What little news was coming from FEMA, through the county and thus the town, was to expect a severe winter. Calvin’s and Nan’s gardening paid off. They had plenty of vegetables to can. They’d been able to trade for a half a beef from one of the locals, and a whole pig from another. Both had taken partial payment in gold and silver coins and the remainder in work on their farms with the Stubblefield’s equipment. Mostly digging burial pits for the animals they lost.
Both had some working farm equipment, but very little fuel, despite the ongoing scavenging trips by those in area. Small amounts of fuel were coming to the town from FEMA, but only for emergency and protective services. Food shipments were also few and far between. The community had to fend for itself, for the most part.
With heavy snow starting in early September those that could, prepared for the forecasted harsh winter. Quite a few had moved to the camps that FEMA set up, hoping for the best. The rest hunkered down and also hoped for the best.
Except for that small handful that had no preparations, except for weapons. With a system that looked good to become an early blizzard, the gang finally attacked the Stubblefield home. Calvin and Nan had continued to keep their guard up. That included regular checks of the property.
“Nan,” whispered Calvin into the Motorola FRS radio. “We’ve got company. Bad company from the looks of it. Get back to the house and up in the stairway cupola. You’ll have 360 degree vision. I’ll hunker down in one of the hidey-holes and hit them from the rear while you take them head on. But be sure to keep scanning all around.”
“Okay,” Nan whispered back, the tension in her voice obvious. She’d been following Calvin; about twenty yards back as his cover. She hurried back to the house, entered, and locked everything with the security system.
They’d talked about how to effectively defend their home, and having one of them outside in prepared defensive positions and one in the armored cupola was the only remotely effective method of repelling an attack of more than one or two people. At that, if there were enough of them, it wouldn’t work either and Nan would have to bug out through the escape tunnel and join Calvin outside.
She took the time to call the police station and tell them they were coming under attack, then hurried up to the stairwell cupola. They had pre-positioned ammunition there, just in case. Nan removed the thirty round magazine in the Steyr AUG and inserted a one-hundred-round Beta C-Mag dual-drum magazine into the rifle.
Nan used the binoculars kept in the cupola and did a quick scan all around the property. The only place she couldn’t really see was the area right in front of the house. She kept checking the other areas, but watched the area around the road leading to their place. She could see at least six men in the forest, and two walking up the road itself.
Calvin was watching, too. From inside a prepared fighting position. It was off the road, but where he could see parts of it. He waited a while as the group continued to move toward the house. Calvin checked the forest behind him. No signs of anyone else staying back to cover the group’s rear.
When he was sure everyone was between him and the house, Calvin exited the fighting hole and move toward the men, to another fighting hole. He removed the cover, climbed inside, and pulled the cover back over him quietly.
Calvin could see all of the front of the house and a good section of the road, as well as much of the open space between the tree line and the house on the front, and well to each side of the bluff.
Those in the forest stopped, each one taking up a position behind a tree right at the tree line. One of those in the road threw his arm over the other one and hunched down slightly, faking a bad limp.
That settled it for Calvin. He had some question that the people had just wandered into the area and were being cautious. The deception proved otherwise.
“Hello the house!” the one supporting the limping man called out as they stopped out in the open area in front of the house. “My friend’s been hurt! We need some help!”
They waited a few seconds and repeated the call. When they received no answer both men stood up, bringing weapons out from under their coats, and moved toward the house. The snow started to fall lightly. Calvin lined the sights up of the M1A on the center of the back of the man that had shouted. He squeezed the trigger.
As soon as Calvin fired, Nan began to fire on those that had just started toward the house when their two companions had brought weapons out began to approach closer. Calvin put another round in the man he’d shot, and then took out the second man, who was simply looking around uncertainly, his rifle at the ready.
Again Calvin fired two rounds, and then switched his aim to those still approaching the house. They had begun to bob and weave, but Calvin and Nan were both experienced shooters. It was some time before the group realized that they were being fired on from behind as well as from the house, and began to return fire at Calvin. They had been concentrating on the cupola.
Calvin tried not to think about the fire pouring toward his wife, despite the fact that she was well protected with concrete, steel, and thick Lexan. And the firing ports were just large enough to use, and no larger. He could tell she was taking out those most likely to get behind her first, letting Calvin take care of those around the front of the house.
It didn’t take long for the gang to realize they were in untenable position. The survivors began to run back to the forest. Nan stopped firing, but when Calvin continued to drop assailants, she resumed, as well.
Those few still able to move had run out of sight. “Nan,” Calvin called her on the radio. “Stay alert. We’re not moving until I know they aren’t coming back or the Chief gets here.”
“Okay,” Nan replied. She switched magazines, putting in another of the three C-Mags they had for the AUG, then set it down and picked up the binoculars. The snow was beginning to get heavy, but she continued to scan the area. At least that kept her mind off what had just happened.
Calvin was doing much the same, surveying the area all around him. He was beginning to get a little cold by the time the Chief and Stanley showed up thirty-five minutes later. Calvin waited until the two got out of the car and he was sure it was them before he came out of the fighting hole. “Nan,” he said into the radio, “Keep watching. We’re coming in.”
As he approached and saw the Chief with the force’s shotgun, and Stanley with an M1 Carbine, Calvin called out. “Over here!” He was holding the M1A down at his side so they wouldn’t mistake him for an attacker.
Both continued to swivel their heads around as Calvin walked up. “Looks like you took care of it yourselves,” Bill said.
“Maybe,” Calvin said. “Some of them got away.”
They walked over to the two bodies near the front patio. Bill looked at the bodies, and then gave Calvin a quick look. Calvin said nothing, but looked calmly back. The two men’s weapons were lying in plain sight.
They went and checked each of the other bodies. Well, six bodies and three badly wounded live men. None of the three were able to move on their own. “What do we do, Chief?” Stanley asked.
“Well, I’m tempted to just put them out of our misery,” Bill replied. Stanley looked shocked. “But we can’t do that,” the Chief continued. “We’ll have to send someone out for them. It’s really a county problem, you know.” Bill looked at Calvin.
The snow was coming down harder. “You can’t leave us out here like this!” one of them cried out.
Amidst groans and the occasional scream, the three were moved none too gently over in front of the house. “I’m not going to ask you to take them inside,” Bill said, as they propped them up against the patio wall.
“Stanley,” the Chief said then, “You stay here and guard them. I’ll go back to town and see what I can do about getting a deputy and an ambulance out here.” He looked down at the three men. “Don’t be holding your breath, fellows. It could be a while.” His voice was as cold as the weather was turning as the snowfall increased. Bill headed out to the old F
ord.
One of the men had lost consciousness when the situation finally got to Calvin and he went inside to make them something warm to drink. He called Nan down from the cupola. She wouldn’t be able to see anything now, anyway. With the snow falling, and the light fading, you could only see a few yards.
Nan took Stanley inside to use the bathroom while Calvin watched the men and tried to help them drink the warm beef broth he’d made for them. It was mostly a waste of time. The one was unconscious, one had chest and stomach injuries, so couldn’t drink, and the third died of his wounds before Calvin could try to help him take a sip.
Stanley came back out carrying a cup of the broth to warm himself up, with Nan accompanying him. “Nan,” said Calvin, “I’m going to get the Bobcat and drag the bodies over by the road.”
Nan nodded. She swapped rifles with Calvin, taking his M1A and giving him her AUG. It would be easier to sling and keep handy while he worked, just in case. He didn’t want to be out there with just his Glock 21.
The man with the chest and stomach injuries gurgled loudly one time, spasmed and died while Calvin was moving the bodies. By the time he’d moved the bodies from around the house, and the two on the patio, the third man had died. Calvin added him to the pile.
“Chief,” Stanley said into his handheld radio. When the chief responded, Stanley said, “No need to bring the ambulance. All three of them have died.”
Calvin and Nan both heard the reply, as did Stanley. “Just as well. County, through state, from FEMA, just put out a shoot on sight order for looters and marauders. We’d have had to hang them tomorrow. Anyone captured in the act is to be executed immediately. Only if there’s reasonable doubt is anyone to be held and taken to the FEMA holding camps. I’ll be there in a few more minutes to pick you up.”
Calvin and Stanley took a quick trip around the tree line, checking one last time, before they went into the house to wait for the Chief. Nan started a fire in the fireplace. “How are you holding up?” Calvin asked her, putting his hand on her shoulder when she stood up.
She sighed, gave him a quick hug, and said, “Okay, I guess. But I’m going to need some serious crying time here pretty soon.”
Calvin hugged her to him and held her for long moments. “I may just join you,” he said softly.
Bill came in for a few minutes to warm up when he arrived. The heater in the Ford wasn’t working all that well and the temperature had already fallen to below freezing. “We can’t stay very long,” he said. “The road is starting to get bad.”
“You want to stay here tonight?” Nan asked. “We can lead the way in the morning with the Unimog, if you think it’s too bad to go back tonight.”
“No. We’ll be fine,” Bill replied. “But keep your radio on, just in case. I don’t want to have to walk the rest of the way in if the car quits.”
As he and Stanley bundled up to go out into the storm, Bill looked at Calvin and Nan. Calvin was standing with his arm around Nan shoulders. “You two did what had to be done,” Bill told them. “Don’t knock yourself out about it. That’s the group that’s been killing and raping and stealing from the survivors. When we catch up to the rest of them, they’ll meet the same fate.”
Bill frowned. “I hate to leave those bodies out there. Could be wild dogs get to them. They deserve to be dead, but I don’t like to see bodies desecrated.”
“Chief,” Calvin said, “we haven’t seen a single animal or bird since the start of this. I think the ash got what the radiation didn’t. Oh, there’s bound to be a few animals that made it, especially ground dwellers, but I doubt there’s anything out there now that’ll brave this storm.
“You could be right. Now that you mention it, there hasn’t been much in the way of wildlife, except for domestic animals. And a lot of them died during this, too. Okay. We’ll see you guys… whenever. I think you’re safe for now, but keep being careful.”
“Thanks, Chief. Thanks for being there when we needed you. You were right. We’re really the county’s problem.”
“You may be the county’s problem,” Stanley said, “But we aim to see you stay safe. You and that equipment of yours. It’s going to be a big part of saving the town.”
When the Ford had disappeared into the snow and the darkness, Calvin and Nan returned to the fire, after locking the door. True to her word, Nan snuggled up against Calvin and began to cry softly as he held her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Buddy and Charlene went out nearly every day, suited up. When they were actively decontaminating they wore respirators. If just getting some fresh air and sunshine, such as it was with the nearly constant volcanic haze in the air, they wore dust masks.
By then end of another two weeks the area around the shelter was decontaminated and they could go outside without the Tyvek suits. “Char,” Buddy said, as he checked the city again with the binoculars, “I think I should go down and see what we can find in the city. We have food for a long time, but I’d like to get more. Some more ammunition. Some more supplies for you.”
“When should we go?” Charlene asked.
Buddy took the binoculars down from his eyes and looked at her. “I think it should just be me.”
“Oh, Buddy! That’s too dangerous! We should both go. I’m comfortable with a gun now to be of some help, if something happens.”
“I know,” Buddy replied. “It’s just… I’m worried it might be bad. And now that I have you, I don’t want to lose you.”
“Well, Buddy,” Charlene said somewhat sternly, “I feel the same way about you. If you go down there alone and something happens, I would never know it. I couldn’t stand that.”
“It would be better if we both went. But then again… I hate leaving the place alone now. We’ve seen smoke a couple of times. There are other people up here.”
“The chance of anyone running across us is slim. You said so yourself.”
“I know. But I still worry.” Buddy paused for a moment, and then added, “Okay. We’ll go down together, but be prepared to take the place back if someone had found it. At least we’ve got some of the supplies cached, too.”
“Do you plan to stay overnight, or go and come back?”
“We’ll take things for an overnight stay, just in case, but I’d rather do a quick reconnaissance, pick up what we can find, and get back here. There’s bound to be some people that made it. I want to find out what I can. The radio broadcasts haven’t been that informative.”
“Tomorrow?” Charlene asked.
“Tomorrow,” Buddy said.
They moved the shielding from in front of the garage doors that after noon, in preparation of taking the truck out the next morning. They loaded up what they wanted to take with them, and then turned in early. It would probably be a long day, the next day.
They didn’t see any signs of people until they got to the suburbs of the city. It took them most of the morning to make their way that far. The roads were choked with abandoned vehicles.
Tense with worry, Buddy cautiously drove up to the two men walking along the side of the road. Both stopped and turned to watch as Buddy approached. Both were armed, but left their rifles slung over their shoulders, though they looked ready and willing to bring them into play if needed.
“Hi,” Buddy said. He had his window down and drove up to them on his side of the truck. “I see there are other survivors. I’m Buddy Henderson. This is Charlene Brubaker. We’re up in the hills.”
Buddy breathed a slight sigh of relief as the two men nodded politely. The first one, dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt said, “We figured there are a few of you up there. I’m Alan and this is Juan. We’re headed in to the shelter to get supplies. Any chance of getting a ride? Aren’t too many vehicles working anymore.”
“We can tell you how to get there,” Juan said.
“You understand, we have to be careful,” Buddy replied. “The news reports…”
Juan patted his rifle. “Understood. We haven’t run into anyt
hing yet, but we always go armed.”
“Okay,” Buddy said. “Climb in the back. But if I get a bad feeling about something, you’ll have to get out. Okay?”
“Sure,” Alan replied. “Any less walking is better than not any less walking.” He gave Buddy the address where a shelter had been set up by FEMA. Buddy knew where the location was. There would be plenty of time to see if there was some type of ambush set up.
There were more and more signs that some work had been done on the roads as they got closer. A regular lane had been opened up in the worst of the traffic jams. It was another twenty minutes before they saw more people. They were all moving the same direction. There were children as well as adults. Perhaps ten percent were armed in obvious ways.
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