by David Spell
“I’m really going to miss you guys,” Karen said. “You take care of her, Chuck.”
Twelve days after the attack, The Northeast Georgia Technical College, Lavonia, Georgia, Saturday, 1400 hours
Elizabeth and Chuck walked across campus to Admin. McCain had his pistol belt on for the first time since he was wounded. Beth was also wearing her sidearm, still not used to always having the gun on her. The couple walked arm in arm, the young woman carrying a large purse over her shoulder.
When they got to Nicholson’s office, Jake was surprised to see Elizabeth stick around. Not that he minded, she was like the daughter he never had. Normally, however, she had left when Jake and Chuck started talking.
“I asked Beth to stay because I want her to be fully briefed as we plan our trip out of here.”
“Good idea,” Jake nodded, pulling a familiar piece of notebook paper out of a drawer and laying it in front of him.
“Here’s your list,” said Nicholson. “Let’s run through it, starting at the top. Number one: you wanted a four-door, four-wheel drive pickup or SUV. Would you believe that one of those dead guys left his behind?” he asked with a smile. “It’s a nice Toyota Tundra and it fits the specs you asked for. I’ve had some of the automotive students check it thoroughly from top to bottom, and to make some modifications that I think you’ll approve of.”
“Modifications?”
Nicholson nodded. “I had them weld some armor plating to the doors, hood, and grill. They also installed a heavy-duty front bumper and a few other odds and ends.”
Chuck grinned approvingly. “Very nice. Good thinking.”
Elizabeth patted Chuck’s arm. “I told you Mr. Nicholson was the best.”
“The second thing on the list was a rifle for Elizabeth. Easy. We’ve got several good ARs to choose from, with most of them having some kind of optics. We’ll set her up with some mags and ammo, too.
“Number three: you wanted body armor, web gear, boots, and maybe some tactical clothes for the young lady. The only body armor Tina found in the police supply room was the soft stuff. It’ll just stop handgun rounds but it’s better than nothing.
Nicholson looked at Benton. “Tina will get with you to try on the clothes, combat boots, and your body armor. I’ve got an extra set of web gear to hold your mags and stuff.
“Number four: McCain, you asked for a case of MREs. Why would you think that I have MREs?”
“Like I said before, Jake, Marines are good scroungers.”
Jake smiled, shaking his head, and pulled a cardboard box of Meals Ready to Eat out from behind his desk and handed it to Chuck. “The only reason I’m giving you those is because I love Elizabeth. They’re hard to come by and I don’t have many left.”
“Thanks, Mr. Nicholson,” Beth said, sweetly.
“Next on the list, a backpack for her,” Jake read. He reached behind his desk again and withdrew a medium-size backpack and handed it over to the young woman. “That was one of mine and it should take care of you.”
“What else?” Jake asked, picking up the piece of paper. “Oh yeah, you needed some ammo, too.” He reached into his desk, pulled out several boxes of 9mm and 5.56mm rounds, and slid them over to Chuck.
“I think that’s everything on your list, McCain. Of course, we’ll give you guys some water and some canned goods for the road, as well.”
“That does look like everything, Jake. Much appreciated,” Chuck responded, holding his hand out to Elizabeth. She handed him her bag.
Chuck reached in and withdrew a compact Kimber .45 pistol. McCain locked the slide to the rear, verified that it was empty, then laid it on the desk near Nicholson.
“How about that, a compact Kimber! I’ve always wanted one of those!” Jake exclaimed, grabbing the pistol and looking it over. “Do I even want to know where it came from?”
McCain handed him two loaded magazines for the pistol and shrugged. “Right after I started on my trip, three guys ambushed me for my car. One of them was packing that.”
Jake shook his head and stared at the muscular man sitting across from him. “I guess he didn’t need it anymore?”
“No,” was the only answer Chuck gave.
I’m glad he likes me, the Marine thought. That’s one dangerous man.
“I’ve also got a Bersa .380 that Greg had when he and his girlfriend tried to rob me. It’s yours if you want it. I’m keeping the .38 Airweight that the girl had. Beth can use it as her backup gun.”
McCain repeated the process of confirming the Bersa pistol was unloaded, handing it to Nicholson along with the magazines. Jake briefly glanced at the .380 and put both pistols in a drawer. He placed his hands on the desk and looked at his two friends.
“Anything else? When are you guys planning on hitting the road?”
Chuck and Beth looked at each other. The young woman answered for them. “We were thinking two more weeks. Chuck wants to give me some more tactical training and the extra time will let him heal more.”
Nicholson nodded at McCain. “Any chance of you doing some of that tactical training with our people? Maybe you could include them?”
“Sure, Jake,” Chuck answered. “I’d be happy to help out any way I can.”
Beth’s room, The Northeast Georgia Technical College, Lavonia, Georgia, Monday, 0800 hours
When Elizabeth awoke, the first thing she noticed was that the extra single bed across from hers was empty. She knew where he was. She had found him in her sitting room every morning for the last week reading a small New Testament. There was something incredibly attractive about his faith. Chuck McCain was attractive on every level, but the quiet strength that he exuded was like nothing she had ever encountered before.
The last few days, though, he had withdrawn into a shell. No, that’s not it, she corrected herself. He’s just been very quiet. I wonder if he’s having second thoughts about taking me with him? Maybe he’s even having second thoughts about us?
Am I really that insecure? she wondered. Yeah, I guess I am. Karen’s words from the night before played through her mind. “Are you sure you want to do this, Elizabeth? Do you really want to leave your friends and family to be with someone you’ve known for less than a month? Don’t get me wrong, that’s a good-looking man and if he asked me to go with him, I’d do it in a heartbeat. Just remember, there’s so much you don’t know about him and I don’t want you to get hurt.”
Beth padded quietly to the adjoining room and stopped, leaning against the doorway with her arms wrapped around her chest. Chuck was seated on the couch with the Bible open on his lap, the sunlight streaming in behind him. McCain’s eyes were closed, an untroubled, peaceful expression on his face.
“Are you spying on me?” his voice startled her, his eyes now open and twinkling at her.
She gave an embarrassed laugh. “Can I join you?”
He put his arm on the back of the couch. “Please, right here would be good,” nodding with his head to the space beside him on the sofa.
Elizabeth sat next to Chuck, tucking her legs up under her for warmth. His big arm wrapped around the young woman, squeezing her tightly in a hug.
“So, how does it work?” she asked.
“How does what work?”
“You know, reading the Bible, praying. What do you do?”
“I’ll read a chapter or two. Then I’ll think, pray, meditate.”
She nodded. “Do you hear God? Does he speak to you?”
McCain shrugged. “Sometimes, but never out loud. It’s always a quiet voice down deep inside of me. Sometimes when I’m reading the Bible, I’ll feel God speaking and guiding me through what I’m studying. Maybe I’ll see something I’ve never seen before, like the words jump off the page at me. And there are other times when I don’t hear anything.”
Benton digested this. “Do you really think God listens to us when we pray? I mean there are a lot of people praying about a lot of things. With all the crazy stuff happening in the world, I wonder if he d
idn’t miss a few of those prayers along the way.”
Chuck smiled and nodded. “I do believe he hears every prayer. The thing we have to remember, though, is that he gave mankind the most powerful tool in the universe: free will. If we believe the Bible, the story from the very beginning was that we have the power to choose to follow God, or we can choose to go our own way in life. We can choose to do good, or we can choose to do evil. There’s a tension in how God answers our prayers while working around our own good and bad choices.
“For me, I try to remember that God’s nature is love and that he wants to have a relationship with us. Relationships can be kind of messy, though, and they take a lot of work. But both human and divine relationships are why we were created.”
Elizabeth closed her eyes, her head laying against the big man’s shoulder. He made it sound so easy. He talked about friendship with God like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“Are you OK?” Chuck asked. “It seems like something’s bothering you.”
“I was wondering the same thing about you,” she said, softly. “You’ve been so quiet the last couple of days. I was wondering if you were rethinking your decision to take me with you. I mean it’s not like we’ve had the most normal start to a relationship. I didn’t know if you were, you know, still feeling the same way.”
Chuck shifted on the sofa, his arm continuing to hold his girlfriend tightly. He gently stroked her hair, then lifted her chin so that he could look into her eyes. “I’m sorry, Beth. Nothing’s changed. If anything, I’m falling more in love with you every day. I really do want you to come with me. I’m not the most talkative person to begin with, but now we’re in operation planning mode. When it’s time to plan a mission, I get very focused. I apologize for being so distant. Obviously, I’ve got to work on my relational skills. What about you? Are you having second thoughts about leaving?”
There was a long pause. “I guess, maybe a little. My mind says, ‘You’ve only known him for a few weeks.’ My heart says, ‘You’ve known him forever.’ I don’t even have words for it, Chuck. I love you like I’ve never loved anyone else. I want to be a part of your life. I want to help you find Melanie. But then a voice in the back of my head says that you’ll change your mind or you’ll realize you don’t really like me as much as you thought you did.”
“Tell that nasty little voice to be quiet,” he said, kissing her on the forehead. “I understand what you’re feeling, but I’m not rethinking anything. You’re the most beautiful woman on the planet, I love you, and I want to share my life with you. Of course, I’d never try to force you to do something you don’t want to do, but after all we’ve been through, I can’t imagine leaving you behind.”
Elizabeth’s face lit up in a smile. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever said to me,” she said, wrapping her arms tightly around him. “We’re going to be a great team and I trust you. That’s a big deal for me. I also want to trust myself, so I’m sorry for being wishy-washy just now. Thanks for talking me off the ledge. You know I love you and want to be with you.”
She returned his gaze, their lips met, and all of Beth’s doubts vanished.
Two weeks later, The Northeast Georgia Technical College, Lavonia, Georgia, Sunday, 2030 hours
The previous two weeks had been incredibly busy for Elizabeth and Chuck. She was seeing first-hand what he meant about being focused as they prepared for their journey. He had made a point, however, of taking time each evening to sit and talk. When he looks at me, she thought, I get the feeling that everything’s going to be OK. She hadn’t questioned herself or Chuck any more.
The two of them trained every morning for a minimum of three hours. Beth owned a master key for the campus and Chuck taught her the art of room and building clearing, using the various administrative and classroom buildings. This skill was vital for their safety because they would very likely have to clear houses or businesses as they traveled. Houses for a place to sleep and businesses for the same reason or to find supplies.
McCain was an incredible teacher, patiently helping her master whatever tactic they were working on for the day. Even when Benton made a mistake, he gently took her back through the scenario, helping her to get it right.
After a couple of days, though, Elizabeth was starting to get the hang of it. She began anticipating what she needed to do as they worked through the buildings. Chuck told her she was starting to think tactically. Her movements became fluid while the rifle and pistol both began to feel natural in her hands.
Their training was conducted using all of their equipment. For Beth, it was another completely different experience wearing the body armor, web gear, combat boots, pistol belt, and rifle across her chest. Chuck had shown her how to put on each piece of gear, their ‘kit’ as he called it.
By far her favorite part of clearing buildings was when Chuck would signal that they had trained enough by gently pressing her against the wall, holding her there, and kissing her passionately. She had never been kissed like that in her life. He’s working hard to make sure I don’t doubt him again, she smiled to herself.
After five days of working inside, McCain took Benton outside to the vehicle that Mr. Nicholson had prepped for them. They practiced getting out of the Toyota Tundra quickly in the event it became disabled or they were ambushed and unable to drive away. Chuck trained Beth in shooting while driving. He showed her how to position both her Glock and her AR-15 where she could access them easily.
By far the least favorite part of her training was when Chuck took Elizabeth into the thick forest behind the campus. Mr. Nicholson had pointed out where the trip flares were located and Chuck had her maneuvering through the woods. She had never enjoyed camping or being out in nature. The idea of being around so many flying and creeping things made her shudder, but the big man, oblivious to any discomfort, taught her some basic field craft. Fortunately, it was still winter and the mosquitoes and snakes were nowhere to be found.
Beth never complained, however, knowing that they could very well end up in a forest if they lost their vehicle. She thought she detected several looks of approval from Chuck over the course of field training as they hiked through the woods, sweat dripping from their faces.
After dinner, the couple talked about contingencies for their trip. There were so many variables but McCain wanted Benton thinking about every possibility. He asked her to process some uncomfortable topics that they needed to discuss. What would she do if he was killed? What was their plan if the truck became disabled? Together, they used their evenings to study the maps that Karen had provided. Chuck wanted Beth to be able to see the routes in her mind. Having locational awareness was a vital skill to own.
In the afternoons, McCain had Benton help him train the sentries and security teams. In reality, she thought, he’s teaching and I’m his assistant. Teaching the students and faculty what she was also learning, however, solidified her own skill set. Beth marveled at Chuck’s amazing ability to break years of tactical knowledge and skills down and make them easy for the uninitiated to master.
Chuck took the campus security teams through building clearing drills, foot patrol techniques, and vehicle tactics, similar to what he was teaching Elizabeth during their morning sessions. McCain had spoken to Nicholson about the importance of sending out more than one vehicle and more than four people on a looting mission. Jake had agreed to release two vehicles and six people for the next trip off campus.
The teams rehearsed exercises simulating one of their vehicles being disabled and everyone having to dive into the second SUV. McCain set up scenarios in which a team member was injured and needed to be rescued. Chuck was patient but relentless, having the student and faculty volunteers run drill after drill until it became second nature.
One afternoon, during a break from practicing vehicle exercises, Chuck and Elizabeth stood off to the side. McCain had just told her what the next scenario was going to be when Robert Clayton walked over, unsure if he should approach th
em or not.
“Sorry to bother you, Chuck. Hi, Elizabeth.”
Beth watched Chuck quickly welcome him, putting him at ease. “Hey, Robert, no bother at all. How’s the training? Do you think this is helping anybody?”
Clayton chuckled shyly. “This is some of the best instruction that I’ve ever had. I’ve spent some money and gone to several of the big name tactical courses. What you’re teaching us beats them all. I just wish we could do some live fire.”
Chuck nodded. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. Yeah, you’re right, it really does limit us, not being able to actually shoot. We just don’t need any zombies interrupting our training!”
Clayton nodded, glancing at Benton and then back at McCain. “I wanted to say thank you for suggesting that Karen train with me. It’s been, well, she’s a really nice person, and, uh, well, I just…,” he stammered, his face turning red.
“What are friends for?” Chuck slapped him on the shoulder, almost knocking the IT professor over. “She’s a handful, that’s for sure.” McCain winked at Beth, who was trying to suppress a smile, and lowered his voice, stepping a little closer to Robert, looking him in the eye. “Karen’s a good woman and she needs a good man to look after her. I hope things work out for the two of you.”
McCain also found some time every day to use the campus gym, hardening his body back up after being wounded and not exercising for a couple of weeks. Beth accompanied him for a few weight-lifting sessions but she’d also been running on the campus track, building her endurance. And, Elizabeth had started saying her goodbyes. She wanted to personally speak to as many people as she could over the next two weeks. Would she ever be back? Would she ever see her friends here again?
