Seeing what the boxes were, Gerald followed. “Now, that is a good haul,” he said, helping Gavin set his on the table. “Night vision defiantly improves the odds in our favor.”
“This isn’t nothing,” Nelson said, opening boxes. “You can take the thermal binoculars in the front. I’ll take one of the thermals, as will Matt and Michelle. Then, everyone will also have a NV monocular,” he explained, and all the adults came in the kitchen.
“Nelson, I want to talk to you on the loadout of the vehicles,” Gerald said. “I think Nancy needs to drive your Blazer, and Nellie needs to ride with Michelle with both babies. Olivia and Brittany need to ride with Matt and Ashley. Then I think Gavin should ride with Nancy. That way, if one vehicle is hit, it’s not packed with people. Now Nellie, before you start, the reason I said you ride with both babies is you can tend to them. The only other choice is to have Nancy ride with Michelle, and I love her, and she loves kids, but she can’t tend to them,” he said, seeing Nellie about to protest, but she was satisfied with the explanation.
“Matt and Ashley, the reason I don’t think you need a baby back there is both of you need to be watching,” Gerald explained. “Gavin, you will have to stay alert with Nancy and tell her if you see anything, okay?”
“I will,” he said, grinning.
Rubbing his head, Gerald looked at Nelson. “You okay with that?”
“Sounds good to me,” Nelson said.
Gerald nodded. “Good. I’ll be lead, then Nelson followed by Michelle, then Nancy and Matt covering our a—” he stopped, seeing a dark look on Michelle’s face. “Our butts,” he finished. “We need to keep twenty yards between us except between me and Nelson. I’ll be half a mile ahead, and we will be driving without lights, so I want everyone to get used to the NV monocular. People can’t shoot what they can’t see.”
“When do you want to head out?” Nelson asked.
“It doesn’t get good and dark till after nine, so let’s say ten thirty,” Gerald said, and Nelson nodded. “Is your On Star still on?”
“Hell no. I disconnected that the day we got the vehicles home,” Nelson said, and Gerald looked at Matt.
“I ripped mine out while the truck was still at the dealership,” Matt said with a grin.
“That’s good. Now remember: The phone you have must be disabled before we leave. Take the sim card out if you have to keep it,” Gerald said.
“Gerald,” Nancy interrupted, “If it’s a smart phone that still won’t work. They can trace it. You can’t call out, but the phone still connects to the network.”
“Everyone just leave the stupid things here,” Michelle announced, and everyone agreed.
“Now, since every vehicle has a CB, we will start on channel twenty and change every hour to the next higher even number channel. Now Nancy, every half hour, I want you to call out a check. I’m one, and Nelson is two, and the numbers continue to Matt as five. If for some reason we run into trouble, we run through it. Don’t stop for any reason. If a vehicle in front of you gets disabled, go around it and get past the trouble. When we are past the trouble, we will go back and get the ones in the vehicle. Now, does everyone understand so far?” Gerald asked, and everyone nodded though they didn’t like it.
Looking around the group, Nelson cleared his throat. “Guys, you may not like what he’s saying, but if you stop in an ambush to help, you’ll get disabled as well, and those that pass up the kill zone will have more people to help. We will go back. I can swear that because we are now a family,” he said, looking around. “A weird one, I’ll grant you, with crazy uncles,” he chided, making everyone laugh.
“Thank you, Nelson,” Gerald winked. “Another thing: If you have car trouble, call it out immediately so we can deal with it fast. Now, I can tell you we won’t be reaching the farm in three hours. I’m putting it closer to six if we’re lucky. If you need rest, get it now because once we start, we will only stop a few times for potty breaks. I can tell you if we didn’t have kids with us we wouldn’t be stopping.”
“Want to bet?” Nellie growled.
“I’d find you a bucket,” Gerald told her.
“And I’d put it over your head,” she shot back.
“Hey, Gerald, do you have any extra room?” Nelson asked.
“Not much, why?” he asked.
“We have one drum of gas we couldn’t get on the trailer. We got two—one gas, the other diesel—but we’re out of room,” he explained.
“We’ll figure out something because we aren’t leaving it,” Gerald said.
“Matt, let’s pull the car into the garage when we leave so it’s not just sitting out there for someone driving by to see,” Nelson offered, and he nodded.
Looking around the room, Gerald liked the determination he was seeing. “Ladies, can I get you to fix some supper and stuff for us to eat on the road?” he asked with a begging tone.
“I should make you starve, not wanting to let me stop and go potty,” Nellie shot back.
Gerald bowed to her. “You know I was just kidding, Nellie. I would never upset the woman who’s been feeding me for the last three years. And let me tell you it’s been some of the best food I’ve ever eaten.”
Nellie gave him a big smile. “Then I’ll fix you some food.”
Gerald straightened. “Let’s go see about this fuel drum,” he said, heading to the door. Matt and Nelson followed, and Gavin ran after them. “Is everyone’s tanks full?” he asked, walking out.
“All mine are,” Nelson said.
“I’m at three quarters in the truck, and we need to get the gas out of Ashley’s car; it’s full,” Matt said.
“Let’s do that first,” Gerald said.
They grabbed a gas can off Matt’s truck then poured it in and siphoned the gas out of the car. When Matt’s truck was full, they almost filled the gas can back up with what was left in the car. Putting the can up, the group headed to Gerald’s trailer. It took a lot of work, but they managed to create a small space at the back.
Laying the barrels down, they rolled them across the yard and, with a lot of effort, put them on the trailer and strapped them down. As Gerald and Matt did that, Nelson headed into the garage and came back with tarps. Gerald’s trailer was the only one exposed to the elements and prying eyes. It wasn’t long, and then they were done and back in the house.
As Nelson sat on the couch, Michelle walked over and gave him Devin then headed to the kids’ rooms to get the last of the stuff that was coming. Devin laid his head down on Nelson’s chest and was soon asleep, and no matter how hard he tried, Nelson followed.
Chapter 10
Feeling a weight get taken off his chest, Nelson cracked his eyes open and noticed it was dark in the house. Then, he noticed Michelle holding Devin. “You get any sleep?” he asked.
“I was right beside you,” she said, smiling.
He looked around and noticed everyone in the stages of getting up and looked at his watch, seeing it was nine twenty. “Everyone get some sleep?” he asked, stretching out.
“Yep,” she said, heading into the kitchen.
Smelling coffee, he jumped up and followed her into the kitchen. On the counter were six thermoses, and Nellie was filling one. “Nellie, can I have a cup of that?” he asked.
“You know you can,” she said and smiled as he ran over to the cupboard and pulled out a coffee cup.
Feeling something tap his shoulder, Nelson glanced over to see his travel mug. Putting the coffee cup back, he took the mug. Turning, he saw Michelle. “You need the big one,” she said, walking away.
“Thank you,” he called after her and held out his mug. With his mug filled, he moved to his tactical bag and pulled out the dragon skin vest. Taking off his holster, he put on the vest and checked his gear. Satisfied, he strapped it on and belted the drop holster to his thigh. Taking his pistol out of his clip-on holster, he slid it in the drop holster.
Throwing his clip-on holster in the bag, Nelson pulled out Michelle’s vest an
d laid it out then zipped up the bag. Michelle’s vest was like his old one and had a ceramic plate in the front and back. With the concealed vest, Nelson was sure she could take a direct shot to the chest. Grabbing the gun case Matt gave him and the tactical bag, he walked outside and threw them in the passenger floorboard.
After standing there for a minute, he opened the gun case and pulled out the UMP. Putting the submachine gun beside his seat, he pulled out two magazines and laid them beside it. Closing the door, he walked back inside.
Everyone was eating as he walked in, and he joined them. Everyone talked, but the tension in the air was thick enough to cut. Nelson finished his plate quickly then headed to the garage. Undoing the tarp on one trailer, he knew which gun case he needed as he moved them around. He opened the case that held the suppressors he owned. Taking the one for his AR, he closed the case and repacked it then replaced the tarp.
Pulling off his rifle, he threaded the suppressor on. He had the suppressors in the truck for the M-4, but his rifle wasn’t set up for them yet. They were much better than the ones he had. Now feeling much better, he headed back inside and found everyone cleaning up.
Grabbing keys, he headed back to the garage. Turning off the lights, he opened both doors and heard the door open behind him and saw Matt and Gerald. As the garage doors opened, the backs of the Blazer and Suburban were just inches away. Throwing a set of keys to Matt, Nelson headed to the Blazer, and Matt headed to the Suburban.
Matt backed up first with Gerald guiding him, then Gerald moved over and guided Nelson back. After the trailers were hooked up, they headed back inside to see everyone ready. “Everyone to your vehicle,” Nelson said.
They all filed outside, moving to their designated vehicles as Nelson called the dogs over. He put Hera with Gavin and Nancy in his Blazer, and Zeus jumped up in his passenger seat. He walked back inside and found Michelle standing in the kitchen.
“Find anything we missed?” he asked.
Reaching up, she wiped her eyes. “No. The memories will come with us, but I’m going to miss this place,” she whimpered.
“I am too,” he said and hugged her. Since she was wearing her tactical vest as he was, it brought back memories from long ago. “Maybe we can come back one day,” he said.
“No,” she said, letting go. “We may come back to town, but it won’t be to this house. Even if it’s still here, it will remind me of what we had to risk and leave behind. I will think of the fear I feel right now and everything that’s going to happen. We will get another house,” she told him.
He understood. “Well, I guess we could get a bigger house next time,” he offered, wanting to ease her fears.
“Maybe,” she said and walked down the hall, looking in each room and closing the doors. Stopping in front of him, she smiled. “We won’t be able to come back here because your store will try to arrest you.”
“I always wanted to just run through and take stuff,” Nelson grinned.
“It’s time to go to our new home,” she said, pulling him down and kissing him.
They walked out and found Matt beside Ashley’s car. “Nelson, you want me to arm the alarm?” he asked.
“Why not?” he replied, heading to his truck. He took off his rifle, opened the door, and laid it on the dashboard and climbed in, turning on the glow plugs. Beside him, Zeus just looked around, and Nelson noticed his mug in the cup holder and a thermos on top of the stuff in the floorboard. Firing up his truck, he put the harness for the monocular on his head.
He grabbed the monocular and turned it on, clipping it to the harness and swiveling it up away from his eye. Seeing Gerald pull past the driveway, Nelson put his truck in gear and slowly pulled out. Once again, he felt the weight he was carrying and pushed the pedal a little more, pulling out on the road, stopping behind Gerald.
The sky was clear, and they had a half moon, so Nelson could see fairly well as he looked in his side mirror without his night vision monocular. Behind him, Michelle eased up to the back of the trailer and stopped. In the driveway, Ashley pulled ahead enough for Nancy to pull the Blazer and trailer out. Driving around Matt’s trailer, Nancy pulled out of the driveway and stopped behind Michelle.
Matt started Ashley’s car and pulled it in the far bay. He got out, hitting the alarm and the garage doors. They started rolling down as Matt ducked under them and trotted to his truck.
A tap on Nelson’s window scared the shit out of him. Whipping his head around, he found Gerald looking at him and rolled down the window. “I’m doing a count, then we are gone,” he said and walked away.
Nelson rolled up the window and pulled his pistol out, put it between his legs, and turned to see Gerald at Matt’s truck. Seeing Gerald walking back, Nelson turned to Zeus. “It’s time to go,” he said and reached over to rub Zeus’ massive head. Seeing Gerald walking back, Nelson reached down and turned on his CB and flipped it to channel twenty. As he walked by, Gerald gave him a thumbs up.
After Gerald climbed in his Bronco, Nelson heard him over the CB. “This is one; I’m pulling out,” Gerald called out.
Nelson grabbed his handset. “This is two following,” he said and put the truck in gear, slowly following as the others called out. Looking in his side mirror, Nelson saw all of them following. Gerald drove out to the stop sign at the main road, and there was light traffic—nothing like normal but still a few cars.
“This is one. Turn on your lights till we get to the back roads,” Gerald called out.
“This is two, copy,” Nelson called out, turning on his lights as the others answered, and lights popped on behind him. Reaching up, he turned off the monocular.
There were no cars coming when Gerald pulled out, and everyone quickly followed him away from town. Glancing in the side mirror, Nelson could see their convoy evenly spaced behind him. He looked up and saw a car heading toward town and looked at his mirror again but didn’t see any traffic behind him other than his group.
It wasn’t long until Gerald turned off the highway onto a small blacktop. They only had to travel ten miles on the highway, but it seemed much further. As he turned, following Gerald, he looked in his mirror to make sure the others were following. Seeing all of them, Nelson sighed with relief.
They traveled several miles down the small road when the CB went off. “This is one. Stop and turn off your lights, and turn on your eye. Call when ready.”
Turning off his lights and reaching up to turn on the monocular, Nelson lowered it over his left eye. Like always, he was stunned to look at the world with a green tinge but with a sharp, clean image.
“This is two. I’m up,” he said into the CB, and slowly, the others answered.
“This is one. I’m moving; speed will be forty,” Gerald called out.
“This is two following,” Nelson said, followed by the others.
Slowly picking up speed, Nelson let Gerald get half a mile ahead of him before putting the speedometer on forty. Hitting the cruise control, he settled back in his seat and looked around as they drove through the hills of Missouri.
A little voice suddenly came over the CB, startling him. “This is four. Radio check,” Gavin called out.
“This is one,” Gerald called out.
“This is two,” Nelson answered.
“This is three,” Michelle called out.
“This is five at the back,” Matt called out.
As he put the handset down, Nelson made a mental note to thank Nancy for including Gavin. They weaved down several different small, blacktop roads for an hour with Gavin calling out checks and to switch channels. Then, Gerald came on the CB, announcing another turn on their first dirt road of the night.
Everyone answered as Nelson slowed for the turn. He had to take the turn wide with his long-ass trailer, and it still dipped off the road. Looking ahead, he could barely make out Gerald’s truck in the distance, and he grabbed the handset. “This is two. One, need to slow down; losing sight of you,” he called out and immediately saw brake
lights.
“Copy, two,” Gerald responded.
“This is five. Finished the turn, but keep it slow. It’s dusty back here,” Matt said.
“This is one. Speed thirty,” Gerald called out.
Just when Nelson was about to talk in the headset, Gavin’s voice came over the CB. “I see cop lights to our right way off.”
“This is one. Pull up and stop,” Gerald called out, and Nelson didn’t bother to answer as he pulled up behind Gerald. Turning to his right, his monocular picked up a strobe way off in the distance. Reaching down to the light control, he turned the cab light off then got out.
He grabbed his rifle and reached under his seat and grabbed his map. Closing his door and putting the sling over his head, he walked up to the front of his truck and climbed up on the massive bumper, looking toward the strobe he had seen. This high up, his right eye could now make out blue, flashing lights.
Figuring they were about four miles away, he looked down at his map. “It’s two cop cars,” Gerald said, walking up.
Finding where they were, Nelson moved his finger out, stopping at the only road the cops could be on. “That’s a small state blacktop. What the hell are they doing there?” Nelson said, jumping down.
Gerald took the map as Michelle, Nancy, and Matt walked up. “It’s two state troopers,” Matt said.
“Yeah, but what the hell are they doing out here? That blacktop road is smaller than the one we turned off of,” Nelson said, looking toward the lights.
“Don’t have my squad car radio, so I can’t tell you,” Matt said.
Walking over to Gerald, Nelson asked, “Gerald, is there any way they could track us with us using the CBs?” Nelson asked.
Thinking about it, Gerald nodded. “There really isn’t much traffic, and most I’ve heard were people at home. If they were concentrating on mobile transitions, I guess it’s possible.”
“Hey now, I think you two are getting a little paranoid here. There is no way they are looking for people leaving the city,” Matt said. “Mobile CBs don’t transmit but ten miles, fifteen at the most, and that’s with everything perfect. You realize the manpower resources it would take to set up for the government to monitor trying to catch people leaving the city. ”
Forgotten Forbidden America: Rise of Tyranny Page 16