Jane was within earshot of the table, but was seated next to the window so she could watch outside for any sign of the Compound’s forces.
After the group had finished eating, Randall broke the silence.
“Our provisions won’t last us much longer,” said Randall. “We need more food and warm clothing for the winter. And more medicine, ammunition, and gasoline wouldn’t be a bad idea either.”
“He’s right,” said Barry. “We discussed this earlier. We have enough food to last us about a week, and that’s stretching it.”
“So what do we do?” asked Christine.
“Back in my condo in Coeur d’Alene, I have a six month’s supply of food and a lot of ammunition,” said Randall. “Granted, it was a six months supply for only one person, so it will last a lot shorter than that for all of us. But it would be unwise to let it all go to waste.”
“Coeur d’Alene is more than a two hours drive away,” said Angela. “It took you and Thomas weeks to walk here from there.”
“We have the trucks now,” said Randall. “So the journey will be much faster. We can be in and out in no time.”
“Are you crazy?” Bruce spoke up. “You were talking about it yourself earlier. Anyone sees us with working vehicles, they’ll kill us for them.”
“I know, I know,” said Randall. “But we can stick to dirt roads as much as possible from here to Coeur d’Alene, and we can hide the vehicles on the outside of the city and walk in from there to retrieve what we need.”
“That’s just crazy, there’s so much that can go wrong,” Susan said, always on the more practical and realistic side of things.
“Yes, it’s a risk,” said Randall. “But for our survival, it’s one we need to take. Unless anybody else has better ideas.”
“There’s more than just your condo in Coeur d’Alene,” pointed out Marcus. “There’s our house and Thomas’ place. We have stuff there too we can grab.”
“Sounds like a goldmine,” said Robert.
“If it wasn’t looted already,” Bruce countered.
“The only way of knowing is if we actually go there,” Randall pointed out.
“Surely there are things we can get here,” said Susan hopefully though pragmatically. “There are people in our vicinity we can trade with. Maybe there are a few farmers market too even.”
“All the stores around this area will definitely have been looted and stripped clean,” Randall said. “Even in Coeur d’Alene, I was seeing it happen to businesses there. And maybe our houses have been broken into and looted too, but there’s no way of knowing unless we actually check.”
“I don’t know, Rand,” said Bruce. “Coeur d’Alene is a ways away. Even if we get what we need there, who knows who we might encounter on our way there or the way back. Don’t count on it being an uneventful joyride.”
“Look,” said Randall. “We need food, that’s obvious. We’re going to need more blankets and warm clothes soon too. And as long as we’re in this for the long haul, we need more guns, ammo, fuel, and medicine with it. We just took a major risk to save Thomas, didn’t we? We need to take this risk for more provisions too. I’ve written on this subject extensively. The easiest way to get what we need is in our homes in Coeur d’Alene, otherwise, we’ll have to barter with others, and that’s not something I want to do yet for a variety of reasons.”
“So what do you propose?” asked Marcus.
“Three or four of us can go to Coeur d’Alene in one of the Hi-Lux’s,” said Randall. “The rest of you stay here with the other Hi-Lux to hold down the fort, keep an eye out for the Compound’s men. If you’re forced to evacuate, you’ll have the second truck to make a quick escape.”
“Splitting up is the last thing we need to do,” said Susan.
“I agree,” Claire spoke quietly but resolutely.
“We’ll be gone for twenty four hours at the most,” said Randall, sensing he was losing the debate. “That’s time we can afford to risk.”
“The Compound could be planning an assault on this cabin at this very moment!” Bruce raised his voice. “We need to stick together. Listen to your mother, Randall, I definitely don’t like the idea of splitting up.”
“Neither do I,” said Randall. “But like I said, we need those provisions.”
“In Randall’s defense, I don’t think we were followed back here, so if the Compound ever finds it us it will be a long time from now,” Robert spoke up again, taking a sip of water. “And I agree with him, if we can get those supplies from his home, Thomas’ home, and Uncle Marcus’ home then that could be a lifesaver. It’s a mission that will be well worth the effort.”
Silence fell over the table again.
“So who goes?” asked Marcus.
“Robert, Jane, and I,” said Randall. “We can pile into the front row of the truck, use the bed to haul the supplies. I know exactly where to go and Robert’s military experience could help us out if we get into a pickle.”
“You know all the dirt roads from here to Coeur d’Alene?” asked Marcus.
“A lot of them, and if there’s a map we could use that would be helpful too,” said Randall. “Once we get into Coeur d’Alene itself, I have all the best routes memorized.”
“No matter what, you park the truck outside of town,” said Bruce. “If anyone sees that truck with you in it, either you’re dead or they are.”
“And make sure it’s well hidden,” said Christine. “Anybody steals it, you’ll be cut off from us for weeks and you may not even make it back.”
“I still don’t like this,” said Susan. “There’s just so much that can go wrong.”
“I don’t think any of us like this idea, including me,” admitted Randall. “But if we want to make it past the winter, we have to do this. Supply runs are a part of survival from now on.”
The only one at the table who hadn’t spoken up was Thomas. Though his face was still heavily swollen from the beating, he made the effort to speak.
“You guys saved my life,” he said.
Though his voice was weak, his words penetrated the heart and soul of everyone in the room. They all looked at him.
Thomas took a few breaths before continuing on:
“But what good is saving my life if we don’t even have the food and supplies to last another week? What good was it to save my life if we’re all gonna die anyway? If we need those food and supplies to make it, then we’ve got to go get them.”
“Then it’s settled,” announced Barry after another silence.
As the leader of the group, when Barry said something was settled, it was. The debate was now over.
“Tomorrow, Robert, Jane, and Randall will make a run for Coeur d’Alene,” Barry continued. “Food, warm clothes, gas, medicine, and more guns and ammunition from Randall’s condo, Marcus and Susan’s place, and Thomas’ place. Nowhere else. Twenty four hours there and back.”
“And maybe some information on what’s going on,” said Angela. “Information on what’s happening in the outside world, what’s caused the grid down, and what the government is doing to fix it, if anything.”
Everyone murmured in agreement on that one, even Bruce and Susan who had been extremely wary of the plan from the beginning.
“I agree, information could be more valuable than the supplies itself,” Claire said.
“We’ve been sitting around here long enough,” Robert stood up promptly. “Who has the night shift for watch and patrol tonight?”
“Me,” said Randall.
“Not anymore,” said Robert. “If you’re coming on the supply run with Jane and I tomorrow morning to Coeur d’Alene, you’re gonna need all the sleep tonight you can get.”
Chapter Five
The Compound
Gerald and Mike were buried in a grove outside the walls of the Compound. The lone pastor of the Compound’s residents, Dave Kimble, presided over the funeral.
Butler stood in attendance, flanked by George and Gale, and fought back t
ears as he watched Gerald’s casket being lowered into the earth. It was the first time he had to fight back tears in a long time. He couldn’t remember the last time he had wept, but it was a long, long time ago.
After saying another thoughtful prayer, Kimble asked Butler if he would like to say any words over his son before the caskets would be formally buried.
Butler stepped over to the edge of the hole with casket that contained his son’s body at the bottom. He said a few words under his breath that no one else in attendance could make out, not even George, Gale, or Kimble could make out.
After saying goodbye to his son, Butler stepped back, and the gravediggers began to throw dirt over the two caskets with shovels.
Butler didn’t bother to stay. He had work to do and a plan to create. After the first few shovels of dirt had been thrown over the caskets, he turned and walked back through the front gate, and his two other sons followed him.
* * *
Butler stood in his office, hands on a table upon which a large map of the surrounding area was spread out.
Also in the room was George, Gale, and two of his lieutenants, Patrick Jones and Nate Mitchum.
“Our new and biggest priority is to find out where this Parker group is at,” said Butler. “Gale, you know for sure they were taking this road?”
Butler pointed to a road on the map that was headed east.
“Yes,” said Gale. “But just because they took that road doesn’t mean it leads to their hideout. They were just trying to escape and for all we knew they took a detour somewhere else.”
“Maybe, but so far this road is our only lead,” said Butler. “Thomas’ brother made it to his people at their hideout and back all the way here in less than twelve hours on bicycles. That means they can’t be far away.”
“We can sweep the whole area east of here in a ten mile radius,” said Jones. “I’d personally lead that expedition myself.”
“Do you want to know what’s also east of here?” Gale posed the question to the group.
He pointed to Priest Lake.
“Priest Lake,” said Gale. “Eight miles away to be exact. My guess is they’re making camp somewhere either next to the lake itself or within walking distance of it.”
“You could be right,” said George. “But there’s a lot of homes and urbanized areas next to the lake. If that’s where they are, we have to be careful.”
“Yes, there will be other people by the lake,” said Butler. “And they will join our cause. Once we spread the word that there’s a murderous gang on the loose, they’ll flock to us. People are scared, hungry, and desperate. We can offer them protection and food in exchange for information and more manpower. Fear will be our best ally.”
“What if the people along the lake are allied to the Parker group?” asked Mitchum.
“Well, if they are, we’ll just have to convince them to join our side,” said Butler. “But if they refuse, then as far as I’m concerned they’re just as bad as the Parkers and will be our enemies.”
Butler folded his arms and looked up to the others. Then he said:
“Jones, Gale, I want you to take two vehicles and sweep the west side of Priest Lake and the surrounding area. Be back in twenty four hours. If you see any sign of the enemy, do not engage them. Stay hidden. Our objective now is only to gain information on their position. Only once we know where they are will we be able to devise a coordinated attack plan to deliver justice upon them once and for all.”
* * *
Robert drove the Hi-Lux south down the highway leading to Coeur d’Alene. Randall and Jane were in the passenger seats.
Due to all of the disabled cars along the road, their progress was slow as Robert had difficulty in navigating his way around the vehicles.
“You know you guys, this could be a good opportunity to scavenge what we can from these cars,” said Jane.
“Our mission is Coeur d’Alene, you know that,” snapped Randall.
“Geez, it was only a suggestion,” Jane said.
“A half mile up ahead there’s a road that leads right that then leads to a dirt road that will take us south to Coeur d’Alene,” Randall told Robert. “It will be a lot faster progress without all these damn cars in the way.”
Robert nodded in affirmation.
Since all of the vehicles had been abandoned, there was no other person in sight that Randall could see. Of course, he knew he could be wrong and there could be people hiding in several of the vehicles right now.
He also knew that there would be no chance they could take the highway all the way down to Coeur d’Alene and not encounter anybody, which is why taking the dirt roads would undoubtedly be a safer bet.
It was nice day outside, in the mid-60s, and the sun was out over a few clouds. This was the perfect kind of weather to Randall, and he would have enjoyed it more had the world not gone to crap like it had.
Twenty minutes later, Robert took a right off of the highway and followed the road down for another half mile.
“Where’s this dirt road, Rand?” he asked.
“A ways further,” replied Randall.
Eventually, they were able to find the dirt road and Robert turned onto it. Right before he did, Randall noticed a small grocery store up ahead with a group of four homeless looking people in the parking lot staring at their car.
“They saw us,” said Jane.
“Doesn’t matter, they can’t catch up to us,” Randall responded.
While the dirt road didn’t have any abandoned vehicles that they needed to navigate through, what it did have was numerous bumps and twists and turns that hampered their progress.
“Doesn’t look like our progress here will be any faster,” Robert said glumly.
“You wanna take the highway, we can take the highway,” Randall told him.
“We’re more likely to encounter other people on the highway.”
“I know, that’s why I suggested the dirt road.”
“Then we’ll keep to the dirt road, but this better lead us where you said it will.”
“I have a good memory and I have a map grandpa gave me, we’ll be fine.”
Jane had stayed mostly silent during the conversation but now she spoke up.
“How long?” she asked.
“Few hours,” said Randall. “These dirt roads in the backcountry are like a maze. But we’ll navigate them.”
“Just as long as you for sure know where we’re going,” said Robert.
“Stop!” Jane suddenly shouted.
Robert SLAMMED on the breaks and the Hi-Lux came to a screeching halt.
Just up ahead, there was a man standing in the middle of the road, a hunting rifle with a scope slung across his back. He was in his mid-30s, scruffy, and dressed in cargo pants and a hoodie with hiking boots and a beanie hat.
He didn’t look at all surprised by the arrival of the Hi-Lux. If anything, he looked as if he had been expecting them.
Randall, Robert, and Jane stared at the man on the road, and he stared back at them, as the truck’s engine rumbled.
“What do you want to do?” asked Jane.
“We can go around him,” suggested Randall.
“He may not let us,” Robert pointed out.
Randall noticed that Robert’s hand was slowly gliding over to the grip of his Ruger GP100 .357 Magnum revolver in his crossdraw holster.
“Maybe we should just back up,” said Jane, getting nervous.
Then, the man standing in front of them shouted out to them:
“Out of the car, all of you!”
Robert rolled down the window and shouted back:
“We don’t want any trouble!”
“There won’t be if you do as we say!” the man shouted back.
It was only then that the three of them glanced around and saw they were surrounded by a half dozen more men and women with rifles, shotguns, and handguns all aimed at them.
The man with the beanie hat in front of them began to approa
ch the truck.
“Out of the truck,” he ordered again. “Like I said, you don’t want any trouble, you won’t get any if you do as we say.”
“Do as they say,” Robert told Randall and Jane. “We should have taken the highway after all.”
Chapter Six
Randall, Robert, and Jane each stepped out of the truck, hands in the air. Before he stepped out, Robert made sure to turn off the engine to preserve fuel.
The Will To Survive: A Post-Apocalyptic EMP Survival Thriller (The EMP Brothers Series Book 2) Page 3
