by Lund, Dave
Aymond sat up and opened his eyes. “Gonzo, put together a squad with mostly civilians who are willing and ready to travel to the SSC. The president needs help prepping that facility to receive survivors.”
“Roger that. How many Marines can I take?”
“Two, including yourself.”
“Vehicles?”
“One M-ATV and scare up a couple of the civilian’s vehicles. For the rest, you’re in charge of planning and execution. Wheels up at first light.”
“Aye, Chief,” Gonzo said before turning and walking out of the door.
After the door closed, Aymond continued. “Major Pearce, your radios work between the aircraft?”
“That is correct.”
“Jones, get with Bill and setup a test with our truck and some handhelds from supply.”
Aymond made more notes and for all the details they needed to run down before they could leave for Nellis. Experience had taught him that all the planning in the world won’t mean much once they had first contact. Regardless of those issues, they had a logistical nightmare, even with leaving their Warthogs secured in a hangar here at Groom Lake. They needed to move munitions and the specialized equipment used to load the ordnance on and in the aircraft. Luckily, some of the equipment that they needed to bring back could be towed on its own, although it would have been best to flatbed it. If they could get their hands on a Dragon and trailer, then they could make the process much easier. The semi-trucks that his men had found near buildings to the south wouldn’t turn on or start. Jones said that the engines were all electronically controlled and not hardened against an EMP. So they needed military hardware that still worked or old trucks that would work regardless.
Aymond was a meat-eater. These sorts of logistical supply runs weren’t his specialty, but this had to happen and it had to be successful with no losses. He couldn’t afford to lose any more men, especially since the president needed them to fight the Koreans, the Chinese, and the dead.
CHAPTER 14
April 16, Year 1
Hillsboro, Texas
Ken was animated, excited, and was feeling out how the others felt. So far, most of them were unimpressed; they wanted to stay at their compound and understandably so. The group had worked hard and fought hard to build what they have, to establish their new way of life, and it was comfortable…as comfortable as it could be considering the state of the world at the moment.
“So what’s this I hear about you trying to siphon our survivors off and spirit them away to another camp?”
Sam walked up to the central fire where Ken was standing, the president’s message written on a piece of paper in his hand. The smile faded slowly from Ken’s face when he saw her expression; she was serious.
“No, well, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize that would be a problem. The President of the United States has control of a facility near Waxahachie and is opening it up for other survivors.”
“Isn’t that nice of her. Where was she three months ago? How about December 27th when she could have saved thousands of others?”
The sentiment took Ken back a little; he hadn’t thought of the world in that fashion in some time. “I think she was the Secretary of Agriculture. A lot of people have to die before she would get a turn in the big chair. If all those other people were dead and they had hundreds or thousands of people working specifically to keep them alive, I think that things may have been more FUBAR than anyone had expected. She may not have even been named and sworn in as the president for weeks or months after the attack.”
“But you don’t know for sure.”
“No, I don’t, but I’m willing to give her a chance.”
“Well, I’m not. If you want to leave, you are welcome to. If you want to stay, you are welcome to. But I will not tolerate sedition in my camp, so check your fucking attitude there, guy.”
Ken was further taken aback. If Sam considered something as simple as a discussion treasonous, he knew that he was no longer safe.
“Thank you. You saved my life and I’m eternally grateful. If I did decide to leave, would I be allowed to take my truck and my gear?”
“Yes, of course. We’re not monsters.”
Ken smiled. “No, you’re not, and you’re kind people who are trying their best to survive.” Just like everyone else was the rest of the sentence that went unspoken. Ken had serious concerns for his safety; something was wrong and he needed to leave immediately. He walked from the fire quietly back to his bunk. The stuff around his bunk was sparse, and most of his belongings remained in his truck, the few things he had left. Once packed, the ALICE pack of his clothes and basics went in the cab of the truck. Five minutes later, Ken was in the truck and driving out of the gate into the wilds.
Ken turned north and pointed toward Waxahachie. The president’s message didn’t give a good hard location for the facility, so he would get close and get safe then setup his own radio. He shook his head, mad at himself. He let his guard down with people he didn’t know and it nearly got him into a bind. Luckily, he was able to leave and leave with all of his gear, and his spark gap radio setup sat in a case in the bed of the truck with some of the other supplies. So once he’s close and safe, assuming he didn’t stumble into a secret government base in the middle of Texas by accident, he would setup camp, setup his radio, and wait for information while staying shy of other survivors. Ken had been lucky that Sam and her compound of survivors were gracious and kind, but he couldn’t afford to gamble with his safety like that again.
Cuba, New Mexico
The old roadside hotel on Highway 550 appeared to be well past its prime long before any attack, EMP, or the dead began hunting the living. It was, however, some of the more luxurious accommodations that Erin and Jason had the pleasure of sleeping in as of late. Amazingly, perhaps because it was a crappy hotel in a small town, they found a room that hadn’t been ransacked or otherwise molested. Even the bed was still made, albeit a bit dusty. If the shower had worked, or better yet if the toilet still worked, then they wouldn’t have known what to do with themselves.
It might almost be worth going to the SSC just for the chance to take a good shower, Erin thought while she sat in the bathroom trying to clean herself up and switch out her tampon. The fact that the toilet wouldn’t flush when she was done didn’t matter; they were leaving in a few moments. Jason had already used the toilet in an adjoining room. Having a place to sit in relative peace, even if it was dark in the room, instead of trying to squat in a parking lot or wherever they may be, was the true luxury of life.
They took a dozen rolls of toilet paper from the hotel since they would need it regardless of where they were. Soon after, they were in the big armored truck as it idled and warmed up as they ate their shared MRE breakfast. They used the chemical heater to warm some water for their instant coffee; quality coffee it was not, but it was still better than nothing.
Jason smiled at Erin. “We have it pretty good, baby.”
Erin laughed. “What?”
“No, seriously, look at what we have compared to so many others. Not only do we have a vehicle that works, weapons, and food, we have each other forever.”
Erin smiled warmly and took Jason’s hand in her own, intertwining their fingers. She didn’t have the heart to say the obvious that together forever might not last another minute, another hour, or another day, much less for the rest of a natural life.
It doesn’t matter, Erin thought as she smiled at her love. We have each other right now, which is more than we could ask for.
Erin extricated her hand and unfolded their map. “We’re going to skirt Albuquerque today, so we have to be careful. I don’t want to be stuck dodging crazies again.”
Jason knew the story, or he thought he knew the story, but the story didn’t matter; what mattered is that when the last time she left Albuquerque, she had her mother and she had Jessie with h
er. As much as Erin appeared to be a rock-hard badass, Erin was really a kind and caring person. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but as much as she missed her mother, she missed Jessie nearly as much. Erin feared that something was going to happen to Jessie that she could prevent if they were together and worse, something might happen to her baby. Erin pulled her legs under her as she sat, folded the map to a more manageable size, and smiled at Jason. A tear snuck down her cheek, which she quickly wiped away before Jason could notice. They drove through the rest of Cuba and toward Texas. If they were lucky, they might make it today, but it would mean driving practically non-stop until dark. There were many difficulties to overcome when trying to drive cross-country—a trip that Erin had been on since just after the attack—but it was practically her way of life now. Erin felt perpetually trapped in a repeating loop of the most fucked-up version of the Oregon Trail anyone had ever envisioned. Hopefully, they wouldn’t have to caulk their wagon.
Pecos, Texas
The inland supply cache had some unleaded fuel stored. It was nothing like the diesel fuel stores they found, but that made some sense owing to the fact that all the military vehicles they had seen ran on diesel and not gas. The stench of raw fuel was almost overwhelming. Bexar found a number of fuel cans mounted in racks on a lot of the vehicles. The fuel cans were empty, which was surprising except that it made sense for storage. Fuel goes bad fairly quickly, but stores better in larger containers if it was treated. They hadn’t had much issue with bad fuel yet, but they both knew that it was only a matter of time and that time was quickly approaching. They were nearly four months from the EMP…four months since the fuel in all the vehicles and storage tanks available to them had been produced. They had maybe another two months of semi-reliable fuel available; after that, they had the advantage of driving a vehicle with a robust fuel and ignition system. A modern vehicle with precise injectors is usually more sensitive to fuel quality than some older and less fuel precise carbureted engine, just as the old FJ was.
All told, they had six fuel cans secured to the roof rack and a full tank of gas as the morning sunlight cut across the pavement while the ramp opened. Squinting at the light, they drove up the ramp and toward their destination, or what they thought would be their destination. They wouldn’t know for sure until they arrived. They might find what they thought was a good spot from their research with the maps was actually a bad spot. Without Google Earth, it was hard to guess, but they would adapt and overcome as needed, just like they always do.
Besides the fuel, the FJ was loaded out with more gear and supplies than they had since they first bugged out. Besides ammo, MREs, and clothing, they had new tactical gear, night optics, and a couple of new-to-them weapon systems that Bexar just couldn’t say no to bring. The vehicle felt heavy to drive, but luckily they wouldn’t be trying to keep up with highway speeds or get stuck in stop and go traffic. Jessie’s ankle seemed to be improving. Their medical kit was now worthy of being a go bag in the back of an ambulance, including an incredible array of medications, the overwhelming majority of which they were sure that Jessie couldn’t take due to being pregnant. They still had Tylenol for her pain, which she had begun referring to as candy for all the help they seemed to give her with the pain. Regardless, they remembered from their first pregnancy that Tylenol was safe to take, so that’s what she took.
Their route should take them eight or nine hours, but it was hard to tell. They were avoiding the interstates as much as possible, planning on taking meandering highways to get to their spot sort of near Ennis, Texas, but that meant they were traveling through a bunch of small Texas towns and their experience taught them that those towns can be hit or miss. They had driven through many with no problems, and some they had serious problems with Zeds, but they had seen and avoided being ambushed by survivors too, which is what their discussion on the drive revolved around.
“But that was months ago. We can’t assume that anyone like that has actually survived.”
“Baby,” Bexar began, “if anything, it might be worse. We’re heavily loaded with supplies, and we’re in a vehicle that runs, so we will attract a lot of attention if anyone sees us.”
Jessie’s hurt ankle was propped up on the dash, her AR across her lap, ready to be deployed in an instant. The weather was perfect for a road trip. They were well armed, well supplied, and might even have enough gas to get to their destination. They felt like if they were truly lucky, they might even get to their new homestead by sundown, but Bexar wasn’t going to hold his breath.
Groom Lake
Three vehicles with an M-ATV in the lead represented the ragtag expedition force on the highway toward Las Vegas and Nellis Air Force Base. It wasn’t ideal, but for what resources Aymond had at his disposal, it was the best they had and it would have to work. If it didn’t work, then the A-10s secured in a hangar back in Area 51 would be about as worthwhile in battle as a paper airplane. The possibility to rain down fire upon their enemies, living or dead, was an opportunity too good to pass up.
The two civilian vehicles, not really technicals since they weren’t upfitted with weapons like what they had fought in Afghanistan, had a handheld VHF radio in each. The M-ATV had the mounted radios still installed and once again working correctly. They were lucky to have found the handheld radios and other miscellaneous parts for their radios in the storage room underground in the facility. Even with the radios turned on, digital encryption between the radios enabled, they maintained radio silence. It wasn’t for fear that a survivor might hear the radio transmissions—that possibility was remote and really didn’t matter for their safety; Aymond was concerned that the Korean and Chinese forces might intercept their transmissions and be able to triangulate their position. None of the invasion force had been seen since the attack on Groom Lake, but that didn’t mean they were gone. After Aymond’s experience in California and in Arizona, he knew better, never mind his previous years of experience war-fighting.
Jerry Aymond hadn’t visited Nellis in many years, not since a joint training exercise with some of the Pararescue Jumpers. Even then, his understanding of the layout of the base and how to get around was limited to the NCO club and the PJ’s facilities on the northern end of the runways, so their plan was to establish themselves in the PJ’s facility if they could then run operations down the flight line to gather the needed equipment and munitions. The hand-drawn map and the list of needed items with descriptions were folded and in his left breast pocket. The easiest course of action would have been to bring one of the pilots with them, but that wasn’t the smart choice. Aymond had the last known A-10 pilots in the world sitting safely below ground. They were the only two officers that Aymond had seen in a very long time, so by tradition and training, Major Pearce was now the Officer in Charge, the OIC. Aymond should have stayed at the facility to run it “with direction” from the officers, but he decided it was more important for him to be on the supply run, which is why Happy stayed by her side as an “advisor.”
So far, the ride was quiet and slow, the convoy averaging about 45 mph, but it was a safe speed to travel, especially if something unexpected happened. He hoped nothing unexpected happened, but the hope was weak, tempered by experience. Aymond expected this little expedition to have one hell of a time successfully completing the mission and returning to Groom Lake safely.
He heard and felt the turret above and behind him turn and stop before the intercom squawked. “Chief! We’ve got a problem!”
Jerry looked up and through the heavy windshield to see what appeared to be a dark churning cloud over the horizon, just barely visible in the distance.
West Texas
Bexar was sure it would be hard to tell the difference between BFE west Texas before the EMP and zombies and after if someone had before and after photos. The desert and nothingness seemed to stretch forever to the horizon, a never-ending sea of pumper jacks and mesquite bushes. Mostly Bexar and Jessie rode in silen
ce. The new plan was to stop at practically every dollar store and pharmacy they came across to scavenge for baby supplies, but so far, they hadn’t seen anything at all, much less a store with diapers and baby formula.
“Who the fuck would live out here on purpose?”
Jessie shook her head at Bexar. That sentiment was spoken a few times over the years and mostly in places like the west Texas desert. That Bexar enjoyed the Big Bend region so much was amazing for how much he did not like the area they were in at the moment. It didn’t matter since it wasn’t like they were house shopping there; as long as they were able to keep moving, they wouldn’t be stuck here. Bexar pretty much assumed that the original settlers to regions he didn’t like were there because their wagon had broken and there wasn’t any wood to make repair parts from, so they built mud houses and hoped for the best, although Bexar did realize that the idea wasn’t generally true.
Near Albuquerque, NM
The MRAP sat idling in the middle of the highway, indifferent to the handful of Zeds approaching from the dark businesses and strip centers from the suburban sprawl. Erin’s facial features tightened, complete with pursed lips and frown. Albuquerque was the first step toward her mother being killed. If she hadn’t saved Jessie when she was surrounded and about to be overrun by Zeds, they wouldn’t have gone to Groom Lake and her mother would be next to her instead of Jason. Erin stole a glance at Jason, who had a concerned expression on his face as he scanned the area around the truck and the approaching Zeds. She felt conflicted. Her heart fluttered every time she looked at her love, but her heart ached for her mother.
Jason took Erin’s hand gently into his own and said softly, “You’re strong, you’re awesome, and we can do this together and be OK.”
Erin gave Jason a weak smile. They were only a few years apart in age, yet their lives had been so very different before they met. Now, she couldn’t imagine her life without Jason in it. Erin remembered that for them to have met it took Zeds and Groom Lake; there was quite literally no way they would have met otherwise.