After the Solar Flare (Book 1): Alone in the Apocalypse

by AJ Newman

  “I missed your head, but I won’t miss you this time. I’ll teach you to mess with Patty you son of a bitch.”

  I moved my hands in front of my face and caught his foot. I yanked it toward me while lifting my body. The man fell to the ground as I kicked him in the side then in the balls. He tried to get up and I kicked him again in the side, bent over and grabbed his wrist.

  I twisted his wrist I felt the navicular bone break which caused an incredibly intense pain and asked, “George what makes you think I’m messing with Patty” You are drunk and the town clown. Get away from me before you make me mad and I kill your sorry ass.”

  He scrambled to his feet and ran away. My head and shoulder hurt like hell, but I was otherwise unharmed. I was amazed that my training kicked in and I was able to defeat this attacker. Okay, I know he was a drunk, a bully and a coward. Oh what the hell, he’ll be dead soon anyway, and with a cast on his wrist I don’t think I’ll be seeing him anytime soon.

  This incident reminded me of something my combat instructor said, “Don’t be afraid to break a bone or kill an attacker. If someone is trying to kill you, just put them out of action for quite a while, giving them time to rethink their actions. If he returns for more; kill him, you don’t want to spend your life looking over your shoulder more than you have to after the collapse.

  When he first drilled that into me, I thought it was macho crap. Now, I knew it was not, and I would follow that advice. If someone comes after me, they will be dead. Damn, I felt strong, not arrogant because I knew there were lots of guys out there that could end me, but if they didn’t, well, too bad for them. Oh, he also said, ‘Never fight fair.’”

  I heard a commotion behind me and turned to see Gary and Betty Allen running up to my side.

  “Matt are you okay. One of our customers saw George slipping up behind you and told Gary. It was all over before we could help you.”

  “Thanks, but I think Georgie learned his lesson about attacking strangers.”

  “Come back into the restaurant and have a cup of coffee while we call the police.”

  “No, I think he will leave me alone and I don’t want to cause Patty any problems. Besides, he’ll be at the hospital getting a cast put on his arm.”

  “Okay, it’s your life, but that asshole isn’t done with you yet. I don’t know how you got on his bad side, but he won’t drop it.”

  Smiling a sinister smile, I said, “Actually, I think he will.

  Thanks, but I’m okay.”

  Gary and Betty owned the Mountain Hideout Restaurant next to Patty’s general store. They were in their early forties and a good-looking couple. They had two kids and a thriving business in a great place to live.

  I had the radio on as I drove back home and heard the announcement that NASA is forecasting an unusually high incidence of solar activity in the weeks to come.

  I noticed there were static and a few blank spots in the dialog. This was what Sam told me to expect. I wondered if Sam knows about Alpha Omega. Now I was waiting for the Northern Lights to move further south and the big Coronal Mass Ejection.

  When I got home, I asked Mary to look at the back of my head and shoulder.

  She examined me and said, “What happened. You have a scrape on your head and a hell of a bruise developing on your shoulder.”

  “A jealous husband thought I was messing with his wife.”

  “That damned George. I knew he would be trouble.”

  “Look, I took care of Georgie. He’ll be in a cast for 16 weeks, so don’t tell Patty. She has enough worries.”

  Smiling herself, Mary asked, “What did you do to that boy?”

  “Oh, nuthin’ much, just snapped the navicular bone in his wrist. It is also the most difficult bone in the body to heal. No big deal.”

  “Yeah, well you just be careful and watch your back. He still might get uppity.”

  And there it was again; watch your back; look over your shoulder. Okay, now I really get it.

  ✪✪✪

  ✪

  Now, entering the solar system known as Sol, the trio plunged toward the warming point of light, which grew in intensity, and caused their atmospheres to begin to thaw.

  Alpha Omega III’s huge atmosphere of methane, long frozen in the interstellar cold, could now be seen with the naked eye as a comet like tail, which ran before it like the mane of a wild Mustang.

  Chapter 4

  Preparing

  The Ranch

  Wyoming

  When Patty arrived at 6:00 Mary giggled and said, “Perfect timing, sweetie, you’re just in time to have a Bloody Mary with Mary. Supper will be on the table in just a few minutes.”

  I set the table, carved the roast and chilled some wine for our after supper conversation.

  Patty was dressed in her usual cowgirl gear, jeans, long sleeve shirt, Levi vest and Stetson hat. I noticed that she had perfume on and it smelled great. She also had on more jewelry than normal and her jeans seemed a bit tighter.

  She had a pistol in a shoulder holster that made a bulge below her right breast. I wasn’t looking at her breasts but the extra bulge did catch one’s eye.

  Mary told me a couple weeks back about running George off. Since then Patty started carrying a gun.

  “Supper is ready. Dig in.”

  We ate, talked and wolfed down a cherry pie for dessert. Then we retired to the great room where Patty started the conversation.

  “At first I didn’t give much thought to this solar flare stuff, but everyone has noticed the static on our TVs, phones and radios. The local, state and federal officials are down playing any long-term effects, but I just do not trust ‘em. So, having said that, Matt, what do we need to do?”

  “I replied, “All right, first and foremost, don’t tell anyone else what we’re doing. Don’t misunderstand, I mean tell no one.

  Prepare yourself emotionally that your store will be looted right after the lights go out. Credit cards won’t work and banks will be closed. People will rush to the stores as they do before a big storm is going to hit.

  Everyone with a pacemaker will die during the event, airplanes will fall from the sky and the grid will go down. There will be no electricity to power anything. Nothing electronic will work, phones, cars and computers will all fail.

  After three days, there will be no food in any stores and the food warehouses become targets. Gangs of thieves, thugs and drug addicts will band together to control food, drugs and water.

  Within days, people will be breaking into houses to steal food. Two week later, they will kill horses, dogs and any other animal to eat. Your friends will kill you over a scrap of bread to feed their kids.

  Those who don’t freeze from this damnable Wyoming winter will run out of their medications. People on anti-depressants will go crazy and others will die. All medication supplies will run out during the next year. Diabetics, heart patients and anyone being kept alive with modern drugs will die. During this same period mass starvation will kill most of the people on Earth.”

  “Will anyone survive?”

  “Yep, Mary, Patty, and Matt, ‘cause they are ready.”

  “Cute, Matt, and yeah that’s good news.”

  “There will of course be others. The outdoor types will hunt, fish and scavenge for food. They will survive longer than the city people who will all be dead in 90 to 120 days. Some will even make it all the way.

  Your job is to stock food, water and other supplies away and then survive until the others die off.

  This may sound harsh, but there will not be enough food for everyone and a friend before the event will cut your throat for a biscuit if their child is starving after the lights go out.”

  Patty shook her head and replied, “I’ve heard most of what you just said but I guess the reality is now smacking me in the face. I feel so alone.”

  Rather harshly, I said, “Good grief, Mary, didn’t I make myself clear yesterday? You two are moving your butts in here, and quickly. No nonsense, your p
lace is too close to the road, and that makes you a nice target especially for slave traders. Of course, if you want to become drugged out whores being traded around from gang to gang until you die, I guess I can’t force you to come here.

  From a bit of a selfish side, the fact is I need the help. I can’t run this place, and protect it 24/7. Damn it, you are helping me as much as I am you.

  So, yes, start stockpiling items such as food, whiskey, ammunition, guns, medical supplies, feminine hygiene products and birth control items along with silver and gold to trade for items we may find we need later.

  Now, did I convince you sufficiently of my sincerity, so that you’ll shake a leg and get moved in here?”

  Patty snickered and replied, “Mary, we both know he’s right. Besides, he’s such a big strong man. I’m sure he can protect us poor damsels in distress.

  “Funny girls, real funny, but in my experience, the female is always the deadlier of the species.

  Now, a few words of warning; purchase the small cheap half pints of whiskey and never let anyone see more than a small amount of any trade goods. You will become a target if people start to see you as a store.

  We will only trade if we have to, and never let anyone follow you home. Have your guns ready at all times. Buy the gold and silver in other towns.”

  “What guns do we need?”

  “A shotgun, Carbine and a pistol. I’d go with a 12 gauge pump, Keltek Sub 2000 and a full size 9mm Glock.”

  Mary replied, “I like my .357.”

  “Mary, that is a great gun, but it only holds six bullets, you know, those pesky lead thingys that come out of the pointy end of the gun, sorry, I couldn’t resist. Anyway, the Glock 17 holds 17 rounds in the magazine, and one in the chamber. You can easily carry three more magazines and reload quickly. The .357 is harder to load and is terrible to load up in the dark.

  The three extra magazines are to be carried until things fall apart. After that, you will up the mags to six, on the belt, and one in the bullet launcher.”

  “Point taken; I’ll buy the guns tomorrow.”

  Patty spoke up, “Mary, we have all of those at the store except the Keltek.

  Matt I have four AR 9mm carbines that take the Glock 17 -9mm magazines. Will those work?”

  “Yes, they’re definitely a better combat gun, but the Keltek is a fine weapon out to around 100 yards, and it will fold in half and fit into your Bugout bag. Oh, and the fact that it only weighs about 5 pounds fully loaded, is definitely a perk. Unfortunately, the front sight on the Keltek is a piece of crap. It’s plastic and will move, but the M&P15 front sight fits perfectly, and is completely stable.”

  “I’ll order two, just to keep them in our Bugout bags and have the ARs for daily use when the grid goes down.”

  “Patty, order seven of the Glock 17 thirty-one round magazines for each of us.”

  “I will. Mary, get the rest out of the case tomorrow. Matt, can you give us some lessons on the guns. We can both shoot pistols and hunting rifles, but the AR and Glock are new to us.”

  “I’d be glad to. Bring them and some ammunition out tomorrow and we’ll go to my range and familiarize both of you with your new guns.”

  Patty interrupted, “Oh, sorry Matt, but the supplies won’t be to Cheyenne for pickup until Friday, at the earliest. Everything is slowing down.”

  “Damn, oh, well, we’ll have to make do. Okay, let’s hope for Friday. We’ll leave around 6:00 a.m.”

  Mary’s face made it plain she approved of the two of us going to Cheyenne together to pick up the order. Made me feel all prickly; dang her.

  The girls had me thinking about how much I should hedge towards the end of the world vs. living after there is no end of the world.

  The answer appeared to be purchasing several hundred thousand dollars’ worth of silver, gold and platinum along with a shit load of good quality wine, whiskey and high dollar guns.

  This placed us in a position of having what we needed to survive TEOTWAWKI in a bit of luxury or selling off the collection to survive in the regular old boring world.

  It took a lot of effort to hide the purchase and not let the world know we were sitting on half a million dollars’ worth of goodies besides my million dollars’ worth of house, bomb shelter and other survival crap.

  I actually woke up dreaming that I was on the news as the biggest fool in history. I was on a reality show for spending my inheritance on doomsday prepping.

  However, since you are reading my story about how I survived the early days of The Flare, I guess the fools are dead and gone while I survived. The jokes on them and I look pretty smart, Hell yes!

  ***

  Pinedale, Wyoming

  “Mary, I’m very glad Matt showed up when he did. The TV and radio were both off and on all day. The government put out a statement telling us to be calm, a few minutes before you finished your bath. The shit is going to hit the fan soon.

  I’m ordering enough Wise survival food for both of us and tomorrow I’ll get us all the can goods I can take from the store without alerting anyone. I’m also ordering enough seeds to plant a hundred gardens.”

  “I like that. Good thinking, now we need to concentrate our efforts to move to Matt’s.”

  “I will move to Matt’s, but I plan to hide supplies here as well. My place has a water well, basement, pond and is at the back of my property out of sight. I’m afraid that Matt is definitely right about two women alone with a lot of food being a big target, but it can’t hurt to have a fallback hideout.”

  “I am truly thankful that Matt insists we come to his place, and I think this weekend is as good a time as any. If the CME hits on Monday, then this weekend is best.”

  “The only reason Matt might throw us out is if there isn’t enough food, therefore, we will stage enough food there to feed the three of us for a year.

  Triple the order of survival food and order 500 pounds of dried beans and another 500 pounds of rice. Also, order spices, salt and sugar. We’ll pay our own way with food, cooking and companionship.”

  Patty blushed, but didn’t take the bait.

  “Sounds good to me. Let’s ask what he thinks of our plan tomorrow on the range.”

  “Good idea. Oh, certain, soon to be ex jealous husband attacked Matt the other night. He kicked George’s ass and sent him packing.”

  Shit. I thought George was harmless. I need to apologize to Matt.”

  “Oh, no, you don’t need to do any such thing, “Let sleeping dogs lie. He doesn’t want you to know. I only told you because I want you to take any threats from George seriously.”

  “I will.”

  “Okay.”

  “Mary, let’s order everything air freight into the airport and pick them up there, that way we can take them straight out to the Ranch without being seen, and we’ll have them much earlier than regular freight.”

  “Oh, yes, good idea on the airfreight. I’m getting a little nervous that we won’t be ready.”

  “Oh Patty, we both need to be at the Ranch in the bunker with Matt when The Flare hits. This solar flare will be the most powerful in history. There will be x-rays and the possibility of a high dose of radiation when the CME hits or passes by the Earth.”

  ***

  The Ranch

  Pinedale, Wyoming

  I woke up late, was worried that I was late for something and then remembered that I was retired and it was Saturday. Mary stayed in town to work on their prepping project so I made a pot of coffee, cooked some bacon and eggs and had a late breakfast.

  The girls were due at the ranch about 1:30, and I wanted to take a quick tour around my property before they arrived.

  I was trying to become familiar with what was normal. I could use the ATV to travel the edge of my property on three sides, but the back 10 acres where the cave was located had to be walked, or covered by horse.

  There was little chance of someone coming down the mountain so I only drove to the mouth of the several ravines and ca
nyons and used binoculars to check the back end of my property.

  There was one old dirt road that cut my property in half and I always checked it for fresh tracks. I enjoyed taking Gus and Tina for a ride. All I had to say was, “Go Bye Bye” and they ran to the ATV. They were well trained and obeyed my commands.

  Tina would lie down next to me and watch while Gus sat up and was always alert for a squirrel or rabbit. He would whimper when he saw one as though he was asking for permission.

  If I had time, I’d let him chase the unlucky rabbit. Squirrels were just too quickly up a tree, or into their burrow. He usually brought the animals he caught back to me and I released the mainly unharmed, but slobbered on animal back to the woods. The dead or injured ones would become dinner.

  I had never seen any signs of trespassing until today. I followed the tracks a few hundred yards on foot and saw a red Jeep parked by an old cabin. Hell I didn’t even know the cabin was on my property. It was an old hunting cabin built like an old barn. The wood siding was vertical as on a barn, but had narrow wood strips covering the joints. A dingy green metal roof topped off the structure and a stone chimney was on the north side.

  I had my M&P15 and Glock ready as I snuck up on the cabin. The door was open and I heard strange sounds coming from the cabin. It took me a minute to realize what the sounds were.

  I yelled, “Come on out with your hands up.”

  A voice replied, “Don’t shoot. We’re coming out.”

  A young man and girl came out of the cabin with very red faces and half-naked bodies. Gus growled fiercely and scared the two half to death.

  “You can put your hands down, but don’t move or Gus will rip you to shreds. What are you doing on my property?”