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

by Kevin Barry Maguire

  ‘I’m sure it is. Here comes your horse now.”

  Two more horses arrived, saddled and ready to go. Robin needed help mounting the horse. Nikki had supplied Robin with a backpack and some food for the journey. Robin added a change of clothes and an extra pair of shoes. She had a sleeping bag and pad attached. The rest of the group had similar packs. All were armed with handguns, Jason and Mark also carried AR-15’s.

  The others mounted as well, except Mark. His horse hadn’t arrived yet. Diane took the time to catch up with her friend while the men discussed the journey.

  Paul started, “Alright. Jason and Mark. You two are starting out first. After 5 minutes, you other three follow. Keep in contact via radio, and if silence is needed, make sure you follow the code rules for radio silence.”

  “How about the dogs?” Mark asked.

  “They follow me, of course” Jack responded, in a lower voice.

  Paul smiled, as he went over the rest of the plan.

  They would take short breaks once an hour, coordinated over the radio. The third break would be a longer break for lunch – for them and the horses.

  The final horse arrived and Mark mounted with the skill of an accomplished equestrian, backpack and all. He drew some impressed looks from the crowd. A few seconds later, the scouts started the journey. Five minutes later, Jack, Diane, and Robin said farewell. Nikki stayed back and chatted up Paul.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  Jack, Diane, and Robin were at a slow trot on the road toward Elbe. They were passing the driveway Jack and Diane turned in to evade their pursuers after the first attack. Jack couldn’t believe how much has changed since that day.

  He was still using his credit card to buy gasoline, now cards are useless, and gas is a rare commodity. They’ve yet to see a single vehicle on the road. He walked into his cottage and turned on the lights, gas, and hot showers. Now he still has light, but it comes from solar panels. Cooking is done in a wood burning stove, he must boil hot water for a bath. I’m not complaining, he thought, most people have it much worse.

  Diane’s thoughts started with how naive she was a few months ago to anger. Anger when she saw the face of the prick in her mind. What’s the term? Terminated. Her eyes squinted and she ground her teeth at the thought. She fantasized about killing him again and again. Then she took a few long, slow breaths to calm herself.

  She concentrated on a large oak tree up ahead. Jack was teaching her to be aware of her surroundings and said it could save her life someday. He explained mindful meditation to her and said it would teach her to notice things. It also calmed her down. The leaves were still green, and she guessed the tree to be about 30 yards high, though it was difficult to tell at such a distance. The trunk was large, but she wasn’t about to guess the circumference yet.

  Robin broke them both out of their musings and said, “This area sure is pretty. It’s so quiet I can hear the river rushing by.”

  “I’ve never seen it so quiet here,” Jack said.

  “This road is usually busy with cars going to and from the park. We’ll be crossing that river shortly.”

  A few minutes later Jason radioed and gave the all clear for the bridge at Elbe. They stopped and topped off canteens and let the horses take a drink. About 5 minutes later Jack and crew were at the bridge. He resisted the urge to go into Elbe and check things out. He imagined he’d see a ghost town and might get depressed. It would also screw up their timing. Jack was reminded of Calvin and hoped he was doing well. They dismounted and walked the horses to the river, a short distance from the road.

  After they filled their canteens and the horses had a good drink, they mounted up and crossed the bridge. Looking behind her, Diane thought she saw someone staring at them through a window of the closed down bar. She wasn’t sure, so she kept quiet and turned her back on the bar.

  About an hour later, both groups stopped for lunch. Jack pulled out some pemmican, a jar of homemade pickles, and water. He shared his food with Diane, of course.

  Robin didn’t know what Nikki packed for food and was pleasantly surprised to see some of the bread they had baked the day before. She also found a container with homemade butter. The cream to make it was traded for with a neighbor. Then she pulled out some summer sausage. Nikki had given her a folding knife and told her to never be without it. She pulled it from the sheath and began buttering bread and cutting meat.

  The horses weren’t left out, they fed on some grass and a few snacks Paul supplied them with. Twenty minutes later, everyone was on the road again.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  “Contact.”

  As Jack and his crew were nearing Morton, they heard Jason on the radio.” They were to meet a few members of the Morton crew on the edge of town. The Morton group chose the Wildlife Department building. It was the first building and it was abandoned.

  Jack sped everyone up to a trot, anxious to be done riding for the day. A few minutes later, they had joined Jason, Mark, and their hosts.

  There were two men from the Morton group to help them on the scouting trip. One was about 5’9” with light, reddish-brown hair and a full beard. He introduced himself as JR Eaton and his partner as Joe “Chestnut” Brown. Joe was about 5’11” and slim – but everyone is these days.

  Jack said, “Nice to meet you Joe and JR.”

  “Please, call me Chestnut. Everyone else does. If you call me Joe, I may think you’re talking to someone else.”

  “Why Chestnut?” Diane asked.

  “The name matches my lovely hair color.”

  “Ok,” Jack said. “Chestnut it is!”

  JR jumped back in the conversation and told them to set up camp across the street. There’s a nice spot next to the Tilton River.

  They didn’t bring any tents so getting camp set up was an easy task. They tied the horses to trees, found firewood, and built a fire. They’d worry about their sleeping bags later. Chestnut and JR would be joining them for the night.

  After a quick meal, JR said, “Let’s go, we want to show you something.”

  Diane said, “What is it?”

  “Life.”

  Recon

  Mark volunteered to stay behind and watch the camp. “The dogs will keep me company”, he said. He wanted to recharge the batteries in the radios, so they’d be good for the next day.

  Robin asked, “Are you going to plug them into a tree?”

  “I’m an engineer, I’m going to do engineer things,” he said with a wink. “I’m going to use other batteries to charge these, and a few wires. It’s pretty simple really.”

  “Okay, have fun. I’d like to learn that sometime.”

  JR and Chestnut led the rest of the group to town. After a few minutes, they reached the edge of the town proper and continued straight up the road. A few blocks later, their hosts stopped and pointed at a bar. “Open for business, ladies and gentlemen,” Chestnut said.

  They could see movement through the windows, but it wasn’t very bright inside. JR led the way and they followed him inside. As they made their way to a table, they saw the candles as the only light source.

  A man was on a small stage, playing guitar and singing Country music. He looked the part with his brown mustache and beard, sunglasses, and cowboy hat. They scooted two tables together and all sat together.

  Jack looked around and was surprised he could see so well in the candlelight. He also wondered where the candles were coming from. There were a few dart boards, old school style. They probably had to dig those out of storage after the power went out. The jukebox was still there, collecting dust.

  He saw license plates from other states on the wall and the obligatory deer heads and antler racks. One of the locals came up and sat with them. JR introduced him as Chuck Whidden. Chuck looked at Jack and said, “You have pretty lips” and raised his eyebrows at Jack a few times. Then he flashed a cheesy grin. Jack couldn’t tell if he was serious or not.

  JR laughed and said, “Don’t worry, we’re 88% sure he’s just ki
dding.”

  Diane laughed but snuggled in closer to Jack. Chuck didn’t miss it and grinned at her too.

  The waitress walked up and introduced herself as Bridgid. “Haven’t seen this lot before, did you hear about our beer or just happened by?”

  Jack said, “A little of both, though the beer was never mentioned.”

  “Well,” she said. “Steve and the boys brew the beer, Chuck here helps sometimes. Don’t let him scare you, he’s harmless…I think.”

  Chuck wagged his eyebrows again, as if daring to get more comments.

  “We’ve got a hefeweizen and an ale. Cash only, honey. If you want a full keg, that will cost you a full cow, pig, or elk. Don’t come at me with a tiny deer.”

  “Unfortunately, we don’t have time for a hunting trip, though I’m sure the beer is worth it. I’m surprised you’re still taking cash after the last attack. It was a doozy.”

  As Jack said those words, the cowboy walked by. “Don’t worry son, America is gonna survive,” he said, his words trailing off as he moved in the direction of the restrooms.

  Jack smiled and nodded his head. Bridgid also gave a nod of the head and said, “Damn right. When this is all finished, we’ll have all the money! Or at the least a lot of jerky.”

  “Okay,” Jack said. “Bring a round for everyone. I’m buying, and I choose the ale,” he said with a wink.

  The group discussed the weather changing soon, life in the small town, and food situations. They avoided talking about the reason they were all together. There were others in the bar who could overhear them no matter how quiet they spoke.

  Bridgid came by and asked if they needed anything else. Jack said they’d be on their way in a few minutes and thanked her for the moment of normalcy. A few minutes later, they left for camp.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  Jack was up before everyone else, he wasn’t surprised. He got another fire started. By the time everyone else woke up, the fire was ready for cooking and boiling water.

  As they were cooking and eating, they discussed the plan for the day. JR said the scavenger group always came by twice a week, on the same days and around the same time. The group split up on the opposite side of town and moved around the edges, working their way in and around.

  When the time came, they broke camp and mounted up. At the abandoned lumber yard, the group made their split. JR took Jack, Diane, and Robin and turned right. Chestnut, Jason, and Mark went left.

  They kept a slow pace to avoid alarming anyone. Jack’s group kept to the edge of the park, there was nothing for the scavengers there. When they reached 7th Ave they turned left, towards the opposite side of town. A few minutes later, they spotted a group of people down the road.

  “How many?” Jack asked.

  “Not sure. It's a goodly sized group, though.”

  JR looked through his binoculars.

  “It looks like they're near the PUD building. Not a terrible place to be, all things considered.”

  JR handed his binoculars to Robin and asked her if she could see her husband or son. She scanned for about 30 seconds before letting out an “Oh, Mark!” Her voice trembled as she said the words. She exhaled and looked up, “That’s him.”

  She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but Jack soon made the decision for her. “We can’t confront them today, Robin. This is just a scouting trip to confirm identities. We’ll come back with bigger numbers.”

  Robin nodded her head, showing she understood. But that didn’t stop the tears.

  They turned down Adams Ave to meet up with the other group and avoid contact with Robin’s husband. He couldn’t know she was here, it may scare the scavengers from returning. As they passed the small hospital, they saw a few military vehicles in the parking lot, and guards posted.

  Jack asked, “What’s that about?”

  “The medical staff are virtual prisoners in the hospital. A few were flown out to God knows where and haven’t returned. It’s not a good time to be a doctor or nurse, I’m afraid.”

  Jack thought about Sam Davis, the doctor in their group. He no longer had to wonder why Sam hadn’t left the city yet. This is information Paul would have to hear.

  Before they reached 3rd Ave, Chestnut said over the radio, “Contact. Junior-Senior High School.” Chestnut’s group were on the corner of Knittles and Westlake. JR and his companions turned on 2nd Ave and stopped them at the Country Market. JR held Robin’s reins, just in case she couldn’t overcome the urge to run to her child. He gave her the binoculars again, and again she scanned.

  The binoculars dropped, and everyone knew the answer. Diane had moved to her side in preparation and reached out to give her friend a shoulder to cry on. As expected, she tried to run to her son instead. Between Chestnut and Diane, they prevented that disaster. Jack took over the reins from JR and Diane helped him lead Robin and the horse away.

  Robin sat with a vacant stare. She was prepared to leave her family behind, but she wasn’t ready. She was determined not to cry, however. She focused inward, thinking of reuniting soon. She asked Jack, “When?”

  Jack told her they wouldn’t have time to coordinate the rescue before the scavengers returned next. She would have to go one more week without her husband and son.

  “Did you see your husband’s boss?”

  “I think so. It was hard to tell and once I saw my son…” her words trailed off.

  “Don’t worry, Robin. We found them and they’re alive. That’s more than you had yesterday. Next week, you’ll be hugging them.”

  He stopped short of a promise.

  Chestnut and JR stopped at the edge of town and wished their friends a safe journey home. If they kept a steady pace, they should be at Paul’s house by evening.

  ∆ ∆ ∆

  They were returning home the same way they arrived, two scouts ahead, Jack and the women five minutes behind. As Jack was nearing Elbe, Jason came on the radio, “Contact. Bridge. Four men with rifles.”

  “Damn,” Jack said. He asked, “Have they said anything?”

  “Nope. They seem to be waiting patiently for us to walk up.”

  “Okay, hold back until we get there. We can have a little show of force.”

  When the three caught up to their scouts, they saw the four men standing stiff as trees, spread across the middle of the two-lane bridge. The five riders spread out side-by-side and approached at a slow, deliberate pace. With 20 yards between them, one man took a step forward and held his hand out, palm facing the group and said, “That’s far enough.”

  Jack stopped his crew and waited. He would force the man to talk first. After a short standoff, the man said, “Where you headed?”

  Jack looked the man in the eyes. “Home.”

  The Elbe man shook his head once, ticked his tongue and said, “Fair enough. This here is a toll bridge and if you want to get home, you need to pay the toll.”

  “And what is your toll?”

  “We’re simple men with simple needs. We’ll be needing all your food.”

  Diane reached for her weapon, but Jack stopped her. The men, to their credit, didn’t move. The man said, “The fire in her eyes is as red as the hair on her head!”

  Jack said, “You understand you’re outnumbered, right?”

  The man smiled, stuck two fingers in his mouth, and let out a long whistle. Seven more people came out from hiding, five more men and two women. That is what Jack wanted to see, he forced them to show their hand. He also hoped Diane learned something.

  Diane recognized two of the men right away. She thought, Where have I seen them before? That’s right, the prick’s buddies. She shot a glance at Jack and then nodded toward the pair. Jack studied them for a moment and then returned his gaze to the apparent leader.

  “You win,” Jack said. Jack opened Diane’s pack and grabbed what remained of her rations. Then everyone else followed. Jack wanted to stay mounted in case they needed to bolt. After all the food was handed down, Jack prodded his horse forward. The men p
arted and let them pass. Jack thought it was too easy. Just food? No guns, horses? What gives? He kept silent and kept his eyes on the Elbe crew. When they got around the corner, they picked up the pace.

  Jack asked what everyone thought about the toll. He mentioned he couldn’t believe they just wanted food. It didn’t make sense.

  Mark offered his opinion, “If they take our food, we’re mad. But we’re not mad enough to come back for revenge. If they take our guns, horses, and food, we’re on a warpath.”

  “You could be onto something there, Mark. We are going to have to deal with them, however. This can’t go on.”

  At a safe distance from the bridge, Mark and Jason resumed their scouting jobs while the other three waited for them to put distance between them.