Code-5 (Adventures of a Baby Boomer Book 1)

by Thomas Shaw

  There were no lights on in the house and it was difficult to see anything beyond the room they were standing in.

  “My name is Elma and this is my husband Manley,” Elma said, in her down home manner. “We’ve been selling home cooked food to help make ends meet. I’m sure you’ll find this food better than anything store bought,” as she led them into the kitchen.

  The smells reminded Tom of his childhood memories when he visited his aunt and uncles home. They picked out 10 pieces of fried chicken, corn on the cob, boiled potatoes mixed with other vegetables and a small loaf of fresh baked bread. It seemed like enough food to make it all the way to California.

  “How much do we owe you?” Tom asked, sensing it was time to go.

  “Well…” there was a long pause, “You know how expensive everything is now-a-days… Do you think $150 would be fair?” she asked timidly.

  “I think it’s more than fair,” Tom responded. “In fact I would like to give you $200 if you would let Julie and me camp-out in your field overnight.”

  Elma looked at Manley who hadn’t said a word the whole time; he simply nodded and the deal was done. “Follow the tractor tracks that go along the tree line over there ‘till you see the watering trough. The water’s sweet and it’s a good spot to catch a little breeze.”

  Tom and Julie were moved by the warm and honest feeling they felt in Elma’s presence, and realized a deep truth; she represented a simple life that they would never see again.

  Elma packed the food along with blankets, two small pillows and other utensils into a large picnic basket, which they could drop off on the way out.

  The basket was so large it barely fit in the back of the ‘Vette with the hatchback window in the open position.

  With final good-byes, Tom and Julie were off to find the watering trough.

  They didn’t have to go far…less than 100 yards down the makeshift road and after a sharp left around the tree line, they saw what they were looking for. 30 yards out in a field of alfalfa hay, was a shiny new watering trough.

  Tom stopped the car and left it sitting in the road while they unloaded their gear so they could camp out for the night. Within minutes, he had assembled his well-used freestanding mountain tent. With the tent in one hand, Tom waded a few yards into the alfalfa and started walking in circles until he had flattened a fifteen-foot area where he placed the tent at one edge.

  “Is this a new talent you have… crop art?” Julie chuckled as she spread out a blanket in front of the tent.

  “What a stroke of luck to find this place,” Tom said “Aren’t you glad I’m an impulse kind of guy.”

  “OK, impulse guy, why don’t you light some candles so we can see what we’re eating?”

  Without city lights to cast shadows, the evening sky turned to inky blackness.

  “This is turning out to be a pretty good adventure,” Tom said, as he devoured a piece of the best fried chicken he had eaten in years.

  “The moon is just starting to rise, the weather is perfect, the food is great and I’m sitting across from a very beautiful woman… life is good.”

  “I’ve always been amazed how candle light seems to help enhance my features,” Julie joked.

  “Go easy on the chicken so we’ll have some for the rest of our trip.”

  They shared a bottle of Australian Shiraz and lay back on the blanket watching the stars materialize overhead.

  ***

  An hour passed and the stress of the day was fading fast.

  “I’ve got an idea,” Tom said, suddenly as he propped himself up on his elbow. “Let’s take a dip in the watering trough to freshen up before we hit the sack.”

  “Are you crazy? There have got to be snakes and spider and who knows what in that water tank,” Julie said, already knowing what his answer would be.

  “I think I’ll check it out, and if it’s totally safe I’ll give you a call,” Tom said, as he hopped to his feet and without another word headed for the watering trough.

  Ole Manley must have been an engineer, Tom thought, as he inspected the setup. It looked like a brand new tank, sitting on a freshly poured slab of concrete with an old fashioned but functional hand-pump at one end.

  The thought of snakes and spiders crossed his mind, but not for long. A quick dip of his hand in the water told Tom that the sun had warmed it to a comfortable level and was time to check it out.

  He hung his pants and shirt on the top of the pump handle while everything else lay on the slab.

  With as much commotion as possible (just in case there were some snakes), Tom climbed in.

  It was soon evident there were no unwanted creatures lurking in the water. In fact the water was perfect.

  “Sweetie,” Tom shouted in a whisper mode, “You’ve got to try this out.”

  Tom sunk down in the warm water with his arms hooked over the sides, as he laid back and looked up at the stars.

  Several minutes later he heard the hurried footsteps as Julie made her way through the knee-high alfalfa. Tom looked up to see Julie, in the moonlight, standing beside the water tank. She was wearing his favorite Hobie Cat tee-shirt.

  “I can’t believe I let you talk me into these crazy things you do,” she said, as she pulled the tee-shirt over her head. “Don’t just sit there staring at me. Help me in.”

  The water flowed over the top of the tank as Julie eased into the water with Tom. “Well, what do you think? Kind of cool, huh?” Tom said, hoping to start a more positive conversation.

  “For once I think you have a winner,” she said as she sank down to chin level, enjoying the warmth of the water. “Are you sure there aren’t any little creatures in here?” as she playfully tapped her fingers along his thighs and up his stomach. She had that look in her eyes that he had seen many times before.

  Tom pulled her to him with a series of passionate kisses, as she slowly turned until her back was against his chest. Julie was now sitting in Tom’s lap, with her head leaning back against his shoulder. They sat for several minutes looking up at the star filled heavens.

  “Look at that star over there,” Julie said pointing up at a shiny speck in the sky. “Is it moving or is that an airplane?”

  They watched for several seconds as the “star” slowly moved across the night sky.

  “That must be the new Space Station Alpha,” Tom said, “This is the first time I have seen it so clearly. The Chinese put it in orbit about two years ago. They mounted special reflectors on it so the people down here could see it more easily. What a great marketing move that was. I can’t believe we abandoned the one we’d been working on for so long.”

  Without another word they watched the space station as it passed miles overhead.

  They sat there in silence for several minutes… then Julie raised her arms up until her hands were clasped behind Tom’s neck. This caused her body to arch upward until her breasts were just out of the water. Tom stroked her stomach… then moved his hands up slowly until his fingers were gently moving over her nipples. He cupped his hands around her breasts and played with her nipples until they were rock hard. Julie was clearly enjoying the erotic state she was in and began moving her backside over Tom’s growing erection. They kept at their erotic play for several more minutes; then Julie slowly pulled away.

  “I’ll see you in the tent,” Julie said, in a husky voice. “Don’t forget to bring the clothes.”

  Tom was so aroused he could barely move but in a moment like this, he knew that timing was everything. He arrived at the tent only seconds behind Julie. She was busily drying off when Tom pushed her down on the sleeping bags and began their love making in earnest. Julie reached over for the towel she was using and rolled it into a tight ball, which she tucked under her hips, raising her to an angle that allowed Tom maximum penetration. He was well endowed and made an extra effort to give Julie as much pleasure as possible. At first his strokes were long and slow but as their passion built, she hooked her legs around his waist and pulled him in
deeper and deeper until his strokes were shallow and fast. Julie’s climax was so intense it made her toes curl turn down in a way she could never do under normal circumstances. Tom followed her into the land of ecstasy as he climaxed again and again. Their breathing was short and rapid as Tom lay totally spent on top of her. After what seemed like several minutes they rolled apart and begin their trip back to reality.

  “Are we having a great adventure, or what?” Tom finally said.

  The scented smell of alfalfa filled the tent as Tom and Julie fell into a deep sleep.

  3

  A light breeze was blowing through the tent as Julie rolled over and snuggled against Tom for his warmth.

  “We better hit the road,” Tom said, with a big yawn. “We’ve still got a lot of miles to go.”

  The sun was just over the horizon when Tom and Julie pulled up in front of the farmhouse to return the picnic basket. Before they could get to the door, Elma was there to greet them.

  “Hello, kids. Did you have a comfortable evening?”

  Without waiting for an answer she presented them with a paper bag. “I made you some hot coffee and fresh baked cinnamon rolls.”

  While Julie was thanking her for her thoughtfulness, Tom was reaching in his pocket for some money.

  Sensing what he was about to do, Elma stopped him by saying, “You have been more than generous, and Manley and I wanted to give you a little something to start you off on your trip.”

  With quick hugs all around, Tom and Julie were back in the ‘Vette heading down the driveway. Tom thought he got a glimpse of Manley in the rearview mirror, walking toward the chicken coop. With a silent salute, Tom bid him adieu.

  The Rocky Mountains loomed on the horizon as they headed toward Denver. Just like the day before, there were few trucks and fewer cars on the highway as they passed through the rural part of the city. Tom thought it would be a good idea to top off the tank before they started their trek through the mountains.

  “Keep your eyes peeled for a filling station. I don’t want to get ripped off like we did out on the highway,” Tom said, breaking the silence.

  Somewhere near the downtown area they spotted a Shell station that had several cars sitting at the pumps.

  “This looks like a popular place… what do you think?” Julie said, looking over the top of her book.

  “Works for me,” Tom said, as he takes the exit ramp.

  After filling his tank he bought a couple of candy bars and noticed they only accepted credit cards as well. Without any delay he headed back onto the Interstate.

  “How much did that cost?” Julie asked.

  “You don’t want to know,” Tom answered.

  He was beginning to get an uneasy feeling about the miles that lay ahead and wanted to get this trip over as soon as possible.

  Julie was deep in her book as they passed by the Coors brewery and started their climb toward the Continental divide.

  Due to the light traffic, they were making good time through the mountain roads. Tom found himself thinking about his dad and how his parents had divorced when he started college. Tom never really knew exactly what kind of work his dad did at Livermore Labs. He figured it must have been a high security job because he never talked about it. He remembered as a kid playing secret spy games with his father and now he wondered if these thoughts had anything to do with the fact he hadn’t heard from him in such a long time. Another thing that was puzzling to Tom was his credit card. His dad had given it to him when he left for college and had simply asked him to “use it responsibly” and it would always be there for him. So far, no matter how much he charged to the credit card, he had a full line of credit at the start of each month.

  The family had lived a simple life in Tracy, a small town in California, where he enjoyed playing with anything that had a motor. He remembered building his first go-kart when he was ten, racing motorcycles when he was fifteen and taking his first flying lesson when he was sixteen. The more he thought about the way he grew up, the more he realized he knew very little about what his dad did for a living. This left a nagging thought that something out of the ordinary had happened.

  The miles were passing quickly as Tom suddenly realized he was beyond the Continental Divide and descending onto the other side of the Rocky Mountains.

  “Are you ready to stop and stretch your legs?” Tom said, as he playfully squeezed her thigh. “We’ve been at it for over 5 hours and it’s time to start looking for fuel again.”

  “The weather is perfect. Why don’t we stop for a while and have a picnic lunch?” Julie asked, as she moved around to get her circulation going.

  “I don’t want to spend too much time eating, we’re making good time and I think we need to keep pressing on,” he said, hoping he wouldn’t give her any reason to become anxious.

  They had been making good time on Interstate 70 and recently passed into Utah. As they passed over the Green River, Tom spotted a makeshift storage shack with the words ‘GAS CHEAP’ hand painted on its side.

  “This is different. Let’s check it out,” Tom said, as he brought the Corvette to a stop in front of this make-shift building.

  “Let’s sit here for a minute to see if someone shows up.”

  Within a few seconds two young boys stepped out of the shack and approached Tom and Julie with non-threatening smiles. “Cool car,” said the taller boy. “You need some gas?”

  “What’s the deal here?” Tom said, as he climbed out of his car.

  “We’ve got some real good gas and it’s only $10 a gallon,” the taller boy replied.

  “Isn’t that a little steep for this kind of setup?” Tom said, making a hand gesture toward the shack. He could now see that the shack was stacked three high with five gallon Gerri cans.

  “You’ve got to be kidding!” the tall boy said. “They’re getting 18 bucks a gallon in Grand Junction. Didn’t you just come through there?”

  Tom knew he was telling the truth because he hadn’t been able to believe his eyes when he saw those prices as they passed through that very town.

  “Where did you get this gasoline?” Tom asked, softening to the idea that this might be a good deal.

  “A truck came through a couple of weeks ago and broke down about 2 miles from here. The big tank was full of gas and there was nobody there sooo, here we are.” The boy said, in a simple statement.

  “Let’s take a look at what you’ve got,” Tom said, as he followed the boys to the open shack.

  One of the boys opened a Gerri can and poured a little into a plastic cup, handing it to Tom. He took a sniff and found that it certainly smelled like gasoline but noticed that it was a different color than normal gas. It had a distinct light blue color. Then he suddenly realized… “This is high octane aviation gasoline!”

  “Have you used any of this gas in your car?” He said, assuming the taller one was old enough to drive.

  “I don’t have a car, but Uncle Ted says it runs real good in his truck,” the boy said.

  Tom thought for a moment, then looked up, “Let’s do it. I think I can hold about fifteen gallons.”

  After the fuel was dispensed, Tom handed them three $50 bills, climbed back into his car and felt a little more than relieved to be pulling back onto I-70 west bound.

  “Just another adventure!” Tom said as he punched the accelerator a little harder than normal, wanting to get a little distance away from this place.

  “Wow, did you feel that?”

  Julie didn’t say anything, but gave him one of her, ‘Why don’t you grow up looks.

  The ‘Vette’s computer was making hundreds of calculations per second as it adjusted to the 110 octane fuel, which had increased the performance of his engine by a full 30%.

  Tom instantly felt the change in power and without thinking reached down and punched the reset button on the miles per gallon readout.

  Tom looked over to see Julie breaking out the chicken and corn on the cob.

  “So much for our
picnic,” Julie said, as she handed Tom a piece of chicken. They ate in silence as the miles continued to roll by.

  About two hours later, Interstate 70 came to an end as it intersected with Interstate 15. Tom turned South on to I-15 and followed it until they came to highway 50 West.

  “This is where we leave the Interstate and make a straight shot across Nevada,” Tom said. “It’s like getting in touch with the original highway system.”

  As they approached the Nevada border Tom noticed the miles per gallon indicator was showing a steady 38 mpg. The aviation gas was giving his Corvette a new level of performance he had never seen before. At this rate they would make California before they needed to refuel.

  It was about 6:30 p.m. when they passed a sign saying Ely, 37 miles. Tom was starting to think about a place to stop for the night, when they crested a small hill.

  Tom saw something that made him pull quickly off the highway.

  “What in the world are you doing now?” Julie demanded, as the stress of the trip was beginning to show.

  “Where did you put your binoculars?” Tom said as he stepped out of the car.

  Sensing something was amiss, Julie quickly pulled the binoculars from her backpack. Tom scanned the highway about a mile and a half in front of them and then he saw it.

  There were six cars stopped in the middle of the highway. On closer inspection he could see a man siphoning gas out of one of the cars.

  “It looks like some guys are stopping cars and taking their gas and who knows what else.”

  “What are we going to do?” Julie said as she held onto Tom’s arm.

  “Try your cell phone and see if you can get through to 911,” Tom said still looking through the binoculars. He was scanning the desert below off both sides of the highway to see if there was another way around the roadblock.

  “Uh-Oh! We’ve got a problem,” Tom said as he focused back on the cluster of cars and saw a pair of binoculars looking back at him.