“Right now, we’re finishing up and covering our tracks.”
The sound of hundreds of fingers tapping keyboards was the only thing heard above the fan noise.
“By tomorrow, the plan should be taking hold” the first man said.
“First, the towers infect the mobile phones they encounter. Then the phones infect new towers they get in range of. After a mobile has infected two new towers, the worm destroys the software and it cannot be used again. In one week, most mobile phones will be useless, and the towers will then activate the final worm, destroying themselves. America will lose mobile phones as a means of communication.”
The second man nodded his head up and down a few times, almost in slow motion. “Good” was all he said.
The first man went on, “As soon as we’re finished here, we’ll pack up and head home to await our next mission.”
“No. We have orders already. The next mission will be more difficult and more devastating. They will be expecting it and it must not fail. Tomorrow we pack the trucks and go to Istanbul. Make sure the men are ready, captain.”
“Yes sir.” The first man didn’t show his disappointment, that would not have ended well. He was hoping to cool off at home and see his family. That would have to wait, they just started a war. America hasn’t figured it out yet, but they will.
They think terrorists are attacking, he thought to himself. In a way, they are. By the time they figure it out, it should be too late.
Lost
Thursday arrived and Jack would have to get to the meeting later. He was a little weary of leaving Diane alone again and thought about bringing her. Then he decided against it. It’s probably too soon to introduce her to the group.
Jack had continued to shore up the cottage and surroundings, enlisting Diane to help on occasion. He’d love to build a real chicken coop but didn’t have near enough supplies. He could have stored more wood in the shed, but then he’d need a bigger shed. Nothing else would fit!
I’ll talk to Paul Peterson about it. He’s the wood supplier, maybe he’s got some on hand he could spare, Jack thought.
Other than that, Jack decided he would be able to hold out for a year at the cottage. He still had buried treasure and would dig when needed. “Although, it’s much easier to dig now than it would be in the winter,” he muttered. Frozen ground is a bear to dig through and there will be snow covering everything in the winter. That was the one downfall of bugging out close to the mountain.
The pluses outweighed the cold, nevertheless. There is plenty of fresh meat in the woods and lots of cool, crisp, clean water nearby. He knows the hills and trails inside and outside the park, giving him a huge advantage over most people. He can hide and, if necessary, ambush. In times like this, every option is an option.
The time had come to quit thinking and start doing. He had to start his hike up to the meeting.
“Diane, I’m leaving now. If you take a walk today, be sure the take the dogs with you. And try not to confront anyone.”
He snickered, she gave him the middle finger.
“You may want to start reading that book about edible plants,” he reminded her, “I bought it in Ashford just for you. I’ve got another book you need to read, dealing with healing plants. That’s still in my bag.”
“Don’t worry about me, honey. Basha, Mercedes, and Glock will keep me company. To get to me, you must get by all three! I think I’m good. Have fun with your little gang.”
She was a little miffed at not being invited still and injected just a little passive aggressiveness. It did not go unnoticed.
***
Robin was busy texting her husband when her iPhone garbled the app and went blank.
“Damnit, this is not a good time to crash!” she exclaimed out loud.
In the past, she might have received a few quizzical looks from the strangers around her. Instead, a group of women held up her phones and one said, “Mine crashed 10 minutes ago and I can’t get it to work anymore.”
This isn’t good, Robin thought.
He was just about to tell her where they were meeting before their escape to the countryside. She needed her phone to come back on. She tried holding down the side power button and that failed. She tried the home button with the power button and that failed.
Now she was freaking out. She asked to borrow a phone from a man nearby and his wasn’t working either. “What the fuck is going on? I need help! Can someone let me use a phone to call my husband?” She was at a FEMA location in Graham, getting what food, water, and supplies she could gather for her family.
Finally, a woman handed her a phone saying, “Mine works, call him.” Robin thanked her profusely and dialed her husband. He answered immediately and said, “We’re on Pacific Avenue, heading…” and then the call dropped. She dialed again and she got no answer. The third time was not a charm. She thanked the woman again and got in her car and cried. She didn’t know what to do.
Her husband was at his boss’s house, gathering up more supplies. Her son was with him. She only knows he lives in Bonney Lake. The boss has property near Mt Rainier, but she doesn’t know where. She doesn’t have enough gas to get home and back to Mt Rainier and nobody is selling gas.
Her only hope, she thought, was to drive to the mountain and hope for the best. It’s a crappy plan, she knew. But she knew her husband couldn’t do both either. He was already on the way to the meetup location. She stopped in every town along the way, hoping she’d see him. It was another crappy plan that didn’t work.
Traffic was slowing down near Ashford. She thought maybe she should stay in Elbe. There were a few cars heading the other way and she figured they had the same idea. Confused, scared, and bewildered, Robin kept going. “Near Mt Rainier” could mean anything. Morton was near Mt Rainier but on a different road. She would have had to turn at Elbe and cross the Nisqually river to get there.
No, she thought, Ashford was the closest you could get to Mt Rainier and that’s where I’m going.
It was the best logic she could think of in her state of mind. When she finally made it to Ashford, it was mostly a parking lot. She knew she didn’t want to be a part of that, it didn’t feel safe to her.
She saw a side road and decided to explore it. Maybe she could find a place to hide out and get some rest. She drove for a little bit, not seeing anything she was looking for. She did notice there were more cars than she expected on a small-town road. Then her fuel warning light came on. She forgot about gas. She shouldn’t be driving without knowing where she’s going.
She pulled over and shut off the car, not knowing what to do again. She put her head in her hands and started to cry.
***
Jack made it to the meeting hall with plenty of time to spare. Again, Paul was there before him. Jack was always early, but Paul had a habit of showing him up.
“It’s better to be early than late,” Jack always said. “If you leave early, you don’t have to speed or get angry at other drivers.”
Of course, Jack was walking now but that didn’t change his attitude about tardiness.
Paul was in a good mood, all things considered. Jack decided to bring up his wood shortage and ask about getting enough to build a chicken coop. He wanted to build the coop 7 feet long by 4 feet wide, and 6 feet tall. His chickens would be dirt floor poor.
“I got plenty and would be happy to bring some by. Hell, I’ll even help you build it.”
“Well, with the two of us, we’d get it done in a snap.”
“You have knowledge of how to cut wood?”
“Limited. But, I know a little carpentry. And the coop doesn’t need to be fancy. Just as long as it won’t fall down around the chickens.”
“Aw, we can get that done, no problem.”
Jack accepted the help and thanked Paul heartily.
As more people started showing up, they moved inside, and Paul got set up with his laptop. Jack took his usual seat near the head of the table. He’s one of the origi
nal members so he felt he belonged there.
By 11:55 everyone was present, with no new faces. Jack was hoping others would have made it by now. It’s not looking good for the missing, he thought.
“Okay everyone” Paul began, “I’m glad we all made it back. Things are progressing, and not in a good way. The attack on Mexico had the desired effect, they stopped letting Americans in. Canada has not backed down so far.
Furthermore, we’re getting new reports of cell phones crashing and not recovering. It appears someone is taking out a communication source and we don’t know how yet.” “The only good news is maybe we can track the source” he continued.
Nikki immediately sat up.
“Yes but take it with a grain of salt,” she interrupted, “It’s a clue, not a positive ID. If these people can attack every major and minor city in America, they can hide a simple virus.”
“True,” Paul said. “We aren’t going to find the responsible party, or parties, in a day. We might not even find out in a month or more. This will take time and we’ll piece it all together. I trust everyone has linked up their modems and CB’s?”
A room full of confirmations answered his question.
“Good. We’re going to need them. It’s a blessing we still have electricity and running water. We should prepare for the worst and get our solar panels installed. I have no doubt they’ll attack our power grid soon. We can’t let it affect us.”
A few people chimed in and said they’ve already installed theirs. Jack was impressed, even he hadn’t got that far yet. “I need to quit slacking,” he mused. “Oh well, a dead body can slow things down. That’s what I’m going with.”
Paul began again, “Ok, let’s hear some reports. What has everyone been seeing and hearing?”
Jack stood up and began relating the incident with Diane, the crooks, and the boy she shot and killed. Jack didn’t want to call him a man and “little prick” seemed inappropriate at this time.
“So early?” Mark said, with surprise, “I didn’t expect this kind of behavior just yet.”
“Well to be fair, he was known to the ranger as a bad apple. He wasn’t the least bit surprised to see the guy’s face staring at him. So, while he probably used the event as a cover for his deeds, he may have had it planned already. His ideas with my girlfriend were an attempted crime of opportunity.”
Jack also mentioned the parking lot from Ashford to the park entrance, remarking that it was a time bomb waiting to explode.
Paul said “Well yes, that could be true. I’ll add that information to the report. Anyone else see or hear anything unusual?”
Brett chimed in saying he’s only seen a few groups of kids trying to start trouble. Nothing major, just bored kids.
“They may become trouble when they can no longer play video games,” he stated.
He also said he’s had conversations with a few of his contacts.
“The situation near the cities are deteriorating fast. FEMA camps are getting rowdy but are still a safe place to be. But people are starting to panic. All the available fuel in and near the cities is going to the military, police, and emergency crews. So, if people haven’t bugged out yet, it’s likely they’re stuck. People are wondering when martial law will be declared. From the reports I’m getting, that’s not far off.”
A few others chimed in with minor reports. Most of the looting had stopped by now as people either took everything or owners took up arms. Now it’s mostly petty theft by people who were unprepared to feed themselves in an emergency. Trusting the government to save you is only planning to fail. Jack loves his country, but knows you can’t rely on others, especially government.
“All right ladies and gentlemen,” Paul said “I think this is going to get worse before it gets better. Besides solar panels, we should all be thinking defense. Make sure your locations are safe from thieves and worse. Now may be the time to start packing heavier than a hand gun. Be proactive, not reactive. We need to stay ahead of everyone else if we’re going to survive whatever this is.”
He looked at his watch and nodded.
“We’ll meet again on Monday. Keep watch on your computers as things can always change before then. Most importantly, stay safe everyone.”
As they began putting the table and chairs away, Paul approached Jack about the chicken coop.
“Jack, I’ll be able to deliver the supplies you need on Saturday, what’s a good time for you?”
“I think 9am would be great, if you can make it that early. That would give us all day to knock her out.”
“Sounds good, 9am it is. Lunch is on you!”
“It will be my pleasure,” Jack chuckled, “Although, Diane will have to be the cook and that can go either way!”
Once again, everyone said their fare wells and started back to their respective “homes.” Devoid of gunshot echoes, Jack did walk back with Jason this time. They talked for the 10 minutes before their paths split. They traded hunting spots in the area and told a few stories.
Jack told of the time he was hunting the Murray tree farm in Morton. “I was hunting with a 12-gauge shotgun and sabot slugs. It was the last day of the season and getting towards noon. I’d pretty much given up and was looking for a place to sit and have a bite to eat. I saw a nice log with a patch of moss on top, it looked comfortable.”
“I had to descend a short but steep hill to get to it. My feet were sliding in pine needles at least 6 inches deep! I’d been walking the roads all morning, and this was the first time I’d ventured off them. I sat down and started taking in the view. It was a pretty part of the forest, untouched for decades. Thick moss covered a lot of the trees, both the standing trees and the ones that had fallen.”
“The underbrush was thick and there were no trails. The sun didn’t make it to the ground too often. After a few minutes of taking in the scenery, the birds started chirping again. They decided I wasn’t a danger to them. Then I heard the snap of a branch and it snapped me out of my sightseeing break. “
“I slowly turned my head toward the sound and didn’t move any other part of my body. About 40 yards away on an even sight line, a doe. Figures, right. Then another doe. It’s like they know I can’t touch them. But they hadn’t seen me yet.”
“Then a few seconds later, the buck appeared out of nowhere. He wasn’t very big, but it was the last day of the season – the late season. It was today or see-ya next year. I slowly stood up and faced the buck. As I was raising my Ithaca he raised his head. He saw me. Surprisingly, he didn’t run. He stood there giving me a full broadside shot at him.”
“I took my time with the shot, since he was giving it to me. I aimed for his neck. He was so small I didn’t want to ruin any of the meat available. I slowly squeezed the trigger and fired.” The kick with a slug is a son of a bitch. When I got my eyes back on target I didn’t see any deer. I scanned right, nothing. Left, there’s the two doe making a break for it. Where’s the buck? I never saw him fall and assumed he ran. I couldn’t believe I missed at 40 yards.”
“I walked up to his location at the time I fired and there he was, out like a light. Upon closer inspection, I’d hit him right on the spinal cord. He dropped like a rock. It was then I realized I had to drag him up the hill! Then I was thankful for his small stature. I fired two more shots, using bird shot, to signal my buddy Ralph.”
“Great job, Jack. Last day tags are always the most rewarding. I’ve had a few of those myself – and I’m the professional! You’ll be thankful for that experience one day, probably soon. If this crap lasts too much longer, there will be a fight for game and getting into the stick will be the only way to win.”
Jack nodded in agreement, “The result of that hunt is at the cottage in the form of pemmican. I think we’ll be needing it soon. I’m almost out of bacon. That was also the last time I hunted deer with a shotgun. I made the switch to bow after that.”
“Bows are a great choice and if things do get worse before getting better, you’ll be glad
for the experience and know-how. This is my turn, Jack. I’ll see you Monday. Stay safe.”
“Okay Jason, it was fun reminiscing. See you Monday.” With that Jack picked up his pace and headed home. “Home” still sounds odd when not referring to Steilacoom. He supposed he’d have to get used to it. This was in fact “home” for the foreseeable future.
***
Diane had indeed decided on another walk. She was absolutely taking the dogs this time too. Her plan was to stick to the road but not get near the main road, then turn back and see how she felt at the driveway.
Lessons learned, she thought.
Once again, she got ready right after Jack left. With clothes being only what they brought, she wore the same outfit as last time. She called Basha and Mercedes and they were off. She stopped to lock the door and make sure the shed was locked. She was tasked with collecting eggs today but would take care of it when she returned.
As she approached the end of the road, where it meets the main highway, she passed a black Toyota parked on the shoulder. Inside she could see a woman in her 30’s with her head in her hands. When she looked up, Diane could see the woman’s eyes were bloodshot and tears were running down her cheeks.
Oldest trick in the book, she thought as she passed.
She didn’t see anyone else in the car, just a bunch of food and clothes. In the past, she might stop and ask if she could help. Things changed after the last walk. She needs to be on her guard, so she doesn’t get taken by surprise.
Diane got as far as she wanted to go and turned around. As she approached the Toyota again, she couldn’t help feeling pity for the woman in the car.
“Has my heart hardened so fast?” she asked Mercedes.
Mercedes answered with a wag of her docked tail. Yes, it could be a trap, but nobody is sneaking up on me with the dogs here.
Aftermath of Disaster: Book 2 Diggin in Page 3