Prepper's Apocalypse | Book 1 | Prepper's Apocalypse

by Newman, AJ

  Betty looked a bit bewildered. “About how long will it take to walk to the Ashland area?”

  Tom had already thought about the trip. “I think we can get about two miles an hour for ten hours, walking in two-hour stretches and taking thirty minutes for lunch and a rest. Of course, we’ll rest for ten minutes every two hours. That gives us thirteen hours of total travel time, and we will cover a minimum of twelve miles. It’s flat here, but once we get closer to Oregon, it gets a bit hilly and slower. So, we should be in Ashland in about twenty days on foot. Of course, we’ll watch for transportation, but don’t count on finding a running vehicle.”

  Granny B asked, “Any more questions? If not, Tom will lead us north.”

  Jim said, “I know I can walk much faster than that. We could cut the time down by a third if we just made everyone pick up the pace.”

  Tom fought down the urge to tell Jim to hike his happy ass on up the road. Instead, Tom clenched his fists. “Jim, as I said before, no one is forcing you to join us. I know what I’m doing, and I have to think about Lucy and Granny B. Not everyone can walk quickly all day long. We have to keep in mind we’ll be on the lookout for danger as well as food along the way.”

  Jim growled under his breath as he moved away from Tom. Tom made sure he was out of range and tapped his grandmother on the shoulder. “Granny B, we need to ditch the asshole as soon as possible.”

  “I think you’re right, but let’s give him a day or so before we kick his sorry ass to the curb. I’m hoping his wife and kids amount to something.”

  They were an hour late leaving the plane. Several mentioned leaving in the morning, but Tom wanted to make good use of the six hours before dark to cover as much ground as possible and get away from the crash's vicinity.

  *

  Chapter 6

  Highway 80 Southwest of Dixon, California.

  Dixon, California, was only a mile and a half northeast of the wrecked plane. The roller luggage sounded like a herd of buffalo trying to roller skate across a concrete parking lot. Several of the wheels squeaked, but Tom ignored the noise for now. The squeak could be a problem if they traveled at night and wanted to remain hidden.

  The weather couldn’t have been better for their trek north. It was early fall, and the days were cooler than usual for that time of the year. The nights were downright cold. The sky was clear with only a few wispy clouds, but the air was pungent with the smoke from the numerous plane crashes and looters setting businesses on fire.

  Tom spotted several groups of people walking in both directions on Highway 80. A few groups gathered around their vehicles, still thinking someone was going to come to their rescue. Most of those walking had their heads hung low and just shuffled along like robots. He saw one large group on the east lane and led the group across the median to the other side to avoid any conflict. He thought. It was still early, but why take any chances?

  One person from the large group broke away and headed toward them. He waved and walked up to Tom, who kept his hand on his weapon. The man asked, “Do you have any idea what happened?”

  Tom played dumb. “No, but none of our phones can get a connection or connect to the internet. The screen lights up, and the phone will play music and take pictures but won’t communicate on the internet or phone connection. It looks like we were attacked by an EMP blast.”

  “That’s weird; none of our phones will even turn on. We’re going to San Francisco. How does it look down that away?”

  Tom replied, “We only started walking a few miles back when our vehicle died. What did you see up ahead?”

  The man’s head shook side to side. “Looting and rioting have already started. Just stay away from the malls, and you should be okay. All the thugs are stealing TVs, guns, and jewelry. There are a lot of stores on fire, and the police station in Dixon has been destroyed.”

  “Thanks, and good luck.” Tom extended his hand, and they shook. The man walked back to his group and soon disappeared in the distance.

  Tom saw smoke rising from the city ahead. “We’re going to go around Dixon on the side roads and avoid any conflict. If I see anything that looks odd or dangerous, I want everyone to hide until the danger passes.”

  Again, Jim opened his mouth to speak, but Tom pointed at him. “Do you have a question?”

  “I thought we should ask for help in Dixon.”

  Tom was amazed the man still thought someone was going to rescue him and his family. “You feel froggy, just you jump into that city and see how quickly you get your ass killed.”

  Granny B’s head worried back and forth. “You just don’t get it, do you? Do whatever you want, but we’re going around Dixon. Good luck.”

  Jim was enraged. “Why don’t you two listen to me? I’m a real leader of the community, and this boy has no clue what we need to do.”

  Tom’s hand reached for his pistol and stood his ground as the man ranted at his grandmother and him. Tom watched the man’s gun sticking out of his waistband but didn’t think the idiot would try to draw on Granny B or him. He let Jim yell for a few more seconds. “Jim, you’ve said your piece. Now, go! Anyone who wants to follow Jim can leave now with him,” Tom said.

  Jim’s wife spoke up. “Jim, Granny B is right. We need to stay away from the cities.”

  “Brenda, shut up! You and the kids are coming with me!” Jim exclaimed.

  “No! We aren’t! Go get yourself killed because your pride won’t let you take direction. Go ahead. The kids and I are staying with the group.”

  “Brenda?”

  “Go!” She said forcefully.

  Jim fumed but turned and walked toward the city without his family.

  Brenda’s face was flushed, and she looked at the ground. “I’m sorry for my husband’s bad behavior. He’s pigheaded and thinks he knows it all. He’s wrong this time. Can we stay with you?”

  Tom took a deep breath and moved his hand from his gun. “Of course, you can stay with us, and Jim is welcome back if he can behave and contribute to the group.”

  Granny B wrapped an arm around Brenda. “You and your kids are welcome to stay with us, and we don’t hold his antics agin you.”

  Granny B caught Tom. “I’m proud of you, son. You held your temper but stood up to the bastard.”

  “I know I’ve been a bear since Gwen died. I didn’t need this crap to keep me stirred up.”

  “Son, just focus the anger and energy on getting us home safely. Tom, your wife, has been dead for over two years. I know you remember the good times with Gwen, but you need to remember that she was depressed at the ranch. I hate to say it, but she was going to give you an ultimatum the day she died. She asked me what would happen if she told you it was her or the ranch, but you couldn’t have both.”

  A frown smothered Tom’s face as he turned to face his grandma. “What did you tell her?”

  Granny B swallowed. “The truth. I told her the ranch was in your blood, and if she loved you, she’d never ask that question.”

  “Was she going to leave me?”

  “I think so.”

  “I felt something was growing between us. Gwen had been very distant for a couple of months and found no joy at the ranch. Her whining to go to town was getting on my nerves. I loved her so much but was starting to not like her.”

  Granny B wanted to change the topic. “These people need a strong leader, and you’ve got the job.”

  “Granny B, you’ve always been our leader.”

  “Tom, these people won’t listen to an old woman. Son, it will get worse when we encounter people who will want to take advantage of us. I’d like you to stand strong without losing your temper. We all need someone we can look up to and think they’ll keep us safe. You didn’t sign up for the job. Still, you have it.”

  They walked north for a couple of miles and then turned east to skirt the city. There were only a few farms, orchards, and several large nurseries north of Dixon. The land was flat, and the tallest things Tom saw were utility poles. He c
ould see some industrial complexes south toward the city, but mainly farmland.

  Tom only saw a couple of people and waved back at them when they waved from a distance. One man rode up to them on an old four-wheeler. He raised his hands to show he wasn’t armed.

  “Do you know what happened? I see smoke rising all over Dixon, and our phones, cars, and tractors don’t work.”

  Tom was wary of everyone now, so he kept his hand close to the butt of his pistol. “I think we were attacked by some kind of nuclear EMP blast.”

  “That might explain the huge bright light and sonic boom we heard. Why are the electronics dead?”

  Tom scratched his jaw. “An electromagnetic pulse is an energy that passes through the air and fries electronics. I can’t explain it much better than that.”

  It hadn’t dawned on the man that his world was about to take a turn down the drain. Tom wanted to help but didn’t know what to say. “Sir, stay away from the cities and prepare for the worst. Gather as much food as you can.”

  “Ya really think it’ll get that bad? Surely, they’ll get the power back on in a few days.”

  Both of them turned to face the distant city when gunfire split the silence. The shots rang out for a minute and ceased as quickly as they’d started. Tom pointed to the town. “No, they won’t get the power back on any time soon. The transformers have also been fried. Look at that one. See the charring?”

  “We saw several on fire, but they can replace them, can’t they?”

  Tom replied. “Most utility companies only have a few dozen transformers like that one and only one or two of the huge ones that supply a neighborhood. The large ones are manufactured in China and Korea. It takes months to get one from the manufacturer.”

  “But FEMA or the government should have supplies.”

  Tom knew he should back away and not argue with the man. “Stay away from the cities. In about two days, they’ll become a lawless quagmire of looting, gang killings, and death. If you have a truck or car from the early 70s, they might run if you haven’t replaced the points and condenser with electronic ignition. Good luck. We have to go.”

  The cool temperature was welcome and didn’t tax them too much. The smell of citrus filled the air from the orchards but didn’t cover the rancid odor of burning plastic and tar. Tom noticed everyone was drinking quite a bit of water. Sam had even poured some on a handkerchief to wash her daughter’s face.

  Tom knew their bugout bags contained the Sawyer MINI water filtration devices, which could filter over a hundred thousand gallons each but didn’t want to use them until absolutely necessary.

  He kept then moving until they were safely past Dixon and hid behind an abandoned shop on the north side of Highway 80 and Lincoln Highway intersection. According to the fading paint on the sign, the building had been a small machine shop many years ago. Tom sat on the ground in the shade of an orange tree. “Take ten minutes, and then we’ll move on. I need everyone to understand that we might have stretches where we can’t find water and need to conserve what water we have. Only use it for drinking.”

  Sam had a sheepish look on her face, then, in defiance, glared at Tom. Tom only smiled back. Granny B broke the silence. “We’ve covered about seven miles in a little over two hours. That’s better than we’d hoped, but remember, the land is flat here. The hills of Northern California and Southern Oregon will kick our butts, so let’s make time while we can.”

  Brenda’s daughter asked, “Can we wait on Jim?”

  Tom started to speak, but Granny B waved him off. “Darlin’, your dad chose to go into the city knowing that we’d move on. He knows where we’re going and our route to get there. He said he can walk fast, so he should catch up in a day or so on the Lincoln Highway.

  The girl wasn’t convinced but shrugged her shoulders and sat quietly beside her mom. The boy stood up and faced his mom. “You never liked my dad, and you’re not my mom. I don’t have to do what you say. I’m going to find my dad.”

  The girl, Greta, said, “Your dad is a jerk and hits my mom. She should have dumped his ass years ago.”

  Brenda placed her fingers to her mouth and whistled very loudly. “Kids, that’s enough. Terry, I can’t tell you what to do, but I’ll second what Tom said. Don’t go into the city looking for your dad. It’s not safe.”

  “Screw you!” The boy continued cursing as he ran off in the direction of the city.

  Greta smiled. “Good riddance to both of those assholes. Jim beat Mom and tried to … well, … have his way with me. I’m glad they’re gone, and I hope thugs take care of both of them.”

  Granny B raised her hands skyward. “Stop the murmuring. Brenda and Greta are great additions to our group, and we should pray for the boy and Jim. They’ll need the prayers.”

  Brenda stood up. “Well, that’s enough of our dirty laundry. I’m married to an egomaniac who lost his temper over little things, and any time he didn’t get his way. I didn’t know about what Greta said, or I would have killed her stepfather myself. Can you forgive us for dumping our problems on you?”

  Jackie gave Brenda a hug, and Tom helped Greta to her feet. “That’s all behind us. We’re burning daylight. Let’s roll. We’ll walk another two hours and make camp for the night.”

  Tom had watched the blonde woman as she’d dealt with the obstinate boy and could tell she was strong and should be a good fit for the team. Her daughter Greta was eighteen and looked a lot like her mom. Both were physically fit and looked like they worked out to stay in shape. He hoped they would fit in and contribute during the long walk home. He also wanted to pass on as much survival training as possible during the walk to help them survive.

  Brenda was thirty-six and athletic. She played golf and tennis at the country club and had met Jim there a year ago. He’d dazzled her with his massive mansion in the hills above Ashland and bought her expensive gifts. They were only married for a few months before he hit her the first time. The trip to Hawaii was his attempt at stopping her threats to get a divorce. She went on the journey while her lawyers used a forensic accountant to find out where Jim had hidden his money. She’d make him pay for every bruise.

  Jackie saw the plants when they walked on top of the overpass. “Granny, I think those are hackberry bushes down there along the gully.”

  Granny B looked, and a big smile came over her face. “Yup, that’s hackberries. They’re some good eatin’. Let’s gather some for supper. Betty and Sam, would you two join us picking some berries?”

  The ladies scurried down the hillside and began picking the red berries. Granny B filled them in on hackberries. “The berries can be a dull yellow to red. The reddish ones taste the best. Here, eat a couple.”

  Both ladies chewed on a few berries and smiled. Granny B said, “Sweet, aren’t they?”

  *

  Chapter 7

  Lincoln Highway north of Dixon, California.

  Granny B saw the new subdivision on the east side of the road and marveled at how many people could afford the row after row of huge homes on postage-stamp-sized lots. One of the new homes had been wrapped with Tyvek, but the brick veneer hadn’t been added. The house piqued her interest. “Bill, come with me. I see something in that construction site that we could use.”

  Bill saw the elderly woman climb over the fence without difficulty and followed her up to the home. Granny B cautiously walked around the house and found what she needed. “Look, Bill! We now have tents and emergency blankets.”

  She pointed at the long roll of white material that had the word Tyvek printed on it. The material was used as a vapor barrier for new homes. “Help me cut a couple of large sections for tents and then some smaller ones for blankets.”

  They cut two sections nine-foot by-fifteen foot and a dozen sheets eight feet long by six feet wide. The material was light in weight and made a loud crinkling noise as they folded it into manageable bundles. Granny B poked around the site while Bill folded the small sheets by himself. She saw carpenter tools s
cattered around as though the carpenters had run for their lives. Several pickups with construction company logos were parked around the empty homes. She found keys in one of the trucks, but it wouldn’t start, which didn’t surprise her.

  Granny B looked into the home and was pleased to find that the house was being wired when it’d been abandoned. She discovered several pieces of half-inch and three quarter inch metal conduit pipes. She took two of the six-foot tubes with her on her way back to join Bill.

  Bill saw her coming with the pipes across her shoulder like a soldier packing his rifle in a parade. “I guess those pipes will help us stay warm or feed us?”

  “Yep,” was her answer.

  Neither Bill nor Granny B saw the men in the house across the street watching them. The leader slapped Jim Roberts. “So, these are the people with money?”

  Jim could barely see through the blood and had trouble concentrating. He’d nearly been beaten to death. “Yes, I saw them take it from their luggage. The old woman’s grandson has a money belt with gold coins, and his sister has cash in her backpack. Now let me go. I led you to them. Please let me go as you promised.”

  “Tell me again how many people are in the group, and are they armed?”

  “I didn’t see any guns. There were only two men and a boy. The rest are women. They’re no danger to you. Grab the money and leave them alone,” Jim urged.

  The leader patted Jim on the back as he made a slashing motion across his throat. A large man with a beard walked up behind Jim and drew a military bayonet from a scabbard. He grabbed Jim’s hair and sliced Jim’s neck to the spinal cord. The man yanked Jim’s head back, and blood spurted into the air, hitting the leader and another man.