Bug Out Boat Survival: The Post Apocalyptic Survival Trailer Pod (Aftermath Survival Book 3)

by Ron Foster

  Of Course there is always someone around willing to take advantage of a situation and want to eat your lunch so watch out!

  14

  MASTER KEY

  SCHPB2BK

  “Let me get the “Moe” out of the tool bag and then we can go exploring.” Sam said referring to his favorite demolition and scavenging tool.

  Schrade Moe Full Tang Multi-Purpose Demolition Tool, Black Powder Coated 1055 High Carbon Stainless Steel with Black 550 Paracord Wrapped Handle and Lanyard, Featuring Scraper Blade, Chopping Blade, Nail Pull, Pull Hook, Hammer Pommel, Oxygen Tank Wrench, & Pry Bar

  .

  Sam had chosen this tool specifically for this mission they were on and they had used it on the river trail several times already. It took some thinking to come up with this tool to replace the hammer, axe, crowbar etc. that they couldn’t bring with them.

  Lori had raised an eyebrow or two at him when he had insisted that they needed one because he had all those other tools to do the task but Sam had reminded her one of his favorite ways to get free bait on the coast was scraping barnacles off of piers and such for the purpose which this tool would excel at. At 3 lbs. in weight, it wasn’t something you would throw in a bug out bag and not regret its load unless you got rid of some other things in the bag less use for and had specific tasks in mind that it could be best used for in its multi tool capabilities.

  Sam had exactly those capabilities in mind and a boat to carry it on so it was a no brainer for him to treasure its presence and usefulness. First off Sam had told her as soon as she had looked at him askance about adding something that weighed as much as his lightweight anchor to their gear was their eventual need to break and enter into abandoned buildings to look for food and supplies. He reminded her he wasn’t talking about looting, he was talking about surviving and could she tell him another tool to outfit his bug out boat with that could do a better job of it in that role?

  He wouldn’t be adding it to his grapnel anchor for extra weight anytime soon, it was too valuable for that and there was no way he was going to let it get rusted up except in a dire emergency, however he thanked her for reminding him that he would be needing to find a heavier one for some parts of the bay they were going to. Instead he elaborated a few uses to her she in particular would find useful and be doing a lot like using its shovel shape to dig up edible tubers like Green Briar or beach combing for clams, etc.

  It would also work as an axe to chop twigs and sticks etc. with to feed the rocket stoves as well as clear out brush from under her hammock, etc. Sam also reminded her he couldn’t run down to the lumber yard to get boards and nails when he wanted to and it had many features that made the task of pulling and straightening nails out of salvaged lumber easy. They might want to board up windows on a house, for example.

  Lori had found a use for its sheet rock wrecking hook right off the bat lifting pots off a camp fire and Sam also had said he could keep its chiseled edges very sharp with that diamond stone he had on his bolo blade sheath.

  Right now “Mr. Moe” as Sam sometimes referred to it was going along with them to gain access to a house they had spotted not long after leaving Destin. As Sam had said a time or two, not many doors would not open when Mr. Moe came a knocking!

  They had spotted a rather large house sitting on some beach acreage far from other homes as the undeveloped areas of the road had opened up. This looked like the ideal spot for them to try to spend the night at and they were encouraged by the fact they were lucky enough to see the realtors for sale sign from the waterside of the property.

  They had dropped anchor and studied it awhile and what they could see of some of the likely uber rich homes they saw way off in the distance and it appeared empty. This however was not a fact they could be sure of and were quite antsy as they beached the boat and the trailer to go inquire within.

  “What if it wasn’t empty and the current tenants objected to their presence? Particularly when you had a beach invasion going on with two less than savory characters armed with guns going on in your back yard.

  “Hello the House!” Sam called loudly looking around for anyone present as Lori made sure she distanced herself from Sam so she didn’t become a bunched up target with him and scanned the houses windows for any movement.

  Sam hollered again and told Lori to stand watch while he secured the boat and the trailer better from the tide he was unsure of reach.

  “Ok Lori I will go right and you go left a little, don’t look to be nobody to home but they could be laying in wait. “Sam said giving her a worry.

  As they got closer Lori relaxed and told Sam from what she could see from that huge expanse of windows in back of it was empty. I mean not a stick of furniture present or a curtain anywhere.

  “I think we might have got lucky and hit the Jack pot Lori.” Sam said with a smile, visibly relaxing himself considerably but still wary.

  “This sucker is huge! I think it has a separate garage building but it is hard to tell from this vantage point.” Lori said trying to peek around it but not willing to give up the cover of the sand dune she was hiding behind.

  “I say we peek in the backdoor first and then go do the same with the front door.” Sam said speculating.

  “Sounds like a plan.” Lori said coming out from behind cover and continuing their somewhat stealthy approach.

  “I wonder what rock star owned this thing; it has a Jacuzzi and a lap pool over here on the right.’ Sam said noticing what was behind a teak wood lattice structure that had been blocking his view.

  “Cool, is it full of leaves and crap or does it look like someone has been trying to dip drinking water out of it?” Lori questioned.

  “It’s pretty nasty; don’t look like anyone has been around it for some time.” Sam said as he eyed the clear glass doors leading to it.

  “Looks like the kitchen starts on this side.” Lori answered back advancing even closer to the structure.

  “Have a look see! This place is empty! Evidently it’s either new construction or somebody totally moved out of here.” Sam said rejoicing.

  “Talk about a Taj Mahal, this kitchen looks like it goes on for the length of the house.” Lori said giggling looking at the granite counters and gourmet chef size stove and stainless steel amenities like a refrigerator and separate freezer unit.

  “Neat! Come on over to this side and we walk around front and see what the rest of this spread has to offer. Honey are you ready to hang around for a couple days?” Sam said excitedly.

  “Can we! Oh I am so ready to get off the water for awhile and just sit with my feet in the sand.” Lori gushed.

  “Looks that way, let’s see just how far off the road we are and if the neighborhood looks safe.” Sam said enjoying the moment but wishing the windows on the side of the house were not so far up so he not could see in the windows.

  This house was evidently built with storm surge in mind and must be a 3 level with the kitchen and entertainment area on the bottom and another living room and sleeping quarters on the floors above.

  His assessment of the place seemed to be correct as he and Lori rounded the corner of the house and saw the staired entryway and the separate four car garage with living quarters over it.

  “Damn Lori, did you happen to see a price listed on that realtors sign?” Sam asked taking all this luxury in.

  “No, I think if anyone is looking at these places they know better than to ask if they can’t afford it.” Lori said laughing but carefully watching the upper floor windows of what was more than likely an apartment on top of that empty garage because two of the doors had been raised.

  “Keep your eyes on the boat if you can some while I run up the stairs and beat on that apartment door and see about if anyone is at home.” Sam said as he started to mount the stairs.

  “Ok be careful.” Lori replied and positioned herself over by the corner of the house where she could sort of see the boat but watch Sam at the same time.

  Sam hollered “an
yone living here?” before knocking on the door but didn’t get an answer. Just for the hell of it he tried the door knob and surprise, surprise, it opened.

  Sam carefully opened the door and called out again asking if anyone was in there but no voices answered him back.

  Lori immediately left her post and moved closer to the stairway as she observed Sam signaling he was going in as the door opened.

  “Everything OK?” Lori called out as Sam disappeared inside of the building.

  Sam didn’t answer and instead pointed his shotgun towards what was probably the bathroom door and closet on this one bedroom or maids quarters apartment. A quick anxious look inside and he yelled down to Lori “ALL CLEAR!”

  “What’s up there? Is that place as cleaned out as the house is?” Lori questioned.

  “No, it’s got all its furniture but the bed is made.” Sam said puzzling out why the door might be open.

  “The realtor probably forgot to lock it last time he showed it do you think Sam?” Lori said looking up at him.

  “Could be, hang on let me look in the refrigerator!” Sam called back down.

  Sam walked back to the door with a big grin on his face to which Lori just had to ask with a huge smile “WHAT?”

  “I am guessing that whatever realtor has been showing this property was using it as his office for open house or wine and cheese parties cause that fridge is full of beer, wine, champagnes and some very nasty looking blocks of cheese that look like they might consider walking around themselves.” Sam said wearing his Kool Aid Pitcher man smile that meant he was thinking about getting up to no good.

  “Fantastic! What kind of wine do they have in there? Lori said starting up the stairs.

  “I dunno, didn’t have the fridge door open that long. You don’t want to go look either! I told you that cheese that was left in there was rank otherwise you would of likely seen me come out drinking a hot beer or carrying a bottle of champagne or something.” Sam said holding his nose and waving his shotgun barrel in front of it evidencing it was a pretty bad smell that had come out of that thing with a FOOP! sound as the seal on the door had unglued itself to his pulling forcibly on it.

  “Let’s go check out the main house!” Lori said excitedly as she gave the houses very long driveway a glance they would check out later and hurried Sam along towards the front door.

  ‘Hey there is a realtor’s box attached to the door latch probably containing the keys to this thing!” Lori exclaimed pointing to an aluminum box like affair.

  “Box! Meet Mr. Moe!” Sam said reaching behind him and digging into the butt pack he had attached to his web gear.

  “Dang this is a fancy one; I don’t feel like probably dang near prying off the doorknob before the box gives up the keys or damaging that pretty wood on that substantial door. Let me study this thing for a minute.” Sam said eying the boxes lock and the way it was attached over the long handled embossed brass and bronze lever that ended in a door knob like affair to gain entry to this place.

  “I am going to go check windows and the back doors!” Lori said reaching in back of her for her butt pack to get out Mrs. Moe for the task.

  “Don’t pry on nothing yet unless it’s easy, I am still pondering how to open up this oyster and get them key pearls out.” Sam cautioned with a happy smile.

  “Oh I won’t, you know what would be super cool? If the back door was open but I don’t expect that.” Lori said of the unchecked doors.

  “Damn if one of them is open don’t go in!” Sam said snapping his attention from contemplating the lock box to cautioning Lori not to go in if she did get access.

  Lori looked confused for a moment and then assured Sam she wouldn’t have gone in without him but wondered why he was so worried about her doing so.

  “Because that would be way too convenient and beyond just a lucky circumstance happening. That almost falls within the realm of a trap maybe. I can’t see any realtor worth his or her salt making two major mistakes like that. That’s like leaving the vault open in a jewelry store and forgetting to turn the alarm on. Now that I am talking about it in those terms I know this place is wired for an alarm when electricity worked, anything this big would indicate a flashing light on the board when you turned your key to activate it to tell you something was unsecured. This apartment of course would have been on a separate system so guests or the maid could come and go as they please. Maybe I should walk back there with you?” Sam asked before Lori took it the wrong way and assured him she knew what to do and not to do and would come back to him ASAP if she found another unlocked door.

  Sam agreed and reassured her he trusted her and then told her to hang on a second as he found him a window that gave him a bit of a view of the hallway entrance to the kitchen from the front of the house.

  “Ok go check it out.” Sam declared.

  “Don’t you have a bump key or something that would work on that Lock box or one of these back doors Sam?” She asked before going to investigate.

  “No these folks had money and a good contractor. The locks on this place are beyond my amateur skills or equipment. That dang lock box is some kind of super nice security model but it is more for looks than solid function though. I wish I had of looked into what locks they used on these things prior to the event or I might have had me a bump key or way to get in one easier than letting Mr. Moe bite it.” Sam said.

  “Ok, I am off.” Lori said and Sam resumed his perch on the wall supporting the column bases of the covered entry way peeking in the window.

  In a few minutes or so he heard what he knew was Lori knocking furiously at the backdoors and calmed down and went back to studying his enigma.

  Eventually, Lori came back around the house and studied Sam as he futilely went through his key ring of possibilities to get into the box.

  “No luck?” she questioned.

  “No I never seen one of these before but I got me an idea.” Sam said looking up.

  “And that is?” Lori questioned moving closer to assist.

  “If you hold your MOE over this piece of round steel here, I am betting I can beat on yours like a cold chisel and cut my way in.” Sam suggested.

  “Ok, give it a go.” Lori said positioning her demolition tool where Sam had indicated and within three whacks the tempered steel of her master key cut through the softer metal of the unhardened portion of the realtors lock like it was frozen butter.

  Sam had explained to her that when he grew up a famous knife maker’s ad had always shown their knives cutting through substantial bolts as an evidence of reliability and strength. However they always told you what their blade steel was but not what the bolt was made out of.

  Yes this was an impressive feat no matter what kind of metal the bolt was made from but it always reminded you why some screws and such cost more or had different applications, too.

  “Entree me, Lady?” Sam said with an exaggerated Middle Ages Englishman’s bow flourish from the waist.

  “Yes, I will.” Lori replied with a brief curtsy that made Sam laugh.

  The foyer was pretty marble with wood accents opening into a slate tiled walkway leading to a huge open tongue and groove rare wood floor with a grand fireplace entertainment room that could have held probably thirty or so guests.

  “Fancy, Fancy!” Sam said looking at a place that looked more like Jed Clampet’s Mansion on the Beverly Hillbillies than it did a Beach house.

  “This is some spread that is for sure.” Lori said evidencing her own opinion on the millionaire’s digs they were prowling around in.

  “Anybody home! I am coming up!” Sam said as he eyed the stairway to his left but was only answered with silence.

  Lori eyed him unsure what to do but he motioned her to come with him and they went up the stairs on point with their guns facing forward at the ready. After checking out the 6 bedrooms and the rest of the house, they sat down on the benches in back of the house observing their boat and decided what it was they were going to be doing for
the rest of the evening.

  “What are we going to do with the Pod, Sam?” Lori asked looking out at the fading light that indicated a glorious sunset would be starting soon.

  “I will go down and fold it up and lock in all the gear in a few minutes. I wish I had of thought of airing out some of that beer earlier but we still got some whiskey left.” Sam said vegetating for the moment.

  “You know I don’t like beer that much but I would have told you to air out a bottle of wine too. Hey did you notice if it was that cheaper screw top stuff or exposed cork bottles like I need to ask about that with all the “we got money” oozing out around here.” Lori asked with her feet up on a table with a beach umbrella that looked like it said don’t open me on it from weathering a storm.