Alone in the Apocalypse: Post-Apocalyptic America: After the Solar Flare

by AJ Newman

  George passed around several bottles of whiskey and soon all of the men wanted to join in on the raid on the Williamson place. The men were half-drunk and spoiling for a fight. Their fear was beginning to morph into something new, power, no law, nothing to stand in the way of having whatever, or whomever they wanted.

  “That Matt Jones kidnapped my wife and spread rumors that she threw me out. I have to rescue her and get those supplies for all of us. Starting right now, we are the law, and the law is what I say it is.”

  All of the drunks agreed to meet at Patty’s house at 4:00am the next morning and march over to the Williamson place.

  “We’ll kill anyone who gets in our way and have plenty of food,” said George.”

  ***

  It was damned cold, still Deputy Bo loved the outdoors and he was well prepared for the elements. He could feel the heat from the horse’s flanks warming the inside of his thighs.

  He finally saw the house up ahead and hoped George had slept it off by now.

  He’d known George since high school and they had been friends then. Now he felt George was more of a nuisance than a friend.

  When George wasn’t drinking or gambling he was a nice enough guy and he had fond memories of camping and boating on the local lakes with him.

  George dismounted in the driveway and walked up to the house.

  He knocked on the door and said in a firm voice, “George, it’s me, Jack. Come on out and say hi to your old buddy.”

  Suddenly the door exploded in front of the deputy and the double aught buckshot tore through his chest. George kicked the door open and shot the deputy in the head with the shotgun.

  “That will teach you to come after me lawman.”

  ***

  Sheriff Bob arrived at the gate to the Williamson place and found it chained and locked. He looked in his toolbox, found a bolt cutter and cut the chain to gain entrance. He opened the gate and drove up to the house making sure he honked a couple of times to make sure Matt knew he had company coming.

  He stopped a few feet from the front steps to the house and got out of his truck.

  He heard a voice say, “Sheriff, I have a gun on you. Take your pistol from your holster with your left hand, lay it on the steps and move away.”

  The Sheriff complied with the orders, saw Matt carefully pick up the pistol, put it in his belt and walk towards him.

  “Why did you trespass on my property and what do you want?”

  Before the Sheriff could answer, Patty ran down the steps hugged the sheriff and said, “Matt, Bob is a good friend and he means us no harm. Put that gun down.”

  “Patty, let him answer my questions first,” Matt said as he somewhat lowered the AR.

  “Sorry for cutting your chain, but I came to warn you that George killed Wilma, took food, liquor, guns and ammo and says he is coming here to get Patty and kill you. I came to warn you.”

  I still didn’t trust the Sheriff or anyone for that matter, but I handed his pistol back to him and asked him to come on in, out of the cold for some hot coffee.

  “Patty would you please get the Sheriff and me some coffee?”

  “Of course, I’d be glad to.

  Bob, how do you like your coffee?”

  Smiling now, Bob said, “You know me, and my sweet tooth, Patty, black with 3 sugars. Wait, hold the sugar if you’re short. I guess I just gotta’ learn to drink it black, at least for however long coffee lasts.”

  The Sheriff then told us what had happened in town at the store.

  Patty screamed, “No!” and began to cry. She said, “Oh my God, Wilma, no! She burrowed her head against my neck and sobbed. Patty was furious about George killing Wilma and threatening us. She said, “We’ll be ready for him and we’ll bury him and anyone who comes with him.”

  I helped Patty to her bed. Patty protested, saying she was all right, but I can be forceful if necessary. I convinced Patty to go upstairs.

  “Sheriff, I surely do want to thank you for bringing us this warning.

  We’ll be ready for him, but if he tries to harm anyone, he’ll get buried where he falls.

  Patty and Mary have already been shot by men who tried to steal from them. They killed the men but both were wounded. Patty’s wound was not serious, but Mary is still recovering.”

  “Were the men from around here?”

  “No. They may have been on a hunting trip and decided to take over this area. They are all dead now.”

  “How many were there?”

  “Four. Patty and Mary killed two. I killed the other two when I went to find Patty and Mary when they didn’t return here from a trip to Patty’s home.”

  “Did you have to kill them? I could have arrested them.”

  “It was kill or be killed. Bob, do you have the ability to feed a hundred killers? As people begin starving, they will kill to feed their families. We don’t have much, and we will not share what little we do have with people who wouldn’t prepare for bad times.”

  “Yeah, you are right, Hell, I’m in the same fix. I’ve been a prepper most of my life. I’ll probably lay down my badge and hunker down until the herd thins its self out.”

  “That was our plan. Bob, but please hear me. The weather is going to get much colder than anytime in Wyoming’s recorded history. As soon as Mary gets better we figure to head south to a warmer climate.”

  “What makes you think this?”

  “Mary’s husband was a NASA scientist and they knew about the three planets possibly colliding with the sun. He told Mary that the sun would lose enough mass to cool it down a bit which would result in Global Cooling.”

  “How cold will it get?”

  “He was worried that it could be a new Ice Age.”

  “Oh shit!”

  “Yes, oh shit. The problem is the longer we delay, the harder the trip south could be. More snow will fall with every storm that comes through, and it will not melt until July. Let me rephrase that; some of the snow will melt and it will start snowing again no later than early September, possibly even August. In 25 years, there will be a half mile thick glacier right on this spot and it will stretch all the way down into northern Arizona.

  It’s going to happen, Bob. It really is.

  If Alpha Omega III had arrived in spring, instead of winter, we might have been able to make it here, as there would be less snow to melt, but with it arriving in mid-winter, there will be deep snows that will not melt in the now colder summer months.

  This snowfall will cause more and more of the sun’s heat to be radiated back into space. It’s gonna’ get real cold. There will be practically no life from the Central Highlands of Arizona to the North Pole, and the same in the southern hemisphere.

  That has to be why the industrialized countries have invaded the equatorial countries.

  In an absolute worst case scenario, the entire planet could become a snowball for hundreds of thousands of years. It has happened before, and only volcanic eruptions began the snow melt.”

  “Matt, are you sure you know what you’re talking about? This is hard to believe.

  I’ve always figured to hunker down for about 90 days and let the bulk of the people, and the craziness die off before trying to travel. As you said, even those who were the good guys will kill to feed their families. Only the real mountain people and a few people like us will survive here over the winter and then we’ll be killing each other to get food.

  Okay, I’m convinced; I’m going home and preparing to travel south as soon as possible. Why don’t you and the girls go with us?”

  “I wish we could, but Mary needs a couple more weeks of rest before it will be safe for her to travel. Is there anything you need that we can help with?”

  “I have food, weapons and ammo. My old truck is a two wheel drive. Do you have an extra 4x4?”

  “Yes, but I’ll have to check with the girls. They both have one and I have one. I hope we’ll only need two.”

  Mary was willing to give her 4x4 to the Sherif
f, so he drove it back to the police station, fueled it up and piled weapons and ammo in the bed. He told the dispatcher he was resigning, told her to get home, pack up and head south. He also told her to tell the two deputies to go home, pack up their families and do the same thing.

  Sheriff Bob felt guilty deserting his post, but he rightfully knew that his family was more important to him than what was about to be left of this town.

  ***

  “So George is coming here to kill you and take me back in his loving arms. He’ll have to bring a damned army. I should have shot that little weasel the last time he hit me.”

  “Patty, you know him the best. How much of a threat can he be?”

  “Not much by himself, ‘cause he has no guts, so I’d bet he has talked some of his drunken friends to join them in his crusade. They’ll be drunk when they arrive and should be easy to defeat.”

  Mary replied, “I’d prepare for the worst. Matt, will the remote cameras and sensors work now?”

  “The ones across the front of the property are hard wired. They will work as good as new. The ones around the sides and back will broadcast, but there will be interference and contact will be broken at best. I’ll place them, and then we can finish making our plans.

  I’ll chain and lock the gate while I’m out.”

  Patty spoke up, “They will come from town or my house. Both routes result in them coming in from the west. They will attack in the morning as soon as George can get them sober enough to fight.

  Hell they may stay up all night and stagger in to be slaughtered, so expect anything.”

  I loaded the cameras and sensors onto the ATV and headed out to install our surveillance equipment. That only took a couple of hours and I was back at the house in time for dinner. I was happy to report that there weren’t any new man made tracks and that there were numerous tracks left by deer, antelope and other big game.

  I turned the surveillance equipment on and was surprised to find all working very well. My guess was that since it was now dark we were sheltered from some of the solar energy and that the CME was now much further away from the earth.

  I watched the monitors until dinner was on the table and only saw a couple of deer grazing by the old cabin.

  I was also pleased that the motion sensors worked, as they should. I heard several warning beeps while eating and each time saw an animal passing in front of the camera.

  Mary was now able to sit at the table and eat with us. Her wound was slowly healing and she was in good spirits. Patty had prepared a big pot of Chili with hotdogs and a side salad.

  “Patty that was the best Chili I have ever tasted. I have gained a couple of pounds since you two have been cooking.”

  “I enjoy cooking for a man who appreciates the effort.”

  I smiled and thanked her.

  Changing the subject, I said, “I think we should all stay in the house tonight and keep a close watch on the monitors. The cameras are hidden and we have the sensors, but I don’t want to be surprised by the attackers. We will rotate every 2 hours watching the monitors. If you get too drowsy to properly keep watch, wake me. I’ll take the first watch at 10:00 tonight and that places me back on watch at 4:00 am. I want everyone up armed and ready just before daylight.

  Patty, when I relieve you at 4:00 please stay up and start the coffee and some breakfast. I’ll get Mary up around 5:00 and get her in position.

  Mary, Patty, I know this is going to be painful because of your wounds, but you just have to suck it up. I’m sorry, but that’s just how it is, unless, of course you want to be back in George’s hands, and Mary turned over to his friends.”

  “Matt, we get it! So, knock off the pep talk. We pulled the trigger before, and we will pull it again. We are with you, and they are dead, they just don’t know it, yet.”

  The girls went to sleep in the great room and I took my place in front of the monitors. The night passed very slowly and the large number of animals and predators that crossed in front of the cameras both surprised me, and helped keep me awake. The rotation worked very well and we all got some sleep.

  We kept the lights off so Patty only made sandwiches and coffee for breakfast.

  The sun was just peeking above the horizon when the first sensor went off.

  ✪✪✪

  ✪

  Chapter 10

  George Gale

  Patty’s home

  4:30 a.m.

  The men assembled and were ready to become the rulers of their domain by taking the Williamson place. Most had spent the night with George who cut the liquor off at 10:00 that night and told them to get some sleep.

  There were six armed men in the back of the old pickup and another in the cab with George. Their plan was to arrive at the Williamson place before sun up to get in position and ambush Matt when he came out of the house.

  They were cowards. They would never confront another armed person. Hell they had to get half-drunk just to get the courage to make the drive to my place.

  “George, I know you want to get Patty back, but I want Mary for myself. She’s my age and a damn good looking woman.”

  “You can have her. I don’t care as long as we kill Jones.”

  “Just you tell the guys not to shoot her by accident is all I’m saying.”

  “I will, but don’t forget that she has been called for by every one of you. When this is over, you’ll have to sort that out among yourselves.”

  “George, you’d best back me if you want my support for anything else you may have planned. You comprehende, amigo?”

  George, smiled and said, “She’s all yours Jorge, and together you and I will rule everything within 200 miles.”

  Jorge smiled and said, “Now yer talkin’ old buddy. It all belongs to us. Let’s do it, I’m in the mood fer love.”

  “Roger that,” said George, but he thought; you dumb redneck, threaten me will you? You don’t know it, but you are a dead man walking.

  George drove down the side road that passed by the cabin on the backside of my property and dropped two men off with deer rifles. They were to sneak up on the backside of the house and get into position for the attack. The minute I walked outside, one of the bastards was supposed to ambush me.

  They doubled back and headed to the front of the property. One of the men took a crowbar to the chain and broke it free from the gate. They rode in the truck a little closer to the house before hiding it in the bushes before it could be seen from the house.

  George knew that once he captured Patty he could convince her to come back to him and be his loving wife again. Perhaps they would have children and live happily ever after. He daydreamed about their life after he captured Patty. It never dawned on him that he would die that day.

  ***

  Mary was watching the monitor when the alarm went off, “Matt, two guys with rifles are at the back by the cabin. They’re walking towards us.”

  I came in from the back porch to watch the men skulk through the woods. I was trying to decide if I should go get rid of them when the alarm went off again.

  “Make sure your guns are ready,” I warned.

  “Those idiots are breaking the chain on the gate.

  I counted six men at the front gate and said, “Patty, I know it will hurt, but please sneak out to the barn when the two out back get closer and shoot them before they get to the house. Take the .308 with the suppressor. Shoot them at about 100 yards and they will never even know they are under attack. I’ll take on the ones in front.”

  “Okay, but are you sure you can get them all?”

  “No, that’s why I want you to come back and join us. I’ll post Mary with the monitors by the middle window. She can warn us if anymore show up and she might take a couple out.”

  “We’ll do our best.”

  “Girls our best defense is to pick them off as far away from the house as possible. Shoot center mass and kill these vermin.”

  Mary had an M&P15 and two Glocks. She was itching to kil
l George. I raised Mary’s window about 6 inches before I crept out the front door.

  I made my way west through the pine trees until I had a great view of the approach to the house. I saw their tracks in the snow before I actually saw these two would be Rambo’s. I moved my scope on the area below the tall grass.

  A small dark object appeared to be an elbow, just below the moving grass. I placed the cross hairs in the middle and squeezed the trigger. A man jumped up, grabbed his arm and screamed. I pulled the trigger again and he stopped screaming.

  I heard, “Someone shot my brother.”

  The person came out from behind a tree and ran to the dead man. I squeezed the trigger; he fell beside his brother never to rise again. Two down four to go.

  I heard a rifle bark from the direction of the house and a man staggered out from behind a tree with a big red stain on his chest. He gasped for air and fell to the ground. That must have been Mary making that shot. Three down.

  These guys weren’t the clowns that Patty had talked about to us. One or more had military training and we still had three more to contend with today.

  Patty watched the monitor until the men disappeared behind a hill about 200 yards from the house before she ran out to the barn. She grabbed a ladder from inside and used it to climb up on the roof. This proved to be more painful than she had anticipated. She told herself to buckle up buttercup because she knew their lives depended on killing every one of these men. She was also still torn up about the loss of Wilma, and she wanted blood, George’s blood.

  Her pain subsided significantly, as she forced herself to walk across the loft to the southeast corner of the barn. She crept to the air duct and peered over the yard to see two of the men about 150 yards out. She watched until both came into view and placed the cross hairs on the trailing man.