Bryce walked up to the pantry door and slammed it open, grabbed a bottle of vodka, and took a long swig. He let that sink in for a minute, took another long swig, and replaced the cap on the bottle.
"We need to have a serious discussion about getting the hell out of here, Victoria," he said to his wife as he wiped the excess vodka off his lips.
“I know we do, but where are we going to go? This is our home, Bryce,” she replied with a sad tone.
“I don’t like it any more than you, but we need to get out of town. If this outbreak makes it to the valley, we are fucked,” Bryce told her.
“I know, but where are we going to go,” she insisted
“I think that we should sit down with our families, and I will explain my plan and then we can go from there,” Bryce told her.
He wanted to get both of their sets of parents involved at this point. Bryce had a plan that would require more people than just his family. Aside from that, he did not want to leave his family members behind.
In the end, Victoria agreed with him and she walked away to call her parents.
Bryce picked up his iPhone and placed a call to his parents, Benjamin and Rebecca Sloan.
His father Benjamin picked up the phone after two rings and immediately asked Bryce, “Are you okay over there buddy? We just watched all this stuff on the news, and it’s got your mom and I pretty freaked out.”
This was the first time that Bryce had spoken to his father about the outbreak. He had not wanted to get his parents concerned over nothing at first. Then he had gotten so busy taking care of his own affairs that he had completely forgotten to get them into the loop.
“Of course I’ve seen it, Dad. That’s why I’m calling,” Bryce said. “Listen,” he continued, “We need to sit down and talk tonight. I’ve invited Greg and Cindy to come as well.”
“Okay…,” Benjamin hesitated, “what are you thinking Bryce.”
“I’m thinking we need to leave town, Dad, but we can talk about it more when you guys get here. How quick can you come?” Bryce asked.
“All right buddy, we will pack up and head out right now,” Benjamin replied.
Bryce told his father goodbye and hung up the phone. After the phone call to his parents, he listened in on Victoria. She was still on the phone with her parents, explaining why they needed to come over. They were complaining about already being in their pajamas, and Victoria was telling them to just drive down.
They reluctantly agreed, and because they lived right down the street, they arrived within ten minutes of the phone call. While they waited for Bryce’s family, Victoria got Trystan ready for bed and tucked him in.
Less than a half hour after Victoria’s parents arrived, the senior Sloan family also arrived.
They all exchanged pleasantries, and grabbed a cup of coffee or water before they all settled in the living room. They grouped around the coffee table and waited for Bryce to speak.
“Okay, so you all know about the outbreak in California, correct?” he asked the group.
When everyone nodded their heads admitting that they were on the same page, Bryce started speaking again.
“In light of this outbreak and the fact that it has crossed over into Arizona, I think it would be smart if we all thought about getting out of town for a little while,” Bryce told the group.
Bryce looked around at each face and took in their demeanors. His wife was nodding her head in agreement, probably because she knew putting her child in harm’s way was out of the question. Both sets of parents were still skeptical; they all had jobs and their own lives to worry about.
“Let me explain my plan, and then you can let me know what you all think,” Bryce continued.
Bryce explained his plan to his parents. Bryce told them in detail that he wanted to pack up as much food, water, supplies, and munitions as they could and head up north. Upon hearing the rest of the plan, it seemed to go over about as well as when he first suggested leaving town.
“I have a place in mind at the fish hatchery up by Payson,” Bryce told them.
He explained how it had fresh water and food sources, and how it would be an ideal environment for them.
“Well, we can’t just go barge into this fish hatchery tomorrow, exactly, they have got to be running still,” Greg said.
“I’ve thought about that, as well, and I am going to take a trip up north tomorrow to check it out and see if it will pan out. It’s been a long time since I’ve been up that way,” Bryce responded.
Bryce continued to explain his plan and what preparations they should take. That was, if they decided to come along. He told them that he planned to make his recon mission first thing in the morning.
Then, when he got back from up north, they were going to get everything packed up and ready to go. That way, if the virus got any closer to their part of Arizona, they would be ready to get out of there.
After everyone had heard Bryce’s plan they decided to take some time to think about it and head home for the evening. They said their goodbyes, and made plans to keep in touch. Bryce’s parents left first, and Victoria’s family stayed behind.
Greg, in particular, had warmed up to the idea after hearing the entire plan. He got a ton of vacation time from his job as a truck driver, and he tried to explain to his wife Cindy how it would be.
“Listen, hon, it will be just like camping. We can take a little trip up north and spend some time in the wilderness. It will be good for us,” Greg told her.
“It’s not even spring yet, and it’s got to be in the twenties up there at night this time of the year, Greg,” Cindy responded, still not sold on the idea.
“Well, we will just have to pack warm clothes,” Greg replied.
Cindy just shook her head and walked away from them.
“Listen, Bryce, if you think this is smart, then I’m with you. I don’t want anything to happen to my baby girl and my grandson,” Greg said.
“I don’t think we may have much of a choice,” started Bryce, “I won’t sit by and watch my family thrown into the chaos that the people in California just went through. We need to be proactive and get ahead of this thing. If it’s coming our way, and I believe it is, then we need to be smart about it.”
Bryce told Greg to go into town tomorrow to stock up on 9mm ammunition for his Springfield Armory XD and some 7.62x39mm ammo for his Russian SKS. Greg nodded his agreement, and they shook hands.
Bryce was glad that his father-in-law had chosen to take his side. He would need the extra help if the hatchery plan was going to succeed. Greg would be a valuable addition to any party after the shit hit the fan.
Greg had been a truck driver for the past thirty years, but he was also very handy, had a knack for gardening, carpentry, and home maintenance. Bryce knew that he could count on Greg for any sort of building maintenance or agriculture needs that he had.
After Cindy settled down, and Greg finished with Bryce, the older couple decided it was time to go home.
Once her family had left, Victoria started to pace around in the living room, not quite sure what to do. She knew Bryce would make the right decision for her family, but if she had to leave her home it would upset her immensely.
Bryce could see that she was clearly stressed out and walked over to give her a warm hug.
"Listen," he said to her, “I’m not going to let anything happen to this family.”
“Your dad is on board with my plan, and your mom will go wherever he goes,” he continued.
She just nodded and buried her head in his shoulder. After a few minutes, they broke up their embrace and Victoria shuffled off to get ready for bed, but Bryce went into his office to make a checklist of his gear.
While Bryce counted his ammo and weapons, Victoria walked in on him after her shower. Her mouth hung wide open when she saw all of the guns and ammo on the ground.
“How much did all of this cost, Bryce?” she said out loud.
“Don’t worry about that right now, we n
eed this stuff,” he replied calmly.
She thought about saying something, but instead shook her head and left him alone so he could continue making his preparations.
Bryce laid out all of the guns and ammunition he purchased. Then he added what he already had to make a short list. When the list was finished, it was not exactly an arsenal by any means, but it would be good enough.
Next, he went into the garage and checked out all of his camping gear. He sifted through sleeping bags, tents, cooking stoves with propane bottles, pots, pans, and a variety of random gear. Everything looked to be in place since the last time he went camping. He threw all of his fishing gear on top of the pile as well. The fishing rods and tackle would come in handy at some point, that much he knew.
Lastly, he went back inside the house and started going through the pantry. He made another list of food products that would be useful and handed it to Victoria.
"I need you to run to the store tomorrow and get everything on this list," he told her.
“Oh, is this all?” she said as she looked at the list and shook her head, “This is going to take hours!”
“Anything you might need or can think of, too,” he added with a smile.
“How about food for your son?” she scoffed.
“See, that’s why I love you,” he chuckled. “You think of all the shit I forget!”
He wrapped her in another giant bear hug. It was nice to break up the tension if only for a second. Then, out of nowhere, she gave him a big kiss and wriggled out of his arms and ran to the bedroom.
He chased her into the bedroom and tackled her onto the bed. Then, he kissed her passionately and things spiraled into chaos of another kind.
Afterwards, the two welcomed the distraction from their current situation. They lay together and Bryce held her close.
Before it got too late, Bryce decided he needed to take a shower before bed. Victoria decided to join him, even though she had already taken a shower.
The two took a shower together, and Victoria held onto him as the hot water beat down on their shoulders. She kissed his neck from behind, and after a few minutes this spurred another lovemaking session. As time went by and the water got cold, they decided that it really was time for bed. They got out, toweled off and crawled into bed.
Bryce kissed his wife one more time before rolling over and setting his alarm for 6 a.m.
Tonight, Bryce said a quick prayer, “Please keep us safe as we prepare for the horror to come.”
Chapter Twelve
Pinal County, Arizona
The following morning, Bryce was up early to get prepared for his trip to northern Arizona. He skipped breakfast and got all of his gear put together.
He put his new AK-74 rifle in its case and threw it in the back seat of his Corolla, just in case he needed it.
Before leaving, Bryce went back into the house to give his wife and son a kiss goodbye. He also wanted to give her some final instructions before he left her.
“Here’s your Ruger,” he said as he handed her the small .380ACP handgun, “You wear that on your hip until I get back. The shotgun is loaded by the door. All you have to do is pop the safety off and pull the trigger,” he explained to her.
“Be careful, and don’t answer the door for anyone. Your mom and dad will be over once they get back from buying supplies.”
Greg had taken Bryce’s advice and he and his wife had decided to head into town and gather some of the same stuff that Bryce had purchased. Bryce had talked to Greg before he started packing, and Greg told him that they would be home in a few hours. Bryce hated to leave his wife and son at home alone, but he needed to take this reconnaissance trip to make sure that his hiding spot would work out.
Bryce said his final goodbyes, and picked up his Taurus .45 and 9mm. He walked out to his car and jumped in. As Bryce got in the car, he put his .45 in the holster mounted underneath the steering column, and his 9mm in the glove box.
He backed out of the driveway, spun the car around, and closed the garage as he turned. It was about thirty minutes to the first town along his journey heading east, before he could head north to Payson.
On the drive, he threw on some music to try and relax just a little bit. Of course, given the situation, that was nearly impossible. He could hardly believe it himself. What the hell was he doing? Was this really happening to him right now? It all seemed so surreal to Bryce.
Trying to shake the thoughts from his mind, he spent the first half of the journey listening to his music on full blast. Before he knew it, he ended up in Globe, Arizona, a hole-in-the-wall mining town that had been dependent on the mine for far too long. Bryce stopped for gas to make sure he had enough fuel to make it to the hatchery and back to this town, where he could fill up again before heading home.
Bryce got out of the car and popped open the gas tank door. He slid his credit card through the terminal on the pump and went through the motions. While the gas was pumping, he walked inside the convenience store to pick up a couple of drinks.
When Bryce walked in the small store, he immediately heard the news blaring in the background. The store attendant and two customers were glued to the TV.
The TV was tuned into MSNBC, and they were showing footage of San Diego. It looked like half of the city was on fire. There were military helicopters and jets flying above the city. The helicopters and jets were raining fire down upon street after street. The camera zoomed out to get a wider angle, and it showed that the helicopter was very far away from the city. When the camera lens adjusted, Bryce and the people near him let out a collective gasp. It wasn’t just half of San Diego on fire; it was the entire metropolitan area. It looked like a warzone that two armies had been entrenched in for years. Fires had swept across the county, helped no doubt by various bombing runs.
The camera panned around for a few more moments to soak in the chaos, then it zoomed back in on a different setting. People ran for their lives as a horde of infected followed after them. In front of them, military were shooting directly into the fray with no concern for the survivors.
Wanting to get back on the highway, Bryce grabbed his drinks, but could not seem to get the store clerk’s attention, so Bryce left five dollars on the counter and walked out to his car.
As he got in the car, he reflected on the news feed. Seeing such a large city in absolute chaos solidified Bryce’s resolve; he now knew that nothing could stop this plague, and he knew how quickly he had to get out of town.
After getting back onto the road, another thought hit Bryce; if cities as large as San Diego can be overrun in less than a day, what would happen in a metropolitan area like Phoenix?
It was clear to Bryce how much this caused his timetables to advance; he needed to get his family out much sooner than he originally anticipated.
The trip to Payson normally would take about two hours, but Bryce made it in an hour and a half. Luckily, he did not get pulled over on the way up. With all the guns in the car, it would make an awkward traffic stop for both parties.
Bryce slowed down in Payson and started looking around at the small town. There were quite a few shops and convenience stores, a Home Depot, a Walmart, various mom and pop stores, and one decent-sized gun shop. Bryce liked what he saw and continued through the town and back onto the highway, which led further up the mountain and onto the Mogollon Rim where the fish hatchery was.
After another twenty minutes of driving, Bryce reached the junction for the fish hatchery. This was also where the campground of his childhood memories was located. The campground spread out into a little grassy valley, and the creek ran through the middle of it.
Bryce turned down the road leading to the hatchery, and kept driving, crossing the creek several times. Then, he started ascending the windy road to the top of the canyon where the fish hatchery was located. After a short scenic drive, Bryce arrived at the parking lot for the hatchery.
Bryce got out of his car, holstered his Taurus .45 on the inside of his wai
stband, grabbed his water bottle, and took out his iPhone. He started walking up the trail leading from the parking lot to the hatchery and took a video of the path leading up to a large holding pond where the monster trout were kept. These trout were as large and as hungry as Bryce remembered. Some of the trout were almost two feet long. Bryce couldn’t help but think that they would be good eating if the time ever arose.
Bryce continued his self-guided tour, and took video of the large fish tanks. The fish were in all stages of their lives, from fry to large fish ready to be released.
Bryce noticed a couple of hatchery workers feeding the fish at one of the other tanks a few rows down. He gave them a quick smile and a nod; he tried to look like a tourist, and not look like “the crazy guy taking video of the whole place.” After the hatchery employees determined he wasn’t a threat, they both went back to their jobs. There was no need to have security conscious minds at a fish hatchery. Who would bother them?
Bryce went back to taking video of everything; he took extra note of the surrounding buildings on the property. There were four buildings in total. He tried to casually take a peek at each and confirmed that one was a large warehouse, one was a small visitor center, another was an office building, and lastly, what looked like crew quarters.
It would make sense for some of the members to stay on site as the hatchery ran almost all year round. At almost 6,500 feet in elevation and so far off the beaten path, the hatchery must be on a well or water tank. Bryce thought he saw a backup generator in a shed near the warehouse, but he couldn’t be sure. He assumed it was to supplement their power grid in an outage. Being so far up the mountain it would be easy for a downed tree to cut them off from the rest of the world.
All of this was excellent news for Bryce. After poking around the buildings a little bit too much, the workers had begun to give him strange looks, as they probably wondered why this tourist was so damn interested in the hatchery.
Without wanting to draw too much attention, he stashed his iPhone and waved to the workers as he started back toward his car. His eye caught a glimpse of a beautiful blonde, bending over to scoop something out of one of the holding tanks. Even in his current chaotic situation, he couldn’t help but admire her beauty. He gave her a kind smile as she looked up, to avoid looking like a creeper, and went on his way.
The Extinction Pandemic: A Post Apocalyptic Novel (The Hatchery Compound Book 1) Page 5
