by Ison, S. A.
“What?” He asked.
“You look like a soldier.” She said faintly.
“Well, I wasn’t a soldier thank god, but I was in the Air Force for ten years. I served over in Afghanistan and Bogura, though only in communications support.” He laughed at the look on Perrin’s face at his comment about being a soldier.
“I think you each need to get a knife, Linda, you’ll want a folding knife. Here is your .38 and here is a waist holster.” Tomi said, handing over the weapon, as well as three boxes of shells and two speed loaders. Linda took the shells and dropped them into her backpack. She was now dressed in the woodland camo. He saw she had boots on.
“Dawn, you might want to get her sports shoes, those boots will rub her feet raw. Get her two pair, that way, if one gets wet, she can let them dry and wear the others.” Tomi suggested.
“I want one of those AR15s too. The camo pink one. And, I want a shotgun.” She grinned and turned, leading Linda out. Brown came in and looked around, his mouth opened. Jack Brown was in his late forties, balding and had a gut. He had clearly been a white-collar criminal.
“You ever fire a weapon? Handle one? Jack?” Perrin asked.
“No. What can I have?” Jack said, nervously.
Tomi and Perrin looked at each other. The man would be dangerous until he was instructed. They could do that on the road. He just wouldn’t have a loaded weapon until he learned proper weapons handling and safety.
“He can have a Sig Sauer like me, but you can’t use it Jack and it stays unloaded until we have time to teach you gun safety. We don’t need you shooting yourself or us. We’ll protect you, so don’t worry. Have you ever used a knife before?” Tomi asked. When Jack shook his head, Tomi gave him a folding knife. He was afraid the man would stab himself with a fixed blade.
“Put that in your pocket. Let’s get fishing gear and I’m going to see about a crossbow for hunting and defense.” Tomi said.
Norman walked into the room. The young man was dressed in camo that looked too big on him. Norman looked pale and frightened.
“Norman, you know you can come with us. Walking to Beattyville will take you about a month or better. Do you know how to use a weapon?”
“I want to go to Beattyville, but alone, I just don’t’ think I’ll make it. I can’t believe this is happening. Are you sure? Maybe the power will come back on. As far as using a gun, no, I’m just in prison for identity theft. Christ. I’ve never done a violent thing in my life.” Norman began to weep. He had bright red hair and pale blue eyes. The man had to weigh a buck twenty-five if he were wet. Norman was a thin, fine boned man. He was woefully unprepared for this event. Tomi didn’t know Norman well, he’d only been at the facility for six months and had hung out with Jack. He was a quiet man and kept mostly to himself. He’d been due for release in three months.
Tomi turned and picked out another Sig Sauer and mags and ammo. He also got the man a folding knife.
“I’m sure about the EMP, though I wish I were wrong. Don’t touch the gun for now, put it in your backpack and Perrin and I will show you how to use it and how to handle it safely as well as clean the weapon. For now, just don’t touch it.” Tomi reiterated, his eyes going to each man. Jack shrugged and Norman nodded quickly and wiped at his eyes. He followed Tomi like a lost puppy. Tomi shook his head.
His uncle wasn’t going to be happy, but with all of them, they could defend the cabin and property. He wondered if Norman would make the long hike? He also wondered about Jack, the man was pushing three hundred pounds and he wasn’t a very tall man. He wondered if they’d all make it. He knew he was better prepared than most, he and Perrin, Dawn and Liev might make it, but he was uncertain about the rest. They’d all had weapons training, the others had not. He hoped Norman and Jack wouldn’t shoot each other.
He needed to look for food. He thought he saw a section with MREs, nutrient bars, dehydrated meals and the like. He also hoped they could supplement that with hunting and fishing. He hoped for a hell of a lot. He didn’t know what dangers the walk to his uncle would hold. He hoped that deep down, he was just over estimating, over reacting. Tomi tried to tell himself it wouldn’t be too bad. They had numbers on their side, even if two of their group didn’t know about weapons handling. He was glad he’d put a gun cleaning kit in his bag. He’d also show those two about caring for their weapons.
He stood still for a moment. His heart had stopped its mad race. They had a rough plan, perhaps not the best plan, but they didn’t have a lot of time. Their best chance was to get away from the town and stay away from people. As soon as people began to get a clue, shit would really get wild. He looked around the store, his brain racing. This would be their best and possibly last chance to get what they needed for the long trip. He had no idea how long it would take to walk all the way down to his uncle’s cabin.
It was a lot on his shoulders. He was now responsible for these people. They were in his care, his charge. He took that seriously. Especially the women. He knew Dawn could take care of herself, and he was sure Liev would help with that. But he wasn’t sure about Linda. All he could do, was all he could do. He just hoped it was enough.
TWO
The group stood within the store, Tomi had checked them over and Perrin had as well. Perrin wondered if they’d all make it. He looked at his watch and realized it no longer worked.
“Linda, do you have any watches? You know sports watches?” He asked and Dawn looked at her watch and frowned.
“Sure, on the display, over by the pool stuff.” She said, adjusting the large backpack on her shoulders. Perrin walked to the back and Tomi followed him.
“You think any of these will work?” Tomi asked.
“Can’t hurt to try. Maybe one of those solar ones.”
They rifled through the watches on display and found one brand that was working. Perrin grinned and handed Tomi one and took more to the others. Linda smile tiredly and held up her wrist. She had an old windup. Perrin looked out the window, people were milling around in the parking lot, there were hundreds of people. That worried him.
“Okay, when we go out, I’m pretty sure we’ll be noticed. We say as little as possible, just keep walking. Do not let anyone stop you and do not let them touch your backpacks or weapons. We lie if we have to, telling them we’re heading to the police department or heading to see the city council. Just keep going. I have the map and compass, and Tomi and I will take the lead.” Perrin said, looking at each of the faces around him. He continued, “Norman, you and Jack stay together, Dawn and Linda, you two together and Liev, you bring up the rear and watch our six. We keep together and again, do not engage with the people out there. The less we say the better. We don’t know what’s going on and we’ve had this trip planned. Telling the people, the truth would only spark a riot or something or persist in more questions. I’m not prepared to tell those folks anything.”
The group looked scared, nodding, but there was nothing for it, they had to get past that large group outside. They had to get on the road and out of town and as fast as they could. They planned to go down 13th street until they hit US Route 60. They would follow that south as long as the daylight lasted. It was now just after one, they’d spent well over an hour getting ready. He just hoped they had what they needed. There was no turning back. It got dark around eight pm. Perrin wasn’t sure how long Linda, Jack or Norman would last either. None of them looked the least bit healthy.
Tomi opened the door and walked out, the rest followed. People in the parking lot began walking toward them and Perrin saw Tomi lower the AR15, not aiming, but lowering it. The people stopped and Perrin did the same. He brought his weapon down to low ready. He saw their faces, now fear skittering across them, their eyes widening with fear and speculation. The crowd began to whisper amongst themselves, some of them pushing and shoving. He hoped those people wouldn’t stampede. Perrin and his group were almost out of the parking lot when three men blocked their way.
“What the hell
are ya’ll up to? Where you going dressed like that? What’s going on?” A large red cheeked man asked. His suspenders strained to keep his jeans up over his large gut. He wore a filthy John Deere ballcap. His unshaven face seemed bloated from an unhealthy lifestyle.
“Stand aside. Let us pass.” Tomi stated, blunt and harsh. Tomi surprised Perrin, Tomi was easy going and soft spoken. He didn’t think he’d ever heard the man raise his voice the entire stint at the prison.
“Why the fuck should I do a damn thing you say, half breed.” The fat man said and then spit down at Tomi’s feet, the stream of tobacco splatting.
“Because, I’m holding a weapon that could blow the fat right off your gut. Now, are you going to move? Or shall I blow that fat gut off your body?” Liev announced with a broad wicked grin.
“Hey, that’s some shit. Answer our question.” Another man stepped forward. He looked panicked and fearful and Perrin thought that was why the stranger wasn’t using his head. Fear made people stupid.
“We aren’t sure what’s going on. Go to the Ashland Police station. They’ll have answers for you. We’re heading out. Do not stand in our way. Go home and take care of your families.” Perrin said, trying to defuse the situation.
“This is some serious horse shit. You guys know what’s going on. Tell us man.” The third man yelled, his face red. He wore an off-white dingy wife beater under a dull red flannel shirt. His gut was well over his belt, his britches stained. The men were walking heart attacks and they’d starve fast, Perrin thought.
“Yes, it is some shit, and I’m getting fucking tired of listening. They told me I couldn’t shoot my gun, but fuck it. I want to kill all you sons of bitches.” Liev said with a large and crazy grin and brought the AR15 up and flipped off the safety. The three men scattered as quickly as their bulk would let them. While they’d been talking to the three men, Liev had put heavy lines of blue marker across his cheeks and down his nose. Perrin shook his head and laughed.
“I think you scared the hell out of them.” Tomi said, laughing.
“That was the whole point. The three of them looked like they could eat the ass end out of a cow. I expect their new apocalyptic diet starts now.” Liev grinned, waggling his blond brows and put the safety back. The group resumed their walk, down the street and onto the sidewalk. No one else stopped them.
Perrin watched, his head on a swivel. The others in the group were watching too. That was good. He watched and noted the people gathered along the sidewalks and standing in the middle of a street. Perrin saw a dead patrol car and the group headed toward it.
“I don’t think this is a good idea.” Liev sang in a low voice.
Two patrolmen were talking to a store owner when the owner looked at the group heading toward them, his mouth falling open. The two patrolmen turned around, their eyes opening wide. They began to go for their weapons. Perrin saw the error he’d made. He wasn’t in uniform and held up a hand. The others in the group did likewise.
“I’m a correction’s officer.” He called out quickly, hoping to defuse the situation before a gun battle erupted in the middle of the street. The group stopped walking, advancing no farther and waited nervously as the two patrolmen walked over, their service weapons drawn and aimed at them.
“We’re all gonna die.” Liev sang lowly.
“Shut up, Christ.” Dawn hissed softly.
“I’m Officer Ellison, from FCI Ashland Correctional. You can check my ID in my back pocket.” Perrin said, turning his hip slightly. He watched the two men approaching, he hoped they had enough seasoning that they didn’t shoot first and ask questions later. The broad chested police officer, Dunbar, Perrin read the name tag, approached and the other kept his weapon trained on the group.
Dunbar had his weapon up and right in Perrin’s face, but Perrin remained calm and compliant. Dunbar reached into the back pocket of Perrin’s woodland camo pants. Pulling the wallet out, the officer looked at Perrin’s ID. Dunbar looked back at the other officer, Mittal, and nodded. Perrin heard the sighs behind him when both Dunbar and Mittal holstered their weapons.
“What’s going on Ellison? Why are you in that get up and strapped with the AR15?” Dunbar asked.
“You need to know, an EMP has hit. Your very lives depend on you two acting quickly. I take it your vehicle is dead and no comms?” Perrin asked.
“Yeah, died a couple hours ago. You say an EMP? Isn’t that like from a bomb?” Dunbar asked, the color leaching from his face.
“Yeah, so if you have family, you need to get to them and get them safe. Also, you need to get supplies, as much as you can and go to ground, cause it’s gonna get real. I don’t know how your department is and maybe you can band together with them. There won’t be any help coming, that is, not for this small town. Maybe Washington, but not here.” Perrin said.
“Christ. Where are ya’ll heading?” Dunbar asked.
“Into the mountains.” Tomi spoke up.
“We’re going to try and find a place in the mountains, to hunker down.” Perrin lied.
“How long will this last?” Mittal asked, fear making his voice tremble. Perrin thought the man was in his early twenties. Young.
“Son, it won’t ever end. This is the new way of life and it will be a life of total desolation. There isn’t any coming back from this. So, do as Ellison says, go find your families and as much supplies and weapons as you can lay your hands on and hunker down. It’s gonna get ugly real fast, as within hours or a day or two.” Tomi suggested kindly.
Both officers looked at each other and then back at the group. Both nodded woodenly. Both their faces were stiff as though carved from stone, their eyes large and fearful.
“Thanks man. Thanks.” Dunbar said and reached out and shook Perrin’s hand. Perrin nodded and patted the other officer on the back. It was devastating news to deliver, but, at least these two men would be ahead of the game.
“God be with you both and your families.” Perrin said and he and his group began to move off. They moved across the street. People moved aside and stared, but not coming near the group. Perrin dug in his pocket and pulled out his sunglasses. The sun was glinting and stinging his eyes. He wanted his vision clear, for what was to come.
=
Tomi let his breath out slowly. That could have gone so wrong so fast. He hoped they’d not see any more patrol cars or cops. He’d scrutinized the interlocutors during the first few moments of contact. It had been a tense time. It couldn’t have been avoided however. If Perrin hadn’t spoken with the men and assured them, they might well be dead or injured.
“I think I soiled myself.” Liev called from the back. Tomi heard nervous sniggers all around. God love Liev, he helped to break the tension and Tomi’s shoulders relaxed a bit. His stomach was still in a knot, but he thought that wouldn’t ease until he got to his uncle’s cabin.
“That was close. Man. Hopefully we won’t run into any other police.” Tomi said, looking over at Perrin.
“Well, legally, we’re allowed to open carry. However, because there are so many of us with AR15s strapped to our chests, I think it might be a little hairy when or if we see any other officers.”
“Yeah, legal or not, I’m hoping we make it out of Ashland fast and out to route 60.” Tomi snorted, looking around him. He too put on his sunglasses, which he’d picked up at the sports store. He had a spare, just in case he lost the one he was wearing. He watched small knots of people clustered together, talking and pointing. He was glad they looked intimidating, he didn’t want any of them near. He didn’t want to explain what was going on. It would only slow them down and it would cause trouble and too many unanswerable questions.
Turning a corner, they began walking down an area of town that was considered seedy. Run down homes and businesses lined the street.
“Keep sharp.” Perrin commanded.
“Sir yes sir.” Liev called from the back. Tomi turned and raise his brow. Liev shrugged and grinned. The big man looked like a Viking more t
han ever now, with that ridiculous blue marker painted on his face. Liev was loaded down the most, since he could carry a heavier load. The tactical vest helped. They’d modified several camo fishing tackle vests, using the numerous pockets to put magazines and ammo. Tomi had even found night vision goggles, though they weren’t high quality, the NVGs would be more than useful.
The group had stocked up on batteries as well. The pack he carried combined with the vest, Tomi put it near sixty pounds. It was a hell of a lot of weight to carry and he wasn’t used to it. Thankfully, the backpacks were of good quality and distributed the weight and center of gravity to help mitigate the weight. He looked back, Dawn was doing great, Linda, looked fatigued already, as did Jack and Norman.
Liev, bless his heart, Tomi grinned, carried the most weight. He was a big man and quite capable of carrying it. Liev worked out daily in the yard, with the free weights and equipment the prison had. He too worked out, but not as much. At nearly forty, Tomi hadn’t been interested in building muscles as much as staying healthy. Because Liev flirted with the women at the prison, he kept his body in top shape. Some of the female guards had flirted back, since Liev was a good-looking man. He’d caught Dawn observing Liev on more than one occasion.
Tomi snorted, telling that boy he was good looking would send him into the yard to strut like the cock of the walk. His ego was big, but, Liev was a good man and had a heart of gold. He thought perhaps Dawn like the man more than she let on. He’d caught her watching Liev out in the prison’s yard, as did most of the women guards. Well, they were no longer in prison and she was no longer a guard. Perhaps now, the two would set things right between them. An apocalyptic romance, the thought caused a soft sad smile to crease his features.
He thought about what he’d told the two patrolmen, about the desolation that was coming. Though no damage, other than the loss of power, had occurred, this wasn’t counting the hundreds, if not thousands of air craft that had plummeted to earth. The real desolation was in the massive die off that would occur over the next months. Chicago, Dallas, and other large cities would feel the sting first. With Chicago’s population of over two million souls and Dallas, over a million, there was no way food would last more than a couple days. New York, San Francisco and other major cities would be the same. The season for planting a garden had passed. Winter would be on them all in a month or so.
