October 31st
“Good, what kind of numbers are we looking at?” Lieutenant Colonel Burkhart asked.
“According to data, we have just over two thousand men who fall in that age range who aren’t also in critical trades. Of those, one hundred and seventeen are considered in excellent physical condition, two hundred and thirty-one are in above average condition, five hundred and ninety-two are in fair condition and the remainder are in poor or unfit condition. Of course, for many of those individuals, that was when they arrived, and may not necessarily still be the case, especially for those who have been in the TRQ for a long time. Typically, those considered fit for military service range from sixteen to forty-nine, but for these new infantry units, we’ve amended it to eighteen to thirty-nine. Given the physical hardships these troops will endure, anyone over thirty-nine will likely be too unfit for the type of combat we are expecting, so they and will go into the support units after training,” Major Forbes said.
“That’s not bad. Draft all the excellent and as many of the above average condition men needed to flesh out the first training company. The rest of the battalion will be the lower end of the spectrum. I don’t think many of the fair and poor condition are going to make it, but let’s make sure we fit in as many as possible so that when they wash out of training, they won’t be marshmallows for round two.”
“Yes sir,” Major Forbes replied.
“I also want the thousand or so in poor and unfit condition transferred to roles requiring physical work, assuming they are not already doing them. The more physical the better,” Lieutenant Colonel Burkhart added.
“What about medical exceptions?”
“We can honour the most serious for now, but the rest are shit out of luck. If retaking the city becomes the meat grinder we expect it to be, all bets are off. Dismissed,” Lieutenant Colonel Burkhart said.
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Xander woke up sometime mid-afternoon. He had gone for breakfast before going to sleep, but his stomach was growling because the oatmeal and toast had been digested long ago. He dug around in his backpack and pulled out a granola bar from last night. He munched it and then went to find a place to take a piss.
According to the map, there was a communal bathroom a few rows down. He walked over and found an outhouse with a line in front of it.
Hardly a bathroom, he thought. Why not just call it an outhouse?
He got in and despite the atrocious odor, did his business then left. He washed his hands in a basin nearby which only dispensed ice cold water. He stuck his hands in his pocket to try and warm them up and walked back to the tent.
Now what? He mused. Guess I’ll go try and find Evelyn again.
He walked over to her tent and found her playing cards at a table nearby.
“Xander!” She squealed as he ran towards him.
“Where did you go!” She said as she saw his black eye and scrapes on his cheek. “Oh my god! What happened?”
“A couple scumbags wanted to see what I had in my backpack. Don’t worry, Gary and I showed them where the bear shit in the buckwheat.” Xander grinned. Memories of Uncle Dan flooded back into his mind, it had been another saying he had been fond of. Xander’s parents had never condoned swearing and were mortified when he blurted it out once in public.
“Yeah, you’re pretty good at taking care of yourself. Where did you go last night? I went to your tent and they said you were gone.” Evelyn said as she playfully hit him, “I was so worried!”
“Yeah, sorry about that. After the fight, they moved me to Diane’s tent. On our way to supper, we dropped by to pick you up, but you were already gone. After we ate, I tried looking for you again, but couldn’t find you, so I dropped by the warehouse to see what I was going to be doing and they asked me to work. When I was finished, I was dead beat, so I went straight to bed and just woke up half an hour ago.”
“Oh, my big strong man kept looking for me. You’re so sweet!”
“How about you? What did you do yesterday?” Xander asked.
“We sat around, played cards, chatted and had a great time. The girls in my tent are great! It’s like a sleep over in high school!”
“Hey that’s awesome. Do you want to explore the base?” Xander asked.
“Actually, I want to explore my big handsome man, if you get what I mean!” Evelyn smiled.
They wandered over to the conjugal visit building and found that the waiting list was two days long.
“My god!” They said in unison. Resignedly, they added their names to the list and left.
“I’ve got an idea, come with me!” Xander said.
They headed back to his tent and found it empty, everyone either at work or wandering the base.
“I don’t know how long we’ve got, but we probably have time for a quickie!” Xander said.
Evelyn grinned and they began to frantically tear each other’s clothes off. Xander had gotten his shirt off and Evelyn was pulling her sweater over her head when the tent flaps opened. They quickly re-dressed themselves as Diane walked in.
“Am I catching you two at a bad time?” She asked.
“A very bad time!” Xander scowled.
“Well, keep it in your pants, Jared will be back here any minute with his Dad,” Diane said.
Xander sighed and Evelyn frowned.
“Why don’t you two use one of the ‘special visit’ trailers?” Diane asked.
“Have you seen how long the waiting list is?” Xander shot back.
“No, but too bad. There is an impressionable teen living here, so keep it in your pants or get the hell out of here. He doesn’t need to get eyeful of you or your girlfriend.”
“Oh please, stop being a prude. Jared is what, twelve, thirteen? He’s probably seen more porn online than you or I ever did at his age,” Xander shot back.
“Actually, he just turned eleven and I doubt it. We made sure the parental controls on all our devices and computers was set to the highest level,” Diane replied.
“Talk about living in a dreamland! I guarantee you he’s seen x-rated stuff by now,” Xander said.
Diane huffed, “Either way, he doesn’t need to see a live show just yet. Please Xander?”
Xander sighed and said through clenched teeth, “Okay.”
“Let’s go,” Xander said to Evelyn.
They left just as Jared and Donald returned.
“Where you off to Uncle Xander?”
“Just going to look around,” Xander replied.
“There is one other place I can think of, if you don’t mind it cramped a bit,” Xander said.
“I don’t care where we do it, we just need to do it right away!” Evelyn said.
“Give me a minute,” Xander said as he raced back to the tent. He reemerged with a sleeping bag. “Come on!”
They walked quickly back to his Pathfinder, where Xander opened the back door and folded down the seats, then spread out the sleeping bag. From the outside, the tinted rear windows obscured most of the back of the vehicle.
“It’s not the Ritz, but I think it’ll do,” Xander grinned.
“Yes, yes it will!”
They climbed inside and tore each other’s clothes then into each other.
The pent up frustration and desire made round one a very short one, for both of them.
“Don’t worry, baby, I’ve still got lots of fuel in the tank!” Xander shouted.
Rounds two and three were just as passionate, but took longer. The passion was so deep that neither one noticed the growing crowd outside cheering them on.
Eventually Evelyn noticed the faces peering in and screamed. Xander looked over his shoulder and mumbled, “Who gives a fuck?” and went back to business.
“If the van’s a rocking, don’t come a knocking!” An old guy outside shouted to hoots and hollers from the other men enjoying the action.
They were forced to stop a few minutes later when the people outside got really raucous and began pounding on the windows. X
ander hurriedly threw on pants and climbed into the front seat and fired up the Pathfinder. He drove off while Evelyn hide under the sleeping bag and tried to get dressed.
“You bastard!” Evelyn said shocked. “How many people saw us?”
“Do you really care? I know I sure as hell don’t!”
“No not, really,” Evelyn laughed as she joined Xander in the front seat. “At best, they saw our outlines and probably not much more.”
“Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Looks like I’ll have to find a new place to park though!” Xander chuckled.
“It was worth it,” Evelyn said, putting her head on his arm. “Next time, though, we’ll have to find a better place.”
“Yeah,” Xander said. “Let’s go see if we can find some food, I’m starving!”
Chapter 11
October 31st
Xander spent most of the afternoon with Evelyn and together they went to the Refugee Services tent and tried to get her transferred to his tent, claiming she was his common-law wife. After Lieutenant Harper did some checking, he called Xander on it.
“You’re not the first person to try that scam. But I don’t blame you for trying though,” Lieutenant Harper said, staring Evelyn up and down. “Anything else I can do?”
“I guess not,” Xander said.
“Did you see him eyeing me like a piece of meat?” Evelyn said after they left.
“Almost every guy on this base has been doing the exact same thing all day long,” Xander replied. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you enjoyed all the attention.”
“Does that make it okay?”
“Of course not, I was just pointing it out to you, because you seemed oblivious to it,” Xander replied.
Evelyn huffed. “What are you going to tell me to dress in baggy clothes or something?”
“Well, it wouldn’t hurt,” Xander said. “There are way too many horny guys on this base…”
Evelyn fumed and was about to explode when he quickly said, “Hey, that was a joke. Of course you can wear whatever the hell you want. “
“You were this close to getting in a lot of shit mister,” Evelyn said, playfully hitting him.
“Do you really think I’m some sort of Cro-Magnon or something? I may not be a granola-munching, sandal-wearing hippie, but I’m not a ‘women are supposed to be barefoot and pregnant’ redneck asshole from the ‘50s either. Look, let’s go get some dinner and relax before I go to work,” Xander suggested.
“Do you really have to go to work?” Evelyn pouted.
“I suppose I don’t, but what else is there to do?”
“We could spend the evening together, I heard there is a movie in the base gym at seven o’clock. After that, maybe we can finish what we started this afternoon,” she said suggestively.
“Hmmm, sounds good,” Xander replied. “Let me check in with the boss.”
Xander drove to the warehouse and this time went through security with only a cursory check. He parked and ran inside quickly, returning a couple minutes later.
“Good news Honey, I don’t have to go in tonight,” he said. “He wanted me to, but we all have a two day grace period, so he said he couldn’t force me to.”
“Would he have tried?”
“I don’t think so, Bert seems like a pretty stand-up guy,” Xander said.
“Great! Let’s go get some supper and have some fun!”
Xander looked down at the gas gauge, noting it was sitting at just over half a tank, “Do you mind if we walk?”
“Do we have to?” Evelyn said, pouting slightly.
“I guess not.”
They drove and parked in front of the mess hall and went inside for supper. Xander shelled out ten bucks each for dinner and they got in line. It moved slowly because they were serving pizza tonight and some people were getting seconds.
Xander and Evelyn sat down and ate pizza, washing it down with some sort of punch. Xander ate the boiled, flavourless vegetables last.
“Do you want seconds?” Xander asked. “I’m still hungry…”
“No, I’m good, but go right ahead,” Evelyn said.
Xander got back in line and got two more pieces of pizza, shelling out another twenty dollars. Damned expensive pizza, especially for frozen crap, he thought.
When Xander got back, he noticed two men sitting with Evelyn, talking to her.
“Come on baby, you know you want it!” The tall, balding man said.
“I promise, we’ll show you a great time,” the short, stocky guy said suggestively.
“No thanks, I’ve got a boyfriend,” Evelyn replied coyly.
“Not for long honey, someone’s going to charm those pants off you anytime now,” Stocky said.
“Sure you do baby, sure you do,” said Baldy. Turning to his friend, he muttered, “She’s a probably a fucking lesbian!”
“Oh look, here he is now!” Evelyn said as Xander walked up. Evelyn ran up to Xander and stood behind him, shaking.
“What the fuck is going on here?” Xander growled.
The two looked at Xander and frowned.
“You better watch your piece of ass, buddy, or before you know it, she’ll be fucking half the guys here!” Baldy said.
Xander put down his plate and said, “I doubt it assholes, but even if she did, you two fucking losers would at the bottom of the list. Now fuck off before I break you in two!” Xander snarled.
Seeing Xander’s size and anger, Stocky and Baldy retreated, glaring at Xander and Evelyn.
“I get what Private Davis was talking about yesterday. This place is full of testosterone-filled assholes and scumbags,” Xander spat. “Sorry honey, I promise I won’t leave you alone like that again!”
“In a public place like this, it shouldn’t be a big deal!” Evelyn replied, a tear crawling down her cheek.
“Want some pizza,” Xander said, trying to change the subject.
“Sure,” Evelyn mumbled and half-heartedly ate part of a slice.
Xander and Evelyn finished their meal in silence.
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“Mr. President, the situation is critical. As you can see from the display, we’ve lost most of our major formations here in the lower forty-eight. Hawaii is holding on and Alaska is essentially untouched so far. As you’ll no doubt recall, we had begun to withdraw overseas troops wherever possible, but in many cases, it was a case of too many troops and vehicles and not enough aircraft. That’s one of the reasons why Hawaii has weathered the storm so well – it has thousands of extra troops from bases around Asia. Alaska hasn’t reported any cases of infection as of yet, but we expect refugees from Canada and/or the lower forty-eight will bring it soon enough. Most of our overseas bases have either been overrun and destroyed, or have stopped communicating with us. Honestly, we’re not sure what that means…” the officer trailed off.
“Instead of telling me what is gone, why don’t you tell me what is left,” the President of the United States of America replied, rubbing his eyes.
“Well, we’ve got troops here, a pair of mechanized infantry battalions and their supporting units. Call it five thousand or so troops, but not all of them are infantry or combat troops, nearly a third are in support roles. There are a handful of isolated airbases – like Minot AFB in North Dakota – that are completely untouched. However, while they have active military assets, they don’t have much in the way of manpower or assets. A number of Army bases, like Fort Bliss and Fort Drum, were located well away from major population centres, but large numbers of both Army and National Guard soldiers were ordered into cities to help contain the pandemic. Essentially every major base on either coast is gone. The Eastern seaboard is a slaughter house, with tens of millions infected. Most of our bases there were located fairly close to urban centres and were overrun by the end of September or first week of October. Those that weren’t overrun were stripped of troops and vehicles to set up initial quarantine zones in urban areas.”
“Southern California is a total wri
te-off. We’ve got the equivalent of a couple brigades worth of troops slowly withdrawing up the I-5 towards Fort Irwin. Those units comprise Marines from Camp Pendleton, Army Reservists from the 40th Division and a pair of Army battalions that were training at Fort Irwin when the pandemic hit. The problem there is that they are cut off. Infected are moving north from southern California and south from Las Vegas. The total number of infected closing on them is astronomical – about five million if estimates are correct. We’ve ordered them to break out to the north and turn Hawthorne Depot in west central Nevada into a secured zone, but they are protecting a large column of refugees and the commander is reluctant to do so. Even if they do break off, the road is narrow and will not easily facilitate the quick movement of their heavy equipment. Having them travel off-road will slow them and increase wear and tear on their vehicles. Plus there are the ten thousand or so refugees they are protecting, which will hamper them further. We’re giving them a fifty-fifty chance of survival if they fully disengage. All told, the Army is somewhere between seventy and eighty percent ineffective.”
Ineffective being an understatement, the President thought to himself. Dead and/or infected was more realistic.
“The Air Force was used extensively for air strikes on massed groups of infected and in many cases, were successful in eliminating large numbers of them. However, as many airbases were located closer to urban centres, quite a few were overrun relatively quickly. We pulled assets back to remote locations such as Minot, Elemendorf in Alaska, and Malmstrom in Montana, but the Air Force is down to about fifty percent strength and dealing with supply issues, both in armaments and fuel.”
“The bright spot is the Navy. The Joint Chiefs sortied most of the fleet when this thing first started, so we’ve got a major fleet on each coast to assist in whatever we plan on doing. We also recalled major fleet elements from around the world and many of them have begun to arrive. We estimate that around seventy-five percent of the Navy survived. Of course, without bases to operate from, their operational endurance will be severely curtailed. In the case of forces in the Pacific, base facilities in Hawaii are more than capable of supporting them, but are at the end of long supply chain. On the east coast, most naval forces are clustered in groups offshore of the major cities. The Joint Chiefs are planning on launching small raids to secure additional fuel and ammunition supplies from bases in San Diego and Norfolk. If successful, similar raids could also be launched on a number of Naval Air Stations scattered around the nation.”
Zombie Night In Canada (Book 2): 2nd Period Page 10