Endure Series (Book 2): Enduring The Journey:

by Kinney, K. D.

  ENDURING THE JOURNEY

  Endure Series Book Two

  K.D. Kinney

  Amber Dusk Publishing

  Boise, ID

  © 2020 K.D. Kinney All Rights Reserved

  All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever

  without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Amber Dusk Publishing

  P.O Box 45894

  Boise, ID, 83711

  Contents

  Foreward

  1. Tammy

  2. Ben

  3. Ben

  4. Ben

  5. Tammy

  6. Ben

  7. Tammy

  8. Tammy

  9. Tammy

  10. Ben

  11. Tammy

  12. Tammy

  13. Tammy

  14. Tammy

  15. Ben

  16. Tammy

  17. Tammy

  18. Ben

  19. Ben

  20. Tammy

  21. Ben

  22. Amanda

  23. Ben

  24. Ben

  25. Amanda

  26. Ben

  27. Ben

  28. Amanda

  29. Ben

  30. Ben

  31. Ben

  32. Tammy

  33. Tammy

  34. Ben

  35. Ben

  36. Tammy

  37. Ben

  38. Amanda

  39. Ben

  40. Tammy

  41. Back in Boise

  Thank you

  Other Books by K.D. Kinney

  Dedication

  About the Author

  You can find me here:

  KDKinney.org

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  1

  Tammy

  It had been the longest five days of her life since the EMP took out the grid. Tammy couldn’t wait to get her five daughters out of Boise and up to their cabin in the Idaho mountains. She never thought she would feel relief because someone was dead but knowing that the gang that had harassed them since the grid went down would no longer be a problem was the best news she’d had in days.

  Her biggest issue was that she was incredibly sore from the encounter with the home invader the night before. She rested in the recliner with an instant cold pack on her leg. The four oldest girls were bruised and sore too. Because she knew they were in pain, she was in no hurry to get them moving that morning. She was also overwhelmed with guilt. Almost all the girls had all been hurt during the run-in with the revenge-seeking gang member. It was aggravating that they’d failed to keep him out after they’d turned their house into a fortress of safety. It made her wonder what was the point.

  Dale reassured her that his buddies, the militia he was a port of, had eliminated the last member of that roving gang. However, she couldn’t rest easy with the troops patrolling the streets outside her door. Especially after they told her they would be returning to take inventory on what she had. Her massive amount of food storage was her best-kept secret and it all needed to leave town with her.

  Tammy had a hard time sitting still even though Dale sat in the same room making sure she stayed put to rest her badly bruised leg. Dale had not only saved her the night before but had promised to help her get out of town. Except at that moment, the reason why he was still in her house was because she was giving him a safe place to lay low.

  The military hadn’t been there long and they were already laying down the law and enforcing them. Which meant Dale was already a suspect along with his team of protectors in the recent deaths in the neighborhood.

  All she could do was glance at the door with every noise she heard outside. He assumed she needed a distraction when he started a conversation with her.

  “You have all of this stuff, you’re so prepared. Why haven’t you used something more lethal than this stun stick to protect you and your family?” Dale’s tone was low and not accusatory but it made Tammy flush.

  She studied her hands and then folded her arms. She couldn’t look him in the eye. “Have you thought that you were so prepared for something, like you had done all the research, you knew everything you could possibly know about that thing but when it actually happened you found out you weren’t who you thought you were? Or at least you don’t act the way you imagined you would?” She glanced up at him.

  “Yes. I’ve seen it. I know what you’re talking about. In Basic, we all thought we had what it took. We had ideas or some fantasy about how it was going to go but it was totally different. Saying “I quit,” wasn’t an option without severe consequences. Even knowing that, some discovered they couldn’t cut it. However, others thought they couldn’t cut it and were sure they weren’t going to make it, found out they could do far more than they thought they could. Even then, many of us weren’t prepared for when it was the real thing. Actual life and death.” He was quiet as he scooted closer to her. “You don’t have Basic, Tammy. Nothing could have prepared you for this right in our own hometown, it all happening on your front lawn, surrounded by all the people you’ve known for years where you’ve been safe. All the training in the world will not prepare you for when it really is life and death. But this is it. You either do it, you take care of business, or someone here, someone you love very much, dies.”

  “I know.” She squinted to stop her eyes from tearing up when she looked up at him briefly and swallowed the lump in her throat. “I let myself believe that when the time came, Ben would be here to do the things I’m not good at and the girls know how to do so much. So I was secure thinking that when this time came that Ben would be here and we’d be a team. I’d be fine making my lists, taking care of all the stuff, being the one to make sure no one starves, I know first aid and how to treat illnesses with what I have. He wasn’t supposed to be so far away when it happened.” She shook her head and pulled at a dog hair on her pants. “He was only going to be gone for a few months. I really didn’t want him to go but he had to or we’d have to give up one of our properties. He was just a couple of weeks away from coming home. Actually, last phone call he said it was down to a few days because he was pushing hard to wrap things up. So close.” She rubbed her forehead and sighed. “I used to shoot years ago but I don’t like it, I never have. So I just stopped going with them and I’ve forgotten everything. I’m not anti-gun. I’m just noise-sensitive to the point of it being a disorder, like I need meds. Earplugs don’t help. I don’t even like balloons. You should see me flinch when I’m around a balloon that I think might pop.” She wanted to rub the exhaustion away as she wiped away the tears that escaped the corner of her eyes. “I have always felt safe here. I know all these people in the houses around me so using a gun seemed extreme so early in the crisis. This isn’t the neighborhood I love anymore. I realize that. Now I know I can’t hide away with my girls here. We’ve seen how well that has worked.” She pointed at her severely bruised leg. “I need to know how to keep us safe, to know how to protect us with some confidence when we do leave town. That’s why I need your help re-educating me on my arsenal.” She drew in a deep breath and finally looked him in the eye. “Will you remind me, show me how all
my guns work so I can take care of business?’

  A big smile spread across his face. “You betcha.”

  Tammy hobbled to the stairs and called the girls up. Her five daughters bounded up the stairs.

  “Girls, this is Dale. He’s the reason why we are finally safe and he’s helping us get out of town. He’s also going to make sure we all know what we’re doing with our guns. So go back downstairs and bring up everything we have.

  She introduced him to each girl when they arrived. “This is Charlie and she’s sixteen. She loves to shoot the most.” Charlie laid a Sig Saur P320 handgun and a Ruger 10/22 rifle on the table and gave Dale a smirk.

  “This is Amanda, my oldest. She’s going to the university or was.” Tammy nervously pushed her hair away from her face wondering how long things would stay the way they were as Amanda set two Glock 19 handguns and a 12 gauge shotgun on the table.

  “These two are Zoe and Holly, no they aren’t twins. Just close in age, fourteen and thirteen.” Tammy motioned for them to set their guns on the table too.

  “My youngest, Mae. She’s ten. She does know how to shoot but she won’t be responsible for the one she’s carrying. That gun she’s carrying is supposedly mine even though it’s been years since I touched it.” Tammy rested her hands on Mae’s shoulders and gave her daughter an apologetic smile after she fumed over not getting to join her sisters at the table showing what they knew to Dale.

  Once they were all laid out on the dining room table, Dale scratched at the scruff on his chin and smiled.

  “You girls know how to use all of these?”

  The girls nodded and pointed at which one was their favorite.

  “All right.” He rubbed his hands together. “We’re going to teach your mom a thing or two.”

  “Where are the clips that go to the guns?” Tammy asked.

  Dale laughed far harder than he should have and composed himself when he saw the look of discomfort on Tammy’s face. “Don’t call them clips. They are magazines. I’m sorry I laughed that hard. I’ve been around and worked with some self-proclaimed skilled shooters that have gotten it wrong. Their lack of skill typically shows. It’s something guys like me can have a good laugh at. I know you weren’t claiming to know that much. It was a reflex. Poorly timed.” He patted Tammy on her shoulder before he picked up each gun to examine it, checking to make sure they were in good working order and not loaded. He proceeded to talk while he mastered each gun he touched. “You know and you girls I’m sure are very away that guns are dangerous and never point one at something unless you intend to destroy what you’re pointing at. Always, and I mean ALWAYS assume the gun is loaded and dangerous. Treat the gun with respect. Some guns have safeties and some don’t. Those two Glocks, they don’t. So always keep your fingers off the trigger unless you are ready to shoot. The saying is “On-target, on-trigger, off-target, off-trigger. Is that something you girls have been taught?”

  The five all nodded. “So does that mean you know how to load and unload each of these guns and you know what rounds go in which gun?”

  Four of the girls were about to show him at once.

  “Slow down. Show me one by one and let your mom watch. Then she can do it too.”

  Tammy had no idea how much time had passed. She was so anxious as the girls handled each gun, loading and then unloading. She was trembling at first and extra cautious. Dale was patient, reassuring her the whole time to where she was getting annoyed and that pushed her fears aside as she wanted to prove to him she was fine.

  After Dale double-checked the Glock to make sure it wasn’t loaded, he gave Tammy some tips on how to hold it. He adjusted her two-handed grip, moved her shoulders forward slightly, told her to shift her hips back a little. “So this here on the end of the gun, that’s the front sight post. You will want to focus on that and where it is pointed. It should line up with what you’re planning on shooting. So you focus on that front sight post and you’ll shoot better that way. Also, lean into the gun a little, don’t lean back or the recoil will slap you around.”

  “The recoil is the second worst part of firing a gun that I don’t like.”

  “I understand. So you can stand here with your unloaded gun and practice. Rack the slide back to check the chamber. You know it’s clear, you can look at the front sight to center your target, slide your finger to the trigger, you’re going to move the trigger, not necessarily squeeze it because that typically moves your whole hand. Just move that trigger. Relax those shoulders, they are riding up to your ears and nothing is going to happen except a tiny click when you pull the trigger.”

  Tammy was nervous, shifting her weight, butt back some, her arms in front but not locked. Too many things to remember.

  “Look, you don’t have to stand perfectly. You just need good balance, practice balance, and trigger finger discipline, relaxing those shoulders. You get that down and get more comfortable with how that all feels then you just make sure you have good balance, don’t lock your arms. Focus on that front sight before you fire and you’ll be able to feel at ease. You aren’t going to want to waste time if someone is threatening you trying to figure out if you’re standing perfectly. This isn’t going to be the shooting range once you’re out there on your own. Once you feel comfortable with holding the gun and firing, you need to practice with the holster.”

  Tammy nodded, practice fired, went through the motions of racking the slide again until she felt a little more at ease. Her daughters did the same. Dale supervised, giving each of the girls’ tips before he decided they all had it down.

  “Your girls are very comfortable with the shotguns and the 22. I’m impressed.” Dale took one of the Glocks apart.

  “They like to go shooting.” Tammy sat down at the table and sorted through the rounds and magazines, placing each one by the gun they belonged to. Dale had to correct her a couple of times.

  Once Dale felt that Tammy understood how to use each gun on her own, he took the girls into the garage to see how well they loaded the small utility trailer.

  She took advantage of the alone time to work with each weapon until she could load, unload and handle each one with ease.

  “You sure know how to pack that little box on wheels out there. The small chest freezer is in there now with space for the generator on top of it. There’s even room to spare.” Dale wiped the sweat from his forehead.

  “Good.” Tammy rested the handgun on the table. “Everything I’ve learned here is all fine and good until I actually need to shoot. I would really like to practice shooting somewhere.”

  “I’ve thought about that.” He scratched his head. “If we can get the motorbikes going, I’m going to follow you up into the hills until we’re out of town and we’ll practice for a bit out there before you head out on your own.”

  “Fantastic.”

  Dale picked up the purple holster that was on the table. “It looks to me that your husband made sure you would be armed when the time came. This is a woman’s holster.” He looked it over. “Is it yours?”

  Tammy took it and clipped in on her waistband. “Years ago he bought this for me. I’ve let the girls use it when they go shooting.” She hated how it felt as she adjusted it until it was in the right spot.

  “You will be wearing that everywhere you go once we leave. It is far safer to wear the gun in this holster. It will protect against accidental misfire and also by wearing it you won’t lose it. At least the weather is cool enough now so you can wear a sweater over it if you want to hide that you’re carrying. That’s ideal for you because I know you don’t want to advertise that you’re armed.”

  He peeked out through the cracks in the shutters covering the front window. “I really need to go talk to my buddy. He’s going to help me escort you out of here.” He swore under his breath. “There are still troops wandering up the street.”

  “Are they looking for you?”

  “I think they’re looking for anyone that will stir up trouble. Which means, I’m su
re they are looking for me.” Dale gave her a mischievous look as he straightened up and tugged on his shirt. “I can’t sit in here and wait all day, though. I’m going to push my luck and head out the back.”

  Tammy locked the door after he was gone and was full of nervous energy as she limped out to the garage to make sure he hadn’t rearranged her tubs in the trailer.

  2

  Ben

  Ben and Nate had been in Kodiak, Alaska for hours waiting for the designated time to fly out on a helicopter to Homer. It felt like their journey had taken weeks but it had only been five days since the grid in the lower forty-eight went down.

  The waiting was torture. They’d already risked their lives when they left by fishing boat and risked their lives again with the obviously insane brothers Jackson and Anderson on their fancy custom boat. Both almost disastrous situations still didn’t feel real. He’d never been more thankful to be on land even though they still had to cross another body of water before they could remain on land for the rest of their journey home. Ben was determined to get all the way to Idaho, not just Anchorage. Patience was a continuing issue because they still had too far to go.

  The scenery was incredible. Kodiak was intense. With every shade of green one could think of from the deepest green of the pine trees to the lighter shades of the tall grasses along the side of the roads. The rugged mountains were already topped with snow. Perhaps the snow had never melted. The older style buildings in town were more of an interruption or distraction from the scenery.

  Ben had spent months in a village where there were no trees. Just grassy fields with some brush here and there that rolled gently away to the ocean so the island full of trees was a welcome sight. At the same time, it was difficult for him to thoroughly appreciate the scenery in Kodiak while he watched the time and desperately wanted to keep moving closer to home.