Dark Grid (Book 1)

by David C. Waldron

  “No, for the umpteenth time, using the lumber is a good idea--deal with it.” Mallory was so used to the routine she hardly gave it any thought.

  “Me and my big mouth. Being this smart is such a burden sometimes.”

  “Can it, Ramirez.”

  “Right.”

  “Here’s the deal, though,” it was time for Mallory to throw Kyle a bone. “For the amount of space you are going to need to prepare, you do need something bigger than a Bobcat. There are a couple of heavy equipment rental places between here and there. The next group is coming out this morning and they will be making a pit stop.”

  Mallory could hear Kyle’s eyebrows go up.

  “I sent Jackson out yesterday and had him tack a notice on the door, so if anyone is checking on the place they should see it. He’s tagged a front-end loader, two bulldozers and two backhoes. What ends up coming out will depend on what the drivers are comfortable with.”

  “I’ll admit that will help. Can I at least thermite the stumps?”

  “Fine, you can thermite the stumps--but you have to field expedient it, nothing from the ready stores!” Mallory chuckled. “You know, you’re worse than a nagging wife and I know, I’ve been one!”

  “Well, you know…”

  “Don’t say it or I swear you’ll be a Corporal before you get to the word ‘still’.”

  “Right.”

  Back to business, Mallory asked, “Do you have anyone with any over-the-road or wide-load experience?”

  “Actually, yes, Garrett and Porter have both had summer jobs hauling, of all things, construction equipment.” Kyle said. “They are both under Sergeant Wilson.”

  “In that case, have Sergeant Wilson, Garrett and Porter rendezvous at 09:30…”

  …

  The roads were fairly empty, and those few vehicles that were out and about stayed out of the way of the two Humvees. Must be the 60s on top, go figure, Wilson thought to himself. On the way back towards town for the rendezvous at the heavy equipment rental facility, Wilson noticed a number of trucks at one of the weigh stations. A quick count--very quick as they were doing about 60 MPH--looked like about three dozen rigs, including some tankers and refrigerated trucks. Interesting. Have to remember that.

  As it was, they arrived at the heavy equipment lot just as the convoy from the Armory was pulling in. As Sergeant Wilson got out he saw Sergeant Halstead and nodded to himself. They’d really been pushing the egress of the Armory and he’d wondered how quickly they would be getting someone a little more senior out to the AA.

  “Wilson, how are things going at Promised Land?” Halstead asked. He’d been itching to get out there himself and was happy to be on his way.

  “Good, for most definitions of good. It’s a forest. We’re cutting down trees, putting up tents, and eating MREs. Good training, in other words.” That elicited some grumbles and moans from the men around them but Halstead laughed and Wilson grinned. They all knew what ‘Good Training’ was a euphemism for.

  “Top mentioned you have some guys with heavy equipment experience, at least hauling. Any idea which machines we should take for starters?”

  …

  While Garrett and Porter were getting things lined up for transport back to Promised Land he mentioned the weigh station full of semis to Halstead. “From a purely strategic point of view it would make sense to at least attempt to make contact with the group, and if possible get them to join up with us.”

  “Frankly, I don’t like the idea of running around commandeering and appropriating whatever we think we need in the name of ‘the greater good’. I’d personally much rather have people join us and bring those things with them but that’s not up to me, or at least not entirely. Top isn’t like that either, I know that, but like I said, I thought it was worth mentioning.”

  Halstead thought for a few seconds and motioned for one of the other Sergeants to come over. “Get the Armory on the horn; we need to talk to the First Sergeant soonest.” To Wilson he said “I’m pretty sure I know how she’s going to want to handle it but I want to be sure.

  …

  “Hmm, interesting, and it could go either way for us as we know absolutely zero about these folks, over.” Mallory said.

  “True. On the other hand, we do have CB capable radios and we can listen in and/or radio to them prior to approaching. It isn’t like they haven’t seen us driving by this morning, over.” Halstead replied.

  “Point. I don’t want anyone going in uncovered though. If we send someone in, I want, let’s see…” Mallory was thinking out loud, and both Wilson and Halstead knew that someone, actually a couple of some ones-- if not them specifically-- would be going to see the truckers stopped at the weigh station.

  “I’ll want two Humvees, I want the 60s loaded and hot, I want the gunners in the slings, and I want you two to be the ones to approach the group. Wilson, you noticed them so you deserve to be there, and Halstead, I need you there as you’ve got the seniority to make a command decision if someone wants to come in with you. Keep in mind we can’t take them all right now though, over.”

  “Roger. We’ll monitor channel nineteen and be scanning the rest going in so that we know what we’re going into, obviously. Any idea how many we could bring back with us if any decide they want to come with, over.” Halstead was still in charge of this end of the conversation.

  “Negative, and you and I both know that Ramirez is going to be absolutely giddy at the prospect of as many as three dozen trucks needing parking spaces.” Mallory snorted. “Serves him right, ‘Promised Land’, I’m gonna…never mind. Over.”

  “Good copy, we are officially never minding, over.”

  “Oh, don’t you start too!” Mallory laughed. “Thanks, I needed that. Report back in once you’ve made contact with the group at the weigh station and you know their disposition. Over.”

  “Wilco, Halstead, out.”

  “Well, let’s get rolling. The bulldozer is loaded and ready to head out, we should do the same.”

  Halstead took a minute to give orders to the crews that would be taking the equipment back to the AA and detail the Humvees that make the detour to the weigh station. Once they were sorted, they let the heavy equipment roll first and the Humvees that would be stopping took up the rear. They were capable of monitoring a half a dozen CB channels at a time so they were skipping around the dial while keeping an ear on 19.

  There was a lot of chatter, which picked up as they approached the weigh station, and they knew they were being discussed specifically about a mile out. They dropped back behind the bulldozer and heard one driver comment, “We either need to meet up with some of the other groups of drivers out there or find out where all those Army trucks are going to and from--if only for our own protection. We can’t sit out here forever.”

  Halstead and Wilson briefly discussed and then agreed that they should maintain radio silence on the CB channels so as not to tip their hand. Less than a minute later they pulled across the median to get into the weigh station on the other side of the freeway, as all of the trucks were on the ‘outbound’ side.

  Once the Humvees came to a stop, Halstead and Wilson got out and walked towards the group of drivers headed their direction. The two gunners stayed aboard, although they pointed the M60s skyward. They were loaded and ready for action, however, should the situation justify it.

  “Mornin’ gentlemen,” one of drivers said as they got closer.

  Out of habit, Wilson looked over at Halstead and then behind him and then pointed at himself and said, “You must be using a rather loose interpretation of the term if you were referring to us, and you sure as heck don’t mean the two still in the Hummers!”

  “A man after my own heart…Timothy Grace,” Tim shook hands with Halstead and Wilson. “This here’s Alan Saunders,” indicating the man to his left, “and Aaron Becker,” the man to his right. “Now what a coincidence, we were just discussing how we needed to find another group of trucks or find out where in the wor
ld all you Army folks were headin’ and here you come to find us. Imagine that.” Tim had a twinkle in his eye as he made the comment.

  Halstead had the good grace to blush slightly. “As it just so happened, one of our Sergeants noticed you all gathered here this morning and it got mentioned, and then it got discussed, and then it got thought about…you know how the Army works. And on the way in, as it just so happens--yeah, we were monitoring channel nineteen. Always helps to be prepared.”

  “Well, it’s good to know you weren’t coming in blind. I’ll assume those things are loaded, too. I’d invite you in for a cup of coffee but I don’t have any coffee and I don’t think you’d take me up on it either way. What’s on your minds, then, if we might be so bold?” So far, after brief hellos, Tim was doing all the talking.

  “It occurred to us that you might not want to stick around here forever and we’re setting up, well, not here. One of the things brought up was how many fuel and refrigerated trucks were parked here. There’s reason to believe that the power outage is going to be a long term problem and, as such, things like diesel and unleaded fuel and refrigerated goods--while they last--would be useful and welcome, as would you folks.” Halstead said

  “I know how that sounds, or at least I think I do.” Halstead continued. “That last little bit wasn’t rehearsed because there wasn’t any time, but even if there had been, I don’t know that I’d have been any good at it anyway. I’m not full time and I haven’t ever spent time in the sandbox ‘pacifying’ a city. Folks, we’d love to bring you guys with us, obviously because of what you’ve got with you--fuel and food--but just because I’m not full time Army doesn’t mean that I don’t take the oath for the Army seriously. We’re setting up where we’re setting up because, as I’m sure you know by now, it’s probably going to get bad, and we’ve got to be in a position to take care of as many people as we can.”

  “We couldn’t do that from the Armory in downtown Nashville, so we’re setting up elsewhere. We don’t want to get you guys to come with us and then kick you out once we have the diesel, that’s not what we’re doing. I’m sure there’re groups out there wanting to do just that--and when I say I’m sure I mean I’m actually sure. There’s even some moron running around calling himself ‘Peter the Great’.”

  At the mention of Pete, Tim’s jaw clenched. “Yeah, we’ve heard a little about old Pete. I think I’d like to get into a little fender bender with his little Mustang. It’d be a shame to utterly destroy such a fine piece of machinery but it’d be worth it to rid the world of his worthless hide.”

  “I’ll just ask straight out, you folks have a group with you with a former Army fella’ named Eric?” Tim asked.

  Wilson barked a laugh before he could stop himself.

  “I’ll take that as a yes. In that case, and keep in mind I’m only speaking for me--I’m not a duly elected representative of this here little band--I’m following you on the way out if that’s alright. I made my mind up a couple hours after they left the truck stop on Thursday that if I ran into him again I’d tag along with him if he was willing.”

  Halstead stepped in at this point, “Mr. Grace, Sergeant Wilson has apparently confirmed that Eric and the group you encountered Thursday afternoon are indeed with us, but he isn’t in charge…”

  “Oh, I’m sure of that, and call me Tim, please, but he wouldn’t still be with you if you weren’t worth sticking with, I’m also sure of that.”

  Alan spoke up, for the first time since introductions, and it was obvious why he’d let Tim do the talking. He had a slight stutter which was more pronounced around people he didn’t know very well. “I’m with th’the other f’fuel tankers.” Alan cursed under his breath. “If I say we go, we go. If Tim goes, we’ll go.”

  “Tim, you’re laying the humility on a little thick! You know good and well that anyone who doesn’t roll out of here when you and Alan do is either asleep or having sex in their bunk and I guarantee that they’ll finish quick when they hear us all leaving. There isn’t anyone here that hasn’t known you fifteen years or more. We’re all sittin’ here because of you.” Aaron said.

  “I’ll need a list of how many total rigs you have here to make sure there’s space ready for everybody.” Halstead said.

  “Not a problem,” Aaron said. “We’ve also been hearing from a couple of other groups not too far out that would like to join up, and there are some relays going on between people with shortwave/CB combo units. Once you get set up you could get some more company fairly quick,” he continued. “There’re some neighborhoods that seem to be doing ok for now and might be ok for the long haul but Pete’s not the only one out there raising a ruckus.” Tim’s jaw was clenching again. There was something more going on there than Pete and his delusions of grandeur.

  “Based on what you’ve seen so far last night and today, do you think you’ll be ok until tomorrow afternoon?” Halstead asked.

  Tim looked at Alan and Aaron, both of whom nodded. “Yeah, I think so.”

  “My guess is that we’ll be in touch fairly early tomorrow, then. I don’t know if it will be one of us or someone from the Armory though.”

  “Sounds like a plan. Sergeant Halstead, is it?”

  “That it is, Tim. Until tomorrow, then, hopefully.”

  They all shook hands again and everyone headed back to their vehicles. “Well, that certainly went well. Sounds like that was the guy who helped Eric pick out the CBs, too. Fancy that.” Wilson said as they neared the Humvees.

  “Certainly looks that way. I’ll phone home and let Top know how this went; you go ahead and prep Ramirez to begin thinking about where to park thirty-four semis. I’m beginning to think we should have just taken over a small town. At this rate that’s what we’re going to be, and we’re starting from scratch.”

  “Roger that. We’re going to need another Reverse Osmosis Unit going pretty quick at this rate too. I’m glad the engineers took the extra day at the Armory. They came up with some pretty sweet field expedients for sanitation and plumbing.”

  …

  “That’s good to hear, for a number of reasons.” Mallory said. “I’m glad about the people, the materials, and the fuel. Things are starting to break down around here already--which is almost unbelievable. There have already been two fires at night that we could see from the glow, if not the flames, and several more during the day.”

  “Oddly enough, there have only been a handful of, well, refugees for lack of a better term, coming to the Armory.” Mallory continued. “I don’t know how much longer that will last, though. The neighborhoods they came from are coming apart fast.”

  “Any word from higher yet?” Halstead asked.

  “No direct or indirect orders and nothing countermanding our current course of action.”

  “Good copy, I read you, Lima Charley.”

  “I’m sure you do, Halstead. In fact, I’m absolutely certain that you do.”

  …

  “Yeah, sure, things will go quicker with heavy equipment, but it’s a matter of degrees.” Kyle said to Wilson. “Anything is an improvement over how slow things were before. But a thousand-fold increase over a snail’s pace is still pretty slow! Thirty-four tractor trailers by tomorrow night? At least Halstead had the presence of mind to have you tell me so I could swear,” which he proceeded to do, profusely and with great relish.

  “Fine, ok, one parking lot coming right up,” Kyle sighed. “We should have the parking deck done by tonight and the elevator finished in the morning. Too bad Bun-Bun probably killed Dr. Schlock in this universe. Inflatable tech would really come in handy right now.” Kyle was muttering now.

  “Say again?” Wilson was lost now.

  “Never mind, obscure geek web-comic reference. You’ll probably never get to read it now unless someone’s got a copy of ‘Little Evils’ lying around.”

  “Oookay, how about I act like I want to know at some later time?”

  Kyle snorted, “Fair enough. How far out are you?”
/>
  “No more than five minutes from the exit, I assume the bulldozer’s showed up already?”

  “Roger, it should be off the trailer by the time you get here. They’ll be going back for the backhoe within the hour. See you in ten.”

  “Wilson, out.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Karen had been on the outside looking in as a civilian in a military man’s life for the last four years--pretty much ever since she’d started dating Eric. Not that she’d ever had anything against the military, or guys in it; she’d just never dated anyone in any branch of the armed forces before. Then she’d met Eric, fallen head over heels in love, and ended up following him around the country. Truth be told, they’d only moved twice-- but still, she gave him crap whenever she could. That was her job after all.

  They’d lived off base the entire time; which, while a bit odd, wasn’t unheard of, and made the transition to a completely civilian life a little easier for Eric. It had also, unintentionally, kept a bit of a barrier between Karen and the other NCO’s wives. The end result had been to make Karen work that much harder to be included in their circles, as it was important not only to Eric but to Eric’s career. That experience was coming in handy again now.

  “Rachael, I don’t know that this has really ever been done before. We’re breaking new ground here so we’ll have to make the rules up as we go. Don’t get hung up on ‘how does the military do this’ or ‘what does the Army think of that’. Don’t get me wrong, the Army is a very important part of the group here, but they are only about a fourth of the people here right now.”

  “We are determining how we’re going to integrate everything together, and I think Mallory knew that when she put you, Sheri, and I together to start getting things set up. She knows my background and some of the things I’ve been through with Eric’s postings. She knows that this isn’t going to be a military base, and it isn’t going to be a town--it’s going to be something in between.”

  “Is it that obvious that’s what I’m thinking? You know, I could probably get caught up in what already exists fairly easily.” Rachael asked