by Mark Church
“Slow down,” Jake warns.
Cole slows the truck.
“Stop at the edge of the tree line,” directs Jake.
Cole brings the truck to a stop just inside the shadows of the dense trees. Kate pulls up behind him.
Jake retrieves his binoculars and steps out of the truck. He listens intently while scanning the countryside ahead. All he hears is birds. Other than the few houses on the outskirts of town, he sees nothing that concerns him. Climbing back into the truck, he motions for Cole to proceed.
“Keep your eyes open.” Jake continues to visually scan the countryside.
They drive past a road sign that reads ‘Arcadia’ shortly before encountering dilapidated houses that border the town. Looking for signs of danger, they examine each house carefully.
As they pass under a train trestle near the middle of town, Jake sees the faded sign that caught his eye when they went through here weeks back. It reads, ‘Arcadia Sporting Goods’ and below that, ‘With over 1900 guns in stock’.
Jake instructs Cole, “Stop over here.”
Cole pulls up next to what appears to be an old gas station and convenience store. Kate pulls up alongside.
Two gasoline islands stand to the left of the building. The roof that at one time covered them has collapsed in a heap of mangled steel supports and sheet metal. The building is largely void of windows except for the two that look out at the gas pumps and the two that overlook the highway. The two entry doors are nothing but frames on hinges, the clear safety glass that once filled them laying on the ground like translucent puzzle pieces.
Both groups exit their respective trucks and look around.
John looks to Jake for direction, “What’s the plan?”
“We’re near the center of town so this could be a good place to leave the trucks and explore. Besides, I want to check out this building. According to that sign, this business claimed to have had over 1900 guns. Pretty sure that they’re gone by now, but we may find something else useful in there.”
“The kids need to burn off a little steam,” says Gena. “Mike and I are going to take them for a walk.”
“If you don’t need us here,” John proposes, “Kate and I can go through that grocery store across the street. When we get back, I’ll check the underground fuel tanks.”
“Sounds like a plan,” agrees Jake. ‘Let’s meet back here in an hour.”
As they check their weapons, Jake warns both groups, “Be careful, we don’t know who or what is out there.”
✽✽✽
Jake, Amy, Cole, and Kayla enter the old sporting goods store. Like most places, it has been ransacked. The overturned cash registers stand as a testament to a time when money still had value. The shelves are empty except for rodent droppings and debris that has blown in from outside.
As they work their way deeper into the store, the dim light of the windowless backroom forces them to use their flashlights. Winding their way through freestanding rifle and shotgun racks, they reach the back of the store where they discover more gun racks hanging from the walls, as well as handgun display cases. Unfortunately, there’s not a firearm in sight.
“Maybe they were exaggerating when they said they had nineteen hundred guns,” Amy turns slowly surveying all the empty cases.
“Not if all of these racks were full,” says Jake. “They could have supplied a small army.”
While Jake and Kay continue to investigate the rather large room, Cole enters what appears to have been a small office. Kayla follows him.
✽✽✽
Cole turns and puts his finger to his lips and whispers “Sshhhh,” before taking her in his arms and kissing her on the lips.
Kayla pulls back and while giggling says, “Not now.”
“I had to.”
Kayla attempts to maintain her objection, but her smile and weak protest betray her feelings. Cole lowers his mouth to hers for one more sweet kiss, until they hear Amy yell, “Awful quiet in there, did you find something?”
Cole and Kayla break their embrace and quickly emerge from the room.
“Nothing in there,” says Kayla with a sheepish grin.
Jake and Amy give each other a sideways glance before stepping through a door into what was likely a storage room. The steel door that had secured it was forced open at some point and now hangs cockeyed from just one of its hinges. Cole and Kayla enter behind them.
The walls of the room are lined with more gun racks and a rather large safe which has been cut open – presumably with an acetylene torch based on the burn marks. The safe is empty.
“It looks like all the good stuff has already been taken,” says Jake.
“Too bad,” says Amy. “At a minimum, we could have used more ammo.”
“Hey,” interrupts Kayla, “look at this seam in the floor in front of this cabinet.”
Everyone moves towards Kayla. She’s training the beam of her flashlight on the floor just in front of the cabinet.
Kayla drops to her knees, tracing the seam with her finger and says, “Can you see it?”
Joining Kayla on the floor, Jake nods, “Now I see it.”
“What do you think it is?” Amy questions him.
“That’s what we’re going to find out.” Jake jumps to his feet. “Give me a hand.”
Cole helps his dad move the heavy cabinet across the floor, unveiling a four-foot by three-foot rectangular seam in the wooden floor. A recessed handle is visible on one end of the presumed, trap door.
“Jackpot!” Jake thinks back to his hidden cache in his room at the RZ. “Thank goodness for young eyes.”
Reaching for the handle, Jake pulls up on the door, which opens to reveal a set of stairs leading down to a pitch-dark expanse below. Jake shines his flashlight into the abyss but can only see as far as the bottom of the stairs.
“Anyone down there?” yells Cole.
There is no reply.
“The stairs look solid.” Jake takes the lead. “I’m going down.”
With the muzzle of his rifle and the beam of his flashlight preceding him, Jake cautiously goes down the stairs. Ducking his head below the floor level he gets his first glimpse of the area below.
“You’re not going to believe this.”
The others hurry to join Jake at the bottom of the stairs.
“Oh crap,” says Cole.
The room is filled with rifles, shotguns, pistols and knives, and boxes of ammunition too numerous to count.
As they are taking a closer look at the room contents, they hear the floor above them creak. Jake signals for them all to shut off their flashlights.
Standing in complete darkness, they listen for a repeat of the noise.
The floor creaks twice more as if someone took two steps.
Unsure who is in the building, Jake and the others assume defensive postures.
Jake quietly climbs the stairs until just his head rises just above the floor. He waits and listens. The others ready their weapons.
Jake hears more footsteps moving in his direction. He raises his rifle and extinguished flashlight and points them in the direction of the door that opens into the small room. He sees light moving back and forth in the larger room, as the footsteps grow closer.
A piercing light and a dark silhouette appear in the doorway. The blinding light makes it impossible to identify the person wielding the flashlight. Training his rifle on the moving flashlight, Jake puts his finger on his gun’s trigger and then turns on his own light.
Jake and Kate recognize each other just in time.
“Kate!” Jake exclaims. “I could have shot you.”
Everyone down below lets out a sigh of relief.
“Sorry, Jake,” Kate apologizes. “I yelled for you guys when I entered the building.”
“All we heard was footsteps.”
“I figured you were already here and gone,” explains Kate.
“No worries. Where’s John?”
“He’s siphoning the undergroun
d fuel tanks. He says they are more than half full.”
“Our day just continues getting better,” Jake says in amazement.
“What do you mean?”
With a Cheshire cat grin, Jake motions, “Come on down and have a look.”
Kate follows Jake down the stairs. Her eyes widen as the contents of the room comes into view. “Holy Shit – this is unbelievable.”
Smiles and excitement fill the room.
Touting his crush proudly, Cole says, “Kayla found it!”
“Nice job, Kayla,” says Kate nodding her head.
After a few more moments spent relishing their discovery Jake says, “Let’s form a human conveyor and move this stuff up the stairs.”
Kate moves to the top of the stairs, while Jake takes a position in the middle of the stairs. Amy and Kayla fill the gap between the stairs and Cole who is standing near one of the gun caches. Cole begins to hand off the guns as quickly as he can grab them off the rack. Kayla is next in line, and passes it quickly to her mother who, in turn, hands it to Jake who then moves it up the stairs to Kate. It’s a smooth, efficient process. Before long they have emptied the room of weapons, ammo, and the rest of its treasures.
Joining Kate in the room above, everyone again, marvels at their good fortune.
Jake says, “Cole, pull one of the trucks around to the closest door.”
“I’m on it!”
While Cole is retrieving the truck, the rest discuss the best way to get everything from the storage room to the truck before deciding it is best just to grab what they can carry and go. It’ll take quite a few trips by each of them to move it all but no one is complaining.
“No time like the present,” says Amy grabbing an armload.
Amy meets Cole and John as she’s making her way through the building.
Cole says, “I backed the truck up to the door.”
“Okay, thanks,” says Amy while passing the two men.
John says, “I heard you hit the mother lode?”
“You’re not going to believe it,” says Amy.
The rest are following Amy, each of them carrying all that they can handle. The inhabitants of the Refuge aren’t slackers, and that has, and will continue to be, a big reason for their success.
Amazed at what he sees them carrying out, John says to Jake, “Unbelievable.”
“Don’t worry,” says Jake with a big smile. “I already pinched myself and it’s not a dream.”
“Do you need my help?” asks John.
“Are you done filling the trucks and containers with fuel?”
“I’m finished with the truck Cole took. Now I’m working on the other truck. After that I’m going to fill the portable containers.”
“Go ahead and finish with the fuel. We’ve got to get all this stuff home somehow.”
“Got it,” says John, “I won’t be much longer.”
The group works non-stop until they have the truck loaded to capacity. After John finishes fueling the second truck, they move it near the door and resume their work until the remaining items have been loaded into the second truck. Like the first truck, it is filled to near capacity.
“That’s the last of it.” Amy stretches her arms.
“Let’s cover it up,” says Jake. “No point in advertising our good fortune.”
As they work to conceal their cargo, Kayla asks, “Has anyone seen Mike and Gena?”
“Come to think of it, no,” replies John. “I haven’t seen them since we first got here.”
“They should have been back by now,” says Kate. “We should go look for them.”
“Let’s give it a few more minutes.” Jake hunts around in the truck and retrieves the provisions they brought with them. “We can have some lunch while we wait.”
Cole and Kayla organize the food, setting it out on the hood of the truck. Everyone gathers around and takes their share while being careful to leave enough for Mike, Gena and the kids.
Having finished their lunch, the group plans their search strategy. Deciding it is better not to split up, they plan accordingly.
Just as they are ready to get underway, an alarmed Kate says, “Hold on – we’ve got company.”
Three trucks turn onto the main street from a side road and stop about two blocks down. Scrambling for their weapons, Jake and the others take cover.
John says, “Kate, watch our rear, they could be decoys.”
Jake grabs his binoculars and focuses them on the trucks as numerous armed individuals begin to exit the vehicles. His heart sinks when he sees what comes into view next.
“They’ve got Mike and Gena,” says Jake. “The kids too.”
“Shit!” exclaims John. “Are they military?”
“They don’t look like it,” replies Jake.
“I knew this day was going too well,” complains Kate. “What do we do now?”
“Maybe nothing,” says Jake. “Look.”
Mike and Gena, while carrying their rifles, begin waving and walking towards Jake and the others. Luke and Emily are chasing each other around like they don’t have a worry in the world. The group that they arrived with remain near their trucks.
“Maybe our luck hasn’t run out yet,” speculates Amy.
“Everyone, stay put,” Jake orders. “It could be a trap.”
“Kate – anything moving behind us?” asks John urgently.
“Nothing that I can see.”
The group is anxiously optimistic as they watch their friends walk towards them.
When they get within hearing distance, Mike yells, “Don’t worry, they’re okay.”
Partially stepping out from behind the truck, Jake yells back, “How can you be sure?”
Cole and Kayla reach for the kids who happily run into their arms.
Nearly reaching Jake, Mike says, “They’re old friends.”
The puzzled look on Jake’s face speaks volumes, “Friends?”
“Well, kind of,” says Mike. “Remember the people that passed through your farm the day before we left – you gave them permission to take anything that we were leaving behind?”
“Oh, yeah,” recalls Jake. “We told them to hide in the mountains.”
“Right. Well, do you remember them saying that they hope to pay us back someday?”
“Now that you mentioned it, yeah.”
“Well,” Mike smiles. “They want their chance.”
The expression on Jake’s face transforms into surprise as he thinks to himself, “Who in today’s world worries about honoring a commitment?”
“How did you end up with them?” interjects Amy.
“They drove up on us a few blocks that way,” replies Mike pointing up the street. “With the kids running around we had no chance to hide.”
“Are you sure it’s them?” asks Jake.
“When they got out of the truck, I immediately recognized the three we met,” explains Mike. “They didn’t recognize me until I reminded them about your farm.”
Jake raises his binoculars again and scans the people in the distance. Two women and a man standing near the middle truck look familiar.
“Are they in front of the red truck?” asks Jake.
“That’s them,” replies Mike.
“I’ll be damned. Who’d have thought we’d run into them again.”
“They want to talk. They’ll meet us halfway.”
“What have you told them about us?” asks John.
“Not much,” says Mike. “Just that Jake and a few more of us are in town on a scavenging mission.”
“They were very nice to us,” adds Gena. “Especially the kids.”
Jake thinks about it for a second before agreeing to comply with their request.
Speaking to the group, Jake warns them again, “Stay on your toes. I’m going to check it out.”
“Are you sure,” asks John. “They might be trying to get us out in the open.”
“That’s why I want everyone to stay here and be ready,” replies
Jake. “Come on Mike, let’s go play nice.”
John mutters under his breath, “I don’t like this.”
Jake and Mike leave the safety of cover and start up the street. The three individuals identified as ‘friendlies’ leave their group and begin walking towards them.
“Keep scanning the area for hidden shooters,” directs John. “This has all the makings of an ambush.”
Jake and Mike meet the trio about a block up the street. They take the initiative and extend their hands to Jake who readily accepts their gesture. The distance prevents John and the others from hearing what is being said but based on body language, the meeting appears to be amicable.
After what seems like an eternity, the meeting participants once again exchange handshakes and begin walking back to their respective groups.
Relief washes over John and the others. It looks like the encounter will remain peaceful.
When Jake and Mike get within talking distance, John asks anxiously, “Did you recognize them?”
“Yeah,” replies Jake. “And they recognized me.”
“What did they want?”
“Like Mike said, they appreciate what we did for them back on my farm and they want to return the favor. They offered their help and want to be friendly neighbors and trading partners. They have a community of over sixty people about ten miles west of here.”
“That’s a pretty large group,” says Amy.
“And evidently they are not alone,” says Jake. “They said there were hundreds of people living in these mountains. Most are friendly, though there are some that we should avoid.”
“Good to know,” says Kate.
Jake continues, “They invited us to their camp, but I told them that it was getting late and we needed to head back. Besides, I want to get these guns home as soon as possible.”
“Where did you leave it with them,” asks Amy.
“We agreed to meet back here at 9:00 am tomorrow,” replies Jake, “We plan to establish a communication protocol that will allow our two groups to contact one another via shortwave and/or walkie-talkie.”
“So they must have some form of power generation too,” concludes John. “I’d be interested to see their setup.”
