Posted: 5/19/2009 1:54:02 PM EDT
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Here's a little tornado/flooding/looting SHTF short story. This one will only be 3 or 4 chapters.
Chapter 1 Batten Down The Hatches April in central Georgia is unpredictable. One day may bring torrential rains with lows in the fifties, while the next few days warm into the eighties as the skies transform into a vivid blue courtesy of a brilliant sun. One April barely receives the typical 3 inch rainfall while the next passes that mark in a few short days. This area of the state, where the plateau of the piedmont meets the flat coastal plains, is prone to seasonal flooding and is equally affected by warm, moist air from the Gulf and cold drafts of Canadian air. Storm cells make their hasty, violent appearance on an unpredictable basis. Even though Kevin Fuller grew up with the erratic swings in the weather, he never really became used to them. The flash floods and sudden temperature swings didn’t bother him, though. It was those damned tornados that troubled him this time of year. Unlike the several days of warnings that come with hurricanes, tornados announce their visit with only hours or minutes of notice. Two years before, he drove to the auto parts store in town in the middle of a fierce storm. The minute he entered the store, the tornado sirens sounded their eerie cry. That same shrill warning he came to fear in grade school when the teachers would herd the children into the hall to sit with their heads tucked between their legs and their backs to the outer walls. Kevin immediately headed for home, passing the splintered remains of the credit union that, only minutes before, stood in pristine condition. The concrete and steel vault was the sole survivor, standing in defiance. A large red oak, draped with a collection of downed power lines, blocked most of the wide road. Many of the pecan trees in the grove behind the credit union were mutilated, not uprooted but ripped and knurled five feet or so up the trunk. It looked as if some large hand had simply twisted and plucked the tops right off and deposited them in some unseen place. Off to the west, a fifty-yard wide and arcing swath was cut through dense pines as far as he could see. Kevin, his family and home, located only a few miles away, escaped completely unscathed. Not even a shingle was lost. Such is the manner of these spring tornados, sparing one home and totally destroying the one right next door. That same tornado destroyed his uncle’s home, leaving him and his family huddled in the half-wrecked closet of the only standing room left in the house. Kevin was without power for several days, though, and totally unprepared to deal with the effects. This storm was the breaking point. He decided at that moment to be better prepared for the next one. Another April rolled around, the center of the usual three-month severe weather season. Kevin, his wife Sharon and two sons performed their nightly ritual; the boys set the table and Kevin put ice in the glasses while Sharon finished cooking supper. Like any other night, the six o’clock evening news played on the small TV on the kitchen counter. “Wanna hear the weather?” Sharon asked as she turned up the volume. The weather guy was just starting his report in front of the projected map. “Folks, you better batten down the hatches tonight. Doppler radar shows that we’re in for some pretty rough weather tonight and tomorrow morning as storms continue to move up from the Gulf. It will continue to affect most areas of the state but it’s going to be more severe than usual for us. Doppler shows a well-defined circulation, known as a mesocyclone in meteorology jargon, building up in our area. This phenomenon can produce a rotating thunderstorm known as a supercell. Now supercells can produce very strong winds, hail, lightning and flash flooding and of course it means tornados are possible as well. In fact, the National Weather Service has already put central Georgia in a tornado watch throughout the night, meaning conditions are favorable. So be safe out there, folks. If you experience strong winds or storms, seek shelter immediately. Combine this forecast with the fact that we’ve had over 8 inches of rain over the last couple of weeks, and we could have quite a mess on our hands. The Ocmulgee River is at 17 feet in Macon, a foot away from flood stage. Now later in the week, we expect…” “Well there goes our fishing trip, boys. I guess the crappie will have to wait” Kevin stated. Luke, Kevin’s 10-year old son spoke up. “Pop says the fish don’t care; they’re already wet!” “Yeah, but I’m not crazy about fishing in the rain and this isn’t your average April shower, either.” “Fine with me. I had other plans for tomorrow morning” Kevin’s oldest son Mark said in concurrence. He had plans to sleep in late, his favorite pastime. After supper, Kevin began to bark orders in preparation for the storm. Sharon couldn’t stand it when he got in one of these moods. She would sometimes give him a hard time about it but, more often than not, would just complain to her mother during one of their one-hour phone calls. “Alright boys, help your mom clean up the kitchen then come outside to the shop. Mark, test fire the generator while I fill the water containers. Luke, you fill the empty milk jugs and stick them in the deep freezer. Sharon, check the batteries in the flashlights and change out the batteries in the weather radio” Kevin directed. “They were all OK two weeks ago, they’re OK now” Sharon shot back. “Don’t you think you’re overreacting a little bit?” “You must not remember the smell of the food rotting in the freezer a couple years ago. Or maybe you forgot about washing your hands in the bird bath” Kevin snapped back. “No, but I do remember you frying the computer, TV and tread mill when you cranked up the generator last time” Sharon responded with a deviant grin. “You had to bring that up, didn’t you? Hush and wash dishes woman!” Kevin said with a half-joking smile. Sharon’s glare silently communicated the cost of that comment. As the wind and rain picked up, Kevin ran out to rotate the water stores. Under the lean-to behind the shop, he emptied the Clorox-treated water from a dozen military water cans and soft drink syrup barrels and refilled them with fresh water. He watched the water pool as the saturated ground failed to absorb the contents. Later, Mark came out to fuel and fire the generator before moving it closer to the outlet that fed the house. After Luke filled the milk jugs, he loaded them into a wheel barrow and the trio headed back inside. “Mark, you and Luke put the milk jugs in the deep freezer” Kevin directed. “Why do you want to freeze them Dad?” “If we lose power, we’ll use them for ice in the coolers.” They squared everything away before Kevin looked out the kitchen window. The winds increased dramatically. A large gust would come up intermittently, bending the young sawtooth oak in the back yard. He thought the leaves, quickly flipping in unison from the upper dark side to the bottom lighter side, resembled a school of shad suddenly changing direction after detecting a preying bass. The rain increased in volume and velocity as the ever-increasing wind changed it’s trajectory from vertical to nearly sideways. Some of the drops began to transform to hail, bouncing off the windows on the back room before settling on the patio. “Alright boys, hurry up and take a shower and brush your teeth.” She knew they would lose power temporarily, at the least. It happened just about every time it got cloudy out where they lived. Kevin told her they were on the end of the electrical power line. Their area always seemed to be the first to lose power and the last to get it back. After the nightly routine was completed, the boys turned in for bed. Sharon and Kevin turned on the local news for the latest information on the weather only to find that the satellite lost its signal in the increasingly cloudy sky. They decided to call it a night themselves. Before they turned in, Kevin decided to turn off the thunderstorm alert function on his programmable Midland radio while leaving the tornado and flooding alerts on. He knew the thunderstorm alarm would go off all night. The wind continued to whistle around the house as the rain pelted the siding and windows mercilessly. Sleep came in increments as the lightning and thunder heralded the approaching storm. An hour before daybreak, the weather radio finally screamed its alert for a tornado warning. Kevin turned off the alarm before turning on the radio to hear the robotic male voice announcing the warning. “The National Weather Service in Peachtree City has issued a tornado warning for the following counties in central Georgia: Bibb County in central Georgia, Crawford County is central Georgia, Houston County in central Georgia, Jones County…” Kevin turned it off and told Sharon he was getting up to check the weather. The satellite was still without signal. He checked the local news website for weather alert. The power flickered an instant before the computer’s battery back-up gave off its audible activation signal. The Doppler radar showed a twelve county area blanketed by rain and high wind with a ring of five counties getting the brunt of it. After refreshing the page, he noticed new alerts of tornado sightings in the county to the southwest of his own. A few minutes later, the heavy rain turned to hail. Kevin opened the front door and looked to the southwest towards town. He couldn’t see for the darkness and precipitation, except for the quick flashes of lightning filtered by the cloudy sky. Dust began to sandblast his face as the winds shifted intensely. Sharon stood just inside the door. “Should I wake the kids and get them to the basement?” “I think so. I’m just trying to see which way it’s headed.” Blue-green flashes of light could be seen in the distance, low to the ground and extremely intense. “What is that?” “Transformers popping.” Then he heard the rumbling. Maybe it’s thunder. No, it’s still rumbling and it’s getting louder. It’s coming this way. “Get ‘em up now and head for the basement!” Kevin grabbed a flashlight and opened the door to the basement. He turned toward the kids’ bedrooms in time to find they were already headed his way. The power went out as they headed down the stairs. Mark tripped and fell down the steps before Kevin could turn his flashlight on. Kevin shut the door behind him as his heart raced. He could only sense the rumbling, low-pitched bass of the strengthening wind in the black darkness. They ran into the storage closet on the north side of the house. After entering the closet, Kevin turned on the electric lantern. “Dad, I’m scared.” Luke trembled and the fear was evident in his voice. “We’ll be alright in here. This is the safest part of the house.” He felt the pressure change in his ears as he noticed the vinyl floor lift slightly in the middle of the room. The winds seemed to stall for a brief moment. Shattered glass and countless dull thuds announced there return. A sharp cracking sound could be heard outside before a massive impact vibrated the walls and floor. An instant vacuum pulled the closet door harder into the jamb. In the next moment, the violent wind vanished as if someone turned off the switch. There was total calm. “Is it over?” “I think so but we should stay put for a while.” “What was that noise?” “Probably a tree hitting the house.” After a few minutes of speculation, Kevin went out to answer the question. He slowly waved the flashlight beam around the basement but didn’t find any evidence of damage. He went upstairs and found the answer. A large oak tree jutted through the ceiling of the garage, mudroom and washroom. Stepping through the door to the garage, he could see that the tree had broke part of the garage ceiling which was now pinned to the roof of Sharon’s Expedition. He stepped back in the house to survey the rest of the interior and found three shattered windows along the west side of the house. The drapes in the dining room lay in the floor, ripped from their curtain rods and soaking wet. The living room was tossed with everything that wasn’t nailed down now resting out of place. On the way back through the kitchen, hr tried the phone only to find it dead. The cell phone call to their parents went unanswered. He went back downstairs to give the all clear. Sharon came up the steps behind the children and silently cried as she surveyed the damage to her house. The boys darted to their rooms to check their condition. “I know your upset, honey, but this is not nearly as bas it could have been. I get the feeling there are a lot of folks worse off than us.” “You’re right. Oh well, it’s a good excuse to redecorate”. Sharon forced a small laugh between the tears. “I’m just thankful we’re alright.” “Speaking of which, I need to check on the neighbors as soon as I get dressed. Boys, get dressed, get some breakfast and start cleaning up. Put some shoes on so you don’t get cut by the glass.” Kevin went out to the garage. The Expedition was pinned under the roof but his truck appeared only to have minor damage to the bed, courtesy of books and other junk that fell through the ceiling. He wouldn’t be able to get it out of the garage, though; the automatic garage door was mangled and jammed in its tracks. He brushed off the debris to get his rucksack out of the toolbox. He made his way back through the house and out the back door in a beeline to the shop. In the increasing daylight, he could see that the shop was largely undamaged except for the missing shingles on the south side and vinyl siding pulled in places from its nails. This sight made him turn back to view the house. It suffered similar damage as the shop in addition to the huge oak tree resting on the south side of the roof. He turned back in disgust and continued on his way to the ATV in the shop. He pulled the choke and hit the start switch. As it warmed, he rolled up the shop door. The ever-increasing daylight now revealed the widespread damage. Uprooted and mangled trees scattered in every direction. Giant water puddles and overflowing ditches. Roof and wall insulation, siding and shingles surrounded each house nearby. Phone and power poles lie snapped in half, barely suspended by tension from stretched lines. He decided to first check on Gerald, his next-door neighbor a quarter mile to the south. His house looked to be the most damaged by far. After a few minutes of dodging downed tress and power lines, he arrived. He stopped short of the house to avoid roofing nails, hopped off the ATV and grabbed his rucksack. The south side of the house was demolished. Splintered studs, sheetrock and insulation were both piled and distributed haphazardly. He called out to Gerald but didn’t hear an answer. He made his way to the north side where the bedrooms were located in the ranch style house. An inch and a half nail made its way through the sole of his boot, bringing along the shingle it was attached to. He immediately retracted his foot and winced in pain as he pulled it out. The north, east and west walls appeared largely intact but the roof was partially caved in. Another call unanswered. He peered through the window of what he guessed was the master bedroom but couldn’t see much at all. Kevin took the hatchet from his rucksack and broke the window. Now he could hear a faint call, weak and tired, coming from the rear of the room. “Gerald, it’s Kevin. I’m coming in.” He called 911. After four tries without getting through, he knew it was useless. He called Sharon’s cell phone and asked her to keep trying. He unlatched the lock and pushed the window frame up before brushing the glass from the sill. He threw the rucksack in first, jumped up and slid in between strewn furniture and the collapsed ceiling. “Gerald, where are you?” “Over here. We’re hurt pretty bad.” Kevin crawled through the debris toward the voice. He stopped momentarily to dig out the LED headlamp from the rucksack he pushed before him. He pulled it on and advanced as quick as he could. Finally, he saw Gerald and his wife Mary, pinned to the bed by a huge, leaning highboy and part of the ceiling. Gerald was bleeding. “Are y’all OK?” “Mary is pinned and I think her leg is broken. I’ve got a ceiling joist stuck in my shoulder and I’ve lost a lot of blood. I passed out a few times.” “Thank goodness you got here in time, Kevin”. Mary seemed OK other than the fact that she was pinned, had a broken leg and that her husband was bleeding to death. “I called 911 but they must be tied up. I’m gonna have to try to stop the bleeding.” Kevin pulled the trauma kit from his rucksack along with a folding saw. He picked a trauma bandage from the kit and shoved it in the leg pocket of his cargo pants. “Mary, can you reach over and put pressure on his wound?” “I think so.” “I’m gonna push up the furniture to brace the ceiling. That will free you up. Gerald, get ready because it’s gonna hurt like hell.” Gerald quickly nodded, steeling himself for the onslaught of pain. Mary applied pressure as Kevin put his shoulder into the highboy. “Press hard Mary, here we go on one-two-three!” He put all his strength into it, raising the ceiling just enough to insure the furniture carried the load. Mary groaned as the broken bone in her leg shifted. Gerald let out an awful cry before passing out from pain. “Mary, keep pressure on it. I’m going to cut this rafter so I can pull it out.” Kevin ripped the sheetrock and insulation away and began to saw furiously. His armed burned more with every stroke of the saw. He glanced at Gerald’s shoulder and saw the growing pool of blood flowing onto the bed sheet. That was motivation enough to finish the job. After he broke through the joist, he got closer to Gerald. He lifted him up and placed Mary’s pillow under his back. “Is he…?” “No. He’s still breathing. He passed out from pain and blood loss. Keep pressure on the wound while I pull out the stud”. Kevin removed the bandage from its package and placed it on Gerald’s chest. One quick tug and the joist was removed. “Move, Mary!” Kevin quickly applied the trauma bandage and applied heavy pressure as he wrapped it tightly. He secured the end of the bandage before stopping to catch his breath. “Is he OK? Does he need CPR?” “He will be OK, I think, but he doesn’t need CPR right now. I don’t think it hit an artery because I’m afraid he wouldn’t have lasted this long. It looks like the bleeding will stop. He’s still breathing and his pulse is getting a little stronger.” Gerald regained consciousness in the next few minutes as Kevin improvised a splint for Mary’s legs. It was both ironic and efficient that he used the bloody joist pulled from Gerald’s shoulder. He pulled out his pocketknife and cut a long strip of bed sheet to tie the splint. Now that they were stable, Kevin worked to clear a path. He heard voices calling. “Kevin! Kevin!” “Sharon, I’m back here. They’re OK but we need to get them out of here before the roof falls. Are the boys with you?” “Yes.” “Mark, take the four-wheeler, run to the shop and get the chain saw. Grab the fuel can, too. Oh, and get the sledge hammer and ax.” “Yes sir!” After what seemed like an eternity, Kevin could hear the roar of the ATV approaching. Mary and Gerald were stable so he made his way back out the window. Sharon approached him as Mark pulled up. “What are you going to do?” “The back door is closest to their bedroom, so I’m going to clear a path through there. Mark, pull the four-wheeler around back.” Kevin started by knocking the steel-skinned door off its hinges with the sledgehammer. After a dozen blows, Mark helped him pull it out of the way to expose another portion of sagging ceiling. He cranked the chainsaw to remove protruding joists as Mark and Luke discarded the remains behind them. They had a fairly clear shot to the bedroom although they had to duck and squeeze through places. A few more pieces of furniture and debris were moved to finish the tight path. “I hear sirens. I think the ambulance is coming” Sharon yelled. Kevin informed Gerald and Mary. He decided to let professionals handle the job from here. He hoped his first aid had been good enough. Time would tell. He made his way outside to brief the EMTs. “Glad you guys could make it. We’ve got two people, broken leg and a shoulder wound with bleeding. I think I got the bleeding stopped.” In the following moments, the EMT’s removed Gerald and Mary and loaded them safely in the ambulance. “Kevin, thank you and your family so much for helping us today. We can never repay you” Mary said with tearful gratitude. “Sure you can, with a pecan pie! I’ll see you at the hospital later.” The EMT shut the ambulance door and turned to Kevin. “Appreciate your help today bud. But I wouldn’t go into town if I were you. “ “Why’s that?” Kevin inquired. “Many of the roads are blocked or flooded. Lots of damage and the hospital is overwhelmed. But the worst of it a little social trouble has started. The liquor store and a couple convenience stores were looted not an hour after the tornado passed. Somebody took a couple potshots at us coming in. I guess they were mad we weren’t coming to help their neighborhood. Kinda like a smaller-scale Katrina. Anyway, stay home if you can.” |
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Chapter 2 The Flood Gates Are Opened
The ambulance left Gerald’s house and headed for the hospital in town, weaving through the slalom course of debris. Kevin dwelled on the EMT’s warning for a moment before turning to Sharon. “I expected to hear the widespread damage part, but the looting already?” Kevin mused. “Well, I’m not surprised. That’s the same thing that happened in Macon during the Mother’s Day tornado last year. They looted the Krispy Kreme on the first night, for crying out loud! Not to mention the mall, liquor stores and all the other businesses on that road.” “Yeah, but I didn’t think they would loot until nightfall. They didn’t even wait for the dust to settle. Then again, two years ago they even looted my uncle’s neighborhood out in the sticks on Sandy Point Road. We’re not talking businesses but where people live. We better keep an eye out. Anyway, y’all head back to the house. I’m going to check on Mr. Oliver and Chris.” As Mark and Luke set off on the ATV with Sharon walking along, Kevin made his way to Mr. Oliver’s house. He was a recent widower and owner of the local hardware store. He lived another quarter mile behind Kevin, right next door to Chris Daniels. Mr. Oliver’s truck wasn’t there, but he had left a note on the door stating he was OK and went into town. Kevin turned toward Chris’ house finding him heading out the door in his direction. “Hey, Chris. I came by to check on Mr. Oliver but I see he’s not home. Are y’all doing alright?” “Yeah, we’re fine. More than I can say for my house. How about y’all? “Same with us. Gerald and Mary didn’t fair so well, though.” Kevin gave him the details. Chris was totally unaware as he had immediately left home, traveling in the opposite direction to check on his daughter down the road. He felt awful for not knowing or checking. They kept the chit-chat short so they could each tend to their repairs. On the walk home, Kevin prepared a mental list of all he needed to accomplish before more rain moved in. The first order of business would be removal of the oak tree in his roof, followed by removal of the crumpled garage door and then applying a tarp over the hole in the roof. After that, he would tackle the rest of the long list of chores. He went in the house to grab a quick breakfast. “How are Mr. Oliver and Chris and his wife?” Sharon inquired. “Mr. Oliver wasn’t home. Chris said he went to check on his store. Chris was alright but he has some property damage. He didn’t know about Gerald and Mary. He feels awful about it.” Kevin grabbed a banana, some pop tarts and poured a glass of milk. “Good to hear they’re OK. I made some coffee. Want some?” “You betcha. I smelled it when I came in. How’d you manage that?” “I sent Mark to drag in the camping supply box. I used the Coleman propane stove and the percolator. I had to use some old pre-ground coffee, though. Sorry.” “That’ll work. We’ll use the small generator tomorrow and you can use the regular coffee pot. “ “I finally got hold of Mama and Daddy. He never turns his cell phone on unless he plans to use it. Aggravating! They’re OK. They actually had power for a little while this morning. No real damage but the yard is a mess. Your dad called, too. They’re alright but both cars were crushed by that big oak in his front yard.” “Coulda been worse. He has too many trees near the house. Did he report any trouble in the neighborhood?” Kevin’s neighborhood was getting rough when he still lived at home. It was awful now, yet his father refused to move. “He didn’t mention anything. He did say he was using his little generator but he was low on gas.” “Sounds like Dad. He’ll keep five cans of food and a half-gallon of gas but has plenty ammo at all times.” Kevin continued his hasty breakfast parked on the barstool at the counter, pausing momentarily to assign chores. “Luke, take four of those frozen milk jugs out of the deep freezer. Bust them up with the hatchet and put the ice in one of the coolers.” “A hatchet? Are you serious? Sweet!” Luke exclaimed. “Yes, but be careful with it. Honey, if you don’t mind, load the perishables from the fridge after he’s finished. Mark, pull the four-wheeler up to the house. Bring the chain saw and fuel can up to the tree and grab some rope out of the shop. I’ll be out in a minute to get the extension ladder. ” “We got the news on the radio. It took me a while to find C batteries, though. We have plenty of double-A’s and triple-A’s but we’re short on C’s and D’s. Anyway, several tornados hit in the surrounding counties. They’re not even sure how many, but the damage is massive. They say the supercell storm just kept rotating and hovering, spinning off one tornado after another. They have reports of several deaths and a bunch of injuries. The Macon Mall was practically destroyed and the hospital and other tall buildings downtown were also damaged. The fire and police departments are stretched thin with all the calls.” Sharon freshened his coffee as she finished her report. “On top of that, the Ocmulgee hit flood stage and they’re expecting another large storm front to move through this evening.” “Man, I had no idea it was that bad. I thought maybe only the smaller counties got hit that hard. Well, I better get to it before the rain moves in.” Kevin joined Mark and prepared to remove the tree. After safely jacking the tree and positioning the extension ladder, he delimbed the trunk while Mark pulled the limbs down and away from the house. After several strenuous hours, the tree was removed to expose the damaged roof. “Rain’s picking up. We better get the tarps on and then we’ll move on to the garage door.” Kevin turned to find that Mark had disappeared. He knew where he was at: the kitchen. “Son, get on back out here. We have to get the tarp up and then remove the garage door. The rain is picking up.” “Give me a minute, I’m starving. Let me finish making my sandwich” Mark shot back. “You better watch that backtalking, boy. Hurry it up. Luke, go out to the shop and get the stapler and the role of plastic. Sharon, can you and Luke put the plastic up over the broken windows?” “Sure. We’re going to need some water in here, too. I need to flush the toilets and wash my hands.” “We’re going to be a while on the roof and the garage door. So if y’all can haul in the five gallon containers behind the shop, that would be great.” Mark and Kevin covered the roof in short order but the garage door took considerably more effort. After two hours and several trips to the shop for tools, they finally removed the door in sections, hampered by a steady rain. Then it was on to cutting out the garage roof lying on Sharon’s Expedition. Before they knew it, it was 5:30. At least the vehicles weren’t trapped anymore. Both of them were wet to the bone and absolutely drained. They headed back in after removing their soggy clothes. “Well, I’m glad that’s done. Any plans for supper?” Kevin asked Sharon. “Well, I already had some hamburger meat thawed out for grilling, but I think the grill is just about out of gas.” “I have two more cylinders in the shed. I’ll get the boys to haul one up and then move the grill under the porch. While you’re getting everything ready, I’m going to check on Mr. Oliver real quick just as soon as I get some dry clothes on.” Kevin changed and then pulled his poncho from the rucksack now kept conveniently in the mudroom. He hopped on the ATV for the short ride to Mr. Oliver’s. As he approached, he could see Chris standing in Mr. Oliver’s garage, obviously talking to the unseen owner. He parked the ATV and walked up. “Mr. Oliver, glad to see you’re OK.” “You, too, Kevin. How’s the family?” “Fat and happy. How are things in town?” “A mess. I was just telling Chris about it. Nobody has power or phones. A few hoodlums are taking advantage of the situation. They have looted a few stores. The few police in our little ol’ town are tied up directing traffic at the intersections, trying to keep order at the hospital, guarding the banks and even the grocery store if you can imagine that.” “I heard about the convenience and liquor stores. How is your store?” “Minimal damage except for the plate glass window out front. Some punks grabbed what they could through the window but they didn’t step in for some reason. I plan on heading back to spend the night out there.” “Like I said, Mr. Oliver, I don’t’ think that’s a good idea” Chris replied. “The police are stretched too thin. “I appreciate your concern, but that’s the very reason I have to go. Look, that store is all I have. The insurance won’t cover everything and I can’t afford to restock if I get cleaned out.” “Mr. Oliver, it sounds like your mind is made. But I do agree with Chris that it isn’t safe. But if you insist on going, you should definitely take something for protection. It would be a good idea to run some floodlights around the building if you have a generator handy.” Kevin felt strange giving advice to an older man. “I have all that covered. The lights are a good idea to keep the goblins away. I’m stopping by the police department to tell them I’ll be out there. too. If I tell them I’ll take out any trash in my store, maybe they’ll keep a patrol out there” the old man stated with a determined grin. Chris took his turn to speak up again. “I heard from my nephew on the police department in Macon. From what they have seen so far, they expect widespread trouble tonight if the rain holds off. Have you talked to your dad about that, Kevin?” “No. Sharon said he called earlier but he didn’t mention any trouble. There isn’t much he can do to get out, anyway. Their cars were crushed by a tree. I’d go get him but I doubt the roads are cleared all the way over there. I’ll give him a call later.” Kevin returned home after the men said their farewells. He found Sharon standing over the grill under the porch. “Just what do you think you’re doing? You know I handle the outdoor cooking!” “Well somebody had to do it while you were gossiping like a bunch of hens.” “Ain’t that the pot calling the kettle black? I’ll take it from here.” Sharon went inside to set the table with paper plates and plastic cups. Good idea, Kevin thought, since that would keep the dishes from piling up in the sink. As he finished grilling, the storm moved in. The rain quickly transformed from a steady drizzle to pulsing waterfalls. As they ate supper under lantern light, the rain changed again to a continuous downpour. The supercell was still very active and ever present. After cleaning up the kitchen, Kevin called his father. “Hey Dad, how are y’all holding up?” “OK so far. Sharon probably told you about our damage. We’re doing alright on food since your mom just went to the grocery store a couple days ago.” “She also said you were low on gas.” I siphoned some out of the truck so I’ve been able to keep the generator running. Wasn’t like I was going to drive off anywhere.” “Any trouble in the neighborhood?” “Not for us but I did hear the typical shots right at dark. Just another day in paradise. I have several candles and a propane lantern burning, so maybe that will keep the thugs honest. Plus this rain ought to keep ‘em inside. I’m loaded for bear anyway. Are you pretty set?” “We have some roof damage but we’re OK besides that. It’s getting a little scary in town, though. Speaking of which, I’ve heard that Macon PD is expecting some trouble tonight. So maybe the rain will keep the mischief down like you said. Just in case, keep your head down and your powder dry.” “We’ll be alright tonight. I better get off the phone before my battery dies. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Kevin ended the call on his cell. As he sat in his recliner, he released a heavy sigh. So much more to do tomorrow, he thought. They were all completely exhausted. Sleep was well deserved and would come quickly for them all. That Saturday night, the rains continued unabated. The rivers and creeks were already swollen well beyond what their banks could contain. Tornados hit every year. Heavy flooding occurred once every decade or so, but now it seemed a one-hundred year flood was returning only fifteen years after the last. But both of these phenomena had never happened at the same time, at least not in recent memory. Normalcy would go on hiatus. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The five men slipped along in the shadows downtown. With the power out and the police occupied, it was a perfect time for a little theft by taking. They were reassured by the constant rain, knowing that the police expected it to keep the lawless at home that night. They would hit the pharmacy first, move on to the pawn shop and then hit the old man’s hardware store on the way back home. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Mr. Oliver sat quietly in a dark corner of the store. He hoped that the floodlights out front would discourage any looters, yet he constantly scanned the soft, yellow light for signs of intruders. Finally, boredom and fatigue got the better of him. He slipped off to sleep, his old 12 gauge loosely resting in his lap. A series of loud crashes interrupted his nap. The noise wasn’t coming from the front, but from the back of the store. Someone was kicking the door. They must have thought the store was unoccupied, the lights out front only a not-so-serious deterrent. After a dozen kicks or so, the door finally gave way. The old man stood in the middle of the room facing the door. He aimed at the source of the flashlight beam piercing the darkness. “Get outta my store you sonuva…!” When the glow of the light pointed in his direction instead of turning away in flight, Mr. Oliver squeezed the trigger. A load of buckshot extinguished the light and caused its owner to shriek in horrible pain. Mr. Oliver, temporarily blinded from the blast of his own shotgun, strained to regain his vision. It came back when he saw five quick flashes from a handgun, fired by the first burglar’s unseen partner. The fifth flash was the last thing he would ever see. Three more were waiting right outside. They joined the shooter in the store, delaying their theft only to kick Mr. Oliver’s lifeless body. “One in the head for killing my friend, old man.” The city police, cruising only a couple blocks away and alerted by the sound of gunfire, arrived moments later. The ensuing gun battle claimed the lives of two more looters. It would claim others as their friends and family, convinced that the police response was too heavy-handed, would agitate their neighborhood into civil mayhem. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sunday morning arrived without its companion the sun. Delayed by the soothing voice of the pattering rain, Kevin and his family slowly rose one by one, sore and stiff but well rested after the hectic day before. Kevin pulled his boots and poncho on before retrieving the 2000-watt generator from the shop. He planned to run the coffee pot on it while Sharon cooked breakfast on the Coleman stove. He knew the kids were going stir crazy and suffering from boredom so he decided to run the TV, video game console and computer off the generator. They could all use a little entertainment, at least while the rain continued. After breakfast, they caught the news on the radio. It confirmed what they expected; multiple counties were severely flooded. While the tornados mostly affected only their local area, much of the state was under flood warning. The major roadways leading in and out of their area were either covered by debris or deep under water. The governor activated the National Guard for relief efforts. In Atlanta, they would be used not so much to bring food or clear the roads, but to covertly maintain law and order. “Sharon, did you catch that part about us being on an island? Doesn’t sound like the grocery stores will get stocked anytime soon and the power company service trucks will have to wait a while, too.” “An island? It’s more like a swamp, but I know what they mean. So what are they going to do? It will take days for the water to subside.” “I don’t know. Airdrops maybe? It sounds like the natives are getting restless in Macon, Columbus and Atlanta.” “You should call your dad.” - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Dave Fuller, Kevin’s dad, grimaced in pain as Carol, his wife, nervously wrapped the wound on his arm. Two bodies lay awkwardly in the back yard, their saturated clothes much darker than when they were first put on. Another body lay just outside the door, face down and pulled out feet first, leaving an auburn trail of smeared blood on the steps. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - “Hello?” “Hey, mom. How did you hold out last night?” “Not too good Kevin. I’m a bundle of nerves right now. Let me see if your dad can talk .” “Hey, son. We’re OK now. Three guys thought we were an easy target. They tried to pull that home invasion crap, but they won’t do it again. I got nicked in the arm but I think we’ll get the bleeding to stop.” “What?! I’m glad it wasn’t any worse than that. Did you call the police?” “Yeah, but they haven’t showed up yet. It’s been at least two hours.” “Dad, you can’t stay another night. It’s getting bad in the cities and it’s only going to get worse with the roads cut off.” “Tell me about it. We heard gunshots all night. Somebody’s house was burned down the road, too. These idiots went completely feral. But I don’t have a way to get out anyways. Even if I did, the roads are washed out.” “I think there are a few back roads on higher ground between here and there. I’m coming to get you. “ “It’s too dangerous. I can’t ask you to do that.” “You don’t have to ask.” “The police just pulled up. We’ll talk about this later. After they leave, we’re going to walk over to Dan’s house down the road. Safety in numbers and all. Anyway, I’ll talk to you later.” Sharon, who stood listening to the whole conversation, looked at Kevin inquisitively as he ended the call. “I have to go get my folks.” “I know.” |
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Chapter 3 Excursion
“So you’re OK with me going to get them? I expected you to protest”. Kevin wasn’t accustomed to Sharon giving in so easily. “Well, I don’t like it but I don’t think you have a choice. I know I’d want to get my parents out.’ Sharon knew that things were getting worse, but she couldn’t fathom the potential. It’s one thing to see society brake down on the news, distant and surreal, and another to have experienced it firsthand. She came of age in a bucolic and rural setting, sheltered in private schools and a peaceful suburban neighborhood. Kevin, on the other hand, grew up in a city neighborhood at the peak of urban decay. He gained street wisdom the hard way. A half-hour later, Chris pulled into the drive. He jumped out of his truck before it came to a full rest. Kevin quickly opened the door and met him outside. “Kevin, bad news.” “What is it?” “Mr. Oliver is dead. Some thugs robbed him last night. Apparently he fought them off but they killed him.” “Oh no. Oh man. I told him not to go. Crazy old man!” “Nothing we could do to stop it. The cops showed up afterward and a gunfight broke out. Two more of the looters were killed on top of the one Mr. Oliver shot. This morning, their whole neighborhood went apesh!t. The idiots are torching their own neighborhood. The police have their hands full.” “Geez, Chris, I just don’t know what’s wrong with people. It’s barely more than 24 hours and folks are going nuts. Has there been any trouble out our way?” “I haven’t heard of any. We’re so far from town that I think the Sheriff’s department is on top of it. It’s pretty much contained in town as far as I know.” “At least that’s some good news” Kevin replied in relief. “The bigger cities are even worse. I talked to my nephew on the Macon PD this morning. He said they are understaffed, overwhelmed and totally ineffective. It seems some of the officers didn’t report to duty. As things got worse, some decided to stay home and take care of their own. So these thugs have free reign. They’re roaming the streets openly armed. The few cops that showed up to work have taken fire. It’s not public knowledge, but the police department has declared no-go zones for some areas, including your dad’s neighborhood. Can you believe that? No-go zones like we’re in Mogadishu!” “Unreal. But after Katrina and the last tornado, I’m really not that surprised” Kevin replied while shaking his head. “He also said the mayor called the governor for National Guard help but, with the roads flooded, it’s gonna be a while before they can get here.” “Speaking of Dad’s neighborhood, he got hit early this morning. He took out three of them trying to pull off a home invasion but he took one in the arm.” “What? Is he and your mom OK?” “Yeah, they’re alright for now.” “What’s he going to do, Kevin?” “They’re stuck there. I’m going to get him.” “How exactly do you plan to do that?” “Well, there are some back roads at higher elevations that may not be flooded. I’ve been studying my county maps and I think I have a course mapped out.” “But the roads could be blocked by trees. You might not have a path even if it is dry.” “That’s why I’m taking the chain saw.” “Were you planning on going by yourself? That could take days. You need manpower and I’m volunteering.” “You don’t need to do that, Chris.” “Your dad and I go way back. Besides, it’s getting a little boring around here. I’ve played solitaire for the last time.” “Well, as long as Susan doesn’t mind, I could certainly use the help. But I wasn’t planning to go totally alone.” “Who did you have in mind?” “Some buddies of mine that live closer to town. It’s a huge favor to ask, but I was thinking of asking them to ride along. They also have family in town, so maybe we can just make one big run.” “So when are you planning to go?” “It’s going to have to be in the daytime, either today or tomorrow. A night run is out of the question. It would be hard to see road debris until I’m right up on it, plus nightfall will bring out the really bad element. Of course, who knows what tonight will bring. So the more I think about it, it’s sounding like today.” Kevin’s cell phone rang. “That’s Dad now, probably calling after talking to the police.” “What’s up Pop?” “The police just took a report and left and we’re down at Dan’s house. To tell you the truth, I was surprised to see them. They seemed like they were in a hurry to end their shift and get home. They said they doubt there would be any charges. They kinda said it matter-of-fact, like it was no big deal that I had to kill three guys. Made me think there’s a lot of this going on.” “Well that’s good news. So when do y’all want to leave? I’ll be ready whenever you are.” “I wanted to hold out for awhile but your mom changed my mind after listening to the police. In short, they said we were on our own. They’re low on manpower and don’t have much control anywhere. They simply can’t respond to calls in time.” “You know what they say: when seconds count, the police are only minutes away” Kevin quipped. “Yep. They also told us that most of the trouble is coming from opportunists, but some of it is gang related. There are several running gun battles going through neighborhoods.” “I’m coming to get you today, Dad. I’ll call you back later with a time. Get some clothes packed.” “Alright, but I hate to put you through the trouble. Oh, be careful on the way over. The police told us there are some gangs running roadblocks here and there.” Kevin ended the call and informed Chris that they needed to plan on leaving soon. “Give me an hour or so to get my gear together. Call your buddies and let me know. Either way, I’m in.” “I really appreciate it Chris. Bring your chainsaw. It would be a good idea to stuff some essentials in a bag just in case. Oh, you might wanna grab your shotgun.” “That goes without saying. I’ll be back in a little while.” Kevin finished plotting his course on the county maps. He would ask Jeff and Mike, his longtime shooting and hunting buddies, to tag along. He knew roughly where their parents lived and took those locations into consideration while planning his route. He called Mike first. Mike was concerned for his parents and quickly agreed to the mission, even though his wife protested. Jeff had already brought his parents out to his place, but he wasn’t one to miss out on a little adventure. They agreed to meet at Mike’s house in one hour. Kevin set out to get his gear together. He stowed the maps in the glove compartment of his truck, checked the air in the spare tire and made sure he had all the appropriate emergency equipment in his tool box. Back in the house, he filled his water bottles before loading extra clothes, food and flashlights in his rucksack. Once Sharon and the boys were out of sight, he grabbed a black rifle from his safe. He turned on the red dot scope and found the battery to be a little weak. He removed the access plate and a plug from the pistol grip and retrieved the spare battery to change it out. He reached deep in the closet and pulled out web gear loaded with extra magazines, canteens and other pouches filled with field gear. His GI Joe accessories, Sharon called it. He wouldn’t let her see it for fear that she would realize just how dangerous a run this could be. He strapped his .45 pistol in a drop leg holster before carrying the gear to his truck. Last, he placed his chainsaw, fuel, some chains and straps in the bed of his truck. A dozen minutes later, Chris pulled into the drive. “Did you get hold of your buddies?” Chris asked. “Yep, Jeff and Mike are both in. But we’re only going to have to run to Mike’s folks house before Dad’s; Jeff already got his parents.” “Good. We ought to be back before dark, then.” Kevin and Chris made the nine mile drive to Mike’s house. Other than fording through two-foot deep water in a few low spots, the trip was fairly uneventful. Partially-sawn pines, the handiwork of locals with chainsaws, randomly adorned both shoulders of the road. They pulled into Mike’s yard, finding Jeff helping Mike load his truck. The pair placed military type rifles and web gear rigged with magazine pouches in the back seat as they made their way around a maze of chain saws, rope, gas cans and other gear next to the truck. Chris noticed the military-looking gear. “So exactly what type of friends are these, Kevin?” “You mean the military gear and rifles? We shoot together and we’ve been to a few tactical carbine courses.” “I figured as much” Chris said with a suspicious smirk. “So I guess you have a similar set-up?” “Yep. It’s out of sight under the back seat.” They exited Kevin’s truck and approached Mike and Jeff. “Hey guys.” Kevin extended his hand to greet the pair. “This is my neighbor Chris. He’s stir crazy so he has offered to ride with us.” “Nice to meet you Chris. I’m Mike.” “Jeff.” “Nice to meet you fellas. Looks like y’all are pretty well equipped” Chris jokingly mentioned. “Expecting trouble getting there?” “You never know” Mike responded with a smile. “Let’s finish loading up and then we can go over the plan.” Kevin pulled out his map and spread it across the hood of his truck as the four men gathered around. “Here’s the best route I could come up with. We’ll go to Mike’s folk’s house first and then to my folk’s. The route takes us on the roads with the highest elevations, only a few low spots that I know about. Maybe that will keep us out of the deep water. We just have to hope the roads are mostly clear of debris.” Jeff replied. “We have chain saws, rope and all, plus winches on the trucks. With four of us, we should be able to make a quick path around downed trees.” “Agreed” Kevin replied. “But that’s not what worries me the most.” “We heard the stories, too. Gangs, roadblocks, gun battles, looting. What’s the plan?” Mike inquired. “Well, we should avoid trouble if at all possible. That means the lead vehicle will have to take it easy when approaching anything that doesn’t look right. The guy riding shotgun will definitely have to keep his eyes peeled. If we see something shady, we should stop and look into alternative routes. The second vehicle should stay back enough to survey but close enough to avoid getting cut off from the lead truck” Kevin suggested. “Sounds good so far” Mike replied. “What about communication.” “I have two-way radios. Here’s one for your truck. They advertise a 12-mile range but it’s more like two miles. They work well enough if we’re close together on the road.” “Good enough. Let’s get moving so we can be back home before dark.” Mike took the map Kevin passed to him. While the road to Mike’s house was fairly navigable, the road leading out was quite the opposite. Within a few blocks, a large fallen oak blocked the entire width of the road. An abandoned truck rested on the shoulder near the top of the tree, buried to the hubs in the saturated and rootless soil. It began to rain as all four men got out to retrieve chainsaws and rope from the truck beds. Kevin took the poncho from his rucksack and dug out another from the toolbox and handed it to Chris. Mike quickly communicated the plan. “Let’s just top it off right at the centerline and then I’ll pull it out of the way with the winch.” A pair of chainsaws made short work of the oak. The light rain and humid air, aided by perspiration, conspired with the sawdust to completely coat their arms and lower legs. They were glad they had the foresight to pack the ponchos and safety glasses. Twenty minutes into the job, the winch cable was wrapped to the tree top and retracted to move the debris. The men continued on their path, repeating the chainsaw work twice more. As they approached the outskirts of town, the conditions worsened. The frequency and concentration of downed trees increased. Lifeless power lines hung from trees and utility poles. Shingles, plywood and insulation littered the landscape. Clay-stained muddy water filled every low spot, or rushed downward in long streams where the ground was sloped. Dark skies came again, followed by the rain pattering the ever-present puddles. They maneuvered their trucks through the maze of debris as carefully as they could, tip-toeing around roofing and splintered wall studs while broken tree limbs scraped the sides of their trucks. Kevin eased through a deep puddle in the middle of the road before his right front tire brought up a short piece of 2 X 4, the two joined by a sixteen-penny nail. Chris called his attention to the problem. Kevin pulled over to a barely-open spot on the shoulder, slipping and sliding in the Georgia red clay. Kevin keyed the mike on his walkie-talkie. “I’m pulling over to plug my tire. Shouldn’t take but a few.” “Roger” Jeff replied. He hopped out of the truck and quickly found a claw hammer, tire plug and tools and a 12 volt air compressor. The hammer extracted the stud and long nail from the tire after a few tugs. The hole roughing tool was easily inserted as usual, but the plug had to be driven in with the hammer. After sinking the plug to a suitable depth, Kevin extracted the plug tool and cut off the protruding plug material with his pocketknife. Chris plugged the air pump into the cigarette lighter and filled the tire to capacity as soon as the plug was installed. They were glad that not much air had leaked out during the process. Those 12 volt air pumps aren’t exactly fast at filling a flat tire. “That went quicker than I thought” Chris stated as he knocked the mud from his boots against the running board of the truck. “You must have done that a time or two.” “Yep, a few times. It sure beats changing a tire in the rain and mud.” The men pulled the pair of trucks back onto the road and continued their journey. After a couple of miles, they heard distant gunfire. “Where’s that fire coming from?” Jeff quickly asked over the radio. “I dunno but it sounds far off. Have your gear ready just in case”. Kevin released the talk key and turned to look at Chris. “Reach back there and pull my rifle out, will you?” “Sure thing. So I guess this is an AR-15?” Chris inquired. “Yep. Set it in the middle of the seat. Just keep an eye out ahead.” They continued on their path cautiously, scanning for threats and road hazards. After a few more blocks they approached a curve in the road. Through a mix of downed and upright trees, Chris spotted something out of place a half mile down the road. “Slow down, Kevin. Something’s going on up ahead.” Kevin slowed the truck and steered it to the shoulder. He keyed the radio. “Mike, pull over.” “Roger. What’s going on?” “Stand by.” Through the trees, Chris used binoculars to glass a well-positioned roadblock. Two cars were parked at angles with the front bumpers nearly touching. “It’s a roadblock. I would have never seen it if I wouldn’t have just happened to look through those trees. Looks like four guys manning it. I can see three of ‘em with pistols drawn. There’s a parked car on the other side with the doors open. Three more guys are leaning in the car.” Kevin called Mike back. “Roadblock one half mile ahead. Seven men, some are armed.” “What do you want to do?” Mike inquired. “They haven’t spotted us since we didn’t round the curve. We’ll turn around and take another route.” “Wait one” Mike replied. After a half minute he replied. “We’re coming up to the truck to talk to you.” Kevin and Chris stepped out of the truck and quietly closed the doors as Mike and Jeff trotted to their position. “Kevin, if we turn around, those guys are just gonna jack somebody else” Jeff suggested. “We need to scatter them and disable the roadblock.” “What, you mean engage them? Too risky. We need to drive around.” “We have the element of surprise. They won’t know what hit them.” “I didn’t’ come to play hero, Jeff. I wanna get my parents and Mike’s with the least amount of risk to us all” Kevin shot back. Jeff responded quickly. “If they kill somebody when we could have stopped it, we’ll have to live with that for the rest of our lives. I don’t want that hanging over me.” “We’ll call the police and inform them. That’s their job to deal with this riffraff, not ours.” Kevin opened his cell phone and dialed 911 but only received a busy signal. He tried several more times to no avail. At the same time, Chris called his nephew. After a few tries, he finally reached him, talked a minute or so, hung up the phone and then received another call a few seconds later. Chris turned to the three men to give them the news. “My nephew on the Macon PD radioed the call in. The dispatcher informed that there were no units available to respond. He thinks they’re only watching over high-value targets.” Whereas Jeff dove headfirst into every matter, Kevin knew Mike to be more prudent. “Mike, what do you think?” Mike, surveying the roadblock as the discussion went back and forth, spoke without lowering his binoculars. “I think there’s about to be trouble. Check it out.” While Chris gave his report, a car and driver rounded the curve on the other side of the roadblock, totally unaware of its existence. By the time they all looked up to view the roadblock, they saw the car come to an abrupt stop. As the driver threw the car into reverse, several shots rang out from the roadblock. In his haste to leave the area, the driver inadvertently backed the car into a ditch. “Quick, get in the trucks! We’re going to drive up closer” Kevin commanded. The decision to act was made easier at the sound of gunfire. As they got in their trucks, their senses went into overdrive. Mike came back over the radio. “What’s the plan?” “We’ll drive to within 200 yards. I’ll pull off to the left and you pull off to the right. Get out of the trucks and we’ll see what we can do.” Kevin put the radio in his pocket and chambered a round into his carbine as Chris nervously fumbled around with the slide release on his shotgun. As they rounded the curve, Kevin could see that three of the men at the roadblock were attempting to pull the driver and his female passenger from the car. They struck the man repeatedly before he fell to the ground, one foot still in the car. On the other side of the vehicle, the assailants pulled the woman out by her hair. Kevin accelerated quickly, the noise of the revving engine drawing the attention of several assailants. Wild, unaimed shots rang out from their pistols. “Pull over now!” Kevin commanded through the radio. He slammed the shifter into park as the truck reacted from the violent application of the brakes. Kevin and Chris jumped from the truck and took cover in a water-filled ditch. Bullets continued to fall in their direction, far short but sending up clumps of dirt and sprouts of water. Mike and Jeff repeated the move on the opposite shoulder, diverting some of the unwanted attention to themselves. Kevin turned on the red dot optic on his carbine, shouldered it and pushed the safety off. One of the roadblock assailants boldly strutted into the open, putting his bravado on display for his companions as he fired his black pistol. The rounds were impacting closer as the gunman compensated for bullet drop at the nearly two hundred yards distance. Kevin positioned the red dot in the center of the man’s torso and squeezed the trigger twice in rapid succession. The man fell, clutching his chest in a fit of terror. Seeing their partner in crime fall, the remaining assailants opened fire on both of their positions. They had left the driver and his companion to pursue more pressing interests on the other side of the roadblock, the ones shooting back at them. “Hold your fire until the victims are out of our line of fire” Kevin shouted over the radio. Almost on cue, the bloodied man and woman ran out of sight. “Fire!” All three rifles and the 12 gauge shotgun barked at once. Two targets who weren’t smart enough to get behind cover, and who were dumb enough to advance upright, dropped immediately. The four remaining men crouched behind the cars at the roadblock, firing erratically over the fenders. “That guy behind the rear fender doesn’t know the difference between cover and concealment” Jeff remarked as he aimed his rifle at the trunk of one of the cars. He sent three 147 grain .308 bullets through it, pausing only long enough to bring the sights back on target. The shadow of the man behind the fender, projected onto the ground behind the car, suddenly got larger as he fell to the ground. The three remaining assailants were smart enough to get behind the engine blocks. Jeff, Kevin and Mike continued to harass them with withering crossfire. Chris joined in by sending several volleys of buckshot in their direction. The men remained in place however, either from fear of exposing themselves or sheer ignorance. They continued to fire whenever they dare expose an arm. Mike keyed his radio. “We’re going to have to root them out. We’ll advance in bounds. Cover me in five, four, three…” Kevin and Chris quickly reloaded. “…two, one!” Kevin and Chris poured on the fire as Mike and Jeff ran for the next available cover. “Let’s get ready to move!” Kevin directed Chris as Mike and Jeff started their fire. Both groups ran on angles that would allow them to approach the roadblock from the sides. The angle of crossfire widened as they got closer to the cars. The men at the roadblock were getting desperate as the teams advanced. They were now within fifty yards. As Kevin and Chris hit the ground for cover, an arm wielding a MAC-11 protruded from a front bumper at the road block. The gunman had figured out the timing on the teams’ movement and cover fire. As Jeff jumped up to move, a quick burst from the modified gun sent a flurry of bullets, one of which pierced his thigh. He immediately hit the ground, holding his leg as he crawled back to cover. Kevin, Chris and Mike, all seeing the source of the fire, concentrated their aim on the point of origin. The man, no longer shielded by the engine block, took several hits through the front fender of the car. The two remaining men at the roadblock had nothing more to prove. They sprung up, crouched and quickly exited the roadblock. With the firefight over, Kevin and Chris rushed over to Jeff and Mike. Mike was applying pressure to the leg wound. Jeff grimaced. “It ain’t bleeding too bad but it hurts like a son-of-a-gun!” “Looks like it only hit meat” Kevin assessed. “Chris, cover them while I go get my first aid kit.” Kevin returned, cut Jeff’s pants leg and examined the wound. “You’re lucky. It’s through and through and a nice clean hole, no artery or bone damage.” Kevin poured a clotting agent in the wound and then wrapped it with a compression bandage. “That ought to hold you until we can get to a hospital.” “I’m good to go as long as it doesn’t start bleeding again” Jeff replied enthusiastically as he masked the pain. “Whatever you say, Rambo.” Mike looked in the direction of the roadblock. “Let’s check those guys and clear the road so we can move on. Cover each other and watch out for those two that slipped away.” After Chris helped Jeff get back into the truck, the three men combed the area. The two remaining gunman were long gone; the others were all dead. The victim driver and his passenger were nowhere in sight. In this chaos that descended so quickly, they were surely confused and followed that natural instinct of flight. They pulled the bodies from the road and pushed the cars onto the shoulders. The adrenalin rush ended, leaving them to feel drained and finally giving way to nausea. The gunmen’s weapons were collected and locked in the trunk of an abandoned car and the keys tossed into nearby weeds. They spent a few minutes collecting their brass and realized that the gathering clouds would soon bring darkness. The team jumped in their trucks and pushed on. Their nerves had calmed but no one talked after a few minutes of riding. Silently, they all dealt with the guilt of taking human lives. Individually, they each rationalized their actions as self defense, only to have doubt and regret return immediately. Thoughts flooded their minds. “The first few guys were definitely killed in self defense, but shouldn’t we have pulled back when the others ducked instead of hunting them down? But then they might have killed other innocent folk. Then again, it isn’t our jobs, nor are we really even justified, to kill for the sake of strangers. Have I done something terribly wrong, or was it the right thing to do?” Then there was the question of the law. Would they be caught and prosecuted? Should they just tell the authorities to head off any trouble? Each man had the thought but no one spoke it, not in that moment. The remainder of the trip was fairly uneventful. There was the frequent, scattered debris that had to be dodged, the sporadic sound of distant gunfire and the occasional glimpse of looters running with their stolen goods. But those things didn’t seem abnormal on this day. They certainly didn’t warrant stopping the trucks. The blocked roads, constant debris and the roadblock chewed up the day. They arrived at Mike’s parent’s neighborhood around three o’clock. The neighborhood suffered moderate storm damage but it didn’t appear that it suffered from any social unrest. They pulled into his folk’s driveway to find their car missing. Mike used his spare key to enter the house. He found a note on the kitchen counter. “Looks like they headed out on there own about an hour and a half ago. They were going to my sister’s house on the north side of town” Mike reported after reading the note. Jeff appeared perturbed that they made the trip for nothing, that he took a bullet in the leg and killed people on a route he didn’t think they had to take. “Why didn’t they call you to let you know?” “Dad’s old school. He doesn’t have a cell phone and their land lines are down. I’m sorry to have put you through the trouble guys, I really am.” Kevin responded immediately, rationalizing the trip. “You didn’t have any way of knowing, Mike. Besides, if you noticed, the bridge at the turn-off going to my folk’s house was washed out. We had to come this way, anyway.” “So do you have another route worked out?” Chris asked. “I know what roads to take from here, but I’m not if they’re dry or not. And of course there’s the debris. And thugs.” “Well, it won’t get done talking about it. Let’s finish this excursion.” Mike led the way out of the house. |