The Weak Shall Die: Complete Collection (Four Volume Set)

by Taylor Michaels

John pressed the button on his radio. "George. We're in place. You guys concentrate on the wagon and that machine gun or anything else you see. And watch out for Charles."

  "I've been watching him. I've told the others. We'll follow your lead. Whenever you're ready."

  John turned to Fred and Cho. "We're on. Pick your targets."

  Fred had taken off his backpack and removed his rifle. "Far left," said Fred, using a tree to steady the rifle.

  "Right side," said Cho, also holding the barrel of her gun against a tree. "No problem."

  "I'll take the second from right and we'll all then move to the second from left. After that, Cho and I will watch them to make sure we hit them all. Fred, you cover Charles. On three. One, two, three."

  John was first to fire and hit his target in the shoulder. Fred's shot was good and the man fell off the horse and the horses began to jump around. Cho hit her target and then John's as John hit the man second from left. Fire began coming from the house and the man on the wagon threw back the tarp covering the wagon as he was hit and fell off.

  "This was not a good night for a raid, with all that moonlight. Right John."

  "Definitely. Maybe they were out of food. He said he hadn't found any food nearby. He couldn't wait another week. "

  The machine gun began to fire as Charles stood up ten feet away, shooting the gunner. Two others in the wagon began shooting, and were hit by fire from the house. John figured it was probably Pierre.

  John walked over to the horses and the wagon and checked to see if anybody was still alive. The older man John had talked to was lying on the ground with a smile on his face.

  "You did good, young'un. I see why you're still alive. I didn't expect you to be this good."

  "You put a lot of faith in that AK-47."

  "Mostly, people see it and just hand over their stuff. You were the first one who didn't even flinch when you saw it. I thought maybe you were young and you didn't know what it was. Sometimes, we shoot off a few rounds into the windows and people give up. That's what we were going to do tonight, once our people were around back. We would shoot a few rounds, they would shoot a few and you were supposed to bring out stuff, until we were ready to go. I should'a known you were a bad target." The man stopped talking and closed his eyes.

  "He might have been a nice guy, if the virus hadn't shown up, Fred."

  "We were all nice guys before the virus showed up, John."

  "Where that fèi wù."

  John looked at Fred and then yelled out, "Charles. Where are you?"

  "Over here, John," said a quiet voice.

  John ran over to the barricade of old cars and climbed over. He shined his light around until he found Charles, lying on the ground, beside a Mercedes.

  "Pierre! Charles is hit! Someone bring Pierre over here, quick?"

  "No need to hurry, John. I'm done for. The old guy was right, though. It was a nice battle. Glad I went out in a flash and not a whimper. Put that on my tombstone."

  Pierre arrived and took over. The next ten minutes seemed like ten hours. Finally, Pierre looked up at John, holding a bullet, and smiled. Pierre pulled out his syringe and gave Charles an injection. "You will feel more like flying than dying in a minute, mon amie. But, you will live to fight another day."

  "I really hate this war," John said with a scratchy voice as Cho hugged him. "I just never know what will happen next and I'm always surprised."

  Chapter 46 - Gas Station Scavenging

  "What's up, John? You said at dinner that you wanted to talk to George and me."

  "In case I didn't say anything, good work defending us against those traders. Or thieves, I suppose. Let's go out on the porch, Fred," John said, walking out the door. John pulled up a rocker and adjusted the cushion as Fred and George sat down. "Some time ago, we talked about scavenging gasoline from gasoline stations. It was academic then, but our daily foraging on the motorcycles has taken a toll on our supplies. If we had excess sugar or corn, we could make alcohol and convert our vehicles to alcohol. Easy to say, maybe not too easy to do. But we barely have enough food as it is. Our foraging hasn't been paying it's way. Easy choice, basically, we're trading gasoline which is in short supply for food which is in shorter supply."

  "I agree," said Fred. "But, we do have a good chance of making it. Those blackberries I found this morning were a nice surprise. Maybe things are beginning to turn around."

  "It's been a while since I had a nice blackberry cobbler," said George. "Everybody liked it. You didn't turn it down, John."

  "No, it was great. Good spotting, Fred. But, as several people have pointed out, we are only one disaster or one fire away from starving to death."

  "Can't argue with that," said George.

  "I've been thinking about all those gasoline stations. You know, we talked about those some time ago. Some stations had backup generators and were able to pump everything out, but those would be the biggest stations in bigger towns and cities. Those would be the least desirable for us to look at. Many others, mom and pop stations, had no generators and probably stopped pumping when the power went out. It could be they sold everything they could before the power was out, but I doubt it."

  "Me too. We won't know unless we check."

  "Exactly, Fred. Maybe the power went out before they sold everything. In that case, thousands of gallons could be available, just sitting a few feet under the ground waiting for us."

  "OK," said Fred. "I'm beginning to see where you're going."

  "I see two possibilities. The first is that we take the lid off the tank, drop in a stick to see how much is left, then drop in our own hose and suck it out. I see quite a bit of danger to that. Explosions and fire, and we would have to find a suitable pump. That stuff is so volatile, we may not be able to use a normal pump on the surface. We might have to drop one in."

  "You mean like one of the well pumps," said George.

  "Yeah, and once we finished pumping, our tubing and pump would be full of gallons of gasoline, dripping as we pulled it out. It would be a fire and explosion hazard. The second possibility is much safer. We go to the station with a portable generator and take apart the pump, rewire it and use our power to pump out the remaining gasoline or diesel using their pump and piping. That way would be safe and quick. All the electrical connections would be made before any gasoline were present. We just have to make sure the gasoline fumes stay away from the generator exhaust. When we're finished, we put the pump back together so nobody knows anything happened. What do you guys say? George you know about electrical stuff. Is it doable?"

  "Yeah, sure, sounds simple the way you say it, but every time you come up with one of your schemes, it sounds simple. We would need a way to carry the gasoline, the van would be dangerous. A fifty-five gallon drum of gasoline weighs around four hundred pounds. If we filled it on the ground, it would be hard to lift it into the van. I know we've gotten stronger."

  "Not that strong," said John.

  "If we put the hose into the van to fill the drum and we had a leak or a spill, then it would be dangerous. Could kill us all. We could use the flatbed we borrowed from the state, but it uses a lot of fuel itself. Just thinkin' out loud. We could use also a pickup or a trailer. The trailer would be the safest. We could put the barrels on a trailer, tie them down real good and pull it behind the SUV. Worst come to worst, we cut loose the trailer and we go. I made sure my SUV had a trailer hitch when I bought it. We could also carry the generator on the trailer. We have a couple we've scavenged. We could probably handle half a dozen or more drums of fuel. Diesel is a bit heaver than gasoline, but not enough to matter."

  "So, we pull up to the pump in the SUV with the trailer carrying half a dozen empty drums and the generator, we take the pump apart, hook up our wires, start the generator, put the hose into a drum, pump it full and cap it. Move the hose to another drum and keep going. Is that it?"

  "More or less. From a strategy viewpoint, I would recommend some firepower. Maybe two on motorcycles with sho
tguns and rifles. They go in first and secure the area. One starts taking the pump apart while the other keeps watch. Once the pump is open and the wires are ready, the SUV which has been sitting half a block away, with one person in it with a rifle, drives up. We attach power, start the generator, pump out the gasoline into the drums, disconnect everything and the SUV leaves. Then the motorcycles put the pump back together so it looks like we weren't there. Just in case we want to go back again."

  "How much gasoline do we need, John?"

  "Hard to say, Fred. We're not planning any trips to Disney World. If we use two gallons a day, that's sixty a month. Each drum could last us a month. Throw in another drum for special occasions. And don't forget the tractor. We'll need diesel of about twenty gallons to plow and till at the beginning of the season and at the end. So at least one barrel of diesel and another for special occasions."

  "So, we need to make this work for several trips."

  "Probably. A dozen full drums would be a good backup supply. It's possible that we find one station and we could go back several times in the future. Those underground tanks hold thousands of gallons. I think we should try this first on that station I stopped at on Panic Day. About five miles from here on Route 141."

  "Maybe a dry run on another one first. A station way out and away from anybody. Just to see how everything is made inside those pumps."

  "Sure. Anything you want me to do?"

  "No, we'll figure it out and let you know."

  * * *

  Two days later, John was sitting in his office, looking at the inventory sheets and wishing he had some more food. He was thinking that hungry people are unhappy people and was wondering if some kind of upheaval was in his future when George walked in.

  "Hey John, we've got a gas pump behind the barn if you want to look at it."

  "You brought it here?"

  "Seemed the easiest thing. We took it apart and disconnected it, then put a chain around it and pulled it away. We thought it would be better to bring it back than sit out in the open and study it. Seemed the easiest way to learn about it. We made two different power cables for one-twenty and two-forty volt units, just in case."

  "So, that was the dry run. Now, we try it for real."

  "Yeah, plus we got a benefit. This kind of pump actually has a pump inside. So, if we decide to drop a hose into a tank, we now have a pump. Some pumps are down inside the gasoline tank. This one wasn't."

  "OK, pick a day -- or a night. What's best, day or night. If we go at night, we'll have to use headlights."

  "Only while we're drivin'. And late at night, we have less chance of someone being out for a walk or a drive."

  "Let me know a day ahead so I can cycle my sleep."

  * * *

  Two days later, around midnight they headed out into the darkness. As planned, Fred and George arrived first on their motorcycles. They drove around the station and out the road a mile and back in every direction to make sure nobody was around. They parked the cycles beside the station, out of the way, removed the front panel from the pump, disconnected a cable, attached the jumper cable and flashed a light at John and Cho. The SUV pulled up with the trailer carrying six empty drums at the rear and the generator in the front.

  George plugged in the power as Fred put the nozzle into the first drum. George started the generator and the gasoline began to flow. When the pump read fifty gallons, Fred carefully moved the nozzle to the second drum while George put the plug back into the first drum.

  John and Cho circled the station on foot carrying rifles and watching for any activity. It took over an hour to fill all the drums. Everyone stayed nervous the whole time. If anyone started shooting, the consequences would be bad. As John and Cho drove off, George reattached the front of the pump while Fred kept watch.

  Back at the lodge, George said, "We made sure to grab a pump of the same brand as the one we pumped from tonight. That way all the connectors would be the same. I didn't want to be hot-wiring that thing in the dark and then have a wire come loose with all those fumes around."

  "Good plan. We're in good shape for a month or so. We can probably go back to that same station again when we need more."

  "We were thinking of another trip in a few days for diesel. What do you say, John?"

  "Sure, I'm in. You have another six empty barrels, right?"

  "Right, but with the diesel, we'll only have to have a couple barrels."

  "Sure."

  The next raid went about the same with four drums of diesel scored.

  "You think we'll ever need that much diesel, John?" Fred said, putting the plug into the last drum.

  "Maybe. If you see a diesel pickup around somewhere, you might take it. Just keep a few barrels for the tractor. We'll need tractor fuel for years of plowing. Even if we have enough corn to make alcohol, we wouldn't be able to convert a diesel engine to run on pure alcohol."

  "You don't think the US will ever go back to where it was? Potato chips in the stores, unlimited gasoline in the tanks."

  "No, Fred. Not while we're alive. In spite of all those stories about the President eating filet mignon every night while everybody else is hungry, that will come to an end. He will run out of food and fuel and so will the military."

  "And they have guns, big guns and lots of people."

  "That will be a bad day. I'm not looking forward to it."

  Chapter 47 - Future Technology

  The day was filled with cutting trees and chopping and splitting wood to prepare for winter. It had been a clear, hot day and was going to be another warm night. The slight southerly breeze helped some, but it was going to be a sticky night. Everyone was tired and, maybe for that reason, everyone enjoyed dinner more than usual. Although Marceau had increased portions somewhat, dinner was accompanied with the usual grumbling about wanting extra portions or even extra meals. Afterwards, the group split up with most going to their cabins. John went out to the porch to look at the stars.

  Skies twinkled in the distance in the mostly clear sky. A few streaks of orange and yellow were left over from the sunset.

  "How are you doing, Fred, George? You guys look deep in thought. I always enjoyed sitting on the porch, rocking. It's been a nice day. Hard, as usual, but nice."

  George and Fred stopped talking and looked up at John.

  "Hey, John. George and I were just talking about our future. Every time I start thinking about the future I become depressed. I can see why you prefer to think about the next few weeks and months. The next few years could be bad."

  "You really think so, Fred? I hadn't thought about it, as you say. I just assumed things would be better and better. We would learn from our mistakes and life would be easier. Our prospects look good. The garden is doing well. Not too much complaining about not enough food."

  "Sorry to disagree," Fred said, standing and pacing back and forth on the porch. But, I think the future's dim -- the way we're going."

  "Really," John said, wondering what Fred was talking about. John had fulfilled his promises to help his followers survive. What else did Fred want?

  "We can stay here on the farm and grow our food, preserve it, gather nuts and berries, go hunting and continue that for the rest of our lives, unless we are attacked. Then, we try to run off or kill the attackers. If they don't kill us, we go back to farming, preserving, hunting and gathering. Over the next few years, life will be more difficult as we will run out of propane, gasoline and diesel and the solar panels stop working. We'll be pushed hundreds, maybe thousands of years into the past. Also, we'll end up working our butts off, like today, just to survive and avoid freezing in the winter."

  "OK, that's what our great grandparents or their parents did many years ago. We survive as they did. So, what are you saying?"

  "Dammit, John! I'm saying that's not good enough. We just can't let hundreds of years of progress be forgotten. All those discoveries and all that technology, made life easier. I'd rather do things because I want to instead of because I ha
ve to if I want to stay alive. It's like we were in a fight and we lost."

  John stopped his rocking and looked at Fred. "That's about the way it was. The virus attacked. It won and we lost. We have to pay a penalty. But we did better than most, maybe ninety-nine percent. I've never been in the one percent before. It's not as good as I expected."

  "No, good buddy, it's not the same." said George. "We didn't really lose. We weren't that honorable. We just surrendered. Gave up. Raised the white flag and ran like a bunch of cowards. Pisses me off. It's not the kind of person I am and we're not gonna have the life I want to have. I don't like it either, Fred."

  "Yeah, George. The virus took what it wanted and we just went along with it. It set us back two hundred or two thousand years and we just let it. Like we were little children who were naughty and our mothers slapped our wrists. We are not little boys and we didn't do anything wrong. I want back everything we lost. Or at least, I want most of it."

  "We didn't lose it all," said John. "We still have electricity. We have three cars, thanks mostly to George, that we can drive without any gasoline. The greenhouse, thanks to you, allows us to make food for most of the months each year. Maybe all year long in a warm winter. The garden is looking good. I'm really happy about it all. I think we're doing well. Far better than I expected."

  "Yes, we're going to survive," said Fred. "And that's what we signed up for. But all that is transient and fragile. One good hail storm and our electrical supply is gone and our greenhouse is gone. Our electric cars are gone. No more lights. We rise with the sun and go to sleep with the sun. We have no way to replace our electrical supply. We can't even make candles. Even without a big hail storm, sooner or later the solar panels or the charge controller or the inverter will go bad. Maybe a big electrical storm will take them out. We'll install a spare and a few years later that will go bad and it will all be over. No more electricity. No more electric car. Even if we had electricity, all the light bulbs will go bad in only a few years. We'll never be able to make our own light bulbs. If we tried to change to oil lanterns, where will we find the oil? We can't find any kerosene and we can't make any."