thirty or so miles and back to get them, this is almost ten times that distance. And through some of the worst locations in the country. Do you have any idea what kind of mess the area around Chicago's going to be in after the winter we've had? Or Detroit? And will you follow the Interstate past other large cities along the way?” His cousin's grip on his arm tightened. “Ten times the distance, Trev. And ten times more certainty with what I said when you went for Matt's family. This is a bad idea, and if you leave you probably won't make it back.”

  Trev shook his arm free. “Why do you argue when you know I'm going to go anyways?”

  “Good point.” Lewis sighed and disappeared through the curtain into his own partitioned room. “I guess I'll have to come with you.”

  In spite of the situation Trev couldn't help but smile again. “We've had this conversation, too.”

  “And just like the other one this time things are completely different.” His cousin poked his head back into view. “They're my family too, and this time we have someone to watch the shelter for us while we're gone.”

  “What about our garden?” Trev protested.

  Matt poked his head into the room too, making things look a bit absurd. “We can take care of that. It's the least we can do after everything you and Lewis have done for us.” He gave Trev a guilty look. “I feel like I should go with you after you went with me last time, but I can't leave Sam.”

  “No. Like Lewis said, this is different. I'll be fine.”

  “You mean we'll be fine,” Lewis countered. “Admit it, you know that with the two of us together things have a much better chance of turning out okay.”

  Trev could admit it. He'd been more than uncertain at the thought of trying to cross a huge chunk of the continent to reach his family, with no idea what route to take or what places would be dangerous to pass through. Having his cousin along made the trip seem a lot less daunting.

  “Okay then,” he grinned at his cousin. “I'll wait for you to pack.”

  Lewis intercepted him at his wagon with another armful of stuff. “Come on, at least don't be an idiot about this.”

  For a moment Trev was confused. Was his cousin changing his mind? “Look, I said I'm going to go and I mea-”

  “Not that,” Lewis interrupted impatiently. “That.” He pointed at Trev's cart. “That thing was a pain work with and you know it. If we had to we could make do with just my wagon but I think we can do better.”

  “Better?” Trev asked dubiously.

  “Look, we'll want to go fast so we don't have to bring too much food. A wagon will let us carry more but it'll also slow us down. What we need is bicycles with bike trailers. We'll be able to travel faster than we can walk or even run a lot of the time, and we'll be able to haul enough supplies to get us there and back with enough for your family.”

  Trev was amazed he hadn't thought of that. Lewis was right, that would solve a ton of their problems. “Any idea where we can find those?” He glanced around the shelter. “Let me guess, you've got a pair of top of the line bikes and trailers stowed away around here somewhere.”

  His cousin smiled ruefully. “Not this time, unfortunately. But I know where we should be able to find what we need. I got the idea from hearing about how Ferris left, and he got his supplies from the town storehouse.”

  That seemed like a good option. Trev nodded slowly as he glanced at his wagon . . . he really hated the thing. “Okay, let's go.”

  They set off for town together, leaving Matt to clean out the shipping container on his own. Most of the stuff was light enough for one person to carry, and their friend had no complaints with being saddled with the task, since it was for his own benefit.

  In a way it felt almost odd to be walking through town with the intention of leaving. Trev knew there was a lot that needed to be done to get Aspen Hill back on its feet, and ideally he wanted the place still there when he got back with his family. He knew that Matt, Chauncey, Mayor Tillman, and others had been depending on him and his cousin to help with that, and he felt a bit bad about leaving it behind.

  But he would.

  By the time they got back into town it was past the time when Trev's shift at the roadblocks would have ended, and they found Chauncey back in his usual place at the storehouse, guarding it with a few other men from the town. One of them was Ben, the refugee leader, who Trev had come to respect and even like over the last few weeks. Then again, he tended to like anyone who was willing to give any extra time to help the town, and Ben was certainly good about that.

  Chauncey listened to their explanation, shaking his head slightly. “We could probably help you with bikes, although not good ones, but trailers are another issue entirely. Ferris took every single one to be found in the town, most brand new and still in the box out of Tillman's Sporting Goods. I suppose I could ask around, or maybe we could contact one of the nearby towns and see if one is available for barter.”

  Trev glanced at his cousin. “What would biking while wearing backpacks look like?”

  “Ugly for balance, and we wouldn't be able to carry nearly as much.” Lewis sighed and turned to Chauncey. “Can we take a look at the bikes?”

  The older man nodded and motioned them towards the back room. “I'll get on the radio and see if anyone's got a trailer.”

  They left him to it and headed into the backroom, checking over the selection of bikes. It was a bit pitiful, just as he'd warned, with only a few cheaper 10-speeds to go along with children's bikes. Lewis suggested asking around town for anyone holding onto a better bike, but Trev didn't have the patience for that with a possible deadline for the Gold Bloc invasion a week away. “We can make these work,” he insisted, motioning towards the two best bikes they'd found. “We'll just bring what we need to repair them if there's a problem.”

  “If there's a problem we can't fix we're down to one and a half bikes and we're back to walking speed,” his cousin replied. “That's why you go with quality equipment.”

  In the end they agreed to take the bikes out to the shelter and pack up what they'd need. In the meantime there was a chance Chauncey would find something over the radio, and if worse came to worst they could always stop in Helper or Price, depending on the route they took, and look for something better there using some of Lewis's coins to barter with.

  On the plus side the trip back to the shelter was much faster. “Why haven't we been using these all along?” Trev called as they zoomed up the dirt path towards the two hills.

  “Lack of imagination?” his cousin called back. “No bikes in the days of the Wild West, and we got caught thinking we were living back then.”

  “Well Matt at least should start using one. Think about how much time he'd save on walking that he could be using for better purposes.”

  Back at the shelter the Larsons had gathered to give them a good sendoff, with hugs and well-wishing all around. While Trev stayed with the group to discuss matters with the garden and shelter while they were gone, Lewis disappeared to his nook where most of the stuff in the shelter that Ferris hadn't taken had been piled while he was gone. He emerged with maps, including larger more detailed ones of each state, and began marking a couple suitable routes that would keep them off large roads and away from population centers.

  Trev couldn't help but notice that his cousin frequently referenced a logbook he'd made of all the news of the outside world he'd gotten from Chauncey or incoming refugees or heard over his radio. That more up-to-date info might mean the difference between life and death, and he once again found himself pra
ising Lewis's meticulous nature.

  They had almost finished packing and Trev and Matt were looking at the bikes to see if they could figure out a way to rig the short rack over the back wheels to hold more luggage when his friend got a call on his radio and excused himself.

  He came back less than a minute later and motioned for Trev to follow. “We've got a problem,” he said grimly, leading the way into the shelter and calling for everyone to come out and bring their weapons.

  Trev followed, fighting down his alarm at his friend's grim expression. “What is it?”

  Matt was slow to answer, getting everyone out of the underground structure and locking it from the outside with the thick steel bar across the door and jamb. To keep anyone from locking them inside the structure while the door was shut they usually kept the padlock closed in the hasp so it couldn't be used against them, but now he made sure it was securely on.

  Then he turned to look at them solemnly. “We need to get into town as fast as possible. Chauncey heard some news while looking for bike trailers for you guys, and it's a good thing he did . . . with our town's current defenses we wouldn't have had warning before it was too late. It still might be.”

  “For what?” Mr. Larson demanded. “What's going on, Son?”

  Matt took a deep breath, gripping his AR-15 over his shoulder as if to remind himself it was there. “Helper just got attacked, and by the sounds of it they're headed our way next.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Highway Robbery

  Chauncey had more information for them by the time they reached town hall, where dozens of men and women had already gathered, most of them armed. He was talking it over with the Mayor, Ben, and a few others when they arrived, and the group looked almost relieved when Matt joined them, inviting Trev and Lewis to come with him.

  “I've been talking to Donald up in Helper all winter,” the retired teacher finished saying to Tam as they approached. “If he says the entire town just got raided by 50 or so well armed men I'm inclined to believe him.”

  “Maybe you should tell the newcomers what's going on,” Catherine prompted.

  Matt nodded, glancing at his friends. “If you would. I told them what you told me over the radio, but that's all we know.”

  “Then you know most of it,” Chauncey said, reaching back as if to reassure himself that his shotgun was still hanging from his shoulder. “A half a dozen trucks rolled into Helper looking like a FETF relief convoy. Only when the town welcomed them with open arms and let them drive right into the center of the place over 50 men poured out the backs. The townspeople were caught with their pants down and most of the people who could've defended against the attack were disarmed at gunpoint. After that the group of bandits stripped Helper of anything valuable, although thankfully they just kept their villainy to theft.”

  Something in Chauncey's expression hinted at more, something personal, and Matt felt a sinking in his gut. “I've got the feeling you're going to tell me we know the person leading this group.”

  “You'd be right.” Chauncey glared north towards the nearby town. “It was Ferris, and Turner's with him. Looks like they're not on the side of justice and order anymore.”

  Even though he wasn't exactly surprised the news still hit Matt like a punch in the gut. He had as much reason as anyone to hate the administrator who'd stripped Aspen Hill bare and then left them to rot, but he still wasn't quite sure a man could take such a drastic turn over the course of a few months. Even through a winter like the one they'd just had.

  Trev shook his head. “I suppose we should've seen those two headed down a dark road after what they did in Aspen Hill. From what I hear, not to mention my own personal experience, Ferris's management was only a step above highway robbery at the best of times. And Turner went along with everything he did just about right from the start.”

  Chauncey shrugged, patting his shotgun again. “Well however they ended up criminals that's where they are, and soon they'll be bringing what they've become back to our town. Donald said the convoy's getting ready to roll out, and since they came from the north that means they're heading our way. But at the very least Ferris won't know about the radio so he'll probably try the same trick of pretending to be a relief convoy to get past our defenses. That might give us a chance to catch him by surprise instead.”

  “What about Carbonville and Price?” Lewis asked. “Have they been warned in case Ferris decides we don't have anything to steal and just passes us by?”

  The retired teacher nodded. “Price and Helper were talking when I butted into the conversation. They're going to send warning up to Carbonville, along with whatever help they can spare.”

  “But no help for us,” Catherine said with a sigh. “We outnumber Ferris's men, but can we fight them off?”

  Chauncey hesitated, then shook his head. “I honestly don't know. According to my friend they've got real military vehicles and equipment, including a nasty looking .50 cal mounted on one of the trucks. Ferris and his men were already well armed with military issue weapons and crowd control measures last fall, and who knows what they've picked up since then. They've probably got grenades, and maybe even missile launchers or rocket-propelled grenades of some sort.”

  Matt felt a sinking in his gut. This was Razor and his men all over again, but even worse. Razor had caught them by surprise, but he'd been poorly equipped and most of the weapons had been in the storehouse when the people of Aspen Hill reclaimed it. Now the shoe would be on the other foot, and they might be lucky to get the same kind of ratio when it came to deaths that Razor's people had suffered.

  “We might not be able to win,” he said, “but the more important question is, do we try?”

  Uncomfortable looks were exchanged around the group. “Let's meet him at Roadblock 1,” Catherine finally suggested. “Maybe we can scare him away with a show of force. I'll gather up as many people as possible while you prepare our defenses.”

  Matt nodded as the Mayor hurried off with her husband. “Chauncey, organize men with radios to set up observation posts way out along the roads leading to Roadblocks 2 and 3, just in case Ferris doesn't take the direct route.” The older man nodded and hurried off, gathering a few men. Matt turned to the others. “I want everyone from our hunting parties and the patrols organized. The Mayor will get her show of force at the roadblock, but I also want snipers at every single concealed position within 100 yards.”

  “I like the sound of that,” Tam said, her husband nodding his agreement as well. “But what if Ferris punches right through the roadblock? That would leave most of our best people scattered and struggling to catch up while he tears through town blowing holes in things. It would be Razor and the storehouse all over again.”

  Matt grit his teeth. “We need to make sure any townspeople not involved in the fighting have been taken to a safe location and are well guarded. Tam, Carl, Ben, can you take care of that?”

  The three exchanged looks. “Easier said than done,” Ben finally replied. “Where did you have in mind?”

  That was a good question. Matt hadn't really considered what to do if they needed to evacuate the town. “Keep a radio and be ready to take them up Aspen Hill Canyon if things start looking bad,” he finally said. “See if you can find a way to block the road to keep any vehicles from following. And take some people with you who are good shots.”

  As the three set off to undertake the daunting task of securing Aspen Hill block by block to make sure each house had been evacuated, Matt turned to look at everyone who remained. “Lewis, can you take care of positioning the snipers? And Jane's still out on patrol, right?” Lewis nodded. “Good, have her and anyone still out there with her find good vantage points to watch the back roads into town. We need early warning of any sneak attack.”

  With Lewis's help Matt quickly assigned him most of the people in the crowd, then motioned for those who remained to come with him to Roadblock 1. As he hurried up the street Trev fell into step beside him. “Guess
I'm on roadblock duty again,” he said wryly.

  The situation was too tense for Matt to appreciate the attempt at humor. “Yeah, I need your strong back. Ready to do some heavy lifting?”

  * * * * *

  Over the next half hour more and more people trickled to the roadblock, sent there by Catherine as promised. She must've emptied the storehouse of weapons because just about everyone there was armed.

  As soon as people came Matt put them to work alongside those already busy shoving mass behind the cars positioned across the streets. The cinderblocks were something, but Matt could imagine one of those big FETF trucks putting their bumpers right to the other side of the roadblock and then shoving it all aside. He had people filling sacks with sand, piling rocks, gathering any heavy bits of junk close at hand, and even pushing more cars down the road on flat tires to push against the back of the pile of furniture along the sides of the road in case Ferris tried to break through there.

  Matt helped where he could, but mostly he trusted Trev to coordinate the effort while he stayed busy on the radio, getting progress reports from everyone he'd sent out.

  Given a week or even a day to prepare they probably could've thrown up barricades on all the side streets and back roads and organized better ambush spots. As it was Chauncey's dire warning of Ferris's convoy of raiders moving out of Helper had him expecting to hear engines roaring down the road towards them at any moment.

  The roadblock was looking much more solid when the Mayor arrived with half a dozen people, lugging wagons full of extra magazines and ammunition to hand out. “The storehouse is empty,” she said grimly. “Chauncey's been warning me for weeks that our supply of ammo isn't limitless, but it always seemed like there was still plenty. Let's hope this doesn't become an extended firefight.”