Survival Rules Series (Book 4): Rules of Engagement

by Hunt, Jack

  “Why don’t we just enter the domes and wait it out?”

  Everyone wanted answers. Tyler sat on a rock looking across at Andy, he didn’t envy his position. Even though there were ten founding members who made the hard decisions, nine now that Jude was gone, it couldn’t have been easy. There would always be those who would want to do the opposite, if only for the sake of being a pain in the ass. Out the corner of his eye he caught Allie staring at him from across the way. As soon as he met her gaze, she turned away. He had to admit he’d been a little hard on her but in two months he’d grown fond of her, and after what happened to his brother’s fiancée, he didn’t want to get close to anyone, as there was no telling who would survive. He didn’t think he could handle losing someone he cared for. He’d already seen how it had damaged Corey. Besides, his mind had been a whirlwind of activity since learning that his mother was not only alive but behind the raids, and that Jude had known all this time.

  He was of two minds as to what to do. He wasn’t dodging the issue, he planned to tell them but they had enough on their plate as it was and as long as Jude and Camp O’Brien kept their distance, maybe it didn’t matter. Any mother that would walk out on her kids wasn’t much of a mother, he thought. Still, curiosity had got the better of him and every day since seeing her, he’d gone out in the evening and observed the comings and goings of Camp O’Brien, as well as taking a trip out to the fire lookout, in the grand hope of meeting her. Tyler glanced at his wristwatch. He could tell this was going to go on long into the night. Too many questions. Too many opinions. This was the first time they had experienced any real threat. Jude’s group lingered on the outskirts but they were monitoring them and no one had attacked. With Ferris laid up in bed and Hudgens underneath the earth, they now had to take drastic new measures to ensure everyone’s safety.

  Once everyone had settled, Andy spoke. “Please understand that your safety is of the utmost importance to us. If push comes to shove, we will retreat into the domes. There is enough food and supplies to carry each of us for at least a year, however, as someone mentioned, there are family members still in Whitefish. Terri-Lynne’s mother is there, Jake Browning’s grandfather, Keith Olsen’s sister, and that’s just to name a few. Then of course there is the commitment we made to the town to help and support them in whatever way we could. Still, I am a realist and if it comes down to them or us, I will seal the doors on the domes.” He sighed. “In the meantime, we will monitor the situation as it unfolds. Security has been doubled on the walls. No one is to leave the camp. In the event of an attack, you know what to do.” He stepped to one side and gestured to Edison to bring them up to speed on what Ferris had told them, along with the recent situation report from Corey.

  Tyler glanced at his watch for a second time, then peeled off into the darkness. He returned to his dome and collected his backpack, making sure to fill it with some additional items for the evening.

  “Planning a trip?” Allie asked. He glanced over his shoulder to find her leaning against the doorway. He resumed stuffing a few extra pieces of clothing in his bag as the temperature dropped at night. “You know, if Andy finds out…”

  “You going to tell him?” Tyler asked, shrugging the bag onto his back.

  “Depends. Where are you heading?”

  “Probably best I don’t tell you,” he said turning off the light that was powered by solar. As he stepped out into the night, he glanced off towards where everyone was still gathered. They were still debating the best approach to take. With so many things to consider and Andy’s need to be in control, he figured they’d be lucky to be done by the time he returned.

  “Look, about earlier,” Allie said.

  Tyler waved her off. “Just forget it.”

  “I… I didn’t want things to become awkward between us.”

  “And they haven’t. It’s fine. I have to go.”

  As he walked off, she said, “You’re going to see her, aren’t you? Your mother?”

  Tyler turned still walking backwards. He shrugged.

  “Well if you’re going, I’m going with you.”

  “Uh, no. I’m going alone.”

  She caught up with him. “Unless you want me to raise the alarm, I’m going with you. Someone needs to watch your back.”

  “Like I can’t do that?”

  He would have fought her on the decision but he was already running late. Over the past month he’d been monitoring the days and times Jude would meet with her. He’d noticed on a particular day of the week, she would arrive early, at least thirty minutes early at the fire lookout. He planned to take advantage of that and confront her.

  Allie gathered her bow and a bag, and while everyone was busy swapping ideas, they slipped out, concealed by darkness. They knew they couldn’t get a horse out of the stables, but when Allie was having issues with Jude, her father had created a stable of her own where she kept her horse, less than half a mile from camp. They trudged through the forest talking as they went.

  “What will you say to her?”

  “I haven’t really given it much thought.”

  “Come on, you had a month to think it over.”

  “Sure. Things pop into my head but then I question whether or not it’s worth asking.”

  “Like?”

  Tyler’s brow furrowed. “Look, I really don’t want to get into it. This day has bothered me enough as it is. Nate and Erika are stuck in Whitefish and who knows how long it’s going to take for Andy to decide whether we should do anything about the town. Knowing him, he’ll request to batten down the hatches and hole up until trouble comes knocking.”

  “That’s not a bad idea.”

  “Running from trouble never solves it. It only delays the inevitable. If we run from this, we’ll do the same with the next group. And believe me, there will be another group.”

  They trudged through the thick woodland until they arrived at the mini stable that was covered. It was full of hay, and it was set up so that a nearby stream’s water passed through underneath the outer structure and over a trough creating one continuous flow of water that the horse could drink from. While Allie got the horse, Tyler scanned the perimeter. “You know, having this horse out here isn’t smart. Anyone could take it.”

  “But no one has.”

  “And what if something happens to you? Who will deal with the horse?”

  She guided the horse out. “I never took you for an animal lover.”

  He rolled his eyes and mounted the horse. Allie got on the back and put her arms around his waist and they took off heading west. It was a long journey that would take close to three hours by car if traveling on Highway 93 to Highway 37, but they were able to shave an hour and a half off that time by cutting through the Kootenai National Forest.

  After concealing the horse in the forest, they walked the remainder of the way.

  A quick look through the binoculars and he saw her in the A-frame lookout. She was alone, and would be for the next twenty minutes. It had taken them a little longer than he thought and he was now of two minds as to whether he should risk it. Jude would be along soon and he was the last person he wanted to encounter, especially after what he’d done to Maddox.

  “Well? Are you going?” Allie asked.

  “Yeah. Yeah. Just give me a minute.” He paced, questions going through his mind. This was it. The opportunity he’d always wanted but now it was here he wasn’t sure he could go through with it.

  “Time’s ticking, Tyler.”

  He glanced at his watch, nodded and told her to keep an eye out. If Jude arrived sooner, she would unload two rounds to alert him. Feeling sick to his stomach he bounded down the steep incline and made his way into the open space where the lookout was centered. Keeping his rifle low, he hurried to the ladder and began to climb. Three times he nearly turned back but something drove him on. When he made it to the top, he took a deep breath before approaching the door. He turned the knob and opened it. His mother’s back was turned, and
she was drinking a glass of wine, and had a book in hand.

  “You’re early,” she said. When she turned her jaw dropped ever so slightly.

  Tyler stood in the doorway staring at her.

  “Hello, Mother,” he said, walking in and closing the door behind him.

  “Tyler?” Dianna rose from her seat and slowly opened her arms. “You’ve grown so much.” He backed up, raising a hand as she came forward.

  “I don’t have a lot of time so let’s skip the bullshit, shall we?”

  She looked pained by his response. Dianna folded her arms and her demeanor changed as she dipped her chin. “I guess you want to know why?”

  “Want? Deserve is a better word, don’t you think?”

  There was a momentary pause.

  “Do Andy and Corey know?”

  Tyler snorted. “I guess I should ask you that,” he said. “Seems to me I’m the last to know anything around here. Including Jude, and a little matter of him being my biological father.” He paused gauging her reaction. There was nothing. No expression of guilt. “Yeah, that was quite an eye opener. But this… this takes it to a whole new level.”

  “Have you told them?” She asked again.

  He wouldn’t answer that, instead he glanced at his watch then asked her, “Just tell me why? That’s all I want to know.”

  Dianna brought a hand to her face and squeezed the bridge of her nose. “There is a lot you don’t know about me, Tyler.” She sighed. “I don’t expect you to understand. I know I haven’t lived up to your expectation or anyone’s of what a mother should be. In truth, I should have never been one but…”

  “Well, don’t worry, sweetheart, you weren’t one.”

  The look on her face said it all. Like a knife being stuck into her heart, the harsh reality was now setting in. Oh she might have been able to avoid the pain and guilt associated with walking out of their lives, and not seeing them on a daily basis would have helped, but he sure as hell wasn’t gonna let her sleep tonight without those words ringing in her head. “Tyler.” She tried to approach him and lift a hand to his face but he backed up.

  “Don’t. Just don’t,” he said pointing a finger at her. He didn’t want her touching him. Hell, he didn’t want to be around her but he was tired of the lies and just wanted truth. Dianna nodded as if understanding how much pain she’d caused. “Tell me the truth,” Tyler demanded.

  She turned her back and looked out an open window as if incapable of looking him in the eye. Or was it to cover her own inner anguish?

  “Long before I met Andy or Jude, I worked for the government. There had been talks on the table for a long time about the state of the nation. This…” She breathed in deeply lifting her hands as if to indicate it. “All of this wasn’t the work of a foreign country. I know fingers are being pointed at Russia, China or North Korea. But the truth is…we did this to ourselves.”

  Tyler frowned. “What?”

  She turned, a look of confidence on her face.

  “The U.S. government caused the blackout. Well, that’s not entirely true. A specific group of people within the government were behind it. Enemies of the state. The same people responsible for atrocities that were attributed to terrorism. The Northeast Blackout in 2003, that was a test on a small scale. Different but still a test. Of course people believe it was caused by a series of tree branches touching power lines but that’s not the whole story. That was just a cover to see how people would deal with one aspect of losing power. There was much more at play behind the scenes. Preparations were being made for something greater.” She picked up her drink and took a sip.

  “A blackout? But this was an EMP. All the signs are there.”

  She nodded, nursing her drink. “You’re right.”

  “So the USA. You’re suggesting they did this to themselves?”

  “Like I said, not exactly.” She gave an exasperated sigh. “It’s too complicated to explain. There are those that exist that would rather see the demise of this country and what it stands for, and there are people in positions of power that wanted to reset and rebuild the nation. This was the outcome.”

  Tyler squinted. “Well, thank you for that beautiful update,” he said in a sarcastic tone. “Not that it exactly helps unless of course you’re telling me your nefarious co-workers are looking to restore power in the near future? Are they?” She didn’t reply, so he continued, “Anyway what has any of this got to do with you walking away from two kids? Huh? What mother would allow young children to feel such pain? Never mind how this affected Andy. Which I might add was part of the reason why he was such an asshole. But you wouldn’t know anything about that, would you? Oh no, you were too intent on filling you own selfish needs to be with Jude.”

  “That wasn’t why I did it.”

  “Who cares. The question is, how do you live with yourself?”

  She took a few steps forward, trying to bridge the gap. “Tyler, what I did was for the good of you both. I can’t give you all the reasons why but—”

  He shook his head. “Don’t you dare tell me that. You don’t get to justify it. That’s the kind of bullshit Andy said after he inflicted his punishing regime of training on us.” Tears welled up in his eyes. “Did you know about that? No, you wouldn’t. You should have been there to stop it. To stop him. But then again, he had his reasons, didn’t he?”

  She swallowed a mouthful of her wine and was about to reply when two gunshots rang out. Tyler turned his head towards the window and saw the glow of a vehicle’s headlights bouncing up the gravel road. Within minutes it would be at the foot of the lookout.

  “That’s my cue to leave.”

  “Tyler.”

  “I’d say it was nice meeting you, Mother, but that wouldn’t exactly be true.” He reached for the handle and swung it open. Before he left, he turned and cast a glance over his shoulder. “You should know that the militia have moved into Whitefish. It’s only a matter of time before they make their way north to us. They already know about our camp. I wouldn’t be surprised if they’re familiar with yours.” He scoffed. “Hell, who knows, maybe they work for you.”

  With that said he walked out and descended quickly, all the while keeping his eyes on the approaching headlights. When he made it to the bottom, he looked up and saw Dianna peering over. No further parting words were exchanged, just a glare. Without wasting another second, he took off before Jude arrived.

  7

  Rage welled inside Wyatt Hopkins as he looked over the bloody corpses. He told his guys to bag ’em up and they would give them a proper burial later that day. At the very least they deserved that. Until now, he’d only lost one man since the blackout, and that was due to an accident. But this, this was an act of war. His eyes scanned the room, and he ambled over to a window and looked at a partial bloody handprint on a pane of glass.

  Nelson Riker, one of his closest friends, held a clipboard as he approached. “From what Harrison says, Stephens pulled aside a nurse that had been attending to a woman by the name of Erika Lyons. She was unaccounted for even though she was meant to be discharged.”

  “This nurse. Where is she?”

  “Gone.”

  He took the clipboard and scanned it. “Seems she had some help. The question is from who?” Hopkins dropped the clipboard, shifted the window back and climbed out into the bright morning light. It was still early, just after six when he got the news. An orange band of sunshine stretched across the horizon, making him squint as he stepped onto the roof and followed the droplets of blood. He held his carbine at the ready, surveying the landscape, wondering if they were still in the vicinity. Riker followed him as he made his way across to the far side of the building to where they’d escaped.

  “Didn’t anyone see them leave?” he asked in frustration.

  “No.”

  He pointed west. “Chances are they went into the forest. It’s the closest to here.” He paused. “I want them found. And Riker, double the efforts to erect the walls.”
r />   “We already have the community doing it.”

  “All of them?”

  There was a pause. “As many as we can handle. We’re fortunate they haven’t retaliated.”

  He squinted into the distance. “We have the chief to thank for that.”

  Riker frowned. “I’m not sure I would trust him.”

  Hopkins rested one leg on the lip of the building and gazed down at the delivery truck. He could see indents in the metal roof where someone had dropped on top of it. He imagined he’d encounter a few bumps along the way, but if he didn’t get on top of this, it wouldn’t take long for some kind of resistance to form. An idea came to him. As Riker turned to walk away, he yelled over his shoulder. “One last thing, Riker. I want to speak with the chief. Bring him out to the front of City Hall.”

  Riker gave a nod and disappeared inside while Hopkins remained there for a few minutes longer looking north towards the town of Whitefish. He’d been itching for an event like this to happen. They all had. Months prior to the blackout he’d attended an invite-only gathering with a number of anti-government militia leaders from around the country to discuss the future, and what it would take to change the nation. There, he was privy to a number of revolutionary ideas, some more radical than others but most violent and dangerous. Of course he’d heard rumors swirling that a group of militia sympathizers in high-up positions of government were in talks about squeezing the trigger on a big event that would level the playing field but he thought it was just that — talk, nothing more. On the day the lights went out, he knew it was them.

  No corners had been cut in their decision. They knew what they were doing and how it would impact the nation and bring the government to its knees. He’d recalled Roger Cambridge, a close friend and leader from the 3 percenters, telling him that a day was coming when militia groups from all over the country would have the opportunity to change the future.

  This was that time, and he fully intended to make it count. No one, especially those that opposed his view, would stop him.