Lone Star Odyssey- First Steps

by David Wilson

  “Is that with or without water?” I asked. “That’s with everyone’s Camel Bak filled and most of them dropped several water bottles into their packs.” “Alright, go make sure these guys get the shotgun bandoliers loaded up. Don’t let them load any of the shotguns or pistols until I have a chance to go over the safety rules.” I said.

  Don came back with the five Glock 17’s and the drop leg holsters, “Mat already has his,” he said, “Figured we could give Jeff and Ben theirs but until we know more about the others experience with weapons, I figured we would hold on to theirs.” Nodding my agreement, I reached out and took two of the rigs, “Don, I’m sorry I have been bossing everyone around, but I really have a bad feeling that this, the peace and quiet isn’t going to last much longer. We need to be out of here by this evening. Hopefully we have that long, but regardless I want to be out of here before the crowds begin to gather outside of here. I really do not want to get into a running gun battle with these guys with us.”

  “It’s not just the crowds I’m worried about,” I continued to explain to Don, “The gangs in this area if what I’m really worried about. Primarily I’m worried about MS-13 and The Latin Kings.” Don frowned, “I’ve heard of MS-13, its some Mexican drug gang, but I have never heard of The Latin Kings.” “Actually MS-13 is mostly composed of guys from El Salvador and are one of the largest and most brutal gangs in the US. They are very active here in Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties. Normally they are easy to pick out because of their tattoos or by the blue and white Nike Cortez tennis shoes. Their motto is “kill, rape, control,” and their favorite weapons are the knife and machetes. The Latin Kings are just as bad if not worse, their symbol is the 5-pointed star or a 5-pointed crown. Many of them wear a beaded necklace made up of black and gold beads. I don’t remember the exact number of beads but I do remember that one made up of all black beads is worn by their enforcers and assassins. These are the guys I’m worried about showing up here for the guns and ammo.”

  Picking up two of the drop leg holsters with their Glocks, I headed towards Jeff position. “Jeff, strap this one,” I said, handing him the holster setup, “I will go over the operation of the Glock once you have that adjusted.” Jeff messed with the adjustments on the leg straps but finally got them tightened up. I showed him how to take up the slack and pulled out some duct tape to tape off the ends. “Ok, this is a Glock 17, it is a 9 mm that will hold up to 17 rounds, but as we are in the socialist state of Maryland, the store only has 10 round magazines. Once you chamber a round, the pistol is ready to fire. There is no safety other than your finger. Do not draw this pistol unless you are going to use it. Always keep it pointed in a safe direction when you draw it to clean it. Keep your finger out of the trigger guard, again unless you intend to shoot it. The holster will lock the pistol down until you press the release button. Any questions?” “No Sir, I’m familiar with the Glock action.” Jeff replied. “Good, the mags are loaded, go ahead and chamber a round and holster your pistol.” I instructed, watching Jeff closely as he drew the pistol from his holster and pulled out one of the magazines. He carefully pointed the pistol in a safe direction and locked the slide to the rear. After checking to make sure the barrel was clear, Jeff seated a magazine in the pistol, pulled back on the slide and let it go home on its own. Jeff holstered the pistol and looked at me for approval. I nodded and said, “Go drop off your shotgun on the gun counter and pick up that DPMS with the Night force scope. Find yourself a sling you like for it and then go find yourself a good set of bino’s. After that go find some good waterproof boots and pick up several good pairs of boot socks, I already told the other guys but I would recommend the Darn Tough boot socks. We don’t have a lot of time so get with it. Make sure you have at least two hundred rounds of .308 for the rifle. I already put a scope on it. Did you ever get anything to eat?”

  “Yes Sir, one of the guys brought me over some food,” Jeff replied. “Well get going and make sure you also pick out some winter stuff also, it’s going to get cold before long.” I said as Jeff turned to go. As he walked away I stepped into the nearby row of knives and grabbed several Gerber folding shovels and several mid-size knifes. I looked around the aisle for a Lansky Sharping Kit but didn’t see one. Carrying the shovels and knifes over to the cooking area I saw the other three boys laying on cots and all of them were sleeping. As quiet as I could I laid down the shovel and knives. Taking the last pistol and holster I headed to the front of the store. Keying my radio, I pushed the transmit button, “Ben I heading your way with some gear.” A couple seconds passed, “Roger that,” came back Ben’s reply. Rounding the aisle I could see Ben standing just inside where the clothes start from the front of the store. Walking up to the young man I handed him the pistol and holster. After observing him enough to see that he knew what he was doing I said, “After we talk I want you to do dump off that shotgun and pick up the AR-10 laying on the counter. Think you can handle that .308?” Ben just nodded and smiled, I continued, “I bore sighted the scope, so it should be good enough out to about 200 yards, beyond that I would not trust the bore sight. We will get it tighter when we get the chance. Also I want you to go get some winter clothing and boots get some good ones and several pairs of boot socks and long johns. Be quick about it, I don’t know how much longer we have before we have to go. I know we need to talk about your girl, but for now just go get your stuff and get back here. Got it?” Ben nodded and headed off.

  I headed over to stand by one of the Party Barges and took my bino’s out of their pouch. I slowly scanned across the parking lot and was amazed that no one was visible in the parking lot. Well that won’t last much longer I think, but when they do come it won’t just be one or two at a time, it will be a lot of people who will not be happy that we were here first. They will be hungry and mad and I really don’t want these boys to have to face that. Not yet anyway. So how in the hell were we going to move all these boys from here for a hundred miles away to the Blue Ridge? I’m thinking more and more about using bicycles. I needed to go discuss this option with Don. I could hear footsteps approaching and looked and saw Ben approaching. He appeared to be a little more energetic than when he left. “So what do you think,” I said as I nodded to the S&W AR-10 he was carrying. He smiled wide and said, “Wow I always wanted one but could never afford one, it was love at first sight,” and he grimaced as the words made him think about his girlfriend. “So Ben,” I started, “I know your girlfriend was due to fly into BWI night before last. What time was she due in?” feigning that I did not know when she was due in. I saw tears well up in Ben’s eyes and looked away so I would not shame him. Ben said, “I know her plane didn’t make it. She was texting me on the plane Wi-Fi when the power went out. They hadn’t even begun their descent into the airport so they were still a couple hundred miles out. I just didn’t want to talk about it with the guys around.” Inwardly I let out a mental sigh of relief, but at the same time I felt ashamed for thinking such a thought, but a trip to look for his girlfriend would have cost us at least two full days or more and would have taken us the opposite direction. I’m really hoping to have our little group to at least Harpers Ferry or beyond by that time. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder, “Son, I know it isn’t easy and I’m proud of the way you have handled it. I’m counting on you to hold it together as you are one of the few that knows how to handle a gun. And yes, it is going to come down to using our guns to get out of this area. I’m relying on you to help me get all of these guys to safety. You think you can do that?” “Yes Sir, I can do that,” Ben said. “Ok, good. Now go and get some sleep. We need to move out of here by dark tonight,” pointing in the direction of the sleeping area.

  Taking one more quick scan of the parking lot, I walked back to the gun center area where Don and Mat were talking quietly. They both looked up as I approached, “So Don, is this doable? One, can we get all these guys to your cabin in one piece, two, do have enough supplies at the cabin that you and these six young men
can make it though the winter?” Don thought for a moment before replying, “If we move before the panic really sets in I think we can make it to the cabin, as far as supplies, if we can get there and are able to kill a few deer or bear or find a head of beef I think we would be ok. I have about a years worth for two people but with 6 mouths to feed that is going to go quick.”

  “Here’s what I’m thinking,” I said, “There is a Sporting Goods store in this mall that has a shit load of mountain bikes that we can borrow to assist us in our little journey. It would be a lot faster and we should be able to clear most of the city by first light. That and if we could get a couple of those pull behind bike trailers we could take a lot more stuff. What do you think?” Mat’s eyes lit up and he was nodding as was Don, “That my friend sound like a plan!”

  Chapter Seven

  After talking it over with Don, it was decided that Mat and I would do a recon of the mall while Don, Ben, and Jeff would go over firearm safety with the other three. We would all stay on the radios, although I doubted they would work from very far away. Yes I know, the packaging says “up to 30 miles”, but that is under perfect conditions and walls and metal everywhere tend to significantly reduce their range. If Mat and I ran into trouble we would fall back to the store where everyone would be ready to go. Hopefully we would be able to find the bikes we need at Modell’s but if we could not we would attempt to get the bikes from Wal-Mart. If we ended up having to go to Wal-Mart we would all go at the same time as the Wal-Mart was on the other side of the mall’s casino and I figured there would be some type of security element there. Either way it would be much simpler if we could get what we needed from inside the mall. We had tested the bolt cutters on the inside grate for the store, so we knew we would be able to breach the gate at Modell’s in just a few minutes. I grabbed a small daypack and stuffed it full of power bars and water bottles for just in case. With Mat carrying the bolt cutters we slid out from under the security gate that Don had unlocked. I turned and whispered to Don, “Keep this unlocked unless you see someone coming this way. If we need to get back in we might be in a hurry.” He smiled, “We will be here and watching.” I looked back sternly, “If we are not back by dark stick to the plan. Head over to the park with all of our gear and lay low. Mat and I will be there as soon as we can. If we are not back by dawn, get these boys out of here and head toward Harpers Ferry and we will catch up.” I continued to look at him until he nodded and with that I turned and headed down the mall corridor with Mat in tow.

  We move down to the first cross-corridor and stop just short of the intersection. I move over to Mat and we both hunker down. “Mat as we move it will be in a leap frog fashion. Once I pass you, remember to keep a watch behind us. Keep your head on a swivel, do not watch me. If I begin shooting you wait until you have a target, if I retreat I will do so about 5 feet off the wall back to you. If there is shooting take a prone position until I get back to you, do not hug the wall that is just a good way to catch a bouncer.” Mat gave me a puzzled look and I clarified, “Ricochet.” And he nodded his understanding, “Give me cover fire if you have a target but be prepared to move back towards the store once I get to you. Stay off the radio unless you see or hear something. Got it?” I said. Mat’s eyes where large but he nodded. “Good,” I said and lightly slapped him on the shoulder, “When you pass me only go about 50 feet in front of me, but don’t stop out in the open.” Mat nodded to me once again.

  I approached the corner and stopped just short of it to listen. Hearing no noise I took a quick peek around the corner. Nothing. I moved out to about halfway down the cross corridor. The sign over the intersection showed the food court to my right. I knew Modell’s was to the left. It was so quiet it was eerie, so unnatural for this large of a structure. I know the Mall normally has security guards during the hours they are closed but don’t know if any of them hung around. If they did and we ran into them would they be armed? That I did not know and was determined to see them before they saw us. I told myself to shut up and not to take council of my fears. There was no need to second-guess our plan. Either the guards were here or they were not, either armed or not. At this point we were committed to getting to Modell’s and finding the bikes we needed.

  Just as I was beginning to move, a loud crash of shattered glass broke the silence from the direction of the food court. There was a loud laugh that died away as someone commanded, “Quiet!” So at least two of them, probably more. I looked over at Mat and saw he had taken a prone position and facing the direction the sound had come from. I hissed at him to get his attention and when he looked back at me I motioned for him to head back the way we came. Mat immediately got up and took off back the way we came. I was pleased he moved quietly and that he stopped just short of the intersection. As I moved to catch up with Mat, I keyed my radio, “Don we are heading back in, ETA 30 seconds, be really quiet with the gate, we have visitors.” I heard Don’s double click of acknowledgement. I passed Mat and moved to the corner of the intersection. Glancing around the corner I saw no movement and motioned Mat to follow me. We moved towards the security gate just as it was rising Mat went down flat on the floor and rolled under the gate and I was just heading to the floor when I heard the sound of skate boards coming down the corridor we had just cleared. Knowing I would never make it before they rounded the corner, I stopped my movement to the floor and straightened before turning towards the corridor where the noise was coming from. Reaching up to the forearm of my M4 I pushed the connection button on my sling, unhooking the forward attachment, turning my sling into a single point where it could hang from the right side of the body. Standing in a relaxed manner I watched as a group of eight teenagers came to a stop about 20 feet from me. I immediately recognized several of the boys as the ones from yesterday in the parking lot. Without waiting for them to speak I said, “Good Morning, I hate to say it but the mall is closed today. You guys need to leave the area now.” The boys all looked at their leader, a boy of about 16 or 17, medium build, with light brown hair. He hesitated but knew he had to say something in front of his little gang. “Who are you to tell us we can’t be here.” I stood relaxed and looked only at him, “I’m the guy that Mr. Colt appointed to make sure that guys like you don’t trash the mall.” The boy looked confused, “I don’t know who Mr. Colt is and we are going to go where we want to.”

  “No,” I replied letting a hardness creep into my voice. I took two steps toward him and said, “And tell all your friends that the next time I will not ask. Now turn around and leave the inside of this mall.” The kid looked at me and sneered, “ It’s an awful big place for one old man to guard,” but his voice trailed off as four shotguns barrels suddenly appeared though the security gate. “I suggest you leave now and don’t come back,” I stated. The other boys had already started backing up and their leader found himself all alone. I took two more steps towards him and said again, “Now.” The boy turned away and took off after his friends. A few moments after disappearing around the corner the sound of more breaking glass could be heard, as the boys could not resist smashing more store windows on their way out. I turned back to the security gate and slid under the gate, “Well that was fun,” I said standing up, “It is starting, we need to get moving away from the mall area. Are we all packed up?” Don finished locking the security gate and turned to me, “I believe we are. We might want to go over everything once more.” “Ok, let's get everyone together with all their gear and do an equipment check. How did the weapons training go?” I ask. “As well as you might hope for, hopefully we would have to use any of this, but they understand how to use the stuff we gave them,” Don said.

  All the boys were gathered round the coffee pot area. I walked up and said, “Ok guys it is time to get this show on the road. Everyone go get your packs and let's make sure everyone is ready.” After they all returned with their gear, I went over each to make sure it was adjusted to each of them. A couple of them had some stuff tried to the outside of their packs. “Take a
ll of that stuff on the outside of your packs and put it inside. We are going to go over some of the equipment. If you do not have an item I call out, you need to go get that item as fast as possible. We don’t have much time so let's be as fast as we can be.” After going over all the major items, several of the boys had to go get a couple of the items I insisted on. I made all of them go get and change into good camouflage. Most of them did not have gloves or a hat and I made sure they all had eye pro and hearing protection. “Get into the habit of wearing your eye pro and gloves all of the time and at least ear plug hanging on a lanyard around your neck. From here on out any small cuts could turn into something serious and if you damage your eyes there isn’t much we can do for you. Now when we are moving keep about 5 meters between each of you. Stay off the radios unless you see something that is a danger to us. Don and Mat will bring up the rear. I will lead followed by Ben. Jeff you place yourself in the center of the column. If you absolutely have to stop than let me know. The front of the column will be 12 o’clock, so if I say there are hostiles at our 3 o’clock where would that be?” Pointing to one of the boys. He replied, “That would be on our right.” “Correct,” I said, “So if you spot anyone other than our group call it out. Everyone is to be considered hostile until they show otherwise. I know its a lot to take in and some of you still might not believe that it is going to be as bad as it is, but you will and if you want to survive you need to do what Don and I tell you, when we tell you without hesitation. I have spent my whole adult life in lawless places around the world. Things can and do happen fast. We don’t have time to baby-sit you; we will treat you like the adults you are. One last thing, every time we stop you need to drink some water. Even if you don’t think you need any, when the temperature drops and its cold you have to force yourself to drink. The one thing you will not do is eat, you will eat when you are told to and only when you are told. The food we have has to last us. If you cannot or refuse to live up to our rules than you can go your own way. Any questions?” There was a general shaking of heads. “Alright, everyone grabs a bottle of water and drink it down right now.” Pointing to a case of bottled water on the floor. “Last point,” I said, “Our first objective is Harpers Ferry, if for any reason you become separated we will meet up on the southern side of the railroad bridge. From here we are going over to I-95 south to 29/200 and go west along 200 to just south of Gaithersburg. If we can find enough mountain bikes for all of us we will, but for now we are on foot. Any questions?”