Aftermath of Disaster: Books 1, 2, and 3 Bundle + Bonus Book: When Jack Met Diane

by Kevin Barry Maguire

  This isn’t going to end well, thought Jack.

  As they approached the park entrance, Jack put the dogs on the leash and they each took control of a dog. Jack took Basha and Diane got Mercedes. The Nisqually Entrance is the original entrance to the park and has the oldest buildings.

  As you enter the park, you go under a log structure holding an old sign “Mt Rainier National Park.” Remembering his history, Jack thought if they really wanted to be rustic, they’d call it by it’s original, Native American name – Tahoma, in Salishan. The people in Seattle was jealous and had the map-makers call it Rainier instead. Eventually, it stuck.

  In the native dialect, the “h” was a “k” sound. So “Tahoma” was “Tacoma.” Seattle didn’t like the city of Tacoma having the same name as the mountain. Never mind Tacoma is much closer to the mountain than Seattle…details.

  They made it to the gate and approached the first ranger they saw. He was an older man, maybe mid 50’s with gray hair and a few specks of dark left in there. He raised his hands and started telling the duo they wouldn’t be allowed in, but Jack cut him off.

  “We need to report a shooting in self-defense.”

  That stopped the ranger cold. He sighed and nodded his head as if he knew this was going to happen at some point.

  “Where was the shooting?” he asked.

  “On our property in Ashford,” Jack replied, calmly, “There are no police in the area and I thought it best we reported it somewhere. You’re the only law enforcement in the area.”

  “Yes, and I’m not sure how to handle this yet. I’m expecting us to be deputized soon. I’ll take a report to cover you though.”

  “Thank you, we appreciate it.”

  Diane gave him her information and told the story again.

  “You said you first saw this person in Elbe, correct?” The ranger, John Thomas, stated.

  “Yes, him and his friends” Diane told him.

  “Hmm. I live in Elbe but haven’t been home in a couple of days. Tomorrow I get to go home for a few days. I’ll stop by your property in the morning and look at the body. I have an idea of who he was, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s him. I always figured he’d end up in prison. I guess I was wrong.”

  Jack was left wondering how both Diane and Ranger John could take the death so easily. He hoped if he ever had to kill someone he’d feel something. These two are carrying on like it’s no big deal. Very strange.

  John wrapped up the report and said he’d be by at around 9am. Jack and company started back to the truck and home. It’s home now, he thought. Tomorrow will be a busy day. Right now, he just wanted to get home and have his shower.

  Once home, Jack went straight for the shower while Diane had a meal replacement bar. She was too tired to cook, and Jack wasn’t going to eat at all.

  It must be nice having his metabolism, she thought.

  She heard his response in her head “You could if you ate right.”

  Jack wanted to get to bed early but having just showered, he was refreshed and not tired at all. He sat down with a pen and writing pad and started going over his plan for the next few days. The one-year plan was to set up communications, knowing they probably weren’t going to last long. Once the power went out, they had to move to old school communication.

  He started going over the list of things he’d need besides the communication equipment. He was good on ammo for a while and didn’t think he’d need extra fire-power yet. He’d need extra food for sure, and clothes. Summer is around the corner and they’re already set for that. In a few months he’d have to dig up some winter clothes.

  He finished his list and decided he’d get some sleep. Diane followed after finishing a chapter in her book.

  Diggin In

  7am and Jack was up as usual. ‘Early to bed, early to rise,’ was his motto, and he stuck to it no matter what. He nudged Diane awake, “Let’s go honey, it’s a new day and we’re still here!”

  “I really hate you in the mornings,” she said. She heaved a heavy sigh and crawled out of bed. After Jack took care of his business, she jumped in the shower to finally wake up.

  Jack completed the morning routine by starting coffee and making breakfast. They were going to run out of bacon soon and he was sure there wouldn’t be a replacement unless he found his own pig. Not likely, he thought. That’s more of a part of a two-year plan.

  After breakfast Jack broke the news and told Diane to follow him outside. It’s time to dig some holes, he told her. He opened the shed and made a mad dash for the shovels, closing the doors before any chickens escaped. He’d let them out and grab their eggs later. Ranger John would be here in about an hour.

  First, Jack went to the northwest corner of the cottage, faced west, then counted 10 paces.

  “Diane, you’ve won a sexy black portable satellite modem, come on down! Dig here, you’ll know when you’ve found it. You should hear the thud after about two feet.”

  Diane raised an eyebrow and her lip curled into a wry smile.

  “Is this one of the surprises you told me about?”

  “Yes, it is. One of many. Less talk, more dig!” he said with a smile. He’d like her to forget about the surprises for now.

  For his turn, he went to the center of the shed doors, turned around, and counted 7 paces. Then he began digging. Jack is digging up a CB radio to install in the truck. As long as he had gasoline, he’d be able to use the CB. From now on, the truck will only be started to charge the battery.

  Jack reached his crate first and dug around it enough to pull it out of the ground. It was a black Pelican case measuring about two-feet by one-foot. He set it aside and helped Diane with her digging. Her case was identical to Jack’s. At his insistence, they dropped the shovels and carried their loot inside. Jack didn’t bother locking these cases, it was unlikely anyone would find them. The locks would eventually rust and be impossible to open anyway.

  Jack opened his case and pulled out the CB radio, still in its box. Then he removed the other contents. Any time there was extra room, he packed extra. His surprise loot was two cans of peaches and three pairs of socks.

  For Diane’s case, she pulled out the modem and two pairs of boxer briefs. “Yay?” she said.

  “No worries, we’ll get to your frilly things eventually” he replied.

  “Well I hope you shopped at Victoria’s Secret.”

  “Sure, if Cabela’s is ‘Victoria’s Secret,’ then yes!”

  “Always the smart-ass.”

  Their banter was interrupted by the honking of a horn. Jack looked at his watch: 8:50.

  “He’s early, I like him.”

  They headed to the gate to meet with Ranger John.

  “Jack, Diane!” John said, “Did you see that cougar?”

  “No, no cougar” Diane said.

  “I startled him with the horn and he jumped away towards the house. Don’t worry though, he’s probably just passing through and looking for a place to bed down. He’ll be on his way in the evening.”

  John was carrying a large black object. He said he saw the body on the way to the gate and they should walk back to it. When they got there, John covered his nose and turned the body over.

  “Yep, that’s him. Jack, help me get him in the bag and I’ll take him to town. We can get him in a freezer until the family decides what to do. He’s a real stinker, eh?”

  Again, Jack was surprised at the apathetic attitude towards death. “Sure thing, John” he said.

  The stench was hard to bear, Jack thought, but they were able to get him zipped into the bag.

  “Ok, I’ll back the truck up and we can get him loaded up” John said.

  John was soon on his way to Elbe and home.

  Jack and Diane made their way back to the cottage and Jack said they needed to fill the holes and hide the signs. Otherwise, “visitors” may get the idea to start digging themselves. They’d eventually find pay dirt. It took a while to get it right, Jack put the finishing touche
s on by combing the area with a gravel rake. Soon he would have to do it all over again.

  For the rest of the day Jack worked on setting up the modem and installing the CB radio. He turned it on just long enough to hear a conversation and know it was working. Tomorrow he’d test the mic and start getting in touch with his friends. Step one was complete.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  The next day was spent digging a bigger hole, west of the well.

  It was a stroke of genius building over the well, Jack thought to himself.

  This one was for an outhouse. It would be crude at best, but it would work. He built a small box to cover the hole and topped it with a pre-made piece to sit on. A nice hole was cut and sanded in the wood.

  Then he made a simple frame and added the walls for privacy. The materials were kept in the shed. Now he just had to anchor it down and apply a few coats of standard brown paint. It needed to be portable for the next hole.

  The winter would make for some cold craps, he thought. It’s still better than shitting next to a tree.

  Diane was spending her time walking with the dogs - she’s not going anywhere without one or both now – and getting things done around the house. She kept an eye on the news for Jack, paying attention to a software program he had loaded up. Because she’s an avid reader, she also got some reading time in.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  The short, slim man sat in a windowless room, surrounded by many of his companions. It was hot, and the only relief were the fans keeping the computers cool. It was much cooler in his own country, but this mission couldn’t be carried out there. If the Americans succeeded in tracking the hackers, the suspicion would fall here instead of their own government.

  “We’re almost done here” he said to the man standing behind him, watching. The man standing commanded the respect and attention of everyone in the room. He is a large man, standing at 6’5” and built like a brick shithouse. He kept a stern face and never smiled, not even around family. It was never easy to tell if he was pleased but everyone knew when he was angry. He’s also a general and can make a person disappear. Those days are said to be over, but the rumors say otherwise.

  “Right now, we’re finishing up and covering our tracks.”

  The sound of hundreds of fingers tapping keyboards was the only thing heard above the fan noise.

  “By tomorrow, the plan should be taking hold” the first man said.

  “First, the towers infect the mobile phones they encounter. Then the phones infect new towers they get in range of. After a mobile has infected two new towers, the worm destroys the software and it cannot be used again. In one week, most mobile phones will be useless, and the towers will then activate the final worm, destroying themselves. America will lose mobile phones as a means of communication.”

  The second man nodded his head up and down a few times, almost in slow motion. “Good” was all he said.

  The first man went on, “As soon as we’re finished here, we’ll pack up and head home to await our next mission.”

  “No. We have orders already. The next mission will be more difficult and more devastating. They will be expecting it and it must not fail. Tomorrow we pack the trucks and go to Istanbul. Make sure the men are ready, captain.”

  “Yes sir.”

  The first man didn’t show his disappointment, that would not have ended well. He was hoping to cool off at home and see his family. That would have to wait, they just started a war. America hasn’t figured it out yet, but they will.

  They think terrorists are attacking, he thought to himself. In a way, they are. By the time they figure it out, it should be too late.

  Lost

  Thursday arrived and Jack would have to get to the meeting later. He was a little weary of leaving Diane alone again and thought about bringing her. Then he decided against it. It’s probably too soon to introduce her to the group.

  Jack had continued to shore up the cottage and surroundings, enlisting Diane to help on occasion. He’d love to build a real chicken coop but didn’t have near enough supplies. He could have stored more wood in the shed, but then he’d need a bigger shed. Nothing else would fit!

  I’ll talk to Paul Peterson about it. He’s the wood supplier, maybe he’s got some on hand he could spare, Jack thought.

  Other than that, Jack decided he would be able to hold out for a year at the cottage. He still had buried treasure and would dig when needed. “Although, it’s much easier to dig now than it would be in the winter,” he muttered. Frozen ground is a bear to dig through and there will be snow covering everything in the winter. That was the one downfall of bugging out close to the mountain.

  The pluses outweighed the cold, nevertheless. There is plenty of fresh meat in the woods and lots of cool, crisp, clean water nearby. He knows the hills and trails inside and outside the park, giving him a huge advantage over most people. He can hide and, if necessary, ambush. In times like this, every option is an option.

  The time had come to quit thinking and start doing. He had to start his hike up to the meeting.

  “Diane, I’m leaving now. If you take a walk today, be sure the take the dogs with you. And try not to confront anyone.”

  He snickered, she gave him the middle finger.

  “You may want to start reading that book about edible plants,” he reminded her, “I bought it in Ashford just for you. I’ve got another book you need to read, dealing with healing plants. That’s still in my bag.”

  “Don’t worry about me, honey. Basha, Mercedes, and Glock will keep me company. To get to me, you must get by all three! I think I’m good. Have fun with your little gang.”

  She was a little miffed at not being invited still and injected just a little passive aggressiveness. It did not go unnoticed.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  Robin was busy texting her husband when her iPhone garbled the app and went blank.

  “Damnit, this is not a good time to crash!” she exclaimed out loud.

  In the past, she might have received a few quizzical looks from the strangers around her. Instead, a group of women held up her phones and one said, “Mine crashed 10 minutes ago and I can’t get it to work anymore.”

  This isn’t good, Robin thought.

  He was just about to tell her where they were meeting before their escape to the countryside. She needed her phone to come back on. She tried holding down the side power button and that failed. She tried the home button with the power button and that failed.

  Now she was freaking out. She asked to borrow a phone from a man nearby and his wasn’t working either. “What the fuck is going on? I need help! Can someone let me use a phone to call my husband?” She was at a FEMA location in Graham, getting what food, water, and supplies she could gather for her family.

  Finally, a woman handed her a phone saying, “Mine works, call him.” Robin thanked her profusely and dialed her husband. He answered immediately and said, “We’re on Pacific Avenue, heading…” and then the call dropped. She dialed again and she got no answer. The third time was not a charm. She thanked the woman again and got in her car and cried. She didn’t know what to do.

  Her husband was at his boss’s house, gathering up more supplies. Her son was with him. She only knows he lives in Bonney Lake. The boss has property near Mt Rainier, but she doesn’t know where. She doesn’t have enough gas to get home and back to Mt Rainier and nobody is selling gas.

  Her only hope, she thought, was to drive to the mountain and hope for the best. It’s a crappy plan, she knew. But she knew her husband couldn’t do both either. He was already on the way to the meetup location. She stopped in every town along the way, hoping she’d see him. It was another crappy plan that didn’t work.

  Traffic was slowing down near Ashford. She thought maybe she should stay in Elbe. There were a few cars heading the other way and she figured they had the same idea. Confused, scared, and bewildered, Robin kept going. “Near Mt Rainier” could mean anything. Morton was near Mt Rainier but on a diffe
rent road. She would have had to turn at Elbe and cross the Nisqually river to get there.

  No, she thought, Ashford was the closest you could get to Mt Rainier and that’s where I’m going.

  It was the best logic she could think of in her state of mind. When she finally made it to Ashford, it was mostly a parking lot. She knew she didn’t want to be a part of that, it didn’t feel safe to her.

  She saw a side road and decided to explore it. Maybe she could find a place to hide out and get some rest. She drove for a little bit, not seeing anything she was looking for. She did notice there were more cars than she expected on a small-town road. Then her fuel warning light came on. She forgot about gas. She shouldn’t be driving without knowing where she’s going.