“He’s been married for twelve years, and has one boy and one girl,” Mary said.
“How old are the kids?”
“The boy is twelve and the girl is eleven.”
“That’s pretty young. I am not sure they can be of much help to us, and that’s four more mouths to feed.”
“Don, they can work in the garden and help cook and clean,” Kate said.
“So, how do I meet this guy?”
“We were going to meet him at the trail head the day after tomorrow and take him home in the ATV. It will save him two days of riding,” Bud admitted sheepishly.
“You agreed to that?” Don looked incredulous.
“We did.” Don looked at the other three, and they all nodded their agreement.
“Well,” he said slowly, “I guess we don’t have a choice.” He thought for a moment and then asked, “is there a set time or anything?”
“No, but he said he would wait for us, and that he would arrive in the afternoon the day after tomorrow.”
“Okay,” Don sighed. He was obviously not happy with the arrangement, but the group was united, and they did need more hands around the ranch. “I’ll leave first thing in the morning the day after tomorrow. I’ll wait for him until nightfall. If he’s not there, I’m coming home.”
“You’re not going alone?” Kate said, clearly worried.
“There is too much to do around here. Plus, the first job is to defend the ranch. That takes priority. If we lose this, we lose everything. So, don’t worry about me. I’ve spent years wandering around that forest and I know my way around it.” He wrapped an arm around his wife and gave her a reassuring hug.
“Don, they got shot at in that forest. Have you forgotten that?”
“No, but whoever did it is dead, so why would I worry about it?” He looked at Bud, who winced and looked away. “If you want to worry about something, worry about when we go to town. That’s the real danger, and you’re the one who wants to do it. So, let’s just drop this and get on with our work.” His voice carried a tone of finality, so Kate knew there was no point in arguing with him. Don was a person who rarely changed a decision. Once the course was set, the mission was the objective, no further discussion.
The group drifted off, each determined to accomplish as much as possible with the remainder of the day. Don began installing the motion sensors and cameras. Later he set up the computer equipment in the ops center, while Ed and Bud mounted new solar panels and wired the invertor so the power went directly from the panels to the batteries. Once those were fully charged, the power would flow directly into the electrical system until the batteries were needed to supplement the power needs of the ranch. The windmill generator would have to wait until tomorrow, so Bud ran the standby generator to top off the batteries and then shut it down. Mary and Ann picked vegetables from the garden and Kate prepared dinner.
After a dinner of baked chicken with gravy, mashed potatoes, asparagus, and salad, they took a few moments to congratulate Kate on her cooking, and then relaxed in their chairs at the dining room table, discussing the priority list. They finally agreed that ammunition, medicine, and the components for making a solar oven were the priorities. Although they had quite a bit of ammunition on hand, Don wanted a cushion in the event they ended up in a sustained battle.
As the group continued to chat, Kate recognized a newly found sense of contentment. They were justifiably proud of all they accomplished in one afternoon, and they were clearly tired, but reluctant to leave the companionship at the table. Kate went into the kitchen and pulled a bottle of red wine from the pantry. She returned with the bottle and glasses and poured a small amount of red wine in each glass. They toasted the successful completion of the journey to the ranch and the establishment of at least limited power and water. They knew the following days would be filled with more work, and the danger would increase as time passed. But, the fact that they were all together made those challenges seem surmountable.
Don cleared his throat and the table fell silent. Everyone looked at him, waiting for him to speak. “I made a mistake today when I said we shouldn’t go to town. Kate and I are going in tomorrow morning to see what we can get from the list.”
“I can go with you Don,” Ed offered.
“I know. But, we have to start thinking a little differently now. It used to be that we thought of ourselves as the shooters and risk-takers. The women were people we had to protect. That won’t work anymore. There aren’t enough of us to defend this place.”
“That’s a little bit of an overstatement,” Bud said.
“Maybe I’m just assuming you guys feel the same way I do.”
“I do,” Ed admitted.
Bud sighed and said, “there is a certain amount of truth to it.”
“So, I am not treating Kate the way I used to. If she is the right person for the job, then she does that job. When we go in tomorrow, I don’t want to attract any attention. If I were to bring either of you, people would wonder who all is staying at the ranch, and it may seem like a small thing, but this is a small town and most people think it’s only Kate and I here. I want to keep it that way.”
“That’s a good point,” Ed allowed. “Besides there is still some heavy work that needs to be done tomorrow, so it’s probably best we stay here. We don’t want the gals straining themselves.”
“Did you not listen to a word Don just said?” Ann asked, shaking her head in disgust. Ed looked back at her with a sheepish expression. “Honey, it may take some time for me to adjust. I spent my whole life worrying about you and trying to keep you safe. That isn’t going to change overnight.”
“It did for Don,” she parried. Ed rolled his eyes in frustration and fell silent. There were some arguments you just can’t win, and he recognized that this was one of them. He was going to have to make an effort to change his outlook.
“It’s time for bed. I am going to close the blackout curtains and we can use the kerosene lamps for the rest of the night,” Kate said. She yawned once, kissed Don’s cheek, and said goodnight to everyone. After closing the curtains, and before leaving the room, she added, “I am so happy we are all together. I have no idea what we would do without you.” A tear welled in her eye as she hugged each of them, and then disappeared into the bedroom.
“Are we setting a watch tonight?” Ed asked.
“No,” Don replied. “I have a cot set up in the ops center, and the monitors are all on battery backup for now. The batteries will last for forty-eight hours, so we are good to go until we get full electricity in the house.”
“I don’t mind at all. You’re going to town tomorrow, and you might want to be well rested.
“You guys don’t know the system yet, so it’s best that I do it tonight. Before we leave tomorrow, we’ll do some training.”
“Suit yourself.”
“I always do.”
After everyone went to bed, Don again checked the door and window locks, set the AR next to the cot, and fell asleep.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Don rose early the following morning and was sipping his coffee on the porch when Kate emerged from the house, hugged him from behind, and whispered, “I missed you last night.”
“Me too,” he replied. “Can’t remember the last time I slept alone.”
“So what time are we leaving for town?”
“As soon as everybody gets up and we have breakfast.”
“We could just wake them up.”
“Naw, they’ve had a tough couple of days. Let them sleep in. I don’t think it matters what time we get there. We’re just doing a quick in and out.” Kate hugged him again and went inside to get coffee. By the time she finished her first cup, the rest of the group had assembled in the kitchen and were making bacon and eggs. It was Ann’s turn to cook, so she stood over the stove while the rest stared hungrily at the skillet. After breakfast was finished, Don announced that he and Kate were leaving for town and showed them how to adjust the camera angles
and focus the cameras. He then showed them how to deactivate the sensor alarms and pointed out the status lights for all the equipment. The latter was important, as a flashing light indicated a sensor or camera was malfunctioning. Finally, he asked Bud to develop a watch list so the station remained monitored throughout the day.
“You ready, hon?” He asked Kate.
“Let me get some spare magazines for the AR and the cash we have. Give me a few minutes.”
“I’ll get the ATV and meet you in the driveway.” He went to the barn, fired up the ATV, and waited for Kate. His AR was between the seats, muzzle down. Kate appeared and placed her AR next to his. They both wore tactical vests with three spare magazines each for the Glocks and ARs.
“You know I don’t like you coming along,” Don said.
“You said it yourself last night. This is a new world. We all are going to have to do things we don’t like. That’s just the way it is.”
“Doesn’t mean I have to like it.”
“Relax. Everything is going to be fine. I can’t stay at the ranch for the rest of my life. That’s not even living. I’d rather take my chances with you than spend the next five years staring at the walls, waiting for you to come home.”
They drove down the dirt driveway that lead to the house, turned left on the gravel road that led to the highway, and turned onto Williamson Valley Road. The road was littered with stalled vehicles, some with doors left open, so they moved slowly through the congested intersections, and more quickly on the open road. They saw no one for the first two miles, and then began seeing the occasional ATV, mostly fully loaded, heading away from town. One driver waved a greeting at them as they passed. Don waved back.
“Friendly guy,” Don said.
“Maybe you were being a little more pessimistic than you should.”
“Remember Mr. Murphy. He may be taking a break right now, but he will be back on the job before too long.”
“You notice we aren’t seeing people walking like we did when this first happened?”
“I guess they all made it home by now,” Don speculated.
“It sure looks safe here.”
“Let’s see what town looks like before we say that.” They continued until they reached the corner of Willow Creek Rd, turned right, and stopped in front of Mike’s Ammo Supply.
“Why are we stopping here?”
“We’re going to avoid the big box stores for now. I’m sure that’s where everyone is going to gather for supplies, and sooner or later, something bad is going to happen. So, we’re going to try to get what we need from smaller retailers. Also, I know Mike from a tactical shooting course I took. I’m pretty sure he’s also a prepper, and I am pretty sure he has a large stash of ammo, aside from what he has to sell at the store. Just wait here for a second, but be ready to pull out the AR if anyone approaches. I won’t be out of your sight, so yell if you see any one.”
“Okay.”
Don got out of the ATV, walked to the entrance, and tried to open it. It was locked, so he banged a fist on the door; seconds later, Mike appeared with a riot gun in hand. He opened the door and motioned Don in. “My wife is in the ATV outside, can we talk in the doorway?”
“Sure.”
“You know about the EMP?” Don asked.
“I heard the radio address, and yes it finally happened.” He shook his head sadly. Mike was a large man, with a prominent belly and shoulder-length hair. He appeared the epitome of what most people think a prepper would look like.
“Mike, I don’t want to seem rude, but I’m in a hurry. I don’t want to hang around town longer than I have to. Can you sell me some ammo?”
“What do you need?”
“We need .308, .223, and .9 for the Glocks.”
“How much you need?”
“What can you spare?”
Mike thought it over for a bit, and then said, “I can part with a thousand rounds of the .308, maybe two thousand of the .223, and a thousand for the .9. That’s the best I can do for now.”
“How much?”
“Let’s call it two thousand. That’s a fair price. The .308 is around a thousand by itself, even during normal times.”
“I’ll take it.” Don counted out twenty one hundred dollar bills and placed them in Mike’s open hand. Mike went back into the store, after locking the door again, and returned in five minutes with a box loaded with the ammunition.
“Have you been downtown?” Mike asked
“No, why?”
“I’ve been closed here since this started, so I have no idea what is going on. But, there is quite a bit of gunfire at night, so I’ve been living in the store to protect what I have. I have a stash of MREs and bottled water. We had some looters try to break in last night, but I fired two rounds from this baby into the ceiling and they left.” He patted the riot gun affectionately as he spoke.
“I’m getting out of town as soon as I can. Two more stops to make, both on this side of town, and I’m heading home. When this settles down, come on out to the ranch for some dinner.”
“You mean if this settles down.”
“I guess you’re right,” Don replied. “Thanks again, and stay frosty my friend.” They shook hands and Mike disappeared back into the store. Don loaded the ATV and they left to make their next stop. There were several groups of people gathered in front of stores and on street corners, but the trip was uneventful in that they encountered no problems. A few minutes later, they parked in the Ace Hardware parking lot. Three other ATVs sat parked in the lot as well, and an armed employee stood by the entrance with a shotgun in his hands.
“Wait here,” Don said.
“Cash only,” the guard said in a bored voice as Don approached the store.
“I know,” Don replied, moving by him. He entered the store, where he purchased two pieces of sheet metal for constructing the oven. They departed hastily, after Don first said goodbye to the owner, who was a passing acquaintance.
“Let’s try the Walgreens. I have no idea what I can say to get them to give us prescription drugs, but I guess we can try,” Don said.
“We may as well. It’s only two blocks away.” They pulled into the parking lot and noted there were many people standing in line by the entrance, and a police officer stood guard in front of the store. Don got out of the vehicle and walked over to an elderly gentleman who stood near the back of the line.
“What’s going on?” Don asked.
“The policeman won’t let you in without showing your prescription,” he replied. “They’re afraid drug addicts will steal all the drugs.”
“Thanks.” Don walked back to the ATV and explained the situation to Kate.
“We may as well go,” she said. “There is no way they are going to sell you anything with that policeman there.”
Don started to reply when a single gunshot splintered the air. He turned to see the police officer go down hard, and then several young men broke from the crowd and ran through the entrance of the store. Two of them carried handguns and turned to cover the crowd from the doorway. Don grabbed Kate and lifted her out of the ATV, then grabbed the ARs and said, “give me covering fire on the door.” He leveled his rifle and fired four times, sending the two men reeling back away from the entrance. “Keep a steady stream of fire on the door,” he said as he laid the AR against the vehicle. Drawing his Glock, he fired twice more at the entrance, ran to the downed officer, and put him in a fireman’s carry. When Ann again began firing, he lumbered back to the cover side of the ATV and gently placed the officer on the ground. He still had a pulse, but was bleeding badly from a chest wound. Ann ducked down to change magazines and again peppered the doorway with bullets.
“Get in the back of the ATV,” Don yelled. “Hold your hand over the wound.” Don emptied the rest of his magazine at the doorway, picked the officer up, and set him across Ann’s lap, who was now in the back of the ATV. He got in the driver’s seat and sped off while Ann continued to provide cover from the rear of the v
ehicle.
“We have to get him to the hospital,” Ann yelled. “I can’t stop the bleeding.”
“Hold on. This is about to get hairy.”
The ATV screeched around the corner, now traveling south. The hospital was only eight blocks away, but the constant weaving in and out of stalled vehicles slowed their progress considerably.
“Can’t we go any faster?” Ann yelled from the back seat.
“Doing the best I can,” Don replied tersely. The officer moaned and tried to sit up in the seat, apparently regaining consciousness. But Ann pushed him down and continued to try to staunch the bleeding wound with her hand.
“What happened?” He asked in a raspy voice.
“You’ve been shot,” Anne replied. “But, don’t worry; we’re on the way to the hospital now.”
“Where was I shot?”
“In the chest.”
“No, I mean where was I when I was shot?”
“At the Walgreens.” A glimmer of memory passed over his ashen face, and he lapsed back into unconsciousness.
The ATV roared around the last corner on the route and Don guided it to a stop after first rounding the back of the hospital where the emergency room entrance stood open, with a police officer to one side. “Officer down,” Don yelled.
The officer ran to the ATV and looked down at his wounded comrade, then ran back inside and emerged with a gurney in tow. “My God, Norm! What happened?” He asked Don as they loaded the wounded man on the gurney. Kate sat in the ATV, slowly sobbing.
“He was shot outside the Walgreens,” Don replied. “Bunch of gang-bangers took over the place.”
“Wait here,” the officer ordered. “I’ll be right back. A nurse emerged from the entrance, and together they pushed the gurney into the ER. A few minutes later, he came out and approached Don with a grim look. “He’s in surgery now,” he said. “Doc doesn’t know if he will make it or not.”
“Friend of yours?” Don asked.
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