Cooper nodded, “That makes sense. We should go through this list and identify if one of us has the item, who is on point to get it, and any changes or modifications we need to make as we go through it, right?”
Everyone indicated agreement and Dranko added, “This list was also designed for a unit of four people. Given we have five, we will have to make allowances.”
“Let’s try and double things, just to be safe,” Angela offered.
“I agree, that is a good idea,” Calvin answered. Cooper and Dranko nodded, as well.
They set to work and began the tedious task of reviewing the list and taking assignments.Not surprisingly, Dranko already possessed most things on the list. They agreed that Angela would help Dranko gather the items on his list, since it was much longer than everyone else’s.
The discussion over which firearms to bring, and which to leave behind, quickly turned into a debate. Dranko kept pushing for ‘caliber standardization’; meaning that their weapons should all use the same ammunition to make supplying them easier. Cooper argued strongly for a wider variety of weapons so that they had the ‘right tools for different situations.’ After ten minutes of back and forth, Calvin offered a compromise that everyone was satisfied with. They would standardize on two rifle calibers: 5.56mm for the battle carbines that most would carry and 7.62 for the FAL that Cooper carried and two hunting rifles that could double as poor man’s sniper rifles in a pinch. For pistols, they would standardize to the common 9mm round, except Cooper insisted on retaining his pistol that fired the fast moving, and penetrating, .357SIG round. Finally, they agreed to bring three shotguns that fired the ubiquitous twelve-gauge shell.
“This means I’ll have to swap out the AK-47 for one of the AR-15s, right?” Calvin asked.
“Actually, we can swap it for an M4. After we had defeated those soldiers who attacked us before we hit Ethan Mitchell’s place, I distributed one M4 to each barricade, but I kept four on hand in reserve. I haven’t had time to distribute them.”
“What’s an M4?” Jake asked.
“It’s what our soldiers carry. It’s an updated version of the M16,” Dranko answered.
Cooper stroked his chin, “So, we can easily take those four M4s without even having to argue with the neighbors about it?”
“I think so,” Calvin answered.
“That will be some good firepower to have on hand as those are selective fire,” Cooper added.
“Selective fire?” Angela asked.
“You can fire it semi-automatic; one pull of the trigger means one bullet downrange. Or, you can put it on ‘burst’ fire and one pull will send three bullets at the bad guys,” Cooper offered. Angela and Calvin both nodded in understanding.
They continued reviewing the list until Calvin had a question, “Paul, you have on this list not one, but two, portable bucket toilets. With only five of us, why take up the space of having two?”
Dranko smiled, “It’s a little gross, so I’m glad we aren’t doing this over breakfast. The reason for two is that if you keep your liquid and your solid waste separated, it doesn’t stink as bad as when you mix them.”
Calvin let out a deep laugh, “Yes, that is gross. But, I agree, it’s worth having two on hand!”
After the laughter subsided, Angela asked a different question, “I’m noticing that for so many things…water and water purification…things to start a fire with…tools…first aid supplies…your list has at least three different things that do the same, or similar, things.”
Dranko’s face lit up, “Good observation. When you are getting prepared for providing for yourself, there’s a saying that ‘one is none, two is one, and three is best’. It just means that if you only have one way to provide something, you are screwed if you lose it, so at least have two ways to do things and, hopefully, three.”
Angela smiled, “Wow. I guess that’s prepared!”
Dranko shrugged his shoulders, “If you’re gonna do something, you might as well do it right. And, truthfully, it’s not usually that hard to have a back-up or two. I’ll give you an easy example. Take having the ability to start a fire. Some guys I know have a lighter, waterproof matches, and then some expensive fire-starter piece of gear. Me? I just bought a bunch of packages of cheap lighters and spread them throughout all my gear. Plus, I have two good lighters that will work in the wind. I carry one on me all the time and the other is in my vehicle. I feel pretty confident that I will always be able to start a fire, as long as I have fuel available.”
The others were staring at him, “None of that sounded simple, but we’ll take your word for it,” Cooper said.
They continued down the list. “Holy shit, you have night vision,” Cooper exclaimed when he saw that on Dranko’s list.
Dranko frowned, “Sadly, no. I never got the funds together for that. It’s very expensive, but very good to have.”
“What are you guys talking about, please?” Jake interjected.
“Sorry. Night vision is equipment, either a scope on a rifle or like binoculars, that lets you see at night,” Cooper explained.
“Wow, that sounds cool,” the boy exclaimed as his eyes lit up.
“Trust me, I wish we had it. It can be a huge advantage, especially now with the electricity out. The nights are very dark,” Dranko said. He stroked his chin, “When the lead starts to fly, and if one side has it and the other doesn’t, it’s a true force multiplier.”
Cooper pre-empted the next question, “That just means something that doesn’t just add to the effectiveness of your force, but multiplies it.” His eyes drifted for a moment, “Like when Hank Hutchison used that light machinegun when those HUMVEEs attacked us.”
Angela nodded and looked askance at Dranko, “I appreciate the translation, Cooper.” Dranko merely shrugged in response to her acerbic gaze.
The team agreed to use Cooper’s pickup and Dranko’s Jeep Wagoneer as their vehicles for the trip. They would also take one of the motorcycles to use for scouting duties. No one was surprised when Dranko produced maps with three different routes to reach their destination. Everyone agreed that roads would likely be a mess as everyone had heard various reports over the last few weeks about people attempting to flee the plague by heading for the rural areas.
“We need to leave in four hours. I’m worried about another attack,” Cooper said as the conversation winded down.
“We know what we need to do. It is time to get to it,” Calvin added.
**********
The loud clang of metal hitting metal made Cooper whirl around from his pickup bed, where he had just finished loading a box full of foodstuffs. His pistol was in his hand and at the ready.
Angry steam hissed from the cracked radiator from a late model BMW that had crashed into the “No Parking” sign in front of Cooper’s house. He scanned the inside of the vehicle for potential threats. The backseat and passenger seat appeared empty. The driver lay slumped over the steering wheel. Black hair flowed haphazardly over the driver’s head, shielding the face from view. The muted sound of the crash told Cooper that the car had not been speeding when it crashed. In turn, he deduced that any injuries the driver may have were likely sustained earlier.
Cooper moved in a wide arc to flank the driver’s side door, covering the driver all the while. “Out!” He yelled to the driver. The driver’s head lolled briefly, but then came back to rest on the steering wheel. Cooper grunted in frustration.
He waited several seconds before suddenly moving adroitly to the driver’s side door, jerking it open, and grabbing the driver by the shoulder. Still, the driver did not respond. Cooper, fearing injury to this individual more than to himself, pulled the driver slowly back from the steering wheel. The hair fell back to reveal a face soiled in blood. Some was fresh and running crimson, surrounded by splotches that were dried and dark. Cooper let out a gasp when he recognized the driver. Julianne Wheeler’s eyes were only half-open and she appeared barely conscious. Even so, her eyes conveyed electricity t
o his own. He fought, and lost, against the tide of tenderness that washed over him.
He grimaced as he cupped her chin in his hand, “Julianne?” Cooper willed his voice to be steady, but unwanted tenderness leaked through. He immediately clenched his jaw and castigated himself.
Her eyes drifted open. Just like the first time they met, those large pools of brown drew him in and sparked something deep inside him. He saw the faintest flash of recognition across her face.
“Coo…Cooper? Is that you? Did I make it?” Her voice cracked with emotion and warbled in disbelief.
He knelt so he could look at her directly and holstered his pistol. He took her shoulders with both hands to steady her.
“Yes. It’s me.”
Jake appeared at his elbow, “What’s going on dad? I heard the crash.” Cooper turned to him and saw Jake stiffen as he recognized Julianne.
“Get me some water and bandages,” Cooper commanded.
Jake shuffled his feet, caught between obedience and surprise.
“Now!” Cooper barked and Jake took a last look at him and then sped towards their home.
Cooper turned back toward Julianne and began inspecting her injuries more closely, “What happened?” Fortunately, the injuries were on the surface only and appeared grievous because the head and face bled so easily.
Julianne’s eyes looked intently at Cooper as she gained lucidity, “Attacked. I was attacked. In my home.”
Blood flushed up across Cooper’s neck and face, “Who?”
“I don’t know. I barely escaped. Only place…only person I could think of for safety was you.” She looked up at him with glistening eyes. His heart filled with warmth towards her and her plight. She dropped her gaze and continued, choking the words out past a flood of tears, “They came to kill me, Cooper. The worst is...” she paused, gathering herself, and her body rocked in sobbing, “The worst is, I deserved it for what I’ve done.” His emotions roiled, caught between the deep pull she exerted upon him, his sympathy for her, and the rage against the role she had played in unleashing the Brushfire Plague and the death of his wife. That she was overcome with guilt and now understood her folly undermined his anger as it readied itself to boil. After several long seconds of indecision, her deep grief overpowered him and he pulled her into a tight embrace to comfort her.
“Only God or someone much wiser than I, or you, knows if you deserve to die. You should not think like that,” Cooper offered in the way of comfort.
She regained herself and wiped her hand to smudge the tears across her face, “I don’t know. Part of me wishes I had just given up and let them kill me. The other part is happy to still be breathing and to be here,” her eyes probed his. Then, she added, “To be here with you.”
Cooper pulled back, “Don’t talk like that.”
Her anger met his, “You can’t deny what connects us, any more than I can!”
“What connects us is that you helped kill my wife,” Cooper yelled, grabbing her shoulders to tight that she grimaced.
Julianne jerked her shoulders to free herself and then slumped back into the seat, “You’re right. I did.” Her shoulders drooped and her eyes fell to the ground.
He tried to maintain his glare, but softened as long, awkward moments passed. Finally, he shook his head in frustration, “Look. I shouldn’t have said that.”
Her eyes met his once more, as he continued, “But, let me be clear. I don’t want to speak of anything ‘between us’. Do you hear me?” He demanded as he squeezed her shoulders and shook her body. Julianne heard, and Cooper resented, how his words were laden with the tones of desperation a man uses to convince himself of something he knows is not true.
“Yes, yes. I hear you!” Julianne shouted back at him. “Goddammit! Stop shaking me. It hurts!”
Jake arrived with a handful of rags and their first aid kit. Cooper softened his voice, “Let’s get you fixed up. I need to finish packing.”
**********
The sky had clouded over as the day wore into late afternoon and a chill had returned to the air. Dranko’s Wagoneer was in the lead position, with Cooper’s well-worn pickup parked behind it. Absentmindedly, Cooper peeled a fleck of paint from its body, adding to the paint’s losing battle against age. Jake stood right next him, angry eyes fixated on Julianne who leaned up against the tailgate. Jake had voiced his displeasure at his father’s decision to allow Julianne to join. And, voiced loudly. Cooper didn’t fully understand his decision. With desperately conflicting emotions about her, his sense of obligation had tipped the balance.
Angela and Calvin returned from his home with their armloads of gear to be loaded. Their steps hiccupped when they spied the stranger, Julianne. Cooper saw Angela’s eyes flash in anger as she guessed who the mysterious woman was. They continued to the pickup and dumped their loads into the bed.
Calvin extended a warm smile, “And, whom do we have here?”
Angela crossed her arms, “I’m guessing, Julianne Wheeler, the right-hand woman to the man who started this whole mess?”
Calvin’s eyes flew wide open and his mouth dropped open as his smile disappeared.
Cooper straightened up, “Yes, the very one. “
“And, I doubt it matters, but I’m very sorry for what we did,” Julianne offered meekly.
“Sorry! You’re damn right you’re sorry! That’s real. What, are we supposed to do? Forgive you?” Angela shrieked.
Julianne met her gaze, “I don’t ask anything of you. I don’t even have that right. I’m just telling you that the words ‘sorry’ or ‘regret’ don’t nearly capture how I feel about what I have done. Most days, I just wish I was dead,” her voice cracked as she uttered the last words. The depth of her sorrow was such that Angela’s face shifted for a moment from rage to sympathy.
Angela turned to Cooper, “Please tell me you aren’t thinking of letting her come with us?”
“That’s right. I’m not thinking about it. I’ve already decided. She is coming along.”
Angela threw her arms down in disgust, “What? Are you serious? That doesn’t make any…”
Cooper cut her off, “Look, she was attacked this morning. Nearly killed. Leaving her here is a death sentence and…”
“And just what is so wrong with that?” Angela interrupted.
Cooper glared at her, “It’s wrong. I don’t want it on my head. Her being dead won’t bring anyone back.”
“You put a bullet in Mitchell’s head for what he did. Tell me how she’s any different?”
“She just is,” Cooper blurted.
“I see,” Angela said, her eyes burning cold.
“You ain’t saying the best reason to bring her along,” Lily Stott’s demure voice made them both turn in her direction in surprise.
“Yeah, what’s that?” Calvin asked.
“I fear we ain’t heard the last from the government types,” Lily said and then stopped, smiling wryly.
“And?” Angela asked impatiently.
“Ms. Wheeler might know some things we can use.”
“What if she doesn’t?” Angela demanded.
Lily’s smile grew to a shade just shy of sinister, “She’ll make a good bargaining chip.”
Julianne’s face flushed crimson, while everyone else raised their eyebrows in surprise. Jake burst out with a loud cackle. Cooper didn’t like what he heard in his laugh. “It sure is nice to be welcome,” Julianne mumbled as she scrambled to the pickup’s cab, got in, and slammed the door shut.
Angela stepped towards Cooper and jabbed her finger into his chest, “You’re a damn fool, Cooper Adams. She ain’t some stray dog. That woman killed your wife and millions more.” Before he could respond, she brushed past him and deposited herself in Dranko’s Jeep.
Dranko approached, carrying a rifle in each hand. Freddie was in stride behind him, also carrying two rifles. “I need to let you know that…” Cooper began.
Dranko waved him off, “Julianne Wheeler is coming along?”
Dranko grinned, “Two things. Even just catching a glimpse of her, I recognized her. Beauty like she’s got is a rare thing. And, nothing else would get Angela storming around like that. That woman is the most unshakeable woman I’ve ever met.”
Cooper shook his head, “I can’t argue either point.”
“I guess I should tell you that you picked up a stray and so did I. Freddie wants to come with us, too.”
Cooper clapped Freddie on the shoulder, “Glad to have you! Thank you.”
Freddie shrugged, “No need to thank me. I know who’s held this place together. With you and Calvin going,” he paused. “Well, let’s just say I’ve always wanted to live in the booming metropolis of Estacada, Oregon!” The others laughed at Freddie’s deft sarcasm in calling Estacada a city of any size.
“We about ready to roll?” Dranko asked.
“Yeah, I’d say so,” Cooper answered.
Cooper saw Mark and Peter approach and nodded to them. “We wanted to say goodbye. Been on guard duty all afternoon,” Mark called to him. They both wore easy smiles and had their rifles slung across their shoulders.
Cooper grinned, “That’s real good of…”
His last words were drowned out by the sharp staccato of machinegun fire from the barricade to the north, the one Mark and Peter had just been relieved from. He watched their faces devolve into surprise, and then shock. Once again, the sound of HUMVEE revving motors was unmistakable.
Cooper began to lunge into a run toward the barricade when Dranko grabbed his belt to hold him back.
“Go! Cooper, go!” Peter yelled at him as he spun on his heels and unslung his rifle. Mark and Peter both ran back up the street from where they had just came.
Cooper and the others clambered into their vehicles. The motors roared to life as the sounds of gunfire escalated from behind them.
In his rearview mirror, Cooper caught a glimpse of a HUMVEE at the far end of the street, but it was growing rapidly in his mirror as it sped towards them. Dranko’s tires squealed as he raced to the intersection and jerked the Jeep to the left. Cooper revved his motor and followed.
Brushfire Plague: Reckoning Page 6