“Good morning,” she responded with her own forced smile. She leaned over and placed her head on his chest as she hugged him tight. He could feel her chest heave as the sobs started to come. Sean hugged her close and tried to brush her hair reassuringly. After a couple minutes Maria sat up and looked her husband in the eyes. “Promise me we’re going to be ok.... Promise me that you’re going to protect me and the baby and take care of us.”
Sean fought back the lump in his throat and put on his best air of confidence. “Baby, we’re going to be just fine. It’s going to be hard and there are going to be a lot of challenges in store for us, but I promise to protect and care and love you both as long as I live.”
Maria placed her head back on his chest and hugged him tight once more. “I know you will. I trust you and we’ll follow wherever you lead.” She wiped her mascara off on his t-shirt and looked up with a smile knowing that was a pet peeve of his. He smiled back at his wife afraid that simple moments like these would soon be a thing of the past. With a determination that surprised her husband, Maria jumped out of bed and said, “Well, let’s get a move on.” Her bare feet hit the cold wood floors and she let out a gasp, “Holy crap! It’s cold in here.... Oh, baby, I don’t know if I can do this,” she said half jokingly. “I think I can handle the hard work ahead, lack of food, and gangs of looters, but my poor Guatemalan blood can’t handle a world without a thermostat.” She had already pulled on a pair of socks and was grabbing a hooded sweatshirt off the back of the bed.
“You should probably get geared up with your wool socks and poly pros. You might as well get dressed for the walk now; I’d like to leave right away.” She nodded her head in agreement and headed off to the living room where her outfit was already laid out from the night before. Sean procrastinated, not wanting to get out from under the warm blankets and the soft memory foam cushion on the bed. “It’s the little things,” Sean thought to himself. Spending four years as a survival instructor, Sean knew what it was like to spend long periods of time in the wild, waking up stiff from a little rock that poked at you through your sleeping bag all night. Maria was about to find out. Sean felt pity for her and the discomfort that awaited them both.
“Are you up, babe?” Maria hollered from the living room with chattering teeth.
Sean jumped out of bed, “Yeah, just thinking.” His legs, back and arms were sore from the previous day’s walk home. He took a minute to stretch and made his way into the living room to start getting dressed. He started with a thick pair of merino wool socks and then pulled on his thick winter weight poly pro long johns. Overtop he wore a pair of TruSpec Xtreme Tactical pants in OD green and a sage colored Rothco combat shirt. Next came a zip up military surplus wool sweater, and last he wore the black military issue Gore-Tex parka he had been issued during his time working at the SERE POW interrogation training camp. He had bought the same one for Maria. While not that warm, they were windproof and waterproof which was more important. You could always layer.
Sean had spent a lot of time considering what to wear should this day ever come. At first he had purchased a set of Woodland Digital ACU combat fatigues. But after some thought, he decided for a couple reasons that he didn’t want to be wearing the same thing as the military. While traveling he thought it best to try and blend in as much as possible. People would be quickly losing faith in the government and military when they didn’t come to the rescue. After a while, there was sure to be resentment and anger, and Sean didn’t want to be targeted or on the receiving end of someone wanting retribution.
There had been numerous debates on weapon selection between Sean and his best friend Randy, as well as other members of their retreat group. Most of the other guys were carrying AR 15s. They were geared up and carrying an arsenal big enough to wage war on a small army. Sean’s philosophy on survival guns had been different. Having a dependable semi-automatic weapon was crucial in a firefight. His plan was to engage only long enough to retreat and get away. Sean had witnessed numerous “malfunctions” at the range with some of his friend’s very expensive weapons, so he had wanted something more dependable and reasonable in price. Sean just couldn’t afford to keep up with the thousands of dollars they spent on their weapons but at the same time knew it was important to keep a group standard.
Sean spent a lot of time researching reasonably priced semi-auto weapons including the AK-47, Ruger mini 14, and the new Kel Tec SU-16. After reading many internet reviews on the SU-16, and the fact it could be purchased for around $500, he decided to pick one up and couldn’t have been happier. The SU-16 had married the best parts of an AK and an AR into one great reliable weapon. It was driven by an AK style gas piston system instead of the typical gas impingement system you would see in most ARs. It came from the factory with a threaded barrel, picatinny rail, and folding stock. Sean bought the adapter which allowed him to mount an adjustable mil-spec AR-style Magpul collapsible stock and grip. The best part was that it took standard AR magazines which helped him stay group standard. Last, he spent more money than he’d like on the optic: a Meprolight 21 red dot scope. He was pleased to find it extremely accurate out to one hundred yards. He chose the Meprolight red dot instead of the EOTech, because the red dot was produced by fiber optics during the day and switched over seamlessly to Tritium at night so it was always on and never needed batteries or an on/off switch. Kel Tec was never known for its beautiful craftsmanship but it was a work horse. It wasn’t a proven battle rifle and it probably wouldn’t stand up to the abuse of a milspec AR or quality AK, but it was also half the price of the others. Since pulling it out of the box, much to the chagrin of his friends, Sean had fired nearly a thousand rounds of 5.56 through it and hadn’t experienced one malfunction, unlike their weapons which were two to three times more costly.
Sean wore a custom Molle vest he had put together which had mag pouches across the bottom holding six 30 round PMAG AR-15 magazines. To protect the interior springs, he typically only loaded 28 rounds in each with a tracer round third to the last. Attached to the left breast were three pouches holding 17 round Glock 17 mags for his Glock 19. On the right breast was a pouch containing two spare five round box mags for his .308 Tikka T3 Lite bolt action rifle with a threaded muzzle break. Paired up with a Nikon 4-16x50 scope, it was extremely accurate for hunting and Sean had practiced shooting out as far as 300 yards with precision, once he memorized the ballistic tables. He had purchased an OD green scoped rifle scabbard from NCStar which attached to the side of his Alice pack. Sean’s plan was to keep easy access to his deer rifle and try to keep the fight outside one hundred yards where he was confident in the tack driving abilities of the Tikka. His hope was that if a small force were to engage them, they might lose their ambition once they saw two or three of their friends’ heads explode in front of them.
Maria’s first weapon purchase had been a Ruger 10/22 Tactical. The tactical version of the 10/22 came from the factory with an adjustable stock and threaded barrel. Sean figured it would eventually make a great survival hunting weapon. If used with subsonic ammo and one of his friend’s .223 silencers, it would be a virtually silent squirrel killer and could even bring down a deer with a well placed shot. But for Maria’s self protection, Sean wanted something with a little more punch. A friend of theirs from church was downsizing his gun collection and offered them a Ruger PC9, or Police Carbine 9mm, which met his criteria perfectly. With the same Meprolight 21 red dot scope attached, it was deadly accurate at fifty yards and still had acceptable knock down power at seventy-five to one hundred yards as well. With almost no recoil you could really maintain good cover fire and move between multiple objectives quickly.
After her first time shooting it, Maria had quickly fallen in love with the gun. The other reason that Sean really liked the PC9 was the fact that it used the same magazines as a Ruger P94 handgun in 9mm. A few months later Sean found a P94 in good condition through an online gun auction site and purchased it. With the availability of cheap 30 round magazines, i
t was a perfect set up for his budget. Sean was never perfectly happy with their gun set-up, and would have preferred to be equipped with full mil-spec Bravo Company or LaRue AR’s. But that would have cost thousands of extra dollars that he just didn’t have yet. He had always promised himself to upgrade in the future, but he never made the commitment and now they would have to make the best use of the weapons they had.
Maria was also outfitted with a custom Molle vest he had put together which had mag pouches across the bottom holding 6 thirty round 9mm magazines. Attached to the left breast were three pouches holding 3 more 16 round 9mm mags. Sean purchased an additional rifle scabbard for Maria’s Alice pack for her 10/22. Instead of attaching a holster to their already loaded tactical vests, Sean and Maria preferred the quick access to their handguns with the Blackhawk drop leg holsters.
They spent the first hour of the morning stuffing their excess gear and supplies into duffle bags and backpacks and loading them into the two grocery carts parked on the front porch. Last they placed their Alice packs on top in case they had to make a run for it. At least they would have their most important supplies and enough food in the form of MRE’s to reach his family farm. When they were finished, Sean heated up some water on the stove and they each had a Mountain House breakfast pouch. When they had finished eating, Sean slung his SU-16 over his shoulder and they stood in the doorway to their home looking at their life. Their home wasn’t the biggest on the block; in fact, it was really small and things around the old house always needed fixed. But it had been their first home and they had been through a lot there. Sean reached over and grabbed his wife’s tiny hand, and she squeezed it reassuringly. They said a short prayer asking God to keep them safe in the weeks and months ahead. Sean locked their front door for the final time and hid the house key under a rock in the side yard. As they were pushing their bikes out onto the road, their next door neighbor crossed the street bundled up against the cold.
“What’s going on?” he asked curiously, looking at the jimmy rigged bicycles.
“We’re heading to my parents’ house up north. The power’s not coming back on Ben, probably not for years. I believe we have been hit by an EMP and I don’t know if you have family outside of town, but it’s going to get really bad in a few days.” Ben looked at him, pondering what he was hearing. “There are too many people here and not enough food to last more than a couple days. It’s going to get really bad.” Sean said the last with emphasis. “I believe that most people who stay in Pittsburgh will be dead within months.”
“I knew something was not right. I had to walk home from the fire station after last night’s shift. I guess we could head up to my sister’s house outside Butler.” He didn’t seem too concerned.
“Don’t wait, Ben! Leave today or no later than first light tomorrow. Take every scrap of food you can. People are going to start freaking out soon. It won’t be very safe travelling after tomorrow.”
“That’s good advice. We’ll start getting our things together. How long do you think this...this thing is going to last?” he asked.
“It’s permanent, Ben. I think we’ll pick up the pieces and start over someday, but I don’t think it will be anytime soon, probably years. There’s going to be no law and order for a long time and the experts I’ve read say we’ll probably lose around eighty to ninety percent of our population to starvation, disease, and lawlessness.”
“This is crazy! Are you sure about this? I’m sure the government will get things together sooner than that. Just like Katrina, I’m sure supplies will start coming in at some point.”
Sean cut him off. “From where Ben? This probably isn’t a local event. There is a real good chance that this is affecting the whole country. Don’t plan on anyone coming to the rescue. We are on our own.”
“Sean knows what he is talking about, Ben. He’s done a lot of research on this,” Maria added.
“This is crazy,” Ben said, but less sure of himself now.
“Go to your sister’s house, Ben. Do you remember how bad New Orleans was after Katrina? That was just two days without fresh food and water. How bad do you think it’s going to be a week from now? You need to get out now while you can still travel safely.”
Ben had his hand on his chin in thought and was nodding his head, “You’re probably right.”
Sean stuck out his hand. “Good luck.”
Ben took Sean’s hand and firmly shook it. “Good luck to you also. Thanks for the heads up.”
“You bet.” Without another word Sean tipped his hat to his neighbor and Maria gave him a wave as they started pushing their bikes down the street. “Ok babe, here we go. I found it’s easier to hop on the bike while it is in motion than starting from a dead stop. Like this.” Sean picked up speed while pushing, then in one fluid motion he quickly placed his left foot on the pedal and swung his right leg up over the seat. “Do you feel comfortable trying that?”
“Yeah, I can do that.” Maria was never one to back down from something and was very competitive. She followed Sean’s lead and although it was a little more awkward for her due to her short legs, she did well and they were soon pedaling down the street. “This feels like the bike at the gym when I turn the resistance to high.”
“Yeah, I know. I don’t want you overexerting yourself, so let me know when you need a break.”
“I need a break,” she said with a smile. Sean turned around and grinned at her lightheartedness. Out of habit, he slowed to a crawl as he reached the first intersection and looked both ways before continuing. He chuckled at himself realizing that the chances of a car coming down the road were slim to none. They soon came to the first big downgrade, and Sean slowed to a crawl until Maria pulled up alongside.
“Ok, these brakes weren’t meant to stop all this weight, so let’s take it slow. If you build up too much speed, it may be hard to stop.” They slowly rolled down the hill with only the high-pitched squeal of the brakes in the air. It only took about twenty minutes to reach Randy’s house, but it was a lot more work than he had thought it would be. It couldn’t have been more than thirty degrees outside but they had worked up a layer of sweat. They pushed their gear around behind the house and Sean knocked loudly on the back door.
“Randy, its Sean and Maria!” Sean hollered out. He waited a few moments then knocked again. Out of the corner of his eye, Sean saw the curtain move slightly in the window to his left and he gave a little wave.
“Head around front!” Randy hollered from inside.
They grabbed their Alice packs and walked around to the front door just as Randy opened it. “I was wondering when you’d show up. We were going to wait another half hour then head your way.” They shook hands and Randy gave Maria a hug.
“Yeah, I wanted to be here earlier, but it took us longer to get loaded up than I thought it would.”
“Nice bikes,” he said with a smile. “Seriously, good thinking. How do they work?”
“It’s a lot of work, to be honest. But it’s better than walking, and I was able to bring a lot more than I thought.”
Sean nodded to the double-wheel wheelbarrow in his foyer loaded with supplies. The handles had been lengthened with some two by fours and there was some webbing hanging loose on the wood floor. “Looks like you’ve rigged up your wheelbarrow pretty good.”
“Yeah, it seems like it should work pretty decent. I had to play around with the weight distribution but it’s balanced pretty well now so most of the weight will be on my shoulders.”
“Where are Emily and the kids?” Maria asked.
“They’re upstairs in our bedroom going through pictures, trying to decide which ones to take.”
Maria started up the steps as Sean spoke up. “Hey babe, hold up, I need you to keep an eye on the gear while you’re upstairs. Seriously, don’t get caught up talking, you need to stay by the window and stay frosty, ok?”
“Ok, I will,” she promised.
Randy shut the door behind him and slid an oak dresser back
in front of it. “I can’t believe it’s really happened.”
“I know—it’s nuts. I don’t think it has really sunk in yet. I feel like I’m on autopilot going through the motions. Have you decided where you are going yet?” They had had numerous discussions in the past over cigars on Randy’s front porch. Randy’s family hadn’t really bought into the whole prepper idea, and they had no intentions of leaving their home. But Randy had agreed with Sean that it would be suicide to stay with them in the wealthy suburb of Sewickley. Randy had said that maybe if he had been single, he would stay and shoot it out with them. But now that he had two little girls, one three and one less than a year old, his first priority was to keep them safe.
“We’re heading up to the retreat. And you?”
“Yeah, we’ll be up there. Like we discussed before, I’m going to swing by the farm for a few weeks and try to get my relatives squared away.”
Randy nodded his head. “You know it’s going to be a rough ride to the retreat two weeks from now?”
“I know, but I have to go. I promised my dad I would.”
“Do you need anything?” Randy asked.
Sean smiled and said, “Whatcha got?”
Randy smiled back, “You know what I’ve got.” He walked over to the hutch in the corner and grabbed a small duffle bag and handed it over. Sean could tell it was heavy by the way he picked it up. Sean took the bag and set it on the floor and unzipped it. The first item he saw sitting on top caused him to look up at his best friend. Randy stood their smiling.
“It’s Damian’s. He left it in my safe the last time we went shooting, as well as a couple of his extra rifles. I get to lug them halfway across the state for him now. I figured you could help share the load.” Sean pulled out the AAC silencer and inspected it. “It’s .308 so it should fit your rifle.”
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