by Bruno Miller
Joel pointed. “What’s that?”
Ben pulled his M24 from under the back seat and positioned it out the window, using the side mirror as a rest. Using the scope, he scanned the camp and surrounding area. A mile or so off the exit sat a dozen or so white tents in an open field.
There were other temporary structures as well as a couple trailers and supply trucks. The whole encampment was surrounded by chain-link fence and was a few acres in size. A plywood watchtower stood near what looked like the main entrance to the camp. There was a Humvee parked to one side of the gate and a fortified checkpoint built out of sandbags on the right side of the entrance with two people guarding it.
“It’s a FEMA camp!” Ben sighed and sat back in his seat.
Allie leaned forward between the front seats. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“I’m not sure. It depends if they have supplies or if they’ve run out. It also depends on how they’re running the place.” Ben knew they needed water, and if they had supplies to give out, it might be worth a closer look. But the last thing he was going to do was drive their supply-loaded truck up to the front gate. If the camp was running low on provisions, the National Guard wouldn’t hesitate for one second to confiscate their truck or their gear. He wasn’t even sure if it was worth approaching the camp at all. But if FEMA did have food and water to give out, they would be foolish not to take advantage of that.
“Maybe the group from the church ended up there.” Allie’s voice was hopeful. Ben hated to admit it, but they could have.
“Only if they got a ride from someone. This is a long way to walk from the church,” he answered.
“Well, what are we doing?” Joel asked.
Ben thought for a moment. “Drive up to that section of woods there and park in the shade while I think this through.” Fortunately, there was a section of dense woods along the highway before the exit that led to the camp. They could hide the truck there and stay out of sight for now, at least until he could decide on a plan of action.
Allie wouldn’t be satisfied unless they checked the place out, and he could understand that. The possibility that her only remaining family member could be at the FEMA camp was something she wouldn’t be able to let go of—and for good reason. How could he deny her the chance to look for her mother?
Based on what they knew, Pittsburgh was off the table now, and they weren’t going to have to spend a day or more looking for her father. He felt like this was the least he could do for her. How bad could it be? Searching the FEMA camp would be far easier than running the gauntlet of downtown Pittsburgh and trying to find her dad.
As Joel approached the wooded area, he slowed down and eased the Blazer off the road and through the tall grass and overgrowth until he found a spot that was hidden from both the road and the camp.
“This is good. Go ahead and shut it off.” Ben opened his door and stepped out into the knee-high vegetation. Gunner stood up impatiently on the back seat, whining as he waited for an opportunity to squeeze out of the truck.
“Hang on, boy,” Allie said as she got out behind Ben. But Gunner was too anxious and made his way out on Joel’s side of the truck instead of waiting for her. Joel was barely out of the truck himself when Gunner hit the ground and took off through the tall grass.
“You’d never know his leg was injured.” Joel shook his head as he walked around to the other side of the truck, where his dad and Allie were standing.
“So what’s the plan?” Allie asked.
Ben could tell she was anxious to search the camp, and rightfully so, but they had to think this through.
“Joel, I want you to stay here with Gunner. Allie and I will walk to the camp from here.” Ben took his pistol, still in the holster, from his belt and put it on the passenger’s seat along with his pocket knife.
“We’re going to get searched, so we need to leave everything here, Allie.”
She nodded and took her pistol out as well and placed it on the seat next to his.
“Why do I have to stay here?” Joel asked.
“I need you to stay here and keep an eye on things, buddy. We’re not going to be gone long. I don’t want to spend any more time here than we have to. Besides, they won’t let Gunner in,” Ben answered.
“Well, at least we can keep in touch with the radio,” Joel said.
Ben shook his head. “Nope. If I walk in there with a radio, they’ll know someone else is out here. I also don’t want them to confiscate it. We’re going in there with nothing more than the clothes on our backs. I want you to set up in the woods—somewhere out of sight but somewhere you can see us approach the gate. We may need to get out of here in a hurry. If things go south, I’ll give you a signal.”
“Like what?”
Ben thought for a second. “How about I rub my neck like this?” Ben rubbed at the back of his neck as if he were trying to work out a kink. “You’ll be able to see that easily if you use the scope on the M24.”
Joel nodded. “Got it.”
“If you see me doing that, assume the worst.” Ben put his hand on Joel’s shoulder. “You’ll be all right. With any luck, we’ll be back within the hour. I still want to push for Pennsylvania today.”
Ben recognized the look on Joel’s face and knew he was disappointed at his role in this plan, but it was the smart thing to do. If it weren’t for the possibility of finding Allie’s mother, he’d suck it up and push on past the camp. It wouldn’t be fun, but they’d make it to another water source.
They heard Gunner coming long before they could see him, the dense weeds giving away his location as they parted in his wake. Gunner finally emerged at their feet, panting heavily and covered in seeds and plant matter. He seemed pleased with himself and didn’t waste any time putting his paws up on the sill of the open truck door. Looking back at Ben and the kids, he waited for a boost up.
“No, Gunner! We’re staying here.” Joel sighed. The dog slowly put his front feet back on the ground and sat down, uncertain of what was happening.
“Stay alert. We’ll be back as soon as we can. I’m counting on you, Joel.” Ben looked him in the eye and nodded before heading out.
Allie turned to follow him but stopped. Without saying a word, she stepped back toward Joel and gave him a hug. She turned away and quickly followed the trail Ben had started through the overgrown vegetation.
Gunner started along behind them until Joel called the dog back. Ben turned to watch a reluctant Gunner return to Joel at the truck. Joel already had the M24 over his shoulder and was locking up the Blazer.
Ben and Allie fought their way through the dense overgrowth and headed back to the road. They could have cut through the woods and taken a more direct route to the camp, but he didn’t want to give away Joel’s location.
Better to have the soldiers think they had come from the road, just to be on the safe side. He didn’t like leaving Joel alone, but there was no telling what they would find once they got to the FEMA camp.
If martial law had been imposed, they would be at the mercy of the soldiers. This certainly wasn’t the smartest thing he’d ever done. He just couldn’t bring himself to say no to Allie. This was the only hope the poor girl had left.
The FEMA camp came into view as they passed the edge of the woods. They continued along the shoulder of the interstate until they reached the exit ramp. They were less than a mile from the front gate and out in the open. Ben was sure they had been spotted by now. He hated how exposed and defenseless he felt, but this was the way it had to be.
“Let me do most of the talking, okay? We need to give them as little information as we can. I think the best thing to do is play dumb.” Ben remembered the name of the last town they recently passed.
“Okay.”
“If they ask, we’ll tell them we’re from Pleasant Grove. It’s a town we passed not too long ago. If they find out we’re from Colorado, they’ll know we didn’t walk here,” Ben said.
“Do you really think they woul
d take the truck and our stuff?” Allie asked.
“I know they would. Running vehicles are in short supply. I have no doubt they’re under orders to seize all assets. If they’ve imposed martial law, that means curfews and the suspension of civil law and civil rights for civilians,” Ben answered.
“So basically, we have no rights.” Allie frowned.
“I’m afraid so. And that’s why the less they know, the better off we are.” It dawned on Ben that he didn’t know who they were looking for. After all this time together, he didn’t even know Allie’s last name.
“By the way, what’s your mom’s name?”
“Sandra. Sandra Young, but she goes by Sandy.”
“I better know who I’m looking for in case they ask. I doubt the soldiers will know the names of the people there, but they should have a list. Depends how they’re running things.”
They were within a couple hundred yards of the gate now, and the two soldiers standing guard came out from under the shade of the watchtower to intercept them.
There was a soldier in the tower as well, who was checking them out through a pair of binoculars. All three were carrying weapons. Ben heard a generator running in the background somewhere, beyond the trailers located at the front of the compound.
As he and Allie got closer, they passed a sign that was mounted to a four-by-four wooden post dug into the ground. Ben read the warning to himself as they passed.
THIS FACILITY HAS BEEN DECLARED A RESTRICTED AREA ACCORDING TO THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE DIRECTIVE ISSUED UNDER THE PROVISION OF SEC. 21 INTERNAL SECURITY ACT. UNAUTHORIZED ENTRY IS PROHIBITED. ALL PERSONS AND VEHICLES ENTERING HEREIN ARE LIABLE TO SEARCH AND SEIZURE.
The last sentence on the sign was written in bold red letters.
USE OF DEADLY FORCE AUTHORIZED.
Allie must have read the sign as well, and she gave Ben a nervous look.
“It’ll be okay. Just let me do the talking unless they ask you something directly. If they do, keep it short,” he instructed.
Chapter Twenty-One
Ben made eye contact with the two soldiers as they approached and read their name tags.
The first to reach them was a woman with the name Ford on her ID tag, and Ben saw that she was the higher-ranking of the two, even though she was only a corporal. The lower-ranking private followed close behind. His last name was Price and he was a young man that couldn’t have been long out of boot camp.
Ben noticed a few things right away that seemed a little off. Both of their uniforms were a mess, and the private’s hair was a little long for Army regulations, especially for a boot. Ben was willing to chalk that up to the current state of affairs. With all that was going on, keeping up appearances probably wasn’t a top concern.
He still couldn’t help but think about the butt-chewing he would have received for looking like that when he was in. But the one thing that stood out the most to him and didn’t add up, no matter how he tried to rationalize it, was the private’s weapon. The corporal had a standard-issue M4, while the kid was carrying a civilian-style AR15 similar to Joel’s but with a few obvious custom modifications.
The only reasoning Ben could come up with was the possibility that they were short of weapons and it had been confiscated for use. It still didn’t sit right with him, though, and he was beginning to grow more suspicious by the minute.
“Hold there!” The corporal pointed to a spray-painted orange line on the ground several yards back from the chain-link gate. “Are you carrying any weapons?”
“No,” Ben stated.
Without warning, the private approached and began to pat him down while the corporal gave Allie the same treatment.
“Arms up,” the private ordered. Ben and Allie both complied and remained that way as they continued the search.
“What do we have here?” The woman stopped her hand over Allie’s back pocket and fished out the small knife Ben had given her.
“I… I forgot that was in there. I swear.” Allie apologized and looked at Ben sheepishly.
The corporal held the knife for a moment, and then, to Ben’s surprise, she stuffed it into her own pocket. He was pretty sure that wasn’t protocol.
“You in the Army?” the young private asked. He had obviously seen Ben’s tattoos during the search.
“Yeah, got out a long time ago. Best day of my life was the day I got my DD-318,” Ben quipped.
Allie shot him a confused look.
“Yeah, cool.” The private grinned.
“Billy!” The corporal barked, clearly irritated at the kid. “Where are you guys coming from?”
“Pleasant Grove.” Ben would have asked them if they had any food or water to give out, and he would have also asked if they had anyone there by the name of Sandra Young, but he knew it was pointless.
These weren’t Army National Guard soldiers. They were imposters.
He slowly lowered his arms from the search and rubbed at his neck for a few seconds before returning them to his side.
Neither one of them had corrected him when he mentioned the DD-318. The certificate of release or discharge from active duty form was actually called a DD-214. It was common knowledge to anyone who had served or was currently serving, regardless of branch. And they would have called him out on that glaring mistake.
He’d known something was wrong from the moment they’d approached the camp. The place was undermanned. Other than these two and the one in the tower, he had only seen two other uniformed people walking around.
But before Ben could give it any more thought, Allie spoke up, unaware of the danger they were in.
“We’re looking for my mom, Sandy Young. Do you have a list of the people here?”
Ben cringed as she spoke. She must have been so nervous that she failed to notice him signal Joel. Hopefully, Joel had seen it.
“No, we don’t have a list, but you can look for yourself,” the woman said.
“No, actually, we’re okay. We should get going back home.” Ben put his hand on Allie’s shoulder and began to pull her backward.
But before he could take another step, the woman lowered her gun and trained it on them. “Oh no, I insist. Come on. This way,” she demanded.
The kid had his rifle pointed at them as well now and motioned toward the gate with the tip of his gun.
Ben and Allie held their hands up and did as they were instructed. Joel would know now without a doubt that they were in trouble. As they were forced past the gated entrance, Ben mulled over their situation.
He couldn’t believe he had allowed himself to get into this position. Had he listened to his gut, they would have avoided the place altogether. He also wondered what had happened to the real National Guard soldiers and FEMA workers that set up the camp. He wasn’t sure what kind of game these fakers were playing here or what their angle was.
What purpose would they have with taking prisoners? Even if this group had overrun the original camp personnel, why would they stay? Why wouldn’t they take whatever supplies were here and move on?
A lot of ideas and questions flashed through his mind as he tried to make some kind of sense of all this, but none of it really mattered.
What mattered now was finding a way out of here and getting back to Joel.
Chapter Twenty-Two
As Ben and Allie were marched through the camp at gunpoint, Ben noticed signs of a gunfight. Some of the trailers they passed, as well as the tents, were riddled with bullet holes.
He also noticed one of the trailers had an air-conditioning unit on top that was running. The long PVC drain line that ran down to the ground from the roof dripped water onto the otherwise dry ground and made a small puddle. It only served as a reminder of how thirsty he was and added to his frustration.
Whoever was behind all this was most likely in that trailer. He tried to commit the camp layout to memory as much as possible while they weaved their way through the rows of white tents.
They emerged into a small clearing on th
e far side of the camp, where a lone tent was isolated from the rest of the compound by a chain-link fence and a locked gate.
The kid trying to pass himself off as a private ran ahead and unlocked the chain that ran through the gate. He swung the door open wide and waited for them to catch up.
“In there,” the woman ordered.
Ben felt the rifle barrel in his back as she pushed him toward the opening. Allie was in front of him and entered first. He reluctantly followed her inside the enclosure and turned around to face their captors.
The gate slammed shut, and the woman kept the gun pointed at them until the kid got the chain passed through the mesh and locked in place. Without saying a word, the two imposters quickly turned and disappeared into the maze of tents through which they’d just come.
“Why would they do this?” Allie questioned. “Why?”
“They’re not Army. I’m not sure what’s going on, but I know that.” Ben turned to look at the large white tent that was in their enclosed area.
“Who are they then?” Allie looked at him.
“I don’t know, but we need to figure out how to get out of here.” Ben wished that was his only worry, but he found himself equally concerned about what action Joel would take. Both kids had been through a lot, and they had both shown maturity beyond what Ben had hoped. But expecting Joel to get them out of this was asking too much.
He and Allie approached the oversized tent. It was large enough to fit several vehicles, but as they could see through an opening in the canvas, it was filled with cots on the ground.
They slowly entered the tent and got out of the afternoon sun, although it was just as hot, if not hotter, inside the tent. There was no air circulation and a musty smell filled the air. The tent was empty, but many of the cots had personal items on them or nearby on the floor. It was obvious that people were sleeping here, as more than a dozen of the cots were unmade and showed signs of use.
“Where is everybody?” Allie asked.
Just then, a diesel engine, like that of a large truck, roared to life. It sounded like it was coming from the road they came in on. It continued to get closer until it slowed to an idle and eventually went quiet.