“No, no, it’s okay, what can we do for you? I apologize, just one of those female emotional moments, nothing serious. Can I get you something to eat or to drink?”
“No thank you.”
Penny smiled at her.
“We just want to talk to Mike about the upcoming trip to Chicago. Isn’t it exciting?”
Caroline feigned a smile and walked away from the group.
“I think I’ll go over to the bar and see who’s there.”
With that, she left the cabin.
Mike smiled at the couple. In the light of the oil lamps Penny’s hair shined as if it had little precious stones scattered throughout. It was a pleasant shade of copper as opposed to most redheads whose hair was nearly orange. Mike noticed she smelled like a flower but couldn’t place it. Harlan was beside himself. He was looking forward to the flight to Chicago and back to sharpen his flying skills. Mike wasn’t going to get into any details about the conspiracy with either of them. Harlan would be a backup pilot and Penny could write down everything that was said; her shorthand speed and accuracy was amazing. They talked for about an hour about what they would bring with them, food, drinks, extra gas in cans, it was suggested they all be armed, Penny wanted to have a few writing pads and something to write with. They also talked about when they would leave and approximately how long they would be gone. It was suggested and acknowledged they would do a radio check with Avalon once they were in the air and then decide a time to talk again, and then simply check in at a specific time every day.
On and on they talked about details. Penny and Harlan were very excited and looking forward to the trip. Penny took profuse notes about all that was said, to be gone over again later. It had been a long time since any of them had had the opportunity to see what other parts of the U.S. looked like. In three more days, the world such as it still was would open for them all. Mike realized he was looking forward to the trip himself. After a while Harlan and Penny got up to leave, as they walked to the door, Penny said,
“Thank you so much for asking us to come along.”
Harlan didn’t know it, but Mike chose him because he was becoming a good pilot and he needed a backup, just in case.
Harlan just beamed with a childlike exuberance. Then they were gone, and Mike took off his shoes and lay down on the bed. He felt drained. He shut his eyes as Champ crawled up with him, and in a few moments, they were both asleep and did not hear Caroline return.
◆◆◆
Randy came to see Mike as he was preparing to leave. He said,
“Excuse me for bothering you, Admiral but I’d like to run something by you before you leave”
He waited for Mike to answer.
“Feel free to speak, Randy.”
Randy began, and his voice was filled with genuine concern. It was obvious he was worried.
“Admiral, before you rush off to Chicago, I want to make a suggestion, if it’s okay.”
Mike nodded for him to continue.
“If you hop in your plane and go to Chicago, under the circumstances, I think that would be a foolish move”
“Foolish in what way?”
“You’ll be rushing head first into a lion’s den and you’re liable to get eaten!”
“I’m listening...”
Mike hadn’t been getting much feedback from anyone thus far because the field of those knowing was so narrow, and most of the people trusted Mike to make the right decisions on his own. At one time it was Sam. A new opinion was welcome, so Mike listened to this man he respected.
“What do you know about any friendly assets in Washington State or Alaska?”
“We know the bases in Washington State were nuked. We have people here with us that passed that way and it was a total ruin from the missiles.”
Randy waved a hand as if to dismiss what the admiral had just mentioned,
“Sure, those men passed through certain areas coming down to California, but they didn’t explore every single base and every single area which covers many millions of square miles. Do you agree?”
“Yes, I do, but things were hectic during that time, there was much insecurity, and of course nobody had the resources or the manpower to go out and explore those other areas. So, what’s your point?”
“Exactly, just this, Admiral, none of us knows if there are any friendly assets out there that may have enough weapons to help us in case, we have to squelch an uprising or a group trying to seize control of the government. I think it would be prudent to go there first and see if we have any allies before you head off to Chicago. I also think you should venture further north, say Alaska, and see what’s up there, because we aren’t strong enough to fight any kind of a well-organized and supplied army or air force. That’s all I’m saying, Admiral. Remember, we have Fort Richardson in Anchorage and Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks. Those are big bases.”
Mike stared at this former soldier with admiration. Of course, he was right, and he would take his advice.
“Thank you, Randy, I appreciate your comments, and I’m going to take them into consideration. Send Harlan and Penny over to see me when you leave here. I need to talk to them. As for you, why don’t you do this, go out into our group and pick out four men and one woman, Beth, and ask them to come over to my cabin for a meeting.”
“Yes sir.”
The sergeant saluted the admiral, did an about-face, and walked out the door.
An hour went by, the people came to Mike’s door and knocked before coming in. Mike said to them as a group,
“Please take a seat.”
Everyone sat down, and Mike waited until they were all ready to hear what he was going to tell them.
“I’m telling you something that only a handful of us know about. What I am telling you cannot be repeated to anyone else and I would ask that you not discuss it among yourselves after you leave here as well. Is that understood?”
He didn’t wait for an answer.
“I’ll get right to the point; we’ve discovered a dangerous situation that’s brewing in Chicago. We’re going to have to do something about what’s happening. I’ve decided to load the Cessna 421 with enough gas to get us there and back, hopefully, and I want every single one of you battle-ready with pistols and rifles, enough ammo, food and water, and a comprehensive first-aid kit. We will be going to Washington state, and then on to Anchorage, Alaska. If any of you who have been selected to accompany me do not want to make the trip, you need to speak up now, so that I can get replacements for you before we leave. I asked you specifically because I trust you. However, you have been handpicked for this mission by me, and only me. There will be no repercussions whatsoever if you decide you don’t want to go. It may be dangerous, and some or all of us may not return, hopefully, we will all come back in one piece and we will have accomplished our mission to seek aid from others to help us in this upcoming challenge we are facing. We will be leaving in a week. Say your goodbyes and be prepared to leave. If you choose not to go along don’t wait until the last minute to tell me, I want to know by tomorrow. That’s all everybody, thanks for coming, and if anybody has any questions, feel free to come and talk to me at any time between now and the day before we are prepared to leave. I, like you, will want to spend my last night here with my wife and my dog, spending unmolested, quiet time.
“We’re aware of a conspiracy to take over our government and our new president may be part of the conspiracy. We have to get to the bottom of this and it has been determined that we will go to Washington State and then on to Alaska to solicit help in dealing with this problem. There’s more, but that’s it for the time being. That’s it and get ready to leave if you want to go.”
Nobody said anything at the time, but over the next four days several people came to Mike for a one-on-one talk, and nobody dropped out. Their questions were along lines such as when would they be returning, or in case of casualties among them, would they be returning to Avalon for burial? A couple of people expressed a concern over
not being buried at Avalon, but elsewhere. They expressed a desire to be brought back if they were killed and that they be buried here. They all felt the same way, this was their home.
Beth wanted to go back to the Goldmine and retrieve all of the gold that was left in the trunk in the old mine, but Mike said no to that, they would put together an expedition once this problem was addressed, and they would bring it all back at that time. He had been thinking about it for a long time, and had wanted to talk to her about it, but just never seemed to have the time to broach the subject. That satisfied Beth, and she was looking forward to participating in this new adventure. Things had been somewhat tame these last few months, and she was itching to get out there and do something productive, and a little more stimulating.
Mike was satisfied. Randy had made a great suggestion, one that would probably save all of their butts in the days to come. As bad as Randy wanted to go along, Mike felt his usefulness would be best filled by taking charge of security at Avalon and Fitch. He was his second in command. He also was in charge of the Rangers and was needed here. It was a big responsibility, and a burden that not everybody could shoulder. Mike was convinced that he was the man for the job and that’s why he couldn’t go along with them at this time. Every man and woman had to be placed in a position where they could best serve each other in the group at large.
The night before Mike and his group were to leave, he spent with Caroline and his dog Champion. They talked for hours into the night. Mike realized he was going to have to get some rest because he had a long flight ahead of him, and he wanted to be fresh as he climbed into the cockpit of the Cessna 421.
Champion nuzzled his human and cuddled up close to both Mike and Caroline. It was as if he was telling them he didn’t want Mike to leave either. Whether that was the case or not, the dog showed them his unconditional love, and when they turned in for the night, he crawled between them, stretched out and went to sleep.
◆◆◆
Mike didn’t want to announce to anyone who might be listening in that he and a contingent of people from Northern California were coming up to discuss an alliance with them against the current government located in Chicago. That would be foolish to say the least. Mike and his group, and of course Randy, had a meeting and decided they would be best served to get in the Twin Cessna and fly up to where they were going, and after landing, if there were any people there, they would have a quiet, and confidential talk about what was happening. He was going to make sure he had a copy of the letters with him when he took off. It was pretty thin in terms of planning, but they had to be sure of every move they made from this point forward. Any mistake could well mean their lives would be hanging in the balance.
It was settled, they were going to take their chances. If they could not find any allies or friendly people, the worst that could happen was the loss of a few days of travel and burning up a lot of aviation gas for nothing. It was hoped they would make contact. In two more days, they were ready to leave. It was a tearful departure.
Chapter 34
Alaska
Many of the people at Avalon openly wept as Mike and his crew were leaving. Even the sheriff was there to see them off. Mike made sure with an extensive checklist what everyone needed to have with them. He had his papers showing his Commission as a Four-Star Admiral and Beth had her paperwork showing she was the FBI’s lead agent on the West Coast. That included Washington State and Alaska. Eric and Tim had their discharge papers and Eric had his newly commissioned status as a lieutenant in the California Militia, signed by the governor. Penny came along to be able to make sure what was said would be kept not only confidential, but to be sure it was copied down accurately.
They had enough gas to get back to Avalon if they could not find any anywhere along the route. It was hoped they would be able to find fuel somewhere hidden away and forgotten. They took enough food for a week and some water. A comprehensive first aid kit was assembled by Caroline. Harlan made sure there was enough ammunition for each person just in case they were involved in a short-lived fire fight. They had eight grenades for each person and an M-60 machine gun with a tripod if needed, and a canister of NATO .308 ball ammunition.
Mike revved up the engines, he checked the controls, set the brakes and one at a time he checked the mags and the props. Each propeller was cycled three times and the rpm’s went down in the proper range. He set the airstrip’s heading into the heading indicator and set the airport altitude on the altimeter. Everything was good to go. Both fuel tanks were engaged, and the boost pumps were turned on. He made sure the cabin pressurization was turned off. Ten degrees of flaps were set, and they were ready to fly. Mike engaged the intercom button and said,
“Okay everyone make sure the cabin door is closed, I have a light showing it is but check it anyway and be sure your seat belts are fastened. We’re about to take off.”
Eric gave him a thumbs up and Mike said,
“Is that for the cabin door, I show a light here that it is closed?”
Another thumbs up, Mike applied full power and some right rudder. He eased back just a little to take some of the pressure off the nose wheel and the plane began to roll out and pick up speed. In less than twenty seconds they broke ground and began to climb out. Mike made sure they traveled on a heading of 015 degrees, they climbed to their altitude of 15,000 feet and leveled off. Once they arrived at an altitude of 10,000 feet above sea level Mike engaged the cabin pressurization system. They were on their way. They flew past Mount Shasta on their left and Mike took a heading of 360 degrees. At 275 miles per hour this flight would eat the miles up. In less than three hours they would be at McChord Air Force Base. The atmosphere in the cabin was lively and everyone was excited about the trip. None of them had been anywhere other than Fitch and Avalon, except for Eric and his spotter Tim, since the beginning of the war.
“How fast are we going, Admiral?”
“275 MPH indicated air speed. Give me a few minutes and I’ll see what our ground speed is.”
“What’s the difference?”
“The ground speed will tell us how fast we are actually traveling over the earth less or plus any winds we have up here. We use ground speed to calculate our distance traveled and our fuel consumption as we fly across the earth down below. If we have head winds, we will not be going as fast as we want to, and we will burn more fuel. We also have to know where the wind is coming from. If it’s off of one side or the other in front of us, we have to crab to fly in a straight line.”
“Crab?”
Mike laughed.
“Kind of fly to one side or the other in our course to make up for how the wind is pushing us. We have to cock the airplane to either one side or the other although we will be tracking in a straight line.”
“Sideways?”
“Yes, sort of.”
“Is that a freeway down there off our left side?”
It was Penny. Mike banked the airplane slightly and said,
“Yes, that’s I-5. All we have to do is follow it and it’ll guide us to McChord. The skies are clear as a bell and if the weather doesn’t cloud up, we should be able to fly VFR all the way.”
“VFR?”
“Yes, Visual Flight Rules.”
“Let’s go down there and fly lower so we can see better.”
“There aren’t any cars or other traffic on the freeway! It seems strange.”
“Not strange if you consider there aren’t that many survivors that made it through the war, the radiation, the starvation, the plague, and God only knows what else those poor people down there had to endure.”
Mike flipped off the oxygen and the cabin pressurization once they descended below 10,000 feet above sea level.
Mike continued the conversation and was being realistic in his comments. Eric piped up,
“We sure didn’t see many people when we traveled down the coast. It was dreamlike and a little spooky.”
Tim added his thoughts,
“Yes, I felt
the whole-time people were watching us but never saw anyone. It was surrealistic to see empty buildings and houses but no people, not even an occasional dog or cat, until our guard was attacked that night.”
“Yeah, I heard them that night too, but I never saw anything.”
“Poor guy, he had his throat ripped out while he was standing watch.”
“That was something alright. It sure was quick! Later we went inland a few miles, but never saw anyone until we met the canyon people. And that was down on the beach.”
Eric spoke up,
“That reminds me, when we land and start to explore down there; we need to be alert to everything around us. People’s pets are now feral animals and probably hungry, although, I would venture a guess and say there aren’t that many left by now; most probably have starved to death. Let’s stay together and have your weapons at the ready. Do not assume anything. There also may be people who aren’t exactly normal if they have survived this long. I’d guess they’re pretty wild just like the dogs.”
Beth’s auto-reflexes had her fingers reaching over for her sidearm without thinking. It was comforting knowing it was there, but she didn’t say anything. She just gazed out of the cabin window.
The admiral didn’t hear this conversation. The noise level in the aircraft wasn’t that quiet and conversations were limited to those close by. Someone shouted,
“Look at that mountain over there.”
It was Mount Hood sitting off to the right of them. Mike said,
“That’s Mount Hood. We’re crossing into Oregon. It won’t be long now, and we’ll be in Washington State and at McChord Air Force Base. After we cross into Washington State, we’ll see Mount Rainier. It’s an impressive dormant volcano.”
“You mean those huge mountains are active volcanoes?”
“Pretty much. The last one to blow its top was Mount St. Helens, May 18, 1980. I remember it well. These others could go off at almost any given time, but they would warn us first just like St. Helens did.”
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