by A J Newman
Moving Forward
Newman County, Kentucky
It’s been a while since Geena died and I’m still recuperating from my shoulder wound. The bullet messed up some tendons and muscle in my left shoulder. Joan is already talking about therapy sessions and helping me get full use of my arm. Callie thinks her mom is trying to get back with me before Sally or Ally claim me.
“Dad, I’d love for mom and you to get back together, but don’t do anything until you finish grieving for Geena. I thought Sally was after uncle Mike.”
“Lynn has caught Mike’s attention. Don’t worry darling, I’m not the least bit interested in women at this time.”
She giggled and said, “You will. You’re a man and even I can see how those women flirt with you and mom’s the worst. I saw her sneak down the hall last night into your room.”
“Yes and I sent her away when she tried to crawl in bed with me. I’d be lying if I said I don’t like the attention, but I’m focused on getting better and killing the ones responsible for Geena’s death. Give me a couple of weeks and I’ll be as good as new.”
“What if they attack before then?”
“Aaron and Davi are staying until I’m back up to full strength and they have been keeping tabs on those punks. If they attack, we’ll kill all of them a little earlier.”
My little girl is growing up fast and will see her share of grief and sorrow in the future. I asked Davi to train her and make her into another lady warrior. I want her prepared for a future where she has to be able to defend herself and her family. There are many hard days ahead, but if we train and prepare we can also begin to have some good times along the way.
“Callie, help your old man get dressed. I’m going to the range and practice killing some bad guys.”
The End
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Thanks A J Newman
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Don’t stop now. Read a sneak peak of Book II
The Day America Died
Old Enemies
After the EMP
Book II
A J Newman
✪
Chapter 1
The Farm
Daviess County, Kentucky
I was sitting on the front porch in my sleeping pants and a t shirt when Aaron walked by, waived at me and then walked on to the barn without saying anything to me. It was only 9:00am and I already had three empty beer bottles lying beside my chair. That mead was some good shit and Ally was my hero. You have to appreciate a woman who could brew ale when the end of the world as we know it happened. I love beer. Hell it’s 5 0’clock somewhere as the song goes. I dozed off for a minute, but quickly woke back up when my mind was flooded with pictures of Geena lying dead on the kitchen table with a bullet in her chest. I shuddered, picked up an empty bottle and tried to get a drink. I just couldn’t shake off these thoughts of her being dead while I was still alive. Damn, I have to go to the barn and get more ale.
The world ended a few months back when the grid shut down along with all electronics and cars and trucks that depended on electronics. I was vacationing in Oregon when TSHTF and had to get back to Kentucky to find and protect my daughter. I walked for many miles before I borrowed a tractor and drove it over a thousand miles until we hooked up with Aaron and his family who had a couple of EMP proof jeeps. Did I mention that I helped save several people and rescued two beautiful women along the way? They both flirted with me for weeks before I fell in love with the Geena, but had to focus on getting home to my daughter. Just as things were settling down, she became mine and was killed a couple of days later. I haven’t been worth a shit since.
Aaron looked at Davi and his wife Sharon for a few minutes before he spoke up, “I know that you like these people, but remember that we are going on down to Alabama. The roads are more dangerous than ever and will get worse as people get more desperate. I promised to stay here until Zack recovered and he has had a month to heal his physical and mental wounds. All he does is sit on the porch drinking that ale and thinking about Geena. Well Geena is dead and he needs to get off his ass and start being a father to Callie and a leader to these people that have looked up to him for leadership.”
“Dad, I know, but Zack just lost the woman he loves and needs time to heal. He is a strong man and will recover. How many civilians could travel thousands of miles by foot and farm tractor to get home while rescuing people and fighting off killers and creeps.”
“Honey, our girl is right. Zack is fragile and needs time to heal.”
“Remember, the whole trip down here he droned on and on about finding his daughter and protecting her. Well the world has turned upside down and if Zack takes much more time those looters will over run this farm, kill him and his friends and take these women as sex slaves. Callie could end up being a biker’s bitch. He needs to stop drinking, get off his ass and man up. These people look up to him and he is the only one who can pull them together.”
I was heading out to the barn to get a couple of bottles of Ally’s homemade mead ale when I heard Aaron and his family talking around the corner. Damn, I heard every bit of what was said and got angry at Aaron and the world in general. I respected Aaron, but what right did he have talking that way about me? I loved Geena and had barely gotten to know her when those fucking looters had shot her dead and wounded me. Then I heard them go on about how I had to man up and quit drinking my life away. That hurt, but they were right. I looked down at my arm in the sling, removed the sling, flexed my hand and walked right in the middle of their conversation.
“Aaron, Sharon and Davi, I heard what you were saying and truthfully it pissed me off at first.” I waived Aaron off and continued, “I know that you are right. I’ve been a big baby and was trying to find comfort in the bottom of that ale bottle. Well I’m back and I need your help for a few days before you head south. I want to raid those looters before they raid us.”
Their jaws dropped, they were speechless then Davi hugged me and said, “Welcome back.”
“Davi, would you call everybody together in half an hour. I need to put some clothes on and bathe before I start leading this group.”
I caught my best friend, Mike Norman, and thanked him for helping pack my sorry ass for the last month.
“Zack, it’s what true friends do. I’m glad that you are back to yourself, but there’s nothing wrong with the grieving process. It helps you heal.”
“Thanks is all I can say.”
“I need to fill you in on some changes and additions to our group. We need to decide how big this group is going to get and who makes the decisions.”
“Oh shit!”
“Oh shit is not here, but it’s just around the corner if we don’t lay down the law quickly.”
“Let’s meet after the planning session.”
“What planning session?”
“The one we are having today.”
“Boy you don’t waste time getting back in the saddle.”
I quickly shaved for the first time in a week, got dressed in my favorite fire hose pants and a black t shirt. I strapped on my 1911 Colt 45, stuck my Ruger LCP .380 in my pocket and checked my belt to make sure that I still had four extra mags for the .45 and two for the .380. As I had requested, everyone, but Roger who was in the crow’s nest, was assembled around the front porch. I walked out of the house and smiled at everyone.
“Hello, I’m Zack Johnson and I’m back among the living. I’m not finished grieving over Geena, but these times suck and its time that I suck it up and get my ass back in gear.”
Mike and Joan started applauding while Callie ran up and hugged me.
I went on addressing the group, “I thank all of you for packing my sorry ass for a month, but I’m back at full strength and I want pay back. Those thugs are going to pay for raiding our farms and killing our people. Aaron, Mike, Lyn Roger Joan and Davi please be in the kitchen after lunch to plan our attack. Now everybody, get back to work. I’ve slack
ed off enough for all of you.”
***
The next day the Daviess County Sheriff sent several Deputies out to the farms east of Owensville to see if they could band together and help fight a gang of looters that were working their way to Owensville.
“Frank, take Chuck with you and head out to Zack Johnson’s place. We need Zack to step up and organize the farmers on that end of the county to fight off these looters before they get to town.”
“I don’t think that he has recovered from the attack that killed his girlfriend and wounded him. I hear that he hasn’t been worth a shit since the attack.”
“What about Mike Norman. I don’t know him as well as Zack, but I hear he is a fairly strong guy.”
“Yeah, I know Mike and will talk with him as well as Zack.”
The Deputies drove over to Zack’s place in an old 1950s Chevy truck. Old trucks and some ATVs were all anyone could get running since the EMP attack on North America. They stopped at the edge of the farm, got out of the truck, waived at the guard on top of the barn and then drove down the driveway to the house.
“Zack, you’re looking good and I see your arm is back in service.”
“Yep, I’ve moped around way too long and I’m ready to kick some ass.”
“That’s great and exactly what the Sheriff sent us over here for. He wants you to take the lead in eastern Daviess county in our fight against this large group of looters.”
“We just put a plan together and plan to wipe them out as soon as we can get a few of the local farmers to join us.”
“You said wipe them out. We don’t want a massacre. The Sheriff knows that some will be killed in the fight, but expects you to bring the survivors in to be tried.”
Aaron spoke up, “So you want to try them, put them in jail and have to feed them for ten years?”
“We plan to make them work on local farms to earn their keep. This will help all of us by allowing us to farm more land.”
“And you will have to have many guards to watch over them. Some will escape and kill more people. Tell your Sheriff that this is not a good idea. Looters must be shot on sight,” Aaron said.
I looked Chuck in the eye and said, “We shoot looters on sight and won’t bring any captives to you. Oh there may be some children and prisoners freed, but no looter will be brought back alive.”
“Look Zack, I personally agree with you, but we have a new group running the city and they don’t understand how dangerous it is outside of town. I’ll pass this on to the Sheriff. He won’t be happy. We can’t have vigilantes running around dispensing justice as they see fit.”
I replied, “I’m sorry that they feel that way. Owensville will be run over by these criminals if you practice what you just preached.”
Frank and Chuck continued on to update us on the looters. They are based in Ohio County, had raided all of the farms west over to Fordsville and south as far as Hartford. The Hartford folks put up a fierce fight and ran the looters away. There were losses on both sides and the looters didn’t know how close they came to taking the city. They took what they wanted and killed anyone who resisted. They were criminals, thugs and meth heads who hadn’t even thought about growing a garden or what would happen when winter came. They were running out of food and hardly anyone wanted to take meth in trade for food, ammo or women. They began raiding the farms on the west side of Owensville two weeks after they attacked Geena and me by the Natcher Highway just north of Hartford. They attacked a farm two farms east of my farm, killed the owners and kidnapped their 15 year old daughter. They were growing in strength and had even set up some snipers to harass the team manning the roadblock on Highway 54 at Thurston Dermont road.
I shook their hands and said, “Thanks for the update and assure the Sheriff that we don’t plan to shoot any innocent people, but anyone who is caught looting will be shot immediately.”
“We’ll pass that on.”
***
“Aaron, I know that you and your family are in a hurry to get on to Alabama, but could you help me for another two weeks. I need you to train my team some more before you leave.”
“We’ll stay and help with the training, but they are much further along than you think. While you were looking in the bottom of those ale bottles Davi and I have been conducting covering everything from hand to hand fighting to constructing IEDs. They aren’t ready for the Special Forces yet, however they can easily defeat any nonmilitary units and hold their own against regular Army soldiers. I hate to say it, but you need to watch your back with the people from Owensville. It looks like some bleeding heart liberals must be taking over. They will be pissed when you wipe out that gang. They will try and take your Humvees and those twin SAWs.”
“You’re right. I wasn’t paying attention. Thanks for taking care of us even though I was absent the last month. I agree about the new leaders in Owensville and will guard against their harming us. They can try to take our weapons, but it would be bad for them.”
“I have several gifts and a few surprises for you before we head south. Come into the barn and help me unload the trailer.”
I had forgotten about the trailer that we towed behind one of the Humvees when we left the NG Armory in Indiana. We had loaded it to over flowing with arms and ammunition.
“These KEL-TEC SUB 2000s are from my personal collection. They aren’t assault rifles, but are very compact when folded and can lay down a large volume of 9mm bullets with good accuracy out to a hundred yards. I have six of them for you and six Glock 17s. They both use the same magazines and 9mm ammunition. We liberated over 10,000 rounds of 9mm ammo and I’m leaving it with you.”
“Aaron, I’m speechless. Are you sure that you don’t need some of it?”
“Don’t worry, we just need enough to join up with our group in Alabama. I have more toys for you, but I’m going to ask that you escort us to just north of Nashville in exchange for the toys. This area is fairly safe compared to the unknown between here and Birmingham and we could use the firepower of the twin saws on your Humvee if the shit hits the fan.”
“You don’t have to bribe us; we would help you just because you and your family are our friends.”
“Great, we feel the same way. Now more presents. Here are six M4s, 10 - 9mm Berettas and two M4s with grenade launchers. I can spare 5 grenades, so use them as a last resort. Grab those cases on the left marked 5.56x45 Ammo 55gr M193 Ball. There’s 10,000 of them in that stack and grab that box behind them. It has 500 tracers. They will start a good fire or scare the hell out of some red neck meth heads. Now the last surprise. The metal box on your work bench has six fragmentation grenades. Use them wisely and don’t be near when they explode. These gifts should give you an edge on any known enemy in this area.”
“I can’t thank you enough. We can defend ourselves and hunt to help get through the first winter until we get a herd of cows and pigs. Thanks.”
“We will try to stay in contact by radio after we see what shape out group is in down there. I’ll try to bring you a long range radio and more supplies if we can spare them. I expect that we will have much more than we need.”
We then went to the firing range to try out the SUB 2000 and I must say that I was very impressed with the light weight and how compact it was. I can place it in my bug out bag and keep it with me when I leave the farm. The gun folded in half and fit in the back of my bug out bag along with two 17 and three 31 round magazines. I would give a SUB 2000 and a Glock to Joan, Callie, Lyn, Sally and Mike. The guns were light and didn’t have much recoil.
***
I took my small army to the range to give them their weapons and to have them practice before lunch. Aaron and Davi drove up in my pickup with the KEL-TECs and the Glocks in the bed. They handed one each to the group.
“Each of you will keep these as your personal weapons. Mike and I will carry the Glocks and keep the SUB 2000s in our bug out bags. We will have our bug out bags close by at all times. You will do the same. I want this group
ready to react, fight and kill anyone who threatens our team. You are our quick reaction squad.”
“Dad, are you trying to get a month’s worth of catching up in one day?”
“Punkin, you are correct. My conversation with the deputies and the attack that killed Geena have me focused on our survival. We need to decide who is on our team, who are friends and acknowledge that anyone not on our team or a friend is a potential threat.”
They all looked at each other and then bobbed their heads in agreement.
“Now Aaron will give us training on our new weapons.”
The training lasted until lunch and each one left the range proficient in marksmanship and maintenance of their new toys. Everyone liked the idea of the folding rifle that could be stowed in their back packs and that it fired the same 9mm as the Glock. Joan was a little miffed that I had given our daughter two guns.
“Zack, I know that we don’t see eye to eye on guns, but don’t you think that giving a sixteen year old two guns to be in her possession every day a bit extreme?”
“No.”
“Zack, a one word answer!”
“Joan, the world has changed. Callie is now 16 and is mature for her age. In the 1800s she would be an old married woman with three kids fighting off Indians in the old west. There are killers, thugs and rapists out there that would love to capture our daughter. I want her to become as good at protecting herself as Davi.”
“You just have the hots for that Israeli soldier.”
“She is hot, but I don’t have the hots for any woman now and that includes you. You can stop trying to slip into my bed every night.”