Bug Out! Texas Book 7: Flood of Patriots

by Robert Boren

  “We should,” Wallis said, “but meanwhile, I’d get your people out of harm’s way. We’ll provide some satellite equipment. That ought to insure that you’ll have at least some connectivity. You don’t need that much bandwidth to do social media recruiting.”

  “That’s probably going to upset a few people,” Amanda said. “Like my sister, but I’ll help to convince her. I was worried about leaving her here too.”

  “You didn’t say anything,” Curt said.

  “I didn’t say anything yet,” Amanda said.

  “Is I-40 going to be ready in time for us to use it?” Kate asked.

  “No,” Wallis said. “It’s a couple weeks away from being good for that, and we need you guys to head out sooner rather than later.”

  “Should we take the tanks?” Eric asked.

  “I would,” Gallagher said. “You could take out a lot of the bridges along the interstate with the main guns. How many rounds you have left?”

  “Not that many,” Curt said.

  “Okay, we’ll re-supply you guys before you leave the state. We’ll bring fuel too.”

  “Where?” Curt asked.

  “Just a sec,” Gallagher said. “Looking at the map.”

  “Better put a couple of alternatives out there,” Wallis said.

  “I know,” Gallagher said.

  “How soon do you guys think you could leave?” Wallis asked.

  “Tomorrow morning?” Jason asked.

  “Yeah, I agree with that,” Eric said.

  “Me too,” Curt said.

  “Okay, perfect,” Gallagher said. “We’ll try for Friona. If we can’t get there, it’ll be Bovina. Sound okay?”

  “Yeah, sounds okay,” Jason said. “We’ll have a meeting and tell the group what’s going on. Let me know if there’s a change in the situation.”

  “Will do,” Gallagher said. The call ended.

  “Well, there you have it,” Jason said. “I’ll go talk to Pat about a meeting.”

  “I’ll go with you if you can wait a few minutes,” Eric said. “Need to go take care of Paco before we launch into the day. It’s gonna be hectic.”

  “See you guys,” Amanda said, heading for the door. “I’m going to talk with Sydney and Don.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Curt said.

  “Good, I’ll spread the word with some of the others we’d planned to leave here,” Eric said.

  Everybody except Jason, Carrie, and Chelsea left the coach.

  “Alone again,” Carrie said. “Do you think this is good or bad?”

  “A little of both,” Jason said. “I still want to get you into town for a pre-natal checkup. Maybe before this meeting.”

  “No, let’s do the meeting early and go afterwards. Some will have a lot of prep to do which they weren’t planning for.”

  Jason zapped his coffee in the microwave and sat next to Carrie, looking weary already. Carrie smiled at him, reaching across the table to take his hand.

  “It’ll be okay,” she said. Jason nodded yes.

  Eric rapped on the door. “You ready to talk to Pat?”

  “Yeah, be right out,” Jason said. He kissed Carrie and Chelsea, then left the coach.

  Chapter 21 – Confession

  Richardson drove the crew-cab truck back onto the driveway, Roberto’s SUV following. Everybody piled out, carrying bags of clothes. The dogs stood up, tails wagging.

  “Looks like everything’s fine,” Richardson said, walking to the porch.

  “Yep,” Roberto said. “These dogs can be a pain, but I wouldn’t trade them for all the tea in China during times like these.”

  “Seriously, dude,” Juan Carlos said, stopping to pet one on the head.

  “Why do animals always like you?” Madison asked.

  “I don’t know,” he said. “I’m kind of a dog person. You gonna be okay with that?”

  “Yes,” Madison said. “You’re going to be on duty, and I’ll be alone. Having some dogs like this are a good idea.”

  Roberto chuckled. “I know where you can get some of these. New litter.”

  “Puppies?” Madison asked, her eyes lighting up.

  “Wait a minute, we need to settle down first,” Richardson said.

  “Oh, I know,” Madison said. “Won’t take that long, though.”

  “This breeder is really active. He’s got some good training available for owners too.”

  “Thanks, Roberto,” Juan Carlos said. “We might be back here to take advantage of that. This breeder obviously knows what he’s doing.”

  “It’s a she,” Kris said.

  “Oh,” Juan Carlos said. “Sorry. That’s cool.”

  “It is,” Madison said. “They got a web site or anything?”

  “Yes,” Kris said. “I’ll shoot you the address.”

  “When are we leaving, boss?” Brendan asked.

  “Tomorrow morning,” Richardson said. “We need to sit down and plan out the route.”

  “I’m going to go get into some clean clothes,” Hannah said.

  “Take showers if you want to,” Kris said. “Might not have another chance for a while.”

  “Yes, please do,” Roberto said.

  “That sounds heavenly,” Hannah said.

  “Yes,” Lita said. She glanced at Richardson. He walked over.

  “What?” he asked quietly.

  “I need to call my parents,” she said.

  “Why, because we’re going back to their area?”

  “They don’t know we’ve gotten married,” Lita said. “If things really settle down they’ll be back. I don’t want it to be a total shock.”

  “You think they’ll approve?”

  Lita chuckled. “Yeah, but I’ll get a reaction at first. They wanted me to marry a Spaniard.”

  Richardson laughed. “Yeah, I’m pretty white-bread. Hope they don’t mind.”

  “Dad’s old-fashioned, but I think mom will like you right away. Dad will after the first child comes along.”

  “And you know that how?”

  “My sister,” Lita said. “She married a Brit. Once she started popping them out, he was the proud grandpa.”

  “Really?” Richardson asked. “You didn’t tell me that. Where do they live?”

  “Near Bath, in England,” she said. “Hope everything is okay there.”

  “Well, it’s not right by London, at least.”

  “Let’s go sit in the truck, okay?”

  “Sure,” Richardson said. “Hey, guys, Lita and I are going to make a phone call in the truck. See you in a little while.”

  Brendan and Juan Carlos nodded as they walked away.

  “Do you have a good phone number for them?”

  “I hope so,” Lita said. “Been a while. They’ve probably been worried about me. You remember what happened to our phones.”

  Richardson nodded. “That seems like so long ago.”

  “It does,” she said, waiting by the passenger door as Richardson opened it for her. She climbed in, and he got in on the driver’s side.

  “Well, here goes nothing,” she said, dialing the number. “Never put it in as a contact.”

  It rang twice and clicked.

  “Hello,” said a woman with a Spanish accent.

  “Mom?” Lita said, eyes tearing up.

  “Baby!” she said. “Oh, thank God. Where have you been? We’ve been so worried.”

  “It’s been crazy,” Lita said, wiping her eyes. “There’s so much to tell you.”

  “Are you safe, honey?”

  “Yes, I’m safe. Probably shouldn’t tell you exactly where we are. The enemy has been tracking cell phones.”

  “Who’s we?” she asked. “You still hanging around with that DPS person? Richardson, right?”

  “Yes,” Lita said. She flashed a scared look at Richardson. He nodded, trying to help her confidence.

  “You need to settle down someplace safe.”

  “I’m married, mom,” she said.

  “Mar
ried? To this Richardson man?”

  “Yes, mom,” Lita said. “We’re so much in love.”

  She sighed. “Okay. I saw that coming.”

  “You did?” Lita asked.

  Her mom chuckled. “The way your eyes looked when you talked about him told me all I needed to know.”

  “Is dad going to be crazy over it?”

  “Don’t worry about your father. He’ll be so glad to know you’re okay. He’s been worried sick. Even had some people looking for you.”

  “Really?” Lita asked.

  “Yes,” she said. “You aren’t pregnant yet, I hope?”

  “No, mom,” Lita said. “I’m not avoiding it, though.”

  “Even with the war going on?”

  “Yes,” she said. “We’re heading home.”

  There was silence on the line for a moment. “You sure that’s safe, honey?”

  “The area is a lot better than it was,” Lita said. “Richardson got promoted. He’s going to be running a big part of the operation there.”

  “Is he a good provider?”

  “I think so,” Lita said. “You’ll like him. Is dad around?”

  “He went into town. We’re in …”

  “Stop, don’t say it over the phone,” Lita said. “Just in case. They can’t track my phone anymore, but they might still have access to yours.”

  “Oh,” she said. “There’s a place we have there. Might be someplace you could stay for a while. You know where I mean.”

  Lita’s eyes got wide. “Dad sold that, didn’t he?”

  “No, honey, he just told you he did. It was going to be a surprise for you girls.”

  “What’s going on with Cynthia? She still in England?”

  “Yes, and doing well. Marie is doing well too. She’s not far from where we are now.”

  “Good,” Lita said. “You can call me on this number.”

  “I’ll probably call back after I’ve talked to your father,” she said. “What have you been doing? Why didn’t you call before?”

  “Honestly, this is the first rest we’ve had in a while,” Lita said. “You know what happened in San Antonio, right?”

  There was silence on the line. “You were in the middle of that?”

  “Yes, mom,” Lita said. “You know the DPS boats that were down there?”

  There was silence on the line again. “Your man is a hero, isn’t he?”

  “Well, him and the others,” Lita said.

  “What others?”

  “Madison’s husband and Hannah’s husband.”

  “They’re still okay? Thank God, I’d feared the worst. That apartment complex they were living in got leveled. A lot of people died.”

  “They’ve been with us the whole time.”

  “And they’re married?”

  “Yes, mom,” Lita said. “Long story. They married Richardson’s men.”

  “Well, that’s good. Your father watched the video of the boats. Said he wants to shake the hands of the men who did that.”

  Lita and her mom chuckled. “He’ll get to do that,” Lita said.

  Some dogs started barking. “I think my neighbor’s here. Gotta go. I’ll call you back after I’ve talked to your father. Be careful.”

  “Okay, mom. Love you.”

  “Love you too, honey.”

  Lita ended the call.

  “Well, that didn’t go too badly,” Richardson said.

  “No, surprisingly,” Lita said.

  “You don’t know where they are, do you?”

  “I have an idea,” Lita said. “They’re probably in Oregon. They have a place there.”

  “Along the coast?”

  “No, in Bend. It’s probably a good place to be. Off the beaten path. Too cold for my dad, though. He’s probably tired of being there.”

  “Then why do they have a place there?” Richardson asked.

  “It was from my mom’s side of the family. He likes to fish and drink, though, so it didn’t take much arm-twisting to get him there.”

  “Drink?”

  “He’s a craft-beer fanatic, and so are most of the people who live in Bend,” she said. “You’ll get along just fine with him after the initial shock.”

  “We should get inside,” Richardson said. “We need to get our showers and plan the trip.”

  “I know,” Lita said. “Thanks for being with me for the call.”

  “Of course,” he said. “No problem, but I think you did just fine.”

  “I’m so proud of being married to you,” Lita said. “That helps.”

  They left the truck and headed into the house, past the dogs who quietly kept watch.

  Madison came into the living room, wrapped in a white towel, her hair still wet. “That was nice. Juan Carlos is in there now.”

  “I got dibs after that,” Hannah said. “What were you guys doing?”

  “Talking to my mom,” Lita said.

  “How did that go?” Madison asked.

  “Better than I expected,” Lita said. “Only got to talk to my mom, though. Dad will be harder.”

  “Are your parents safe?” Hannah asked.

  “So far,” Lita said. “I wouldn’t let her tell me where they were over the phone.”

  “I thought our phones were safe.”

  “Ours are safe, but I don’t know if theirs are or not,” Lita said. “Remember that I talked to them before they left. I have no idea if my phone was compromised then. It could’ve been.”

  “I doubt it,” Richardson said, “but better safe than sorry.”

  “Nice shower,” Juan Carlos said, walking out, buttoning his shirt. “I feel human again.”

  “Me too,” Madison said.

  “Do we know which way we’re going?” he asked.

  “I’ve been looking at my phone,” Hannah said. “The biggest of the roads goes through San Antonio.”

  “No way,” Madison said.

  Richardson chuckled. “I think that area is pretty well settled down now.”

  Lita snickered. “Isn’t that what we thought when we were entering that city?”

  Juan Carlos laughed. “She’s got a point, boss.”

  “Okay, okay, what’s the other way?” Richardson asked.

  “South on Highway 123,” Hannah said. “Eventually catching I-69E. By the time you get down there, both routes are the same.”

  “Hmmm,” Richardson said. “Let me see.”

  Hannah handed over her phone. He looked closely.

  “Well, there aren’t any big towns on this route,” Richardson said. “That’s probably good. If we want a more remote road we could cross over to Highway 281 here.”

  “True,” Hannah said. “Go ahead and talk it out. I’m gonna go get my shower.”

  “Maybe I should join you,” Brendan said.

  “That’s okay, but no hanky panky,” she said.

  “Never,” Brendan said. Madison and Juan Carlos snickered.

  “I don’t know,” Hannah said.

  “Hey, it saves water,” Brendan said.

  “Yeah, right,” Hannah said, getting up. “C’mon.”

  They walked down the hall together. Juan Carlos turned to Richardson.

  “So what do you think, boss? Remote is good in some ways, bad in others.”

  “I know,” Richardson said.

  “How long is the drive, honey?” Lita asked.

  “Towing the boat? Five and a half hours, maybe more.”

  “That’s a long drive,” Juan Carlos said. “Should we stop someplace on the way?”

  “I don’t know,” Richardson said. “In some ways I’d rather just get the whole trip over with.”

  “Me too,” Lita said. “Then at least we can drop the boat off at your headquarters and find a motel someplace.”

  “You still going to be in the boat?” Madison asked Juan Carlos.

  “Probably,” he said. “It’ll make a difference if the enemy spots us.”

  “I wish we were just taking regular c
ars,” Lita said. “That damn boat is a giant advertisement, and there still are Islamists all over the place.”

  “Are we actually using the boat down there?” Juan Carlos asked.

  “Eventually, but I don’t know that we’re required to get that boat there now. They have the new models there waiting.”

  “We should just rent cars and go,” Madison said. “Leave this boat here.”

  “That would be up to Roberto,” Richardson said. “And Kris.”

  Lita nodded. “Yeah, this thing is an advertisement for them as well.”

  “What if we took it back to where we were gonna camp?” Lita asked. “We could send somebody else to pick it up after we’ve settled.”

  Richardson was silent for a moment, thinking. “I need to chat to Jefferson about this. I do agree that dragging this boat behind us will attract attention. Bad attention.”

  “Hey, guys, we’re thinking about this all wrong,” Juan Carlos said. “The guns come off the boat. It’d probably only take about half an hour to do it. We could rent a truck and stash them. Then we could dump the boat in a storage yard with a universal boat cover on it. It’ll look like a frigging gulf fishing boat.”

  “Crap, you’re right,” Richardson said. “It’s not a difficult problem.”

  “You guys can get the guns off?” Lita asked.

  “Sure,” Juan Carlos said. “I know how.”

  “So we rent a small moving truck,” Lita said. “No muss, no fuss. Then we can make the trip and stay in a motel on the way, like normal people.”

  “Yep,” Juan Carlos said.

  “I’ll call Jefferson,” Richardson said. “Juan Carlos, go ask Roberto where the truck rental and RV storage yards are around here.”

  “On it, boss,” Juan Carlos said.

  “I’ll go with you,” Madison said. “I think they’re in the kitchen.”

  Lita watched as they left. “You think this is gonna work?”

  “If they don’t have a way to track us that we don’t know about, yes,” Richardson said. “We’re giving up a fair amount of firepower if they find us.”

  “We’ve still got the SMAW and the machine guns.”

  “Yep,” Richardson said, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “I’m gonna make that call.”

  Chapter 22 - Parents

  Don and Sydney walked out of the clubhouse with the flood of others.