Aftermath of Disaster: Book 2 Diggin in

by Kevin Barry Maguire

  Aftermath of Disaster

  Book Two – Diggin In

  Author: Kevin Maguire

  Editor: Miles Rost

  All Rights Reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including scanning, photocopying, or otherwise without prior written permission of the copyright holder, Kevin Barry Maguire. Copyright © 2018

  I’d like to thank everyone who purchased Book 1 and helped it become go to #1 in several categories. I’d also like to thank Dale L Roberts for his wisdom and gentle shove to get me started. Without Dale, nothing would have been written. Of course, I can’t forget my wonderful wife, Alla. She puts up with me “sitting on the computer.”

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  First Book:

  Aftermath of Disaster: Book 1 – It Has Begun

  Preface

  The scent of breakfast wafted from the kitchen. It filled the whole house, even the shower where Diane was getting ready for the day. As Jack finished making the bacon, he cracked a couple eggs into the pan. Cooking was his time of Zen, to think about all the things he needed to get done for the day.

  For the past few days he couldn’t keep his mind off the meeting later in the day. In a few hours he’d start his hike to the designated meeting spot. He met there several times with the other members of the group for test runs. Everyone needed to know how to get there.

  Diane tried to get more information about the meeting, but Jack wouldn't give in. For now, it was in her best interest to be left in the dark. If it turns out they'd be out here much longer, he'd fill her in. The group has its secrets but they’re not exclusive. Jack could tell her anytime he felt like it, it was just easier not to.

  For the past few days, the pair have been digging in for the long haul. They figured they’d be there for at least a few months, so they might as well be comfortable. Together they erected a fence around the garden and fixed up the shed for the chickens. With a little extra fencing, they were able to make a small run for the chickens to be outside. Basha and Mercedes would guard the pen while the chickens were getting a little fresh air.

  Jack and Diane did make it into town one more time. It was very crowded, with no police in sight. As they heard it, the State Patrol and County sheriffs were all sent closer to the cities to help the National Guard. The only police in the area were the park rangers in the National Park next door. With the park being full, Jack wasn’t sure they could handle what was going on outside the park also.

  They were unable to gather anymore news, besides the police situation. Nothing else had been reported since their last visit to town. Jack's main source of news will come from the meeting today. But first, bacon and eggs with a side of coffee.

  Diane came into the kitchen, “Good morning Jack,” she said with a bright face and sunshiny smile. Jack replied, “You're awfully chipper this morning, what do you have planned?” “Nothing special, I'm just excited about your little meeting and what it means for us. I do hope you'll give me more information when you return.”

  Jack laughed and started pouring coffee so he could choose his next words carefully. It's a good tactic to feign concentration while thinking of what to say next. Jack has become a master at it.

  Eventually Jack told her he should find out more information and would be happy to relay the news. Left unsaid was who he was talking to, and all the dirt that came with it. She would find out in due time if things got worse.

  They cleaned up the breakfast mess and went on a little walk with the dogs. They took a trail north of the cottage to avoid the mess in town. Ashford was going to get ugly fast if the police don’t come back. North is a much safer direction.

  The Meeting

  Itried to hide my concern from Diane while we were walking the dogs. The situation in Ashford is bleak at best. We’re far enough away from the town for stragglers to be a problem, but anyone with a car that still has gas is just a few minutes away. There’s nothing to be done now though. I’ve trained Diane as best I could in the time I had. I think she’ll be fine.

  I grabbed her tablet and threw it in my day pack with the other items: water, a pouch meal, some dried fruit, map, flashlight, jacket, emergency blanket, and a few other emergency items. I plan to be back before dark, but in the wild, things can always change.

  I knew attack was well planned and carried out. Whoever did this must have a reason besides terror and death. An attack this big doesn’t happen just to scare people. They have a plan and I’m worried about it.

  “Diane! I’m heading out. I should be back for dinner and my shower. Keep the dogs with you and don’t stray too far from the cottage, please. It’s easy to get lost in these woods.”

  “Okay,” she replied. “I may take a short walk and then do some reading.”

  I gave her a kiss and said good-bye. Basha got a pat on the head before I walked out the door. The meeting location is central to group members’ bugout location. For me, that’s north a few miles through the forest and hills.

  The logging roads will make the trip easier but longer. A good switch-back beats the hell out of climbing up a steep hill and I’ll be making an elevation gain. The location is at the top of a hill, making it a great look-out spot. Not that anyone will be spying on us, but it’s still good to know what’s going on around us.

  After about a mile of walking I heard the unmistakable sound of two gunshots. It’s hard to tell in the hills but it sure sounded like it came from the direction of the cottage. Damn! I can’t go back on the suspicion that she may be in trouble. We need a solid head count of everyone who made it out.

  They came in rapid succession, just like I taught Diane. I must trust in her training. The good news is there were only two shots. If it was her and she missed, there would be follow-up shots. Furthermore, nobody fired back. If it was her, she’s probably safe. That’s what I must tell myself.

  ***

  As I got near the location I saw someone heading the same direction. He was tall, maybe 6’2” with an athletic build. With his khaki safari hat and matching shorts, I was pretty sure it was Jason Keller, our expert tracker and hunter. I’m pretty good at it, but he’s better. We’ve met several times and I’ve gleaned some knowledge bombs from him.

  I picked up my pace to close the distance and get a better look. At about 50 yards I knew for sure who it was.

  “Jason, wait up!” I jogged up to him as he waited.

  “Good to see you, glad you made it, Jason!”

  “Jack, good to see you too! You look pretty clean for someone who was supposed to be in the city.”

  I gave him the details of our lucky break and our rush to the cottage. Jason lives in Eatonville, far from city life and close to our location. It’s still too far for our purposes though. He also has a cottage nearby.

  Eatonville is a small logging town south and east of Tacoma, past the half-way mark on the trip to Mt Rainier. Our high schools were in the same league for sports – Nisqually League, Single A. We’re both small town guys. Incidentally, I got disqualified from a wrestling match there.

  After our brief pleasantries, we headed up the hill to our destination. As we got near, the sounds of nature got very quiet. We weren’t the first to arrive. Jason already picked up on that and stopped talking. He held up his hand, and I followed his lead. Just because we weren’t alone doesn’t mean whoever is up there is a friendly.

  As we crested the hill we came upon the clearing and could s
ee our friends ahead. Everything was fine now.

  At the top of the hill we have a small, basic meeting hall. It’s not even a cabin in the normal sense. It’s just a brown, one room shelter nestled under some evergreen trees. There is a fireplace on the north wall and a few windows.

  The shelter is 20 yards long by 12 yards wide. We keep a fold up table and chairs inside. If need be, we can fold everything up and sleep there. The cold cement floor would not be comfortable though. We didn’t want it to be too inviting.

  Outside there isn’t much to see. We thought about building an outdoor fireplace but decided it would be too inviting. Some of us do use the shelter during hunting seasons and it would have been a nice touch. People can just dig a fire pit and bring some chairs outside. It’s not pretty, but it will do.

  Paul Peterson and Mark Wilson were already there to greet everyone. Paul is the landowner, so it makes sense he was here first. He owns a local lumber company and we’re using his land for our gatherings.

  Paul is a big guy and former logger turned owner. He’s reached an age where being in an office is a lot easier on his body. I figure he’s around 60 years old and stands about six feet high. Even at his age though, his muscles are bigger than most guys half his age.

  Mark is an engineer and a wizard with electronics. He works at an aviation outfit in Puyallup. Puyallup is a little southeast of Tacoma but far enough away that he was able to escape unharmed. I always think of the late 70’s and 80’s rock band Heart when I hear the name Puyallup, since it’s where they came from. It’s their hometown.

  After a few minutes of catching up Brett Donaldson walked up and joined us.

  “Brett, good to see you made it! You weren’t at work?”

  “Yes, I was reporting on a story in Bonney Lake. I was able to get to my house in Sumner, grab some gear, and get the hell out of Dodge” he replied.

  “That’s awesome man. I hope your contacts are still on the job.”

  “A few are, most from a distance and some from hospitals.”

  ***

  Over the next 15-20 minutes, what remained of our group showed up. It was obvious some of us would be missing. Sam Davis is a doctor and understandably isn’t here. Even if he’s unharmed, he’d be at work first. We have a medic, so we’re not doomed.

  The other big loss for us is our gun smith, Josh Martin. Josh has a Federal Firearms License and keeps us armed at good prices. He also makes sure we have a steady supply of ammunition. Since he's not here, I can only assume he didn’t make it out. If he’s gone, losing him would be a big deal. If this gets worse, we would have to improvise.

  Paul clapped my shoulder, breaking up my sorrowful thoughts. He pointed his thumb to the door, telling us to “move inside and get started. We have a lot to discuss.”

  We entered the hall, where Paul already had the table and chairs set up. By his look and actions, you’d never know he’s a rich dude who has people. He’s a hands-on doer. He took a small laptop out of his bag and set it up in front of him on the table. The laptop, I know, is connected to the Internet via a portable satellite modem. After we were all seated, he began:

  “I’m grateful so many of us made it out safely. We’re missing some big guns, but we’ll make do. Adapt and overcome. But with the current group we’ll remain strong and survive if we all work together. The current plan is to stay in place and wait it out.”

  He continued, “We’re still trying to find out who’s responsible, but our contacts are coming up empty for now. I’m sure you’re all aware this was a major attack on the United States. Canada is taking people in and Mexico is also opening the border. It will relieve the pressure on the rural areas to have people crossing the border. It also seems to be safer to be anywhere but America, at this time anyway.”

  Jason remarked “I wish some of the people crowding Ashford got that memo.”

  I gave a chuckle and Paul carried on, “Well yes, that is a problem. Hopefully it will sort itself out soon. It’s one we expected though. We need to concern ourselves with the bigger picture and let the small shit sort itself out. If it becomes a big problem, we’re prepared to handle it.”

  “As for the rest of the news,” he continued “nothing new is a good thing.”

  As if Murphy was listening, Paul suddenly looked down at his laptop and his eyes wrinkled, face contorted, and then his eyes grew wide.

  “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began “it appears this isn’t over yet. Border cities in Canada and Mexico have just been hit with radiation attacks.”

  I was dumbfounded and couldn’t think of anything to say. I wasn’t alone. Whoever is responsible just punished the two countries helping our citizens. Or maybe it was all part of the plan at the start. It would be a solid, morbid plan to weaken the resolve of Canadians and Mexicans. Or maybe it would strengthen their resolve. It would be a risky plan as it could go either way.

  Nikki, a former Navy Intelligence Specialist, was the first to speak up.

  “What the hell are we doing to fight back?”

  “We aren’t the fighters, we’re the protectors. We’ll certainly try to figure out the ‘who,’ but the fighting will be done by the military.”

  Paul regained his composure.

  “Yes yes. We’ll get to the bottom of this and hopefully soon. What we need to do now is dig in for the long haul. Anyone with a radio will hear the news soon and there’s no telling how people are going to react. We’ll need to enact the one-year plan. I don’t see this ending before then.”

  “Get set up and we’ll meet again Thursday at noon.”

  With that, everyone stood and exited the hall. I apologized to my friends for not sticking around or walking back with them. I had to get back to the cottage in a hurry and started a steady jog. Those gun shots had been on my mind.

  I’ll Be Gentle

  As soon as Jack left, I got into a pair of white shorts, a cute pink tank-top, and a light jacket. It was warm but not hot, and I needed to cover my firearm. I decided it was time to start working out and quickening my pace. Jack’s words hit home, finally. I guess it takes a disaster to get me motivated.

  I grabbed my foam sleeping pad and started some stretches on the floor. I haven’t done any exercising since college, these muscles are going to fight me at every step! But if I’m going to impress Jack, I can’t let a torn muscle get in the way.

  When I completed my floor warm-up, I stood and stretched, ending in a yawn. Well that’s not good! I started some jumping jacks to get my blood pumping. I’ll be doing a fast walk, not a run. Jack hates running, says it’s bad for ankles and knees. He told me I should walk at a pace where I’m breathing heavier but can still hold a conversation. I’ll get to talk to myself to test my pace!

  I said good-bye to the dogs and walked out, locking the door behind me. Jack said I should take the dogs with me if I ventured out, but they investigate everything and may slow me down. I think we’re far enough away from town and I’ll be ok.

  I took the trail north of the cottage and started my walk. I quickly realized the trail was too narrow for me to keep a good pace and I really wasn’t sure where it led. So I turned around and headed back. I’ll just take the road but keep away from town.

  Basha and Mercedes barked their hello’s and good-bye’s as I passed the cottage. They really want to come along. Maybe next time, I need to do this and make sure I start it right. I passed our gate and made for the road.

  “Our” gate. Look at me, I spend a few days here and it’s already “ours.” I better watch myself, I may scare Jack away!

  When I got to the road I decided to turn right. I don’t know exactly where it goes, but I know a left turn takes me to the cluster at Ashford proper. That’s to be avoided.

  For the next five minutes I didn’t see a single vehicle or person. Then up ahead about 100 yards I saw two people. They were walking together, then split up. One kept going up the road while the other stopped and was looking down what appeared to be a driveway. Is he casi
ng the place?

  I stopped and observed him and yes, it did appear he was up to no good. That was enough for me and I turned to go back home. So far, he hadn’t noticed me. I’m hoping to keep it that way. He did look familiar though.

  I made it back to our driveway unseen, so that was good. I just couldn’t remember where I’d seen him before. Probably on a trip into town? When I made the turn into the driveway I came face to face with a young man, about 5-6 feet away. He was about 5’11” with a medium build and I knew exactly who he was.

  I also knew who the other guy was now. The young thug now in front of me was the boy who questioned Jack in Elbe. The one down the road was his friend. Worse still, he recognized me. I could see it in his face. He looked at me with a knowing smile, like he just won a prize. For the moment, I was frozen and couldn’t move or talk.

  He spoke first, not intimidated by my small frame. “Well hello again little darlin’.” Darlin’? I don’t think so. He went on

  “I remember you. I recognized the truck in the driveway and those dogs in the windows. I don’t think they like me.”

  He leered at me.

  “Where’s your boyfriend? Or his he a husband? I don’t see a ring so maybe a boyfriend. His loss. You look like you could use a strong man anyway. The way I see it, you two owe me a vehicle and I like your truck. So why don’t you just hand me the keys and I’ll be on my way?”

  I was still frozen like a child and it made me feel useless. The way he spoke to me was insulting, like I was his to play with. Does this little prick think I’d go with him? I am afraid but I’m no toy.

  Then his attitude and tone change. His eyes squinted a little, he spoke slower and with an intense voice he said “But I love redheads and I think I’ll take a piece of you first. Then we’ll call it even.”