Prepper's Crucible (Omnibus, Volumes 1-3): A Post Apocalyptic Tale (Preppers Crucible)

by Bobby Andrews

  “I’m not sure that can happen in our lifetimes,” Ed replied grimly. “How are they going to make the parts to fix the grid and get things running again without electricity? Hell, most of that stuff takes months on order. And, most of it isn’t even produced in this country any more. How would they even pay for it if they can get it? Our money is going to be worthless.”

  “We don’t know all that,” Bud replied. “For all we know, the rest of the country might be in fine shape and getting organized to help us.”

  “You really believe that?”

  “Not really. But, why not hope for the best? We already prepared for the worst.”

  “It doesn’t really matter,” Ed said. “We are ready for whatever comes at us.”

  “We made it out of the city,” Ann said. “The worst of it is probably over for now. All we have to do is get to the ranch, and the rest should be fine. I don’t believe we will never get our lives back, because that is just unthinkable to me. I will never believe it.”

  “Me either,” Mary replied.

  “Should we have lunch first and then reload the vehicles?” Bud asked.

  “I’m starving,” Ed admitted.

  They unloaded Ed’s cooler and pulled out sandwiches, chips, and more bottled water. Mary found a spot in the shade of a mesquite tree and they sat and ate lunch in silence, each still wondering what the future would look like. Bud sighed and said, “let’s just take a few minutes to rest. My butt and back are not used to riding that long in the ATV.” They all agreed, and then took turns walking into the brush and relieving themselves. After ten minutes of enjoying the silence, and the sound of the wind in the trees, they continued their journey.

  “Ed, why don’t we make two piles and divide up the food and water, so if we get separated we both have enough to make it to the ranch?” Mary asked.

  “That makes sense to me,” Ed replied. The four began to assemble the supplies in two areas. Some of Ed’s food went in Bud’s pile, and some of Bud’s water went in Ed’s.

  “How are you fixed for ammo?” Ed asked.

  “Good to go,” Bud replied. He knew Ed would have three times what he needed. That was just Ed. So, he didn’t even ask the question.

  “All right. Let’s load up,” Ed said.

  It took close to an hour to reload the ATVs. They kept shifting things around, then reloading them. Finally, satisfied that the load was equally split and well-balanced on the ATVs, they tied everything down and each got two more bottles of water. As they were doing a final inspection, Ed said, “I really wish we had done a trial run on this easement and the trail ahead of time.”

  “It was on the list, but we just didn’t have time to get to it. It’s not how I like to do things, but we just have to deal with it,” Bud replied. The girls had gone for a last potty break before they started the climb.

  “Let’s get one last look at the map and lay out one more rally point,” Ed said. He pulled the map from his assault pack and spread it across the front of the ATV. “We are here,” he pointed.

  “The next rally point is under marker 26564,” Bud replied, pointing to the spot on the map. “So, the next one should be at the trailhead. That’s about another ten miles.”

  Ed studied the map carefully, tracing a finger over the route and said, “we’re going to be topping a lot of hills over the next twenty miles. I don’t like the thought of coming over the top blind, with no idea what’s on the other side.”

  “Good point. We can dismount a hundred yards away, and walk to the top to glass to the next hill.”

  “It’s going to take longer.”

  “But, it’s much safer than just barreling over the top. That would make us prime ambush bait.”

  “True,” Ed replied, again studying the map. He paused for a moment, and then said, “let’s see how it goes. If we stay on schedule, we can keep doing it. If not, we need to think it over.”

  “Are you wondering if we can make it in three days?”

  “I am. I have never seen the trail, but I know it is rugged in places. The easement should be a lot easier since it’s well maintained.”

  “I’ve seen topo maps of the trail and there is a lot of elevation change, both up and down, after you get into the foothills,” Bud said, a nagging doubt in his mind.

  “The last thing I want is for Don to come looking for us when we don’t have any problem. That puts him at risk for no reason. Remember, we agreed he would come looking for us after three days.”

  “That would definitely not be good.” Ed continued studying the map, then traced a finger from the easement to the trailhead, saying, “the first seven miles are pretty flat. Then, here, on the southern edge of the Bradshaw Mountains, it starts climbing into the foothills. The first part of it, say twenty miles, should be fine since it is used for hiking and riding horses.”

  “Well, I know the part north of Highway 69 is still a cattle driveway, and ranchers don’t like cattle with broken bones. So, that must be pretty easy as well,” Bud added.

  “So, that just leaves the area between mile 13 and Highway 69 to deal with.”

  “That looks like about twenty miles of pretty rugged going.” Bud said.

  “That looks right.”

  “Remember we still have forty miles through the forest to get to the ranch.”

  “I’ve been on that stretch and its almost all forest road. We can make at least twenty miles an hour on that. So, that’s only going to be a two-hour trip.”

  “We should be able to average about thirty miles an hour until we hit the foothills, then figure five miles an hour for twenty miles. The portion north of Highway 69 is about ten miles, but let’s figure five miles an hour there just to be safe. That makes a total of around twenty hours, more or less. That would be three days, presuming we don’t have any problems.”

  “What about the three hours on the easement?”

  “It’s going to be close, if we’re lucky.”

  “You’re forgetting our best pal, Murphy.”

  “Good point.”

  “I think it’s probably doable,” Bud concluded. “It will be close, but with long days and short rests, we can make it in three. At the very worst, even with Mr. Murphy, we should be able to make it off the trail in time. If Don is looking for us, we would meet on the forest road. It is the only road that goes to the northern trailhead, so he would be on it and we couldn’t miss each other.”

  “We don’t really have much choice. We have no way to contact Don, so let’s just get started and hope for the best.”

  “So, do you still want to stop and scope each hill on the easement?” Bud asked.

  “I don’t think so. Not unless something happens. I think we need to get up the easement and to the foothills before dark. We need some cushion on time. I doubt anybody would be along the easement, anyway. The only people who use it are from the power company and I doubt they’re working.” He said the last part sarcastically. “What we can do is just stop at each hilltop and glass it from the ATV.” Bud agreed.

  “So where is the second rally point?”

  “How about mile ten in the foothills? We’ll count the miles from the first elevation after we round the mountains?”

  “That works,” Bud said as Ed replaced the map in his pack.

  The women returned, they again mounted the ATVs, arranged the ARs in the front seats, and started up the easement. Bud had put his Panther .308 at the top of his supplies, held down by a single tie. It might be handy to have the ability to reach out and touch someone from a greater distance.

  They started out again, this time with Bud and Mary in the lead. They made good time, averaging around thirty miles an hour. The only company they had on the trip was towering cactus that became more common as the elevation slowly increased. It was the only part of the journey, so far, where they felt as though they didn’t need to have their heads on a swivel. The air was cooler, and at their speed, it was as good as having air conditioning. They continued up the
easement, maintaining distance discipline. They topped the first hill, stopped to check the valley between the next hilltop, and continued on the trip. This went on for two hours, even with the brief stops, and they exited the easement with sighs of relief. It had been an easy trip, but the constant up and down was not enjoyable after the first fifteen minutes.

  They rode three more miles on an ATV path and then rounded the southern part of the Bradshaw Mountains. As the day was beginning to fade, they entered the trailhead and started the first real sustained climb of the day. Passing a picnic area, the group continued up the trail until they found a pullout and small camping area on the right side of the trail.

  “Break time,” Ann yelled from her vehicle as Ed pulled to the side of the trail. Bud parked next to them and they all got out and stretched sore muscles.

  “It’s almost dark,” Mary said. “We need to find a place to camp for the night.”

  “We need a smaller trail somewhere off the main path, and some flat ground. I don’t like the idea of sleeping right on the main trail,” Ed replied.

  The group was tired. The tension of the day, combined with the heat and roughness of the ride, left them all drained. Mary was clearly the most exhausted; her face was ashen, and she looked stressed. Bud passed out more water and then said, “why don’t we take five minutes, then head up the trail until we find a turn-off and campsite?” Everyone nodded agreement. They stood by the ATVs, sipped their water, and tried to relax for a few minutes.

  “Well, we better get moving,” Ed said. “We need to find somewhere to camp in the next half hour or we’re going to be wandering around in the dark.”

  They departed again, heading further up the trail for two miles before Bud spotted a small path to the left and steered his vehicle off the main trail. They continued a half mile until they entered a grassy meadow, and Bud signaled a stop.

  “I think this will do it,” Bud said.

  “Looks good to me,” Ann answered.

  “Let’s get set up,” Ed said.

  The group unloaded the cooler, sleeping bags, and weapons. They were now off the desert floor and the vegetation was much different. Scrub cedar and low bushes replaced the cactus and mesquite trees they passed at the lower elevations. It was notably cooler and a strong breeze replaced the stagnate air of the valley floor.

  Bud laid the two sleeping bags side by side next to his vehicle, then reached back into the rear seat and pulled out two blankets. “It’s warm enough to use the bag as a mattress and just use the blankets for warmth,” he said.

  “Are we going to cook tonight?” Mary asked.

  “I don’t think we should,” Ed replied. “We might attract some attention we don’t want. I doubt there is anyone on this trail right now, but you never know.”

  “Do we have any sandwiches left?” Ann asked.

  “We have three left, and some canned tuna and beef stew,” Mary replied.

  “Let’s make up the tuna and split the sandwiches,” Ann said. She went to the cooler and made tuna salad by using small packs of mustard and mayonnaise she had pocketed the last time they ate at a small diner in their neighborhood. She set the sandwiches and tuna on paper plates and the group shared the food sitting on a large flat rock that featured a breathtaking view of the valley. The sun was almost down, the sky turning red and then fading to a pink color. They ate slowly, enjoying the view, until Bud said, “I’ll get the camp light out.” Ed got up, extracted their sleeping bags from his ATV, and set them next to Bud’s. They all set their ARs around a tree next to their bags, and then sat on the bags, with the camp light between them set to its lowest power.

  “What about setting a watch?” Ed asked. He did so reluctantly. The group was so tired that there was a very good chance that somebody would fall asleep during their watch. But, he thought the group needed to make the decision.

  “Ahhh,” Mary groaned. “We’re in the middle of nowhere. Who is going to be moving around here at night?” The sun was completely set and the only illumination came from the battery-operated camp light. They could see one another, but just barely.

  “Let’s forget about it tonight,” Ann added. “We are all dead tired and need to sleep.”

  “I’ll stay up until midnight,” Bud offered. “There’s no way anyone is going to be around that late, and I am kind of keyed up anyway. So, I won’t sleep until later no matter what.”

  Ed shrugged his agreement, recognizing he wouldn’t win the argument for a full watch schedule in a hundred years.

  “What do you supposed it’s like down there? “ Mary asked, nodding her head toward the valley. From the campsite, they could clearly see the many fires that still burned in Phoenix.

  “It’s probably getting hellish by now,” Bud replied. “I’m guessing there’s a lot of looting going on and that a lot of people are settling old scores. By now, the bad guys have figured out they can do whatever the hell they want without worrying about law enforcement or punishment.”

  “I’m glad we got out of there as fast as we did,” Ann said.

  “No kidding,” Mary added. “We left within hours of the power going out, and even then we ran into armed men trying to take from us. I can only imagine what it will be like in a few days.”

  “So, what happens next?” Ann asked. “I know we have a safe place to live for now. But, what happens a month or a year from now?

  “Even the ranch isn’t immune to violence and looters. It may not be as easy to survive there as we think.”

  “It could be challenging at some point,” Bud replied. “But it’s going to take some time for anyone to figure out what we have there. They may never figure it out, but I doubt that will be the case. The fact that it is in a rural location is a plus. But, the fact it’s close to a small town works against us. Everybody there knows Don and, if they don’t, they know someone who does. Sooner or later, I suspect we are going to have to fight to keep what is ours.”

  “I’m sorry to say I agree,” Ed said. “We’ve talked about this before and I guess we kinda skirted around the issue, but we are going to have to face the facts. We all know that we’ll get a brief honeymoon period. But, as time goes on, people are going to be desperate and will do anything for food. When that time comes, we have to be ready to do whatever is necessary to protect ourselves or we won’t get through this. I will not accept that. I have already decided that if I have to kill a hundred people to protect the rest of the group and myself, then that is exactly what I am going to do.” Although the group couldn’t see it, Ed’s lips formed a determined thin line and his face hardened as he spoke.

  “Don’t be so pessimistic,” Mary said. “Who knows, maybe the power didn’t go off in Prescott. We have no way of knowing for sure that the outage was not limited to Phoenix. Anything is possible and I don’t think it is wise to assume anything.” She made an effort to sound hopeful but could not pull it off.

  “I wonder how Don and Kate are doing,” Ann said, more to change the subject of the conversation than anything.

  “They’re doing fine. You would need an army to take down those two,” Bud replied. “Don has been at this a lot longer than we have and will know what to do. My guess is that they are just laying low at the ranch and trying not to attract attention.”

  “That was the plan,” Ed replied. “He’ll stick to it no matter what. They are going to be fine. Once we get there, it’s going to be a hellish few weeks. We have a lot of work to do with getting all the systems up and running and getting the crops planted. The garden and greenhouse are going to have to be put into full production. We won’t have time to worry about much else for quite a while.”

  “I think I am going to like that,” Ann said. “It will be nice to have productive things to do rather than worry all the time. And, this is only the first day. I would rather be busy than thinking about the future. It is just too uncertain to bother with fretting. The fact is we know next to nothing about what happened.”

  “Well, we can t
ry to find out what’s going on,” Ed said.

  “How? You going to call CNN?” Ann replied.

  “No, but I do have a crank powered radio.” He used a flashlight to find the radio in his pack, cranked it for a minute, and returned to the group. Turning it on, he switched the lever to the AM band. After finding a signal, he set the radio on his sleeping bag and, a minute later, a voice came on, saying, “the following vice-presidential address is being repeated every half hour.” There was a brief pause, and then another voice followed:

  “My fellow Americans,” the voice began. “This is Vice President Paul Babson. This morning, at approximately 11:30, the North American continent was attacked with two nuclear missiles that were detonated high in the atmosphere over Chicago and Los Angeles. Let me start by reassuring you that there is no danger of radioactive fallout. Our population is not in danger of radioactive poisoning.

  “I am saddened to report that President Harris has died as a result of the blast. At 12:31 PM, he was pronounced dead due to a pacemaker failure associated with the explosion. I join you all in mourning the passing of a great statesman and dedicated American.”

  A short pause followed, and he then again spoke.

  “The blasts created an electrical surge that has effectively disabled much of our infrastructure. Much of our transportation system has been badly damaged due to the destruction of electronic components in motors. The damage includes most vehicles, railroads, and airplanes. There are, at last report, many thousands dead from motor vehicle accidents, plane crashes, and hospital fatalities due to the failure of life support systems. All public transportation has ceased to function and many people are stranded, in some cases far from home.

  “The attack is known as an electromagnetic pulse. It has also taken down most of our power generation and transmission systems. The same is true of our telecommunications infrastructure. With the exception of some military networks, all communications systems in the country have effectively ceased to function.