“It’s not just the American people,” Jack Lloyd interjected, “I pulled my old short-wave radio out of mothballs last night, after my fire watch shift, hooked it up to my generator and listened in on the world. Obviously, others around the world whose radios hadn’t been destroyed by the electromagnetic pulse from the CME were doing the same thing I was; and the ‘skip was in’ as they say, meaning signals were bouncing all over the world. I don’t have a microphone so all I can do was listen.
“The rest of the world seems to be in the same condition we are. Nobody in their countries, wherever they were, had managed to shut down their electrical grids either. It’s as though the world leadership was infected by a case of mass stupidity leading to an overdose of procrastination. As a result, they sat on their thumbs while an otherwise avoidable catastrophe occurred. There were reports of fires, military action, destruction, and pleas for assistance; and there were several emotional reports of catastrophic loss of life. I thought I’d listen from time to time to see if I can pick up any useful information from other radio hacks in the US that might tell us what the government is doing, if anything.”
“Interesting,” said Bishop, “it sounds to me like we’re going to be on our own, at least for a while, and shouldn’t count on anyone, least of all the Feds, to come to our rescue. In fact, it appears we may be better off taking care of ourselves if what Travis and Jack heard is even half accurate.
“Travis, I appreciate what you’ve told us and I can only say that I’m glad you and Ellen and Michael, and, of course, Kathleen, were able to get back here safely.
“I don’t think any of us can add much to what Travis reported because it seems to be the same everywhere. The real damage, aside from the loss of power, came from the fires, which appear to have been, at least initially, started by the exploding transformers and electrical relay stations. The domino effect simply took over from there. In less than one day, our vibrant and beautiful Village of Oak Creek has been reduced to just so much desolation and rubble. The carnage has been immeasurable.”
With a nod to Philip, he said, “I’m truly sorry to report that Philip’s parents, Paul and Irene Chapman, were apparently killed when a gasoline tanker exploded at their station. I can only speculate as to how it happened, so I won’t, because the only important thing is that it did, with devastating results. Philip, Jason, and Tanner and I buried them in the vacant lot behind their former station. We’re all sorry for your loss, Philip, but we welcome you to be a part of the Maverick family now.”
In a somber voice Philip said, “Thank you for your thoughts and your help burying my folks, and thanks for taking me in. I promise that I’ll pull my own weight in whatever has to be done.”
Bishop told the group about the encounter with looters at Weber’s IGA and how Philip and Jason had backed up Tanner and him. He deliberately singled out Jason, saying, “Jason knew the youths involved and showed by his actions that he’s going to be a valuable asset to our Maverick community.”
“So, now what?” Jenny Thomas asked. “It sounds like we’re going to have to fend for ourselves for a while. I know we can do it, but we have to get organized.”
A free-for-all discussion ensued, sometimes orderly and sometimes not, with each of the adults expressing their concerns. The big question was how long they would have to fend for themselves. Travis offered that given the government’s actions, or lack thereof, before the CME, they shouldn’t count on any kind of government response within the foreseeable future. “Without a reliable electrical supply, communications, and fuel, the government is just as hamstrung as we are,” he exclaimed, “with a much larger geography to be concerned with. I doubt they’ll be worrying about places like the Village of Oak Creek when the real battle zones will be in the big cities.”
“So, as I said at least an hour ago, what now?” Jenny asked again.
As if on cue, everyone’s head turned toward Bishop.
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“It appears we all share pretty much the same concerns and, I think, for planning purposes we have to assume the worst with respect to any outside assistance,” Bishop said in a level voice. “For instance, without water we’ll all be dead in a week anyway, even if help were on the way. I don’t mean to be overly dramatic, but that’s a fact. Fortunately, we have some water supplies so we have time to plan our next moves.”
Bishop went on to use many of the concerns and suggestions raised by the group to suggest an immediate plan of action; pointing out that their needs would fall into three categories: immediate, short term, and long term. “Obviously,” he said, “we need to deal with the immediate needs first, but we should always keep the short and long term needs in mind as we solve current problems.”
Everyone was nodding their heads in agreement but Jason was the one who spoke up first.
“So what are the immediate needs, Mr. Westin, I mean Bishop?”
“Good question, Jason. First and foremost we’ll need water, then food, then safety; and I think that last one includes sanitation, health, and security.
“It was pointed out that the creeks in the area have some water in them but I think those nearby will become undrinkable because of pollution from drainage and eventually from unburied corpses. So we’ll need to do something about water. It will probably be a good idea to do an inventory of the water we do have and see what we can do about getting more supplies, like bottled water, while we’re working out a secure source. If need be, for non-potable water, we can get all we need from the swimming pools in the area.”
“I’ll take care of that,” offered Jenny. “Some of the women can help me collect the water we stored in our sinks and tubs and scoop that into jugs and canisters so we can see how much we really have. And we can count all the bottled water we have, as well. That will give us a pretty good idea of what we’re dealing with — water-wise.”
“Good idea, Jenny, and thanks,” responded Bishop. “After you’ve completed the water survey then maybe your same group should start doing an inventory of food supplies, especially those that have unlimited or long shelf-life.
“Mel, why don’t you take charge of the medical side by interviewing each of the wives about the medical conditions of those in their respective families and then prepare an inventory of all the medications each family has. It will be good to know if we have any immediate medical needs to address. For instance,” he continued, “I have glaucoma and need daily eye drops to keep it under control. As I said earlier, I was able to get enough supplies at Weber’s pharmacy to last me three years and we may be able to find more later on. I also grabbed a good supply of aspirin and Tylenol, which I think will come in handy over the next days and weeks. We’re going to have plenty of headaches to deal with,” he chuckled, attempting to put some levity into the otherwise gloomy atmosphere.
“Colby, it might be a good idea if you and a couple of the older kids did a survey of the gasoline supplies we have. You don’t need to start syphoning gas yet, but turn on each of the vehicles and see how much gas is registered on the gauge and estimate what that is in gallons. We need to know how much we can afford to run the generators to keep the freezers working and how much we can use the vehicles before we run out of gas.
“Bud, you mentioned that it might be a good idea to check out the Ranger headquarters to see what might be available there that would help us out. I think that’s a really good idea. Why don’t you and Tanner take on that responsibility?”
“Can I go with you, too, Gramps?” Jason inquired of his grandfather.
“Absolutely,” Bud responded. You could see by the look on Bud and Colby’s faces that they were both surprised and pleased Jason was taking on responsibility.
“I’ll help Colby, if that’s all right with him,” added Philip. “I do know something about vehicles and gasoline.”
“I’d appreciate the assistance, Philip,” responded Colby, “and Tate can help us, too, if he’d like.”
“That’s a good
job for me, too,” chimed in Matt,” and maybe we can move some of the vehicles that we probably won’t use, like the sedans, and take the gas from their tanks and fill up any empty jerry cans we have. That will save time later and allow us to keep the vehicles we need close at hand.”
“Good idea, Matt,” responded Bishop. “It would be good if Kathleen and Mattie would take care of entertaining the younger kids while this is all going on, and the rest of you can divide up among the water and food groups.”
“You know,” said Jack, “you could keep the inventories on your Tablet, Jenny. That would make it readily available as time goes on and allow you to adjust the supplies as they’re used. I’m sure we can recharge the Tablet on a generator without any difficulty. In fact, we can hook up the Tablet to a printer and do spread sheets of our inventories. Later on I can rig up a solar unit to provide enough electricity to recharge the Tablet and run the printer, occasionally. I think the inventories are going to become extremely important as we go on,” he concluded.
“Okay,” said Bishop, “now we have a plan of action, but it’s going to have to wait until later this afternoon. Right now we have a barbecue to enjoy. We need to have the barbecue because we need to eat, and maybe it will feel more normal despite the calamity around us; if nothing else, for the kids’ sake. So, why don’t all of you go and retrieve your contributions to the barbecue and bring them on up here. Tanner, you can recruit some help from Jason, Philip and Tate to set up the folding tables that are in the garage, if you will. We’re already sitting on some of the stack chairs and the rest are on the deck. I’ll put the finishing touches on the meat and we’ll have ourselves a grand old 4th of July barbecue just like we always have; and the rest of this be damned until we have full stomachs,” he laughed.
With that they each began to leave. Bishop saw Jack Lloyd move over beside Philip and start talking with him. He could tell it was a serious conversation by the looks on both men’s faces; but then they both began to smile and Jack put his arm around Philip’s shoulder.
A happy ending, thought Bishop, whatever it was they were talking about.
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Within half an hour everyone was back at Bishop’s. The tables were heaped with an eclectic mixture of foods; some specially prepared for this annual affair and others made available before they went bad for lack of refrigeration. Even Colby and Maria had driven home to bring back trays of her well-known pastries; a hit at every gathering of the Mavericks’ families.
Bishop put mounds of brisket on a platter along with extra bowls of his secret barbecue sauce on each table. The raised porch that ran the length of the back of the house was full of tables, chairs, and people. Even Chloe had come out to see if there might be something for her. She was in seventh heaven with all the attention she was getting from the children.
As was the tradition for the Mavericks’ gatherings on Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July, everyone gathered in a big elliptical circle, conforming to the wall and the back of the house that delineated the porch, and held hands. Even the children knew this tradition and eagerly joined the circle, giggling as they jostled for position.
As was the custom, because it was his home, Bishop started. “I want to thank all of you for sharing our home with us today and for preparing all this wonderful food. I know that we find ourselves in not the best of circumstances but certainly with blessings for which we can give thanks. It is truly a blessing for Carly and me to have such good friends and to know that, despite the tragedy that has befallen our community and, I assume, our nation and maybe the world, that the Mavericks are all here, with their families, unhurt and ready to face the uncertain future together with grit and determination. We will survive and we’ll do it together,” he concluded.
Others, who wished to say something, took their turn.
Jack: “I give thanks that Philip, despite his terrible loss and the grief he is bearing so bravely, has agreed to move in with Celeste and me. As you know, we have no children, so having Philip as our surrogate son, a son by the way who shares my interest in technology, is truly a blessing we give thanks for.”
Philip: “Though we’ve never been part of the Mavericks, mainly because the station took so much of our time, I really appreciate the kindness by which you’ve accepted me, and especially for the warmness with which Jack and Celeste have opened their home and their hearts to me. I’ll do everything I can to become a true Maverick.”
“Hear, hear,” said the Mavericks, as a couple of the women dabbed at their eyes.
Jenny: “I’m so thankful that Bud and Colby were able to bring Kristen and Matt and the twins to be with us. I would have been worried sick wondering whether they were okay or not.”
Mel: “Like Jenny, I’m thankful that Travis was able to bring Ellen, Matt, and Kathleen here safely to be with us. Knowing that our families are all together will make it a little easier to deal with whatever is yet to come.”
Olivia, Colby’s always precocious 11-year-old, chimed in; “I’m thankful there’s so much food and I’m hungry. When can we eat?”
That broke the somberness that was beginning to permeate the gathering and was followed by Travis, who pretty well summed it up for everyone. “I know without everyone saying it, we’re all thankful we have each other. We never dreamed when we formed the Mavericks as a golfing group, that our friendship would become as important as it is today. We’re celebrating the 239th anniversary of the founding of our nation. We don’t know if we’ll celebrate the 240th but we can always celebrate this date as the day on which our families drew closer together to face an uncertain future with a positive attitude. Charlie Chaplin once said, ‘Humor heightens our sense of survival and preserves our sanity,’ and it’s with that sense of humor I agree with Olivia and say, ‘Let’s eat!’”
The children broke ranks first but were closely followed by the adults. Everyone grabbed the closest seats and began filling their plates. Families were scattered among other families and, for at least a short period of time, conversation ceased as they hungrily attacked the buffet before them. Plates and bowls were passed between tables so that everyone was able to get some of whatever they wanted. Indeed all 25 of them were part of one big family sharing the Fourth of July dinner table.
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It was almost three hours later that everyone had satiated their appetites, had consumed their fill of pop, iced tea, and beer, and now were treated to cups of coffee brewed on the heat from the charcoal in the smoker by the ever resourceful, Carly.
The children had made quick work of the very soft ice cream that had been kept in the Westin’s refrigerator. They didn’t seem to mind at all that Tara had told them they had to eat it all or it would be relegated to the trash. They didn’t understand “relegated” but they did understand “eat it all.” And, they did!
The ladies and the older children began collecting the paper plates, cups, and plastic utensils, deciding that rather than wash them for future use, they’d save the water and dispose of them with the garbage.
The men, in brief conversation, decided it was time to get started on the inventories and assessments they had earlier determined should be done.
It was decided, on the suggestion of Bud, that he, Tanner, and Jason would take a two-way radio with them and leave one with Bishop. “I don’t think we’ll have any trouble,” Bud said, “but I’ll feel better knowing that we are in communication if either of us needs the other. We’ll pick up the gate key and my truck at the house and head on down to the Ranger Headquarters. We should be back long before dark.”◘
Chapter 11
Scorpions
They heard the sound before they saw anything; like the thunder of a caravan of 16-wheelers geared down and struggling up a steep grade. Then the first of a long line of motorcycles: Harley Davidsons, some Yamaha crotch rockets, and a couple of dirt bikes that looked out of place among the much larger Harleys, made the turn off Highway 179 onto the entrance road to
the Forest Service Headquarters, some 20 motorcycles in all.
Bud, Tanner, and Jason ducked back into the storage building they had been inspecting when they had emerged to see what the noise was, but not before Jason had seen the large telltale red scorpion that covered the back of the black leather vests and jackets of the bikers, and the pennants many of them flew from flexible plastic aerials attached to the rear of their bikes.
The entrance road came in at a right angle to the highway for about 100 yards and then split. The left split curving back at a 30-degree angle to the headquarters building and the Visitor’s Center, which were on either side of a large parking area. Another parking area lay to the right of the headquarters to provide parking for hikers accessing the Woods Canyon hiking trailhead. The right split curved back on itself like a “U” for 25-yards until it ended at the gate to the maintenance yard. The yard was shaped like a boomerang and at the near end was a large maintenance building and a large parking area for the Forest Service vehicles. At the far end, on the other arm of the boomerang, were three storage sheds, about the size of more or less standard, elongated, 3-car garages.
Fortunately, the storage buildings were partially sheltered from sight by the large vehicle maintenance building, and they were not observed as the line of bikers followed the entrance road past the fenced yard to the headquarters building and the Visitor’s Center.
When Jason told Bud and Tanner who the bikers were, only Tanner had a quizzical look on his face. Bud and Jason’s faces showed looks of grave concern.
Sinagua Rising Page 11
