CHAPTER 1 – BEHIND THE CURTAIN


Time before attacks: 22 minutes
Date/Time: 20 April/2038 Local
Location: Near Riyadh, Saudi Arabia


As the man stared into the fading sunset, thoughts raced through his mind like Formula One cars on a racetrack. Although still considered a younger man by his peers, a lifetime of fighting showed on his face. The worry lines on his face and graying hair gave the appearance of a man who might have been much older. His piercing brown eyes were still sharp as a hawk’s, even after forty-eight years of life. A man not unaccustomed to confrontation, the battles he had fought in his lifetime were in corporate boardrooms around the world. A rich man from birth, he had become even wealthier after inheriting his father’s oil company empire at age twenty-five upon his father’s untimely death. When he took over, he threw out the antiquated methods of business of only selling oil to wealthy western nations so prevalent in his father’s business. He began selling oil to emerging nations such as China and those in South East Asia and founded companies ranging from aerospace industry to communications and alternate forms of energy. Although there had been some token research in this area by the world’s major fossil fuels corporations, his companies had made genuine progress and surpassed all expectations. Like a general surveying a battlefield to find the advantageous high ground, he surveyed the world markets and saw the high grounds of profit.

Although a Muslim from birth, for most of his life he had only given his religion the attention necessary to remain in the good graces of his countries leaders. This all changed one day prior to his fortieth birthday when his wife and children were killed in an airplane crash over the Alps in Europe. For the first time in many years, he did not know what to do or how to go on in his life. The sing-song evening call to prayer of an Imam at a local mosque beckoned him and, for the first time in many years, he found solace in prayer.

He entered a small mosque, not one of the larger or trendier of his capital city, which was tended to by a cleric whose three sons had been killed defending the Islamic faith. Two had died in Afghanistan, one in the 1980s by the godless Russians and one most recently near Tora Bora by the hated Americans. The other son had been killed in southern Iraq by the British forces while defending his faith. The cleric, although a supposed man of faith and forgiveness, contained enough hatred to last ten men a lifetime. Upon seeing the well known oil magnate enter his mosque in distress, he put his personal feelings aside to tend to the man’s immediate needs. This man needed comfort right now, not a sermon on the great evils of the western world.

After several hours of speaking and quoting the Koran at length, the oil man found what he had been missing all his life, faith. He had all manner of material possessions money could buy, but no faith to base it on. He asked for God’s forgiveness for being so selfish in his life and made a promise to return to his faith. The man departed the mosque with a new found vigor for life he had been missing all these years.

He returned to the Mosque every Sabbath, offering generously to have a new, larger one built for the cleric that had helped him in his time of need. The cleric told him not to bother; he was content in the Mosque that had served him for his life. He only took a little money to make repairs and to provide assistance for the less fortunate of his congregation. “What is money or a large mosque to me? Nothing except Satan’s ways to greed, temptation and jealousy. No, my brother, only faith to guide you and I in this world, not the material possessions that make men fall away from the true faith.”

The corporate man was surprised, but he kept it to himself. What I have found is a man of principle, not worried about money or anything else in the world except his faith. I can learn from this man, thought the corporate man to himself. He started crying to himself as he thought of the vast wealth he had accumulated for himself, never giving any thought to his religion while doing it. We are a nation of believers in the all mighty American dollar, and not of our most precious resource, religion, he thought again to himself. He confessed the sins of turning his back on his religion to the Imam only to be rebutted.

“What you have done is provide a better life for the faithful around the world. The companies you own here and around the world make the faithful more comfortable in a land filled with harshness towards our religion. Your many contributions to charity have always pleased Allah and his followers. It is now, my friend, only now that you must decide to do with your money. You have rediscovered the faith inside of you and only now can you make a difference to the faithful around the world.”

“What can I do to help the faithful around the world that I have not done already?” asked the man, unsure of where the Imam was going with this speech.

“Nothing as of now, but we will talk over time and you will see what must be done to help true Islam prosper” said the cleric with resolve in his voice.

Over time, the Imam and the man became good friends and the man a steadfast follower of Islam. Also, over time, the Imam began to slowly educate the man to the evils of the world and what must be done. “We must keep our religion true against the unbelievers who would destroy us. The Jews in Israel have made it their life’s work to keep the faithful under their boot. The Americans and Europeans have propped up the Jews and make it possible for them to continue persecuting the faithful. Americans have been enemies of Islam since their creation, killing the Moslem people all over the Persian Gulf region just so they can fill their gas tanks. The Europeans have followed suit as well. The hated Russians killed off countless millions of the faithful over time and the Islamic faith has always been persecuted in China and India. The faithful are not welcome anywhere except here, and with the American and European presence here, we will still be prisoners. We even have heretics in our own religion in our own Mosques. Those that teach equality with the Christians and Jews are an abomination to Allah and Mohammed, his true prophet. We must destroy the non-believers in this world and return Islam to its true course, for there is but one God and Mohammed is his prophet.” Although the man had heard such talk before and dismissed it, his knew these words to be true based on his newfound faith. He was moved in his heart as he knew the faithful needed to be freed from the domination of the west. He knew what needed to be done, but it was nearly impossible. Even with Allah’s help, it would be very difficult. Over time, his educated mind started to form a plan…

Almost seven years later, the man saw his dreams coming to fruition. How would one destroy the enemies of Islam? Better to have them destroy themselves instead of us trying to do it. With the major world powers out of the way, true Islam could flourish. Get the Europeans, Russians, Chinese and above all, the hated Americans to destroy themselves after his plan was set in motion. It had been a long and complicated process to get this far and not without dangers. He had spent quite a bit of his fortune getting to where they were today, but after today, material wealth would no longer be important. Most of the world’s terrorists seemed content to plan and execute attacks with little to gain except the wrath of a nation. Afghanistan was a prime example of this theory. Attack the United States and they will invade your country. While he admired Osama Bin Laden for his defense of the faith, his methods would not help true Islam prosper. Crashing airplanes into buildings might be a good message to the Great Satan that true Islam would no longer tolerate the globalization of anti-Islamic ways. However, it did little to change the way the United States conducted business.

Knowing this, the man looked at out of the box thinking and methods as he often did in finances. Finances were the key to America’s, and the rest of the world’s, fall. With them out of the way, the faithful could prosper without having the rest of the world interfere. But how to break the back of America’s financial backbone? Oil…oil is the key to defeating America and the rest of the world. If I cut off his oil shipments to the world, other companies would just jump in and take my place. How could I make the other companies stop? A plan was formed those many years ago to inflame the Islamic world to America’s hatred of the Muslim people. With the economies of the world intertwined, it would only take a simple push in the right direction to have the chain of events put in motion. One economy falls, others go with it. America’s falls, the rest of the world goes with them. The master stroke of the plan was the countries he targeted would destroy themselves with little interference from the outside. His teams and equipment were now in place to give that little “push” in the right direction. All it would take now was a little help from Allah and one other country and the plan would be unstoppable. His friend, the cleric, was now Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, given the office after the revolution the corporate president helped to start behind the scenes. The faithful in another country would have to be sacrificed, but their sacrifices would be in the defense of Islam. Their deaths, although tragic and unavoidable, would be seen as martyrdom by future generations of the faithful. Once his plan was set in motion, the faithful would spread around the world, sometimes with force, sometimes without. The man’s name would never be in any history book, but he knew he would be just as valuable as Saladin had been in Jerusalem during the Crusades. He would begin a new crusade of Islam against the unbelievers. He glanced at his watch and turned to an assistant and calmly gave the command which would change the world forever.

“It is time.”

CHAPTER 3 – MISINFORMATION


Time since attacks: 10 days
Date/Time: 30 April/1649 Local
Location: Cheyenne Mountain Air Station, Colorado Springs, Colorado


“But WHY?!” yelled the President of the United States at the assembled group.

The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency answered the question. “I’m sorry Mister President, we can only tell you the what at this point, but not the why. That’s the hard part about intelligence, more often than not; we know the what and not the why. Besides the fact that Iran has never been predictable at all makes this even harder. We just can’t give you a good answer as to the why at this point.”

The President thought silently on this point as he gazed at the far wall of the conference room being used at the NORAD facility deep within Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado. He and the cabinet had been moved here not long after the attacks since this was the hardest facility in the United States. He knew the intelligence agencies were giving him the best information in the time allotted, but the question still echoed in his mind. Why would anyone want to cause such grave devastation to a civilian population? Why would Iran support a terror group which would cause this much destruction knowing we would retaliate if we found out they were behind it? Why couldn’t we avoid this? Why is my most painfully obvious course of action the worst course we could possibly use? Why must it be me that makes this decision? The President, winner of the closest Presidential race in American history, turned to the assembled staff “Let’s start from the top beginning with what we know about the explosions.”

An Air Force General, commander of the US Northern Command, who also doubled as the commander of NORAD, answered the question. “Mister President, the detonations couldn’t have come at a worse time. The targeted cities were still in the middle of their work days so casualties were at a maximum. The detonations all came within four minutes of each other, meaning this attack was planned out to the smallest detail. The data received on the attacks came from our own satellite surveillance and was confirmed by Russian strategic forces which monitor our country. Times for the detonations are as follows: Philadelphia and New York were 2:02 and 2:04 local respectively; Houston 1:01, Chicago 1:05 and New Orleans 1:02 local; Los Angeles 11:03 local. We do know the bombs were delivered by aircraft, in most cases small civilian type aircraft which were possibly stolen from remote airfields outside of the targeted cities. By the time it was noticed the aircraft were heading towards the cities and air defense forces were notified, it was too late. Each aircraft climbed between four and five thousand feet before setting off the bombs, thus maximizing the damage inflicted. Other than that, we know the bombs were detonated somewhat near the waterfront area, destroying the port facilities in most cases. However, with the size of the blasts, they didn’t need to be that close to much of anything to cause grave damage.”

The President interrupted the General before he could continue, “We know the damage inflicted on the cities, General. What do we know about the bombs?”

The General paused before continuing, knowing the President was not going to like the next bit of news. “Sir, the bombs were five hundred-fifty kiloton devices…the same warheads carried on the Russian SS-18 type rockets.” The General paused for effect before saying the next statement. “The bombs were Russian, sir.”

The President as well as everyone else in the room sat straight up and popped their eyes open at this revelation. The President was the first to ask the question, “General, you mean to tell me six American cities were just destroyed with Russian nuclear warheads? WHY WASN’T I TOLD THIS IMMEDIATELY?!” screamed the President, who had not had any good news for the past ten days.

The General took a deep breath before responding to give everyone in the room time to digest what he was about to tell them. “Sir, we only received confirmation on this point about an hour and a half ago. The Russians confirmed the data we gave to them via our embassy in Moscow. The Russian President himself delivered the data to our ambassador and promised to start a complete investigation into the matter. The question the Russians seem to be asking is why the warheads were missing in the first place.”

The Vice-President, teleconferenced in from a remote location, asked the next question. “General Moresby, do we believe the Russians were involved at all? It was their weapons that were used, so is it possible they helped plan this?”

“No sir, with the information we have gotten from both the Russians and Colonel Parshand, it is extremely unlikely they helped in the attacks. They seem very frightened about the turn of events in America knowing full well we would respond in kind without hesitation if we found they were involved at any level” answered the General, keeping his calm. “CIA, DIA and the Department of Energy are investigating the angle of their involvement at this time, but it seems to be a dry hole.”

The Secretary of Defense spoke for the first time since the meeting had started “Did the Russians give us any more data on the warheads?”

“Yes, Mister Secretary. The Russians have not held back any information nor refused to answer any questions about the affairs. They have even volunteered information which, under normal circumstances, would have been denied or hidden. What they have given us so far has helped create the chain of events prior to the attacks. The warheads were originally in Kazakhstan being dismantled in accordance with our START agreements. In 2005, there was a fire at the dismantling facility in which all the workers were killed and, at that time, it was thought sixteen warheads waiting to be dismantled were destroyed. Evidence was found of four of the warheads in the remains of the fire, so the Russians guessed the other twelve must have been destroyed as well. The matter wasn’t pursued any further. In their defense, the fire completely gutted the plant and made it extremely difficult to determine if the warheads had in fact, been destroyed” the General answered immediately.

“Well, General, we just found out they were wrong! Why didn’t they investigate further?” asked a red faced Secretary of Defense.

“Sir, our own START verification team concluded the bombs must have been destroyed as well. It appears this was an oversight of both our governments that all the weapons were destroyed since none of them were found” answered the General.

The Secretary of Defense was almost livid at this point “General, we just found six of them in American cities! That means there might be six more out there just waiting to be detonated over more of our citizens! Mister President, we need to find those remaining bombs before it’s too late.”

“Begging the group’s permission, we think we already have found them” stated the Director of the CIA. All members of the assembled group turned to the man. “The intelligence brought out by Colonel Parshand indicates the bombs were stolen and-or bought in 2005 by the Iranian government. We knew for years they had been trying to purchase nuclear weapons from the Russians and the republics of the former Soviet Union, but didn’t have much success. After securing the weapons, they were moved to a secure site near Qom, Iran. Six of the weapons were transferred to Al Qaeda with the intent to destroy Israeli targets, which was obviously not the case. Although Iran publicly stated it ‘abhors the attacks as an affront to Allah,’ information given by Colonel Parshand indicates that the Iranian government not only sponsored the attacks, but helped plan them as well.”

“Tell us more about this Iranian Colonel, Bob” ordered the Secretary of State.

“The debriefing is nowhere near complete, but I will tell you what we have learned to this point. Colonel Parshand was picked up by Army units in the Al-Anbar province of northern Iraq six days ago after traveling cross border from Tehran. He was passed on to us from the Army in Baghdad and from there he was moved to a safe site here in the States. His claims to have been a decorated Special Forces officer and his standing in their Ministry of Defense had been confirmed by both German and Israeli intelligence services. He was conscripted into the Iranian Army during the Iran-Iraq war in the 1980s and moved his way up the ladder into his current position. Israel had a pretty thick file on his duties within the Revolutionary Council, which included intelligence operations, infiltration and other unspecified special projects. He did claim to have participated in a theoretical planning of attacks of this nature, but thought they would never go beyond the drawing board. He stated his department was never in the loop before the attacks that he knew of, but considered it entirely possible some factions inside the Special Projects branch might have helped coordinate the attacks. He further stated after the attacks, the Revolutionary Council held a meeting in which they rejoiced at the turn of events and started making plans for further attacks.”

“Colonel Parshand told us he defected in order to help stop these further attacks because of his ‘heartfelt sorrow for the suffering of innocent civilians.’ The documents he brought out with him appear to be genuine when compared to other official Iranian documents we have on file and make out the theoretical plans for the attacks that happened. We have no reason to doubt the authenticity of his story at this time. On the other hand, we will have a very hard time confirming his story as well. We have made requests to NATO, Israeli and other Middle Eastern nation’s intelligence services to make inquiries, but this type of operation would have been compartmented to the max, with the utmost security being the ultimate goal” stated the Director.

The Speaker of the House, a member of the other party, spoke up for the first time. “Is it possible that this Colonel Parshand might be an agent of Al Qaeda, like a red herring, trying to get us to look at Iran instead of a terror group?”

“That, Madam Speaker, is a possibility that is being investigated by my agency. Nothing is impossible at this point, but is seems unlikely at this point since his standing in the Iranian military has been confirmed by German, French, Kuwaiti and Israeli intelligence services” stated the Director matter-of-factly.

The Speaker continued, “What if he is an Al Qaeda operative inside the Iranian military?”

“Again, this is a possibility that is being investigated by the CIA and DIA. We currently aren’t discounting any possibility” answered the Director.

“What if Al Qaeda wants us to target Iran instead of them?” continued the Speaker.

The Vice-President answered that question. “For what reason, Madam Speaker? If we target Iran, the group loses some financial backing, but more important, their training camps and bases. It would not be beneficial to them to have us target Iran.”

The Speaker asked again “But what if-”

She was cut short by the President, who had remained quiet while she was talking to this point. “Madam Speaker, I don’t think it’s the proper time for us to what if every possible scenario. We have agencies that do that for us and present us with the information after the fact. We need to concentrate on right now instead of what if. Right now, we have good intelligence that Al Qaeda launched the attacks, not only with the support of Iran, but they gave them the bombs! The American people will demand action on our part in retaliation on Iran AND Al Qaeda. I think you need to remember millions of our citizens were incinerated by nuclear blasts in attacks probably planned and sponsored by Iran. I think it’s a disgrace to sit here ‘what iffing’ every scenario and gabbing like a bunch of old mother hens while Iran may be planning more attacks against our country.”

The Speaker of the House sat very quietly after the rebuke, her eyes drilling holes in the head of the President. He didn’t seem concerned at the moment and continued asking questions. “Do we have the coordinates of the other weapons in Iran?”

“Yes, Mister President, Colonel Parshand gave us the coordinates of the bunker site where he said the weapons were stored and we have had the location under constant surveillance since we learned this” answered the Director of the CIA.

“And?” asked a President who was on the verge of losing control again.

The commander, a Naval Admiral, for the US Strategic Command, or STRATCOM, answered the question. “Mister President, the site is located on the outskirts of Qom and is very secure. From what we can tell from satellite intelligence, the Iranians took the lessons of Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom to heart. The bunkers are buried underground and are hardened so much that nothing in our conventional arsenal could penetrate that deep. Only a nuclear strike of our own could get to that level…”

The Admiral let the last statement sink in with the group as they silently contemplated what he had just said. The Speaker of the House was the first to respond “You can’t be serious! You people are seriously contemplating a nuclear strike on the basis of unconfirmed intelligence?”

The Admiral answered the question as delicately as he could. “Madam Speaker, it is the job of the military to plan for all possibilities. This is just one of the scenarios we have planned right now. There are other options that are being planned out as well. I was merely pointing out that nothing in our conventional arsenal would be able to take those weapons out of play.”

The Speaker was not put off, “I cannot believe this! Millions of our citizens were just killed by weapons of mass destruction and you people are considering the use of those same weapons of mass destruction to retaliate! This is absurd!”

“Madam Speaker, we were not proposing a nuclear strike on Iran! The Admiral was just letting the collective group know it was an option! There are other conventional options for taking those weapons out that are being explored right now. If you don’t mind, let us get everything planned out prior to you jumping the gun thinking the military is advocating a nuclear strike as the only option” said the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, whose disdain for the Speaker was no secret.

The Vice President changed the subject to get the two away from each other’s throats. “Where exactly is Colonel Parshand at this time?”

The CIA Director spoke up “He is currently in a safe location in East Tennessee surrounded by enough Federal Marshals and Marines to keep everyone and everything in or out. We are continuing to debrief him and gain as much knowledge as we can about the remaining bombs. As we get more information, we will get it to you immediately.”

The President jumped back into the discussion “All right, we have to wait and see on the rest of the intelligence. What other factors are we looking at?”

The Secretary of Energy spoke up next “Mister President, something we haven’t considered so far is the oil angle. Refineries in the targeted cities and nearby areas either have been destroyed or are too badly damaged to continue operations. We are looking at a gas and diesel shortage in the next two weeks or so since we have lost the ability to process over five million barrels of oil a day. Since our demand for oil is about twenty million per day, that is over a quarter of our daily domestic consumption. The country will be looking at seriously higher pump prices for vehicles and, down the road, increased costs of fuel oils this winter. My department has already started planning for rationing if it becomes necessary and have contacted the OPEC countries to see if they could take up the slack in our refining capacity. It doesn’t look good as most of them are already maxed out as it is. The exact figures are still being formulated, but for at least five years we are looking at a serious shortage of fuels and petroleum products until the refining capability can be rebuilt or we get serious about alternate energy. Better estimates will be available in a few days.”

The Secretary of the Treasury spoke next “Mister President, with the loss of New York, Chicago and, to a lesser extent, Philadelphia, the American markets are frozen. The stock exchanges in each of those cities were destroyed, as well as the EMP destroying the backup systems. Nobody is sure who owns what or what it is worth for the time being until a full evaluation can be done. The Tokyo and London exchanges, the largest after ours, are closed as well as most exchanges around the world. There are some rumors the Tokyo exchange might reopen this week, but the Japanese aren’t sure about that. Even with the decline of the dollar around the world, American markets are still the benchmark everyone uses. I’m afraid the world markets are suffering because of the destruction of our own markets.”

The President asked the obvious question “So financially, the world is in a downfall because of the loss of our exchanges?”

“Not necessarily a downfall, Mister President. With the destruction of our markets, the foreign markets knew how much they had in there, but with no real way to prove it without us being able to confirm it. Everyone knows exactly how much they have, but because there aren’t any records, there is just no way of proving their money was or was not lost on Wall Street.”

“Currency speculation in the toilet since nobody can prove how much they spent in our markets. The prices of gold, silver and platinum, which don’t really depend on our exchanges, have doubled in the preceding week. Furthermore, with the destruction of the markets, there was a banking run afterwards. Many banks were forced to close since they ran out of cash for the customers. Several riots were started after the banks closed, but in most cases, police were able to restore order” answered the Secretary.

Everyone thought for a moment about what was just said. Between the markets destruction and the fossil fuel shortages, it was going to get very difficult in the months to come. Plus, after the attacks, riots and looting had started in several American cities. In most cases, local police were able to get things back under control, but in Miami and Atlanta, National Guard forces were moved in to restore order. The President thought about this before making his next point. He turned to the Secretary of Defense before continuing “Jack, we ought to think about bringing home some of the troops in Iraq to help with the rescue operations and for possible assistance in restoring order if they need to be used.”

The Speaker, again voiced her concerns “Mister President, you aren’t considering using the armed forces to restore order in American cities are you? What about Posse Comitatus?”

The President, almost tired of the interruptions made by the Speaker, kept himself calm and didn’t show any anger before continuing. “Madam Speaker, we aren’t considering using the military to police our nation. It is better to plan ahead, however, and bring them home now instead of waiting until the last minute to do so where they can help in rescue operations in the targeted cities.” He concluded that statement to turn to the Secretary of Defense again, “Jack, what kind of force levels could we have in the Middle East and still accomplish the missions?”

The Secretary quietly conferred for a few moments with the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and several other military members. Upon finishing he answered the question. “Sir, we believe a force of four thousand in Afghanistan would be sufficient along with the NATO allies. In Iraq, despite what CNN has to say, the security forces have made good progress since the surge operations from 2007. We figure an end-strength of between twenty-five and thirty thousand in Iraq and the Gulf States. This gives us about a hundred thousand troops to get back to the United States. Since the Air Force is heavily involved with relief operations, strategic airlift will be a problem. We could enact the CRAF plan and charter friendly foreign airlines, like the British, which cuts the time down considerably. We can’t give you a good estimate on how long it will take, but with the CRAF plan it will take less time. We just haven’t had the military airlift capacity since the mid 1990s to do it any quicker. That’s just the troops and their personal gear and equipment. The heavy equipment will have to be placed in storage, which will probably take the better part of a year to get back here. The equipment is, as you all well know, normally too heavy for airliners to bring out, so it has to go by sea. This is why it will take the better part of a year to get everything home. We can work out storage agreements with the host nations and bring it back at a later date.”

The President thought about that for a moment before deciding on a plan of action “Let’s get that plan started, get the troops redeployed and bring their equipment home as soon as we can get it done.” He turned to the CIA Director and continued “Ralph, do you think the information we got from Colonel Parshand is good enough to present to the United Nations?”

The Director wondered if the President remembered the UN was destroyed in New York along with everything else, but wisely decided not to point out that detail. “Mister President, again, this is the only source of this intelligence we have. The Iranians are not stupid enough to holler about it to the world, but at the same time, we could present it at an assembly just to see Iran’s reaction to what we bring up.”

The President again, made a decision “That sounds reasonable.” He turned to the Secretary of State “Find a suitable place for the UN to meet, preferably in a country which has somewhat less controversial ties with the Iranians. Bring the world to that meeting. I want the entire world to be witness to the evidence we will put out there.”

A man walked into the room and went over to the CIA Director, handed him a note and whispered something in his ear. The Director’s head snapped around as if he had received a right hook from Mike Tyson as he ordered the aide “Get it in here NOW! Mister President, I’m sorry for interrupting, but this needs to be seen now.” The aide turned on a television set located on the far wall to the Fox News channel. At first all they saw were three men in ski masks and dressed in clothing denoting them as typical insurgents or terrorists. A voice over was completing a translation of the Arabic dialog given by the members of the tape. All the gathered men and women heard by the time the volume was turned up was the voice over saying “you have one week to comply.”

The Fox news anchor appeared on the screen visibly shaken at whatever had been on the tape. “Ladies and gentlemen, you have just heard a communiqué from the terrorist group Al Qaeda. In this videotape, sent anonymously to Fox News, Al Qaeda claims responsibility for the deadly nuclear attacks in the United States just ten days ago. The group went on to state they have plans for more attacks unless the United States and all European nations do not ‘immediately and unconditionally’ remove their military forces from the Persian Gulf region and Afghanistan.”

The anchor’s voice continued but was ignored as heated conversations and debates erupted around the room. Everyone seemed to be holding three conversations at once, but the President was not participating in any of them. He sat there, ashen faced, looking at the now muted television. As the pitch of the conversations started to get louder, the President surprised everyone, mainly himself, by screaming “SHUT UP!” at the top of his lungs. It wasn’t everyday a cabinet saw the President lose control like that, but something was needed to bring the group back under control. Conversations stopped immediately and all eyes turned to the President.

He paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. “Okay people, let’s analyze what just happened. CIA?”

“Of course we will have to analyze the tape, but from first appearances and from previous Al Qaeda tapes, this appears to be genuine. Fox News has agreed to hand over the original tape to us for analysis. No other terror group has even remotely claimed responsibility for the attacks and it says a lot for Al Qaeda to have the guts to actually admit it. Most of the world figured they were on the ropes after we killed off Bin Laden last year, but apparently they were not. They know we will redouble our efforts to kill every single one of them now, but I suppose this was too much of a propaganda victory for them not to announce it.”

The Director of the FBI hung up a telephone and announced “The tape will be in one of our agent’s hands and in a lab within the hour. I need the DoD and the CIA to send me over their best Arabic speakers and well as their top terrorism folks.” Both agencies told the FBI they would do anything that was requested since the FBI had the best laboratories to do the testing required on the tape. Even though the CIA wanted to be the lead agency on the investigation, they knew it wasn’t time for a turf war with other agencies.

The President voiced his concerns to the group “Now that this is out, there might be a panic. Does anyone think statements or reactions would be justified in this matter? There will be a lot of scared people out there after seeing this.”

The FBI Director spoke first, “Mister President, I don’t think it’s wise to release a definitive statement until we have analyzed the tape ourselves.”

The President answered the Director “I’m not looking for anything definitive, just some statement of reassurance.”

The Vice-President chimed in “Mister President, I think the Director is correct in some points. I think we have to give a statement of calming everyone down, but don’t give any more credibility to the tape until it is analyzed. More of a ‘let us investigate the matter to find out if it is valid and keep your faith in the government’ kind of statement more than anything.”

The President thought about that for a moment before deciding it was the best thing to do. “That should do nicely; have the Press Secretary get on that immediately. Does this statement give any more credibility to the information Colonel Parshand brought out?”

The CIA Director answered this one. “Mister President, this might be the first real confirmation of the information he gave us. Of course, we will wait for it to be evaluated, but if it is true, it certainly links Iran to the Al Qaeda and the bombs in between. We need to keep pushing on all fronts to get the intelligence brought out by him confirmed.”

The President turned to the Secretary of Defense, “Jack, enact the CRAF plan and start getting troops home. We will need them close at home in case something else happens. Make sure the Press Secretary includes in his statement the troops are being brought home for domestic concerns and are not being withdrawn in response to this statement. We are still committed to the security of the Persian Gulf region. Also, have them add in we have not negotiated with terrorists for over thirty years and will not start now.”

The Speaker of the House brought up the only dissention in the group. “Mister President, is it wise not to negotiate when a terrorist group has a loaded nuclear gun at our heads?”

The President again, didn’t appreciate the interruption or the contradicting opinion, but again, didn’t show it. “Madam Speaker, we want to make sure the tape is for real and not some nut job in his basement in North Dakota before we call it a loaded gun. Before we get cracking on our jobs, is there anything else?”

The Director of Homeland Security spoke up “Yes, Mister President. We have a plan for shutting down all ports of entry and inspecting ships ten miles off the coast for any more weapons. Right now, we are doing a hundred percent inspection on all vessels, but feel it would be safer doing it offshore in case one gets into port and then detonates another bomb. I have talked to Canadian and Mexican officials who would also enact similar plans. Additionally, non-US originating flights would land at remote airfields outside the United States and have their cargo checked or be checked by US personnel at their point of departure. This includes aircraft from our allies delivering humanitarian aid as well. I doubt in light of recent events anyone would object. We also have to coordinate with Canadian and Mexican officials to get the borders shut down of illegal traffic and create rules of engagement for ships and planes entering our airspace without being cleared first. If unknown ships or aircraft violate the ten mile limit they will be challenged and if they proceed, at five miles they will be shot down or sunk. I think these measures are necessary to protect the country right now. Also, if we assume there might be additional atomic devices in country, we need to step up domestic surveillance of suspected terrorist groups. And last, but not least. This video from Al Qaeda is going to create panic whether or not we prove it wrong. We should consider sending those troops being redeployed from the Gulf close to the major metropolitan areas of the country in case they will be needed. If rioting and looting get out of hand, those troops can be available within hours instead of the normal time of days.”

The President contemplated what had been proposed and looked around the room for contrary opinions. He drew towards the Speaker of the House, who looked as if she had something to say. He called on her and asked whether or not she agreed.

“Mister President, although you and I don’t agree on everything, this decision is yours and I cannot think of any contrary plans at this time” she said, leaning back in her chair. Her eyes told a different story entirely.

That’s the biggest lie I’ve seen in some time, the President thought to himself. You won’t object to my decisions in public, but you WILL leak it to the press that you don’t support it.An aide to the Secretary of State came back in the room and handed him a note. The Secretary turned to the President and made the declaration “Ron, Sweden has agreed to host the UN until a more suitable place can be found. They also told us the special meeting we want to have can be done at any time of our choosing.”

The President thought about that for a moment before coming to a decision. “Let’s set it up for three days from now and invite the world. Ask, beg, do whatever you have to do to get everyone in the world there. Now, let’s get to work people.”

The meeting broke up with each department leaving the room and going to work. The Speaker of the House remained behind, probably to complain about something he said. “What’s on your mind, Madam Speaker?”

She was a little uncomfortable being alone in the room with the President, but this was the only time she could state her case one-on-one with the President and not have a room full of his supporters to bash on every word she said. “Mister President, it’s no big secret you and I cannot agree on anything except the color of the sky. Having said that, I believe you pulling the military out of the Persian Gulf is a good move, although late, but a good move none-the-less. It’s not exactly the reason they should come home, mind you, and I hate to see them coming home in this light. But moving them back to the United States and closer to major American cities is a bad move. It is like invoking martial law without the formal declaration. Putting them in charge of policing the population of the United States goes against every principle of this government since the 19th century. And this idea of monitoring our own citizens will be seen as an invasion of privacy. It will be all too easy to take away peoples civil rights with the military in charge of the cities and monitoring dissidents. That’s a job for the FBI and local law enforcement, not the military.”

The President again attempted to control his anger, but his face got red before he started. “Madam Speaker, it is not my intent to have to military in charge of any US city, nor policing our cities. We never decided to declare martial law, nor did we decide to move the military into the cities at all. All we did was put them in a position to be closer to the cities in case they were needed. And if they are needed, they will only be moved in after the governor formally requests it. And IF they do move in, they will not be controlling the area they move into, but rather assisting the local law enforcement and civil government. As for the surveillance of the potential terrorists in this country, I believe that most, if not all, of the American people will support this program. We are only talking about surveillance of them, not dragging them into holding camps or putting them in jail. We will attempt to prevent further attacks from happening in this country, not trample on anyone’s civil rights.” The President concluded his statement and looked down at the pile of dispatches on the desk in front of him, a silent sign the meeting was over.

The signal also included the caveat there would be no debate, no more talk and no more ideas to be brought up today. The nerve of that woman to talk about taking away Constitutional rights when she probably wanted to rescind the Second, Fifth and Tenth Amendments, the President thought to himself as he watched her walk out of that room from the corner of his eye. And speaking so callously about bringing home the troops was a good thing. Sure, bring them from one hell hole in Iraq to see firsthand the devastation caused by terrorists in their own homes. Yeah, right, Madam Speaker, that’s just a peachy plan, now isn’t it? He attempted to forget her comments as he went back to the pile of paper in front of him. He had a job to do running the country and didn’t need to let her get under his skin that much.

As she walked along one of the corridors in NORAD, she thought about the abrupt meeting that had taken place between her and the President. The nerve of that man to talk to me like I was some college freshman in Political Science 101. Anyone with a brain can see he is after the civil rights and the privacy of Americans. Moving troops into American cities to back up his policy at bayonet point if necessary. Bring them back from Iraq where they got first hand training in urban combat and policing tactics straight into American cities where they would apply the same practices they had done in Iraq. Ahhh, I see your plan. You think I’m too stupid to realize what you are doing, but I’m not. Well, we will just see about that won’t we, Mister President? She kept thinking as she walked down the hallway silently making a plan to stop him in her head.


Time since attacks: 14 days
Date/Time: 4 May/1430 Local
Location: UN Emergency Meeting, Stockholm, Sweden


“I now give the floor to the representative of the United States of America.” The Swedish Foreign Minister took his seat among the gathered ambassadors, foreign ministers and various heads of state gathered in Stockholm. The Vice President of the United States walked to the podium with a grim look of determination on his face. The determined look on his face belied the butterflies in his stomach. He was about to give one of the most important speeches in his life and quite possibly one of the most important in American history. He took a small sip of water out of a glass left for him before beginning his well rehearsed speech.

“My fellow delegates, I wish to take the time to thanks the nations of the world for accepting invitations to this emergency assembly of the United Nations. I would also like to thank the nation of Sweden for graciously accepting to host the United Nations until such time as a more permanent home can be established.”

“Fellow delegates, two weeks ago the United States of America was the victim of one of the most heinous act of terrorism the world has ever seen. Six US cities were utterly destroyed by the nuclear fire of terrorist bombs; killing and maiming millions and leaving countless more without food, water or shelter. Today America is prepared to present indisputable proof of the masterminds behind these attacks and ask the world to assist us in bringing them to justice.”

“Since the attacks, the United States has been working nonstop with governments around the world to recreate the events prior to 20 April. We must start several years ago in 2005 in Kazakhstan when a fire broke out in a nuclear warhead decommissioning facility, destroying the facility and killing the majority of the on duty staff. While it was originally thought by both the governments of the United States and Russia all the warheads in the facility were destroyed in the fire, it was later learned some of these warheads were stolen. Stolen by a government with a history of hatred for the United States. Stolen by a government with long standing ties to terror groups around the globe. Stolen by a government with hatred for peace and democracy. Stolen by a government who is still in possession of some of those nuclear weapons. That government, honored delegates, is the government of Iran.”

The gathered delegates started murmuring to each other. The Vice-President continued prior to the conversations getting out of hand. “The United States, while working with her allies, has received secret documents from the inner council of the Iranian government acknowledging the existence of those weapons. This information, gathered by an honorable defector from within the council provides a clear line between the 2005 accident and Iran’s theft of those devices. Earlier this year, six of those devices were transferred to the terrorist group Al Qaeda, with the intent they be used to destroy cities within Israel. The government and military of Iran also provided training and logistical support to this group to strike at Israel. Instead of attacking Israel, these devices ended up in Houston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, New Orleans and New York, where many of your delegates to the UN perished in the fires of anarchy and hatred.”

“These devices were found to have been transported to the Mexican port of Vera Cruz on board an Iranian flagged oil tanker. They were then smuggled across the border of our two nations where they would wait until fourteen days ago. Almost as one, these devices were loaded onto stolen civilian aircraft, flown above the targeted cities and then detonated. Millions of our citizens have perished in that moment of Satan’s work. What has been kept a secret until this point is two of the groups responsible for launching the attacks have been located. Although none of the group’s members have been taken alive, we have been able, with the help of our allies, to identify three members of the groups as being current Iranian military Special Forces officers. Evidence obtained in laboratory analysis has confirmed the shipping crates used to transport the weapons originated in Iran. The videotape, recently seen on the media worldwide, indicates its point of origin was the city of Qom, Iran. We also have intelligence indicating the remaining weapons are stored in a bunker outside that city.”

“Let me make one thing clear fellow delegates, the government of the United States does not hold either the government of Mexico or the government of Russia responsible for any part of these attacks. Their corporation in the investigations has been complete and without compromise. America is proud to call these nations her friends and will look forward to working with them to resolve this crisis. America would also like to take the time to thank all the nations of the world for their generous humanitarian aid and notes of condolence. America only holds one nation accountable for the actions of 20 April, the Islamic Republic of Iran. In response to the vicious attacks made in cooperation with Al Qaeda, the government of the United States makes the following unconditional and immediate demands:”

“One: The government of Iran must, without condition or compromise, turn over all remaining nuclear weapons in its possession or inform the world the location of the remaining weapons if they no longer control them.”

“Two: Iran will turn over all those responsible for planning the attacks and those responsible for the thefts and destruction of the Russian dismantling facility in 2005. These individuals will be tried in the World Court for crimes against humanity.”

“Three: Iran must dismantle any atomic weapons projects, uranium enrichment and or weapons of mass destruction manufacturing facility with full inspection rights given to the IAEA council and UN inspectors.”

“Four: Iran will release information pertaining to state sponsored and state directed terrorist groups it supports so these groups can be brought to justice.”

“Five: Iran will cease all logistical, financial, training and ‘safe havens’ for terrorist groups.”

“Six: The government of the Islamic Republic of Iran must dissolve and call for new elections. These elections would be internationally supervised and under the provisions of a timetable set forth in a general assembly of the United Nations.”

“The United States has prepared copies of these demands as well as copies of the pertinent intelligence documents collected.”

“Again, fellow delegates, the United States only holds one nation accountable. America does not hold any other nation or any religion in account. The attacked carried out were by so called ‘Islamic militants.’ These individuals have perverted the peaceful and tolerant religion of Islam to suit their need for violence, hatred and anarchy. The United States will not negotiate with these groups nor will it negotiate the demands set forth today with the government of Iran. We give the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran exactly five days from today at noon Eastern Standard Time in Washington D.C. to comply with these demands. On 9 May at 12:00 PM, if the government of Iran has not complied, America will seek resolution of this matter through other means, up to and including military force, in kind. Possession by the government of Iran of nuclear weapons is a threat to all nations of the world and will not be tolerated. America will not sit idly by while a hostile government committed an unprovoked act of war using weapons of mass destruction against innocent civilians. Know this; the United States will retaliate if the demands are not met, by any and all means necessary if you fail to comply.”

“Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for your time.”

The Vice President turned away and walked off the dais and out of the chamber followed closely by Secret Service personnel. One could hear a pin drop as he walked out of the room. America had just told the world it was contemplating the use of nuclear weapons if the demands were not met. The Vice President walked to the nearest bathroom and proceeded to leave his lunch in the nearest stall.

In the assembly chamber, after the Vice President had departed, all eyes turned to look at the Iranian delegation. The Iranian Foreign Minister, although shocked at the announcements and demands set forth, kept his expression in a mask of stone. These is no need to speak here today, nothing can be said. Tomorrow perhaps, after I have spoken with the council, thought the minister. With that, he calmly gathered his papers into his briefcase and walked out of the building to his embassy.

CHAPTER 5 – DOWNWARD SPIRAL


Following the Meeting:


“…Kilo…Tango…Niner…Fife…X-Ray…November…One…Niner…Niner…Message ends.”

The senior officer in the Launch Control Facility of Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota looked through the codebook at the instructions he and his partner had just received from the SATCOM radio. A chill went down his spine as he read the proper instructions and verified the code. “Message is authentic.”

“I agree the message is authentic. Target coordinates are located in Annex Delta, Appendix Four, Captain. I’m inputting the coordinates now” the Lieutenant stated as he punched in numbers on a keyboard after he finished verifying the code.

“Stand by to turn keys…”

As so it began…the United States struck as promised, retaliating with a nuclear strike against the complex near Qom, but also one additional nuclear strike against the uranium enrichment plant and four conventional strikes against chemical/biological processing plants and storage sites. Iran made good on its promise to embargo the United States, but added a chilling twist, it stopped shipping oil altogether to the world. Its reasoning was to stop shipping oil to any country in the world that supported the United States. The move was soon followed by Saudi Arabia, Oman, Libya, Iraq, Nigeria and Algeria. Although these nations needed the hard currency the oil revenues would produce, it was the start of solidarity for the Islamic nations of the world. The Strait of Hormuz was closed to all shipping traffic and a dozen tankers coming from Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates were sunk by Iranian warplanes and missiles. American and British Naval forces were also targeted and the Persian Gulf became a free fire zone for both sides. Several naval vessels were sunk on both sides, but the American carrier battle group had to eventually withdraw to the Indian Ocean since it had no safe harbor within the Gulf region. With oil being embargoed to the nations of the world, economies began to falter and fall. Gas prices began to soar and those nations with oil reserves attempted to get along with what they had.

America was in a curious position. It should have been able to meet most of its needs from oil reserves and untapped resources in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska, but these resources had not been tapped due to political infighting and environmental group’s protests. Added in was the destruction of the refineries which would take years to rebuild. Nations of the world turned their back on America, switching them from the victims to the aggressors, but in fact, it was too late to save their economies. America’s economy faltered and was quickly coming to a halt. Thousands of workers were laid off by industry every day. Gasoline was rationed by the government and became its own black market virtually overnight with a gallon of gas costing between $75 and $100. Americans spent every penny of savings they had to buy the fuel they needed for vehicles and fuel oil for the next winter. No money was spent on “creature comforts” and with that market drying up; Asian markets soon began to fall.

With America no longer buying their products and no new clients to ship their goods, the industries of China, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, South Korea and other Asian countries began to close their doors. Europe wasn’t much better. Even with them denouncing the actions of the Americans, they also needed American markets for their goods. The OPEC countries grouped the European nations with America and stopped shipping oil there as well. The tiny push of the world markets foreseen by the Arabian oil company president worked as nations began to teeter on the brink of collapse. Citizens around the world gave every cent to paying for fuel. The Alaskan pipeline was cut on a dozen occasions, the credit being taken by Greenpeace and Earth First. Refineries all over the United States were also targets, with the credit of the damage going to these same groups, although they publically denied the actions. With the refining capacity of the United States being hit as hard as it was in the initial strikes and with the subsequent eco-terror attacks, enough fuel could not be refined quickly enough to meet the needs of an oil hungry nation.

Riots in major American cities began for fuel and food, necessitating the need for military forces to be moved in to help restore order. Tanker trucks in America were being hijacked so often, it was necessary to guard them in military convoys. Iraq demanded the immediate withdrawal of all coalition forces within sixty days from their country or “be faced with the anger and rage of a hostile nation.” Those forces were rushed home immediately into the American cities to help bring law and order back into the lives of most Americans. Other American service members from Asia and Europe were rushed home, Korea and Japan being first and Europe being last. Although the European governments publicly denounced the United States’ actions, it privately assured the US government their troops would be safe in their countries until they could be transported back home. After the withdrawal of American troops from South Korea, the North attacked. America was in no position to help the South Koreans, but the South managed to counter attack and take back the territory lost in the initial attacks. They were going north of the old DMZ when a revolt of North Koreas military leaders deposed the sitting so called ‘Dear Leader,’ called for an immediate cease fire and surrendered their country. Talks were underway about reunification, but most of the world did not care, as they had their own problems to deal with.

Mexico looked to be on the verge of a revolution as its government leaders did not spend the treasury to help its citizens. Local civilian leaders and military officers that advocated open revolt against the government were being jailed at an alarming rate. Politicians were still being bribed by large corporations and criminal elements of the Mexican nation and it looked like the citizens had just about had enough.

Nations took advantage of the void left by the US and the UN since they were not in a position to assist other nations. Long held grudges came to armed conflict across Africa and Asia, but still the world did not care. India and Pakistan were at each other’s throats again and daily battles ensued in the Kashmir province. Famine swept across Africa since regular shipments of aid from the world could not be gotten there due to fuel shortages. Bands of gangs roamed the nations of the world, not stealing for material wealth, but for gasoline and food.

Iran’s Lion Claw teams swept across the world and spread violence and death on anyone who dared defy the Islamic religion, but the credit went to local hate groups in each of the nations they were operating in. They also trained and equipped militant groups who attacked in their stead. In some countries, the original teams were located and defeated, but the groups they trained and equipped carried on with the attacks and spread Islam by the sword. America’s cities were joined by large cities around the world in riots and devastation. Russian cities under martial law burned on the nightly newscasts of CNN, MSNBC and Fox, still most people did not care. Armed conflict began between Russian military forces and that country slid into a virtual state of civil war. China moved in two divisions of troops to Beijing to suppress riots there making the Tiananmen Square massacre pale in comparison. Soon the Chinese troops began to disobey the orders to fire on their countrymen and China seemed to be on the brink of a civil war itself.

Military forces of over one hundred nations were mobilized and sent into cities to restore order, often with deadly results. Iraq was plunged into a state of civil war until Iran interceded and almost completely annexed that country. Violence still continued as Kurdish and Sunni rebels continued their fight against the Shiite forces. Kuwait was invaded and overrun in a matter of days. The Balkans started fighting against each other again with genocide and atrocities being committed by both sides. Latin American countries fell into fighting each other, both internally and externally. Europe was paralyzed by lack of fuel and food. Asia and Australia weren’t much better off. Africa, never a garden spot of the world, was torn apart by tribal warfare except in the North African regions and South Africa. With the lack of fuel, South African mines slowed production of diamonds, gold and other valuable minerals for which the world’s economies depended. Still, the rest of the world did not care as they tended to their own problems. Some countries managed to get by, such as Brazil, who, for the most part, did not depend heavily on imported oil to get along. But these nations were the exception rather than the rule.

Among this, the American Vice-President committed suicide. After confirming the launch order for the nuclear strikes on Iran and seeing the devastation they caused, he became mentally unstable. During one meeting, he quietly excused himself, went to the nearest restroom and shot himself in the head with a concealed pistol. In a spirit of bipartisan cooperation, the President nominated the Speaker of the House to succeed the Vice-President. Although not well like by himself or his party, the President felt the move would help heal the partisan infighting so rampant in the Washington political scene and help make necessary reforms to keep the United States from going further down into the abyss. He was able to curry enough favors in Congress to get her confirmed. During her swearing in ceremony, she promised to work with the President and his staff to help stabilize the country and find an honorable way out of the crisis. Iran’s Lion Claw teams took full advantage of the crisis in America and the attacks they performed were aimed at tearing away America’s social fabric. Acts of violence, blamed on domestic terrorists caused hate crimes to rise exponentially and spread rapidly through the country.

Major American cities became virtual war zones as gangs fought each other and the Armed Forces for control of territory and resources. Religious leaders, ranging from Jewish Rabbis to Christian Ministers to Muslim Imams decreed a defense of their people and the destruction of anyone who did not believe their faith. Others preached of peaceful intentions and for everyone to work together to end the crisis. Small communities formed militias in the spirit of the founding fathers, but instead of communities combining to defeat external threats, they often formed along political and racial lines, further polarizing the country. The President spoke of tolerance, but citizens were too concerned with getting enough food to listen.

Martial Law was declared nationwide and the military was placed in charge of policing the nation. A dusk-till-dawn curfew was put into effect, but this did not stop the violence. More than a few groups attacked the military secured convoys of food, fuel and medical supplies, occasionally meeting with victory, but more often with deadly results. These efforts of securing the nation began in earnest as troops, mainly from the National Guard and Reserves at first, started deserting to ensure the safety of their families first before trying to help others. It was hard for a person to help other families while their own were going hungry. Active duty forces followed them and America’s armed forces started to slowly disintegrate from within as those with families wanted to protect them and get them out of the large cities.

These actions in only eight weeks since the retaliation by America.


Time since attacks: 61 days
Date/Time: 20 June/0912 Local
Location: NORAD, Colorado Springs, CO


An aide running down a corridor in the NORAD facility nearly ran over several people as he rushed in to the President’s makeshift office. He barged in unannounced “Sir! We have CRITIC traffic! It will probably be on the news in a couple of minutes! The following cities were just attacked by nuclear weapons: Tokyo, Saint Petersburg, London, Shanghai, Paris and Bremen. It appears the detonations were on the surface, not airborne like ours but near the waterfront possibly on the ocean, except in Paris which it was close to the Eiffel Tower. The CIA thinks these weapons might have been brought in by ship for the most part. We don’t have any damage reports yet, but we can expect major devastation to these cities.”

“Additionally, there were major terrorist attacks using chemical weapons in Sydney, Rome, Stockholm, Tel Aviv, Madrid, New Delhi, Buenos Ares, Rio de Janeiro, Mexico City and Cape Town. No group has claimed credit so far, but we figure that it will only be a matter of time before Al Qaeda claims credit. Where they got the chemical or nuclear weapons is a guess, but all indications will probably point to Iran. The Russian President will probably call on the hotline in a few minutes and requested a conference with you about possible retaliation. That’s what we know for now, Mister President.”

The President, seemingly aged twenty years in the past month, put on his reading glasses and looked through the dispatch. He called for the entire staff to meet in the conference room and have the Vice-President video-conferenced in. The aide answered “Sir, the staff is being assembled as we speak and should be in place in the next few minutes. They are meeting in conference room B.”

The President stood and walked down the hallway to the room, already starting to fill up with the Secretaries and various aides. He had temporarily relocated back to Cheyenne Mountain almost a month before after several “dirty bombs” containing radiological materials had been discovered in Washington D.C. The room stood on his entrance and he walked to the head of the table before telling them all to sit. The video link for the Vice-President had not been established yet, but a staff member was working on it. The President looked around the table, finding the necessary Cabinet members before starting. He looked at the Secretary of Defense, “Reactions?”

The Secretary of Defense was also a man who had aged considerably since the initial attacks. He knew job was to defend the United States and he had ultimately failed. He also never thought he would ever have had to send the Armed Forces into the major American cities. “Mister President, the Russians and the Chinese are probably going through the roof right now. Even with the civil war going on, the strategic forces of both the countries have remained loyal to the governments in Moscow and Beijing respectively. Honestly, there is no telling what may happen in the days to come if it’s discovered that Iran was behind the attacks. China will probably be the most passive since they do not posses nearly enough of the long range rockets to hit Iran without decreasing their strategic posture, but Russia does and will probably strike wherever they feel like. There is really no way of knowing just how far the Russian President will go.”

A TV in the room told the assembled staff the same thing the paper just had. Mass devastation, hysteria and panic soon enveloped those cities that were attacked and major urban centers throughout the world. A mass exodus out of major cities was anticipated, even in America. Since there was no fuel to be had, many people would travel by foot. FEMA camps would fill quicker than they had already since people were being evicted from their homes or their homes were being destroyed by the riots and fires. The Vice-President appeared on the video screen at the rear of the room. She had a content “I told you so” look on her face as she looked into the camera at the President. He ignored the look before she started. “Mister President, from the look on your face, you just received the news I did.”

The President ignored her smug look and the comments she made without feeling before answering, “Yes, Madam Vice-President, it appears our intelligence was wrong about those warheads being in Iran or there were more than twelve missing to begin with.”

The Vice-President answered quickly before the President could continue “More the former statement than the latter, Mister President. If it is true and those weapons were not in Iran, than you committed an unprovoked nuclear attack on Iran and murdered those innocent people for no reason but to gratify your need for revenge.”

The President stood up before continuing, pointing his finger at the camera before letting loose on the Vice-President “Excuse me?! How dare you accuse me of murder! We had reliable intelligence those weapons were in Iran! It was not murder, but a defensive strike to keep the world safe from terrorists! How dare-”

The Vice President cut him off before going off on her own tirade “How dare you, sir! Going off half cocked and attacking innocent people with weapons of mass destruction! How dare you attack that country on the basis of poor intelligence! How dare you murder millions of innocent people! You spoke so high and mighty of the so called cowardly terrorists, ‘attempt to reserve judgment and restrain yourselves’ you told the American people! Your attacks on Iran were just as low as the attacks made by the terrorists originally. You are nothing more than a terrorist bully yourself by attacking Iran in that fashion! Don’t bother defending yourself now, Ron; just be ready to do it at your impeachment trial which I am going to call for!” The connection was ended as the screen went blank, terminated by the Vice President.

The President sat back down in his chair slowly as the room was silent. The staff looked at him waiting for a response to the Vice President’s statements. His head was filled with a million thoughts…What a fine mess we have gotten ourselves into here. How could the world come apart like it has in the past six weeks? Is this the end for me? Will history see me as a terrorist or as a man justified in his actions? Will history show the American people supported me? Do I need to put this nation through an impeachment trial? Will they even care? What is the honorable thing to do?

CHAPTER 7 – BEGINNINGS


Time since attacks: 16 days
Date/Time: 6 May/1133 Local
Location: Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, CO


Although many military forces were leaving the Midwest, enough forces remained in the states to guard critical military installations, facilities and secure the convoys and refugee camps. At Peterson AFB, a FEMA camp had been set up on the north-east side of base near the end of runway and spilled out onto civilian property now controlled by the military in an imminent domain grab. At this place, we found a band of brothers and sisters. Not family in the traditional sense, but a family of military service. Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen in every country know of this family as a group of friends from military service often become closer to you than your actual family. Hollywood often tries to portray it and for the general public, sometimes part of the message gets across. But it is a family that has to be experienced rather than told about. This family would willingly die for you and you for them, a family that knows more about you than your own genetic family does, a family that would gladly help you in your time of need and you them without any reservations or questions. Air Force Security Forces are a much closer knit “family” than the rest of the Air Force when it comes to this. This is mainly due to an “us versus them” mentality drilled into every Airman’s head from day one of their Technical Training School. Although most of these cops have friends outside the career field, most feel closer to the people they work with than the Air Force at large. This family often fights with each other, picks on each other and makes life a living hell sometimes, but only on the inside. If someone from outside the family was to step in, they would turn on them like an enraged tiger defending their cubs.

One man, Thomas Dayfield, felt closer to this family than most did as he was mainly alone in this world. His only brother had died in a car crash in 1996 and his parents had died less than three months apart four years ago. His father died during a routine surgery in which an experimental medicine was used without his consent. He experienced complications during surgery and died before the allergic reaction could be stopped in time. Dayfield’s mother, never one to justify a frivolous lawsuit, sued the hospital and was offered $12 million in the settlement, as well as the doctor performing the surgery to have his license revoked. She spent little of the money after the settlement as wealth could not replace the man she had spent almost forty years with. She died in her sleep a short time after the lawsuit with what doctors claimed as heart complications. Thomas knew better and for the first time in her adult life she was alone. With his military duties keeping him far away from his original home in Tennessee, she was alone in a house filled with memories of a family she had spent thirty plus years around. Although the medical prognosis was for heart complications, Thomas knew his mother had died of a broken heart more. Loneliness, more than a medical reason, caused her untimely demise.

The Dayfield family was wealthier than Thomas actually knew before his parent’s death. His father had started a welding business before he was born, but had eventually branched out into recycling. That branch had started just before recycling became a major issue for Americans and had exploded in the wake of the recycling trend. After their death, Thomas had sat down with the family lawyer and accountant and finally found out just how much the company was worth. It was not that Thomas was not interested in continuing the family business, but his military commitments would prohibit him from keeping a close eye on it. He chose a close family friend, the vice president of the corporation, to take over the business and keep the company alive. The friend, with close financial backing from several banks, promised to keep the business and shops open to provide the local economy with jobs. After selling the company and paying the required government taxes, his net value grew to over $40 million dollars. There was actually more invested in various stocks and mutual funds that had grown exponentially over the years. Although wealthy, his family never flashed their money and lived simply. He didn’t know why until he read a letter found in a safety deposit box hand written by his father and signed by both his parents.


Our Dearest Thomas,

If you are reading this letter, we have come to pass on this Earth. I hope by reading this, you can understand why we did what we did and hope you can continue the trend. Every family has secrets and our wealth has been our secret.

We never let on just how wealthy we were since we both came from simple backgrounds and never wanted anything more than to live in this world without any problems. We Dayfields and Briggs have always been independent and self reliant and we wanted to impress on you the importance of these traits. Since you turned the age of 18, you have always had to be independent and live off what you had and not what you thought you “needed.” While we were always there to help, you never required our assistance to get by and learned that hard work will do more in the long run than hand-outs ever will.

If we could ever teach you anything in this world, it is to be independent and never rely on your wealth or anyone else to get you by. We know times will be tough on occasion, but as long as you have a roof over your head and food on the table, things aren’t as bad as they seem. Hard work, dedication and a positive mindset will pull you through these times.

Remember we loved you more than anything in this world and wanted to make you learn about how to get by with what you had. You have exceeded our expectations and are now ready to take care of our fortunes.

Alan & Lori Dayfield


With little to go to in the place he grew up, Thomas sold his parent’s house and what possessions he would not need, took the family heirlooms and settled in Colorado, where he was stationed in the USAF. He kept in touch with his extended family that still lived in Tennessee, but he felt closer to his family in the military now. After being stationed in Colorado, he became enchanted with the Rocky Mountains and Colorado in general. Colorado Springs did not have the big city mentality of Denver or the liberal attitudes of Boulder. For a city of almost five hundred thousand people, the pace of life was much slower. Many referred to Colorado Springs as being “a big city with a small town attitude.”

After inheriting his family’s wealth, he bought a ranch north of Cañon City bordering the Pikes Peak National Forrest. The ranch covered over fifteen hundred acres of farm or grazing capable lands, forests and a stream. He bought the place as a fall back retreat in case the world ever turned upside down. Thomas had gotten into preparedness many years before after being stationed in Florida for several hurricane seasons, but had been taught this trait from his family long ago. Growing up, his parents often kept a summer garden and had canned and preserved many of the vegetables grown. On his assignment to Colorado, he continued the preparations for himself and also continued to look for others who would share his ideas. He also planned to get out of the Air Force at the end of his current enlistment. The Air Force had changed much in his years of service, and not all the changes being good. The leadership in the Air Force still enforced a “do more with less” mentality even in the face of other armed services getting more manpower. These attitudes that people were not as important as some fancy flying machine grated on Thomas every time he heard the Air Force speak of initiatives to streamline service and do more with less. After having the means to get out of the service, he planned to do so. He would have to wait a while since his current enlistment date was four years away. He made plans for a second career and the ranch fit into those plans.

Although initially buying the land for himself, he soon found the place could be used for more profitable means. He set up the ranch to be a hunting retreat and a business conference center. He had eight two story, three bedroom cabins built on the grounds surrounding the old cattle pond in a semi circle. The old ranch house was torn down and a new larger Conference Center with a central kitchen was built in its place with additional living space on the second floor. Each of the structures was built with off the grid living in mind. They relied heavily on solar power with each of the cabins having photovoltaic panels installed on the roof that fed into sets of submarine batteries in the basements. Each cabin was also fed by large propane tanks into the furnaces and kitchen stoves. In the event of a power failure, the furnaces could be unhooked from the propane and wood and coal stoves and a large fireplace would be used to provide heat, two in the main areas and one each in the bedrooms. The propane tank would also run the kitchen stove as well, being fed off a separate bank of batteries which again, were recharged from a set of solar panels.

Generator hook ups were added onto the back of each cabin to recharge the batteries if the solar panels could not provide the electricity. A low power deep freezer and efficient refrigerator were added to each as well. The windows were large and offered good lighting into the house, and when opened, ventilated the house extremely efficiently. They also had large pull down shutters for the winter months to keep the heat in or for times during storms where they could protect the windows. There were also battery operated fans which could either blow warm air off the stoves or cool air around the cabin. The walls were thick which provided good insulation as it kept them cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. Water pressure was kept up by a battery powered pressure tank for each of the cabins and tanks partially assisted by gravity from the freshwater tanks at the pumping station. The cabins were also installed with an energy efficient water heater, set a little lower than normal, but still provided hot enough water for most purposes. Each cabin fed into its own large septic tank which was emptied every spring in anticipation of the corporate retreats coming up. Each of the cabins was a model of off the grid living with the utmost effort going into making them stand alone. Not an expense was spared in preparing them for a time of emergency.

When asked about why the troubles with the alternate forms of power, Thomas would often tell people it was because he lived so far away from the city and didn’t want to inconvenience his customers during summer retreats or hunting parties if the power or water was to go out. A few of his customers figured out why he was doing what he did, but never brought up the point to him. Some of these customers were also in the preparedness mindset and often went away with tips to improve their own retreats.

The Conference Center was built much the same as cabins, but with more battery banks to supply a larger area. In here, he also installed a large commercial sized kitchen to feed the groups that came for both the hunting parties and the corporate retreats, Wi-Fi connections, a complete computer controlled Audio-Visual system and a large dining area along with smaller rooms on the first floor which could be used for small private meetings. In the event of an emergency, a large central fireplace could warm the dining and kitchen areas and each of the rooms upstairs had their own small stove for heat. Again, large windows provided ample light and had a shutter system installed for winter times and storm season.

His home was also set up like this, but with more to it than the rest. He had extra items installed there, also run off the batteries when needed. An energy efficient washing machine stood in his basement, using only about a third of the water and power normal washers would need.

After the second hunting season, he added a Trading Post stocked with hunting and camping gear, ammunition, firearms and supplies. He had a two story home built for himself on the ranch on the opposite side of the pond. Due to his unexpected business boom after the first year, he brought in some full time help. Another friend, George Taylor, had recently been released from his job as a contractor with the Military’s NORTHCOM. Although he was highly competent in his duties, one of the best in fact, he did not have the seniority necessary to save his job. Taylor was a dedicated career Special Forces NCO while he was in the military and continued that work after he got out.

Upon being released by the company, he was job hunting when Thomas approached him about running the lodge and Conference Center. George was a man who had been raised in the outdoors and spent about two seconds contemplating the opportunity before agreeing to take it on. With Dayfield’s assistance, Taylor secured some adjacent property to his, an old farmhouse sitting on ten acres of land and only three quarters of a mile away from Thomas’s ranch on the same gravel road. He moved his family in the next month and took on the job with the same dedication he had shown his military duties. The house was somewhat secluded from the roadway since it had a stand of trees between it and the nearest observation, but was still somewhat exposed to direct view.

His wife, Cynthia, was an accomplished cook and assisted with the duties during corporate retreats and hunting parties. George worked as guide, cook, facility manager and sometimes just one to entertain the guests with his various stories over a beer. George and Cynthia were the kinds of people that had never met a stranger in their lives. They made friends easily and everyone felt immediately comfortable around them. The business showed as well, with both repeat and new customers filling out the reservations for the next year. George and Cynthia both received their Federal Firearm License, or FFL, and were able to sell the firearms out of the Trading Post and take special order requests.

Not only was George a good manager of the retreat, but was a top notch gunsmith on all types of firearms as well. He could turn a standard 1911 into a competition gun or take a basic Model 700 action and tune it into a thousand yard precision rifle. He worked with Thomas continuously to improve the business, almost as if he were the owner. He suggested over a dozen improvements to the property which were immediately included. The five hundred meter rifle range, the one hundred meter pistol range and the skeet range were all ideas George had come up with to improve the Ranch. Although the ranges were metric standard since both had been in the military, there were also markers established for yards. Often, the local Sherriff’s Office deputies and Police Department from nearby Cañon City came to the range to practice. Thomas and George had little trouble with the local law enforcement since Thomas had a good “law enforcement discount” at the Trading Post and George fine tuned some of the weapons of the officers. Both the men were fairly well known, although in a good way, with the Sherriff and his office. Generally speaking, if one of the members of the Ranch called for law enforcement support, almost every officer in the area would offer to immediately respond and help.

One day, three years prior, Thomas was visiting his property on a long weekend and was sitting with George around the outdoor fireplace on the Taylor’s back deck sipping a beer one night. The conversation turned to one of preparedness and how people in general were little prepared for emergencies. Hoping to steer the conversation in the direction he wanted, Thomas probed for information before going any further. He mentioned to George the way civilization was going and how it could possibly fall…and fall hard. He didn’t mention his own preparations or mention the word survivalist. More often than not, the word ‘survivalist’ conjures up the image of some bearded anti-government type sitting on crates of MREs and ammunition just waiting for the apocalypse.

Thomas was the kind of person that believed in preparedness for all emergencies and tried to plan accordingly to those situations. Since the beginning of the 21st century however, he started having a bad feeling something was going to happen in the world and civilization would fall. So he began preparing for that fall and the Ranch was a big part of it. Most of his supplies were in the basement and attic of his new house up the road or scattered around his property in several buildings. Prior to receiving his inheritance, he expanded his stocks slowly, like most people. But with a sudden influx in funds, he was able to obtain his supplies at a faster rate. Instead of years to obtain the supplies, it was taking months to get what he needed. At this point, he figured he had about eight to twelve months of supplies just for himself, not counting what he could raise as crops or the game he could hunt. He wanted to be able to get eighteen months of supplies on hand for emergencies if he could.

Although a wealthy man, he was fairly frugal with his money even after receiving his inheritance, except for two areas, his property and his weapons. An avid gun collector for his life, he went a little crazy with his purchases as soon as he was able to do so. By this time he also had his FFL and was able to purchase what he wanted at dealer prices. He had over one hundred fifty firearms in his personal collection and had the Trading Post well stocked with rifles, shotguns and pistols of all calibers. The collection of firearms in the Trading Post also included quite a few center fire autoloading rifles, some to be used as “demonstrator” models for the local law enforcement.

He and George continued the conversation when Thomas was suddenly surprised by George’s announcement “Yeah, I know what you mean. Cynthia and I have been stocking up for years preparing for the worst. In fact, this house fits right into our plan of preparing. It’s secure, out of the way, and most of all, away from major urban centers. I figure we already have enough to hole up here for six months without leaving. Also, we plant crops and live off the land. What? You think I don’t know what you have in your basement? I know what it is because mine looks much the same. Come on in and have a peek.” The two entered the house and went into George’s basement. Upon entering, Thomas saw buckets and boxes of dry goods, crates of MREs and camping foods, ammunition crates and cans, some military, some civilian, a weapons safe, propane bottles and boxes and bins of various items one might need to live off the grid for some time.

Beside the doorway were two backpacks, both were military style packs loaded out to about thirty or forty pounds apiece. Thomas could only come up with one use for those. George answered his unspoken question “Yeah, those are what you might call Bug Out Bags. We put them in the car any time we go more than ten miles from home. We have enough stuff in there to last five days, maybe more, we’re not really sure. Five days is the longest we have lived out of them. Are you surprised yet?” Thomas was more than surprised, he was astounded. He had found someone with a similar mindset totally by accident. George continued to surprise him “So, this makes it very easy now. Since we are on the same playbook, let’s talk about what we can do together to prepare.” They walked out of the house and back onto the deck where they continued the conversation well into the night.

Over the next three years, their preparations were made together. George’s house was retrofit much like the cabins were, going to off the grid living. The small pond fed by the stream was drained, dug out deeper and wider, refilled and was now home to a large school of the mountain trout so abundant in Colorado’s lakes and streams. A five thousand gallon cistern was added to the well which was now run by a solar pump. Gravity fed water lines ran to each of the houses, cabins and Trading Post. George paid to have a well dug on his property and had a five hundred gallon tank installed as well. Since dry weather was always a concern in Colorado, an irrigation system was put in place by the fields that would be used to raise crops.

Although the land bordered the National Forrest where firewood could be easily obtained, Thomas had bought three truckloads of seasoned hardwood and had it shipped in the first summer and another truckload every summer after that. Two destroyed chainsaw blades, several dozen splinters and blisters and several more broken axe handles later, the wood had been sawed, split and was now neatly stacked in the old barn behind the Trading Post. Thomas had also expanded the gasoline storage of the Ranch by adding a second five thousand gallon gasoline tank to the existing one and adding a ten thousand gallon tank for diesel storage and a two thousand gallon kerosene tank. Each could be run by a generator or by a hand operated pump and were kept topped off every spring.

Along the way, Thomas was introduced to a friend of George named Ryan Meeks. He casually knew Ryan before, but was surprised when George asked him what he thought about Ryan joining the Ranch, both as an employee and as a kindred spirit of being prepared. Although not really knowing Ryan, being vouched by George went a long way with Thomas. He learned Ryan had also been into the preparedness lifestyle for quite a while and already had a solo retreat set up out in the mountains. He said he preferred to be with other people that would share his views than out alone in the mountains. He and George had served together in the same units during his time in the Army, although Ryan was not Special Forces. His area of expertise was communications. It was said he could make a radio out of a shampoo bottle and three paperclips that could talk to the moon. He also brought in a wealth of knowledge about hunting, fishing and farming that would help the small group in case of troubles. Ryan sold his property in the mountains, moved his preps to the Ranch and had a house built with Thomas’ permission on his property. He immediately took to his new job on the Ranch with the same vigor as George and Cynthia and helped make several improvements.

After Ryan joined the group, Thomas made several attempts to recruit others to be on the Ranch with them. He went to some of his close friends he had worked with over the years and, after carefully approaching them, invited them into the group. He also told several more of the Ranch and let them know they had “a place to crash in case anything goes bad.” The first person Thomas approached was Darren Thompson and his wife Janet. Darren had actually brought the matter up to Thomas before on several occasions and made comments that he was into the preparedness lifestyle.

Darren was a fellow security policeman with Thomas and was good at bow hunting, small engine mechanics and was a crack shot with any type of firearm. His wife was a physical therapist at a local hospital and also went along with the lifestyle of being prepared. They gave four hundred fifty dollars a month to Thomas for an investment on their preparations and moved what stores they had to the Ranch. Darren and Janet had two children, a son of twelve and a daughter of nine so four hundred fifty dollars was almost more than they could afford. Thomas ensured their money was put to good use and not a penny was wasted.

Rick and Michelle Jones were the next two on the list of friends Thomas was inviting. Thomas had invited them up for a relaxing weekend and brought them in on the idea of the retreat. At first, Michelle was skeptical, but Rick was all for it. Although they gave money, it was not always on time, but Rick and Michelle made up for it in other means, like supplies. Sometimes he would show up with crates of ammo with military headstamps. Although Thomas figured the ammo was misappropriated from Government stockpiles, he never said anything and sanded off the lot numbers from the crates and cans, repainted them and placed the ammo in a hard to find place.

Rick was a Combat Arms Training and Maintenance specialist in the same unit that Thomas was in. His military specialty was repairing and maintaining military firearms and teaching others to use them. Although being a trained gunsmith, George was his superior by his own admittance. The two spent many an hour building custom firearms and Rick learned a lot from George. He was also an avid hunter and reloader who owned a complete set of reloading equipment. He was very meticulous in his work of reloading and sold his shells in the Trading Post, offering to replace a defective cartridge with ten if they failed. The sales from the shells offset the money he was to provide so he just about broke even.

Michelle, not really hip to the idea of the preparedness thing in the beginning, had valuable knowledge that could help the group. Originally from Alabama, she grew up on a farm where from a young age she learned to grow crops, tend animals, sew, cook, and store foods. More often than not, she would rarely admit to these talents, almost as if she wanted to forget her past. None the less, she helped out George and Cynthia in their garden and helped with the major fields when they planted them. She grew more comfortable with time and became a valuable member of the team. Along with Rick and Michelle came their two children, both daughters of six and two. Often overlooked in most prepared stocks, Thomas had George add some children’s vitamins into the prepared stocks.

The final family Thomas invited was one of his oldest friends, Dave Lawson and his family, into the Ranch. Thomas and Dave had been friends for almost ten years and he had also known Renee for nearly that long. Upon informing him of the Ranch and its purpose, Dave readily joined. Dave admitted to Thomas upon hearing this “I don’t like the way things are going in the world and it would be nice to have a place to send Renee and the kids in case something went wrong.”

Dave and Renee were both expert fishermen, growing up on the coast of Maine, but it was Renee who was the better of the two. It was said Renee didn’t even need bait on a hook to catch a fish, but Thomas figured this was only a tall tale. He doubted it until Renee came back from a local stream with a dozen fish after only an hour of work, much to the disgust of Thomas and Dave who had been working for several hours with the same results. Dave was also an accomplished carpenter, having worked in his father and grandfather’s carpentry shops growing up. He was also a good cook and pretty fair with repairing engines. Renee was exceptional with electronics and electrical work. It was her living before an injury forced her off the job and they had their second child. In a pinch, she could also work on small engines. All in all, the Lawsons had much to offer the Ranch and were welcomed by Thomas, the Taylors and Ryan.

Each of the families came up to the Ranch and picked out one of the cabins on the property, laying claim as their “own” in case they had to relocate there. They had brought up various personal items like clothing and weapons and stored them in small sheds behind the cabins and in the locked basements. The major preparations like food and supplies were taken care of by the Taylors and Thomas. They were able to buy at bulk rate discounts and have the goods shipped into the Ranch. Thomas also brought up several other friends to the Ranch, but had not fully extended the invitation yet until it could be determined if they could become valuable members of the group. Most of them understood the unspoken message of “you have a place to go in case all hell breaks loose.”

During the springs and summer, Thomas came up to the Ranch as often as he could, helping out with the corporate retreats and the farms. Thomas tilled the ground behind his house and planted small crops each summer, but was unable to tend it all that much. Cynthia helped him out in this area and got what she could from his garden, helping him preserve the food. In the fall, crops were harvested from the gardens and fields and stored for the winter while George and Ryan lead hunting parties out into the nearby national forest. More often than not, Thomas was unable to help much with the hunting parties, but managed to get one or two in every year.

During the winter, every family helped perform maintenance on the grounds and prepared for the next year and helped increase the stocks and supplies of the collective community. Over the four years, Thomas, the Taylors, the Thompsons, the Lawsons, the Jones and Ryan managed to collect enough goods to live safely off the grid for at least two years, probably more. At the beginning of this year, George and Thomas had gone on a buying spree for major items and were nearing completion of the stockpile of these items when the attacks happened. The Trading Post was completely stocked with weapons, accessories and gear since the winter and spring were the best times to buy the outdoors items. They both got a bad feeling about the near future and wanted to be as set as possible in case something happened. Most of these items were not really necessary and more of nice to have items than real necessities.

Spring came and gardens were planted, last minute reservations were made and the bombs were detonated. As soon as it was possible, Thomas called the Taylors at their home and got Cynthia on the phone. Knowing she was the more organized of the two; she would know as much or more than George on the status of the preparations. “Is everything okay up there with you folks?”

Cynthia knew he would be calling sooner or later and answered the question, “Of course, George and Ryan are down at the main ranch making sure everything is in place in case you come running this way soon.”

Thomas had a few more questions that needed to be answered. “Were the fuel deliveries made?”

“Yes and you caught a break on that. They were delivered a week before the attacks and before gas prices went through the roof. We were able to get all the tanks filled as well as our own and also all the spare jerry cans and the kerosene tank. We paid in cash and bought from several different sources so it doesn’t look like we are hording gas” answered Cynthia who knew Thomas was a bit of a worry wart when it came to the preps.

It had been Ryan’s idea to make smaller purchases from several different fuel companies just in case they kept good records of what deliveries were made. They all knew the government could confiscate the fuel for their own uses if the need arose, but by having smaller quantities bought from several companies, the amounts didn’t seem like much and might go unnoticed like a larger order would.

Thomas continued “So we are sitting okay on the fuel?”

“Yes, we are, so stop worrying. All the tanks and cans have been filled and stabilized. The kero tank and all the kero cans are all filled. The propane tanks were filled after the winter and most are still topped off. The food is ready and everything is in place. Stop worrying, silly” said Cynthia in a patient voice.

Thomas laughed at the perceived calmness in her voice when everything else was going crazy in the world. “All right, I will stop worrying so much about it. Everything is mass chaos up here in the Springs, so I wouldn’t bother making a trip here unless you absolutely had too.”

Cynthia paused before continuing “Don’t I know it, Cañon City is much the same so we are sticking close to home for now. Are you planning on coming up soon?”

“I’m not sure if I will be able to just yet. They have us all jumping around here and have stop-lossed us as well. Two weeks before I start my terminal leave and I get stuck here” said Thomas who was a bit peeved at the turn of events.

Cynthia answered “Well, honey, that’s the government for you. Just when you think everything is going good, they go and do that to you. Just let us know when you are going to come running this way.”

“Will do…oh wait! Some families might be coming that way in the next bit. Will that be a problem?” said Thomas before she was able to hang up the phone.

Cynthia thought for a moment before answering “No, shouldn’t be a problem. Just tell them to call if they can before coming here or at least check in with us before going down to the Ranch.”

“Will do, you folks take care up there” said Thomas as he was finishing the phone call.

“Of course. You get your butt up here and don’t play the hero if things get worse” said a concerned Cynthia.

“You know I will” stated Thomas.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot” said Cynthia. “The guy we always buy the hardwood from called yesterday. He said if we wanted to get an order in, we needed to get it done in the next week. After that, he doesn’t think he will have enough fuel to make the trip all the way out here. Do you want us to place the order?”

“Yes, for sure. As a matter of fact, see if he can get two or three loads” stated Thomas. “Actually, make it worth his while. Help pay him off with filling the trucks with diesel for the return trip.”

“That’s not a bad idea, Tom. I’ll give him a call when I get off here” said Cynthia.

They said their goodbyes and hung up the phone. Thomas was about to go about his duties when he was paid a semi-unexpected visit from Dave Lawson. Since the detonations, he had expected the families to pay him a visit about moving down to the safety of the Ranch. Dave started the conversation without being prompted “Been on the phone with George?”

“Cynthia” corrected Thomas. “I presume you are here to ask about whether or not Renee can head on down there?”

“You presume right, o wise one. Are they ready to get visitors?” asked Dave who was very concerned for the safety of his family, especially since they were sitting in a fairly large target for a terrorist attack.

“Yeah, I talked to Cynthia and she said everything was in order for people to come on down” answered Thomas.

Dave was quick to answer “Well, I know Renee has the Rodeo packed as well as the trailer. It seems as if she is planning to move down there permanently. Same thing with Janet Thompson. They are going to wait a few days before going down to let the madness stop.” After the attacks, people had fled many of the large metropolitan areas since the threat of attack was still out there. Many had started returning since the motel rooms and relatives in other areas did not have the creature comforts of their own homes.

Thomas understood completely about the mass hysteria after the attacks “Shouldn’t be a problem although I would give someone a call down there to let them know you all are coming.”

At this point the two men were joined by a worried looking Staff Sergeant. His name was Brian Holmes and he was a good friend of both the men sitting in the office. Sensing something was troubling him; they invited him to sit down and asked what was going on. “Everything okay, dude?”

Brian slumped into a chair before answering “No, Janie is freaking out right now, especially with El Presidente in town. She told me she doesn’t feel safe at all right now and would like to go someplace safe.” That the President was in town at the NORAD facility was supposed to be a secret. MSNBC had broken the news of the location yesterday on the afternoon broadcast and the cat was out of the bag. “I mean, what am I supposed to do to calm her down? Her folks are in Portland and even if I could get plane tickets or enough money for gas, that place is probably worse off than here. I don’t know what to do.”

Dave and Thomas looked at each other before answering. The idea of inviting Brian to join the group had been tossed around before, but they wanted to break him in slowly. However, current events had pretty much wrecked the timetables. Before making a decision, they silently decided to discuss it first. Thomas and Dave had been friends long enough that they could almost read each other’s minds by the expressions on their faces. They told Brian to wait in the office so they could discuss the issue and walked out of the building. On the way out, they grabbed Rick out of the armory, but could not find Darren. They walked out the back door of the Security Forces Squadron building on Peterson Boulevard to the smoking area and lit up cigarettes, with Rick having to bum one off the other men. He had quit many years before, but since the attacks had recently started the bad habit again. Thomas reminded him of what his wife would do if she found out he was smoking again. The reply was something to the effect of “don’t worry and give me a smoke” before Thomas handed over the pack. Perfect timing was with the group as Darren was pulling into the parking lot just as they were about to discuss the problems. He parked his patrol vehicle and walked over to the group “Hey guys, what’s going on?”

Thomas answered for himself and Dave bringing the other two up to speed on the problem. “Dave and I were just talking to Brian Holmes and he says his family is scared to death about what is happening. He doesn’t know where to send them too that might be safe. I know we talked about inviting him in to the group, but were going to take it slower. I think we just moved from slow to fast and we should be thinking about who else we might want to invite and start talking to them. Remember, space is limited as we have five cabins left on the Ranch.”

Rick was the first to ask the obvious question “Are we going to have enough food for another five families on the Ranch?”

Thomas did some mental calculations in his head before answering “We should, we always overplant the farm, planting out about three acres of crops. More often than not, they harvest them and set them off to fatten up the elk out there, sell at the farmers market or store them for the winter. I wouldn’t imagine this year to be any different. Plus, we have been buying more than usual this past year for everything, including food. I think we should be okay for this year, but would cut it close next year if we didn’t plant anything.”

Darren asked the next question “Are we going to be looking for specific skill sets to get into the group? Or will just anyone do?”

“I think some things more than others might help us, but for now; we would be looking for some people who would be loyal and willing to help out without reservations” answered Dave.

“Well, I think Brian would be good along with his family. Who else?” asked Rick.

The group thought for a moment before Thomas brought up the next name “What about Tim? I figure we won’t get Brian without him and he can keep us in good spirits. Other than that, he’s pretty handy with a firearm and knows how to defend himself. I don’t know what other talents he has, but I think he is good to go.”

“Tim would be good, but with his ex wife in Washington State, I figure he would head on out there to pick her up but it won’t hurt to extend the invitation. What about Stu?” said Dave.

Darren was quick with the response “You mean MacGyver? Of course him! Give him a Leatherman, a pack of thumbtacks and a case of beer cans and he can create a Volkswagen. He would be a fine addition. What about Frank Zimmer? He is good people.”

“He grew up on a ranch, chasing cows and sheep around. Plus, he went to the CPEC course a while back. He will do” said Rick.

“So let’s see…Darren, you are in Cabin 1, Rick in Cabin 2, and Dave in Cabin 4. With Tim, Brian, Stu and Frank, that leaves one cabin open unless one of our single folks wants to live upstairs in the Conference Center, then we can support three more since there are four bedrooms there. Who else? What about Derrick Mansford?” asked Darren.

“Derrick Mansford? I’m not so sure about him. He is an alcoholic from way back and only does what he has to do to get by. I’m not sure if he should be included” stated Rick.

“Scratch that idea, I’m not so sure he will work out. How about Stephen and Kristy Garcia?” asked Dave.

Darren thought about it for a moment before answering “Yeah, he speaks fluent Spanish which would be a help in case we needed that particular talent. He’s a hunter from way back and almost always gets his mark. You remember a couple of years ago he almost made the Boone and Crockett List? Kristy is good with engines and numbers as well as being that martial arts freak. Her talents with numbers would be good in helping monitor the supply situation”

“Besides being smoking hot as well?” asked a semi-joking Thomas. It was true that Kristy Garcia was arguable one of the most physically attractive women they had ever met. Her beauty was only surpassed by her sparkling personality and no ego to go along with her beauty. Her husband was not the jealous type and took a lot of friendly kidding about how he was “not good enough” for his wife. She never understood why she got most of the attention she did concerning her looks. She was a good friend of the small group gathered outside the building and she was completely off limits to them. They thought of her more like a little sister than anything else. She also never knew why they would treat her like that since she could take care of herself. They often had to protect her against those “gentlemen” who didn’t care that she was married. They would get a polite notification first, then a stern warning and finally an offer to settle things in the parking lot if they didn’t leave her alone. She often didn’t know what the fuss was about, but appreciated the help in the fact she didn’t have to settle matters herself. It would be too embarrassing for some guy who put his hands on her to get a hospital visit from a woman only five foot, five inches and weighed in at one hundred twenty pounds.

“Yeah, those two would fit right in with our little circus. How about Michael Parsons? I think he is already into the preparedness thing I think, or at least from the comments he has made” said Darren.

“He will do, or we could at least ask him the question. I’m not sure what he is good at, but if he already is into the preparedness lifestyle, I’m sure he has a trick or two up his sleeve. He and his wife both are good people” said Dave.

“Well, we have more spots. What about Heather Davis?” asked Thomas.

The group got a little silent. Heather Davis was a young Airman in their unit and had been in and out of trouble since joining the Air Force a little over a year before. Thomas had immediately taken an interest in the young Airman and attempted to help her as much as possible. The group of friends also knew Thomas had taken an interest into helping the young lady adapt to the military lifestyle and wanted to guarantee her a career if she chose to reenlist. He was her mentor, but furthermore, she had adopted him as her surrogate father. He could get her to perform when others failed miserably. They didn’t agree she might have been a good choice and their silence showed the negative thoughts they all had.

Rick, possibly the most outspoken of the group, said what was on everyone’s mind. “Tom, she is a little immature and has had problems in the past. We know you think a lot of her and probably see something we don’t. You know her better than the rest of us do, but is now the opportunity to take a chance on her with so much at stake?”

“Come on guys, you know I don’t mind when you guys bring up opposite opinions. If you’ve got a problem, bring it up. Yes, I took an interest in her career and have tried to mold her into a functioning member of the military. Yes, she is a little immature and has an attitude problem from time to time. But I know for a fact she is loyal and a hard worker. She only needs to be shown once how to do something and gets it done as quickly as possible. As for other talents, I don’t know. But, I’m not going to argue with the group here. If you all don’t think she can hack it, I can go with that” said Thomas.

“Can we think about it and get back to you?” asked Darren. “Or let us talk to her without you around? We aren’t going to backdoor you, Tom, but the rest of us need to be convinced as well.”

Thomas thought about the proposal for a minute before deciding it was a good idea. He knew his friends well enough to know they could form an opinion not based on previous encounters with her. He also knew if they said they didn’t agree with it, they would have a really good reason for doing so.

Another name was brought up, John Fergusson, and was agreed on by the group. He was a hard worker the same age as Stuart Donaldson. He was a good shot and was into hunting big time. He also had basic woodworking, carpentry and metal working skills. He would be a nice addition to the group if he chose to become a member.

The group discussed the list of names for a few minutes adding and dismissing several more before deciding on those already discussed. Brian Holmes and his family, Michael Parsons and his wife, Tim Daniels, Stu Donaldson, John Fergusson, Heather Davis, Stephen and Kristy Garcia and Frank Zimmer would all be approached separately and told about the Ranch. If they agreed, the families could move to the Ranch immediately, but the military members would remain at the base until released or circumstances dictated otherwise. Dave and Thomas returned inside to inform Brian of the plan and tell him about the Ranch. “Just remember, it’s only temporary and your family will be asked to help out around the Ranch. They should take enough stuff for a month and can come back for more if they will be there longer” said Dave.

“I will have to run this by Janie, but I think she will go with it. Can I let you know the first thing in the morning?” said Brian, already forming a plan in his mind to convince his wife to accept the invitation.

“Tomorrow morning should do, but don’t wait too much longer since the rest of the families are probably leaving day after tomorrow” instructed Thomas.

The three left the office and encountered the Operations Officer in the hallway outside of the office. He was a newly promoted Captain who had a bad habit for being nosey and getting involved in matters that should be resolved at a lower level. “Sergeant Dayfield, Sergeant Lawson, what were your two doing in there with Sergeant Holmes?”

“Nothing much sir. Just a little problem he needed some help with. Nothing we couldn’t handle” said Dave.

“You mean it takes two NCOs to solve a problem?” said the sneering Captain before turning to the USAF Academy Cadets standing behind him. “See, I told you enlisted troops can’t do anything without officers. So what was the problem?”

“Oh nothing we couldn’t handle at our level, sir” stated Thomas who accented the sir to make the point the Captain was treading on grounds he didn’t need to be.

The Captain wasn’t being put off “And the problem was?”

“His wife was a little jittery since the attacks and everything. We told him to tell her to talk to the Chaplain” answered Thomas.

“And the meeting between you two and Sergeants Thompson and Jones outside? What was that all about?” inquired the Captain.

“Not a meeting Captain, just a break and needed to talk to Jones about an arming issue” answered Dave and instantly regretting the latter part as soon as he said it.

The Captain again went on to inquire about matters that could have been handled at a lower level “Oh, what issue might that be?”

“Nothing much, just checking to see if Airman Jackson was qualified on the M-249 before we made out the roster” answered Thomas quickly. Even if the Captain checked on it, Rick would cover for them.

“Sure, whatever,” said the Captain before turning to the cadets following him around. “Let’s go to the armory to make sure this doesn’t get more screwed up more than it already is.”

As the Captain walked away, Dave turned to Thomas “You know, it’s hard to think of that man being the end result of countless hours of leadership training.”

“It’s hard to think of that man at all without having the urge to hit something. Come on let’s go find the next person on our little hit list” said Thomas as he turned to walk out the door.

The next person they talked to was Staff Sergeant Michael Parsons. An African-American man originally from Alabama, he always kept himself in Olympic class shape. He played football in college before a knee injury cost him his scholarship and his spot on the team. After rehab, he joined the Air Force to become a Pararescue Jumper. He reinjured the same knee and washed out of training and became a cop. He still had plans to try out for the PJ career field so he kept himself in top physical condition, just waiting for the opportunity to try out again. After his wedding to his high school sweetheart, his plans to become a PJ wavered a bit, but he still kept himself in shape. He knew by becoming a PJ he would spend more time away from his wife, Shannon, so he had to choose between his wife and career plans. For the time being, he was content to be a cop. When Thomas and Dave generically told him about the Ranch and the preparations, he immediately wanted in. “Are you kidding? I have relatives that weren’t prepared down in Mississippi that almost got wiped out during Hurricane Katrina. I’ve been stashing away stuff since then. Of course I want in, but one question, why me?”

“Darren Thompson suggested you. We didn’t know you were into the whole preparedness thing until now. Having said that, we figured you would fit in the group with no problems” said Thomas.

“Well, that’s good. I thought you wanted me for the token black guy. But since it’s because I’m into the preparedness thing, that will work instead” stated a laughing Michael. Parsons was a man who would make fun of his own race and get away with it. They gave him the same speech they had given Brian Holmes earlier about helping out and that the arrangement was probably only temporary. Michael asked how soon he could send his wife down to the Ranch. He was worried about the turns in the world and could see the clouds on the horizon. His paranoia was also fueled by the sensationalist claims of several threads on the preparedness websites he often frequented. As usual, the “Chicken Littles” of the websites had predicted mass chaos, outright mayhem and The End Of The World As We Know It, or TEOTWAWKI. Maybe this time they were right for a change.

“My wife is planning on leaving the day after tomorrow, maybe the day after that at the latest” answered Dave.

Michael paused before continuing, “You think my wife could catch a ride from someone? We only have my truck and I need a way of getting around.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem, but let me get back to you on that” answered Dave. “How much stuff will she be taking?”

“Hmm, well, it will take more than a few trips to get all our stuff moved there. Maybe we can take a moving van down” said Michael after thinking about it for a moment.

“Mike, this could blow over soon, we don’t know. Are you sure about that?” asked Thomas.

Michael gave the two men a smile. “Boys, I think this is going to go on for years and not some month long thing like Hurricane Katrina was. For now, I will have her take enough food and stuff for a month, but I’m seriously making plans to move everything there if we can. If you agree to that.”

“It shouldn’t be a problem and if you are invited, you can move anything you want down there” said Thomas.

“Okay, for now, I’ll just have her take the basics and maybe more later. She can catch a ride with someone?” asked Michael again.

“Let me set that up. I think we can bring someone up with a truck to get her stuff moved” answered Thomas, making a mental note to call the Ranch again.

The next person they ran into was Stephen Garcia. When informed of the idea, he asked Dave and Thomas to hold on while he got his wife to listen in. After several minutes of explaining, Kristy had several questions. “So, let me get this straight, we are welcome at your Ranch just in case something happens?”

“That’s about the skinny of it” answered Thomas.

“And we are still welcome even if we are both still here and can’t move?” she continued.

“Yes” answered Thomas.

Kristy was silent for a moment, contemplating something in her mind. Thomas told her to speak freely. “Well, in order for us to move down there full time, we would be looking at something really bad happening in the local area, like some sort of long term Hurricane Katrina looting non-sense. I mean if that is the case, for sure, but if it is only short term, then it really won’t make much sense to move all our belongings down there just to turn around and move right back.”

“Kristy, have you ever heard the Boy Scout Motto of Be Prepared?” asked Dave.

“Sure I have, why?” she asked.

“That’s all this place is, it’s a ‘Be Prepared’ location for folks. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a place to go just in case there was long term looting here?” said Dave.

She paused again before continuing in a whisper. “But that would mean we would be deserting, leaving our posts.”

“Kristy, I guarantee you, if and when the time comes for us to leave, we will not be worrying about deserting. We will be more worried about getting out of here alive more than anything else” stated Thomas.

The Garcias asked for a few minutes to discuss the matter in private. They walked over to a secluded spot and talked for close to ten minutes before returning.

“Okay, we agree we would like to have a spot to go to until the worst blows over. But, I would like to see it before making any kind of permanent decision. I’ve got a couple of days off coming up and would like to see the place if that’s possible” said Kristy.

Dave and Thomas told her about the families leaving in two days time to go down and how she was welcome to go with them to look over the cabin and the Ranch. Kristy agreed and left to go back to her office. After she left, Stephen talked further on the matter.

“She is kind of leery about the whole thing since she thinks it won’t be that big a deal. I honestly can see the storm clouds on the horizon and this won’t blow over any time too soon like she does. This is not going to be some post 9-11 thing where we are back to normal in a month or so. This is probably going to go on for years and I, for one, would like to have a place of safety for us” he stated.

“No problem, that’s why we asked if you wanted to come along” said Thomas.

Stephen hesitated before continuing. “I do have a small favor to ask though.”

“Now is the time to ask” said Thomas.

“Well,” he began sheepishly. “I do have my collection of hunting rifles and shotguns with plenty of ammo for each, but only one rifle I might use to protect my property. The problem is, I don’t have that much ammo for it. It’s a Polish AK-74 Tantal in 5.45x39mm caliber. I’ve got a few magazines, but maybe a hundred rounds or so. I know you can get your hands on ammunition a lot easier than I can. I can pay for it, no problem; just getting it might be a problem. How much would it be?”

“You need some 5.45 ammo? I think we might be able to come up with some. We probably already have some, but I haven’t got a clue as to how much. And as for price, I’m thinking $150 should cover a case and some. Let me call George and see what he can come up with” said Thomas.

Stephen pulled out his wallet and passed over five $100 bills. “Who needs one case when I can get three? Besides, this is my emergency fund and if there is ever going to be an emergency time, this would be it.”

Thomas collected the money and the three broke up. He called back again and relayed the new order request to Cynthia who promised she would try to get a hold of the distributor. He also made a request for one of the three to come to the Springs to pick up Shannon Parsons. Cynthia told him someone would be there with a truck when the other families moved down.

And they continued to contact every other member they had named. Each of the members they contacted agreed to join the group at the Ranch. The only member that hadn’t agreed was Dayfield’s girlfriend, Sharon. They had known each other for several years, but only had dated seriously for the past eight months. In normal times, he might have been thinking of proposing to her, but things were not normal right now. He had only talked to her twice since the attacks and had not seen her at all. She sounded frightened at the happenings in the world, but more worried about him and his safety then her own well being. His invitation to go to the Ranch was turned down. She didn’t want to move away from her home in Pueblo just yet to a place where she did know anyone. He told her he would talk to her again in a couple of days and try and see her then as well.

Darren and Dave approached Heather Davis quietly without interference from Thomas. She was immediately apprehensive of the two NCOs coming to talk to her since she thought she was in trouble again. After talking for almost half an hour, they both decided she might be worth the risk and would continue to think on the matter, giving an answer to Thomas in a day or two.

Two days later, the family members of Brian, Rick, Dave, Darren and Michael met at a central point in Colorado Springs to convoy down to the Ranch. Kristy tagged along as well, driving her own vehicle and taking an overnight bag. Ryan Meeks had come up to pick up Shannon Parsons and her items. Sharon had driven up to Colorado Springs to see Thomas. After another long conversation with her, Thomas begged her to go to the Ranch with the rest of the group. She decided to stay in Pueblo with her daughter until she could think about it some more. He promised to keep in touch and asked her to think about it more. She promised to keep it in mind and also told him she loved him for the first time. Shocked at the announcement, he told her he loved her as well and ended the conversation.


Time since attacks: 81 days
Date/Time: 10 July/2053 Local
Location: Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, CO


Events unfolded before the group’s eyes. The US ultimatum and retaliation. The oil embargo and the resulting violence. The increased security and mass desertions. The States leaving the Union. When it became apparent the United States would never be the same, families started moving more items down to the Ranch and those members that didn’t have any items there started moving down what they could. Even Kristy Garcia, who originally didn’t think anything would happen after the attacks, began to see the coming collapse. She and Stephen moved their entire apartment down in one weekend. More often than not, the group tried to obtain the gasoline and diesel for their private vehicles from the base supply instead of using what was on the Ranch. It wasn’t looked at as stealing, but rather re-appropriating goods for the survival of their families. On the rare day off, the military members visited their families at the Ranch. Movement by the military was then restricted by Executive Order since the mass desertions of military members. It would take a Movement Control Order, or MCO to get past the checkpoints being set up by the military in the nation. More bombs went off around the world. More desertions. Several group members started talking about leaving for the Ranch.

The group, minus John Fergusson who had been killed a week prior on a convoy mission, gathered together one night to discuss the affairs. Fergusson’s killing sobered up the entire group and many thought about the relative safety of the Ranch. They also knew it would be hard to get there under the current conditions.

“I’m thinking of heading down to the Ranch soon. The riots haven’t started here yet, but I figure it will only be a matter of time. I’m getting tired of guarding milk trucks and getting shot at while I’m doing it. My family needs me and I need to be there to protect them” voiced a concerned Brian. He had returned earlier from a convoy mission that he had picked up in Burlington and had been attacked near Limon on Highway 24. The convoy had been food supplies and milk trucks, not the expected fuel tankers the milk trucks resembled. The convoy was able to fight off the ambush, at the cost of three of their own wounded, one seriously.

Voices around the group agreed with him. Stephen was the next to voice his opinion “The problem isn’t one of wanting to go, but getting there. There are at least eight checkpoints between here and Cañon City. Since we don’t have MCOs to get us there and the only way to get them is to have a Captain or better sign them. Good luck getting Captain America to sign off anything that he hasn’t staffed, planned, reviewed and will personally lead. It will be almost impossible to get there from here without shooting our way out.”

A small debate ensued, with each member proposing a different approach to getting through the checkpoints. Darren Thomson got them back under control by explaining the procedure to them. “It’s not impossible. As most of you know, the orders are written up by me or a member of my pitifully small staff of me and signed by Captain Bradley. But a few of the times, I’ve had Major Starkes or Captain Johansson sign them. It just depends on how busy Captain Bradley is at the moment or if he is away. I could arrange to have someone else sign them, but the problem is sometimes the checkpoints call either the point of origin or the destination to confirm the orders. If they call here, the calls are automatically routed to Captain Bradley on his orders, no matter who signed them. There, ladies and gentlemen, lies the problem.”

“So even if we get a signed order, there is a chance of us getting called in and turned around?” asked Michael, trying to think of a way through.

“The checkpoints call in about a quarter of the time. Sometimes half, but with communications breaking down, a quarter is more likely” sated Darren to the group. “So out of the eight checkpoints, at least two will call us in. Those are not good odds.”

“There has to be a better way of getting this done” stated Thomas, who also was trying to think of a way through it.

Darren thought for a moment before going on. “Well, there are emergency codes, which change of a daily basis, for convoys that don’t have the time to clear a proper MCO. Only the Commander and Operations Officer have a listing of these codes, which they both keep locked in a safe. I don’t have the combination and getting the daily code will be virtually impossible since all calls are automatically routed to Captain Bradley. There is no chance of us eavesdropping on the line when he gets the call. Also breaking in to his safe will be quite impossible since he sleeps in his office.”

Rick summed it up for the group, “So we are faced with three decisions. One, go ahead and leave, take our chances and have a twenty five percent chance of getting sent back. Two, stay here until everything breaks down completely and try to get out then. Not a real big fan of that choice. Three, run like hell and try and go cross country, which is also patrolled by Army units around here. At least the back country mountain roads we would need to use are being patrolled. They aren’t frequent patrols, but enough that we stand a good chance of getting caught and sent back. So with choices one and three we risk being detected as deserters and apprehended, or at the very least getting sent back to the unit where we would then be apprehended. We could shoot our way through, but I don’t think any of us are that kind of people. And even if we did shoot our way through, we would end up being challenged at the next checkpoint. Bad idea. And with choice two, we run the risk of getting stuck here with no transportation and having to cross Colorado Springs with whatever we could carry on our backs. Not a real good idea.”

“The back country roads aren’t a bad idea since there is a way into the Ranch from here using the fire roads, jeep trails and cow paths. It takes us about a hundred miles more on the trip, but from what I heard, the Army is only sticking to the main routes that lead into other communities. Once we get past them, the chances of us getting out go up quite a bit” said Thomas.

“Yeah, but look at the vehicles we would be using. If we have to, we are going to take whatever we have available. This includes the police cruisers. Do you think one of those is going to get us across Rampart Range Road in one piece? Especially since the roads have probably not been kept up since the springtime” said Darren.

“Yeah, but if push comes to shove, we get out any way we can” said Rick.

“There is the fourth option we haven’t discussed. We get a hold of the code somehow and use it to get by” stated Tim.

“Are we going to be able to get out of here even with faked codes? Is there enough gas and vehicles to be had to get us there?” asked Heather Davis. She had been accepted as a last minute addition to the group when Darren and Dave convinced the others she could hack it. She knew these men had offered her a place to safety and didn’t want to wreck the potential for a new place to live if everything came crashing down, like it seemed to be doing now. Since the attacks, she had matured quite a bit and proved herself to be an unstoppable force when given a task to perform. She still had an attitude problem from time to time, but for the most part, a quick bark from one of the NCOs made her up shut up and drive on. She had been given one of the rooms at the Conference Center and was doing the best she could to fit in with the older crowd. She, too, had moved her possessions to the Ranch along with Stu and John Fergusson before the movement was restricted.

Darren answered the question. “Yes, I think there will be. All you need is an MCO to get fuel here in both the vehicles and additional in jerry cans. With the distances I can set on the MCOs, getting enough fuel shouldn’t be a problem. There still is the problem of getting the proper codes.”

“And I can take care of the vehicles portion. I have a good rapport with the LRS guys here on base and can get pretty much whatever I want from them when I ask” stated Kristy. She didn’t tell anyone, especially her husband, she often flirted with the vehicle dispatchers in order to get what she wanted. However, she saw the need to do so in order for everyone to make it out of here safe. If she needed to use her looks to get what they needed, she would do what was needed.

“All we can do is try. And of those four options, I like three and four the best. Darren, just keep trying to get that code. That’s all we can do for now” said Thomas, bringing the meeting to a close.

CHAPTER 9 – ESCAPE


Time since attacks: 92 Days
Date/Time: 21 July/1641 Local
Location: Peterson AFB, Colorado Springs, CO


The Captain was good on his promises to get copies of the codebook to the group of men and women willing to risk all to get to their families. Thomas took the copies to Darren in his office, which scanned over each piece of paper. After getting past the index, Darren exclaimed “That man is good! Not only did he get us the emergency codes for unscheduled convoys, but also the ones for intelligence, transportation, surveillance operations, weapons and ammo movement, refugee relocation, the works!” Darren spoke up next and asked him how long it would take to get things rolling.

“It will take about twenty minutes to get the necessary paperwork typed up, get it to Captain Johansson to sign and we will be in business” stated Darren who was already typing away on the computer.

“Okay, let’s get it set up for three nights from tonight, everyone will roll. Spread the word” instructed Thomas. As he departed the office a very strange thing happened, his cell phone rang. Lately, cell phone service had been sporadic at best and he was surprised when it rang, especially since the ring tone was Sharon’s. He answered with a simple “Hello?” All Thomas caught in the receiver was “This is Sharon!” followed by a crying hysterical gibberish. Thomas attempted to calm her. “Baby, slow down and tell me what is happening.” Sharon took a moment to compose herself before going on.

“Some soldiers came in about two hours ago, just barged in and started ripping the house apart. They said they were looking for firearms and ammunition. I told them I didn’t have any, but they kept searching anyway. Angel started crying and I went to calm her down. Some soldier pushed me on the floor and pointed a gun in my face telling me if I moved again he would kill me. I was so scared. They didn’t find anything in the house but they did take some of my jewelry out of the box on my nightstand. After they left, they went next door to my neighbor’s house. I heard some shouting and then shooting. They killed my neighbor because he resisted! I’m really scared and I want to get out of here! What if they come back? They threatened to kill me! I’m really scared and I want to go to that place you said I would be safe. Can you come get me?”

Thomas thought for a split second about planning on going down in three days to pick her up on their way to the Ranch, but decided in a New York minute to get her out of there tonight. His decision carried move resolve in his voice than it did in his mind “Of course I will come get you, probably early tomorrow morning. Be ready to be picked up by midnight. Get everything you can pack and be ready to move by then. Only clothing, valuables and whatever you would want to keep for both you and Angel. We might not ever be coming back there so make sure you get everything you can by then, and seriously, pack light if you can.”

“Baby, I’m really scared and am ready to move out of here tonight. Angel and I will be ready when you get here. I love you and please make sure you hurry. I can’t wait to get out of here,” responded Sharon with a newfound calm in her voice.

“If I don’t get there, I will be dead. Just have everything ready to move. I love you more than the world, baby,” responded Thomas, already making plans in his head to get everything lined up for her evacuation. He spent the next few minutes telling her what all to pack and what all could be left behind for the moment. He told her what to be dressed in and other items he knew she had to bring out. She asked few questions and repeated everything he told her to pack. They said goodbye and he reiterated his promise to get her that night.

It was almost 1700 hours already and he wanted to be ready to move before midnight. He headed back towards Darren’s office where he was met by Frank Zimmer, a member of the group, who was helping out Darren on the computer. He made the announcement “I’m leaving tonight. Sharon’s house was searched and her neighbor was killed this afternoon, she wants to leave like right now. I’m heading down there tonight to get her and Angel out of there. Can you make up some MCOs for me for tonight?”

Darren replied “Yeah sure, shouldn’t be a problem, but wouldn’t you want to wait until we all go and pick her up along the way?”

“No, she is scared and I’m heading out tonight. Can you get the papers ready?” answered Thomas with resolve.

Frank answered for the both of them “Sure we can, as long as you let me put my name down on there as well.”

Thomas asked “Why would you want to go? You are already heading out with the main group in three nights. You don’t need to go out with me”

“Because I want to go, and besides, you need someone to ride shotgun there, Superman. Also, we can take two vehicles; hence the ability to get more of her stuff and just in case one breaks down. You go and get the vehicles squared away and I will let Rick know we are heading out early” declared Frank. Frank was not one to make demands like that. By nature, a quiet fellow, Thomas knew he would not be able to talk him out of it. Frank continued to Darren “We can use the code for covert intelligence operations to get there. Two guys heading to a classified destination looks a lot less suspicious and we can pretty much bluff our way through, especially when you throw the classified covert portion into it. Most checkpoints will not question that when they see the orders. And for after we pick them up we can use the MCO orders for refugee relocation. That way it won’t look as suspicious if we are driving around with a bunch of boxes and bags in trucks.” Darren agreed and started typing away like mad.

Thomas informed Frank he needed to stop by his apartment on the way out and pick up three footlockers that he had packed the last time he had gone home. Frank agreed and told him he didn’t have anything left at his house that needed to be moved. They both left the office and went off to do their individual tasks. Making his way towards the vehicles section, he ran into Captain Johansson in the hallway. Knowing after tonight, he probably wouldn’t ever see the Captain again, he said his goodbyes “Captain Johansson, it’s been a pleasure.”

“You leaving out here soon?” asked the captain, surprised at the announcement.

Without giving any details about the where or why, Thomas answered “Something has come up and I have to leave tonight…” Thomas paused and didn’t even think before asking the next question “Sir, you have a place to go, don’t you?”

The Captain answered “Yeah, my wife has a cousin on a farm east of Cheyenne, Wyoming just across the state line in Nebraska; we will be headed there in a couple of days. Sergeant Thompson said he could get me the MCO tomorrow and we will be on our way. Godspeed to you Thomas” concluded the Captain, with sorrow in his voice as if he was losing a friend.

“And to you as well, Troy, get with Thompson or Jones to get directions to our place just in case the other place falls through” said Thomas.

I knew he was a good man, wish he was coming with us out to the Ranch, though Thomas as he entered the office where the vehicle NCO was working. Kristy Garcia was working on some file when he made his request for the vehicles. She asked what and where they were heading before giving him two vehicles, a blue Ford F350 6-pack diesel truck and an M-998 HMMWV in a cargo configuration with only two seats and an M101 trailer. He went out to check on the vehicles, ensuring they were topped off with diesel and went to find Frank. He caught him coming out the door where Frank told him Rick would have everything in place by 1930, giving them a chance to get their gear cleared out of the temporary dormitory where they were currently staying and pick up the additional supplies. They took the 6-pack over to the dorm, each going their separate way to their rooms and packed up what little they had left, mainly uniforms, military clothing and equipment. After military movements were restricted, all military forces and critical civilian personnel had been moved on base and housed in dormitories, vacant military housing and in some cases, tents and individual work centers. After arriving in his single room, Thomas packed the clothing away in a green nylon A-3 Bag and the remainder of his equipment into a duffel bag. Thomas also grabbed his Multicam Kifaru Navigator pack which was his unofficial “bug out bag.” The pack generally served him on duty by carrying his typical load of “war gear” of helmet, Interceptor vest, gas mask and foul weather gear. In recent weeks since a bug out was seemingly impending, he had taken the gear out, placed additional pouches on the bag and loaded it up with the equipment he felt necessary for a bug out.

What little remained in the room was not useful and was not packed. Heading down to the truck, he packed it away in the back seat and was met by Frank. Both men were dressed in the older woodland BDU pattern and not the new Airman Battle Uniform, also known as the ABU, pattern uniforms. The new uniforms were not mandatory for use just yet and they wanted to be able to blend in with either a night or a woodland environment in case they had to leave on foot. The BDUs had been modified further after the attacks by taking the pockets off the front of the shirt and reattaching the large ones to the upper arms of the shirt and the smaller ones to the bottom of the pants. Additionally, a pen pouch had been sewn onto the lower left sleeve on the BDUs and a small pocket with Velcro onto the lower right sleeve. Each member of the group had taken a set of BDUs in to the local seamstress to have them modified this way. The seamstress normally wouldn’t have modified the uniforms in this mildly illegal fashion, but the group members were well known to her and she winked at the unauthorized modifications.

The dress and appearance regulations had been somewhat relaxed since the attacks and both had on desert tan boots that had seen serious service over the past weeks. Thomas had on a pair of Bates M-9 Desert Assault boots which showed various nicks and scratches on the leather and nylon. Frank had on a set of 5.11 Tactical HRT boots that showed the same degree of abuse. Thomas had put on a woodland boonie hat while Frank had on the standard field hat. Black knee and elbow pads completed the two Airman’s ensemble. Frank threw his gear in the bed of the truck and would move it to the HMMWV when they got back to the squadron to arm up. They went over to the mobility warehouse and got six jerry cans for diesel fuel, three for each vehicle, and went to the gas pumps to fill them up. Very little fuel remained on base, but since convoy duties were regular as of late, the fuels attendant didn’t ask too many questions before filling each of them up along with topping off the truck. They went back to the mobility warehouse and picked up a case of MREs and a five gallon jerry can of water.

By this time, it was close to 1930 and they returned to the armory to get fitted out. Thomas grabbed his Kifaru pack and a Camelbak BFM in ACU pattern to add some items before they went out. Frank grabbed his Blackhawk RAPTOR 3 assault pack in OD green as well and both went to the armory to gather up their weapons and ammo. Frank had gotten the pack some years before and had a seamstress sew additional PALS webbing onto the back, adding more space for additional pouches. They went to the door and knocked, waiting on Rick to meet them. He peered out a peephole and opened the door to let them in. “I kicked the armorer out earlier told him to take a few hours to get some rest, that way I was alone when I got your stuff together. I’ve got everything hooked up for you.” The armory, already small before the attacks, seemed crammed with cases and boxes filled with supplies and ordnance lining the walls and sitting out on the floor. Rick had already taken out the two individual’s M-4 carbines, each carbine having a Knights Armament rail system in the place of the upper and lower hand guards. A vertical foregrip was already attached near the rear of the bottom rail, to which Rick had added a PEQ-2 Laser Aiming Devise on the top as well as a Pelican M6 flashlight on the right rail of the front of the carbine. Additionally, he mounted them with a PVS-14 Night Vision Device in front of the Aimpoint M65 Red Dot sight on Thomas’s carbine and ahead of the Trijicon ACOG on Frank’s. He had also mounted a green dot laser on both the carbines for close-quarters engagement and had the thumb switch put on the vertical foregrip. Each carbine was already cleared and loaded with a 30 round magazine. Both carbines had Spec-Ops brand Mamba slings attached.

Before taking the weapons, each man went to an overflowing box of MREs and picked through each until they had found four they liked and dropped them into their respective patrol packs. Thomas also grabbed four more at random and dropped them into the Camelbak he had brought in for Sharon in case they had to go on foot to the Ranch. The two didn’t take the time to break down the meals and take out what was not needed. The 100 oz water bladders in the Kifaru pack and the Camelbak were already filled, but Thomas added three additional one liter bottles to each bag as a “just in case” measure. Thomas had already packed the Camelbak several weeks prior with various items left over from his apartment in town. A Cabela’s lightweight fleece sleeping bag was tightly rolled up in the bottom of the main pouch. He also had added a lightweight Potomac Gear thermal shirt and his ABU pattern rain jacket tightly rolled in the bottom along with an issue brown polypropylene top. A pair of tan 5.11 flight gloves were tightly rolled into the lower pouch. Two black cotton t-shirts and two spare pairs of Thor-lo socks went inside as well. Thomas knew he had spare camouflage clothing in the trunks at his house they were going to pick up, so he didn’t bother too much with camouflage clothing inside the pack. They would probably be too large for her, but would be better than nothing at all. He also knew he had other cold weather gear in the trunks he could put into her pack in case they had to go on foot to the Ranch.

Three pouches of Mountain House freeze dried food, a half dozen different Clif bars, four packs of Ramen noodles broken down into a plastic container, a pack of starlight mints, two packs of beef jerky, eight packs of instant soup, four small Gatorade packs and four packs of peanuts rounded out the food stores. An outer pocket held a Vargo Triad Titanium alcohol stove inside of a Evernew 0.9 Liter cooking pot and a bottle of denatured alcohol. It also included a pack of esbit tabs for emergency use as well. A Pelican Mitylite 2340 AA flashlight was in the side pouch and could be accessed quickly along with two titanium Sierra cups. A Nalgene bottle was filled with various items: a windproof butane lighter, two polycarbonate spoons, a Gerber Multi-tool, a pack of waterproof matches, duct tape, 550 cord and an emergency space blanket. The other side compartment contained a bottle of ibuprofen, a roll of antacids, a compression bandage, and pack of baby wipes, hand sanitizer, anti-diarrhea tablets, antibiotic cream, moleskin and various band-aids. Two emergency ponchos and one GI camouflaged poncho were rolled up in the bottom pouch. As Thomas dropped the MREs into the pack at various points, he wondered what he was missing from the bag for her. Thomas knew he didn’t have many items in the bag for Sharon, but he hoped they wouldn’t need to use them for their journey to the Ranch.

He moved around the room, looking for additional items for his pack, which already had a considerable amount of goods in it. His pack, carried with him on duty, served as a Bug Out Bag in case he ever needed to move on foot back to the base during one of his convoy missions or for situations like this. It was a basic survival bag, but not just the basics. Through the last several weeks he had added more items which he thought would be useful. On the bottom were three spare sets of underwear, Fox River socks and Under Armor t-shirts, all vacuum sealed and shrunk. Along with those was a set of BDUs, also vacuum sealed which fit into the bottom of the pack. A desert sand Level 1 Polartec lightweight thermal shirt and pants and a black Jack Wolfskin Carbon medium weight thermal shirt were also vacuum sealed. The last item to vacuum seal was a woodland camouflage poncho liner. In the main pouch he also had a weapons cleaning kit for both the pistol and the rifle he was carrying along with a small bottle of CLP. A lightweight trowel for digging was included, wrapped up in a small microfiber towel. Completing the items he had in the main pouch were two camouflaged bandanas and a black and green shemagh.

Thomas had a military issue woodland poncho tightly rolled in a pocket on the side of the pack along with having 550 cord pre-cut for lines to make a shelter from the poncho if needed. He also had a hundred feet of the useful cord rolled up and attached to the outside of the pack with a Grimloc carabiner. Two bottles of issue Iodine water purification tablets were in a small pouch on the interior as well as a Katadyn Mini water filter. In a small pouch on the back of the bag were two small rolls of duct tape, one green and the other brown, about one hundred feet of each. A partial roll of toilet paper was neatly tucked away in a Ziploc bag near the top of the items. Another Ziploc bag contained a pair of Gore-Tex waterproof over socks. On his last trip to the Ranch, he also had brought back his small survival kit and his MSR Dragonfly stove with two bottles of white gas. Another Evernew pot was available if he needed it. The survival kit was filled with many small and useful items such as additional fire starting materials, a cable saw, candles, a small fishing kit, a small first aid kit among other items packed neatly in a small pouch.

Thomas also had a back up flashlight, an Inova X5 LED light stashed away in a small pouch. Included in this pouch was a Ziploc bag of mismatched camouflage face paint. Light green, sand, loam and white military issue tubes were in the bag as well as the commercial creams of light green, brown and black and a hunter’s set with five colors and a small metal signal mirror to assist with application. Rounding out this pouch was a small pack of baby wipes.

His food stores included three Mountain House meals, four stripped MREs, four powdered Gatorade pouches, two packs of beef jerky, a pack of starlight mints, ten packs of instant soup, a twenty ounce bottle of crushed Ramen noodles with four flavor packs and six peanut butter flavored Clif bars. It should have been enough food for himself for almost a week, but sharing it with Sharon and Angel might cut into the stores a bit.

On the bottom of the bag, he had attached a Coleman Avior X2 two man tent in case of foul weather so they could have a place to stay. He knew the black and green wouldn’t blend in perfectly with the forest, but with some careful placement and the poncho draped over it, it stood a good chance of being undetected. All in all, his pack was fairly heavy, but he hoped he wouldn’t have to use it.

Frank had set up his bag similar, but had less of the items since he was new to the group and had not been able to prepare a bug out bag like the regular members of the group already had. However, he had an item which Thomas did not have in his bag, a lightweight Walther P22 in .22 LR with four magazines and two fifty round boxes of ammunition; one of CCI Velocitor and another of subsonic Remington “bulk pack” ammunition. In a case where they were on foot for an extended period of time, Frank could use the pistol to shoot small game to keep them going. Thomas had seen him shoot the pistol before and knew he could hit game reliably out to thirty yards with it, plenty enough distance for the squirrels and rabbits in the Colorado region. Thomas had loaned him his spare backpacking tent from the beginning and he had it strapped to the outside of his pack.

“You know, I wish I could have been brought on sooner to the group. I would have some of the neat Gucci gear like you have” said Frank, looking over Thomas’ pack.

“I’ll admit, it took a while to learn everything I needed, but I finally found everything” said Thomas. “Don’t worry; you are probably better prepared than ninety-five percent of Americans out there right now.”

“Yeah, but I still wish I had been into survival sooner, instead of living in a dream world where I thought everything would be okay” said Frank, rearranging some gear in his pack to make room for more items. He had the basics they might need for a five to seven day trek, but would have problems going longer.

Thomas moved to an adjacent shelf and grabbed four M18 colored smoke grenades, two yellow, one red and one purple. He removed them from the shipping containers, discarding the extra cardboard the manufacturer always put in the tubes to keep them in place, and replaced two of the grenades back in the containers. He dropped these into the top of the pack. The other two would be attached to his web gear if he could find a place. On the next shelf, he saw several cans of OC spray, the same kind used by police agencies around the world. Figuring they would be useful, he took two cans and put them in a pouch attached to his Kifaru pack. Before closing up the pack, he spied a set of PVS-7D night vision goggles sitting unused on a desktop. He replaced the AA batteries, placed them back in their bag and attached them to the back of his pack. Looking around he found a pair of Steiner 7 power binoculars and put them into the bag. He also grabbed two extra sets of batteries each for his PVS-14, PVS-7D, Surefire, PAQ-4, AN/PRC-343 Personal Role Radio and Pelican M-6 flashlight, placed them in a Ziploc bag and put them in a pouch on the back of his pack. Rounding out the equipment he grabbed a commercial Garmin GPS system loaded with the software for the United States. This he attached to the outside of the bag for ease of use. He also saw some boxes of chemical light sticks and felt they might come in handy. He grabbed four green and two each of blue, white and red and put them in an exterior pouch on his pack. He also grabbed a handful of the smaller ones in individual packets and dropped them into the pouch. Both of the men grabbed an extra PRC-343 apiece and dropped it into their respective packs. While the radios were not standard issue for the military cops, they had recently been introduced for convoy missions and security details as a means of intra-squad communications.

Before arming up with his individual weapons, he checked his old canvas map case. Soon after he had bought the property, he had gotten 1:50,000 and 1:25,000 scale military grid reference system maps of the property and the surrounding areas from another military friend. Since the attacks, he had added maps of Colorado Springs and Pueblo to the stack. Also in the map case, he kept a square commercial map protractor bought from a catalog and a circular protractor like the ones used in fire direction centers for artillery. Two mechanical pencils were loose in the bottom as well as a larger green eraser and a clickable white eraser. He also kept a couple of gallon sized Ziploc bags handy to put the maps in to keep them dry. In case they had to bug out of foot, he wanted to be able to navigate on foot to the Ranch with little trouble. The case would go in last on the bag, near the top where he could get it quickly.

Feeling he was finished getting the gear for his patrol pack, he began to put on his web gear and arm up. Rick stopped him and gave him a small pistol in a leather holster. It was a Phoenix Arms HP25 .25 ACP caliber pistol. Knowing the military did not have these in the inventory and not knowing if Rick had one, Thomas asked Rick where he got it. Rick replied “An OSI agent was killed on a raid the other day and it were brought here by the on-duty flight. It was his back up gun, albeit a little unauthorized, but his none-the-less. Ooops, I forgot to tell anyone I had it. I figure it will come in handy in case you needed a concealed piece for whatever reason. I know the .25 ACP is just about useless, but it’s better than nothing, especially up close.”

The pistol was already loaded with a magazine, which Thomas cleared it out of habit. The rounds loaded in the magazine were Speer Gold Dot 35 grain hollowpoint rounds. Thomas reloaded the pistol and slid it inside his waistband in the small of his back, the holster fitting nicely along the contours of his spine. Rick also handed over three additional magazines for the pistol, two of which were loaded with full metal jacket rounds and the other with hollowpoints. Thomas dropped these magazines into his BOB side pouch, making sure the hollowpoint one was on top. Although the pistol only had one magazine readily available, it held nine rounds in an ultra compact package and would come in handy indeed if he needed something fast from a concealed position. Frank was given something similar, a Beretta Model 21 .22 caliber pistol with three extra magazines which he placed in a concealed spot. This one was Rick’s personal weapon and Frank tried to give it back. Rick showed him another concealed pistol he would use and told them he needed the two to help carry out his assortment of firearms.

Rick also asked Thomas if he had a weapon for Sharon. Thomas replied he did not have one for her but would take out a Beretta and some spare magazines for her. Rick knew with Sharon’s smaller hands, she might have trouble with the large frame M-9 so he briefly searched through another cabinet for something more suitable. His eyes fell on a Sig-Sauer P232 in .380 ACP. Rick located the magazines and some available ammo and quickly loaded them up and slid the pistol into the backpack designated for Sharon. He told Thomas about it afterwards and, again, told him not to worry about it. While Thomas and Frank busied themselves getting other gear, Ryan finished filling some other magazines for a carbine he intended to give to Thomas for Sharon to use if needed.

Thomas picked up his vest and holster and looked them over briefly before putting them on to check for damage. The vest, a Blackhawk Omega, already had pockets attached, but to which Thomas had added additional pouches and items to both the belt and the back of the pack. The Blackhawk vest came in woodland BDU color and did not contrast with his BDUs like the black vests did. From bottom to top, most of the gear he had on the vest was used at some point or another. Two ALICE style one quart canteens hung from the back by his kidneys, in which he had already filled with water, a camouflage issue buttpack was attached to the belt in the small of his back was already packed with a woodland pattern rubberized “Gumby” rain suit and a stripped MRE. He had a black Safariland 6004 drop holster made for the issue Beretta M-9 pistol on his right side. On the opposite side, he had a green ALICE style M-16 magazine pouch, currently empty. Between the ammo pouch and the left canteen he had a Leatherman Surge in its case. On the right side between the holster strap and the right canteen, he had a black breakaway ASP expandable baton holster. On the front left, he had a double M-9 magazine pouch in woodland green and a compression bandage in a pouch and on the front right, a military compass in a green pouch and his black double handcuff pouch. The Safariland holster attached to the right side had an extra magazine pouch attached to the front of the plastic molding. Immediately behind the strap for the holster, he had attached a Spec-Plus Navy fixed blade knife with a razor edge. Additionally, he had a back-up knife, a Columbia River M-16 in his left front pocket. In the middle of his back, he had placed a coyote brown Marine Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) to which he had added a bottle of off brand Naproxen Sodium, a small pack of anti-diarrhea pills, band aids, moleskin and a tube of antacids.

Above the magazine pouches sewn into the vest were two pockets, one large and one small. He had a set of Wiley-X TAG-1 gloves folded up and flopping around in his left cargo pocket of his BDU pants, ready to put on when needed. In the larger pocket, he had a small green memorandum pad, a small pencil, a red and black pen and a black laundry marker. Above the smaller pocket was a pouch for a flashlight in which he had a Surefire A2 flashlight. The zipper for the vest had an Inova LED keychain light with a red diode. In the upper pocket located on his left shoulder, he slipped an AN/PRC-343 Personal Role Radio, turned it to a channel he knew would not be used for at least the next week and turned the set on. The radio fit snugly against the sides of the pouch, but the top still closed without too much effort. On the upper right shoulder was a recoil pad designed to decrease recoil from firearms and a small black carabineer to slip the sling of his M-4 through. All in all, a heavy load, but nothing was left to chance, he felt this load had the basic items he needed to survive. Plus, he had become accustomed to carrying it over the last few weeks of convoy duties, general security operations and raids. The magazines would only make it heavier, but hopefully, it would only be for a short time.

He slid the tactical vest on over a black level IIIA second chance vest, which was worn on the outside of his BDU shirt. First he grabbed his Beretta M-9 pistol and four magazines. Two of the magazines were military issue 124 grain hollow point ammunition and the other two were the standard 115 grain full metal jacket. He loaded one hollow point magazine into the pistol, chambered a round and placed the pistol on fire. The hammer was down in double action mode and the safety off. The pistol fit snugly in the molded plastic Safariland holster and he flipped the rotating hood to the up position to retain the pistol. The three additional magazines were placed in the proper pouches on his web gear and one in front of the holster. He grabbed a twenty-six inch expandable baton and flicked it open to ensure proper function before closing it and sliding it into its holster.

As he went to grab several M-4 magazines, Rick stopped him and brought him over to a bench with Frank. For each he had laid out thirteen magazines for each person. The magazines were all new, as evident from the wrappers in the garbage can next to the countertop. Although the Blackhawk vest was rated to carry twelve magazines, it was almost too much. Better to have and not need however and he always carried extra mags when he could get them, though not on his person. Seven of the magazines were loaded out with the standard M855 62 grain green tip ammunition, with one already loaded in their carbines. Of the remaining six magazines, two were loaded with reloads Rick had made up himself with 77 grain Sierra Matchking boat tail hollowpoint shells loaded onto 5.56 mm brass, two more were reloads with 60 grain Hornady V-max shells loaded onto 5.56 mm brass and the other two were 5.56 mm M-995 52 grain armor piercing ammunition. Thomas wondered where he had come into a supply of that particular ammo since it wasn’t that easy to find. Rick gave him the typical “Don’t ask” answer and Thomas let the matter drop. Thomas loaded all but two of the magazines into the vest pouches and put the other two into his pack. With the magazines in place, the vest became much heavier, but not unbearable.

The final stop for each man was to grab four M67 fragmentation grenades. These had only recently been issued to the forces, since their use was well suited in defeating barriers and roadblocks and clearing hasty foxholes dug by people raiding convoys. Thomas placed two in the outer pouches of the M-16 magazine pouch, making sure to keep the spoons inward. The other two he placed inside the pouch, with the spoons facing downward. The two smoke grenades he had kept out were run through two slits he had made in the left upper pocket of his vest. Although not the best place to keep them, he had tried it on several occasions and found they would not slip out that easily. Each man jumped up and down several times making sure the gear and magazines were secure and the noise was minimal. They picked up their M-4s and packs and started walking out the door. Rick grabbed several additional items on his way out to the trucks.

When they arrived at their vehicles, each man checked the rest of their gear in the truck. Each had grabbed his “war bag” of an ACH helmet, a MCU-2A/P gas mask and an Interceptor vest with the Level IV armor plates and placed it on the front seat. Thomas’s vest carrier had a hole in the middle where he had been shot on a convoy mission two weeks earlier by a .270 Winchester round. He had replaced the Level IV plate, which had stopped the round, but kept the vest carrier out of superstition and good luck. Although suffering from bruised ribs, he was not injured further and counted himself lucky the plate had stopped the round cold. Military members are often superstitious creatures, keeping sentimental items because they think it brings them good luck. His vest was an example of that. Although he should have replaced the entire vest, the hole, as well as the spent round in his Bug Out Bag, served to remind him of how close he had come to death.

Both men started their trucks to let the diesel engines warm up and waited outside the vehicles. Thomas lit a cigarette and watched as Rick walked over to him carrying three weapons cases, a shotgun and an M-249. He gave Thomas a Remington M-870 Modular Combat Shotgun with a side saddle of six extra rounds and a case which contained a rifle. The shotgun was a military issue style, with a black polymer stock and pistol grip with a 20 inch barrel and had an Insight M-6 tactical light attached to the fore end rail system and one of Rick’s personal EOTech 552 sights on top. “There is already one in the pipe and a full tube of buck, safety is on. If you need it in a hurry, just flip the safety off and let the big dog eat. There are two extra 10 round boxes of 00 buck and a box of #6 shot in case you need it as well” stated Rick as he handed over the shotgun and ammo.

Next he pulled a soft side rifle case off his shoulder and unzipped it partially to show Thomas what was inside. It was Rick’s personal Remington 700 PSS in .300 Winchester Magnum. Thomas started to object, but was cut short by Rick “I won’t be able to carry it with the rest of the stuff I am already carrying; besides, it’s almost sighted in for you anyway.” Thomas had fired the precision rifle on several occasions and found the scope was only about two inches to the right at two hundred meters from his own zero and dead on in elevation. He could Kentucky windage a round into a target in a pinch if he needed to. The rifle was topped off with a Nightforce 3.5x15 power scope. Rick informed him the magazine was already loaded, but a round was not chambered. A slip on butt stock holder also contained nine extra rounds of the 190 grain match ammunition. Rick had put another two twenty round boxes of the match hollow point ammunition in the outer compartment of the carrying case.

And last, he opened the carbine sized soft case and showed Thomas a Feather RAV in 9mm caliber for Sharon. While they were getting ready, Ryan had filled four of the thirty-two round magazines with the 115 grain full metal jacket loads and put them inside the bag with the little carbine. Again, Thomas objected only to be rebutted by Ryan. Thomas was familiar with the Feather ensured the carbine was unloaded and cleared before putting it back into the soft side case. The carbine came with a small scope, a red dot laser and a barrel shroud. Thomas checked the laser before putting it back in the case and zipping it up. He placed it into the back seat with the other two firearms.

When Thomas finished, Rick faced him. “Now remember, I’m only loaning these to you and I expect them back when we get up there” stated Rick to Thomas. “I also want you to tell Michelle I love her and will see her soon. If anything was to happen to me, I want you to be the one to tell her and take care of my family.”

Thomas replied, “Nothing is going to happen to you, ya big dumb animal. You won’t get shot because the enemy will see how dumb you are and let you live to make our lives miserable. But just in case, I will take care of them for you.” Both men shook hands and Rick moved to the HMMWV where Frank was standing and gave him an M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon already loaded with a 200 round box and spare ammo pack containing 800 rounds in pre-boxed, linked 5.56mm ammunition. He also handed over the M-24 7.62mm sniper rifle Frank had qualified with and zeroed to his eye. Rick handed Frank five boxes of M118LR special ball ammunition, the round of choice for the rifle, which Frank placed in his bag. Each man shook hands and Frank mounted his vehicle telling Thomas over the radio he was ready to roll. As they departed the parking lot adjacent to the Security Forces building, Thomas looked in the rear view mirror at Rick, who was watching the vehicles go until they were out of sight.

It was a little after 2030 hours when both vehicles were stopped at the East Gate where their paperwork was checked. Although the MCO was supposed to be called in, these two were members of their unit and were surely authorized. The two vehicles rolled out the gate and headed north bound into Colorado Springs proper, turning left onto Platt Avenue, then turning north onto Academy Boulevard. They hit another checkpoint at the intersection of Austin Bluffs and Academy, where the story was repeated by the sentries. They never called the MCO in to verify with Captain Bradley.

They arrived at Thomas’s apartment several minutes later where Thomas stepped back to the HMMWV “There is no need for you to come up with me; I only have three things I need to grab. Besides, you should stay with the vehicles and watch over them.” Although the apartment complex was dark, Thomas and Frank both got the eerie feeling they were being watched. Frank grabbed the shotgun out of the front truck since it posed a more intimidating sight than an M-4 alone would do. Thomas made three trips upstairs to get the pre-packed plastic footlockers and move them downstairs. Taking one last look around the apartment, he found all that was left was some furniture and other items he could part with without any remorse. He had moved the important stuff down to the Ranch before the attacks and the rest during days off before movement was restricted. He locked the apartment out of habit and went down to the waiting vehicles. Frank handed the shotgun back to him and they departed the complex.

Thomas felt a feeling of sadness as he departed the complex, as this was probably the last time he would see it for quite some time, if ever. Little did he know, Frank was feeling the same thing in the vehicle behind him. The two vehicles moved out onto Interstate 25 at the Woodman exit and proceeded south. They passed what appeared to be a checkpoint at the exit, but it was either not manned or abandoned. Approaching the I-25 and South Academy exit, they finally ran into a checkpoint that was manned. This would be the first real test of their fake Movement Control Orders. Thomas stopped short and waited for the soldiers manning the checkpoint to wave him forward. An Army Specialist with a unit patch of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team approached the vehicle, shining an anglehead flashlight into the cab. Thomas shut down the engine and grabbed the forged MCO and handed over his ID card. The soldier briefed over the MCO and got to the destination portion before stopping. “Sergeant, you do not have a destination listed on your MCO. It says classified.”

Thomas replied “That’s right, soldier, my destination is classified. It’s on a need to know basis, and you do not need to know.”

The soldier paused before going on, having never seen the covert operations orders before. “Sir, I’m going to need to confirm this with your point of origin. Do you have your emergency MCO authenticator?”

Thomas pulled out the small green notepad he carried in his left vest pocket, looked at the time and gave the correct code for the day which should work. The soldier stepped back, asking Thomas to standby and went to a phone. Although normal phone services were on the fritz, the military network in and around Colorado Springs was still up and running pretty well. The soldier punched in the line for the Control Center at Peterson AFB and told the controller he had an emergency MCO to verify. The controller transferred the call to the telephone in Captain Bradley’s new office…


2149 Local Time:


The ringing phone woke Captain Bradley out of a deep sleep, the first good sleep he had gotten in several days. Wanting to scream at the telephone for interrupting his sleep, he restrained himself to a simple “Captain Bradley” in a gruff voice. A voice on the other end of the telephone answered back.

“Sir, this is Specialist Ahern of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team at Checkpoint Kilo Seven-Two. I have an MCO which needs to be verified by the point of origin.”

The half awake officer gave the soldier a disgusted “stand by” and went to open the safe containing the emergency authenticators. It took him three attempts to get the combination right and retrieve a folder with SECRET markings on the cover. He went back to the telephone and instructed the soldier “Go ahead and send the code.”

“Sir, I have Emergency MCO number Alpha dash two-three-two-eight, section Twilight Green, code Zulu Seven Delta Five November. Do you need me to repeat, sir?”

“No, hold on a minute,” the Captain stated as he flipped through the various tabs in the folder until he reached the section marked Twilight Green and checked the daily code. Hmmmm, a covert intelligence operation at night? And point of origin was here? Wonder what that is all about? thought the captain to himself. “They are valid, soldier, what is their destination?”

“Sir, the destination on the MCO is labeled ‘classified.’ I asked the driver, but he told me I didn’t need to know. I can hold them until you can verify further” stated the Specialist.

The Captain paused for a moment and thought about it. It would certainly answer the question on why an Intel Op was going out in the middle of the night, but then again, trying to track it down at this hour would be hard to do. All MCOs and EMCOs were coordinated out of the Security Forces, no matter what unit they were with and this one was probably with another unit. Captain Bradley wasn’t very popular with the other agencies which performed those clandestine operations and they would probably blow him off anyway at this hour. Better to try tomorrow to find out who these guys are and what they were doing. “No, just get their MCO number and other information and send it up here.”

The soldier gave the Captain a “WILCO” before hanging up the phone and going back outside. He wrote down their MCO number, license plate number, and in the case of the HMMWV, the unit identifier on the bumper. He handed the papers back to Dayfield before telling a Private to open the swing gate to let the vehicles pass. He went back into the small guard shack, only then realizing he had forgotten to write down the names of the drivers. He looked out the window and saw the vehicles were too far down the road to stop. Oh well, what are they going to do? Fire me? thought the specialist to himself as he jotted down the information onto a contact report and filed it in a bin that was picked up by the HHC in the morning. At 0700, the report was picked up by an orderly from the Battalion HHC of the parent unit. It got mixed in with several other papers where it was forgotten for several days. Four days after Dayfield and Zimmer passed through the checkpoint, the report arrived on Captain Bradley’s desk…too late to be of help to anyone.

Thomas and Frank arrived in the north side of Pueblo about an hour after clearing the checkpoint. They arrived at a checkpoint on the north side of town and were able to get past without being checked too closely. The posted sentries there told Thomas they were used to seeing strange MCOs come through and could not confirm his orders since the telephone lines between Pueblo and Colorado Springs were currently down. Seeing the two men loaded for bear and off on a “classified mission” with a “classified destination” the Army Reservists decided not probe too deep.

When they had passed and gotten to within two blocks of Sharon’s house, Thomas pulled off the side of the road and shut off the vehicle. He and Frank met at the back of the truck and made a plan to go in on foot, making sure the area was safe before bringing the vehicles in. They locked up all the extra weapons in the 6-pack and proceeded slowly on foot, staying in the shadows as much as possible. For some reason, the power was still on in this neighborhood, possibly due to the sweeps and raids that were going on right now. About half the streetlights were operational, creating long shadows the men used to their advantage as they closed in on the house. Sharon lived in a neighborhood on the edge of town where the houses were not as close together and had decent sized yards.

When they arrived at the house, Thomas moved up to the door while Frank took a position in the front yard behind a tree where he could watch the roadway and the adjacent houses. Thomas, not wanting to make too much noise, wrapped softly on the front door, looking through the glass to see movement. When he thought he heard someone close to the door, he softly asked “Sharon? It’s me baby; I’ve come to get you out of here.” The door cracked open revealing Sharon in the dim light of the distant streetlight. As soon as she recognized Thomas, the door flew open and she leaped into his arms. Even with all the equipment he had on, she grasped him like a boa constrictor squeezing its prey. He heard her crying softly on his shoulder as he moved the two of them back into the house. Once inside, he closed the door and let her back down. A small lamp in an adjacent room provided a small amount of light into the foyer area. He took in the moment to look at her since it had been close to a month since he had seen her. Although she had been crying, her hair a mess and had dark circles under her eyes, she was still the most beautiful woman he had ever known. He kissed her on the forehead and said “Everything is going to be OK now, my queen. We are going to get out of here.”

She embraced him again and it was only now that he saw the claw hammer in her right hand. Only after she released him and saw him looking at the hammer did she explain “I didn’t know who was at the door, but if it wasn’t you, I was going to give them a good whack before running away.”

He chuckled and knew with her temper, she would have done it without hesitation. They moved through the house to where her daughter, Angel, was sleeping on a pad in the floor since her crib had already been packed up. In the same room, quite a few boxes and bags sat packed. It was a lot, but not more than the 6-pack and the HMMWV could handle if they packed it right. Since that room was closer to the back of the house, Thomas made the decision to move the vehicles around the back and load them through the back door, out of sight of the street. He told Sharon the plan and told her to have Angel ready to move as soon as they were finished loading. Angel was a fast growing girl of two and soon going on three year old born to Sharon and another man. This didn’t bother Thomas that much since the biological father hadn’t been around in almost two years to take care of either of them. Angel woke up and saw Thomas, who she adored, standing in the room. She said “TOMMY!” excitedly and bounded up off the pad to grab him around the leg. He picked her up and gave her a good hug while she stared at the equipment on his chest and waist. Thomas handed her over to Sharon and went out the front door to get Frank and the vehicles.

They walked back to the vehicles, a little faster but still keeping to the shadows, and moved them to the rear of the house from the alleyway and closed the gate into her backyard behind them. Frank quickly refilled the tanks of the vehicles with one can of diesel each before taking his position in the front of the house while Sharon and Thomas packed away the trucks. Sharon went to grab Angel’s car seat out of her car in the driveway while Thomas was packing up the rest of the stuff. Sharon placed it behind the passenger seat of the 6-pack and went back to help Thomas get the rest of the items packed. She still had to pack several more bags and boxes while he was carrying everything out and packing it away. Thomas had no clue how she had packed everything away so quickly since it was only six hours since they talked, but she had somehow managed it.

While they were moving, Thomas went over the plan for them and the story she needed to remember. “You turned in your neighbors to the authorities because they were hiding guns. Your neighbors found out about it and threatened to kill you over it. You are being relocated to an area near Gunnison by us.” He had her repeat it back to him word for word.

At close to 2:30 AM they finished loaded the vehicles and were ready to move. When they were finished, the trucks were loaded down pretty well. Thomas noticed the last item to be packed was her kitty carrier. He had completely forgotten about Sharon’s two year old cat, Harley, a rather large gray tiger stripped tabby. “Sharon, I don’t have any cat food stored up.”

“Well, I have quite a bit stored already since I used to buy in bulk, but he is also a good mouser and he can eat table scraps as well” she replied. “I am not abandoning him here.”

Thomas and the cat didn’t have the best relationship, but tolerated each other. Harley was fairly possessive of Sharon and let Thomas know he was just a visitor in his house most of the time. It was fairly silly competing with a cat, but Thomas knew he wouldn’t abandon the cat either. “I wasn’t thinking of abandoning him. Is he declawed?”

“No, so he will be fine in or outdoors. I love this cat and so does Angel. You wouldn’t want to tell her we couldn’t bring him do you?” asked Sharon.

“The cat is coming sweetie, I never thought for a moment he wouldn’t be” replied Thomas. “Let’s go ahead and grab Angel and him and get going.”

Angel was not happy about being woken up again, much less being told she was going on a trip. Before leaving, Thomas asked Sharon if she had everything she needed. Sharon replied “Well, not everything I would want, but I have everything we need. Is there a way of making another trip?”

Thomas replied “Honey, it is dangerous enough making one trip right now considering I am AWOL from the military and with all the bad folks out there shooting at anything that moves. But I promise, once it calms down a bit, we will come back and get the rest of it.”

They went out to the truck and he showed her the pack she needed to grab if they had to leave on foot. She put it back next to Angel in the backseat, who was now sleeping in the car seat. As they prepared to leave, Thomas drained one of his one-quart canteens and returned to the house to refill it from one of the numerous containers sitting out in Sharon’s kitchen. Apparently, water shortages were becoming more and more of a problem forcing residents to keep water stored for use. He was replacing the canteen in the pouch when the radio earpiece came to life in his left ear. He heard Frank’s voice say “Contact, one vehicle approaching, diesel engine, unknown number of occupants, looks like a M1008 CUCV in desert tan, just pulled onto this block and shut off the lights.” An M1008 Commercial Utility, Cargo Vehicle, pronounced CUT-VEE was a vehicle based on the civilian Chevy Blazer model phased out of widespread military use in the late 1990s. Why this one was out here, he didn’t know. Thomas sprang into action, going to the front of the house and exiting the front door where he met Frank. He peered down the block to see the vehicle sitting about two hundred and fifty meters away from them, just past the intersection, idling with the lights off.

Thomas asked Frank “Anything else yet?”

“Not that I can tell, just sitting there like it has been since it arrived” answered Frank in his usual calm voice.

“You think someone around here tipped us off and they are waiting for us?” asked Thomas next.

“I don’t think so or they probably would have more than one vehicle. Maybe just a routine patrol pulling over to rest for a minute” said Frank.

Thomas made a decision for the both of them “I think we will just sit here for a moment and keep an eye on them.” The diesel engine could be heard clearly in the still night air, idling with a pronounced knock in the engine. Suddenly, it shut off and four individuals dismounted the vehicle. Even at the distance, the Army ACU pattern camouflage uniforms could be seen in the faint light. The individuals carried M-16 and M-4 rifles and one M-249 Squad Automatic Weapon and fanned out, walking down the street in the direction of Sharon’s house.

Thomas turned slowly to Frank “Let’s slip over by the edge of the house and keep an eye on these fellows.” One at a time, the men moved silently to the side of the house, overwatching each other as they moved. The unknown Army fire team was one hundred and fifty meters away from their location when they started angling towards her house. This was all they needed to make the decision to start moving.

Thomas told Frank his plan “You go out back and get ready to move your HMMWV, flip over the starter on both the vehicles, but don’t start them up just yet, just get the glow plugs warmed up. There is the alleyway behind her house that connects to the street down there. When I say the word, you crank it over and crash through the fence to the alley. I will be right behind you. You remember how to get back to Highway 50 right?” A nod from Frank as he departed down the house to the backyard. The HMMWV was better suited with its larger tires and wider frame to bash through the small wooden fence than the Ford would be.

A few moments passed and the four men were about one hundred meters away now, slowing down and being more careful about their approach. Frank should have been in position by now, ready to go. Seventy-five meters now and they were definitely headed this way. For what exact reason he didn’t know, but could give it a good guess. An attractive woman lives here by herself and these four were heading to her house in the dead of night when they wouldn’t be seen or heard. I hope there isn’t a lot of this going on, he silently thought to himself as he made his way down the side of the house and jumped into the driver’s seat of the big Ford. If they were making the same time, they would be within fifty meters now. He shouted “GO!” into the radio and turned over the ignition of the truck. He heard the starter crank for the HMMWV for about a second before it caught. Frank mashed the accelerator to the floor and dropped it into drive.

The HMMWV lurched forward, gathering speed as it closed the hundred feet between where it sat and the short wood fence surrounding the backyard and smashed through the fence, throwing splinters and pieces of wood in all directions. Thomas mashed down the gas pedal of the Ford and shot forward. Even with the load in the back, the V8 engine raced the truck forward and covered the distance quickly. He heard shouting over the engine and saw two figures running around to the back of the house.

As he sped through the gap created by the HMMWV, he saw a muzzle flash and heard the report of a shot. He quickly caught up to the HMMWV who was nearing the end of the alley and the road junction. At least we have thirty seconds for them to run back and grab their vehicle started and thirty seconds is about all we will need to lose them, he thought as they turned onto the road.

As they passed the entrance to the housing area, Thomas noticed the CUCV was missing. They had another person waiting at the vehicle, so much for our thirty second advantage. Remembering they had been shot at already, he told Sharon to put on the Interceptor vest and the MICH helmet in the back seat. He had on his second chance vest, which wouldn’t stop rifle rounds, but possibly in combination with the vehicle itself, might slow them down quite a bit. He looked in the rearview mirror and saw the CUCV rounding the corner and turning to pursue them about four hundred meters behind them.

Sharon had located the vest and helmet but was unfamiliar with how to put it on. After some trying, she finally got it slipped over her head without undoing the Velcro in the front. He silently urged Frank to make the HMMWV go faster, but he knew they were built for utility, not speed. The CUCV started eating up the distance between the two.

Thomas saw winks of light coming from the passenger side and from over the top of the cab of the vehicle. He started making random turns to throw off the aim of the gunmen pursuing them. He radioed to Frank they were being fired on and asked him to go faster. The HMMWV was topped out at 58 MPH on its old engine and could go no faster and even so, they were making turns through the neighborhood roads and the top speed could only be obtained for brief periods of time.

Thomas decided to give the following vehicle something to think about as they started turning to reach Highway 50. Grabbing his M-4, he told Sharon to take the wheel and keep up with Frank. She slid over to the driver’s seat as he slid out the window. Like something off of a movie, he came completely out of the vehicle and got one leg into the rear window before a random turn threw him off balance and almost out of the vehicle. Luckily he had been holding on to the seatbelt and was able to regain his footing.

Sliding into the back window, he sat on the edge of the door and wrapped the seatbelt around his left leg. He chambered a round into the M-4, flipped the selector lever to SEMI and took aim at the pursuing vehicle. The vehicle showed clearly through the PVS-14 and was three hundred meters away from them. He squeezed off a round, aiming at the windshield between the driver and passenger. It was his intent to simply scare these men off and not seriously harm them. More muzzle flashes from the CUCV were seen as they were not impressed by his return fire. He repeated firing five more times, taking aim at the passenger and drivers side now. The truck made several swerves so he knew his rounds were impacting, but they were not being put off.

The Ford made a long sweeping turn and suddenly, they were on Highway 50. A long straight stretch of road was in front of them now and he knew it would only be a matter of time before the CUCV either caught up with them or one of them was hit. The distance between the two was back to four hundred meters now, but Thomas kept firing.

Suddenly, a bright flash was seen from the top and a line of red tracers reaching out for their vehicles. The tracer fire fell short, but it wouldn’t take long for the gunner to adjust fire into the vehicles. Enough was enough; they had to lose these guys. The bolt locked to the rear on an empty magazine in his M-4. He grabbed the empty magazine, hit the release and yanked it out, dropping it into the back seat. With one fluid motion, he grabbed a new magazine from his vest and slammed it into the carbine, tapped the bottom and hit the bolt catch release.

He fired one shot when he realized he had forgotten the fragmentation grenades in the pouch. He saw a tall tree passing them by on the roadway in the moonlight and silently counted the time between their vehicle and the pursers. He fired another two rounds and came up with four seconds. It would be enough. He fired several rounds in rapid succession and then laid the M-4 across his lap and made sure the sling was attached to the carabineer.

Unsnapping the pouch, he withdrew one of the grenades from the inside. He was familiar with the small sphere of explosives, having thrown live ones several times in training and a couple more recently. He first placed the spoon into the web between his right thumb and forefinger and flipped off the spoon safety, using his left middle finger; he looped it through the ring pin and pulled it out. Instead of making a long toss, he let the spoon fly and waited a second before gently tossing it just behind his back bumper with the fuse pointing out. He wanted the grenade to stay in the road as much as possible before exploding and the protruding fuse might make it bounce out of the roadway. He silently counted the seconds as he picked his M-4 back up and prepared to fire again. The grenade detonated one hundred meters in front of the CUCV, not like the massive explosions that Hollywood portrayed, but impressive enough at this distance. Apparently, the grenade had bounced along the roadway faster than he thought, so he prepared another after firing more shots off. The second grenade was lobbed further behind the vehicle and Thomas hoped it would be enough. It went off about ten meters in front of the CUCV, the shrapnel exploding in all directions.

The CUCV immediately started swerving to the right and left and before long the distance between the two started increasing. The distance grew to five hundred…six hundred…eight hundred meters and continued growing. They still were following but at a much slower pace. He radioed to Frank to find a suitable long straight stretch where they could pour some effective fire onto the vehicle. Frank radioed back they were on a long flat straight stretch and would stop at the end of it. Thomas radioed back to tell him to get the M-249 ready during which, Thomas unzipped the bag for the Remington PSS and pulled it out.

They reached the end of the road where it started a slight climb and curve. The CUCV was almost a mile behind them at that point, the distance between them growing slowly. Thomas grabbed the other case containing the Feather RAV carbine. Before stopping, Thomas loaded one of the magazines and chambered a round, readying the carbine for action. Coming to a stop, Thomas jumped out of the truck and unfolded the bipod legs on the rifle. He quickly showed Sharon how to operate the safety on the weapon, handed her the RAV, her Bug Out Bag and told her to grab Angel and get into the woods next to the truck.

Frank had turned his HMMWV perpendicular to the roadway and was setting up the M-249 across the hood. He got the light machine gun ready for use, flipped up the cover, locked the bolt to the rear, laid the two hundred round belt of ammunition into the feed tray and closed the cover. He flipped down the bipod legs and took aim over the sights at the truck, now at about thirteen hundred meters. Thomas readied the precision rifle, working the bolt to chamber a round and flipped open the scope covers. Frank relayed distance to him as he turned the scope to maximum magnification and found the CUCV through the sight.

Frank told him “Eleven hundred meters, winds from left to right, about seven miles per hour…ten-fifty…one thousand meters, fire!” Thomas adjusted for range and windage and pulled the trigger. The match trigger broke cleanly as the rifle barked, sending the 190 grain match hollow point downrange. The recoil of the rifle was sharp even through the pad on his tactical vest and the second chance vest. Thomas doubted if the round hit the vehicle at that range, but worked the bolt preparing to fire again. The vehicle was larger in his sight now and he was able to send a round downrange aimed at the driver’s side of the vehicle.

When the range reached seven hundred meters, Frank stopped calling out range for him and let a burst fly from the M-249. The line of tracers fell short of the truck, but Frank immediately corrected and sent a longer burst into the vehicle. Every round found the target as the truck swerved from side to side. Thomas fired another round out of the Remington, aimed at the passenger seat. The truck slowed down considerably and stopped altogether at three hundred fifty meters away.

Through the telescopic sight, Thomas could see one individual open the driver’s door and pull someone else out. The person moved them to the front of the vehicle and went back for another, pulling them to the same place. The individual then grabbed what appeared to be a medical kit out of the truck and ran back to the unmoving figures in the one working headlight. Frank and Thomas observed the individuals actions for a few minutes, watching him work furiously on the two figures lying down. Thomas finally asked “Want to go check them out?”

Frank replied “Could be a way of suckering us in and taking us out” and requested to look through the sight on the rifle. Thomas relinquished control of the rifle and took Frank’s place on the M-249.

Frank got behind the rifle and peered through the scope for several seconds. “Looks like two down for sure in front of the truck with another doing self aid and buddy care on them…another slumped over the roof of the truck. That makes four, we are missing one. I think it’s worth the risk, just to disarm these guys if nothing else.”

Thomas wondered how Frank could make out so much through the dark sight, but figured right now was not the time to ask. “Okay, we will head up the tree line beside the road, that way of something goes wrong, we will have some cover” said Thomas while picking up the rifle and clearing it out. Frank took the M-249 down and did the same.

Thomas walked over to the Ford and set the rifle in the back seat and grabbed his patrol bag and the truck keys. Gathering everything up, he walked over to the nearby trees and called for Sharon. He told her what they were going to do and gave her his bag and the truck keys. He gave her the spare PRC-343 radio out of his pack, switched to the correct channel and told her to listen to it. If he radioed to her or if he did not answer the radio if she heard shooting, she was to take the truck to the Ranch, to which he gave her directions. He told her to leave his bag in the trees and he would find it.

Frank joined them and set his bag next to Thomas’s. Thomas, only having fired twelve rounds out of the new magazine in his M-4, replaced it with a full one out of habit. The two men set out and smoothly made their way up the tree line beside the road, keeping the vehicle and the one moving individual in their view at all times. The early morning dew on the grass muffled the footsteps of the men and they were able to close within fifty feet of the vehicle before challenging the individual.

Thomas yelled at the one moving individual to halt and put his hands up as he flipped on the Pelican light mounted to his M-4. Startled, a young nineteen year old Private E-2 complied and looked to where the voice came from. Thomas and Frank rushed in, one pointing his M-4 at the Private and the other at the truck. The vehicle had suffered severe damage and Thomas and Frank saw why it had stopped. The front two tires were completely flat, with one almost running on the rim. Steam rolled out of the perforated radiator, the windshield was almost entirely shot out and the hood looked like Swiss cheese. It was a wonder the CUCV had made it as far as it had and Thomas wondered why they had kept up the chase with the vehicle in such disrepair.

Frank cleared out the truck while Thomas watched the young Private on his knees at the front of the vehicle in the headlights. Thomas asked the young soldier “Where are the rest of your buddies?”

The Private answered in a wavering, but loud voice “DEAD! YOU KILLED THEM!” Frank checked for a pulse on both and did not find one. Both had suffered from several wounds before dying.

Thomas continued “What about those two?” pointing at the two lying in front of the truck, the object of the soldiers first aid.

The Private answered “Both of them are wounded, chest wounds. You were trying to kill us!” The young soldier suddenly felt fear and continued “Oh my God, you were trying to kill us! You are going to kill me aren’t you?!”

“Hadn’t planned on it just yet. What were you doing at that house in Pueblo?” inquired Thomas.

The soldier, feeling fear and watching the two men who had just killed two of his friends and wounded two more, answered without even thinking to lie first. “We were making a social call. It was the Sarge’s idea.”

Both Thomas and Frank were puzzled by the answer, but it was Thomas who asked the question “Social call? What do you mean by social call?”

The soldier answered, wondering why these two didn’t get it. “You know…a social call. You know, like to borrow some sugar. Come on, you two are military aren’t you? You know what I’m talking about.”

No, I don’t know, though Thomas as he was suddenly disgusted with the conversation, the Private and the dead and wounded men.

The Private kept going “Hey, come on now, since we started the weapons sweeps, everyone is doing it. I mean, she’s just a dumb civilian right? Nobody cares.”

Oh really? I care, thought Thomas as he moved on pure reflex rather than on thought. He moved towards the Private who was still on his knees and grabbed him but the throat. Pulling out his M-9 pistol, he jammed it into the soldier’s head, right between the eyes and cocked the hammer. “Listen here you poor excuse for a soldier! That just happens to be a dumb civilian evacuee you and your pals were about to rape! You had better come up with a good reason in the next two seconds for why I don’t blow your head off!”

Frank was already moving out of the truck to stop Thomas, but knew he wouldn’t get there in time. The soldier turned as pale as a ghost and Thomas smelled where he had defecated himself from fear. He threw the Private by his throat onto the ground and walked away, trying to compose himself before his killed the young man in cold blood. Frank walked up to the soldier and continued the questioning.

“Why were you chasing us anyway?” asked Frank when he got to the soldier.

The soldier coughed and rubbed on his neck where Thomas had grabbed him. “We were scared you would get away from us and report us for being out of the zone we were assigned. The Sarge said we couldn’t let you get away or we would be in serious trouble. We were just trying to stop you.”

Frank glared at him as he answered “You mean stop us by killing us? Killing two NCOs and a civilian just to save your own butt? Is that what you mean by stopping us?”

The soldier got quiet and said timidly “Sarge said it had to be done.”

Frank felt like kicking the young man’s teeth in but refrained and went back to make sure Thomas had calmed down. “I will start clearing out the weapons and stuff in the back if you want to check these guys.”

Thomas agreed and ordered the soldier to the ground on his face. He then went over to the two wounded men on the ground and started removing all the weapons he could find on them. The Private had done a decent job with his first aid, but if these men didn’t get to a hospital soon, they would probably die. Thomas didn’t care that much about it right then. On the wounded soldiers he found a non-issue single action .41 Magnum revolver and a non-issue EAA Witness pistol in 9mm caliber. On the live soldier he found a non-issue Rock River Arms 1911 model. He also found knives, which he threw in the direction of the woods. He cleared the pistols out and laid them on the ground along with the M-16 magazines, grenades and surprisingly enough, MP5 magazines. Thomas replaced the one magazine he had used during the firefight with a full one taken off the wounded men. He also replaced the frag grenade in the pouch and the magazine with seven rounds expended out of it.

When Thomas finished searching the two wounded men and the Private, Frank looked through the bed of the truck and at the two dead soldiers taking everything as he went. On one of the dead soldiers, Frank found a non-issue .38 Special revolver and a Glock 22 pistol, cleared them out and looked for a pack to stash everything he had found. He found a MOLLE ruck sack and emptied the contents into the bed of the truck. He began to toss the magazines, both full and empty into the ruck along with several frag, smoke and flashbang grenades. He found two M-16A2 rifles and the M-249. He gathered the spare belts of ammo and dumped them in as well. When he finished, he was getting out of the bed of the CUCV when he spied two more boxes, one of MREs and the other of M127 white star parachute slap flares. He kept four of the flares out for Thomas and himself and dropped the rest into the ruck. Jumping out of the bed of the truck, he took the place of Thomas and gathered the equipment he had found as well.

“You all have the normal issue rifles, but why not pistols?” asked Frank.

“Some are personally owned and some are those we confiscated. Our Captain said it would be okay to use them since our unit didn’t have enough pistols” said the soldier.

“You are using the same items you confiscated from the citizens to further disarm citizens?” asked Frank more to himself than to the soldier. “Hypocrisy at its best.”

“Who are you guys anyway?” asked the Private, looking over their unusual uniforms and rifles with the “ninja” equipment hanging on the rails.

“It doesn’t matter who we are, we are NCOs in the United States Military and our unit was charged with protecting a material witness. We do covert work and we do it well. You and your buddies messed with the wrong folks, young man. Really, really bad luck on your part” said Frank.

Thomas searched through the cab of the CUCV finding one M-4 Carbine and the MP5A3, with a folding stock attached. He wanted to ask the soldier where the MP5 had come from, but didn’t want to speak to him at all. He grabbed up the rest of the empty magazines and a codebook for radio communications and dropped it all into the ruck sack. He also disabled the radio in the front of the ruck by first putting the zero into the SINCGARS set and then ripping the wires out of the back and cutting the wire to the hand set with his Leatherman. He considered shooting the set with the .41 Magnum pistol, but decided not to since they were somewhat pressed for time. He returned to the soldier after gathering everything and putting it in the rucksack.

Thomas, who still had thoughts of choking the life out of the soldier, contained himself for the moment and started speaking. He wanted to continue the façade of having the young soldier believe they were a part of a unit charged with covert ops. “Listen to me and listen good. You are a soldier, start acting like one. That house you went to just happened to be a woman who is being relocated, and you were going to rape her. That is not what soldiers do. Soldiers are there to protect people who cannot protect themselves. You were going to rape a defenseless woman in the middle of the night just because you said everyone is doing it. Well, tonight your friends paid the price for acting out of line. Next time, it will be you getting killed. I am going to leave you alive for the moment to take care of your friends there and tell your other friends what happens to your despicable people who prey on innocent victims. Maybe if they are lucky, they will live. I don’t care if you all live or die, but know this, I hear of you raping any more defenseless women; I will put the bullet into your head that kills you. This is after I have inflicted enough pain on you that you beg to die first. And don’t think I won’t find out. You will die if it happens again. Our unit will make you disappear in the middle of the night and nobody will ever know how. Believe that.”

The soldier asked “What about my friends? You can at least take them to a hospital before they die.”

Frank answered before Thomas could form the words “We already told you we don’t care if they live or die. We don’t have the time to worry about a courtroom, so we found them guilty as we have done before. The maximum penalty under the UCMJ for rape is death. If they die, they get their punishment, if they don’t; they got the message not to do it again.”

The soldier pleaded “But, sir, you’re NCOs, you can’t just leave them here to die and you can’t leave me here defenseless either!”

Thomas answered that plea. “I can and will leave them here to die. It’s up to you and God to determine whether or not they live. As for leaving you defenseless, we will leave the revolver with six rounds in the middle of the road where our vehicles are at. You can explain to your commander how you lost your other weapons to us.”

Both Frank and Thomas gathered the rifles and machine guns between them. Frank grabbed the ruck and slung it over his shoulders while Thomas grabbed the other rifles and the M-249. Leaving instructions to the private not to move until he heard the vehicles drive away or they would shoot him as a threat. They moved straight up the road, turning every once in a while to see the soldier still lying on the ground in front of the now dead CUCV. When they reached their vehicles, everything was placed in the back seat of the Ford. Thomas went over to the woods to call for Sharon and retrieve both his and Frank’s packs. Sharon emerged from the woods, looking a little shaky, but not any worse for the wear. Thomas took back the carbine and cleared it out before setting it on the floor on the back seat on her side of the vehicle. Sharon shrugged off the body armor with a thud and removed the helmet. Thomas set the additional gear back into the backseat and went to the driver’s seat to get ready to go. By this time, Frank had started his HMMWV and was ready to move. Sharon silently strapped Angel back into the car seat and got into the front seat with Thomas. Thomas had her lock the doors on her side while he did the same on his side.

Thomas put the vehicle into drive and started driving away, slowly at first to give Frank enough time to turn the HMMWV back onto the road. They were driving for about five minutes when Sharon broke the silence “Those men were going to rape and kill me weren’t they?”

Thomas thought for a moment and answered honestly “Probably so, but it didn’t happen and won’t happen as long as you are with me.”

She silently thought of what had happened tonight if Thomas had not killed the men responsible for the now aborted attempt to cause her harm. She wondered what might have happened if she wasn’t able to get through to him on the phone earlier that day, or hadn’t been able to pick her up that night. Something needed to be said, “Thank you.”

Thomas looked at her since she used a different tone like she was about to cry “Thank you for what?”

Sharon slid across the cabin seat to him and said “For saving Angel’s and my life.”

Thomas reached down and took her hand and squeezed it. She squeezed back even tighter and didn’t let go. Yes, this is the one, just like I thought several years ago, she thought to herself as they continued down the dark road.

Although he was holding on to the woman he loved, his thoughts drifted back to the mobile fire fight they had just been involved in. He and Frank had killed two US military members and if those other two didn’t get help soon, they would probably die as well. He and Frank had condemned them to death without a trial. But it was kill or be killed, preserve your own life and try not to think about what happened until after the fact. It was the same primal instinct he had felt when he had been shot two weeks prior. The man had shot him and then gone to check his kill. Thomas remembered hurting all over but still having enough instinct to draw his M-9 and take the man out before he could correct his mistake of not killing his target with the first round.

This situation was the same but different. He had just reacted to a threat. However, now that he had the time to think about it, it was quite disturbing. Just three days ago, he might have been working alongside these very same soldiers they had just left behind for dead on the road. But tonight, they had tried to kill each other, with one side getting lucky, and the other dead. Thomas didn’t know why the men had made the decision to chase them, or fired on them, or why they just simply hadn’t called their headquarters to have Frank and him picked up at the next checkpoint, but once the firing commenced, it was kill or be killed. Sadly, he felt no remorse about killing the soldiers, not because they were trying to harm someone he loved, but because he was so used to protecting people as a cop. Protect the innocent and those who cannot protect themselves. Thomas considered the fact they were once on the same side and would have worked together for a common cause, but with them going off to prey on innocents, they were no longer members of the proud profession of arms the military once was. He hoped this was only an isolated incident and not the military as a whole. His thoughts continued as they drove onward towards safety.


0431 Local Time:


About five miles from the Ranch, Thomas pulled off the county road on they were currently traveling and onto a dirt path leading into the woods. He moved in two hundred yards before stopping in an area with enough space for them to get the vehicles turned around. Frank shut off his vehicle and went to the Ford “What’s the deal?”

“I don’t want to go cruising into the Ranch prior to dawn. We have about an hour or so before daybreak and we are fifteen minutes away. I figure we stay here about hour or hour and a half before we move on in. What do you think?”

“Yeah, sounds like a plan. If I remember correctly, George would come out blazing at the sign of a military vehicle roaring up his driveway in the middle of the night. Why don’t you catch a nap? You look like you could use it.”

“I was going to tell you to catch some shut eye,” said a yawning Thomas.

“Come on, you are yawning so much flies could make your mouth their home. I’m fine, younger and you could use the beauty rest” said Frank who never seemed to tire.

“Okay, I’m not going to argue with you. Wake me up about six o’clock or so” said the again yawning Thomas. Sharon snuggled in close to Thomas, having heard the decision to stop for a little while. Angel was sleeping peacefully in the car seat covered by her blanky after having an eventful night. Thomas was hungry and could not remember the last time he had eaten anything. Sharon was hungry too and softly asked Thomas where he had something to eat in the truck. He didn’t answer her and she looked up to see why. In the five seconds it had taken her to think and ask the question, he had fallen asleep. She slid back in next to him, closed her eyes and was asleep in the same amount of time.

Thomas awoke to Frank knocking on the driver’s window of the truck. Not wanting to disturb Sharon just yet, he waved his left hand at the window and looked at his watch. The digital display read 7:48. He tried to move Sharon without waking her, but was unsuccessful. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, poking him in the face accidentally. “Well, one way to make sure I’m awake is by picking my nose,” said Thomas, rubbing the spot she had hit.

“I’m sorry, baby, it was an accident. What time is it?” said a yawning Sharon, trying to clear the cobwebs from her mind.

“It’s 7:45, we should have been there by now,” said Thomas as he gently opened the truck door. Angel was still asleep, and he wanted her to remain that way until they got moving. Leaving the truck door cracked, he went to Frank standing next to his HMMWV. “I thought I asked you to wake me up at six o’clock,” said a semi irate Thomas.

“I did try to wake you up at six; somehow you locked the doors on the truck. I knocked pretty hard too. Neither one of you budged an inch. Angel kind of opened her eyes and gave me a dirty look before going right back to sleep. I tried again at 6:15, 6:30 and 7:00 but finally got you among the land of the living just now. I figured it didn’t matter that much, what’s an extra hour and forty-five minutes to us anyway?” said Frank looking very tired himself.

“Yeah, you are right, let me get jump started here and we can be on our way, say in about ten minutes,” said a stretching Thomas. Sleeping in an odd position and with all the gear on had his back twisted into some uncomfortable positions. He stretched to try and work them out but found unless he dropped the gear it would never work. He walked over to a nearby tree out of sight and relieved himself. Lighting a cigarette, he started returning to the vehicles when Sharon asked him if he had any toilet paper. He got into his bag and pulled out the toilet paper and handed it over. She saw the cigarette in his mouth and frowned. Sharon had been after him for a while to quit. Like I have a choice now, I have to quit, there aren’t any more supplies, thought Thomas as he took a drag off of the cancer stick. Returning to the truck a few minutes later, Sharon asked him about food while starting to change Angel’s diaper. “We are only about fifteen minutes away from the Ranch where we can eat in peace. Think you will starve by then?”

“I think I can make it, but just to let you know, at sixteen minutes, I start gnawing on your arm,” said a playful Sharon. It was good to see her sense of humor coming back after the happenings of the previous twenty-four hours. After she was done changing Angel, everyone got into their respective vehicles and started to turn them around. This was a little trickier than it sounded since the HMMWV was so wide and had the trailer and the 6-pack so long. It took almost ten minutes to get the vehicles turned around and pointed back towards the roadway. They moved back out onto the paved surface of the county roadway and made their way northwest towards the Ranch. They pulled off the road onto a single lane gravel road leading towards the Taylor’s house. The house could not be seen clearly, four hundred yards off the main hardtop roadway. Thomas didn’t want to go roaring up the driveway to the house so he made it a point to stop halfway there and identify themselves and walk the rest of the way. He slowed down both to make them look non-threatening and to keep the dust from the gravel down. Picking a point that was about halfway to the house; he stopped the truck and got out. Removing his boonie hat, he waved at the house, but could not see anyone. A female voice from his right surprised him.

“Well, howdy stranger, it’s about time you showed up,” said the voice from inside a small spot of brushy oak trees. He saw a small figure emerge from the trees wearing a hunting pattern suit and web gear and carrying a Bushmaster M17S rifle. It was Renee Lawson, Dave’s wife. They had made it. They were safe.

CHAPTER 11 – UNEXPECTED VISITORS


Time since attacks: 94 days
Date/Time: 23 July/0622 Local
Location: The Ranch, near Cañon City, Colorado


The next morning he woke up early, just as the sun rose. Not wanting to wake Sharon up, he quietly slipped out of bed, grabbed a pair of shorts, socks and a t-shirt and went downstairs. In the kitchen, he lit one of the eyes on the stove and started to get a pot of coffee ready. He then remembered there was no more propane gas to be had and turned off the eye and got the coffee ready without lighting the eye until it was totally ready. Opening the pantry, he looked for coffee to put on, hoping Ryan had dropped off a bag when he filled the pantry. He finally found a bag of coffee in the cabinet which held the spices. He placed the grounds into an old percolator style coffee pot and lit the eye for the stove. It would take several minutes to prepare so he wandered back upstairs to get the cigarettes he had left in his room. Passing by Angel’s room, he saw her wrapped up in her blanky, looking very peaceful. He knew it would only be time before she woke up and became an unstoppable force like most children her age were.

He went back downstairs and checked on the coffee. It wasn’t done yet, so he looked through the pantry finding quite a bit of food left there by Ryan. He would have to insist Ryan take some of it back since it was way too much for them. After several minutes, the coffee was ready and he poured himself a cup, putting cream and sugar in and stepping out on the front porch to take in the morning. He lit up a cancer stick and sat down in one of the chairs on the front porch to enjoy the tranquility of the morning. The pond below the house was very still with the occasional ripple on the surface as a fish went for a bug. Soon, he was joined by Ryan who had come over from his cabin to the east of the house. Thomas saw him approach and offered him a cup of coffee. Ryan walked into the house and reemerged a few minutes later with a cup of the strong brew. Thomas apologized for not stopping by the last night. “Sorry for not coming by brother. I was on my way over, but Sharon needed to talk.”

“No problem. Everyone needs a little quality time now and then. Speaking of problems though, do you have an engagement ring for her?” asked Ryan.

Thomas sipped his coffee before answering “No, sure don’t. The engagement wasn’t exactly planned and I didn’t think to get one before it all went downhill.”

Ryan “hmmmed” to himself before walking off the porch towards his cabin. Thomas wondered where he was heading and saw him return a few minutes later. He handed over a small box and inside was a diamond ring, about a half caret stone set on a gold band. Thomas objected and tried to hand the box back. Ryan held up his hand and pushed it back his way. “No, man, that’s yours, it was my mother’s before she died and I want you two to have it.”

Thomas again tried to give it back “No way. You know I can’t do that. This is your family heirloom and I couldn’t accept it. This is something you should keep.”

“I don’t have a family and I’m not married anymore,” explained Ryan. “The only family I have now is the one around me living in these houses and cabins. I want you two to have it that way it stays inside of my new family. Like it or not, you are going to keep that ring. Don’t make an old man kick your butt over this trivial matter.”

Thomas smiled and shook his head, thanking him for it. He wondered how he would explain it to Sharon and knew she would insist he give it back. Ryan would be insistent with her as well, but probably not as forceful.

The men sat peaceful as Ryan started to explain the communications set up at the ranch. “I have run a series of field phones to each of the houses. TA-312 types, all connected into the Conference Center. I have an SB-22 set up over there modified to run off of either the sub batteries or off of a twelve volt car battery charged by a solar panel. The solar panel keeps it pretty much charged up all the time, so power is not a problem. The 312s at the houses are all running off D cell batteries and when it comes time, we can use the rechargeable ones in there as well. The LP/OP at the Taylors house has a TA-1, but it terminates at the Taylors. I was going to tie it in to the other line up there, but didn’t have a splicer available when I put it in and it keeps slipping my mind to get it done.”

“We have all eight cabins, your place and mine and the Taylors all rigged up with field phones. I also have a couple of more field phones and another two SB-22s we could set up if we needed it. I want to get the other one set up so I can get the Trading Post, the cannery, the workshop, the other LP/OP, the barn and the old pole barn set up on the network. The lines are all laid and all we would need to do is put out the phones and hook them into the switchboard. I have a bunch of old TA-1s that we haven’t used, limited range, but they still work. Other than that, we have three dozen Motorola Talkabout radios, three dozen PRC-343s, three handheld ham radios in the multiband range, eight old Motorola System Saber radios with charger and three batteries apiece and three old PRC-77s with a good supply of batteries. Those are old and beat up, but it would take a nuclear blast to break them. Don’t ask where we got the military sets from, you don’t want to know.”

“Over in the Conference Center, I have everything routed through the small utility room on the ground floor. All the switchboards and the radios are set up there. I have a commercial HF ham radio set up for multi band transmissions and other radios in the Shortwave, AM and FM band. Since we are in the mountains, we aren’t getting good reception all the time, but some of the time; it’s clear as a bell. As for the radios, we haven’t heard anything on the FM band and very little on the AM band for the past two weeks. Shortwave has been sporadic, but we have been able to pick up some countries national broadcast. Good thing George and I speak different languages since some of the transmissions are coming in from places we have been. Haven’t tried out the ham radio yet, but we should start listening soon. That about does it for the communications, did I miss anything?”

Thomas was impressed by the amount of work that had gone into getting everything ready. He knew very little about communications and if Ryan didn’t know, the rest of them probably didn’t know either. He told Ryan this and invited him into the house to refill their coffee mugs. Ryan refilled his and told Thomas he needed to get going on work today and would return the coffee mug later on.

Thomas started foraging around in the kitchen and found some breakfast items to fix up. He found some eggs and sausage in the energy efficient fridge which ran off the batteries in the house and got them ready to cook. He also found what appeared to be homemade bread and sliced off two pieces. It took about twenty minutes to get everything cooked up, and the other items set out on a tray to take upstairs. He wanted to surprise Sharon with a little breakfast in bed, it was the least he could do after last night. He rolled up a napkin and ran it through the middle of the ring for Sharon.

Taking it all upstairs, she woke up when he stepped back into the room. She was surprised at his gesture, giving him a warm smile as she began to eat. She was even more surprised when she took the napkin to wipe her mouth. “Where did you get this?”

Thomas explained the gift from Ryan and also explained how he tried to give the ring back. “We can’t keep this; it needs to stay in his family. I will give it back to him. He won’t argue with me.” Sharon finished eating and slipped on Thomas’s robe before going to check on Angel. Sharon woke Angel up while Thomas got ready to go out on the property survey.

Unsure of whether or not to go tactical or not, he decided to go semi-tactical and carry the rest. He grabbed a set of green cargo pants, commercial 5.11 brand ones, and an old black t-shirt with POLICE in large five inch letters on the back. His boots were a comfortable set of desert boots that were well broken in. The boots had served him well on two trips to the Middle East and he had them resoled last summer. Remembering he wanted to get a rifle with a little more range, he went to the basement to his safe.

When he had the house built, he had a walk in vault installed in his basement. It was a small, fireproof room with a manual combination lock door and two high security locks leading into the area. Racks of weapons, crates of ammo and various other firearm accessories lined the walls. Looking through the mini-arsenal in his basement, he found what he was looking for, a JLD Enterprises PTR-91. The rifle was a clone of the German G-3 rifle in 7.62mm caliber. The rifle had a tactical three rail handguard and a low profile M1913 rail system scope mount. He had attached a Leupold Mark 4 Tactical 2.5-8 power scope to the top rail and a forward pod grip to the front rails. A flashlight mount and Surefire flashlight adorned the right side of the rails. Although the G-3 style rifle had a few drawbacks, it shot just as well as any rifle in its class in the world. It was also one of his favorites since it was one of the first rifles he had obtained for his preparations when money was short. Since then, George had worked his magic on it, installing a four and a half pound pull trigger and had the barrel cryogenically treated. The result was a rifle that shot Minute of Angle at one hundred yards now. He grabbed seven twenty round magazines and looked for the appropriate ammo cans to load them up. Finding, what he wanted, he set them and the magazines off to the side. He found a vest made by Galls with the MOLLE attachment straps and Tactical Taylor pouches specifically for 7.62mm mags and set it off to the side. He found Tactical Taylor gear to be some of the highest quality gear he had used and would readily depend on it whatever the circumstances.

He also wanted to get another pistol. While the 1911 was a fine shooting pistol, he wanted something a he was more comfortable with. He found a Springfield XD Tactical model and pulled it out with four magazines. After shooting a friends model, he had immediately ordered and purchased one in the tactical model for himself. The pistol was exceptionally well made, as rugged and reliable as a Glock, but with a grip small enough to fit most people’s hands, a trait not shared by the full sized, big bore Glocks. He found a Blackhawk Serpa holster and threw it in with everything else he had gotten. Finding the appropriate ammo, he took everything upstairs, making two trips.

He found Sharon in the kitchen making some breakfast for Angel. He was not hungry since he had snacked on some items earlier while he was fixing Sharon’s breakfast in bed. He filled up the pistol magazines first with the same Golden Saber ammo he used in his 1911. He loading them into the appropriate pouches on the vest and the holster and turned to the rifle mags. He was loading up the rifle magazines when George knocked at the door.

Coming inside, George set his rifle on top of a coat rack by the door and walked into the kitchen. “About time you gave up that mouse gun 5.56 and went with a real man’s gun” George stated as he looked at the rifle sitting on the kitchen countertop. It was a debate he had with George many times in the past about the difference in the 5.56 and 7.62 calibers. George was one of those old school types that believed the 7.62 NATO was a superior, do all caliber, but grudgingly admitted the 5.56 had certain roles which it was as good as or better than the 7.62. The 5.56 had proven itself over time and was a round that, under the right circumstances and with the proper type applied, was very effective. However, for a long range caliber, it was hard to beat the 7.62 NATO round. Five of the magazines he filled with the excellent Hornady TAP ammunition loaded with 168 grain AMAX shells. The other two he loaded with standard surplus ball ammo. The magazines were loaded into the pouches on his vest except for one he rocked into the magazine well of the rifle.

He then went upstairs and grabbed the patrol pack and unloaded some of the items from it into MOLLE II issue assault pack. He unloaded the smoke grenades, the survival kit, the camouflage face paint, an MRE, another 1 liter bottle of water, the binoculars and the PVS-7D NODs. All in all, a fairly light load, but one that would not be carried if all went according to plan. He grabbed two canteens from the black footlocker in his closet and planned on hooking them up to the vest for his rifle. He planned on fitting it out entirely for day to day carry with some of the items both in the foot locker and off his other vest. But given the time for the day, he would have to suffice with minimal gear. He also grabbed a Combat Lifesaver Bag and planned on throwing it into the cargo container of his ATV. He took out the woodland BDU shirt and slid it through the top straps on the pack and topped off everything with an old tan boonie cap he often used for camping or fishing.

He grabbed the bag and went downstairs to meet George and Frank, who had showed up when Thomas was upstairs getting the rest of the stuff ready. George stated he needed to stop by the Trading Post to grab a set of binoculars for himself on their way out today. The trio grabbed their weapons and started to head out. Sharon made Thomas promise to be careful and gave him a kiss goodbye. They walked the short distance to the Trading Post to the left of Thomas’s house.

The trading post was a part camping goods, part hunting goods, part firearms and part surplus store. After the first season, they found some high end hunters preferred to use military style camouflage instead of the superior commercial camouflage items, so the Trading Post was stocked with several different surplus and new production patterns of various camouflages from around the world. Several types of Russian, British, French, German and American camouflages among others sat on racks around the shop. New production camouflage ranging from 7 color desert to MARPAT to the Vietnam tiger stripe pattern to Multicam sat on another shelf. Thomas had also bought some new production digital camouflage now available for outdoors enthusiasts.

Firearms, both rifles and shotguns lined one wall and pistols sat proudly in display cases in front of them, their price tags still hanging from the weapons. Ammunition of all sorts lined the wall under the rifle racks and underneath the showcases. Hunting pattern clothing hung on racks in the center of the room. Camping gear was in a small room in the back with more items being in the basement, attic or in the back storage room. Various styles of military boots, shoes and commercial hunting boots were along one other wall. Military surplus equipment from around the world filled bins in another small room in the back. Although the items inside seemed excessive, the store turned a tidy profit for Thomas, with customers coming all the way from Denver and Trinidad to make firearm and outdoors gear purchases. He had kept his prices lower than most other sporting goods stores since the business wasn’t really necessary for Thomas to survive. However, with customers spreading the word and careful advertising, the business brought in quite a bit of money.

George found a pair of 10 power Nikons and dropped them into his backpack. They relocked the store and headed over to the barn where the All Terrain Vehicles, or ATVs, were kept. George and Frank were dressed much like Thomas. George had on a pair of faded seven color “chocolate chip” desert camouflage pants and a black t-shirt with a Special Forces Association patch on the front. He carried a desert tan Camelbak Mule with a Vietnam era tiger stripe pattern shirt ran through a strap on the pack. Frank was wearing a pair of woodland BDU pants and had on a similar shirt as Thomas. A woodland BDU top was running through the straps on his patrol bag.

George was armed with his Springfield M1A and had on a LBE with pouches which would accommodate the M-14 magazines for his rifle. A Bianchi Accumold low ride holster was on his right side was filled out with a Glock 17. Various other pouches were attached to the web gear including canteens, a first aid kit, a compass pouch and small utility pouches. The rifle he carried was one of the best Springfield had to offer and George had made it even more accurate by customizing some of the options on it. It was a rifle now capable of head shots at six hundred yards and body shots easy at a thousand with match grade ammo.

Frank carried his M-4 and had on the same web gear he had carried out the night they had left Colorado Springs. Instead of the issue M-9, he had changed it out to a Glock 22 in .40 caliber. He also had the M-24 rifle in the soft sided case slung behind his back in case of long range shots. Thomas knew Frank did not have many firearms, and planned on offering one of the nice precision autoloading rifles from the Trading Post when they collected the firearms from around the property. Looking at the other two while walking to the barn, Thomas chuckled to himself. Frank asked what was so funny.

“Look at us, the way we are dressed, nobody would recognize us as former military. We look more like third world freedom fighters than some professional branch of the military” said Thomas.

George and Frank laughed at the comments as George remembered his time in some of those third world countries working with so called freedom fighters. Thomas wasn’t far off the mark as they had become freedom fighters in their own right. George continued the thoughts. “Yeah, except the freedom fighters I know of carry AK-47s and have a better understanding of their enemy.”

Thomas and Frank both didn’t understand what he meant and asked him what he was talking about. “Well, those freedom fighters normally know who they are fighting. The ones I encountered normally fight against government forces that either suppress their civil rights or take away what they have. But out here, is that what we are fighting against? Are we fighting against government Loyalist forces or criminals? Or is there a difference these days? Or are we fighting against others who would take our freedoms away? Or are we defending against one time friends who would kill you to take the food out of your mouth? Are we the front lines or the last line of defense? Or are we behind enemy lines? Or are we the front lines for our own little enclave? It makes for an interesting thought process.” Good questions and questions each would have to answer for themselves.

They walked the short distance to the barn where the ATVs were stored. He had purchased two soon after buying the Ranch and expanded the collection when they started getting more members of the group. He now had a total of nine, six 350cc types and three 500cc types, all commercial work bikes. In addition, Thomas had also bought three Polaris Rangers and two John Deere Gators to supplement the ATV fleet. They all were good on gas mileage and with the addition of the trailers he bought for each, could be used to haul items which normally would have required a gas guzzling truck. Although the Ranch fuel tanks had been filled, fuel preservation was one item at the top of their list of things to do. There was no telling how long they would be without fuel, so every drop was accounted for and only used for official business.

The three picked out a 350cc bike each and stowed their bags in a cargo box strapped onto the rear of the bikes. The rifles were stowed on weapons racks mounted on the front and held in by thick rubber bands. After checking the fuel, they had to top off one of them before going out for the day. Mounting the bikes, they drove slowly out of the barn and off towards the fields. The sun was shining bright that day so they stopped to don a pair of sunglasses before going further.

The Ranch had a central road which ran around the cabins in a large loop. It crossed over the stream in two points near the pond where Thomas had gotten concrete bridges built to replace the old wooden ones. One of the bridges was over by Cabin 8 and the other by the overflow dam to keep the water in the pond. As they drove towards the dam, they passed the incomplete chicken coops being built by Ryan and Michelle. Thomas would have to ask exactly how long it would take their chickens to raise so they could figure out when exactly to have it finished. They passed over the dam and turned off the gravel road turning towards southwest towards the fields that had been planted.

George, Cynthia and Ryan always planted out the fields in early spring after the threat of snow was done and took out what they needed in the fall harvest. Often, they would either take what was left of the crops and leave it at the edge of the field or just leave it on the plants themselves. The local wildlife got fat every fall off the leftover crops in the fields, but not this year. They would be canning and preserving more this year due to the increase in the people on the Ranch. The farm normally covered about three acres, but this spring, after the attacks, George and Cynthia had planted another two. The fields appeared to be coming along well with the above average rainfall and the surface irrigation system put in place.

The irrigation system was as complex as it was simple, using gravity for the most part to provide water into the fields. A five thousand gallon above ground tank fed by a solar pump out of another well was at the upper end of the fields. Overflow from the tank went into the stream from another pipe. The fields sat on a natural down slope so pumps were not really needed to force the water through the pipes that ran the length of the fields. A network of PVC pipes ran the distance from the tank to the fields, providing drip water onto each row of plants. The system seemed complicated but in reality was very simple. It was just hard to put in place every year since there were three acres to plant. It normally took the Taylors, Ryan and Thomas about five days to have it set up completely. With the additional help, Thomas figures it would take possibly two. Although time consuming, the system was very effective in getting water to the plants when there were periods of little rain. The system was also taken down every fall and the tank was drained and cleaned.

Several members of the group were already out tending to the fields, weeding what was necessary and picking some early crops. The group saw Janie Holmes and her two children, Jeff and Haley, Renee Lawson, Shannon Parsons and Misty Taylor. Knowing Shannon Parsons worked the night shift in the LP/OP; Thomas asked why she was out this early. George answered the question. “She and Amber trade off duty every two days. This is her first day off, and she always helps out here in the mornings. I’ve never seen a person with more energy than she has. I would bet she only gets five hours of sleep a night and doesn’t really need any more.”

Frank commented on the variety of crops that had been planted in the fields and asked why. “Well, it does help to have variety in the diet plus when we bought the seeds for this year we grabbed a bunch of other stuff we thought we might try out just to see how it would do out here. We have enough of the normal things planted, like corn, wheat, tomatoes, potatoes, beans, etcetera to do us, but just in case, we planted another two acres this spring just in case. I don’t know how well they will do since we don’t have it irrigated and they were planted late, but with the rains we’ve had and if the weather holds, they should do okay.”

Each person working in the field carried a bucket which Thomas and Frank thought were for gathering early vegetables. Again, George answered their questions “No, they are taking the weeds out of the fields and putting them into the 55 gallon trash cans over there. Once we get ten of them full, we run it through the mulcher for compost the next year. We know there are seeds in there, but it does help put some stuff back into the soil we normally might not get. It’s worked in our garden the last two years and we figure it will work out here as well. We have nothing to lose by trying. Both Frank and Thomas made silent promises to themselves to come back the next day and get their hands dirty working the fields.

They remounted their ATVs, waved goodbye and moved northeast towards the northern edge of the property and the National Forrest. Eventually they linked up with an old logging trail that ran into the National Forrest and connected into the vast jeep trail network in Colorado. They traveled northwest up the trail for a few minutes before coming to a halt by a rocky spot that sat in a depression which they had all used as a landmark on their fall hunts. George stopped here to show them something else he had been planning. “Since we have been planning for defense around here, we thought it would be wise to have some fallback positions in case they were needed. This is one of the spots we think might work pretty well.” The three surveyed the position and found George’s military mindset had not faded in the time since he had retired. The position held a commanding view of the hillside and was not easy to approach from any direction. With some work on building defensive positions, it could be turned into a very strong retreat point. George continued “we could even put some stuff up here like food, ammo and water, kind of like a resupply point. You know, bury them shallow in case we needed to get at them quick.” The two others agreed this was a good idea and asked if he had any other spots picked out. George told them he would show them the additional spots he and Ryan had found on their way around. The rode back downhill towards the Ranch, looking at several spots that would be good for defensive positions to slow an aggressor.

Upon arriving at the Ranch, they passed by the cabins on the gravel road and saw Janet Thompson working in the garden behind her house. She had the watch for the younger children today and was assisted by her daughter, Nicole. They stopped for a few moments and talked to Janet learning Michelle Jones was out on the LP/OP duty that morning. After ten minutes, they departed and moved northeast towards the firing range. About halfway up, George pointed out another potential fallback point. Although not as good as the first one, it had the advantage of having three sides open with grass on each side. The position itself was covered in trees and offered good concealment from the dense underbrush. It too, was workable. They went back down the trail towards the Ranch and the workshop areas where George pointed out a spot they could use to park the vehicles when not in use. Next to it was another fall back point, this one a little better than the second one, but closer to the Ranch buildings.

As they were looking around, a very large buck mule deer, followed by three does walked out of the woods about a quarter mile away. They stopped briefly to look at the humans and the noisy carts before disappearing back into the woods, wandering east. Frank brought up the point that hunters have been making for years. “I think they know when it’s not hunting season. You wouldn’t find them out there like that during the fall.” Thomas and George laughed at the statement, knowing it was all too true. Thomas replied to the statement “Yeah, but too bad for them there aren’t any game wardens around this year to stop us from poaching. Little do they know the next time they come out, we just might invite them to dinner.”

The trio rode southeast towards the property line on what appeared to be an old farm path. They entered some light woods and again stayed on the old pathway, now overgrown by grass and weeds. The trees opened up into what was almost certainly an old orchard. A half dozen fully grown apple trees stood in front of them and about two dozen saplings and younger trees around the older ones. They continued on finding pear, cherry, plum and peach trees with much the same result. Something else encountered that George had not mentioned before was the presence of black walnut, pecan, persimmon, hazelnut and chestnut trees as well. This was also an unexpected surprise. The black and blue berry vines were off to the south of them along the edges and covered enough ground that the residents of the Ranch would probably never be able to pick them all off before they went bad. The orchard was probably at least fifty years old judging by the size of the original fruit trees. Thomas was the first to comment “I do believe we are off my property and I don’t have the first clue who owns this. But, having said that, I figure we could collect what we need from here until someone throws us off their property.”

Frank asked exactly how far away they were. “If memory serves, and I will have to check the original land deeds, my property ends about halfway through those woods we came through. I never really checked the original survey plans that closely to find out. On the map though, it showed an old farmhouse somewhere over there” he pointed in a southern direction “and that was about a half a mile off my property.” They rode off in that direction finding what appeared to be an old foundation to a house. Thomas continued “so a half mile from this point into those woods…yeah, we are off my property.”

George replied “No problem though, like you said, we can get what we need until someone throws us off. I was kind of looking for a place to transplant some of the younger ones to your property. It would be nice not to have to come this far for apples any time we wanted them.”

Frank stepped up on that point “I can do that, we did it all the time growing up. I worked a few summers in a nursery, so that won’t be a problem. Got any place picked out?”

“Over by the stream I would think, possibly dig an irrigation ditch coming down that reconnects as well. That’s a lot of work, but we have nothing but time now” answered George. They group talked it over for a few more minutes before deciding on a plan to more the trees. Frank would start looking for a suitable place to put them and get ready to move at least three, if not more, of all the varieties of the trees. The black and blue berry bushes would be more of a problem and would take a little more finesse. As they rode past the orchard, they also saw this would be a good place to harvest another type of food, squirrels. The little rodents were abundant in the trees and chattered at the intruding humans as they passed by.

They made their way directly back to the Taylor’s house where they stopped and talked to Michelle Jones for a few minutes. There had been three sightings that morning, two small groups of people and one vehicle. The vehicle was overloaded with what appeared to be multiple families’ household goods and moved very slow. Neither the vehicle nor the people paid any attention to the Ranch or the Taylor’s house and moved on down the road.

The three stopped in at George’s house where they heated some water up for a pack of Mountain House freeze dried camping food. The individual prepared packages normally had an expiration date of at least five years and were good to store in case of emergencies due to their ease in preparation. Thomas and George picked out one they liked and Frank tried the chicken teriyaki. He wasn’t impressed by his choice, but agreed to try another one before passing judgment. After lunch the trio went back to the barn where they parked the ATVs and went their separate ways. George had plans on setting up the solar distillers for each of the cabins and to have at least one at each by the time the day was over. Frank was going off to look for spots to transplant the trees to and dig an irrigation ditch. Thomas remembered he was going to start on Sharon’s shooting lessons that afternoon. They all went their separate ways, each going to help improve the community as a whole.

Thomas wanted to start her off with basic rifle marksmanship before moving her up to larger caliber weapons. Returning to the house, he greeted her and went to the basement. Looking through his vault of weapons, he found a good rifle to start her out with, a Savage Mk II in .22 LR caliber. He had several .22 caliber rifles in his collection but was fond of the Savage since it was cheap, accurate and reliable. It was a good beginner rifle for anyone who was starting to learn the fundamentals of shooting. Pistol shooting would be different, but he would start with a .22 there as well. He was looking for a good pistol to start her out on when a thought struck him. He would give her a rifle and pistol of her very own. It wasn’t like he didn’t have enough to go around, but if she had her own, she would be responsible for cleaning and maintaining it as well. A person who owned their own firearm would be more apt to keep it clean and functional, especially if they were interested as she appeared to be.

He left the house and walked back over to the Trading Post looking for the Savage rifle. He found the Savage he was looking for with a stainless barrel and grabbed five extra magazines. He also knew she could use a sling for the rifle and he sorted through the various slings until finding an appropriate one for the rifle. He found a black range bag and dropped the rifle magazines and sling inside the main pouch.

He started looking through the pistols and found George had taken a few of them out of the Trading Post to stash them in parts unknown. He finally found a pistol that would be a good beginner pistol for anyone, a Ruger Mk III 22/45 automatic in .22 LR. He removed the pistol from the case and took off the price tag. Looking through a back inventory room, he found the box it came with and five additional magazines, which he put into the range bag. He put the pistol case in a shopping bag and continued looking through the gear section of the store. He found a nylon duty belt and holster, this one an Uncle Mikes that fit the pistol perfectly. Dropping the belt and holster in the bag, he also found a double spare magazine pouch for the extra magazines and placed it in the bag as well. On the way out, he grabbed two five hundred-fifty round boxes of .22 ammunition and the bags and box containing the rifle, relocked the store and walked the short distance home.

When he walked in the front door of the house, he found Sharon and Angel playing in the living room of the house. When they saw him Sharon said “Hey handsome, I wondered what animal carried you off.”

“Oh, just out getting you a little present” he said with a sly grin.

She looked at the box and bags before asking “You mean besides the ring?”

“Yes, besides the ring; which really isn’t a present from me, but from Ryan.” He spied the ring on her finger and figured she didn’t have any better luck than he did in convincing him to take the ring back. Thomas handed over the bags and box and stated “I’m sorry I didn’t have time to gift wrap it.”

She looked through the first bag, finding the holster, belt and ammo pouch. A bemused look on her face, she took out the pistol case from the shopping bag and opened it up exclaiming “Oh my! You bought me a gun! You, Thomas Dayfield, are a hopeless romantic and know the quickest way to a woman’s heart.”

Thomas made a face before going on “You mean the quickest way isn’t with a sharp knife like my daddy used to tell me? I thought you wanted shooting lessons?”

“Of course I do, you big goof, I was only kidding. Thank you!” She stood up to give him a quick hug and a kiss before opening the rest of the items. “When can we go?”

“I have cleared my afternoon schedule just for you, to take you out there so you can practice on your shooting” said Thomas.

“What about Angel? Are you planning on bringing her as well?” asked the mother in Sharon.

Thomas replied “No, hadn’t planned on it. Janet Thompson has the kiddy corral duties for the day and I figure she could watch Angel for a few hours while we are there.”

“You know her well?” asked Sharon a little leery.

“Absolutely, she has two children of her own and takes care of the rest of the children in the Ranch. Besides, it will be a good chance for Angel to meet other kids around here and get to know them” answered Thomas.

“Okay then. Let me go get ready” answered Sharon. Thomas knew she wasn’t really comfortable with leaving her child with a person she didn’t really know, but he also figured she knew if Thomas trusted her, she would be good to go. She was going upstairs when Thomas reminded her to put on some pants as the tall grass and thorns would pick at her legs. After she went upstairs, Thomas fitted the sling to the rifle, Angel watching him intently. After completing that small task, he kept her company by playing on the floor with her. He didn’t notice Sharon had returned until her heard her giggling at the two of them romping around on the floor. Sharon began to gather up some of Angel’s toys while Thomas went to get her a bag to take with them.

He found a small backpack in black and figured that was tactical enough for today’s little jaunt to the range and filled it with two liters of water and an MRE. He also grabbed the woodland BDU shirt he had grabbed for her the night before and placed it in the bottom of the bag. He returned downstairs and dropped the magazines and ammo into the pack, completing what he figured they would need. Sharon had already strapped on the holster and belt and was placing the pistol in the holster. It snapped in perfectly on the first try and he handed over the bag he had prepared for her. Grabbing his own pack and rifle, they prepared to walk over to the Thompson’s cabin where they would drop off Angel. Sharon reached down to take Angel’s hand but found it already filled with Thomas’s little finger.

They made their way around the pond to the cabin where Janet was now inside with the rest of the children. Thomas had ended up carrying Angel part of the way since her little legs could not keep up with the grownups. Janet Thompson readily agreed to keep Angel so the two could go to the range for a few hours. Angel was introduced to Janet, and while she was initially shy, soon came out of her shell as Janet, an experienced mother, made her feel more at ease. Angel saw the other children playing inside and warmed up even more as she wanted to be part of whatever shenanigans the other children were up to. Thomas and Sharon said their goodbyes and explained to Janet how long they would be gone for and where exactly they were heading.

They walked past the cabins and onto the hard packed dirt road leading out to the range. The middle of the road had long grass growing in the middle, but the tire marks were completely barren of any vegetation. The two lovers walked hand in hand talking about the little things couples talk about to make the time pass. When they had gone about three-quarters of a mile, they reached the first of the three ranges.

The first range was a pistol range, with a large berm one hundred meters to the front of the firing line. The firing line was made of concrete so the shells could be picked up easier and disposed of in the various trash receptacles. They would use this range for today but he showed her the other ranges.

They walked past the pistol range to the next one, the five hundred meter rifle range. Again, a berm, although not as large as the other one, was at the end of the range. The grass was growing pretty good here in the impact area, but was not long enough to hamper shooting that day. George or Ryan had probably mowed the area when they brought everyone up for the training. Again, concrete slabs and various shooting tables dotted the firing line. Overhangs were built above the shooting rests, providing shade for shooters who would be out there for a while.

The final range was a shotgun skeet range with no berm. Five shooting booths were present along with the tower. The grass was growing fairly tall here, covering the broken clay pigeons from the springtime.

They returned to the pistol range and took a seat at one of the shooting benches while Thomas started explaining the fundamentals of firing. Although Sharon had been shooting with Thomas before and had a basic knowledge of firearms safety, she had never received formal training. He did clear out the rifle, leaving the action open with the muzzle pointed downrange while he was instructing her. He went over the fundamentals of firing a shoulder weapon like the .22 rifle. He went over sight alignment, breath control, trigger squeeze, shoulder placement and the proper stock-cheek weld. She listened intently, asked occasional questions but for the most part, seemed to be grasping the concepts pretty well. He drew a simple sketch in the dirt about proper sight alignment for the Savage, showing her how to properly place the sight onto the target. Over the next hour, she practiced each fundamental separately then starting to combine them one at a time. Initially she was too far back on the stock and yanked the trigger, but these problems were corrected and in short order, she was able to shoulder the rifle, get a good weld and align the sights on various targets without much problem. He then added the trigger squeeze and breath control for the final touch. She practiced this over and over for twenty minutes before he felt she was ready to start sending lead downrange. Removing the magazines and a box of ammo from her bag, he showed her how to load the rimmed cartridges into the magazine and had her load up each with ten. While she was doing this, he retrieved several targets from a small shed behind the range and went downrange to hang them at the ten meter line.

After returning, they both donned earplugs to prevent ear damage. Although not really necessary for a .22 rifle, it was a good habit to get into and he wanted her to start thinking all the time of the little things to do with shooting. She loaded a magazine in her rifle, chambered a round and started sighting in on a target at the ten meter line. He picked up the PTR and increased the magnification on his scope so he could see where her rounds were impacting and make adjustments as necessary. He told her to fire when ready and she took her time to sight in on the target, aiming at the center point.

At a little over thirty feet, this wasn’t a problem, but he wanted her to get used to aiming at specific points. Remembering the fundamentals, she took her time, made a small adjustment to the rifle and squeezed the trigger. A small hole appeared in the target, a little low and left of the bulls eye. A smile grew across her face as she exclaimed “It surprised me like you said it would!” Thankfully, the .22 was a very light cartridge and the recoil was all but unnoticeable. He told her to fire another round at the target, this one impacting close to the first one, a half inch away. Firing one more, she hit between the two. One more round fired was on top of the first one. The last one completed the small hole, impacting right between the first and third shots.

He took out his Leatherman and showed her how to make sight corrections. She didn’t understand at first why if she wanted the strike of the bullet to go up, she had to move the sight down. Explaining the principle with his hands, she understood immediately and made the suggested corrections. She sighted in on another target and fired five more rounds. The elevation was almost right on, but the windage was still a little to the left. One more sight adjustment and the rifle was right on target. Her groups also started closing up as she took more time in sighting in on the target, focusing more on the front site and not on the target itself. She fired fifteen more rounds, emptying three of the magazines before he wanted to move her out to further out on the range.

They walked downrange and set up four more targets at the twenty-five meter line where she would have to start focusing more on the fundamentals, although still a very short distance. After returning, she reloaded the three magazines and prepared to fire again. He peered through his scope again and saw her groups were opening up a little bit. It wasn’t much, but enough to tell she wasn’t an experienced shooter. She seemed a little depressed at the fact she didn’t as well as she had done at the ten meter point. Thomas explained the rifle was new and needed a “breaking in” period before it would fire accurately every time. He also explained the ammo, cheap and mass produced, was by no means match quality and would not group tightly except in the hands of an experienced shooter and a broken in rifle. She seemed to accept this, but started taking more time between shots, practicing the fundamentals she had learned.

She fired four magazines total at the targets, each shot being good enough to take a rabbit or possibly a squirrel, but she was still unhappy about the groups opening up. He went downrange and collected the targets, moving new ones out to the fifty meter line. He knew the groups would open up a lot more out this far, but again, the rifle wasn’t properly broken in yet. By the time he returned, she had almost completed the reloading of the magazines she had fired.

After finishing loading, she engaged the fifty meter targets, and as expected, the groups opened up quite a bit, although a full two-thirds of them would have hit a rabbit sized target. After she fired at all four targets, they went downrange to check the target. She was upset at the larger groups at that range and vowed to do better next time. Again, he explained it really had more to do with the rifle than her. After they returned, she reloaded the magazines again while he searched through a trash can for some targets.

He found several empty soda bottles and the red plastic squares which pistol ammo comes in, he tossed them at random onto the range and told her to engage them for as long as possible. She did so while he reloaded her magazines. She got better and faster as she practiced more and before long could hit a target, reload, reengage and hit the same target within five seconds. With practice makes perfect. After firing a total of ten magazines, the targets, or what was left of them were near the hundred meter berm. They went out to collect the trash and police their brass. Although the .22 could not be reloaded, Thomas was just used to keeping a tidy place and there was more brass than just the .22 in the collection point. That was also another point to remember as they would be reloading as much brass as they could, no matter where it came from. It was getting late in the afternoon and they would need to leave soon to pick up Angel.

Thomas wanted to take the Ruger out for a try before they got back so he asked her if he could see it to pop off some rounds. “You wouldn’t deny me the pleasure of shooting my pistol for the first time would you?” she asked. He relented and they loaded up two magazines for the pistol, one for her and one for him. She applied some of the recently learned fundamentals of firing to the pistol and found it easy to learn on. She fired ten rounds at a piece of plastic they had missed, hitting three times. He loaded the pistol and found he did little better with hitting it only five times. The pistol was good to learn on, quick, not too heavy, but not light enough not to have excessive recoil and accurate. With time, he figured he would be able to take small game out past twenty-five yards with this pistol if he didn’t already have his Browning Buckmark. They collected the rest of the brass and got ready to go home, with her loading a new magazine into the pistol with the excuse of “well, you have one for defense, its only right I have one too. And remember, since you shot it, you have to clean it as well with me.”

“I don’t have any other choice? Like payment for the shooting lessons?” asked Thomas with a sly grin.

Sharon returned the same grin “Nope, you shoot it, you clean it. And it’s too late to argue.”

They packed up everything else and got ready to walk back towards the Ranch. He checked on the brass collection can and found about three inches of expended rounds in the bottom. He contemplated taking the can right then and there, but he knew it would be a pain to carry it back to the Ranch without a vehicle. He put the lid back on the can and they walked down the road hand in hand. As they were walking he thought to himself This is enough to drive a liberal crazy, two heterosexual people in love walking down the road armed to the teeth, one with an “assault rifle” and definitely not depending on the government for any support during this trial of our country. He smiled at the thought as they continued down the road through the tree line on the north edge of his property. Sharon made him promise to bring her back up at the earliest possible time so she could continue her shooting lessons. She also told him she wanted to start moving up in calibers as soon as possible so she could make a better contribution to the group. He asked her about her plans for tomorrow. “Well, I will wake up alive and kind of go from there. How about you?”

“Well, I planned on heading out into the fields and helping tend to the crops. Want to come along?” explained Thomas.

Sharon thought for a moment before answering. She planted flowers on a yearly basis but had no experience raising crops. It was something she would have to learn. “I will come out, but I’m not sure what I can do to help. What exactly are they doing?”

“Probably just weeding out some stuff, maybe getting ripe stuff off the plants. Nothing major. I think we can wait a few days to teach you how to drive the tractor” he said as he winked at her.

She giggled at him and said “Well, okay. I suppose if I have to go and get my hands dirty I will get them dirty. But just for tomorrow. After that, I go back to work in the spa.”

They arrived at the Ranch and picked up Angel from Janet Thompson. Angel, upon seeing the two, screamed out “MOMMY!” followed by a quick “DADDY!” and insisted Thomas give her a hug and carry her home. When they arrived at the house, they found George had installed the distiller that afternoon at their place. It seemed like a simple contraption, pouring water in one end and distilled water came out the other. It would work well for the water to use in the garden and to flush the toilet. It was already working as there was a little water in the bottom of a five gallon jug already. On a good summer day, it could produce over a gallon and a half of water through the distillation according to the manufacturer. If he remembered correctly, George said he had two per household, possibly more. A simple principle, it should be good to use year around unless it got too cold. Thomas started walking over to the new item when George walked out from behind the house. “Yours is the last of the first to be installed. We can get another one per household and still have two left over. Not sure what to do with those two, but we can figure it out sooner or later. I will come back tomorrow and set up your second one, then go around the loop to set up the others. If I had some help, I could do it in about half the time. Any takers?”

Sharon volunteered to help George, but said she wasn’t that good with tools. He told her it was a simple job and no major tools required. He also informed the two that Cynthia had the child care duties the next day at the Conference Center and she was welcome to drop Angel off if she wanted to. Saying goodbye, they walked in the house and started feeling very hungry. Thomas told her he would make dinner, but she refused and told him to keep Angel happy while she got everything ready. She found some chicken in the freezer in the basement and some rice to go along with it. It would take a while to get going so they changed clothes and relaxed for the evening. She set out the table and Thomas was surprised when he found she had baked the chicken in ranch dressing, his favorite. She also had made up some shells and cheese, remembering to save the water after she drained the shells out. She also opened a can of mixed fruit to finish everything off. During dinner he told her about the property survey and the discovery of the orchard near the property lines. He also told her about the proposed defensive fallback positions around the Ranch. She asked if it was necessary and if they were in any danger. “No, we aren’t in any more danger than we normally are. It just helps to be prepared, such as preparing this retreat for us in case of emergency.” She seemed to accept his answer and seemed somewhat relieved by his answer.

The conversation continued until a knock at the door interrupted them. It was Renee Lawson and her children coming by to visit. Thomas knew the real reason was to find out how her husband was doing and what he had been through in the past months since they evacuated to the Ranch. Without prompting, he told her Dave was all right and was doing fine, being safe and not taking any chances. He told her about the plans to escape tomorrow night for the group and how Dave would be instrumental in that escape. He was fibbing on some of the parts of the story, about the being safe part, but knew it was all for a good reason. The conversation moved on to other subjects and Thomas asked the obvious question of how long the power had been out.

“Only for about two weeks before you got here” answered Renee. “Strangely enough. Oh, we had some brownouts and total blackouts from time to time, but the power never went out completely until two weeks ago. I suppose the local government wanted to keep it on as long as possible to keep some form of normalcy. Either that or they finally ran out of fuel for the power plant.”

“I figured the rural areas would have been cut first; the power was off in the Springs for over a month. I’m surprised they lasted this long up here” stated Thomas.

“Well, it was on here and I think some of us are hoping it will come back on. Like nothing ever happened or something and we can all go back to our normal lives. I know it won’t happen, but it’s like we all wish we were going to wake up from a bad dream” said Renee. “I suppose I just want Dave here safe, that’s all. As soon as he gets here, everything will be okay.”

They continued talking for a little while longer when Renee finally set out for home with her kids in tow. Sharon and Thomas settled in to the living room, lighting up some candles and lamps. It started raining outside, a gentle rain that would do the gardens well. Thomas had begun cleaning the M-9 prior to dinner and wanted to finish up. He planned on putting the pistol into storage, but he also wanted to make sure it was cleaned and oiled first.

Grabbing the bottle of glass cleaner and the 5W-50 synthetic motor oil, he continued the job. Although using the glass cleaner was against every weapons manual known to man, it was very effective at lifting the built up carbon and oil off the weapon. The only drawback was to make sure everything was completely dry before putting it back together. The motor oil was a different matter. He had used several different types of lubricants in the past and found the motor oil was the best of the lot. Again, it wasn’t in a manual anywhere, but worked more effective than the general use LSA or CLP. He hadn’t used the pistol all that much lately, but wanted to give it a good scrubbing so it could be packed away and be ready for immediate use if needed in the future. Sharon finished up in the kitchen and joined Thomas and Angel in the living room. He worked on the pistol for about a half an hour while Sharon read the manual for her new rifle.

He finished up and made sure it was dry before oiling it and putting it back together. He also put a light coat on the barrel of the pistol before putting it into the slide. The military issue Berettas had a problem with gathering rust on the barrel even in the dry climate of Colorado. His wasn’t rusty yet, but he wasn’t taking any chances. After finishing up, he placed the pistol on the mantle over the fireplace and started to break down his M-4. He wouldn’t be using the pistol, but the carbine would be used at some point. He removed the optic, NVD, laser and flashlight before field stripping the weapon. Sharon had finished the manual by this point and was ready to break down the rifle to clean it.

He saw Angel watching Sharon and him intently while they were cleaning their weapons. Thomas started telling her about weapons safety, trying to break it down to terms a child her age might understand. He told her guns were dangerous and she wasn’t to be touching them at all. If she saw a gun she was to tell Sharon or him immediately and not to touch it. He had her repeat it back to him and she did, close to word for word, in two year old terms. He was breaking down the carbine as he was telling her this. The carbine was pretty dirty; not only from the firing he had done the other night, but from the firing he had done in the past weeks. The gas impingement system of the AR type rifles was an effective system for the carbine, but got the weapon dirty like nobody’s business. Stripping down the weapon, he found it was dirtier than it should have been. They had been hard pressed to keep them as clean as they should have been over the past months. The cleaning they had done had not kept up with the firing, but it would still function with the minimal cleaning they had done. He took out the bolt carrier and broke it down further. While he started to clean his carbine and Sharon cleaned the rifle. The bolt action wasn’t as dirty as his carbine and she was done quicker than he was. She took out the manual for the pistol and started cleaning it as well. She unloaded it outside on the porch and broke it down in the living room she was done cleaning the pistol when he was done cleaning and oiling the carbine. He put a little extra oil on the carbine to help break up some of the deposits of carbon which would make it easier to clean the next time. He remounted the items he had removed earlier for the cleaning and function checked the carbine before calling it good.

Thomas took the weapons upstairs to the bedroom and the two ladies in his life went upstairs to clean up before bed. After stowing the weapons he went back outside and lit up a cigarette. It was a little after 9:00 by now and he figured he needed to be getting to bed so they could get an early start in the morning. He watched the last of the light disappear from the sky as he took another puff on the cancer stick. Well, that’s one thing we haven’t been able to screw up yet, he thought as he watched the last of the cloudy sky disappear. After the attacks on the US, there was great fear about radioactive fallout over the United States and further more fear after the additional attacks around the world. For the most part, the prevailing winds had carried what fallout had come over Colorado well north of here. Part of the briefings they had received after the attacks had included a part about radioactive fallout patterns around the country. He had always checked the area around the Ranch to see if any fallout had landed on his property. They had caught a break on that and the amount of radioactivity that fell was completely minimal and no more than one would receive at a normal day at the beach. He finished up the cigarette, remembering he had only had four the whole day. He knew he would have to quit soon since his supply would slowly dwindle down. Coming back into the house, he put out all the candles and lamps before going back upstairs. He went back upstairs and found Sharon in the bedroom combing out her and Angel’s wet hair. She wrinkled her nose as he came in and smelled the lingering smoke. “I wish you would quit smoking.”

“Well, put your mind at ease, I will quit soon since I will be out” replied Thomas.

“Well, that’s good and you have kept it under control lately, not like the chimney you were the last time I saw you” said Sharon.

Thomas made a face “Hey! Not fair! I was under a lot of stress then.”

“Poor excuse, besides I have a better way to deal with your stress” she said with an impish smile.

Thomas looked at her smiling and knew what that meant “You naughty thing, I bet you sweat when you go to church.”

Sharon got a serious look on her face and raised her eyebrows, but he knew she wasn’t serious “No mister, I go to church so I won’t have to worry about being naughty.”

Thomas laughed “Okay, you win. I’m going to jump in the shower.”

She turned serious for the moment “Before you go, can you go downstairs and get Angel’s baby monitor? It’s in the box labeled ABDRM 1 on it. It’s close to the top I think. Now shoo so you can get a shower.”

He grabbed a flashlight and went downstairs to his study where the boxes had been stored. He found the box with little trouble, but the monitor was not on the top like it was supposed to be. He finally found it near the bottom and found out it was a battery powered one. Of course the batteries were dead, so he had to find some new ones to put in. He dug around in his desk drawers before finding the 9 volt batteries that were required. Everything came on and it seemed to be working properly. He took it back upstairs and placed the transmitter into Angel’s bedroom, where Sharon was tucking Angel in to bed and the receiver in their bedroom. He took a quick shower coming back into his bedroom wearing a pair of running shorts. Waiting in the soft light of a lamp was Sharon, already in the bed. “Apparently you are going to show me an alternative to smoking.”

Sharon gave off the same impish smile she gave earlier “Maybe, come on over here and find out for yourself.” Thomas obeyed and found out some things were better than nicotine…


Time since attacks: 95 days
Date/Time: 24 July/0122 Local
Location: The Ranch, near Cañon City, Colorado


Thomas awoke to a familiar sound, although not one he was expecting. A distinctive clatter was heard from the side of his bed. As groggy as he was, it took him about five seconds to figure out what the noise was. It was the “ring tone” from the TA-312 field phone set. He picked up the receiver and answered with a tired “Hello?”

“This is Ryan, possible trouble at George’s place” said the voice from the other end.

Thomas wasn’t fully awake yet, but was coherent enough to comprehend what was going on. Before even thinking about it, he was already out of the bed looking around for a light to turn on until he remembered there weren’t any lights to turn on. “What kind of trouble?”

Sharon was already looking for a way to light the lamp. Thomas felt around his side of bed before handing over his cigarette lighter to her. He heard Ryan’s voice over the field phone again “He has a couple of folks up at his place eyeballing things and would like a few friends around. I’m going to start getting things together down here for the families to meet at the Conference Center and I figured you and Frank could head up to his place in case something happens. Will that work?”

Thomas was already dragging the phone across the room to grab his fatigue pants when he replied “Yeah sounds good. Call Frank back and tell him to meet over at my place and we will drive up. I’m sending Sharon your way as well.” He hung up the receiver and pulled on his pants and grabbed the first dark t-shirt he could find. Sharon was already moving across the room to find clothing for herself and getting dressed. Thomas had a lot of practice over the past months and was an expert at getting dressed quickly and in the dark. He was lacing up his boots when Sharon was just pulling on her pants.

Sharon didn’t know what was going on and asked Thomas. He explained about the men at the Taylors and they wanted some friends around “You take Angel and yourself over to the Conference Center and arm yourself before you go. I am heading out to the Taylors to make sure they have some friends around in case they need it.” He finished dressing by putting on the BDU top he had in his bag. He also replaced the rest of the items in his Raptor pack and got ready to move. He grabbed the web gear and reloaded the other magazines into the vest he had unloaded the night before. Finally everything was set and he grabbed the M-4 because it still had the NOD mounted on it. Loading a magazine, he headed out of the room before Sharon stopped him. “Please be careful. I love you.”

“Piece of cake baby, I will be home before you even know I’m gone. I love you too” he replied before bounding out the door. He was joined by Frank less than thirty seconds after he left the front door and headed for the vehicles. They decided to take the Explorer since it was already at the house and was quieter than the two diesels. It would make noise coming up the road, but they would stop well short and try not to be detected as they made their way on foot. They would dive to within a quarter mile of the Taylor’s house before stopping and going the rest of the way on foot. Thomas saw lamps and candles being lit in the cabins around the Ranch while Frank jumped into the passenger seat and got ready to go. Thomas spun the vehicle around and headed out the gravel road towards the Taylors. When they got to where Thomas wanted to stop, he shut off the lights and the engine and coasted to the stop. As they exited the vehicle, both men switched on the PVS-14s on their carbines and made their way up the left side of the road. When they cleared the trees about two hundred meters away from the house, they stopped and viewed the area. Frank used the scope and the NOD on his rifle and Thomas used the set of PVS-7Ds inside of his bag. They saw two men, one armed with an AK-47 with a thumbhole stock and the other with a lever action rifle. Neither of the men were threatening at the moment, their rifles slung harmlessly across their backs. The two men appeared to be having a conversation with George, who was out in the roadway with the two unknown individuals.

Thomas and Frank decided to make their way up to George’s 10 o’clock position. They knew he would be covered at his 2 o’clock by the LP/OP and from his 6 o’clock by someone in the house. The night was still overcast and the wet grass helped muffle the sound of their footsteps as they moved up to the position designated by Thomas. When they were fifty meters away, both men stepped as silently as they could, making little noise. They were coming up in the two men’s blind spots. They knew George had seen them by now so they went to their bellies and started slowly crawling towards the two in the tall grass. When they got within ten meters of the unidentified men, they could see them clearly. One was dressed in black BDU pants and an urban pattern BDU shirt, the other in khaki cargo pants and a hunting pattern shirt. Neither of the unknown men had on web gear, but one had a pistol belt wrapped around his waist with a revolver in a leather holster. They were both in their early to mid twenties and didn’t seem like they were trained in tactics or military ways. Frank and Thomas could clearly hear the conversation between George and the two men. They were discussing where they had come from and where they were headed. The first of the two, the one in the black pants was asking George if they could stay.

George answered “I don’t know; do you know anyone here?”

“I don’t know; who all do you have here? Then we will know if you have someone living here that knows us” answered the first man.

“So you don’t know anyone here?” asked George.

“I don’t know, but I do know there is like some sort of campground down there with cabins and stuff. Read about it in a magazine before the attacks. We could stay there” answered the second man.

“No, I don’t think that’s possible friend. Sorry” answered George, still being polite even though it was close to 2:00 AM.

The first man spoke up “Come on man! We came out of Denver where there isn’t anything to eat. We could provide you with protection.”

George thought about that for a moment before going on “We are pretty much covered in that department, what else might you have to offer?”

The first man answered “I was in tech support for a firm in Denver, working on computers, networks and stuff.”

The second man chimed in “I did manpower assessments for an accounting firm in Littleton.”

The first man added “We are good with firearms and stuff and could protect you for a fee. Like food, water and a place to stay for giving protection.”

George wasn’t going for it, but didn’t want to cause a scene “I don’t know, I will have to check with my partners about it.” He turned and waved to the house. Amber came walking out, carrying her WASR-10 AK-47 at a low ready and walked over to her father.

When they saw her, the first man turned to the second and attempted to whisper. The nighttime air carried the whisper for all to hear. “See dude! I told you farmer’s daughters were sexy! Nice to see something that fine in the middle of the night!”

George and Amber both gave the men a look that would have frozen fire, but it was George that said “Excuse me, gentlemen, but that is my daughter you are talking about.”

The second man answered “Sorry dude, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen a hot chick like that and it’s just not something we were prepared for. Our apologies.”

The man did have a point. Amber did not look like either her mother or father as she was tall and built like a brick outhouse. Blond, blue and curvy, she was a very attractive woman that caught the eyes of most men. But she was also married and one of their friend’s daughters. The comments were completely out of line. Even though they knew they had upset George and Amber with their last statements, they still looked at her the way a hungry wolf looks at a rabbit. George caught the look and his entire demeanor changed “Gentleman, that’s my daughter, not some ‘chick’ for you to stare at. So come to think of it guys, we are all set for security here and don’t need your help around here.” He dismissed Amber back to the house before continuing. “Now, if you don’t mind, you have come up here not causing a problem, now please leave. I don’t want any trouble, but am prepared for it. So go away and never come back.”

The first man whined “Come on man, give us a break! We said we were sorry and didn’t mean it. Okay, so your daughter is really pretty and the first decent looking woman we have seen in a long time. We didn’t know you were so touchy about it, so our bad. It’s not like we said we wanted to screw her or anything. Just a compliment to a nice looking female.”

It was not what the man said, but the condescending tone and the vulgar way in which he said it. George wasn’t budging an inch “Nope, sorry, you heard me, now leave.”

The second man pitched in with the pleas “Well, at least give us some food and water then. We are almost out.”

Again, George was not budging “Nope, we don’t have enough to go around. Now leave.”

The first man jumped back into the conversation “Come on dude! We saw your garden. Just give us some food and we will leave. You have plenty. Just give us something and we will go, but not until we get some food!”

Thomas was about to jump up at this point, but held back when George started talking again. “Okay, if that’s what you want. What do you have to trade for it?”

The second man seemed a little puzzled by the question “Trade? What do you mean by trade?”

“You know, trade something you have for food” answered George.

The second man was starting to lose his temper now “Like what dude? What do you want to trade?”

George answered “I don’t know; what do you have?”

The first man was upset now and was raising his voice “Nothing! We have nothing at all! Everything we own is down by the road in our packs! No, we don’t have anything to trade for it! Just give us the food and we will leave!”

“Sorry, gentlemen, it’s late, I’m tired, and you are now wasting my time. Leave as I have told you before there’s trouble” warned George.

The two men suddenly got silent and started to move their hands towards the long guns slung on their backs “You know, we could just take whatever we want from you.”

This was the cue for Thomas and Frank. They popped up, chambered rounds in their M-4s, flipped the safety to SEMI and aimed the carbines at the two men.

The two noticed the sudden move and danger it represented out of the corner of their eyes. They turned slowly to see Frank and Thomas pointing their carbines at them from thirty feet away. The man with the AK-47 stopped cold, but the second man with the lever rifle continued to move his hand slowly towards the stock of his weapon. Apparently he had watched too many movies and thought he could get a shot off before he was hit. Frank talked him out of it by pointing the rifle at the ground at the man’s feet and letting a single round fly. “I could say freeze, but I think you get the point” said a calm Frank after the sudden noise from the shot faded away.

Both men were so still and white they might have been mistaken for marble statues. Frank continued “Now that we have that settled, those rifles and pistols are much too dangerous for you two to be carrying around my friends. Why don’t you just drop them on the ground at your feet? Grab them by the muzzle and place them on the ground right now.” The two men complied; frightened of the two new men who were in no mood to negotiate like the other one was. Frank continued “You” he stated pointing his carbine at the first man “drop that pistol belt on the ground. Now.” The first man complied and dropped the pistol belt on top of the rifle he had been carrying. “Now that’s just nice of you. Take ten steps backwards and drop to the ground.”

Both men did as Frank instructed as George went over to secure their weapons. Thomas frisked both of them, finding nothing more than a pocketknife on each. Amber joined the group as Frank overwatched the men from a front position. George, Amber and Thomas went down the road to check on the packs the men were hauling for additional weapons. It took them a couple of minutes to walk the quarter mile down the road to the packs, low end commercial models in blue and gray. They dumped the contents onto the ground and poked through the goods with a flashlight. The stench of unwashed and mildewed clothing greeted the small group when they started poking around. Both men were true to their word as nothing of real value was in the packs. They found some loose ammunition for each of the rifles and pistol and two more AK magazines, but nothing of value that could be traded. When they were finished, Thomas grabbed a red sweatshirt from one of the piles and walked with the other two back up the road. When they arrived, Frank told George something in a low voice and took off down the road.

Thomas began “Now gentlemen, you had the chance to leave quietly and didn’t want to do so. So now, you are going for a walk out of here. Your weapons are much too dangerous for you to have around us, so I’m going to have my friend take them five miles down this road to stash them where you can find them. I’m going to have him leave them under this red sweatshirt so you can find them when you get there. Just remember though, you aren’t the only ones running around out here, so you might want to be quick. My friend asked you to leave and you didn’t. We don’t want you around here so don’t come back. If we see you coming this way again, we will think you are hostile and shoot you on the spot. Any questions?”

The first man was still angered by the whole incident “We could get killed out there without any protection!”

Thomas answered him in a calm voice “Not my problem. Your protection will be waiting for you down the road. And remember, we will shoot first if we see you again.”

A couple of minutes passed and Frank came up the road driving the Explorer and parked it by the two men who were still on the roadway face down. Frank jumped out and started to head towards the group when Thomas said “No, stay there, I will bring it to you.”

Frank motioned him over to the vehicle and spoke in a low tone “I’m going to follow these two goobers down the road to make sure they don’t double back.”

Thomas stated “I want to go the full five miles with their weapons; it’s going to be quite a haul.”

Frank held up his hand “No problem, I need the GPS, the maps, your NODs and another bottle of water if you can spare it.”

Thomas didn’t want him going out alone, and stated it. “It’s dangerous to go out there tromping around by yourself. Besides, it’s the middle of the night and you have to be tired.”

“I’m not tired since I haven’t gotten a decent night of sleep since I got here. I’ve been sleeping through the day. I took a nap this evening and was wide awake when we got the call for here. I will be okay, just let me have the stuff” stated Frank, effectively ending the conversation.

Thomas knew there was no point arguing and asked if he wanted company to go along. Frank told him no, he could move faster on his own and quieter. A graduate of the Close Precision Engagement Course, the Air Force’s version of a sniper course, Thomas knew he probably would only slow the man down and possibly give away his position. Thomas grabbed his pack, took out the GPS, his map case, a liter of water and handed over the set of NODs. Showing Frank the map, he pointed out their location on it and showed him the adjacent sheet in case he strayed too far out. He also showed him the waypoints in the GPS for the Conference Center, his house and the Taylor’s home. Frank took the items and walked down the road, probably to find a covered position to hide while the two passed. Giving Frank a five minute head start, he wandered over to the men and stated “Now you are free to go. Your packs are at the end of the road and as soon as you pack them back up, head northwest along this road for five miles and you will find your weapons.”

The two men looked at each other but didn’t move. Thomas prompted them on by pointing his carbine at them “As in leave. Adios. Goodbye. Leave now.” The two men slowly got to their feet and started walking down the road, only pausing once to turn around and look at the trio standing behind them. Thomas went to the vehicle and started to leave when George stopped him. Thomas saw why a second later as Amber came running out of the house carrying her rifle and a set of Russian made web gear for her spare magazines. As she jumped into the passenger seat of the Explorer, George came over to Thomas “You need to take a buddy with you out there. Frank should be okay going solo since he can hide pretty effectively, but you will be in a vehicle and vehicles make good targets. Take Amber along in case you need another gun.”

Thomas shifted the vehicle into gear and slowly started off down the driveway towards the main road. They reached the intersection to see the two men packing back up their backpacks and giving the vehicle a middle finger salute before they headed on their way. At the intersection, Thomas checked the odometer for the mileage, set the trip odometer and sped the vehicle up to 30 MPH. Little was known about the northwest of the roads leading away from the Ranch so he wanted to keep a keen eye out for possible trouble. Amber stared out the window as they drive along. “Thinking of something?” he asked.

“Nah, just thinking it’s been a while since I was out of the house and on a roadway that wasn’t dirt or gravel. Kind of exciting you know” she answered.

Thomas continued the conversation “Yeah, I understand. Getting cabin fever?”

“More or less. I’m just used to being able to go and do as I please. It just takes some getting used to” she answered; glad to have some different company.

The continued chatting until they reached a point just beyond five miles where there was a large tree next to the road. Stopping the Explorer, but leaving the engine running, he walked over under the tree and placed the weapons, magazines and ammo on the ground. He hung the red sweatshirt over the grass where it would be visible from the roadway. Getting back into the driver’s seat, they turned the vehicle around and started back down the road. Amber asked a serious question “Do you think it was smart to give them their guns back?”

Thomas thought for a moment before answering. They hadn’t caused any trouble, but then again, they hadn’t been entirely peaceful either, getting pushy when they shouldn’t have. “I don’t think it will be that big a deal. Five miles is a long way to go back to exact a measure of revenge on us and those two seemed smart enough to know we meant business. They don’t really have enough ammo between the two of them to be much of a problem and most of the residents around here would probably shoot on sight if they saw them creeping around their house in the middle of the night. I’m surprised your dad didn’t bust a cap right away, especially after the comments.”

Amber’s demeanor turned a little sour over the mention of her father “Well, he might have, but they came up the road making all sorts of noise, yelling at the house. They seemed pretty harmless until they made the comments about me and looked me over like a steak. I’m surprised Dad didn’t shoot them on the spot for that. I’m twenty-two years old but he still protects me like I’m six or something. I know, I know, he loves me and all, but he is way protective of me. I just wish he would let me settle something like that once so I can show him I’m not the little girl dressing up like a princess anymore.”

Thomas laughed at her statement and asked “So what exactly would you have done?”

“I dunno, maybe given them a pretty swift kick where they wouldn’t have had those nasty feelings about me for a while” she answered.

Thomas laughed again before telling her the man’s perspective “Amber, your father does love you and it’s just natural for a father to be protective of his daughter. You are a very beautiful woman so that just makes him more protective.”

She turned to him “You think I’m beautiful?”

Thomas felt secure enough in his relationship to Sharon to give her an honest answer. “Yes, Amber, you are an attractive lady and I’m not surprised those two saw it. They shouldn’t have said the things they said nor looked at you the way they did, but they did admit you were very pretty. And yes, you are pretty.” Thomas didn’t really know her all that well and didn’t want to go too far. Plus he had his new fiancé at home waiting for him and it wouldn’t be right to continue to have this conversation with another woman. He didn’t want to give off the wrong impression to the young lady sitting across from him. They continued down the road, finally passing the two men walking towards them. Again, they received the middle finger of the two men as they passed. They did not see Frank however, and figured he was being stealthy while he followed them. He changed the subject before going on “Are you getting settled in otherwise?”

“Yeah, as much as I can. It’s pretty weird. I used to think Mom and Dad were nuts for wanting to live like it was 1880, raising a garden, learning to hunt, preserve foods, all that stuff, but now I see the method in their madness. I just wish I had paid more attention than instead of worrying about which Hollywood star was going to rehab that week” said Amber.

“It definitely is different, that’s for sure. But at least you have some good teachers. Your parents are top notch” he stated.

She laughed before going on “Yes, they are pretty cool, but it is weird moving back in with them after being out on my own for three years. It will take some time to get used to unless I get my own cabin built.”

They pulled up the driveway adjacent to the Taylor’s house where Thomas would drop off Amber before heading home. He shut off the engine to talk with George real quick. George stated the conversation “I already called back to camp and let the others know it was all clear. Sharon told me to tell you to get your butt back down there and stop playing hero, or something like that. This has happened before, not quite this pushy, but something similar, and the families know what to do. It’s a good thing Misty had that set of old PVS-7Bs in the LP/OP with her.”

“Misty?” Thomas asked. “I thought Shannon Parsons was on tonight.”

“No, it was supposed to be me” answered Amber “I got a headache earlier and Misty agreed to take my shift for me. She was wat – what was that?!” she exclaimed looking southeast towards the main road.

The other two turned to look down the road where she was pointing. They did not see anything out of the ordinary and asked her what she saw.

“Headlights, or at least what looked like headlights down at the tree line next to the roadway. I could have sworn I saw them then they were gone.” All three looked that direction but did not see anything that might have caused the light. The sky was clearing up so lightning was not a possibility.

From behind them, they heard Cynthia call from the house “Contact from the LP/OP, Misty wants you to take a look at something.”

All three walked the two hundred yards to the LP/OP site and asked Misty what she saw. “Headlights, or something that was almost like headlights. Down the road near the bend. I swear they were there and then they were gone. No wait! Look!” she stated pointing at the curve in the roadway. Indeed it was appeared to be headlights in the trees, very dim, but distinguishable even at this distance. All four saw the pale light and then saw it disappear.

“At least two vehicles down there, no, one more! There is another set” said George as a third set of lights illuminated the trees at the roadway.

Thomas tried to figure it out “You think it’s a Loyalist sweep team?”

Amber answered “No, I wouldn’t think it would be them. I heard on the news they only operate in the daytime. Is it the rest of your people?”

Thomas thought about that for a moment before dismissing the thought “No, they aren’t due in until tonight, late evening at the earliest. But we can’t discount that possibility. If it is them, why not come on up here?”

George answered “Because of the same reason you didn’t when you got here. A military convoy heading towards my house in the middle of the night? What do you think would happen?”

“Yeah, you are right” answered Thomas. He continued “There is only one way to find out, wait until it gets light and see who they are, or go down there on a small recon to figure out who these folks are.”

George thought about it for a moment before saying “Yeah, might not be a bad idea, but not alone. Amber? You up for a quick sneak and peek?”

Amber seemed a little nervous but didn’t show it in front of her father. “Yes, Dad. I can do that.” She ran back into the house to get changed into some camouflage pants quickly before she went down there. While she was doing that, Thomas walked over to the Explorer and got the camouflage paint out of his bag and applied it on his face, neck and ears. There wasn’t time to do a proper job with the more effective hard sticks, so he grabbed the cream based camouflage instead. He liberally spread the black, light green and brown over his face and neck in different patterns, not trying to make any lines that would stick out. The two shapes not produced naturally in the environment are the straight line and the perfect circle. He also tried to get the lighter color green into the darker areas of his face and the darker colors on the high points. George looked him over and put some on a few spots he had missed. It would be entertaining to the outside observer for two grown men to be applying “makeup” to each other, but for military members, it was what was done. Amber came bounding back out of the house and received the same treatment by both of the men. She pulled up her blond hair into a pony tail and stuffed it under a tiger stripe boonie cap while the two were spreading the face paint onto her skin. When they were done, the spur of the moment job had been done well. The light greens contrasting with the darker browns and blacks creating artificial shadows that mirrored the shadows around them. George pulled out one of the PRC-343 radios and made sure he and Thomas were on the same channel.

After doing a radio check, Thomas laid down the plan. “Since they have stopped, we have to figure if they are military they have put out security. It’s almost a mile down there, so I would guess they are only about four hundred meters or so out from the vehicles at most. We will run a half mile to that little grove of trees and move tactically from there. We will then try and move around to the north side of them, coming in from the woods. If we get fired on we will cover each other out to five hundred meters, then run like crazy to the house and go on to the Ranch from there. I’m not really sure exactly how we will get to the north side of them, so we will play that one by ear. Any questions or comments?”

Her voice sounded a little shaky as she said “No, I think I’m ready.”

George put a reassuring hand on her shoulder “Amber, Thomas is in charge. Listen to what he says and follow his every move. This isn’t much different than the times you played paintball or Airsoft. Don’t worry; this is just a simple recon. As you get closer, try to be invisible and blend in. Move slowly and don’t make any sudden moves. Remember what you see. Look for movement out of the corners of your eyes. Watch for contrasting colors and light. Look for unnatural shapes. Listen to the sounds around you. Try not to make any noise yourself. Watch your footsteps. Be invisible. It’s okay to be nervous; we all are our first time out. Don’t worry; you will be laughing about this tomorrow.”

It did little to allay her fears, but Thomas knew she would be okay if she followed him. He also knew it was way different from paintball or Airsoft since the rounds that would be fired would be real and the losers faced almost certain death in this game. He was pretty good at fieldcraft when it came to this sort of thing, both learned in the military and from growing up playing in the woods as a child and hunting later on.

They started a jog across the open field to a small group of trees between the area of the house and the roadway where they had seen the lights. They were making a little noise, but not enough to be heard past one or two hundred meters. It took about eight minutes of the slow jog to reach the trees. Not bad for full gear and trying to be a little stealthy. They would be more tactical from this point on, moving slower than a jog, but moving a little faster to a point about two hundred meters from where they were currently standing. He peered through his PVS-14 at the roadway where they had seen the lights, but couldn’t make out anything at that distance.

They moved the distance quickly, keeping the next group of trees between them and the bend in the road. Upon reaching this bunch, he saw another one just beyond it that would have them within five hundred-fifty meters away. They moved to this group and again, Thomas scanned in the distance and thought he could see some movement, but wasn’t sure. He wished Amber had a pair of goggles with her so she could keep an eye out as well although the sky was starting to clear up, letting the moon shine through the broken clouds.

Thomas picked another copse of trees somewhat diagonally from their current position about one hundred-seventy meters away. When they reached there, they would be within four hundred meters of the roadway and within detection range of sentries if the unknown group had put them out. They moved silently through the long grass of the field, hunched over, Thomas keeping one eye on the ground and one eye on the end of the road. They caught a break here as a natural ditch took them over three quarters of the way to the next spot so their lower bodies weren’t exposed.

He reached the next stopping point and scanned the area through the NOD. He saw a figure walking about two hundred meters away in what appeared to be some sort of patrol path. He waited to see if he had a partner following him, and sure enough, another figure appeared to be following the same path, but about two minutes behind. The two appeared to be doing some form of bounding overwatch, moving from light cover to light cover. When the first would enter, he would not reemerge until the second one came up to him. It was too far to tell for sure, but it appeared the two individuals were wearing night vision goggles themselves. This would complicate matters for the two, but they needed to know who these people were.

They continued to observe the two until about ten minutes later; they came back through on the same pathway as before. After they had passed through a small group of trees and stopped, Thomas informed her he was going to that group of trees to wait for their next rounds. He would stash her under a large pine tree about fifty meters away she could crawl underneath and remain undetected while she watched over and supported him.

He decided after he moved to the trees, he would take the first one and get information before the second one arrived. Thomas would have about two minutes to gather whatever information from the first person before he would be forced to deal with the second person. If he needed more time, he would attempt to flexi-cuff and gag the first one with his handkerchief before trying to take on the second one.

Thomas and Amber moved into the positions designated beforehand, moving silently but swiftly to get to where they were going while the sentries backs were turned. Thomas figured he had about ten minutes before the small patrol showed up in the copse of trees where he was hiding. He used an available large tree for cover, peeking around from the trunk to watch and wait for the first individual.

Suddenly, the first sentry came into his field of view. As the first individual got closer, Thomas could see clearly through his own night vision device he had on goggles of his own. Thomas would have to be very sneaky to pull this off, if he could at all. He turned off his own NOD and placed the rifle on the ground under a tree and the figure moved closer to him. He could use his pistol on the man if the need arose since he was now within fifty meters.

The moon in the sky helped Thomas detect the frustratingly slow pace as the first sentry moved closer. He would use the large tree he was currently behind to take the man by surprise from the side. One flaw of night vision devices was the fact they offered little to no peripheral vision. Thomas would use this to his advantage when he took the sentry down. He could hear the sentry moving through the long grass towards the spot where he was hiding. The sentry was making no great effort to be quiet and Thomas figured he was either tired, bored, didn’t think there was a chance of contact or combinations of all three.

He heard the footsteps in the leaves seven feet away from him…five…three…he moved around the tree and saw the figure carrying an M-4 much like his under the bushes. Thomas had the man completely by surprise and moved in swiftly to take advantage of the fact he had the upper hand. Using a technique that will put a man on the ground before he even knew what hit him, he put his right hand on the base of the man’s spine and left hand on the front of the man’s face. Pushing the man’s face away him while pushing backwards and pushing his hips forward with his right hand, he slammed into the ground before he even knew he was under attack. The fall knocked the wind out of the man and his goggles came off. Thomas jumped quickly, straddled the man and pinned his arms by his sides. He clamped his left hand over the man’s mouth and pulled out his pistol with his right. Shoving it between the man’s eyes, Thomas said in a low voice “Listen to me. If you want to live, you will do exactly as I say and answer my questions truthfully. Do you understand? Nod yes or no.”

The man nodded the affirmative and Thomas continued “Are you military?” A nod yes from the man. “Are there more than five of you?” Another nod. “Are there more than ten of you?” The head shook from side to side. “Are you communicating by radio?” Another nod. “Are you due to report in soon?” A nod. “Are you with the Loyalist forces?” A shake of the head side to side. “Are you going someplace near here?” An emphatic nod up and down. Thomas needed some information he could not get with a simple yes or no answers. “I’m going to remove my hand from your mouth. Anything more than a whisper and you will be the first too die. Your friends might get me, but not before I make your head look like a funnel. Understand?” A final nod and Thomas pulled his hand slowly away ready to place it back on the man’s mouth in an instant. He kept the gun in place so the man would still be under threat of death.

“Relax, Tom. We’re coming to meet you” said a familiar voice. It was Brian Holmes. The rest of the group had arrived.

CHAPTER 13 – OLD FRIENDS, NEW FRIENDS


Time since attacks: 96 days
Date/Time: 25 July/0412 Local
Location: The Ranch


The distinctive clatter of the field phone woke him again, although this time it was Stu on the other end. “George has some activity at his place again, didn’t pick them up until late since they aren’t traveling by roads. He would like some friends around in case there is trouble. I’m calling everyone right now and we are all going to meet at the Conference Center.”

Somewhat groggy and looking at the battery operated clock, it read 4:12. Thomas asked “How many and what are they doing?”

Stu answered immediately “Four individuals, all armed and traveling in a tactical formation. Heading in the general direction of the Taylor’s house.”

“Okay, we’re on our way over” Thomas answered sliding out of bed. Sharon was already up and getting on some clothes and getting ready to go to Angel’s room to get her ready to move. They both dressed quickly and grabbed their long guns and bags before heading out the door. They ran the short distance to the Conference Center where everyone was meeting. When the families were gathered, Sharon, Jeff and Janie Holmes, and the Thompsons were put in charge of watching the children. The rest would move out towards the Taylor’s house to a point where they could effectively flank the group. Thomas noticed Rick had brought along an M-249 and Stephen had an M-203 with grenades strapped on his chest. They would have some heavy weapons if they needed it. Most everyone had NODs and those that didn’t were paired off with those that did. No updates were received from George except the fact the group was moving very slowly and carefully. They told him to switch on the 343 radio and wait for their call or to call them if the small party changed directions.

As the group of fourteen moved towards the Taylor’s, Thomas heard George call over the radio to let them know Cynthia and Misty were heading back that way to meet up with them. They had only moved about a quarter mile when they stopped and set out a four person team for back up and for a possible ambush. They made contact with Cynthia and Misty and continued to move in the direction of the house, making far too much noise. They heard another update from George over the radio “About three hundred meters now, moving slow in a tactical wedge formation. They are all carrying military style rifles and heavy packs. They are going into the far tree line…they have stopped I think.”

The group moved directions slightly to a point which was perpendicular to the four people and moved forward again. Another report from George, “Contact. Second group of people, stand by for more.”

The four person team with Michael and Shannon Parsons and Stephen and Kristy Garcia shifted to a point between the group and the Ranch and set up along a line parallel to their advance. George came back over the radio “Second group, six adults and nine children. Adults are all armed and everyone has a pack on. Not really moving in a tactical formation, and moving a lot quicker than the first group. Making a beeline toward where they stopped. There is about seven hundred meters between the first and second group, and I figure it will take them about five or six minutes to meet up.”

Thomas and the group from the Ranch stopped and set up online between the group and the Ranch. Frank and Ryan were sent on ahead to determine if the first group was moving yet. After a few minutes, Thomas heard Frank’s whisper over the radio “First group is not moving and have set up security. They are set up in a 360 security and we are as close as we can get.” Thomas wondered how close that really was, but didn’t ask over the radio. Chances were, with this group traveling with children, they weren’t hostile, but the Ranch residents were not taking any chances. Shortly, the second group caught up to the first and sat down to rest. Frank called over the radio again informing the group several members were conferring about something or the other. After several moments, the group appeared done with their conversation and was preparing to move…although in a different direction.

Frank called on the radio again and stated the first group of four was preparing to move 90 degrees to their right and off in the direction of the Ranch. The Ranch residents decided to intercept them at a point about two hundred and fifty meters behind their current position. Frank and Ryan were moving back to rejoin the team while the main body was moving back towards the selected ambush site. When they reached a point where good cover and concealment was offered, Thomas halted the group and was helped by Rick in setting up an L shaped ambush. He passed the word along they were not to fire until fired upon and a chance for the unknown group to surrender was going to be given. Frank and Ryan rejoined the group and stated the small party was about two hundred meters behind them and would be in sound distance very soon. They took up a position on the small leg of the L, bringing the total to four with the remaining eight being on the longer leg.

After waiting for about ten minutes, the small group of four came into the view of Thomas’ Night Vision Device. They were moving fairly slowly and with great care. Thomas could see three were carrying FN FAL type rifles and a fourth was carrying an AR-15 style rifle. Two women were in the group as well, their long hair tied up under bandannas. Each person was burdened down by a heavy pack in a dark color, web gear or a tactical vest containing several spare magazines and additional pouches and wore camouflage clothing. Although some of the patterns matched, they mainly looked like George, Thomas and Frank had the first day out, like third world freedom fighters. With the mismatched camouflage, the children in the second group and the non-US standard weapons, there was little chance this group was with the Loyalist forces. However, every precaution was being taken. The ambush team was very quiet as the group of four entered the kill zone. Thomas waited until they were completely inside the zone where there was little chance of escape without being hit.

When they reached a point he had picked out, Thomas challenged the group in a loud voice “HALT! DO NOT MOVE! WE HAVE YOU INSIDE AN AMBUSH KILL ZONE! WE DO NOT WANT TO HARM YOU BUT WILL OPEN FIRE IF YOU MAKE A HOSTILE GESTURE! DROP YOUR RIFLES ON THE GROUND NOW!” The small group looked surprised and hesitated before dropping their rifles. “I SAID DROP THEM! YOU ARE SURROUNDED BY SUPERIOR NUMBERS AND WE WILL OPEN FIRE IF YOU DO NOT COMPLY!” The point man for the patrol sat his rifle on the group and ordered the rest to do the same. Thomas continued “DROP YOUR PACKS AND THEN YOUR WEB GEAR! DO IT NOW!” The group complied slowly, dropping all the equipment they had been carrying on the ground next to their rifles.

Thomas stood up and told the group to walk thirty feet to their left and drop to their knees. They slowly complied as the long leg of the L moved to a point between the four intruders and their weapons and packs. The short leg of the L moved up to a skirmish line between the first group and the second group. Thomas walked up to the point man of the group and asked “So, where are you folks heading too?”

“We were heading for cover since dawn is coming in the next hour” answered the man.

“Do you realize you are on private property?” asked Thomas.

The man seemed a little taken back by the question “No, sir. We didn’t know and if we had known it was private land, we would not be trespassing.”

Thomas was unsure of who the small group was or what their intentions were until a thought struck him. He didn’t want to ask right away, so he kept up the charade of upset landowner. “Why weren’t you on the roadway?”

The man answered “The only people that travel the roads are those looking to get disarmed, robbed and killed. We have no desire to become any of those but we use the roads for navigation, paralleling them from cover to cover. Now, who are you people exactly?”

“The rightful landowners of where you are sitting right now. Where are you heading to?” asked Thomas.

“A friend’s place northeast of here. I have to tell you, the group following us probably heard you and will start taking you out unless I call them. I have a radio in my web gear I can use to let them know we are okay for the moment” the man informed Thomas.

Thomas considered this before asking “What assurances do I have that you will call them off instead of telling them our numbers and where we are at?”

“No assurances, but I did tell you about them. Listen, I figure you all are not going to kill us; you could have done that easily enough already. I owe you the same courtesy” stated the man.

Thomas thought about this for a split second before turning to Janie Holmes “Can you see if there is a radio in his web gear and bring it here.”

The man informed her exactly where on his web gear it was while she was retrieving it. She walked back to him and handed it over. “Gwenn, this is Mike.”

A distorted but readable voice came over the small Motorola Talkabout, sounding very concerned. “What is going on? We heard some shouting and we are about to send down some help.”

The man answered her radio call “We are just fine, ran into the property owners and haven’t seen any donkeys. Will call back in a minute.”

Thomas immediately went on guard at the radio transmission and started redeploying the forces and had the four go face down on the ground. The point man was unsure of why he was being slammed into the ground or why the ambush team was setting up security facing north. Thomas called Frank on the radio and told him to keep a close eye out to their front and to their flanks. He kept Janie with him and covered the four on the ground and had Rick start setting up a skirmish line close to Frank’s element. He kept his M-4 pointed right at the man’s head. “Real bad move buddy.”

The man was genuinely puzzled “What? What’s going on? Why the change of mood all the sudden?”

“You don’t think I know what a duress phrase is when I hear one? ‘Haven’t seen any donkeys’ sounds like a duress phrase if I ever heard one” answered Thomas, turning very cold towards the group.

“That’s my phrase for letting them know you aren’t Loyalist forces, not a duress phrase. Trust me, they are wondering what is going on right now and if they don’t hear from me again, they will be heading off in the opposite direction. I’m serious, that isn’t a duress phrase and I won’t try any funny business. My wife and children are back in that rear group and I know you probably have us outnumbered. We would be lucky to get out of here alive if you started shooting. Now please, if you don’t trust me, I will tell them to come forward with their rifles slung over their backs so they can’t get to them quickly. Just let me do it” the man pleaded.

“How about this? You tell them to drop all packs, rifles and web gear where they are at and come down single file no more than three feet between them. And bring the children as well. No sane man would bring children into an ambush, but if you are sincere, you know there won’t be an ambush. Deal?” asked Thomas.

“Do I have your assurance that you won’t fire or do anything stupid?” asked the man.

“Yes, you do as long as your people don’t do anything stupid either” answered Thomas.

The man contemplated what Thomas said and stated with resolution “No deal. No children. The rest of the adults move down here, there are six of them, by the way, but the three teenagers stay behind with the children. Final offer or we will be here all night.”

Janie whispered in Thomas’s ear “That sounds fair, Tom. I don’t think they are hostile, not with their kids around.”

Thomas considered the point and said “Okay, you got it. Send them on down.”

The man picked the radio back up and relayed the instructions. The voice on the other end, another male voice, asked him to repeat what he had said. The man repeated the conversation and told him why. The voice at the other end didn’t sound very happy at the deal that had been struck, but didn’t contest the decision either. Slowly but surely, the rest of the adults in the group moved down, empty handed as instructed. They joined the four on the ground and sat down themselves. The four on the ground propped themselves up and the leader asked “Okay, now what?”

Thomas considered the possibilities for a moment before asking the question again. “Well, here is the deal. You are on my property carrying weapons in a time when people carrying weapons on my property tend to make me nervous. Where were you heading exactly?”

“Our friend has a retreat southwest of Hartsel we were heading too. It is taking us a while to get there, but that’s the final destination we are heading to. We are traveling by night and sleeping during the day to avoid the Loyalist patrols and checkpoints. Again, we are following the roads, but not traveling on them. Since dawn is in about a half hour, we were heading away from the roads, as usual, looking for cover to set up our camp. We didn’t think there was anyone around, but saw the house and figured we needed to avoid it anyway. We were heading this way because the map shows a stream nearby and where there is water, there are also animals to hunt and trap. We can move off your land and be on our way if you wish. You can even take us off your property under guard if you want to. All we want to do is get our families to safety at the retreat. We are sorry for the inconvenience so early in the morning. If you point us in the right direction, we will be gone.”

“Give us a few minutes to discuss this with the committee” stated Thomas before walking away. He was joined by Brian, Rick and Janie and moved out of earshot of the group. “What do you all think?”

“I think we should let them move on, but don’t let them see the Ranch” stated Brian.

Rick chimed in “My thoughts exactly, although I think we should disarm them and give them their weapons back when they clear our property.”

“That’s what I was planning on, making them move on. But right now or this evening?” asked Thomas.

Janie added her opinion “I don’t think it would hurt to let them stay for the day, so long as someone watches them and they aren’t armed.”

“I think that’s a bad idea. I mean, who are these people and what do they want? I say move them on now” said Rick disagreeing.

Janie objected “Come on now, they are bringing children with them. What kind of person brings children out before attacking another camp?”

“I never said they were going to attack us, but I don’t know about letting them stay this close to the Ranch” said Rick.

“Something about them though, I had a thought before the donkey comment. I think I know why these folks seem good to go” said Thomas. He turned and asked the leader of the group whether he or any of his friends were members of three large Internet based survival bulletin boards.

The man’s eyes grew large in the growing gray light of the dawn and said “Yes, how did you know that?”

“Wild guess” Thomas said before turning back to the three. “Okay, here is the deal. This group is a survivalist group probably headed to a prepared retreat just like we did. Honestly, I think they made a mistake and wandered onto the property out here and will go quietly if we ask them too. I honestly think we should let them stay, but under the conditions of not arming themselves while they are here and we guide them around the areas we don’t want them to see. We can keep a watch on them until this evening when they leave. I’m just thinking of those children and making them walk another two or three miles before they can sleep. But, as we decided, we need to put this to a vote with the group.”

Everyone was contacted and made aware of the situation and the possible courses of action. George came on the radio in defense of letting them stay “From what I saw, they have several small children, some maybe five or six years old. I saw we let them stay and move out tonight with a guide.”

No other opinions were volunteered and the matter was put to the group’s first unofficial-official vote. It came out sixteen-five in favor of letting them stay for the day. Thomas and Rick went over to tell the visitors the plan. Rick was opposed to the idea, but went along with the group vote. He briefed the visitors “Here is the deal. You can stay today and leave out of here tonight with a guide. We can arrange to have well water sent out to you so you don’t have to go to the stream. Right in here is a pretty good spot to set up a camp; sheltered and under cover.”

Thomas continued “Some conditions though, you aren’t to be armed while you are on my property. I know this seems contrary to what you may believe, but out here, you are under our protection. I ask that you keep your weapons unloaded and in your tents. Of course we are not telling you not to defend yourselves and if someone is shooting at you, you have every right to shoot back. But again, please don’t carry them around openly. Second, I know you are probably eating hand to mouth, but I ask you not to shoot anything out here. Gunfire tends to make us nervous and that’s something neither of us needs. We can arrange to have water and rations sent out for you since you will be our ‘guests.’ Third, I ask you confine yourselves to the immediate area and not go wandering around. We will have a couple of people up here keeping an eye on you and if you need to go further, work it out with them. If you can’t live with these conditions, we will ask you leave immediately with a guide. Do you agree?”

The leader asked “So we can’t be armed, but we can keep our weapons in the tents?”

“Yes, and as long as we don’t see or hear them, we will be good to go” answered Rick.

The man spent about three seconds deciding whether or not to agree. He was nudged by a woman, probably his wife, in a physical way of saying ‘DO IT!’ “We can agree to this, now can we go back and get our packs and things?”

Thomas and Rick agreed and weapons were no longer pointed at the group of visitors, but still kept at a low ready. The leader gave instructions for the group to unload and renegade their weapons before coming back down to the spot designated as the camp spot. Thomas and Rick agreed to take the first watch and would be relieved by Stephen and Kristy around 10:00 or so. Renee told the group she would bring up some water and food right after it got light so they could replenish their stock. The Ranch residents except for Frank and Ryan got together and walked away, although not in the direction of the camp. They would take a roundabout way back to the Ranch to confuse the visitors and keep them guessing on where the inhabited buildings were. Frank and Ryan walked back over their footsteps to find the NVG pouch they had dropped while doing their scout.

The point man and leader walked over to Thomas and Rick while the rest of his group was busy setting up tents and stuck out his hand. “Kind of forgot something important. Mike Dugger.”

Thomas and Rick shook his hand and introduced themselves. Mike took a look at the M-4 and M-249 the two were carrying and asked “You folks military or something?”

“Maybe once upon a time, you?” answered Thomas.

“Yeah, me too. Army, 101st Airborne and 10th Special Forces Group. You were pretty good at setting up that ambush, we didn’t even detect it until you started yelling at us” said Mike.

Thomas pointed at the PVS-14 on his carbine “One of the benefits of being able to see in the dark. We had the advantage. Nice to know we were sneaky enough to take out a Quiet Professional though.”

“Seriously though, where did you guys serve? You have military weapons and infantry training. You are military right?” asked Mike.

Rick laughed before responding “Would you believe we are Air Force cops, or were.”

“Well, you guys did good getting us into the kill zone. And I’m still not sure how exactly you picked us up or got into position anyway, but you did and that’s all that matters” said Mike.

“Radios my friend. We have a pretty good communications plan around here. We knew where you were more than you knew where you were” said Thomas.

Frank and Ryan were returning from their walk and had found the case for the set of NODs. Ryan looked over at Thomas, Rick and Mike before exclaiming “Mike Dugger! Man, it’s been forever since I’ve seen you!”

Mike looked startled at the announcement before turning and looking. “Ryan Meeks? What the devil are you doing here?”

“Well, they scraped the bottom of the barrel and came up with me. I thought you were in Iraq” said Ryan.

The two men shook hands before Mike continued “I was until last Thanksgiving. I came back and resigned from the company. I figured I’d served long enough and needed to spend time with the family and not in some godforsaken hellhole where I was getting shot at.” He turned to Rick and Thomas. “You guys sure are lucky and no kidding about your comm setup. Ryan here can make a radio out of a coat hanger, a plastic spoon and a book of matches. He is also darn good behind the trigger. Good to see you, man.”

“You will never guess who else is here…George Taylor!” exclaimed Ryan.

“No way!” exclaimed Dugger. “He was my team sergeant years ago. You tell that old bag of bones to haul himself down here and see me!”

The two talked for several more minutes before Ryan excused himself to return to the Ranch. Dugger gravitated back towards Rick and Thomas and continued the conversation. “So I was in the Army for about twelve years before I was tempted out by contract work in Iraq. I worked with a company over there for almost three years until the family had a good enough nest egg for us to get by without any troubles. I decided last year it was high time for me to spend some quality time with my family and upped and resigned from the company. I still do, or rather did, some contract work along the same lines as I did until the world turned upside down.”

“How did you get into the preparedness thing?” asked Rick.

“Some years ago while I was on active duty, I saw how people suffered and had to live off government handouts and on their own following a breakdown, especially in the Balkans. I swore my family would never have to go through that, so we started preparing for a similar situation in the States or even for emergencies. I felt it could always happen since our country seemed like it was in a downfall since the mid 90s. We met some folks over the Internet who shared our ideals and got to be friends over time. Eventually one of the families and I worked out a deal. We stored our preps at their property and paid off for a trailer up there. Each of the other folks with us has made similar arrangements with the host and that’s where we were heading” answered Dugger.

“Why were you all on foot?” inquired Thomas.

Dugger laughed softly before answering “Well, long story short, every family here is either from Southern Colorado, New Mexico, the panhandle of Texas or Oklahoma. We all had plans to meet at Trinidad to convoy up together. The problem was, we ran out of enough gas to get us all there. Two families took off with everything they could carry possession wise and the small children in the trucks and went to the retreat. The rest of us hid the vehicles outside of Trinidad and started hoofing it. We have been averaging between six and eight miles a night, so we have a good ways to go before we get there. Food and water are our main concerns, but we have been getting enough off the land to get us by. We are just glad this happened in the summer, lord only knows what would have happened if this had been during the wintertime. So here we are, just taking it day by day.”

The three continued talking for several minutes before Rick asked if Mike was going to go to sleep. “Nah, I have the first watch. We will change out every two hours” answered Dugger.

“We can watch for you, you are safe here” Rick replied.

Dugger gave Rick a strange look before answering “Would you trust us if the roles were reversed? I mean, we don’t really know you and you don’t know us. Who knows what can happen?”

Rick took the criticism in stride “You made your point. My mistake.”

They continued to talk in low voices since the others were sleeping in the area when Renee and Heather came up riding one of the Gators carrying four seven gallon water jugs and two boxes of food for the travelers. Dugger looked through the offered goods before grabbing a small MSR Whisperlite International stove and a bottle of fuel out of his pack. He got the stove started and put on a cup of rice and a small can of ham from the box for his meal. The three continued the conversation with both groups being somewhat evasive in their answers about the two groups.

“Hey, I was just looking and wondered if we could trade for some fuel for our stoves?” asked Mike.

“Maybe, what kind do you need?” asked Thomas.

“Well, we have a mix of stoves, but I think white gas would probably be best. My Whisperlite works best on white gas. Most of the rest of the group has this model or something similar” replied Mike.

“I think we can arrange something, what do you have to trade?” asked Thomas.

“Some Pre-65 silver. How much do you have?” asked Mike.

“Coleman fuel? We have enough. How much do you need?” asked Thomas.

“I think everyone has at least two or three bottles of fuel. As to how much is in each, I don’t know. I would say bring up three gallons. Would you think twenty cents face would cover it?” asked Mike.

“Twenty cents? How about forty-five face value? Since silver prices were out the roof the last time I checked, I think that would be okay” said Thomas.

"Thirty five sound good just in case we don't use all three gallons?" asked Mike.

"Okay, thirty-five in face value" said Thomas.

Mike changed out before long and was replaced by another member of his group, a girlfriend of one of the younger men named Ashley. She seemed standoffish at first, but warmed up to Thomas and Rick after a little bit. Before long, Kristy and Brian showed up and took their place. Rick and Thomas took off back towards the camp, although not in the same direction the other groups had taken. They wanted to continue to make the others guess as to which way the Ranch was in relation to their camp. “Has there been a lot of getting woken up early like that lately?” asked Rick.

“According to George, no, but it’s happened almost every night I’ve been here” answered Thomas.

They continued to talk for a few more minutes before Rick turned serious. “You know, Janie Holmes has a pretty good point about the other supplies we don’t have. We weren’t really prepared for children growing up.”

Thomas was thoughtful for a moment “Yeah, I was thinking about that myself. It’s not like we have a nearby Wal Mart to get more stuff at.”

Rick turned silent for a moment before turning to Thomas “You are brilliant sometimes. We might not have a Target, but we do have trading material and stores in the local area. I mean, yeah, looters have probably hit the local stores, but what do they care about the children’s clothing? We make contact with owners or whoever and wheel and deal.”

“If you are talking about the Springs or Pueblo, you are out of your mind. Cañon City has a Wal Mart, if it hasn’t been looted yet, and we still have the problem of being picked up by Loyalist forces at checkpoints. We would have to be really careful” answered Thomas.

“True, but I’m willing to bet we don’t see any more Loyalist forces and can deal with the shop owners on a basis of trade. If they refuse, we can keep looking. We aren’t desperate enough to steal yet, but if the time comes, I’m not going to put it past some of our people, myself included. Something to think about” stated Rick.

Rick brought up a good point that it was something to think about. Perhaps tomorrow after they had gotten some rest they could ponder the idea more. After arriving at the Ranch, they went their separate ways to their homes. Thomas arrived home to find Sharon heating up some water for some of the Mountain House meals. He was surprised when she smiled at him since he expected her to be mad that he decided to take the first watch. He went over to give her a kiss and was rewarded with one. Thomas was about to add more water to the pot when Sharon stopped him “No baby, there is enough in there already for the two of us. Janie Holmes said you would be coming home about this time so I wanted to make sure there was enough. Just grab a meal pack from the pantry.”

As he opened the pantry door, he was surprised. That morning, Sharon had stocked the shelves in anticipation of the coming inventory. Several different varieties of the freeze dried food, canned goods and some MREs lined the shelves. He found a pack he liked, the beef stroganoff, and opened the top, taking out the preserver pack. The water was at a boil now and he portioned out the water into the two bags and remembered to put a little less in his pack. After letting them sit for the time, they dumped the contents into bowls and sat down with a pack of crackers to eat. Angel shared a bit of each, liking the beef stroganoff but making faces only a child her age can make at the spaghetti. Sharon also made a face at it and added some garlic salt for extra flavor. They finished it off with a can of pineapple and saved the juice for Angel, which she dearly loved. The fruit juice was strained and watered down before being poured into her sippy cup. After they were done, Sharon made a strange request. “I want to learn tactics and procedures so I can go out next time. I feel kind of useless staying behind with the kids all the time and the other wives go out. I want to be able to do my part.”

Thomas excused himself before going into his study and looking through some books on his shelf. He found what he was looking for, the Soldiers Manual for Common Tasks and Field Manual 7-8, Infantry Squad and Platoon. He explained what each of there were before handing them over and telling her to start reading. He pointed out the chapters which she could skip for the time being and pointed out some important chapters for her to study first. He also explained the level of training most of the family members were at and told her it wouldn’t take long to catch up since they hadn’t been doing that long either.

Thomas also decided it was time for her to get outfitted with some camouflage clothing of her own. She could wear some of his uniforms, but they wouldn’t fit all that well. They three walked the short distance to the Trading Post and started looking through the uniforms on the racks. He guessed her sizes in military lingo and pulled out several sets of uniforms. She took two sets of woodland BDUs, a set of olive drab BDUs, a set of Multicam fatigues in the ACU form and a set of Russian BDUs, all of which she had to try on first. She also found a pair of boots in her size and grabbed those as well, remembering to break them in working in the fields the next day. He had enough web gear at the house to get her a rig set up, so he didn’t bother to get any of that out.

While he was bagging everything up, she was looking through the firearms cases at the pistols. He joined her and opened the display cases so she could look closer at some of the models he had. She eyeballed a Browning Hi-Power closely before picking it up and checking to make sure it was clear. After several minutes of handling it, she commented she liked the feel of it and inquired on whether she could try it out. Thomas told her he had something similar at the house he would let her try that would do just as well or better. After they left the store, Angel started yawning, a sure sign it was her nap time for the afternoon. He was feeling a little tired himself as he laid her in the crib. Moving over to the bedroom, he laid down on his bed before Sharon walked into the room to put up her new clothing. “Tired baby?”

“Yeah, just a little. I was just going to rest for a minute” he answered.

“Take a nap sweetie. I will let you sleep for a little bit and wake you up. You aren’t nineteen years old anymore and need to rest every once in a while” ordered Sharon.

Thomas smiled at his fiancé and said “As always, the woman is right and there is no arguing with that. I’m glad you are so much smarter than I am and I don’t know what I might do without you.”

She smiled back “Besides have winter clothing in your closet during the summertime?”

He laughed and replied “Of course that, I thought that was a given. You are domesticating me pretty slow, but I’ll get there.” He laid down and was asleep within minutes. An hour later Sharon woke him up and informed him Tim Daniels was waiting downstairs for him. He had completely forgotten about promising to help Tim organize some supplies for the trip, but it shouldn’t take too long.

He went downstairs and met up with Tim, calculating in his mind the amount of supplies necessary for two people, and eventually four people, for the trip which could last up to eight days. Extra diesel, food, water, extra ammo, a heavy weapon, extra clothing, an overnight tent, body armor, the list came quickly into his head.

The two walked out of Thomas’s house to the Ford F350 and Thomas made sure the truck was empty of his items before turning over the keys. After that, they went to see Darren Thompson who made sure they had several sets of MCOs in case they were stopped by Loyalist forces. After that, the two went to the Trading Post to get Tim a decent long range rifle. There didn’t seem to be any in the store, so they went down to the wood barn and looked under several piles of wood before finding what they were looking for. Tim picked out a heavy barrel precision rifle custom-made by George in 7mm Magnum caliber that already had a Zeiss scope mounted on top. He liked the feel of the rifle and wanted to take it along for the long range precision firepower it could give. On second thought, Thomas also pulled out a Ruger PC-9 carbine for him to take along for Tracy to have something to defend herself with. Walking back to the Trading Post, Thomas grabbed several boxes of ammunition, some soft point hunting ammo and some match grade for the precision rifle. He also found five magazines for the PC-9 and gave them over with several boxes of 9mm ammo.

They were soon joined by Stephen Garcia who helped out in gathering the supplies. Since the big vehicle was a gas hog, they first topped off the fuel tanks as far up as they would go and included fifteen extra diesel jerry cans in the back. They also included five 5-gallon collapsible jugs of water in the back as well. Two cases of MREs, another two of Mountain House, a single burner propane stove and cookware kit, four sleeping bags and a tent, the supplies piled into the truck. Each person would add their personal bag later on before leaving. Several more items and the truck was ready to go. Tim moved the vehicle over by his cabin so they could leave out first thing in the morning. An additional bag containing eight M-67 frag grenades, six smoke grenades and two Claymore mines was placed in the back seat of the truck. He also handed over one of the Remington 870 shotguns with several boxes of OO buck, slugs and some low brass game loads.

Thomas had the chance to talk with Stephen about Mongo and the other dogs. “We haven’t made a decision yet as to whether or not we want him. I’m all for it since I do like Mongo, but I don’t think Sharon is going for it.”

“I understand, brother. A big dog is a big job. But lucky for us, I was able to bring out quite a bit of food. We had gotten a shipment in and had about twice what we normally do. Feeding them won’t be a problem for a while and even after that, I’m sure we have leftovers to give away” he answered.

“So who took the other ones?” asked Thomas.

“We are going to keep Jade since she is the only female and we need to keep a close eye on her and in case we want to breed her with some of the others. Benny went to the Thompsons, Spike went to the Parsons and Nero is going to Frank. That just leaves Mongo. I understand if you don’t keep him. It’s not that big a deal” answered Stephen.

“Oh, I want to” stated Thomas. “But it’s convincing Sharon. She is worried about Angel and having a big dog around. And there is the cat to worry about with a large eighty pound dog.”

“Angel wouldn’t be a problem, Mongo loves kids. The cat on the other hand, I am not sure of” stated Stephen.

Thomas was surprised at the cat so far. After the initial uneasiness of figuring out his new surroundings, he had just made himself at home. Sharon had left a window open for him to get in and out and had replaced the cat litter in his box with sand taken from a leftover construction pile. Thomas wondered if having the dog around the cat would present a problem and decided it probably would.

Ryan soon joined the group and handed over a ham radio along with a list of several frequencies they could contact the Ranch on and different times of the day they would be listening. He also gave over two of the Motorola Talkabout radios and several extra sets of AA batteries and one 343 radio tuned into the frequency they were using on the Ranch. All in all, nothing was left to chance for the two to travel out to Utah to pick up Tim’s wife.

Tim and Steve planned on leaving at six o’clock the next morning if all went according to plan. Tim requested Thomas or Rick take him up to the range to zero the rifle. Thomas agreed to take him up in about an hour or so to zero out the scope on the rifle. Tim agreed to meet him back at his house in an hour after he got finished packing out a clothing bag of his own.

Thomas returned to his house and asked if Sharon wanted to go back to the range and practice more on her shooting skills. Sharon jumped at the chance and started calling around to find out who had the child care for the day. While she was busy finding that out, there was a knock at the door. Thomas answered it to find George standing in his doorway.

“In the morning, I want to take our visitors up to their retreat by truck” proclaimed George.

Thomas pondered the thought for a moment before replying. “That’s a pretty good ways from here and we don’t really know those people all that much.”

George seemed offended at the remark and replied “Mike Dugger was on my ODA for two years and I guarantee he is a good guy. Cynthia and I can make the trip in the morning and all we are asking for is the use of one of the deuces.”

Thomas noticed the defensive posture of George and knew this was a line not to be crossed. “I don’t have a problem with that and I’m sure that nobody else will either. But we should let the group know the plans tonight at the meeting.”

“Listen, this isn’t a voting issue here. If Cynthia and I have to ferry them up one at a time using my gas and my vehicle, we will do that. I am just asking to take one of the big trucks to make it in one trip” stated a semi-irate George.

Thomas immediately tried to calm the man “No problems there and I don’t see a problem getting one of the big trucks, but with ten adults and nine children, that will be quite a load even for a deuce. Maybe two trucks or two trips would be better. Either way, with Tim and Steve leaving out tomorrow morning, we would be down by four if you all leave. I don’t foresee a problem, but you should at least tell the group where you are heading. It’s not a big deal and it’s not like we are trying to force everyone to vote on everything. They are your friends and if you want to help them, we have no problems with you helping them out.”

George seemed to calm a little at the situation and further stated “I am going to take them some food from my personal stock. Mike is a friend and would do the same for me if the roles were reversed.”

“You can take more out of the community stock if you like. We gave them some stuff already, but if it wasn’t enough, we can afford to be a little magnanimous. Any friend of yours is a friend of ours. I’m just worried about the safety of the Ranch and the security in being somewhat unknown” said Thomas.

George conceded the point “I didn’t realize we had provided them food already. I guess I jumped the gun a little and thought they were being held like detainees. I’m sorry if I came off rough. We can still keep them secluded while they are here and I think the two groups would be a good idea. Less vehicles on the road, less questions to answer if we get stopped. I can have everything ready to brief at the meeting tonight.”

Sharon came back downstairs after Thomas and George were finished carrying two long guns, the Savage and the M-1 carbine. “It makes no sense to be carrying it around if I haven’t fired it yet, or even zeroed it.”

Thomas could not argue the point and went back to the basement to gather more ammo for the carbine. He also grabbed a 40 power spotting scope to help Tim get his zero fire at longer ranges. He briefly considered taking more ammo for his own rifle and grabbed a can of military surplus and several empty magazines to load in the vehicle as well.

Tim showed up shortly and they all piled into the Explorer for the short trip to the range. The Holmes had agreed to keep Angel for the time they would be gone up to the range. They went over to the rifle range where several targets were set up for both Sharon and Tim to zero their weapons on. While Thomas was helping Tim get a rough zero on his rifle at twenty-five meters, Sharon was practicing on the Savage on random targets and continuing the lessons learned from her first visit. She was doing better, learning to make faster shots since she was getting more comfortable with shooting.

Tim quickly got a rough zero down and moved the rifle out to the two hundred meter mark to get a fine zero. By the time he was done, Sharon was about ready to start zeroing the M-1. A cease fire was called and while Tim went out to set up some distance targets, Thomas showed her the principles of using the peep sight on the carbine by drawing out the sight alignment on a piece of paper. She would remove the red dot sight on the front rail and rely solely on the iron sights for the time being since electronic sights could fail and she wanted to be able to use the iron sights effectively. Tim returned and she removed the red dot and fired the carbine at twenty-five meters, getting a zero on the iron sights. When she was done, she loaded up the available magazines with the full metal jacket ammo he brought with him and started engaging targets at the fifty, one hundred and hundred-fifty meter marks. After she was done, she reattached the reflex scope and zeroed it for firing as well. After completing the zero, she was happily plinking away at random targets around the range.

Thomas also fired his rifle at several targets, finding he needed to adjust the scope slightly for a good zero. Sharon took a try at his rifle and promptly handed it back after one round stating she wasn’t ready to move that far up yet.

Sharon was quickly becoming more proficient with the carbine, making first round hits on the targets out to one hundred-fifty meters with no problems. She even tried her hand at the two hundred meter targets Tim had been using. Although a potent round at close range, the .30 Carbine round starts losing effectiveness after one hundred meters and anything over one hundred and fifty is chancy at best for a one shot kill. Although the carbine was small and the round had limited effectiveness, it was ideal for beginner shooters to bridge the gap between small caliber rifles and larger caliber mil-spec rifles. Until she had the chance to get acquainted with an AR or AK type system, she would still have a means to protect herself further out of the normal pistol caliber range.

Tim had finished with his rifle shooting and was starting to practice on his Beretta before they left. Thomas took the time to show Sharon the proper technique and fundamentals for shooting a pistol including two different stances, the Weaver and the Isosceles. She fired a few strings out of the pistol as he made corrections in her hand placement and her body positioning. She tried both stances and found she liked the Weaver the best. She went through five more magazines before they all decided to pack up and leave. As before, they policed up their brass and dumped it into one of the collection cans prior to leaving.

They returned to the Ranch where they dropped off Tim at his cabin and picked up Angel from Janie Holmes. As usual, Angel was her charming self and had the grownups singing her praises about what a good child she was. They decided to take the long way around back home before dinner. As they passed by the Garcia’s cabin, Stephen came out leading a large German Sheppard on a leash. Thomas and Sharon stopped for a moment to chat. While they were talking, the dog looked at Sharon and then at Angel and started wagging his tail. Angel saw this and started giggling at the dog which, in turn, caused the tail to go that much faster.

“Is it okay if she pets the dog?” asked Sharon.

“Absolutely” sated Stephen. “He is very genteel around children.”

Sharon led Angel to the dog whose tail was still wagging. Angel giggled and petted the dog on the side of the head. The dog in turn licked her in the face and caused that much more laughter. After a minute, Stephen pulled the dog back.

“He really is good around children” stated Sharon. “Is he the one you are keeping?”

“No,” answered Stephen sheepishly. “He is actually the one we had picked out for you all. Honestly, I was just bringing him out for a bathroom break. Pure coincidence, I promise.”

Angel, not really understanding what the grownups were talking about turned to her Mother. “Mommy, can we get a dog?”

Thomas almost burst out in laughter, but managed to contain himself by coughing and smiling. Stephen looked away, a little embarrassed. Sharon shot Thomas a dirty look before answering. “Honey, I don’t know. That’s Mister Garcia’s dog and I don’t know if he would give him away.”

Stephen wisely did not reply with what was on his mind and Thomas chose to remain quiet as well. He knew he was already in a bit of trouble over the laughing spell and didn’t want to compound matters further.

“Thomas and I will talk about it tonight, Stephen. We will have an answer by tomorrow, I promise” said Sharon.

“No rush,” said Stephen as they concluded the brief conversation and he led the dog away to conduct business.

As they were walking, Sharon turned to Thomas. “If I know you like I think I know you, I would say you two had that planned.”

“Seriously, no, baby. I wouldn’t do such a foolish thing. I know it would just make you that much madder about it” stated Thomas.

The rest of the walk was spent in silence except for Angel who talked about the “doggy” and how much she liked it. Thomas smiled inside to himself. He had worked with Mongo before and knew he was a well trained dog. He might have to convince Sharon it was really a good idea.

The trio returned to the house where Sharon told Thomas she wanted to get a head start on her cleaning and asked if he could get something ready for dinner. Since it was late in the afternoon and the meeting was in a little less than two hours, they decided something simple would do for dinner. They agreed to a soup and sandwich for dinner and Thomas went off to the kitchen to get everything ready.

He grabbed a can of tuna she asked for and a can of corned beef for himself. Setting them off to the side, he grabbed two cans of soup, both chicken noodle and set them off as well. Finishing up in the pantry, he grabbed the loaf of bread out and started to grab a bread knife…wait a minute? A loaf of bread? Where did this come from? He took the loaf of bread towards the living room where she was cleaning on the .22 rifle. She saw him out of the corner of her eye and a sly grin appeared on her face as she continued to clean. Apparently someone had learned to bake bread recently. No matter how good or bad, he would have to compliment her on it.

He sliced off five pieces of bread and got everything else ready on the kitchen table. Sharon and Angel came in, washed up and sat down for the evening meal. Trying the bread he was pleasantly surprised. For her first time, she had gotten it right on the mark and he complimented her on it. A large smile came over her face as he added the comment “You get much better at this and I just might get a chicken and a goat in trade for you.”

A scowl came over her face as she replied “Any more comments about trading me off and what’s left of you might be able to be used as fertilizer.”

He knew he had pushed the joke a tad too far and apologized to her. They continued eating and she laid claim to washing up the dishes. He told her about saving the water to run through the distiller for use in the toilet and the garden. She made it a point to remember the procedure and also asked a good question. “Couldn’t we use the rainwater from the gutter as well? Or is it too contaminated from the fallout?”

He thought about it for a moment before replying “I don’t think the fallout would be a big problem for the toilet and I’m not real sure about using it for the garden. After this year I wouldn’t think we would need to worry about using it in the garden, but for now, it might just work. We will have to ask about that.”

“Well, couldn’t we just run it through the distiller? Wouldn’t that take out the radioactivity?” she asked.

He again paused to contemplate what she proposed and thought the idea had merit, but was not qualified to answer. “I don’t really know about that. Again, we will have to ask someone that is more of an expert than I am. I think it would work though.” It was something to remember for sure. He had a large supply of plastic water barrels that could be used to catch the rainwater from the gutter during the evening rains and hooking up a collection system wouldn’t take that much effort. Plus the barrels could be sealed and stored, if for nothing more than to use in the toilets.

After they finished washing off the dishes, they talked about Mongo and whether or not they could take him in. “Thomas, we already have a cat, I don’t know how those two would cohabitate in this house. Plus having a big dog is a lot of work.”

Thomas couldn’t deny that logic, but stated his mind. “I like the dog and he is well trained. I have always wanted a German Sheppard, but never had the opportunity to actually care for one until now. I want the dog, but I don’t want this to be a problem between you and me.”

“I just don’t know. I like him too since he immediately took to Angel, but again, it’s a lot of work. I don’t think we should take him” answered Sharon.

“Well, you wouldn’t want to tell her she can’t have him, do you” asked Thomas as he nodded towards Angel.

Sharon got silent after the comment and gave Thomas the “look.” He knew he had crossed the line with the comment and probably needed to give it a rest for the moment. He hoped he hadn’t completely shut her mind to the idea of getting the dog.

They got ready to go to the meeting scheduled for 7:30. Thomas grabbed a steno notepad to both take notes and to provide paper for drawing out the names for the leader of the group.

When they arrived, Thomas and Sharon found they were not the first ones to arrive and that Dave was already getting the fireplaces going. “It’s a nice ambiance item and besides, we have some papers to burn” said Dave.

Within the next fifteen minutes, everyone arrived except for Cynthia and Misty, who were watching the visitors, and Renee, who was out on LP/OP duty. Thomas called the meeting to order, bringing up the unfinished business from the previous night. The leader of the group was the first order of business for the meeting. “Is there anyone not willing to serve?” Thomas asked the assembled group.

“What exactly would the leader be responsible for?” asked Darren.

A good question. “What does everyone think the leader of the group should be responsible for?” asked Thomas.

Ideas flowed in from the assembled group members around the ring of chairs. The leader would be responsible for preparing and holding meetings, assigning work details, negotiating for the group, preparing duty schedules and priorities of work, settling disputes among the group. More ideas flowed in, some dismissed, other adopted. By the time they were done, Thomas had copied almost a page of ideas down.

Sharon suggested the last item “They should be responsible for keeping a journal, like a logbook of everything that happens here at the Ranch. I mean, nothing of a personal nature, but a diary of events affecting the group as a whole. Just some written account of what has happened here since we have all arrived.”

Everyone agreed wholeheartedly this was a good idea and would be implemented immediately. It was also learned Shannon Parsons had already been keeping a journal of her time since arriving at the Ranch and would gladly take out her personal information and add the events affecting the group since their departure from Colorado Springs.

Thomas re-read the list to the group, called for a vote and after the majority vote, the group accepted the measures. He also re-asked the original question on whether or not anyone did not want to serve. Renee, Misty and Cynthia were all contacted about the position and none of them backed out based on the new duties. Thomas asked for a few minutes to get everyone’s names written down and asked George to bring his proposal to the table.

After five minutes of explaining what he was going to do with the visitors, he asking for one of the large trucks. Tim was the first to speak on his behalf “Everyone knows Steven and I are heading out in the morning to get my wife and child from Utah and I am going to be using a community truck for that trip. I think I would be a hypocrite if I said we didn’t allow him to use a truck to get there and besides, we all used those same vehicles to get up here. I say we use it and also, a little charity towards this group might go a long way in making some new friends around here.”

A few more opinions were voiced, one of which was the concern for not really knowing the visitors. George quickly dismissed the idea and informed the group their leader was an old friend of his and could be trusted. The only conditions set on him taking the truck were not letting the group of visitors know the exact location of the Ranch and not discussing how well prepared they were with the outside group. George agreed to this proposal and the group unanimously agreed to lend him one of the acquired ex-government trucks.

It wasn’t really a vote as Thomas had expected, but rather a mutual agreement of the group to let George use the truck for an unspecified period of time. George brought up the next point. “So exactly what are the grounds for using the vehicle fleet and who is going to control that?”

It sparked a small debate about fuel conservation and what exactly was to be done to use a vehicle. Some members thought the group should have free reign over the acquired vehicles and others thought for business only. After several minutes it was decided the leader of the community would have the final say so on who and why a vehicle could be used. The item was added to the list of duties for the leader of the community and the conversation moved on.

Kristy added the next point of business “I really have to get started on the inventory tomorrow. Can we add some work parties to help out with the inventory? Also, I can use my laptop to inventory everything out and print spreadsheets so we have a paper copy of what is on hand.”

Most of the members of the group volunteered to assist with the inventory, but Darren brought up the point that if everyone helped with the inventory, other areas would suffer. The general thought was to get the inventory completed as soon as possible, but not to let other areas suffer as a consequence. A work priority list of the inventory was brought up by the group, with food stores coming at the top of the list, followed closely by weapons and ammunition, hardware, vehicles, clothing and shoes, and food storage items.

A work priority listing was debated next with the food inventory and tending to the fields coming at the top. The next items on the list were security measures, training and ground maintenance. After a conversation, it was decided to put the security measures at the top of the listing as well. The soon to be determined leader would decide where the work parties would work day to day and who would be assigned. The group continued debating the listing and found more items to add to the listing. By the time they were finished, the listing of work priorities was almost a full page. It was decided that half the group would be assigned to tend to the gardens with the other half being split up between the inventory and security measures.

It was also decided the list would be reviewed weekly to determine whether an item could be taken off or more items added to it. Kristy also brought up the point of storage “I can get the inventory complete, but where are we going to store everything?”

George added “I know we have plenty of materials to build more sheds if needed, but building ones that will last? I figure we all can work on them and decide the best structure to build.”

Sharon chimed in “I can lay out a design for that. I took some college classes on architectural engineering and structures. I still have my old textbooks and can lay out a blueprint in a few days.”

Thomas was surprised and proud at the same time. Most of the other group members didn’t see it, but Sharon had found something she didn’t need help with in the group. She was well on her way to fully integrating with the group and didn’t need to rely on someone else to help her out. Sharon felt like she was taking a large step forward to help the group and made a mental note to make sure she accomplished the plans quickly.

As the group moved on, Thomas brought up the point about the radioactivity in the water and whether or not it posed a problem.

Ryan answered the question after some thought “I don’t think it should be a problem if you say the fallout patterns were north of here. I was the NBC NCO for a while in my unit and I know for simple fallout, it just needs to be filtered, with more being better. Mainly fallout is Alpha particles and those can do harm if ingested. So, a good rule of thumb to filter…” he said while looking upwards to think about it. “I would say anywhere from two to three feet of sand would be good. Plus when we are done, we could run it through the distillers if we wanted to be absolutely positive. Now the question is, what kind of filtration system can we use without power?”

“We build one, just like we build everything else around here” stated Darren. “I can start thinking of a way to build one and find out whether or not we can collect the rainwater from the roofs. That is the easy part since I know for a fact we have a bunch of those water barrels and for this, we could even use garbage cans. Give me a while to think this one out.”

“Is it really going to be that big a deal?” asked Heather Davis. “I mean, we aren’t filtering the rain already falling into the fields watering the plants? Would it hurt any more to use that water to flush toilets? Would filtration be absolutely necessary for toilet water or using it to water plants?”

“I suppose you are right” answered Ryan. “For the toilet, it wouldn’t be critical to filter it. Drinking is another matter, at least for a year or so. I think it’s safe to say we could use the water for most things except drinking, bathing and cooking.”

“Plus with reclaiming the shower and drain water, the solar distillers are going to be overused as it is” Stu said as he chimed in for the first time. “I’ve already got a way of modifying the drains for the showers and sinks to where the water can be collected for distillation. Plus, we do have those other distillers that fit on top of the stove. We can use a campfire or charcoal for them.”

He went on for several minutes describing the system and asking if the materials were available or not. George answered “Yes, we have the PVC piping, the joints and everything. However, with the other priorities of work, that will have to wait for a while.”

The group agreed to look at the modifications after some of the more critical work projects were completed, but agreed it would be closer to the top since nobody wanted a full septic tank.

Thomas asked if there was any further business to be discussed. Rick asked one final question “I know most of us here are fairly familiar with the Ranch now, but can we get a map of all the buildings and who lives where just so we know?”

The group agreed it was a good idea and Thomas made plans to get that done as soon as the supply situation was finished. They moved on to the washer times. Thomas told the group how it would work. “I have times for everyone to be able to use the washer throughout the week. It should be available for eight hours at a time starting at 6 AM. The next shift runs from 2 PM to 10 PM. This gives us fourteen shifts to work with. With thirteen groups if you count Amber and Misty as their own group, we have enough to spare. I’m going to pass the can and have each family take one slip out. Each one has the day followed by a one or a two. The one or two means the first or second shift to use the washers.”

The can was passed around the fire rings with every family getting a slip. Although Thomas and Sharon didn’t really need a specific time since they owned one of the washers, they pulled anyway, getting Friday 1. When everyone was done, Thomas wrote down the times and told everyone he would post the schedule in the washroom of the Conference Center. “Either my machine and the machine in the Conference Center are available to use, your choice on either or you could use both. And in case anyone wants to do it the old fashioned way, we have plenty of washboards and tubs for you to use.”

Michael Parsons quickly added “And my washboard stomach can be rented out by the hour as well.”

Boos and groans came from the crowd as his wife gave him the “just wait until I get you home” look. Everyone knew he wasn’t serious, but it was a good thing to see everyone starting to get their sense of humor back again.

Thomas brought up the final point of the evening, the leader ballots. He requested one of the younger members of the crowd pick the names out of the can to read off. Haley Holmes was picked and Brian went inside to fetch his daughter and grab a calendar. They both returned from inside and she didn’t quite understand why she was pulling the slips out, but went along with it anyway.

The first name that was pulled was Rick Jones. It was decided he would start immediately but his term wouldn’t officially “start” until Sunday. Haley continued to pull names from the list with Thomas being somewhat down the list in November and Sharon in January.

The first official decision he made as the new leader was to have a meeting every Thursday followed by some group fellowship if the residents were so inclined. It sounded good to everyone and they all agreed to have a dinner the same night as well, with the cooking duties rotating throughout the community. He also promised to revise the guard schedule the next day to include all the newcomers.

The last task for the group was to unload the deuce George and Cynthia would be taking their friends home with. There was a little light left, but if everyone helped out, it could be unloaded in no time. The group moved the gear into the Conference Center where it would be inventoried very soon by Kristy.

Afterwards the meeting broke up. Sharon grabbed Thomas by the hand and took him towards the Garcias, who were about to leave as well. “I’ve given it some thought, and I think we can take Mongo for a probationary period to see how well he fits in. I’m not comfortable with him around the cat, but we will give it a try.”

Stephen thanked the two while Kristy went to the house to collect the dog. They spoke for several minutes before Kristy got back leading the dog on a leash and carrying a bag with dog food in it. “He used the bathroom on the way over here, so he should be okay for the night. There should be enough food in here for three days and I figure that will be about the right amount of time to see whether or not you want to keep him. He gets two cups of food in the morning and again in the evening.”

Thomas took the leash and the bag of food. Mongo saw Angel and started wagging his tail again. Angel giggled and walked towards the dog to bond. “Are we going to keep him Mommy?”

“We’ll see, sweetie. We need to see if he and Harley get along first” answered Sharon.

They said their goodbyes and left the Conference Center. Thomas turned to Sharon, “I would have never thought in the world you would have agreed to this.”

“Sweetie, I know how much you wanted this dog. I thought about it and figured you would take care of him pretty well. It’s something you want, and knowing this, I needed to be more open minded about it. If you want him, I can go along with that” she stated.

“I promise he won’t be any trouble” he stated.

While walking, Sharon took his hand in hers and made an announcement “You have a secret admirer.”

“Oh? Who?” asked Thomas.

“Amber Villier. She couldn’t take her eyes off you the whole meeting. Those cute puppy eyes a girl makes when she sees someone she likes” said Sharon, who sounded a bit jealous.

Thomas wanted to chuckle at the way she said it, but decided it wouldn’t be that smart. “I didn’t notice. Was it that obvious?”

“More than that. You are backwards when it comes to women, so I’m not surprised. I did the same thing the first time we went out and you didn’t notice then. Of course, I knew to be more forceful with you the next time” she replied.

Thomas felt a little guilty about it since he had complimented her on the night the rest of the group had arrived. He didn’t tell Sharon this, but knew he would have to be neutral when dealing with Amber in the future.

They arrived at the house, and Thomas knew the next few minutes could make or break the decision to keep the dog. After going inside the house, the eighty-four pound dog immediately saw the fifteen pound cat laying on the couch in the living room. What happened was the same story that happened for several millennia. Harley stood up, looking over the dog intently while laying back his ears and swishing his tail. Mongo looked at the cat and cocked his head to the side. He got up slowly and walked towards the couch. Thomas made sure he had a good hold on the leash in case he had to pull him back.

As the dog approached the couch, Harley let out a low cry followed by a growl. Mongo still looked at the cat, a little puzzled, while wagging his tail slowly. When he was close enough to the couch, Harley let out a swipe of his front paw, catching the dog across the face. Mongo yelped and jumped upwards. He landed in the same spot and Harley decided to have a go again, swiping and again catching the dog in the face. Mongo again yelped and back away from the cat and looked up at Thomas. “What a fine guard dog you will make, you pansy.”

Thomas tried to bring him closer to the couch again, but the dog would not budge, watching the cat intently. Harley watched the dog intently as well, letting out another low growl. In the first five minutes, it was painfully obvious who would be ruling the house. Sharon laughed at the “big mean attack dog” and lead Angel out of the room. Thomas led Mongo out of the room as well, who kept looking over his shoulder at the violent cat sitting on the couch, still staring him down.

Thomas and Sharon decided to call it an early night and put Angel to bed. They were getting ready to turn in themselves when they heard the report of a shot somewhere inside the Ranch. Thomas was up in a flash, getting a BDU jacket on and throwing on the vest for the PTR-91. He checked the rifle to make sure it was loaded and told Sharon to arm herself and watch Angel until he could find out what was going on.

Before he ran downstairs, he heard the clatter of the field phone so recently installed in his house and went back to the bedroom to answer it. Thomas picked up the receiver and heard others on the line already. He heard Ryan’s voice above all answering the questions “So Stephen shot himself in the leg?”

Kristy’s worried voice came on the line “Yes, but not in the artery, it’s bleeding bad enough, but not spurting.”

“Was the bone hit?” asked Ryan.

“No, not that I could see” came the reply.

“Okay, keep direct pressure on it, elevation and hit the pressure points. We will see about getting some help” said Ryan calmly.

Thomas could hear the receiver on Kristy’s end be put back on the telephone unit. Janie Holmes announced she would be heading that way to help with treatment. Ryan stated some of the visitors might be able to help out with the patching up that would be needed on Stephen. Thomas volunteered to go out to their camp and see.

Thomas ran back upstairs to tell Sharon everything was okay and he would be heading out to the visitor’s campsite. By the time he made it back downstairs, he found Ryan already out on his porch waiting for him. They made a beeline directly to the camp and reached it in about ten minutes where they encountered Misty Taylor and Stu Donaldson watching the visitors.

Mike Dugger was woken up and informed of the situation and asked if there was anyone in the camp that could help with the wound. He immediately turned around and went to another tent and brought back another man. “This is Scott Carlson, medicine man extraordinaire and my best friend. He will be all the help you need.”

Ryan and Thomas brought Scott up to speed and asked if he would be able to help out. He briefly asked questions “No bone or the artery was hit?”

“No, we were told it’s a straight through and through wound” answered Ryan.

Scott went back to his tent and brought a bag out which looked like a combat lifesaver bag, but a little larger. He made the proclamation “No problem, it will take me about half an hour to fix. Let’s get going.”

Misty, who overheard the conversation, asked the trio if she could come along. They quickly briefed Scott she was one of the Ranch residents who was studying medicine and could use the experience, even watching it. He agreed and they went on their way, half jogging and halfway fast walking.

By the time they returned to the Ranch and Stephen’s cabin, they found Janie already had dressed the wound, started an IV bag of Saline solution and was taking the rest of Stephen’s vital signs. She saw the new man and said “I hope you are a doctor.”

“Close enough, Special Forces medic with the 7th Group. I got my gunshot wound training in Miami at the hospital in the bad part of town and a more practical experience in some godforsaken places since then. I can sew with the best of them” stated Scott.

The two went to work immediately, rechecking the wound, cleaning it and prepping it for stitches. Carlson went into the bag he brought along getting the necessary items needed. After some painful poking and prodding, he made the announcement “Well, you are lucky and unlucky. Good news first, it didn’t hit the bone or the artery, which would have caused a major problem. As long as I get some things done quickly, you will make a full recovery.”

“Bad news, the bullet tore a .45 caliber hole in your leg. The hollowpoint didn’t completely expand, or this could have been really bad. I’m going to have to do some delicate stitches or else you won’t heal properly. You won’t be dancing for a while, but I think you aren’t in any real danger” said Scott. “The only other thing to do is to get him to a hospital, but I figure that is a chancy proposition right now and I can do just about everything they can do here.”

Thomas answered for the group “Well, doc, we really don’t want to be going near any civilized place for a while, if you know what I mean.”

“I understand.” Scott turned to Kristy and Stephen “Do you want me to go ahead then?”

Both Stephen and Kristy nodded and Scott requested the room be cleared except for himself, Janie and Kristy. Misty asked if she could stay around and learn about the treatment. Scott agreed and the others left the cabin. Misty came running out a minute later and asked where the medical supplies were stored at. Thomas took her and went towards the Conference Center to gather more supplies to help out with the wound.

After returning, they noticed a group of people had gathered at the cabin to see how Stephen was doing. Thomas walked over to Tim and asked how this would affect his plans to leave.

“Well, I still want to go, but I don’t have anyone to ride shotgun with me now. I will make the trip alone” answered Tim.

Ryan spoke up “You don’t have to do that; I can have a bag packed tonight and be ready to head out with you in the morning.”

Tim didn’t really know Ryan but agreed to the request. “Can you bean ready to roll by 6:00 AM then?”

“No problem. Was Stephen taking anything special like a weapons system?” asked Ryan.

They informed Ryan he was taking an M-203. Ryan asked if it was mounted on a rail system and the two replied it was. “No problem, it will take less than five minutes to switch over to my rifle. Let’s go ahead and grab it before they get too involved in there.”

The two went inside and found Scott and Janie hard at work fixing up Stephen. A worried looking Kristy showed the two where Stephen had left his weapons. Ryan quickly detached the launcher and the leaf sight from the M-4 while Thomas gathered the rounds up.

They were leaving the cabin when they were stopped by Scott. “I will have him done in the next half hour or less, but we need someone to give up a pint of blood for him. Plus, I was planning on leaving in the morning, but I’m going to stick around to keep an eye on him if that’s okay. I will need unlimited access to the area here if that is the case.”

They agreed he could come and go as he needed to check on Stephen. Thomas asked what blood type Stephen was.

“A Positive” answered Kristy.

“My blood type” answered Thomas. “I will oblige, but I don’t particularly care for needles.”

Janie answered with a smirk “Don’t worry, Tom. I will take it out of your neck where you can’t see the needle.”

Thomas chuckled and went outside to hand off his rifle and asked someone to go tell Sharon he was giving up some blood. His rifle was taken by Darren who stated he would tell Sharon.

Thomas went back inside where Janie started an IV line to draw the blood out of his arm into an empty bag provided by Scott. About ten minutes after they started, Sharon knocked on the door, insisting she be with her husband after he finished giving up the blood.

Upon reaching a pint, Janie removed the catheter and taped a small square bandage over his arm and told him to rest easy for a little while. Janie returned to helping out Scott and now Misty finish up on Stephen. Scott was making a point to show Misty how to apply the stitches and was going to have her practice on the entry wound with close guidance.

By the time Misty had finished, Scott and Janie both remarked they had never seen such a good job by a rookie before. Misty beamed under the praise and thanked the two of them. Thomas had finished a quart of sports drink mixed for him by Kristy and felt well enough to go ahead and go home.

Sharon insisted on helping him out, over his protesting he was fine. Thomas only felt lightheaded once on the walk home and sat down with Sharon next to the pond where they watched the still waters in the moonlight. After getting home, they found Darren still there keeping an eye on Angel and thanked him for helping out. They turned in for the night and were asleep before they knew it.

CHAPTER 15 – LOOKING UP


Time since attacks: 98 days
Date/Time: 27 July/0643 Local
Location: The Ranch


The next morning, Thomas learned Rick was manning the LP/OP and he also learned he had the duty the next day. It wasn’t a big deal as he knew he had to enter the rotation anyway, but he knew Sharon needed to get spun up soon as well so she could work it. He would have her come down tomorrow so he could show her first hand some of the duties associated with the observation post. This morning though, he would go through some items while out in the gardens. Since he was the first up, he fixed breakfast for the threesome and they armed up to work in the gardens.

They grabbed an MRE apiece, filled their canteens and Camelbaks and headed over to drop off Angel at the Conference Center with Amber, who was watching the children today. Again, Amber started the flirty behavior, but this time in front of Sharon. Thomas was a little unnerved at the behavior, but didn’t say anything this time. Amber did, however, get a dirty look from Sharon.

As they left, Sharon took his hand in hers and said “See what I mean now?”

“Yeah, I was being a blockhead before and didn’t notice” replied Thomas.

Sharon chuckled at his backwards behavior “No problem, baby. I think it’s about time the two of us get acquainted though. I suppose I have to establish my territory.”

“Do try and play nice with her. We have to live together here” said Thomas.

Sharon turned serious. “Oh, I will be nice. I have tact.”

“Tact and your name have never collided in the same sentence, but I figure you have a plan to deal with her” said Thomas.

“Seriously, she shouldn’t be acting like that around someone’s fiancé, who is almost my husband. She is young and pretty and probably thinks she can get away with it since we aren’t married. But she is also still technically married and should act that way as well” said Sharon.

Thomas let the matter drop as there were matters better handled by women anyway. They made their way to the fields and found out where they should go to work today from Renee. They made their way to a shed which had the various hand tools needed to tend the gardens. They took several tools apiece as well as several buckets and baskets. They dropped their packs and rifles with Renee and went to the section that hadn’t been tended to in some time. In this case, it was the cucumbers and carrots.

It was hard work, but he was enjoying it and didn’t even notice the time slipping away. He started thinking about the garden behind his house and the tending it would probably need here soon. It was something he needed to do in the next few days if they got the chance. So much to do over the next few weeks and we barely scratched the surface. Will we ever get ahead? Thomas silently thought to himself.

Before long he started to feel hungry and looked at his watch. It was close to noon and fairly hot outside. He collected Sharon and went to grab their bags to head to the trees nearby to eat lunch. He now knew the tent would help out here and added that to his mental list to get done over the next few days.

After reaching the shady area, they ate their MREs in silence and tried to replace some of the water they knew they had lost. Sharon was attempting to try all the varieties of MREs and had gotten the Country Captain Chicken. She wasn’t that thrilled over her choice, but managed to choke it down.

After they were done, they refilled their Camelbaks and went back to the area they had been working in and continued to yank and dig up the persistent weeds. They also picked the area of the ripe vegetables and put them in baskets to take to the front when they were done.

Before long, they were joined by Rick, who had been relieved at the LP/OP. “George and Cynthia are back now and will be heading out in the morning with the other half of our visitors.”

“How did everything go?” asked Thomas.

“George said they were horse’s butts about the whole affair. Not the ones we gave a ride to, but the leader of the retreat they were going to. He wouldn’t let them in closer than a quarter mile from his place so they spent the night on some logging road on the way back. They drove the rest of the way in this morning. George wasn’t too thrilled about that. He said Dugger did apologize and promised to keep in touch, but George wasn’t sure the retreat leader would go for it. Who knows at this point” said Rick.

“Well, we will have to see what happens in the future. Are you ready to do this?” asked Thomas.

Rick said he was ready and Thomas gave Sharon a quick goodbye kiss and collected Darren before heading back. They went the long way through the woods, looking for prospective wood piles before getting a truck. They found quite a few downed trees and limbs lying around so gathering up a good pile shouldn’t be a problem.

Reaching the Ranch, they gathered the keys to the Dakota and took it to the woodshed. The three started filling the bed of the vehicle with the firearms stored there to move to Dayfield’s house where they could be inventoried. Although the threat of the Loyalist forces doing an unannounced search still loomed over their heads, they knew the chance was remote since they were well off the beaten path and most military forces were being re-deployed to east of the Mississippi. When they made it back to the Trading Post and were unloading, they were met by Kristy to check on their progress.

They informed her they had just started and would not get done that day at all. “Why don’t you just get started tomorrow then instead? That way you have a full day to get it going” she asked.

“Because tomorrow is going to be a family day, a do what you want to day” answered Rick. “It’s Sunday and I think we should have a day off just to do nothing but be with our families.”

“But there is so much to do” she protested.

Rick answered calmly “Wouldn’t you like to have a day to be lazy and spend some quality time with Steve? It’s not like any of us have had a day for us and our families for the past three months.”

“So if I want to work, I can?” she asked.

“As long as you don’t need help from anyone else, sure you can. But I’m asking for you to just take it easy tomorrow. Everyone needs a little rest now and then” answered Rick.

Kristy agreed to consider it before going off to do whatever she was doing before. The three finished unloading the truck and made plans to gather the firewood for tonight. They all three also had plans to surprise their wives by making dinner as well, so they would need to hurry up. They took the Dakota back to the small shed next to the wood barn and gathered axes, hatchets, bow saws and a small chainsaw just in case.

They drove into the woods they had been in before and started gathering a good pile of wood to break up. The three took turns sawing and chopping the fallen wood and didn’t need to use the chainsaw at all. The filled the bed of the truck nearly all the way before calling it quits and grabbed a bunch of handfuls of the smaller branches to use as kindling.

As they were driving back to the Conference Center to unload it, Rick stated “You know, any time we do any work, we ought to be keeping every bit of wood we can so use it in the winter.”

The three agreed this was a good idea and made plans for another shed where wood could be stored to season and dry prior to cutting. Thomas also remembered the stockpile of wooden pallets he had gathered over the years and how useful those might be in fire starting.

They returned to the Conference Center and unloaded the truck, putting the wood underneath the deck and the tools inside of the closet to be retrieved later. They left the truck there and went their separate ways.

Thomas knew Sharon would be returning soon from the fields and he wanted to have dinner ready by then. He went to the basement and looked through the freezer at the items they could make. A large ham, that will take too long…chicken, had that the other night…elk…maybe, but I’m not sure if she will like that…ranch cut ham steak, that should do nicely.

He grabbed the cans he needed as well and took everything upstairs. Since everything was pre-cooked, it would take no time at all except for the ham. He set the oven to low heat and wrapped the piece of ham in foil to thaw out. He loaded it into a pan and set it in the oven taking a peek at his watch when he did so.

Knowing he had some time to kill before she returned from the fields, he went back to the basement to look through the ammo he had for what he would be giving up to the community. Besides the unique calibers only he owned, he would be lumping most of everything into the stores, with one provision. The bulk surplus ammo or cheap reloads could be fired anytime, but the hollowpoints, hunting rounds and match ammo he wanted used sparingly. He knew nobody would have a problem with that and he also knew they have a good supply of reloading equipment to replace some of them. Either way, he wanted to save what they could and use the less effective ammo first.

He started taking up the cases of ammo and setting them out on the porch to be picked up the next day. Checking his watch, he went inside to check on the ham. It was coming along nicely and he knew Sharon would be returning at any time from working the fields. He went upstairs and grabbed a quick shower and changed clothes. By the time he was done, he heard Sharon coming inside with Angel. He met them in the living room where Sharon looked tired, again.

“So what’s cookin’, good lookin?” asked Sharon.

“Ham, green beans, hominy, and some garlic rolls as soon as the ham is done. You have just enough time to grab a quick shower before dinner” answered Thomas.

She sighed “Okay, but tomorrow, I cook. I’ve been learning some new recipes from other people and I want the chance to try them out. You are my new guinea pig.”

“A man never complains when a woman cooks for him. In about thirty minutes, everything will be on the table” he said.

Dinner went well and they both started getting ready for the meeting. Thomas grabbed his 1911 and put on the shoulder holster. Sharon had taken to calling the stainless pistol his “dress up” gun and told him he needed to find her one that matched, although smaller for her hands. It was something he seriously needed to rectify in the coming days, like tomorrow. After his shift at the LP/OP, he would take her up the range and try her out on a few of his pistols, maybe even open the range for everyone.

As they arrived at the Conference Center, they found Rick and Michelle already there. Thomas helped Rick build one of the fires and was watched closely by Sharon. He didn’t remember fire building on her list of things to learn so he took his time building up the tender, the kindling and the main firewood, hopefully letting her learn some things in the process.

Before long he got the fire going and everyone had showed up. The meeting was called to order by Rick who brought up the first point of business. “Tomorrow I would like for everyone to take the day off just to be with their families. The group thought that was an outstanding idea and amended it to make every Sunday a family day. Although the group wasn’t that religious, they understood the principles of the Sabbath and would celebrate it in their own way. Perhaps it was time for them to rediscover their religion and start being more faithful.

Thomas brought up the idea of opening the range tomorrow afternoon and the invitation was open for everyone. Frank insisted it would be better to go in the morning before it got hot but Thomas informed him of his duty at the LP/OP in the morning. Johnny agreed to take his shift at the LP/OP if Thomas would take his on Monday afternoon. Thomas agreed and asked for everyone to get him a list of calibers they would need brought up tomorrow.

The sunshade idea at the gardens was met with overwhelming approval and would be implemented as soon as the tent could be located in the inventory. Shannon Parsons brought up the next good point. “We seriously need an outhouse at the fields. When the call of nature strikes, we don’t always have the time to run all the way back to the Ranch. Can we get something built out there?”

Rick answered “I’m sure we can come up with something in the next few days. That’s almost a priority.”

Kristy brought up the supply situation. “If everyone chipped in for one day, we could probably have the inventory done a week sooner than planned. Also, I need everyone to get all the community property out of their house and onto their porch so it can be picked up. And one more thing, storage space, where are we going to store the goods when we get them? I know we discussed storage sheds, but where do we stand on those and how long will it take to get them built?”

All eyes turned to Sharon. “I’ve got a rough draft of ideas right now, but the question is, how sophisticated do we want them? The more goodies we want on them, the longer it will take to build.”

The group talked for a few moments and decided on four structures, uninsulated and on simple concrete or brick pads would suffice. Sharon told them she would purposely build them to where the group could make improvements if they wanted to at a later date. She promised to have floor plans and specifications in three days.

Thomas brought up the idea of giving out the unused shotguns, handguns and hunting rifles to the group for “safekeeping.” Monday, Thomas promised he and Rick would have a rough estimate on what could be given away. He also promised to open the doors on the Trading Post tomorrow morning in case someone wanted to pick out something then, provided they let him know what they were taking.

So a schedule was made. Monday everyone was to put out the community property for pick up. By Tuesday, Thomas and Rick would be able to have everyone pick and choose their firearms. Wednesday, everyone would pitch in to help with the inventory. On Thursday, the storage sheds would start being built if all went well. It was decided until the storage sheds were finished, the food storage would be in the basement of the Conference Center. In between, they would work the gardens and finish unpacking their gear the rest of the group had brought out with them.

Finally the idea of trading away firearms came up. As predicted, it was a hot topic. Janie Holmes led the first argument. “Why would we give away guns that could later be turned against us?”

Sharon made a surprising argument as well. “And besides, we don’t know how long this thing will last. We might be up here for years and we will need all the weapons and ammo we can get.”

“And if we can’t get the items we need by bartering the other rifles or other goods, what good are they going to do us just sitting around?” asked Frank.

“And what good are they going to do when a bullet from one of them leaves one of us dead?!” countered Janie.

Darren, a proponent of trading firearms for goods, tried to steer the conversation to another area. “Well, the question isn’t about firearms, but about ammo and how much reloading supplies we have. What are we looking at in terms of reloading?”

Rick, seeing the argument from both sides, answered the question and didn’t try and get into the debate. “I know for a fact we have the components for ten calibers including the five most important ones, 5.56, 7.62, .45 ACP, 9mm Luger and 12 gauge. Last fall, I left a list to be bought for about twenty-five more dies. I’ve added some others myself, so if the list was able to be gotten, we should be in good shape.”

George jumped in the conversation. “From your list, I was able to get twenty-two along with a good supply of powder, primers and a variety of bullets. I also got quite a good supply of new brass as well. I need you to look over it and figure out if we are good to go or not.”

“I can go look tomorrow or the next day, but we should be in good shape” answered Rick.

Since the next day would be a family day, Monday morning, everything would begin in earnest. Rick brought up the final point of the evening. “Since George, Cynthia, Ryan and Thomas know where everything is stored, hidden and buried out there; I want to pull them from the guard rotation for the time being. If we are going to get a good inventory, we need to make sure we have everything out and nothing is missed. Unless someone has a problem with that, I’m pulling them from the roster tonight.”

Each person though it was a good idea and nobody objected. The four promised to make up the time missed after the inventory was complete and the meeting came to a close. After they were done, the group saw Scott Carlson walking towards the Conference Center. Turning to his fiancé, Thomas saw her making a beeline towards Amber Villier. Figuring it was going to be a woman to woman talk, Thomas wisely went over to Scott. “Coming down to check up on Steve?”

Scott frowned as he talked “Yeah, I headed to his cabin and then figured he was here. I told him not to be moving around for at least three days, but I see he didn’t want to listen. My bedside manner might be a little rough tonight. Plus, I brought some stuff to leave for you guys. I’m going to work on the trade when I get up there, but it might be a few weeks before we get back down here.”

“Is George planning on taking the rest of your group up tomorrow?” asked Thomas.

Scott turned a little more pleasant “Yes, and I figure the goods and services I provided here ought to be a little payoff for the gas he used to get us up there. We have some diesel up at the retreat we can help out with to top off the tank before they come back.”

Rick, who had silently joined the two, said “I doubt it” and went on to explain what happened the previous day with George and Cynthia.

“It probably won’t happen again since Mike has had the chance to talk with them. It’s no different than we were when we wandered onto your property, we were strangers then and trust was an issue. They were strangers up there, so it’s natural for us not to trust you” said Scott.

Both Rick and Thomas thought about that for a moment before coming to the conclusion it wasn’t really a good point since George and Cynthia had gone out of their way to take the group to their retreat. Neither said anything but Rick followed up “Trust or no trust, we still need to keep in touch. We have a radio frequency for you to be able to contact us on and you know how to get here now in case something goes wrong.”

“Yes, I’ve got it written down and I’m leaving directions to our place just in case. If you do come up for some reason, remember to stop down the road and walk up non-threatening. We are just about as nervous as you are” concluded Scott.

Thomas and Rick both agreed to the point. “There goes Steve and Kristy right now. Just make sure she isn’t around when you start beating him for being out of bed” said Thomas.

“Her? Yeah right. She seems as harmless as a fly and it will be a cold day in hell before I let a little girl like that get the better of me” said Scott.

Rick laughed before continuing “I wouldn’t underestimate her, buddy. Not only did she spend two hours in a gym every day, she’s also a martial arts freak. Judo, aikido, tae-kwon-do and some kung fu stuff like you see in the movies. And she’s just as good with edged weapons as well.”

“Come on guys, you all talk about her like she was Superwoman or something. I’ve had the edged weapons training too and I know my way around hand to hand combat. I think I’m more than good to go against a little girl like that” said Scott.

Thomas laughed before continuing “I know what you are saying, but you have to know her. She was on my convoy team once and got hit. We had dismounted since the road was blocked and were attacking through the ambush. She was close to me when this guy jumps up with a knife. He looked at me and went after her instead. Her M-4 went empty and he was on her before she had a chance to pull out her pistol. He was about, oh maybe six-two, maybe six three and weighed about two fifty. The kind of guy we called in the cop business ‘a big mofo.’”

“Anyway, this guy made the mistake of thinking he could take her easy since she was a woman. Big mistake. I didn’t have a clear shot at him since she was behind him, so I was on my way over to help. By the time I reached her, she had done some sort of ninja move, took away the knife and stabbed him in both legs and one arm before we were able to stop her. She probably would have slit his throat had I not gotten there to stop her. She’s not the kind of woman I would pick a fight with in a kitchen if I were you.”

Scott politely laughed at the story while thinking in his mind about his training. It was the little ones you had to watch out for and she was probably one of those. It was still his macho side that made the next comment “I don’t know guys, I’m S-F trained, a Quiet Professional remember? I figure I can hold my own.”

Thomas held up his hands “Brother, I’ve never seen anyone take away a full sized Recon Tanto like that before. She still has it and carries it on duty as well. Remember, she slices and dices you with that ginsu and nobody here can patch you up.”

“Okay fellas. I won’t pick on her or beat Steve too badly. I’m going to head on over there and check on Steve and try and get some rest. Hope to see you guys in a few weeks” said Scott as he walked towards the Garcia’s cabin.

Rick and Thomas thought about the type of woman Kristy Garcia was. She was beautiful, but just as a rose is beautiful, one has to watch for thorns. She was not a psychotic killer type, but had held her own in several engagements. She was passive until provoked, then unleashed a fury from inside which could hardly be contained. She, like everyone else at the Ranch, had proved her courage under fire and was becoming an integral part of the community here.

Thomas and Rick talked for a few more minutes before departing to look for their respective ladies and leave for the night. Thomas saw Sharon was still talking to Amber so he collected Angel and went back towards where he saw his fiancé. He met up with her about halfway across the deck and they turned for home. Sharon was unusually quiet as they walked around the pond towards the house.

Apparently, Sharon couldn’t stand it any longer and asked “Well?”

“Well what?” asked Thomas, knowing full well she wanted to talk about her little chat.

Sharon became a little angry “Well, don’t you want to know what happened?”

“I figured it was one of two things. One, it was a girl-girl chat and I didn’t need to know about it. Or two, you were going to tell me when you were ready. I suppose you are ready now?” asked Thomas.

Without pause, Sharon let loose “Grrrr, that girl! I know! And she knows I know! I didn’t get mean, but I did lay the strong claim down on you. So, when are we going to get married anyway?” she asked, suddenly nice again.

Thomas knew with her temper, she could unleash again at any moment. “Well, Cynthia and George are heading out tomorrow with the next group of folks. So probably Tuesday or Wednesday we could go see him.”

“The sooner the better,” answered Sharon. “I don’t like the fact we are living in sin like this.”

Thomas almost laughed at the comments, but refrained from doing so. “You surprise me baby, getting this jealous over some other girl. You know I love you and won’t leave you, so why worry about it.”

Sharon sighed before continuing. “It’s a long story.”

“We have nothing but time, sweetie,” countered Thomas.

She sighed again before continuing. “Well, back when I was with Cody, he used to tell me the same thing. I love you, I won’t leave you, blah, blah, blah. So I gave him my heart entirely, like I have with you.”

“It was only after we had Angel that I found out about his cheating. He denied it of course, but after I caught him red handed, I left him. I know you aren’t anything like that and I’m not comparing the two of you at all.”

“I suppose it’s not jealously, but me being protective of what I have. I love you with all of my heart and don’t want to give you up to anybody. That little girl got a glimpse of how mean I can be if she messes with my man. I’m just going to be protective of you and you have to get used to it.”

Thomas was quiet for a moment before replying. “You think I would ever leave you?”

“No I don’t,” she answered. “I can see us growing old together, very happy with each other. It’s still not going to stop me from feeling like I have to protect my man from some cute blond flirt that thinks it’s right to mess with another woman’s husband.”

Thomas stopped and took Sharon by the shoulders. “Sharon Johnson, I think you are the most beautiful woman in the world and I love you with all of my heart. I won’t ever leave you for anyone else, I can promise that. I have sworn to protect and love both you and Angel. You have my heart, my soul and my entire being at your beck and call.”

With that, they shared a passionate embrace and continued on home. They readied Angel for bed then spent the longest time just talking. It was well after midnight when they finally fell asleep.

CHAPTER 17 – SQUARE PEG, ROUND HOLE


Time since attacks: 115 days
Date/Time: 13 August/1356 Local
Location: The Ranch


The next few weeks were extremely busy for the group. The inventory was completed and the new storage buildings were worked on, running into several delays due to unexpected rains. They finally got completed and the next building to be built was the reloading shed, which would take a little longer due to the heavier construction and larger space needed for the table.

Even with the inventory going on, the group started their tactics training and found Darren to be a gifted instructor. During their training sessions, Darren thought to bring out a paintball gun to “shoot” at those not following the instruction after several briefings. Just to be fair, he took his turn going through the various courses and got shot at as well. By the end of the second week, most of the residents were starting to get really good at the tactics, as the welts were painful reminders of the lessons they had learned. They had plans to start pairing up for buddy tactics the next week and progressing to fire teams after that. Classes in other areas of fieldcraft would be added during the buddy and team tactics and volunteers offered to help in those areas.

Tim and Ryan had returned at nine days gone, rather than the six that had been planned. As the two had told their story, it was found they had encountered more trouble than had been anticipated. “We ran into some trouble as we weren’t able to cross the state line where we planned on” Ryan said as he told the story. “Plus, there was a roadblock that had to be dealt with along the way and we almost ran out of gas, but we finally made it.”

Dealing with the roadblock was a story in itself. They had found the roadblock on their way out manned by six individuals, none of which were military. They had made the mistake of hitting the truck at long range instead of waiting until it was closer in to try. Tim was able to keep the group occupied with the precision rifle long enough for Ryan to get close enough to utilize the M-203. Two well placed rounds from the launcher were all that were needed to end any semblance of organized resistance. They chose not to follow the two remaining individuals who fled into the forest and continued on to Utah without further incident.

When they reached the border, they had to find another border crossing which wasn’t manned by either Loyalist forces or the newly formed Utah State Militia. After finding an old dirt road which wasn’t manned, they found Tim’s wife Tracy in a refugee camp manned by Utah State workers. She had no way of crossing the border on her own and was staying at the camp in hopes of Tim reaching her.

The drive back was uneventful, although cautious. Although they did not encounter any more roadblocks, there was evidence of plenty along the way. Each small town they passed through, they felt like a thousand eyes were watching them. Eventually, they reached the Ranch on nearly empty tanks and nearly empty bellies.

It seemed Tracy was having a little difficulty adjusting to life on the Ranch. Most of the residents took this as just a phase she was going through and would snap out of it soon, but others weren’t sure. Only time would tell and the group would give her the benefit of the doubt for the moment.

There was a noticeable increase in refugee traffic on the roads, as seen by the LP/OP and by Ryan and Tim on their trip. Only a few had stopped at the Taylor’s house and most had just asked for food and water before continuing the trip. Each had been watched all the way past the residence as far as they could.

The LP/OP was improved, with better night vision, including a 6 power Raptor sight, a thermal imager, a 40 power spotting scope and better binoculars. Other LP/OPs and Defensive Fighting Positions were sighted in, dug out and camouflaged, but not used. Defensive plans were starting to be established, teams were starting to form and some early crops were harvested. The list of items they needed to accomplish was starting to dwindle down.

When it seemed like everything was starting to slow down, Cynthia and Thomas went to see the local minister. He lived well off the main road, content to live alone and tend his small garden. He had a small plot of land bordering the National Forrest, about an acre and a half where he also had chickens, a few goats and surprisingly enough, bee hives near the wood line. Cynthia introduced Thomas and the threesome sat on the porch drinking sun tea and making small talk until Thomas asked about the hives.

“Some years ago, I got cancer and my wife and I decided to retire from the ministry. I got bored out here with little to do and the doctors thought it would be good for me to have a hobby of some sort. Beekeeping was a relaxing hobby and I kept it up after the cancer went into remission. Before the attacks, I generally had enough honey to take to the farmers market to sell, which helped keep me busy. I also started making beeswax candles, but never sold them. It’s a good thing I didn’t since I have plenty of uses for them now! Speaking of which, I do have several jars of honey left over that you are more than welcome to take with you.”

Thomas was not going to turn the man down, but added “I thank you kindly, but we are here on more than just a social call. I need another of your services instead.” Thomas went on to explain about his and Sharon’s proposed marriage and the lack of a preacher. “We aren’t too worried about a license, but we want to make it right in God’s eyes” he concluded.

“Are you a Baptist?” asked the Minister.

“No sir, raised in the Church of Christ” answered Thomas.

“Well, I won’t hold that against you” laughed the Minister. “It’s been a while since I’ve done a wedding, but I think I can wing it. I did enough of them while I was still active, but be forewarned, I might be a bit rusty and forget the vows or something.”

Thomas and Cynthia both laughed as Thomas replied “Well, we won’t hold that against you either. When would be a good time for you to come out?”

“It’s kind of up to you and your wife to be. I’m pretty flexible with my schedule” answered the Minister.

“Okay, how about next Sunday? We can come pick you up” said Thomas after thinking about it for a moment.

“Sunday shouldn’t be a problem. Is this going to be a formal dressed up affair?” asked the Minister.

Thomas thought for a moment before Cynthia answered for him. “I don’t think Tom has discussed that with the bride to be yet. So for right now, go with formal unless we tell you otherwise.”

Thomas was slightly annoyed that Cynthia had answered the question before he had the opportunity to. “It’s not going to be that formal. I mean it won’t be shorts and t-shirts, but I don’t expect everyone to show up in three piece suits.”

Cynthia knew Sharon well enough to know Thomas should discuss this with her first. “Tom, you should probably talk this over with Sharon before making the decision. Trust me on this.”

“Okay, I will” answered Thomas before turning back to the Minister. “Is there anything we can do for you for services rendered? Anything you need that you don’t have?”

“Come to think of it, there is something you could do” answered the Minister. “If I recall correctly, you owned that sporting goods store down the road did you not?”

Thomas nodded before the Minister continued. “Some coyotes and other such critters have been snooping around here, especially around the chicken coops. I used to have several rifles and shotguns that might have been of use getting rid of the problems, but I gave them to my relatives after I got cancer and thought my hunting days were over.”

Thomas was surprised “I’ve never known a Minister to hunt.”

“Well, son, it’s impossible for me to shoot someone, but nothing in the Bible says preachers can’t hunt. Some of the Apostles were fishermen, so what’s the difference? We have to eat somehow” answered the Minister.

Thomas held up his hands “Okay, you got me there. Do you need some of us to come out and get rid of your varmint problems?”

“Laws, no” answered the Minister with a laugh. “Coyotes tend not to stick to a set schedule when looking over my henhouse, so I wouldn’t want to bother you all with sticking around for that long. Plus, generally speaking, where there is one, there tend to be more. No, I was wondering if you had a rifle you could be willing to part with to deal with my problem. Plus, something that would come in handy with the deer and elk I see out this way sometimes. You weren’t hit during the firearm confiscations were you?”

Thomas thought briefly about it being Rick’s job for coordinating the trade of firearms, but realized it was not Rick who was getting married. “No, we were lucky enough to be far outside of the towns and not get hit like a lot of gun stores. We still have most of our original stock in hand. I’m sure we can find something that would suit your needs. You need something for both hunting and for varmint, maybe one for both?”

“No, I don’t think two rifles would be needed, just one in .308 or maybe .30-06 will do for both. I’m not planning on shooting a trophy elk out here, just something large enough to keep me in meat for a while” answered the Minister.

“Do you think you could come out today and look through what we have?” asked Thomas. “I’ve got a few to spare and if you are going to do the marrying of my fiancé and me, I can get you something.”

“I don’t have anything in particular planned on my calendar today, but that’s like most days. I can follow you out to your ranch if you prefer” stated the Minister.

“I wouldn’t dream of making you waste your own gas” replied Thomas. “You are more than welcome to hop a ride with us and of course it’s a round trip.”

“Since you insist, I suppose I have to” he answered as he gathered up an old brown cowboy hat and the four jars of honey. The three left the small house as the Minister locked the door out of habit and got into the back seat of Thomas’s Explorer for the ride out to the Ranch. The trio made more small talk on the drive out to the Ranch and dropped Cynthia off at her house before continuing down the gravel road to the Trading Post.

When they arrived, Thomas started looking through the old Mosin-Nagant rifles for the Minister, trying to find one of the best one. While he was looking, the Minister was browsing and said quietly to himself “Hello, old friend.”

Thomas turned to look and saw the man looking at one of the M14 rifles, one of the Honor Guard rifles brought out by Rick when they escaped. “Bring back some memories?” asked Thomas.

“As a matter of fact, it does. Quite a few memories, actually. You see, before I found my calling with the Lord, I was an Army sniper. This was during the Vietnam War and after the Army had the Rock Island Arsenal recondition the old M14 rifles to XM21 standard. I happened to be issued an XM-21 and carried it during my time in Vietnam” answered the Minister.

“These are old Honor Guard rifles and I don’t know how accurate they are” explained Thomas, showing the Minister the rifle. The Minister took it and opened the bolt, cleared it and checked the safety as training in weapons handling since the 1960s was enforced. He raised it to his cheek several times and a large smile grew across his face.

“It hadn’t changed over the years and I’ve always been partial to a nice wood stock although they weren’t the best for accuracy” stated the Minister looking over the walnut stock.

Thomas thought for a split second before deciding this was the type of rifle the Minister would take home with him. If there was anyone in the area they could probably trust, it was this man. Plus, Thomas would feel bad giving the Minister an eighty dollar rifle for doing his wedding. He immediately turned his back on the Mosin-Nagants and went to look for a good commercial Springfield for the Minister. He looked through the racks until finding a high end M-21 Long Range Tactical model. The rifle already had a 3x9 scope attached, but Thomas took it off and wanted something better. He got it off the rack and proceeded to look for different scope rings for a larger scope.

He found a set which would fit along with a Leopold VX-L 4.5x14 power scope and the Boone and Crockett reticle. He quickly mounted the scope and grabbed a bore sight laser system for when they would zero the rifle. He handed the rifle back to the Minister who looked over the new scope.

Thomas went to look for a pistol as well for hunting while the Minister continued to look over the new rifle. Thomas knew the Minister probably wouldn’t take it, so he decided to hide it in a bag he was putting the ammo for the rifle into. He found a small daypack in a hunting pattern and dropped several boxes of .308 ammunition with varying weights of ammo including some lightweight varmint rounds, two twenty round magazines and three ten round magazines and a sling all into the main compartment. He found a Smith & Wesson Model 27 Classic pistol in .357 Magnum and dropped in two boxes of .38 Special ammo and a box of .357 Magnum ammo. Finishing off everything, he put a military style cleaning kit in the bag along with a separate bag of cleaning patches and a bottle of CLP.

The two got back into the Explorer and drove the short distance to the rifle range where the Minister could zero the scope and back up iron sights. It was bore sighted first before they put lead downrange. The Minister loaded some of the Black Hills 168 grain open tip match ammunition. It was apparent he was well trained a long time ago since it took only six shots to completely verify the zero of the scope at two hundred meters and another six to verify the iron sights. He completed firing the box of shells at the random targets all the way out to five hundred meters, hitting everything he aimed at. A large smile grew across his face as he tried to hand the rifle back “I can’t take this, it’s too much and it’s a brand new rifle.”

“It’s not doing me any good sitting on a shelf gathering dust. And besides, you fired it, you have to clean it. Now, that’s a minimum of three cleanings over a week and if you take it with you, you will probably end up using it on your varmint problems again, so that’s another three cleanings, so on and so forth. You might as well just take it and say thank you” said Thomas with a smile.

“I guess I can’t say no then” said the Minister with a laugh. “Now for the rifle and ammo, I will do the wedding as well as giving you another dozen jars of honey.”

Thomas pondered the deal for a moment. “Okay, that sounds fair.”

The Minister went to put away the magazines in the backpack when he discovered the hidden pistol. “What is this? I don’t need a pistol.”

“You just might, sir. What happens if you are hunting and are attacked by a bear? Or if you shoot one of your coyotes and only wound it? It’s not worth another rifle shot to finish it off. Now, do you want me to put in a .22 pistol as well” asked Thomas.

“Good point and I didn’t think about it that way. No, I think the one pistol will be fine. Now, for the pistol you tried to hide,” he grinned as he said it “I will provide either another forty jars of honey and candles or a beekeeping suit and two spare hives and teach some of your folks how to be proper beekeepers.”

“That’s too much for a simple pistol and three boxes of ammo” exclaimed Thomas.

The Minister smiled “The rifle alone is worth more than that and I would feel really bad if I didn’t do at least that much. You wouldn’t want to make an old man feel bad now would you?”

Thomas laughed “No, sir.”

“So what will it be? The jars of honey or the hives and suits?” asked the Minister.

“I think the latter would do us better” Thomas replied after a moment to think about it. “I will have to check with our community leader though.”

“And since you insisted in giving me a pistol, can I at least have some say so in the matter as to model or caliber?” asked the Minister.

Thomas immediately agreed “Do you want something larger?”

“Laws, no” laughed the Minister. “Just something I’m more comfortable with. I used to carry an old Colt Single Action Army in .38-40 caliber when I was hunting, for bears and follow up shots if needed. It was my Granddaddy’s pistol and is probably worth a fortune now. Do you have something comparable?”

Thomas thought for a moment about the different kinds of firearms they had cleaned and stored. He remembered having some Single Action Army pistols in storage, but couldn’t remember for sure if they were in .38-40 caliber. “We have some things comparable, but I’m not sure about that particular caliber. Isn’t that kind of small for bear protection?”

“As my old Granddaddy used to say, it’s not the size of the bullet that’s important, but rather where you put it. .38-40 is good for shoulder wounds and keeps a bear occupied long enough for you to bring your rifle on target” explained the Minister.

“Okay, you got me there” said Thomas laughing. “Let’s go see what we might have available.”

The two got back into the Explorer and went back to the Trading Post. Thomas never seriously kept many of the single action cowboy guns in stock like some stores, but he had a few. Most of the SAA models were in .45 Long Colt caliber, but he had a couple in .32-20 caliber as well. Thomas finally did fine one in the .38-40 caliber, a Taylor’s and Company. Thomas looked around in the basement but could not find any of the unique ammunition for the pistol

“Well, what about another one? Something single action if you insist” asked the Minster.

“Well, we have a few in .32-20, but that is nothing when it comes to power and larger ones in .44-40 and .45 Colt. Care to take one of the larger ones?” asked Thomas.

“No, I think my old hands wouldn’t take too kindly to a full sized cartridge like that. How about the .32-20?” asked the Minister.

“If you insist, but taking on an angry bear with anything less than a magnum shell might tend to get him a little upset at you. Are you sure?” asked Thomas. The Minister replied he would be comfortable with the smaller shell and “it’s where you put the shot that matters the most.” Thomas grabbed two boxes of the ammunition for the pistol and dropped them into the bag. He also found a nice leather holster and a belt for the pistol and put them in the bag as well.

They drove the short distance back to the range where the Minister proceeded to put six shots into an inch and a half circle in the right “shoulder” of the target at twenty-five yards. He reloaded and repeated the performance in the left shoulder of the target.

“Nice shooting pistol. But I could probably do better with a .38-40” stated the Minister as Thomas looked on with his mouth hanging open. He placed the pistol back into the backpack and the two made the short drive over to grab Rick and let him know about the negotiating that had gone on. They swung by the Jones’s cabin and found Rick was out helping build one of the new storage sheds.

The two drove to the area where the new sheds were being built. Thomas introduced the Minister to Rick and asked him to come along for the trip back to the Minister’s house. Thomas explained to the Minister that Rick was the current leader of the community. Rick agreed to come along and grabbed his rifle, web gear and asked if they could swing by his house to grab his bug out bag. Thomas saw Sharon helping out and decided to introduce the Minister to her. He loaned Rick the Explorer and asked if he could swing back by and pick them up. Rick drove off as Sharon was introduced to the Minister.

Rick returned in short order and the Minister said his goodbyes to the people he had met. While they were leaving, Thomas told Rick about the trade for the rifle and pistol and the agreement that was contingent on his approval for the beehives and the suits. Rick agreed to the deal for the suits, but remained silent about the trades. Thomas felt he might have been a bit angry about the deal, but again, remembered it wasn’t Rick getting married.

After dropping off the Minister and saying goodbye, Rick finally commented. “I thought we were going to use the Mosin-Nagants for trading purposes.”

“Well, we are, but there is a story behind it” replied Thomas who went on to explain the story behind the Minister and the M1A. “And it’s not like we have to worry about a preacher coming around to take pot shots at us. It’s my wedding, man, and if losing one of the Springfields out of the stash means I can have a good wedding, then I will replace it with one of my own.”

Rick was silent for a moment before agreeing. “Yeah, you’re right. I’m sorry. It is your wedding and no, he really isn’t a threat. I probably would have made the same deal if I was there. Don’t worry about replacing it; it would have just gathering dust anyway.”

“Do we have any .38-40 ammunition?” asked Thomas.

Rick was silent for a moment. “I think we do, but not that much. Why?”

Thomas went on to explain the pistol situation and how he could not find the ammunition. He also explained the Minister had taken the less powerful .32-20 handgun

“Taking on a bear with an old .32 caliber single action handgun? That man is brave” answered Rick. “I think I put it in with the other ammo we only had less than a ten boxes for. It should be in the basement of the Trading Post somewhere. We can check when we get back” answered Rick.

“It’s not that big a deal right now. He has a sidearm in case he needs it. Also, since we are out here, what do you say we make a short trip into Cañon City?” asked Thomas.

“Looking for what exactly?” asked Rick.

“Open stores, clothing stores, things of that nature. It still is bugging me about the children’s clothing thing. Let’s just see if Cañon City is still somewhat normal” answered Thomas.

For the most part, the small city had escaped the riots, looting and destruction prior to the group’s arrival. However, the closer they got to the city; it seemed less likely at this point. From two miles out, light smoke columns could be seen from near the city center and even the outskirts seemed deserted. Houses sat silent, but the two got the eerie feeling they were being watched. Both ignored the feeling and pressed further into the city, driving slowly keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings.

Suddenly, a metallic ping of a gunshot was heard hitting the car next to them they were passing. The report of the shot followed and Thomas immediately hit the gas and swung the vehicle around in the wide four lane street. “I forgot my credit cards and there isn’t an ATM! Let’s get out of here!” he yelled as he manipulated the vehicle’s steering wheel and gear shift.

More gunfire was heard and Thomas downshifted the vehicle into second gear and pressed the accelerator to the floor. The V-8 engine of the Explorer responded and shot the vehicle forward out of the city. Although the vehicle wasn’t designed for speed, Thomas had the engine up to 90 MPH by the time they made their way out of the city. When the passed the last houses, he let off the gas and returned the vehicle to a more safe speed heading towards the Ranch.

After they were clear of the city, Rick made sure they weren’t being followed and the two relaxed just a little. “One thing is for certain, we need better intel about what is going on out there. This could get downright nasty real fast” stated Rick.

“Seriously, we are only fifteen miles from Cañon City and less than a hundred from Pueblo and even the Springs is only an hour and a half drive. We seriously need some kind of warning system” agreed Thomas.

“I’ve been thinking, we need some kind of reaction force and more security out there” stated Rick.

Thomas thought about it for a moment. “You mean more security over what we have already at the Ranch?”

“Well, not more posts, but a reaction force for sure” explained Rick. “A dedicated eight man team that is either on stand-by or actively training, not working details. If the violence is getting this far outside the major cities, we need a team in place to keep an attacker engaged long enough for the main body of residents to get there. Well, maybe eight is too many, but we need some sort of team. What do you think?”

“Rotating basis, semi-permanent teams, maybe some short range patrolling” said Thomas thinking out loud. “Doesn’t sound like a bad plan.”

“Plus, we need to get those fall back positions done. And we need to try some sort of ex-fil plan on everyone, just in case. A lot of things have been put off that we need to get started on. I believe we all thought we had more time, but that probably isn’t the case” finished Rick.

Thomas thought about what he said and remembered he had planned on getting his own BOB back in order, but had put it off in order to concentrate on other areas. Rick was right though, now was the time not only to prepare better defenses, but to make emergency plans to leave the Ranch if that became an issue. Thomas didn’t think it would come to that, but he had gotten this far by planning on the worst case scenario.

They arrived back at the Ranch and found everyone coming in from their work details. Thomas dropped off Rick at his cabin and went to the Conference Center to collect Angel. He took her home and found that Sharon had been home recently and was cooking up something in the oven, elk by the smell of it. He cleaned up Angel before dinner and got himself cleaned up as well.

Sharon got home, after having gone to the Conference Center to look for Angel. Thomas greeted her with a kiss and Sharon went to check on the elk roast in the oven.

“So how is it going to feel being Mrs. Dayfield instead of Miss Johnson after Sunday?” he asked.

Sharon gave him a smile before answering. “Well, it won’t really change the way we are doing things right now, just makes us officially married.”

“True, but it keeps us from living in sin any longer and makes me officially Angel’s Papa” he replied.

“Baby, you have already been more of a father to her than her biological father ever will be. And as for us living in sin, nobody around here has said a word. But either way, I’m going to be completely happy to be Mrs. Dayfield” she concluded.

During dinner, she talked over the progress on the new storage sheds and how they were almost done. Thomas told her about the little trip he and Rick had made into the town and the trouble they had encountered.

“You mean there are looters that close?” asked Sharon.

“Yes, but we are off the main path here and fairly secluded. I know the Ranch was fairly well known before the attacks, but we can only hope people don’t get the idea to make their way up here and stake a claim. Even if they do, we can chase most of them off” he stated.

Sharon got silent for a moment. “For the first time since we have been here, I’m a little scared. It just gives me the willies thinking about looters being that close.”

“Like I said, I doubt they will come this way. After all, we were just a camping ground to most people. Besides, Rick is coming up with some plans to help us out and secure this place up really good. We will be okay, I promise” said Thomas, who didn’t want to bring up the Bug Out Bag concept to her at this moment.

The rest of the dinner was spent in silence. Sharon had slightly overcooked the elk, but this wasn’t the time to tell her so. They got ready to go to the nightly meeting with Thomas putting on his shoulder holster and 1911 and Sharon her Browning.

“You know, I’m going to have to find you a stainless pistol to match mine, especially before the wedding” he said, teasing her a little.

“Just make sure it has pearl handles so it matches my earrings” she said, teasing back.

They gathered Angel and walked the short distance to the Conference Center where they found they were the first ones there. Thomas had shown Sharon a few days before how to build fires and this was a good opportunity to put her training into practice. Thomas watched her while he built one of his own in the other fireplace. She did not do well as the kindling she was using was too large to start with and the fire burned itself out before catching the larger wood. He showed her the mistake and in no time, she rebuilt it and had a good blaze going.

Others showed up and before long, everyone was gathered. Rick called the meeting to order and gave the floor to Kristy. She stood up and gathered several pieces of paper before addressing the group.

“The inventory is almost complete, just a few minor unimportant things to go. Since he had been on the sick-lame-lazy list, Stephen has been putting it all into the computer and printing out the spreadsheets. Here is what we know for certain right now.”

“We have enough food stored, at current consumption, for twenty two months. This is not taking into account what we will get from the harvest or what game we will take this fall. With rationing, we could go out to twenty-eight months, but I don’t think we will need to do that. Again, this is just the dried goods, canned goods, MREs and whatnot. So we are more than good to go since we are growing our own.”

“As for ammunition, we have enough on hand to destroy South America, even if we do some proficiency firing every month. We also have plenty of reloading supplies to keep us going and Rick has agreed to show us how to operate the reloader. As we agreed before, those weapons we don’t have a lot of ammo for will be used up first, cleaned and placed into storage. Thomas has a plan on how to get those weapons out to everyone before we start hunting.”

“We have enough lumber and building materials to construct pretty much anything we desire. I lost count on the amount of nails, screws and other such items, but we have plenty. As for tools, everyone should have their own household set, but we have spares and duplicates of practically everything. With the extra generators brought out, we can provide power to the workshop full time if we need to. Renee has offered to rewire part of the system there to provide two hookups for the different electrical parts of the building. She can tell you more about it later.”

Kristy continued for several minutes describing the other supplies the group had and how long she thought they might last. She finished her presentation with supplies they didn’t have.

“We are still waiting on Mike Dugger or Scott Carlson to come back with the medical supplies for trade. I think we can part with three sets of the old PVS-7Bs or 7Ds which would leave us with enough for security around here and a couple of spare sets in case of breakage. Either way, George says they owe us some supplies for the cost of the gas we used to get them to their retreat. I have detailed files on all the supplies if anyone so desires to look them over.”

Rick took back the floor, thanked Kristy and asked if there were any questions about the inventory. Sharon asked about the tent that had been promised for the gardens. Kristy told the group she had left it easily accessible and it was in good shape. Rick agreed it would be put up the next day and assigned four people to complete the task.

No further questions were asked about the inventory and Rick briefed over the quick trip he and Thomas made into Cañon City and the possible trouble heading their way. He proposed the plan for the reaction force and asked for the group’s inputs.

“Well, we have been doing well on the tactics training and I think forming permanent teams would be a good idea. Rick is right though, we do need a reaction force to delay attackers, probably vehicle mounted. The question is, how many and what kinds of shifts do they work?” said Darren.

Before the group was able to discuss the plans, Tracy Daniels jumped in. “Wait a minute! What if we don’t want to work it? What if we feel we could make a better contribution in other areas?”

Rick was patient in his answer. “We all have chipped in for the defense of the Ranch. It’s our home and since we really don’t have anywhere else to go, we have to defend it. We may not like it, but we all have to do our part. I don’t understand why you wouldn’t want to defend your home.”

Tracy fell silent after the comments were directed at her. To this point, she had been reluctant to help out in any way. Most chalked this up to the normal period of discomfort they all had experienced, but more thought it was deeper than that. Her quiet resentment of the Ranch and the residents had many boggled since they had accepted her with open arms and tried to help in her transition.

Rick seemed to ignore the questions and continued with the discussion. “If we agree to start this, we will be paired off, military and non-military. Spouses will not be paired off since this could start some child care issues. As with everything, we will put it to a vote. We will work out the details if we agree on it.”

The vote was almost unanimous with the exception of Tracy voting against it and Tim Daniels abstaining. “So since I voted against it, do I still have to do it?” she asked.

Rick’s patience was starting to wear thin, but decided to avoid a confrontation in front of the group. “We can talk about it later, after the meeting if you don’t mind.”

Tracy nodded her head, but had an angry look on her face. The group couldn’t understand why she was acting like she was, but it would be up to Rick to find out. The group discussed the teams and agreed to six person teams including Johnny Thompson and Jeff Holmes. This would give the Ranch four teams for reaction. Rick promised he would work on the team alignment after the meeting and be able to give them a rough pairing before the next meeting.

Rick also informed the group since everything was getting done, they would go to three meetings a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, starting after tomorrow. He wanted to give everyone a chance to look over the roster for the teams and make changes if necessary.

Thomas and Sharon brought up their wedding plans for Sunday and made sure the invitation went out for everyone. Frank asked if it was going to be formal.

Thomas decided to avoid the answer since he hadn’t discussed it with Sharon yet. “We haven’t decided for sure yet, but we can let you know tomorrow.”

Rick asked if there was any more business to be discussed and brought the meeting to a close. Thomas went inside to get Angel while Sharon was being congratulated by some of the wives. When he walked out of the Conference Center, he saw Rick talking to Tracy with her shaking her head side to side. She abruptly pointed her finger in his face, talked for about twenty seconds and turned and walked away. Thomas saw the anger on Rick’s face, but didn’t go and talk to him about it. In due time, Rick would let everyone know what the problem was.

Thomas walked over to Sharon who was discussing the wedding reception with Michelle, Shannon and Cynthia. Sharon volunteered to help out but was denied by Shannon. “It’s your own wedding, sweetheart, why would you want to bake your own cake?”

Sharon thanked the ladies and turned to Thomas for the walk home. They discussed the attitude of Tracy while walking home and if something should be done about it. When they arrived, they got Angel ready for bed and the conversation Thomas had been dreading came up.

“So, just how formal are we going to be?” asked Sharon.

“Well, honestly, I don’t want this to be a suit and tie sort of thing. I mean formal, but informal. Besides, most of the folks here don’t have that kind of clothing” he said.

Sharon was already a little upset and it showed in her voice. “I’m not worried about them, but about us! I never had a formal wedding, just a Justice of the Peace thing. This time it’s going to be proper and I want it to be special.”

Thomas knew this conversation could get out of hand really quickly and tried to steer it in the direction he wanted to avoid sleeping on the couch tonight. He knew the tone of voice she was using was her borderline anger tone so he kept his voice calm as he replied. “But it will be special. You and I will be there and that’s all that is needed to be special. How much more special will it need to be?”

By the look on her face, it was the wrong choice of words. “I want it to be more special! I want us to be dressed up for this! Someday when I look back, I don’t want to remember my husband was wearing blue jeans on our wedding day!” she stated forcefully.

Thomas couldn’t understand where that came from. “I wasn’t going to wear blue jeans! Whatever gave you the idea I would do that?”

“Oh, I know you Thomas Brent Dayfield! You would do just that!” she stated, almost yelling.

“You are seriously getting silly about this! I would never do anything like that!” he returned.

“Oh really? Remember our first date when you showed up in jeans and a polo shirt? You were supposed to impress me! Fat chance of that since you showed up looking like a bum. And that was just the start of your bad taste” she said, almost yelling again, but refraining from doing so since it would wake Angel up.

He wanted to end this quick since they were both getting angrier about the subject. Plus, when a woman starts bringing up history, it can turn real ugly real quick. “Listen, this is our wedding. I wasn’t planning on wearing shorts and a t-shirt, but I will at least wear pants and a button up shirt.”

As soon as the words came out, he knew he had made a mistake and given her an opening. “You sure will be wearing pants and a button up shirt…and a jacket and a tie!”

They continued arguing the point for several minutes before Sharon brought the discussion to a close with two simple sentences.

“You know this isn’t an argument you are going to win. Why are you even fighting about it?” she asked in a calmer voice which Thomas recognized as her extremely upset voice.

Thomas sighed before answering with a question. “I guess I don’t have any choice in my apparel for this?”

Sharon shook her head slowly side to side with her nose pointed upwards and lips puckered. Thomas sighed and thought, Welcome to married life, I get to wear the pants, just as soon as she picks them out.

He put her hand in his before continuing. “Sharon, if you want it to be special by dressing up, then we will have it special.”

“But you aren’t going to like it” she stated, matter of factly in the same tone.

Thomas used his calm voice as he continued. “I never said that, but I want you to be happy and I don’t want to start our marriage by fighting over something so trivial. I will wear my nice gray suit, but everyone else is free to wear what they want. Deal?”

She softened somewhat. “No other buts?”

“No, and I won’t be mad about it either” he said with a smile.

“Yes, you will with that bad Irish temper of yours” she said, smiling back.

He laughed at her comment. “That’s like the pot calling the kettle black, my little tempest. You would have been equally mad if I had continued fighting.”

She smiled and put on her best ‘innocent’ face. “I don’t have a temper. I’m just misunderstood.”

He laughed at her performance. “Misunderstood like calling the sky red. But I love you anyway.”

“You better, Mister” she said while grabbing him around the neck in a hug, happy it had turned out the way it did. She was also surprised at herself, getting over the little spat as quickly as she did.

They were getting ready to turn in for the evening when a knock was heard at the door. Thomas went down to answer it finding Dave, Rick and Darren at his door. Dave spoke first “We need to talk.”

Thomas guided the men over to the chairs on the porch and everyone had a seat. “If this is about my bachelor party boys, I think the bars are all closed.”

Nobody laughed at the comment and Rick spoke. “No, it’s about Tracy Daniels. After the meeting I attempted to talk to her about the guard thing. I wasn’t trying to force her to do it, just get an explanation of why she didn’t want to do it. I mean, there might have been a good reason why, but I never got it. Before I even got the chance to talk to her about it, she jumped down my throat, claiming I was trying to force her to do something she didn’t want to do. I never really got another word in edgewise before she walked off.”

“So after the meeting, Michelle went over to ask her if she would like to help with the wedding reception. Before Michelle even got the chance to ask, Tracy jumped down her throat claiming I put Michelle up to changing her mind. Since she has arrived, she has not done a thing around here except avoid work and complain. Shannon tried to help her out in the garden behind her house, which Shannon had kept up since before she got here. She got the cold shoulder and Shannon’s words fell on deaf ears.”

“Tracy doesn’t want to help out, but eats the food we all paid for and worked to get, sleeps under the roof you paid for and lives under the protection we all provide. I’m sorry, Tom, but that is unacceptable. Everyone around here has had to give up something to protect our family’s future. Quite frankly, she hasn’t given up anything yet, and doesn’t seem like she plans on it anytime soon. So far, Tim has been pulling his fair share of work, but I’m not sure how long that will last. Again, the situation is unacceptable” concluded Rick.

Thomas thought about it for a moment. “Well, you guys came to me, what should be done about it?”

Dave jumped in. “Either she pulls her weight around here or gets out. I like Tim and all, but we are all in this together and everyone needs to help out, including her.”

“Rick, you are the community leader right now, why come to me about this?” asked Thomas.

“I may be the leader, but you still own this property and helped form the group. If we ask her to leave, you would have a major say in that” he answered.

Thomas agreed. “True, but asking her to leave will be a group vote issue. Plus, we never really thought about making someone leave.”

“Well, there is a first for everything” said Darren. “We are just getting a feel for the mood about her right now, nothing more. We thought about having Brian talk to Tim about it.”

“Okay, how about this, in the morning, Brian, Tim, Rick and I will go on an ATV patrol away from the Ranch proper. We can get out to where there is little distraction and he wouldn’t be pressured by her presence. We can let him know how we feel and let him know the possible alternatives if she still doesn’t want to help out” offered Thomas.

“That’s a step in the right direction, but I figure even with Tim talking to her, she will go off on another tirade about being here. I know it’s not an easy place to get used to, but it sure beats the alternative” said Dave.

“What kind of alternatives are we looking at?” asked Darren.

“Easy, she pitches in and works, or gets out. If she refuses, no more food rations for her. It’s not very nice to think of cutting off someone’s food to get what we want, but if she isn’t willing to help us out, we aren’t willing to help her out” stated Rick.

“Tim will probably go with her” said Darren.

“I hate to say it, but I really don’t care. Again, I like Tim and all, but we are in this together and we need one hundred percent from everyone to get by” said Dave.

The group considered the proposal before Darren spoke. “Do you think it’s going to be that easy to cut off their food?”

“Probably not, but what other choice would we have?” answered Thomas.

The question went unanswered and the group got silent. Since they had pretty much decided on a course of action, Thomas moved the conversation away from the dark thoughts. “So, Sharon and I came to an agreement. We are going formal, but everyone else can come as is to the wedding.”

“Cool. I hoped it would be something like that. I’m not going to be totally formal, but I will at least have clothes on” said Darren, laughing.

The other two agreed and stated they would show up in less than formal clothing and the men prepared to leave. Thomas went back upstairs and got ready for bed.

“So what was so important that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?” asked Sharon.

“Oh, the boys were trying to get me to go to the strip club for my bachelor party” he answered with a grin on his face.

She gave him the “look” and stated “Seriously, wise guy.”

Thomas briefly explained the problems with Tracy and how the consensus was to take some sort of action. He further explained they were going to talk to Tim in the morning.

“It probably won’t do any good, she won’t care. I’ve tried to be nice to her, but she acts like I’ve got three heads. She seems to treat everyone that way. It’s not fair she lives here and does nothing. If it’s a matter of not knowing how to do something, she can learn like I am doing” said Sharon.

“I know baby, but it might not be easy to make her leave” he said.

“What’s so hard about it?” she asked. “No work, no food. Simple solution.”

“Simple to say, hard to do” he returned. “I don’t like the idea of using starvation as a tool to get what we want.”

She looked at him and offered another perspective. “You do realize we all would starve if we didn’t work?”

Thomas smiled at his wife to be. “That’s why I’m marrying you, you’re so smart and all.”

CHAPTER 19 – THE DAY


Time since attacks: 117 days
Date/Time: 15 August/1356 Local
Location: The Ranch


The next morning, Thomas met his team by the tool shed near the fields where they grabbed shovels, picks, axes, machetes, bow saws and hatchets. They loaded the tools up into the Dakota and went to the barn where they located sandbags and grabbed a few hundred to start on the fall back positions. The drove the old logging road to the first fall back point identified by George and began work. They sighted in defensive positions and began to clear the underbrush and the scrub oak bushes so prevalent in Colorado from the area where the families would gather first. They saved any wood over an inch in diameter and put it in the back of the truck so it could be seasoned for later use as firewood. After they finished an area large enough for the families to gather, they moved on to working on the defensive positions. They would return when they were done with those to complete some battlements at the gathering area, but wanted to work from the outside perimeter to the inside.

During this time, Brian brought up the idea of creating overhead cover for the area where the families would gather.

“I don’t think we have enough lumber for that, but we could do something natural, like lashings” answered Thomas. The fire team thought it was a good idea, though, but wanted to get the basic fall back positions done before improving them further.

While Kristy and Thomas were digging the first DFP, Amber and Brian were clearing the fields of fire for the positions. The work was going slow and little progress was made by lunchtime. A new strategy was discussed and the group would make hasty fighting positions first, then bring the Bobcat or backhoe up to entrench them further. Immediately after lunch, they started digging the rest of the hasty fighting positions and the work progressed faster. Thomas and Kristy had switched places with Amber and Brian throughout the afternoon, so a work-rest cycle was established since the cutting of the underbrush was not as physically intensive as the digging was.

By 2:30, they started gathering the tools and made their way to the cannery near the Trading Post. Cynthia, Janet and Michelle were already busy inside canning various items and were ready to put on their demonstration. Thomas had learned from Cynthia a couple of years before, but figured this would be a good refresher. Sharon had wisely brought a notepad and was busy writing down the procedures for canning the various vegetables. Each person got a turn at trying it out and even though there were some problems, everyone seemed to grasp the concept.

They were complete by 5:30 and the three teachers agreed to overwatch the canning until everyone was more comfortable with it. Renee, the oncoming community leader, and Rick agreed to this and kept two of the three on that duty until they felt everyone had the concept. Tomorrow would be a repeat of today, with the same groups going to the same work locations. Thomas collected Sharon, who was busy asking Michelle some questions and headed home, stopping by the Conference Center to pick up Angel.

“This is one benefit of being here I never imagined” said Sharon.

“What is that sweetie?” asked Thomas.

“Free child care. You don’t know how much money I threw out paying for a babysitter for Angel. Not that money counts for a whole lot right now anyway” she said with a smile.

The three returned home where Thomas got a shower first since he had been digging that day and Sharon fixed a simple dinner. Over supper, Sharon brought up an interesting point. “We were weeding and collecting like crazy today and filling up the trash cans with the yanked weeds. Instead of running them through the mulcher, could they be burned instead and use the ashes to mix in with the dirt?”

“Also, I remember reading about something called ‘mulch tea’ on a gardening website a few years ago. Something about running water over old dead plants and then filtering it for the larger stuff. Supposedly the nutrients from the old plants are absorbed in the water and it makes kind of a Miracle-Gro” she said.

“Did you ever try that?” asked Thomas.

“No,” she answered. “I always cheated and bought the stuff from the store.”

“I think the burning would be possible for sure, as for the mulch tea thing, we can check with Michelle, she has the most experience in gardening” said Thomas.

“If you want, I think I remember how some people built their own mulch filters and I think I could reverse engineer them, or at least try” offered Sharon.

“Honey, we aren’t going to stop you from being over eager up here. Trust me” said Thomas.

“Okay, after the wedding and after our ‘honeymoon’ I will look at it” she said.

The two finished eating and cleaned the dishes before calling it a night. Thomas read a book to Angel, who was asleep by the fourth page. He turned in himself not long after and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next day was a repeat except for having the Bobcat to dig out the positions. Thomas was the operator of the Bobcat since the rest of his team did not know how to operate it. The dirt from the holes was saved for use in the sandbags. Filling the sandbags was hard work, but they managed to get all the positions except for three complete. They started adding natural camouflage to the positions, some of which was the underbrush they had so recently cut. They also transplanted some younger brush and plants and added them into loose dirt piled on top of the sandbags. When they were complete, the positions were not easy to detect from more than seventy-five meters away. They knew the Army manual called for thirty-five meters, but as with all positions, they would continue to improve them.

By the end of the day, Thomas showed his entire team how to operate the Bobcat and had them take turns digging out a parapet which was going in the center of the fallback position for the families to have some cover. As time went on, they would become more proficient at driving the small earthmover and Thomas made a mental note to have everyone capable of driving the equipment become trained in its use. Thomas drove the slow machine back to the barn where it was stored and walked back home since the rest of his team had finished putting away all the tools.

At the end of the day, Thomas went home and packed an overnight bag for his trip to the Conference Center. Sharon wasn’t around so Thomas left her a note telling her he loved her and reminding her to be out of the house by 11:00 the next day. He walked into the Conference Center and found Stu and Heather making some dinner for themselves. Thomas reached into his bag and pulled out a can of soup and some bread and heated it as well.

“Ummm, did you and Sharon have a fight?” asked Stu.

“No, she is old fashioned and wanted to be alone on the wedding eve. I promise I’m not in any trouble” answered Thomas with a laugh.

“Hey man, no problem. It’s actually none of my business anyway” offered Stu in the way of an apology.

“It’s no big deal” said Thomas, accepting the silent apology.

“But there is something I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why did you all ask me to join the group?” asked Stu.

“Besides the fact we were just being nice?” said Thomas with a smile.

“Yeah, besides that, seriously, I’m a lot younger than most everyone here, except those family members who are children. I mean, why me?” he asked.

“Well, first off, your name came under consideration at the same time we invited the Parsons, the Holmes, Frank and the Daniels. You have good morals and are a decent person. Second, you have mad skills in how to build and fix things and we figured you would come in handy in case we need maintenance or construction around here. Overall, you are a good person with good skills to help make this work around here” stated Thomas.

Stuart Donaldson was a regular whiz when it came to fixing things and coming up with ingenious designs to make things easier. He had grown up working in his father’s contracting business which specialized in construction and maintenance and probably had enough knowledge stored away to earn at least two dozen special certifications. He was currently reading a book about solar power and solar power applications, trying to expand his knowledge of items around the Ranch.

“Well, Stu here is a regular whiz, but I have no idea why you invited me to join” stated Heather, more of a question, rather than a fact.

“Heather, as I’ve told you for a long time, you aren’t a bad kid. Yes, you got in a little trouble here and there, but you always did what you were told and did it very well. You always showed me you could follow orders and aside from a little attitude problem, normally followed them very well. I typically wanted to drown you when you copped an attitude, but restrained myself from doing so. I knew you had it in you to make it up here and it took a lot of begging to allow you to stay. I even had to give up the Swedish bikini team for you, so don’t screw it up” said Thomas with a smile.

Heather laughed at the joke and stated “I will” to the man who had become a sort of surrogate father to her. She looked up to him and was happy at least one person in the military had looked past her problems and seen her potential. She was also glad it was him since he had saved her life by bringing her here. She wanted to make sure she adapted as much as possible to the lifestyle here without any problems and would continue striving to earn the respect of everyone.

The three talked for a while longer before Thomas excused himself to shower before bed. He was a little nervous about tomorrow and had trouble falling asleep. He finally dozed off around midnight.

The next morning, Thomas woke up and found Heather was preparing enough breakfast for all of them. They ate in silence and Thomas cleaned the dishes and cookware for them. At around 9:00, people started showing up to prepare the Conference Center for the reception following the wedding. Thomas helped until Janie Holmes chased him off stating with a wink “Tom, this is your wedding, let us do the work since you will have your hands full tonight and need not wear yourself out.”

The clock seemed to stand still, but it was finally 10:45. Close enough, he thought and went home to shower, shave and change. He found Sharon had laid out everything for him, even matching his tie. After his shower, he set out his shaving items and proceeded to cut away the four day growth on his face. Since arriving at the Ranch, most of the men had chosen to shave sporadically or not at all. Thomas chose a middle road, shaving out a goatee since Sharon liked it when he did that. After finishing up, he got dressed in his gray suit. It wasn’t extremely warm today, so the suit would not be stifling in the outdoor wedding.

After dressing, he walked back to the Conference Center and brought Mongo with him for Stu to watch during the “honeymoon.” He found everyone still busy preparing for the reception and the wedding. A lot of work in a short time frame was going into this wedding. Rick approached Thomas and asked a question that had been on everyone’s mind. “Hey, dude. Who is going to be your best man?”

Thomas thought about it for a minute before answering. “Honestly, everyone here is a good friend and deserves to be my best man. I think I can go without one.”

“No can do buddy, Sharon said ‘pick a best man or else.’ Michelle and Shannon are going to be her bridesmaids and she insisted you have at least one best man” stated Rick, wearing a suit.

Thomas paused before continuing. “Well, I guess you need to gather Dave, Darren and yourself and decide which two will have the honors. You three are my best friends and two of you get the duty.”

While Rick went over and gathered the other two to explain the situation, the Minister approached Thomas. “I never realized your friends were so persuasive.”

“I’m sorry?” said Thomas.

The Minister laughed. “Well, instead of a shotgun wedding we have an assault rifle wedding. Apparently you made some daddy really mad somewhere or they are going to force you down the aisle. Your friend Rick says it’s about time you got married and I suppose he is going to make sure you end up at the altar, one way or another.”

Thomas laughed as well. “Nah, you know cops. We can’t go anywhere without at least one gun, even to a wedding.”

Besides Team 2 dressed out in their tactical gear and having their rifles ready, everyone else was armed to some degree. Thomas could see everyone had their pistol on their side and had their rifles sitting nearby. It was comical to see people in suits, ties and dresses wearing a pistol or carrying a rifle. The world changed so much we have to carry firearms to a wedding, even though the bride to be isn’t in any of THAT kind of trouble, at least that we know of, thought Thomas with a smile. Just one more thing in the world that shouldn’t be “normal.”

Thomas also noticed the men dressed up formally. Apparently, the ladies of the Ranch had enforced the formal dress code and the men had little say so in their apparel for the wedding. It had apparently gone out through the unofficial channels that Sharon wanted a formal wedding and she and Thomas were going to be dressed nice. The ladies of the Ranch had gone to the trouble of making sure everyone was dressed presentably, all except the reaction team. Even they were wearing their nicest sets of fatigues and had pressed them before coming. We wear the pants, but they pick them out. He chuckled and the Minister asked what was so funny.

“Well, the other day, the guys were pretty happy about this being a less than formal affair and told me they were going to be dressed less than formally. Apparently their wives had other plans” said Thomas.

“Not unlike my wife when she was alive. I never got the option of picking out my own clothes. A Sunday never went by that I wasn’t in the pulpit wearing something she had picked out. Once I said to myself ‘I’ll show her and pick my own clothing’ and ignored what she had left out for me. Only halfway through my sermon I discovered I had on mismatched socks and my tie didn’t match the suit. I wondered why she had sat in the pews with that smirk on her face the whole time. Since that day, I stopped arguing and let her pick out my clothes” the Minister chuckled.

Thomas looked over and saw Darren, Dave and Rick deciding who would be the best man in a rather unorthodox manner. They were playing rock, paper, and scissors to determine who would have the honors. Apparently, Darren and Rick came off the winners and Darren asked Dave to take his place on the reaction force so he could go home and change. Both men left the Conference Center and Thomas told everyone the wedding would be delayed for a few minutes while they sorted out the best man situation.

After fifteen minutes, Dave reappeared, having changed into ABUs, wearing his tactical gear and carrying his M1A rifle. He was followed by Darren less than five minutes later who had changed into a suit very similar to what Thomas was wearing. Everyone took their place and the wedding got underway.

Someone had thoughtfully started the generator and wedding music was playing over the speaker system. Thomas wondered where they had come up with wedding music and decided it was unimportant at this moment. Darren, Rick, Michelle and Shannon came walking down the makeshift isle followed by Angel who was throwing flower petals like crazy. The wedding march started and Sharon was escorted in by George, the oldest member of the community, who would be giving her away. She was wearing a beautiful old wedding dress Thomas didn’t know she had. Sharon had brought out the family heirloom on the night of their escape and she and Shannon had spent some time getting the dress altered for the wedding. Shannon had also made simple bridesmaid dresses for herself and Michelle.

The Minister got the wedding underway and, as predicted, was a little rusty. However, after a few minutes, he got back into the groove and had things rolling along. He quoted several passages of the Bible and got to the objections part. Of course, nobody objected and the wedding proceeded without incident.

The wedding got to the vows, something Thomas had not planned for. Sharon went first and got done with hers. Thomas quickly made up vows on the spot and all were touched by his words.

“I vow to make your life more important than my own. To love, honor and cherish you from now to eternity. To love the million little things about you equally. I vow to keep you safe and protected, loving you every second of the way. I vow, for the rest of my life, to make you the only love I will ever share with anyone. And when I die someday, I vow the last thought in my mind will be of you and the love I have for you.”

Sharon was moved by his words and tears formed down her face. The Minister moved on with the wedding and got to the ring exchange. George pulled the rings out of his pocket and handed them to each person. This was a surprise to Sharon since she didn’t know he had the rings. In his Mother’s will, she had left the rings for Thomas and whomever he had married. The Minister commented “Well, you are a little old to be a traditional ring bearer, but I suppose you will do.”

The group laughed and the wedding continued. Ring exchanges were completed and the Minister pronounced them man and wife. As Thomas and Sharon gave the ceremonial kiss, Brian shouted from the group “It’s about time, Tom!”

The group laughed and hooted at the newlyweds. Thomas felt a little overwhelmed at that moment since he had never been married before, but was now responsible for his new family. It was a feeling he liked and knew it would never go away. Rice, from the long term food storage, was thrown at the two as they marched the short distance to the reception hall. The group had gone all out preparing a feast for the couple. Dinner was served and during the reception afterwards, the champagne Thomas had in storage for the corporate retreats was passed out for toasts. Rick had the last toast for the dinner and was the best.

“Well, we’ve been after Tom for years to get married and it finally happened. Most of us know him, some better than others, and wondered if he would ever take the plunge. He finally found someone with a worse temper than his who will actually keep him in line. We all have gotten to know Sharon since we got here and we all kind of figure she will call the whole thing off when she sobers up.” Laughter followed the last comment and Rick continued. “I have no doubt these two will be happy for all times. Thomas is a grumpy old man who is actually happy when she is around, so that’s a marked improvement over what he normally is. Sharon is happy with him as well since she gets all moody and sour when he is off ‘playing hero’ as she is fond of telling it. But when they are together, they are happy and in love.”

“So, I toast to you. For eternal love for you two, for eternal happiness for the two of you, to everlasting devotion to the happiness and love you will share. From all of us, we wish you long life, health and prosperity from now to eternity.”

Everyone was moved by the toast and Thomas and Rick shared a handshake and a hug. He also received a kiss from Sharon. After the toast, Thomas and Sharon shared the traditional first dance and were joined by the rest of the group on the next song. The cake was brought out not long afterwards. It was a simple affair, baked in the larger oven of the Conference Center. Janie and Michelle had done the baking and Shannon had done the decorating. The group had gone all out for the wedding on such short notice and felt they owed it to Thomas and Sharon for giving them a new life at the Ranch.

The reception lasted far longer than planned and started breaking up around 5:00. Sharon tossed her bouquet of wild flowers to the ladies on the Ranch and was caught by Nicole Thompson, much to the dismay of her father. Thomas tossed the garter and it was caught by Frank. Darren made the group crack up when he yelled “You stay away from my daughter, Frank!” Frank made them roll on the floor when he went over and received a kiss on the cheek from Nicole, again to the dismay of her father who laughed along with everyone else.

Sharon and Thomas said goodbye to Angel before getting ready to leave. She would be staying with the Parsons for the next three nights to give the newlyweds a little time to themselves. A “limo’ was provided by George in his full sized Chevy Suburban and drove the two the short distance to their home. Thomas carried her into the house and over the threshold. Once inside, they got down to the business of married people alone in their house for the first time…

CHAPTER 21 – RETURN FROM EXILE


Time since attacks: 123 days
Date/Time: 21 August/1831 Local
Location: The Ranch


The next day, almost the entire group worked in the fields gathering the ripe vegetables from the various plants. Tracy came out to lend a hand and was given long looks by several of the group members. They quietly approached Renee and asked what the deal was. Renee told them the Daniels were staying until their vehicle could be repaired and during that time if Tracy wanted to help, she was more than welcome to. They would continue to be hospitable to the Daniels family until such time as the group could discuss the matter fully and because they left the group and had not been voted out. It was a pretty flimsy reason, but the group went along with it, figuring Renee had some other reason for it.

That evening, the Lawsons cooked up dinner for everyone at the Ranch prior to the meeting. Everyone showed for the dinner and a spirited explanation about the battle the day before was given by Tim.

“We were heading west when we left and didn’t find much of anything there. Small towns were pretty much made into fortresses and there were plenty of roadblocks up along the route. Cañon City is still looking pretty rough, by the way. We stayed on the outskirts of town for the most part, but there was still evidence of burning homes or businesses and we heard gunfire several times. After the first night, we decided to go east through Colorado Springs or Pueblo and try to make the trip as early in the morning as possible. We camped out off of Highway 50 past Cañon City the night before we made it back, well off the roadway. There was little traffic on the roadway and we found out why the next day.”

“We got up early and headed out east on 50 towards Pueblo. While we were going down the road, we saw a roadblock in the distance, but stopped well short of it. That didn’t matter as there were enough of the men there awake to warn the others and give chase. Tracy was driving and we turned around and tried to get away. They sent three vehicles after us, the two trucks and one car. The car was pretty fast and caught up to us in no time at all and started firing at us. I grabbed my M-4 and started firing back from the side and hit both the gunner in the sunroof and the driver. The car spun out of control and wrecked on the side of the road.”

“By this time, the trucks were starting to catch up to us. We were loaded down pretty well so we weren’t able to go as fast as we could have, but we still kept the speed pretty respectable. Anyway, I managed to hit one of the guys in the lead truck and it seemed to just make them madder. They came after us even more when we made it through Cañon City. Just as we made it on the outside of town, they hit one of the rear tires, slowing us down even further. I told Tracy to head back this way, hoping you all may have been able to help us out. As we were coming here, I got another one in the front truck and they got me in the arm and took out the other rear tire.”

“When we were close enough, that’s when I radioed in to you all. If you hadn’t been here, I doubt we would have made it much further. I don’t know why they were chasing us so hard. It was weird. But I am eternally grateful you all were here to help us out.”

“Who were they anyway?” asked Darren.

“We pulled identification from most of them, normal driver’s licenses and whatnot. None seemed to be hard core criminal types, at least as far as we could tell. The weapons were non-military issue except the one M-16. Probably just a gang of people extorting refugees coming through the roads” answered Thomas.

“Any signs of Loyalist forces?” asked Michael.

“No” answered Tim. “Strangely enough there were several abandoned checkpoints we encountered. It was like they had been there recently and just upped and left.”

“So the question is; who were those guys and can we expect more of them?” asked Renee.

The group was quiet for a moment before George broke the silence. “I think we probably can expect more of them. I mean, with us being off the main highways a good distance, we won’t be a huge target. But we will be a target, you can guarantee that.”

“And another question” said Janie. “What happens if we take survivors? It’s not like we have a sheriff to call to haul them away.”

The group pondered that thought for a moment and decided to discuss it in depth later during the meeting. The conversation moved on to other subjects and the dinner came to a close. The entire group assisted in cleanup and the fires were lit on the deck. The group gathered on the deck and the children were ushered inside to play games with Nicole.

Renee brought the meeting to order and brought up the request made of Tracy. She gave the floor to Tracy and sat down, giving Tracy the opportunity to speak her case. “I’m here tonight to ask the group to consider our request to rejoin. I know I left under bad circumstances, but I-“

She was cut off by Stephen. “Why would we reconsider that kind of request? How do we know you won’t act like you did before?”

Tracy was too shocked at the question to immediately respond. While she didn’t expect a warm welcome back, she certainly didn’t expect such hostility. George came to her rescue.

“She was granted permission to speak in front of the group here. Why don’t you let her finish before asking questions and being so rude?” asked George, an order in the form of a question. He turned to Tracy. “Go ahead and continue, please.”

Tracy let the minor interruption slide and did not react as she normally would have. She would have to be very diplomatic tonight if she was to get the group to agree to let her back in. “I know I was a major pain in the butt before I left. I didn’t realize just how good we had it here and convinced Tim to leave without thinking everything through. I realize that was a huge mistake and I’m asking the group to consider at least letting him and my son stay. If I have to go to make sure they have a future, than that’s what I will do.”

Tim attempted to interrupt her, but she cut him short. “Tim, let me finish, please” she said, grateful she could still be curt with her ex-husband. “Anyway, I am making the request on their behalf, but I am making a request for myself as well. I apologize for my behavior and I know I should have known better. I was a guest here and I shouldn’t have acted the way I did since I was a guest. I also know there isn’t anywhere for us to go besides here and I was mistaken in thinking there might have been.”

“I’m begging the group to consider the request. I will do any job, any duty you ask without problems. I will learn whatever I have to learn in order to blend with the group. I know trust will be an issue since my attitude was poor the first time, but I’ve changed. Give me a chance to prove it. But, if the group feels like I should leave, consider the request for Tim and my son. As long as they are safe, I don’t care about rejoining. I can find someplace to go, but I will always know they are safe and not have to worry about where their next meal comes from.”

The entire group fell silent as they took in what she had said. Some thought it was just a way of her trying to take advantage again and would resort to her old ways after she joined. They thought she was just saying what they wanted to hear and would base he decision on pity. Others thought she was telling the truth and wanted to give her a chance. Stephen was the first to ask questions. “Okay, same question as before. How do we know you won’t pull the same stunts as before?”

“Honestly, Stephen, I can’t give you a good answer to that. At least, I have no credibility here and my word probably doesn’t mean much. But those that know me, know when I say something, I will do it, or die trying. I promise the group here I have seen the error of my ways and I’m willing to change in order to stay” she answered.

Several members of the group knew Tracy for a long time and knew when she put her mind to something, she wouldn’t stop. Janet asked the next question. “What kind of skills can you bring to the group?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t think of much anything that will help the group out here. I was an administrator of personnel for a computer company before the Fall. I can cook, sure, but I guess I have to learn everything from the ground up before I can make a contribution. But I am willing to learn” she answered.

Sharon thought back to the things she needed to learn when she first got here and found she was in the same position as this woman in front of the group. The major difference was Sharon had readily accepted the group’s hospitality, while Tracy had not. Nobody had any other questions and Tracy and Tim were asked to leave so the group might discuss the matter in private. Tracy looked like she was about to object, but took Tim’s hand and picked up their son and walked inside.

The debate that began once they left was lively with two distinct camps forming on the different ends. One group, the larger, wanted to help fix their vehicle and send them on their way. The other group, slightly smaller, was willing to give them a second chance at a new life on the Ranch. It continued for almost fifteen minutes before Tracy found an unusual ally.

“I kind of know how she feels” said Heather, starting her small speech. “I know a lot of you didn’t like the fact I was being invited into the group since I had a history of having a bad attitude. I know I had to grow up and change with the world and I’ve done everything I can to blend in with the group up here. Sure, I still have my problems, but who doesn’t? I think she has realized the world changed and the old rules no longer apply. I would say we allow them back in, but for a probationary period. Kind of like the same thing you all did with me. I know I was on probation before we got here and it made me perform even harder to fit in. Give it a month or so probationary period and see how she fits in. After a month, we readdress the situation and find out exactly where she stands. Until that point, she joins up, helps out with whatever duties she is asked and neither of them have a vote in group matters until they are voted in as full members. It’s kind of a compromise to see just how good her word is and gives her a little more time to adjust. I’m willing to give her a chance.”

The reasoning given by Heather swayed a few members. The debate, not as spirited as before, went on for a few minutes but the members were fairly well set in their minds by now. Renee called for a vote, a secret ballot since it was such a controversial topic. Renee took out a small note pad and tore off enough pieces of paper for the voting age members and handed them over, explaining a yes vote meant they could rejoin and a no vote meant they needed to leave. She also explained a two-thirds majority was required for them to come back.

Everyone wrote down their vote and put it in the empty Number 10 can Renee took around the circle. As she counted the votes, she could see there was a possibility they could not be allowed back in. She came up one vote shy of a two thirds majority but remembered she had not voted. She cast the final “Yes” ballot in favor of letting them stay, partially swayed by both Tracy and Heather’s speeches. Nicole was called in to recount the votes, just in the spirit of fairness and so no one could claim the vote was rigged. The casting came out exactly the same and the Daniels were invited back onto the porch and given the news. The ballots, since they were controversial, were placed in the fire to burn so it was kept a secret as to who voted for what.

When the Daniels returned, they were given the decision and the conditions of their probation. Both Tracy and Tim thanked the group and promised to make every effort to become full-fledged members of the group. The meeting moved on to other subjects including a recap of the events of the day and what to do with survivors. The solution ran from building a holding cell and forcing the people to work the farm to banishment. A few even thought that a firing squad might be a good idea, but never voiced their suggestion. As they were humans, if they were wounded, they would receive medical attention. If they were alive and surrendered, the group decided to take them at least fifty miles away from the Ranch and set them off minus any weapons they could use to harm others. No food or water would be given and they would be blindfolded the entire way. It seemed like a waste of gas to some members, but they could not come up with any better alternatives to sending them away. Another vote was held and the majority agreed this was the wisest course of action when dealing with bandits. Thomas also stated he would set aside a plot of land for graves in case they didn’t survive. Simple tombstone markers made out of wood would mark the site with the date of their demise and the names if they knew them. The group also thought this was a good idea and Ryan agreed to put up the first sign for the nine that had died the previous day.

The next point of business was about what people the group might invite to become members. A doctor was at the top of the list and several more occupations were discussed. Additional security personnel came up in the discussion, but was dismissed since the group already had a good knowledge base of that critical area. In the end, the list included farmers, doctors, ranchers, metal workers, mechanics; both auto and general engine, and even included some highly advanced skills like solar power engineers and pharmacists. In the end, the listing was not extensive, but had a broad base of knowledge for additional members to be invited to join.

The issue of living space came up and those families that had more room than others agreed to house the individuals until new accommodations could be built. Sharon briefed the group the shelters had taken some of their wood supplies, but not much as they still had plenty left over to build small cabins or houses. However, the more residents they chose, the more supplies they would need, plus the factors of water, sewage and power would be a problem. Stu agreed to think about the time his family had been working new housing tracts and would remember all the little details of building new homes. Thomas also informed the group he had a small portable sawmill and planer in the barn that had been his father’s, so making new lumber might not be as hard as they thought as long as the wood had been properly seasoned. He had not used the device in a few years, but it worked well the times he had used it or had seen his father using it. The group agreed to move it to the workshop and give it a try in the coming days with some of the seasoned deadfall from around the Ranch. An overhang for the woodshop was planned for the rear where the group could work in the rain or snow making new materials.

The meeting moved on to the work assignments the next day and Tim asked what duties he and Tracy would be involved in. Renee assigned them to a work detail, but kept them out of the guard force rotation for the time being. She explained that during the probationary period, they would be responsible for the defense of the families and not with the main defensive forces. Tim wasn’t that happy with the decision, but Tracy felt it was a great honor for them to place enough faith in her to defend their families in case of attack.

The work listing was given the once over by the group before they broke for the night. A few items were crossed off the list and a few new ones put on. With the harvest rapidly approaching, the group’s main efforts would be the gathering and preserving of the crops they had raised.