“We had James Bond stuff and didn’t even know it!” Lance cried out as Doug handed several items to him.
“That was the idea. We figured if you two couldn’t find it, nobody could,” Doug laughed. “This summer, I was going to take you two out and show you what the area was really meant for. We didn’t tell you sooner because we didn’t want you to tell others about it.”
“We wouldn’t have said anything,” Ian protested as Doug shoved stuff in his arms.
Feeling utterly drained, Doug looked down at the two young boys. He had moved into the neighborhood and first met them five years ago when they came over and asked if they could climb a tree in his backyard. He told them he had to talk with their dads first. The two eight-year-olds took off and literally dragged their dads over by the hands. The dads sat and talked with Doug the entire day, and the start of a great friendship was born.
Doug went hunting with them that year and said he was thinking about getting a hunting cabin nearby to hunt from, but if a disaster happened, it would be a place he could lay low. The dads liked the idea, and the three talked about it for a few months and then got Ian’s mom, Mary, to use her real estate business to start looking. It started small and blossomed into the cabin.
“Boys, it’s not that we didn’t trust you, but you’re young and might have slipped up. In the event something happened to your dads, they were to leave instructions for you and your mothers. I have to say, you two have brought me a lot of joy in the last five years. I never wanted to be a dad until I met you two,” Doug said, reaching out and putting a hand on each one’s shoulder.
“Uncle Doug,” Lance mumbled, cutting his eyes at Ian. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, he admitted in a soft, quiet voice, “I’m scared.”
Ian sighed and was visibly relieved he wasn’t the only one terrified. “I haven’t shit in two days and peed my pants.”
Doug laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair. “Shit, if you don’t think I’m scared, then you’re crazy.”
They both looked up, stunned. Uncle Doug was larger than life and didn’t back down from anything. They knew he was in the Navy, but he didn’t talk about it. He had a large security company and lots of guns. To them, Uncle Doug could beat up Superman.
“It’s okay to be scared, but face it; don’t run from it. You may not understand, but you two have been prepped for this mostly by your own hands, but your fathers and myself helped. Why do you think we wanted you to run all over the area around the cabin? Why did your dads let me teach you how to shoot military grade weapons? If you think like you always have, you will do fine,” Doug said, turning around and balling his fist up then hit his stomach.
He fell into the shelf on the wall, grunting in pain. “Put those vests on,” he panted, blinking the lights that filled his vision away.
The boys looked where Doug was vaguely gesturing and each picked something up. “Bulletproof vest!” they cried out.
“Hurry, boys,” Doug said, pushing off the shelf and walking around the room. The boys ripped the Velcro straps open and slid the vests over their heads then tightened the straps.
“I didn’t think they made stuff like this in our size,” Ian said, grinning.
“It’s a men’s small,” Doug said, walking around the middle shelf. “You two may be boys, but I’ve seen men smaller than you and nowhere near as good in shape as you two are,” he said, walking over and adjusting the vests. Then, he slung a harness around them and buckled it. “But your best asset is you’re smart, and you think.”
They looked at the suspenders over their shoulders going to a large belt that held magazine pouches just above their waists. Pulling stuff off the shelf, Doug turned Lance to the left and buckled something to the belt and clipped something around his right leg. Then, Doug turned him the other way and did the same thing to Lance’s left leg.
As Doug did the same for Ian, Lance looked down on his right leg and saw a black plastic holster strapped to his thigh. On his left leg were more magazine pouches. He looked over and saw Ian had the same things strapped to his thighs.
Struggling to stand, Doug panted, “Office, downstairs.” He was sweating profusely. “Do you two trust Jennifer?”
“Yes sir,” they said together.
“I just thought since she didn’t hang around you two anymore you didn’t trust her.”
Ian stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Doug holding the wall as he followed them. “She’s like in high school, even made the cheerleading team. An older sexy woman like that can’t be seen with junior high boys. We only talked to her lately at her house so others wouldn’t be mean to her.”
Fighting not to laugh at the life of kids because the pain was close to making him pass out, Doug chuckled. “Older women do that to you,” he said, smiling, and followed the boys downstairs.
When they were in the office, Doug handed them his key to the cabin. “As you look at the cabin from the front, on the right side or east wall, there is a plastic electrical box about three feet off the ground.”
“Yeah, it’s almost in the middle of the wall. Dad said it controlled the air conditioner even though I’ve never found the part of the air conditioner that sits outside,” Ian said, taking the key, and Lance nodded.
“Because it’s buried and vented up,” Doug said, pulling out guns from the safes. “There is no electrical box outside. Everything is locked up. That box does have a switch, and it is flipped up. Flip it down and pull, and the switch comes out. Behind it, you will see a key slot.”
“Whoa, more Bond stuff,” Lance said, grinning.
Doug smiled as he pulled stuff from the safes. “Below that fake electrical box, if you brush off the rocks, you will find a metal lid. Open it, and you will see thick, rubber gloves inside. Put one on, and put the cabin key in the slot, turn it to the right, then back up. That will shut off the lethal counter measures. A computer voice will confirm it.”
“What the hell does the cabin do?” Ian shouted.
“Lethal shock,” Doug said, turning around and looking Ian in the eyes. “Your dad, Bill, assures me I don’t need the rubber glove to turn it off, but with a hundred amps coursing through the house, I wasn’t going to risk it.”
“How do we, like, really know it’s off, or if it’s on?” Lance asked.
“I activated it from my computer,” Doug said, pointing at his laptop. “It can only be activated once from the outside. That one turn of the key breaks the fuse, and it has to be replaced from inside. From inside, you can turn it back on, but you have to turn it off before leaving. Again, Bill assures me you wouldn’t be grounded from the inside if you touch the door, but if you’re holding the door and step outside, you’re dead. So just turn the damn thing off before going outside.”
They both looked at him with horror and awe on their faces. “We have a Terminator cabin,” Ian droned.
“It’s like a Transformer,” Lance mumbled.
Doug stepped around the desk. “Boys, use these pistols, and put those suppressors on your Rugers,” he said, waving at the XDM Lipsey’s pistols he had laid out. The pistols had threaded barrels and were 9mm. “With the holsters you have for your Rugers, you can put the suppressors on them. Mount them under your left arm just above your waist. That way, you can draw them and shoot quietly.”
Stepping over, they pulled off the pistols and holsters they were wearing and did what he instructed as Doug continued. “The list of what to take is on the kitchen counter. You will have a lot of extra room, so take what you need, but under no circumstance are you to come back here until this is over or your parents return.”
“You think they can make it?” Lance asked in a trembling voice.
“Yes, they survived the initial outbreak and know the enemy now. They just have to be smart, and they have intelligence in abundance,” Doug said, opening his desk. “Here is my sat phone. The box beside the computer is a sat link for a computer. Take both with you.”
“Can I call Dad?” Ian
asked, looking up with hope.
“It’s still dependent on cell service on their end, Ian. I tried after Lance left. You will probably have better luck with it, but you have stuff to do first. Then tonight, you can try,” Doug said and started pulling out empty magazines from his vest and putting full ones in. “I know both of you are tired, but you have to load in case for some reason you have to leave sooner. Remember: No one is your friend. There are rules on the main computer in the secret bunker room for allowing others to join. Read and follow the rules we set up on the computer. There’s another secret room in the shop out back, and the computer and your dads’ instructions will tell you how to get in. There is too much for me to tell you, but trust me, you will have a much better chance of survival when you are at the cabin.”
“Better chance?” Lance asked, shoving magazines in the pouches across his chest.
“There are no guarantees in life, Lance. You do the best you can with what you’ve got,” Doug said, walking around to the back of the office. He opened the door of a steel cage that held racks of weapons. He pulled out a plain AR with a reflex scope and no suppressor.
Doug seated a magazine and chambered a round. “You can take your dad’s weapons, but use the ARs I gave you or one of the ones that can mount a suppressor. The only ammo you really worry about taking is what I have marked; it’s subsonic and is much quieter. Ian, you navigate while Lance drives. I have boxes of night vision gear in the den laid out that you have to take. If you take more, that’s okay. Both of you have worn it and know it’s not like on TV. Wear it around the house tonight to get used to it.”
“Why can’t Ian drive?” Lance whined.
“You’ve driven the Hummer before,” Ian snapped.
“To the end of the road and back, and I drove into Ms. Ida’s yard, tearing it up,” Lance said, throwing up his hands.
“You’ve driven more than I have,” Ian said, crossing his arms over his chest.
“Lance,” Doug said, grinning. “Don’t go over forty-five. Hell, the Hummer won’t be able to do over sixty with that trailer full. Remember; a Hummer is strong, not fast. It will go through a brick wall but won’t get there fast. Unless you find a mud hole six foot deep or high center, it won’t stop. If for some reason the trailer gets stuck or hung up and you can’t free it fast, unhook it and drive away. Nothing is worth dying over.”
“Okay,” Lance mumbled, picking up his AR, putting the tactical sling over his head, and letting the AR hang down at his side. Opening the center desk drawer, Doug pulled some stuff out and put it in his pocket.
“At the cabin, if you even think someone is a threat, shoot to kill. Kill all of them so they can’t bring back friends,” Doug said, pulling out his 1911 and press checking it. Seeing brass, he holstered it. He moved over and picked up the black duffle bag Lance saw in the living room. “If you get tired, take one of these but no more than one in twenty-four hours. Understand? The same goes for any of the bottles in here,” he said, throwing a few pills in his mouth and handing over a giant bottle.
Lance took the bottle and saw dextroamphetamine 20mg. “What the hell is it?”
“Go pills I used in the Navy,” Doug said, swallowing the pills dry. “There’s also some ADD drugs in the bag.”
“Like our Adderall?” Ian asked.
Closing his eyes, he sighed, “Forgot you two took that. Try one now because when you two take your Adderall, you almost fall asleep.”
“Almost my ass,” Ian said. “I’ve spent more time in detention for falling asleep after taking my medicine than getting in real trouble.”
“If it makes you sleepy, don’t take it, and only use it when you need it,” Doug said, walking out and dropping the bag.
“That bottle looks like one of the bottles Jason gets his protein powder in,” Ian said, looking over at Lance and sniffing the air. “Did you light a match?”
“Why would I light a match?” Lance asked, pointing at the bottom of the bottle. “It says five thousand pills and ‘Only for Pharmaceutical Distribution.’”
“It just smells like someone lit a match in here. You think Uncle Doug took this?” Ian asked, looking in the bag. “Holy shit, all the bottles are that big.”
“It doesn’t matter. He thinks we need this, so we take it,” Lance said.
“Boys!” Doug called from inside the house.
They found him in the kitchen, writing on the list. “I mean it, boys. If you think someone is a risk, shoot. I tried to help a young mother with a toddler last night. They led me into an ambush; that’s where I got shot.”
“What happened to the toddler?” Ian asked.
Never looking up or stopping his writing, he said with no emotion, “Don’t know and don’t care. I shot the bitch and killed the others. I’m sure they turned and ripped the kid apart.”
They both heard a gasp behind them and knew it was Jennifer, but they were staring at Doug with their mouths wide open. “I tried to help. I broke the first rule. When shit starts going bad, take care of your team and yourself. No one outside the team is friendly. Rule four: When the peak of the crisis passes, help only those that are trying and intelligent,” he said as he continued writing.
Lance felt his pocket vibrate and quickly pulled out his phone and saw a text from his dad. “Dad texted me,” he said, thumbing the screen. “Got your message. Do that. Msg us if Doug shows. B careful. Keep msg short or they take 4ever. Luv u.”
After Lance read the message, he looked up at Doug, who was still writing. “Tell him I’m here and you’re heading to cabin,” Doug said, and Lance typed then pressed send. “Do you boys understand what I’m talking about now?” he asked, finally looking up.
“I don’t know if I can shoot a toddler,” Ian said.
“I didn’t; it posed no threat. But if that kid would’ve had a gun, I’d shoot his ass. You’re going to have to kill infected kids, so look at them as targets and nothing more. Your team is all that matters. Your team is with you now and no one else,” Doug said and looked up at Jennifer standing behind the boys. “Every member of your team has to help defend it and fight, or all of you die. None can be along for the ride.”
“Yes sir,” they said, and he continued writing.
“The ice chests are out in the garage. You need to get that frozen meat in them before it thaws.”
Lance turned around. “Jennifer, will you do it? You’ve already proven you can do it better than us.”
“Shit, I think she put lead in those damn chests,” Ian grumbled.
Putting his pen down, Doug shook his head and stood up. “Take what’s on the list and whatever you think you’ll need. Fill that trailer and the Hummer up. Remember to keep as much skin covered as possible. It only takes a small break in the skin from a bite to kill you,” he said, handing over a set of keys. “Those are my keys to everything here and the cabin. There’s a key box at the cabin, but here’s extras. Will you boys do what I asked?”
“We will, Uncle Doug.” Lance nodded and grinned.
“You’ll be proud of us,” Ian said with a firm expression.
“I’ve always been proud of you two,” Doug said, pulling something out of his pocket. As Doug extended his hand, Lance saw a gold, shiny object. “I got this driven in my chest after I graduated BUDs. You take this one, Lance,” Doug said then held out another gold, shiny object to Ian. “I got this one driven in my chest when my team thought I earned it.”
Holding up the object, Lance knew the emblem from the games he played. It was the Navy SEAL trident. “You were a SEAL?”
“Yes, and I think you two are now. Follow the instructions on the computer and—” Doug stopped as he wobbled on his feet. A low growl rumbled behind them. They turned to see Dino looking at Doug, baring his teeth as he growled lowly. “I know, Dino; I’m going,” Doug panted. “Take care of Dino for me. Both of you know his commands, and as you can see, he knows when someone is sick.”
Picking up the AR from the counter, Doug slung the tact
ical sling over his head. The AR looked like a pea shooter against his massive form. “I’m taking your dad’s truck and leading them away from your route. I love you two,” Doug said, walking out, and Dino’s gaze followed him. Doug stopped in the den and kissed the girls on the head, and Dino moved into the den, growling louder at Doug.
“I know you love the ladybugs, Dino, but I had to tell them bye because I love them too,” Doug said, reaching for the door. “Lock it, and close all the shutters as I leave.”
Opening the door, Doug stepped outside, and they heard a gunshot as the door closed. Lance and Ian took off running upstairs, and Jennifer and the girls followed as more gunshots sounded outside. Used to the suppressed shots, each one sounded like a sharp explosive to them.
They ran to the room where Doug had covered Lance from since the den shutters were closed. They saw Doug standing in the yard, shooting sick people around the neighborhood. The kids stared open-mouthed as an infected woman standing in the yard next door, twenty feet away from Doug, just turned and walked away from him. They jumped when her head exploded.
Looking around the area, they noticed any that got close to Doug just turned away. The only ones trotting toward him were far off. As Doug changed magazines, he stepped over to the truck and killed any that weren’t coming at him then climbed in.
Starting it up, he rolled down the windows, and music started blaring as he rolled down the street, running over infected in the road. Reaching the end of the road, Doug turned into the subdivision, and they heard gunshots as he left their sight.
Chapter 8
Turning deeper into the subdivision, Doug kept the radio blaring as he ran over any infected in the road. Since he was only going fifteen miles an hour, he wasn’t really worried about damaging the truck. The street Doug lived on was only two streets from the back of the subdivision, so he only had two streets to drive through.
Stopping on the first street, he held the AR out the window and shot ten infected then started to roll forward and noticed a large, familiar form walking across a yard. Bouncing over the curb, Doug drove toward the large form as it raised its arms and trotted over with its right leg bent at an unnatural angle.
Forsaken World (Book 1): Innocence Lost Page 11
