“What about the big guy, Pop?”
“Help him!” his father yelled as he finally found a spot to turn the Magnum around. The Hemi engine roared to make up for lost time.
Xander methodically dropped the dead closest to the stranger, buying him precious space and time. X could tell by his body language that the big dude was initially confused by his foes falling from apparent gunshot wounds. The shots did not match the movements of the two guys that jumped out of the big 4x4 from the north. He noticed them, but he had his hands full at the moment. He would deal with them shortly, he thought.
For the first time, he noticed the van on the other side of the road. He saw muzzle flashes coming from the top. But, he heard nothing. He nodded his head to the shooter on top of the van in respect & appreciation. X immediately liked the new guy. He kept firing.
The Magnum pulled in just behind the stranger's truck. Mitch & Jimmie came out bucking. Mitch yelled at the stranger "GET DOWN!!!" and the giant immediately ate concrete. The remaining dead came under withering assault. A 180-degree wall of hot lead. It was over in less than a minute.
X heard his father yelling "CEASE FIRE! CEASE FIRE!
Chapter 5- Aftermath
“Need a SitRep NOW!" Mitch shouted.
Tommy spoke up first. "Granddad's truck is dead. Radiator caught some lead, but they’re OK." Brandon looked away guiltily at the mention of the radiator being shot. Mitch bought that truck for his Grandfather. The Blender would hear about that later. He will surely be the butt of many jokes about his shooting for a long time.
Mitch was now in his element, barking orders and bringing order to the chaos.
"Get them to the Magnum and transfer their bags. X! To me. Bring Bravo."
"Lisa! What do you see?"
Lisa checked her drone feed. "Got a flock approaching from the south. About 100 shufflers. ETA 10 minutes. Other than that a few stragglers to the north and east. They will be here within five."
Having heard their sister, Brandon and Tommy got their grandparents into the Magnum and proceeded to set a perimeter to the north and east. Then they stood watch with blades drawn to keep the noise down after their deafening entrance.
The big dude of pink bat fame was now standing up after shifting the pile of the dead that accumulated on top of him while the newcomers hosed them with bullets. Mitch approached, flanked by Jimmie on the right and Xander and Bravo to his left, to the rear of Jimmie slightly in a modified v-formation. The stranger stood to his full height. He was even more impressive up close. Having recovered his 9mm-the slide still back on an empty magazine-- he was attempting to appear non-threatening to the folks carrying far superior fire power. But his sheer mass betrayed the effort. His body language spoke volumes. This man was confident in his might and ability. He was clever enough to know that he was outgunned, too, but still, he did not seem nervous, at all. Tired? Yes. Exhausted even. But not nervous.
"You got a name?" Mitch queried.
The helmeted man nodded. Mitch did not immediately press him for an answer.
"I'm Mitch Ransom." He pointed to his right. "This is Jimmie, and that's Xander."
The man removed his helmet, and what they saw raised more than a few eyebrows. The giant was a kid. Couldn't have been more than 18.
"Damn, son. How old are you?" Jimmie asked.
"Who are you calling 'son'?" the young man said in a low, threatening voice.
A leashless Bravo stood and began to growl at this sign of aggression. The young man looked at the 140 pound dog as if he had not noticed him earlier. With all the hardware the team brandished, it was not surprising. He changed his tone immediately.
Smart kid, Mitchell thought. A bit hot-headed, but smart.
"My name is Joshua Jackson," the young man stated flatly. Exhaustion was taking hold.
“Well, Joshua Jackson. Why were you trailing my family?”
The trio tensed at the question- prepared to respond to a wrong answer. Bravo sensed the change in atmosphere and his hackles raised, accompanied by another menacing, sustained growl. Joshua raised his hands and showed open palms.
”Woah, folks. I saw them go by. They looked like they were in distress. So, I trailed them to see if I could help. I stayed back so that I wouldn't scare them. When the dead came, I knew they wouldn't make it without assistance. I saw the old guy on the phone. Just didn't know he had this kind of help on the way.” He moved his hands to indicate the group as he said this kind of help .
“Six minutes, Dad!” Lisa yelled as she cranked the ProMaster to go down the road to cross over to the northbound lane to retake their position in the column. That was the ETA for the flock moving north toward them. The team trusted that she knew the coast was clear because of the airborne drone. X still walked to the road to keep an eye on his sister. He commanded Bravo to remain with his dad & Jimmie. He knew it was overkill. Young Joshua was one errant flinch away from the great beyond in front of the two older men.
“Clock is ticking, young man. You put yourself on the line to save my people. That earns you a chance. Can we escort you home to your family?” The word “family” hit Joshua like a physical blow & tore the remaining energy from him, slumping his broad shoulders. “No family.” the young man said. Tears threatened to overtake him.
“Ok. Same reason, different chance. You can ride with us.” He wasn’t really giving Joshua a choice. Jimmie looked at Mitch as if to ask “You sure?” and received a nearly imperceptible nod in return.
Just then, the ProMaster pulled up. Lisa jumped out to land the drone for retrieval. “The flock has slowed because it got quiet. Four minutes,” she said as the drone landed smoothly. Joshua watched Lisa carefully, obviously surprised to find a beautiful young woman in this group of heavily-armed men. He wiped his face self-consciously, lifted his shoulders and stuck out his chest. His preoccupation was interrupted by threatening stares and raised weapons of the team. Even the massive hound had quietly gotten closer- within easy striking distance. He swallowed hard, knowing his eyes had taken him into very dangerous territory. He quickly apologized.
“Get in the van, young man. Tread carefully,” Mitch said. The threat was unmistakable.
X yelled “Bravo. Guard.” and pointed to Lisa. Bravo dutifully loped over to Lisa. She looked at Xander incredulously. “Really, dude?”
“Weapons,” Jimmie said taking the nine, knife, and bat from Joshua. Then, he patted him down. “He’s clean. All yours, Xander.”
Jimmie smiled at the sour look on X’s face, knowing even a guy Joshua’s size could easily become a speed bump if he looked at Lisa again. X marched him to the van at gunpoint. Bravo was keeping his body between Joshua and Lisa. The smile on Lisa’s face was almost invisible behind her shock of thick, curly hair as she kept her head down, packing away the drone.
X directed Joshua to sit on the hard bench seat in the back. “Bravo! In!” The mastiff jumped in the back, now face-to-face with Joshua. Xander slammed the van door, cutting off Joshua’s strained and whispered complaints. Everyone smiled as they mounted up for the ride home.
Chapter 6- Backstory
Mitch Ransom had become a prepper seven years earlier in 2017. In January of that year, the 45th President of the United States was sworn in. Mitch wasn’t very fond of his policy positions, but he had won and he was the man in the Oval Office. It quickly became apparent that things were unraveling nationally. Mitch knew that American collapse had been imminent for a long time. This new level of instability was the final blow to a reeling giant. The dead walking was just shitty icing on a shitty cake.
Social & economic unrest became the new normal . In less stable societies, the unwanted quickly become the unprotected. This included minorities, immigrants, the elderly, disabled people, and the poor. As the Black father of a biracial family living in deep red Alabama, his priority had to be their protection.
Mitch was a combat veteran and had been an avid shooter his entire adult life. So the gun part of prepping came n
aturally to him. He had a good job and prepping was a hobby, more or less. A piece here, a piece there… His wife Nadia was a thrifty European woman and not a big fan of guns. She managed the money in the household. Therefore, she was the boss and she held the purse strings, but he still managed to collect a few items & supplies.
It all changed that Spring. Mitch was writing as a hobby for a political website. After doing some research, he decided to pitch book publishing to the people that ran the site. He did his research and gave an excellent presentation. It was a group of writers and editors, so there was no shortage of content- anthologies, short stories, books, series, blogs.
Within a few months, they had a catalog of over 100 titles and growing. It was a rousing success, to say the least. As a writer and partner, Mitch was doing pretty well. The best thing about all of this success was that Mitch cut a deal with Nadia before a single book was ever sold. He could keep fifty percent of everything that came from the publishing venture for himself. No questions asked. They both had good jobs and a decent amount of savings. Cash flow would not be a major issue. Neither of them expected much.
By Christmas 2017, Mitch had amassed quite a chunk of money. The catalog had grown to over 1000 titles- books, video, and audio. He had also become a best-selling author. He was pulling in over $10k each month from royalties. He sold the movie rights to one of his books for eight million dollars. He quit his job that day before the ink was dry. He wanted to write and run the publishing company full time, but the truth was things were getting bad around the country, and his prepping took on greater significance.
He sat down individually with all of his closest friends. Many were martial artists and special operations veterans or had some other unique skill set. (Mitch had lived a fascinating life). He told them about a plan to create a self-sufficient compound that could become “off the grid” at the flip of a switch.
It would be a place that was secure and could sustain life in the worst of circumstances. Not just the basics- food, water, and shelter. It would have wild game, fish, efficient farm animals, fresh water, solar power, secure storage for dry goods, ammunition, medicine, water, and various replacement parts and spares. He wanted a main house, several out buildings, space for recreational vehicles, vehicle maintenance, and a field medical facility.
Vehicles had to be carefully selected: internal facility vehicles- Tractor, ATVs, and bikes; external vehicles- cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs. Inner and outer communications- satellite, cellular, internet, wi-fi, intranet, shortwave, etc.
He carefully selected weapons based on reliability, durability, availability of repair parts & ammunition. He and his family trained, and they became quite proficient.
Mitch took several months to select the right parcel of land. He wanted at least one sizable pond, enough space for several farming plots with good soil, and much more.
He finally found what he wanted in Jackson County, AL.
Chapter 7- Home
The three vehicles pulled into the gravel parking area in front of the main house. Waiting on the porch was Nadia, the European-born, blonde beauty who ran The House. She was also Mitch’s beloved wife and soulmate, and they loved each other beyond words, passionate, profound love that sought only the survival of their family and friends. Their children and grandchildren were all on the compound, and the couple spends every possible moment together with all decisions made in consultation with one another.
However, they each have different responsibilities. Mitch is in charge of safety, security and external activities while The House is Nadia’s domain. She has unquestioned authority here. (That’s safer for everyone.) She is not large in stature, but she takes a backseat to no one when it comes to courage and tenacity. The 9mm pistol on her hip and the H&K MP-5 on a lanyard were not for show. Neither is the concealed 22LR pistol stowed in the small of her back. She is fast and deadly accurate- against the living and the dead. Only one enemy exists- anyone or anything that means harm to her family and friends.
By her side was her faithful pooch, Reign. The dog was getting old in mastiff years, muzzle full of gray hair. She was 9 and the mother of the three other dogs on the compound. Her final litter. The dog was still a formidable foe. One hundred and fifty pounds and most of it was still muscle. She spent her days as Nadia’s constant companion and protector, following her from room-to-room, building-to-building. Mitch often thought to himself that when Reign dies, Nadia will be inconsolable.
She warmly greeted Erick and Lynnette as Brandon and Xander escorted them into the house, carrying their bags.
“Go get some rest. Your suite is ready. I'll get you some food whenever you are up for it.”
As they went inside, Erick stopped to look at Nadia and Mitch.
“Thank you both so much.”
“No problem, Pop.”
Nadia smiled. A genuine, heartwarming expression that made everyone feel better in the moment. Lynnette said “Let’s get moving, Erick. It's time for your meds.” She saved him from the potential embarrassment of the manly tears welling in his eyes and they quietly made their way indoors.
Mitch and Nadia snatched this moment alone to exchange a passionate kiss. “Welcome home, Old Man.” She smiled. “Glad to be home, Beautiful. I'm looking forward to my welcome home.” He whispered quietly in her ear. She slapped his chest saying “Prevert,” mispronouncing the word pervert purposely, an inside joke. They both laughed softly, thinking of their most intimate moments and moments yet to be.
“Ahem.” Jimmie cleared his throat wearing a wry smile. He had young Joshua with him and his shotgun out, ready but non-threatening. Bravo was on the other side of Joshua prepared to cut off potential flight.
“Welcome home, Jimmie.” Nadia smiled.
“Thank you, Sis.”
Nadia eyed the young man before her, as if she were weighing his very soul. She stepped off the porch toward the massive youth. Reign moved to join her. Nadia stayed the dog’s progress with a hand signal. Joshua was visibly relieved. He'd had his fill of big dogs for the day.
She stood before Joshua.
“He is a big one,” Nadia said recalling the earlier sat phone conversation with her husband.
“That he is,” Mitch said, absently patting Reign’s head trying to calm her protective instincts.
“Joshua, is it?”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he said.
“Manners. Excellent,” she remarked. “What's your plan, Joshua?”
“Don't really have one. Your husband told me I should leave with the group. Had nowhere else to go.”
“The man has a soft spot for strays.” Everyone from the compound smiled at that – everyone except Mitch who stared in feigned disbelief.
Nadia continued “Family?”
Joshua took a deep breath. Dropped his head, quietly exhaled and spoke one barely audible word- “No.” There was no anger or malice in the utterance. Just oceans of painful loss and helplessness. She knew enough for now.
Nadia put her hand on his arm to calm him. He was thankful. He visibly relaxed.
“You are not much older than our Lisa,” she said to the young man.
“And he won't get much older if he goes near her,” Xander said as he came out of the house, flanked by Carl.
Mitch and Carl greeted each other with their old school dap/half-hug ritual, genuinely happy to see one another. They both frowned at Xander as they turned to watch Nadia talk to the kid.
X’s comments changed the entire atmosphere as Joshua bristled at the threat. The tension was returning to his massive shoulders. Nadia stepped closer to the young man.
“Ignore him,” she said shortly. “However, if you intend to harm my baby girl, men and big-ass dogs will be the least of your worries.”
The threat was unmistakable in her tone and stature and he had no problem believing she could make good on such a threat.
“No, Ma’am. Not at all. She's really pretty. That’s all.” he blurted out. He was suddenly embarrassed a
nd uncomfortable.
“What big boy say!?!” Xander exclaimed. Walking toward Joshua and his mother. Without turning, Nadia raised her hand toward the approaching man. He froze in his tracks. X had no intention of facing her wrath.
“Shut up, dumb ass,” Tommy said to his younger brother as he approached with his family. Dinner time was nearing. Everyone relaxed and smiled. Even X.
Nadia turned to Jimmie, who had not budged, ready to cut the boy down if he made a wrong move.
“It’s OK.” “
You sure?” he responded. She answered with a slight nod and a smile.
“Ok. I’m going to get showered up for dinner.” He headed to his RV.
“Equipment check. Weapons cleaned and mags reloaded.” Mitch reminded the team. He didn't need to but he always did.
They Were Ready: The Zombie Apocalypse in Black- Book 1 Page 2