The E.M.P. Chronicles (Book 2): A Life Without Power

by McTatey, Zayden (Oz)

  Once out of the emergency water packets, they used the Life Straw™ that Oz placed in the Bug Out Bag as a means of emergency water filtration. Any time BJ and Scott came across a stream or pond, they simply placed the Life Straw™ in the water, and just as you would use a straw found in restaurants, drank the water. The water, prior to being swallowed, was filtered for waterborne bacteria and parasites to include E. coli, salmonella, giardia, and cryptosporidium.

  BJ WAS SOMEWHAT familiar with the location of Brian and Elizabeth Tregor’s house. He visited them several times with his father and remembered they lived on a small lake with only one neighbor. Their house was well hidden among the trees with a quarter mile driveway that led to the house. As he examined the map, he pinpointed the exact location of their house. BJ realized that approaching their house from the main driveway posed two problems. First, both he and Scott would be out in the open and the potential existed that others would see them, perhaps even approach them and try and take what they had or even worse, kill them. And second, and most importantly, approaching from the drive could get them shot by the Tregors whom BJ knew would be protecting their property. He decided that it would be best to approach through the forest east of their house. Once close enough, he would contact them on the radio and approach only when it was safe.

  BJ turned to Scott and said, “One more hour. One more hour and then we’re there.”

  Forty-five minutes later, BJ took his Bug Out Bag off and sat it on the ground. He unzipped the main compartment and took out the Baofeng™ radio and headset. He turned the knob clockwise and the radio powered on. He plugged the headset into the radio and placed the headset over his hat. He pulled out a piece of paper that was tucked away in the bag that the radio was stored in. He examined the paper closely and took a minute to understand its content.

  While looking at Scott, BJ pushed the transmit button on the headset and said, “Zulu 3 to Tango 1, a drunk dragon does not sleep.”

  He waited several seconds and repeated the phrase, “Zulu 3 to Tango 1, a drunk dragon does not sleep.”

  Scott peered at BJ with a look of complete confusion. “What the hell was that?” Scott asked.

  “I told you earlier that my dad and Brian had a radio language that was off the charts,” BJ answered as he looked down at the radio expecting Brian to answer at any moment.

  “Here,” BJ said as he handed Scott the piece of paper he was reading from. “These are some of the phrases and responses you’re expected to say and hear in certain circumstances. Because we’re approaching a family member’s property in hostile circumstances, I say, ‘A drunk dragon does not sleep’ and I know it’s clear to approach their house when I hear, ‘Unless you’re sleeping on a pile of gold.’ Each phrase must be exact. It never made sense to me when my dad first made me practice. Now, it makes complete sense. It’s to protect the families.”

  With no response from his last transmission, BJ said, “We’re still too far away. Let’s walk another 100 yards and try again.”

  One hundred yards later, BJ transmitted again with no luck. They would need to be much closer. They continued walking until the Tregor’s house was just in sight. BJ and Scott lay flat on the ground behind several downed trees to camouflage themselves.

  BJ desperately wanted to approach the Tregor’s house; after all, it was only 75 yards away and he looked forward to the safety and comfort they would provide. However, he realized he needed to rely on the training and advice his father gave him. The families had a strict protocol when approaching another family’s house in a hostile situation. If you valued your life, you made contact first. That is exactly what he would do.

  As BJ was getting ready to transmit, he caught a glimpse of a group of men in the forest carrying what appeared to be two rafts. BJ and Scott were some distance from the men and were well hidden. Although they would not be seen, BJ was concerned. He was concerned that he and Scott were unarmed and had no means to defend themselves. BJ looked at Scott and put his finger to his mouth indicating “be quiet” and pointed to the men. Scott shook his head up and down acknowledging the signal and the presence of the men.

  Although the men were well armed, BJ noticed that they didn’t standardize on a particular type of weapon like the Tregors and his parents did. He knew this meant it was not an organized group and they would be more unpredictable in their actions and behaviors. BJ also noticed they didn’t have standardized uniforms like his families. This was not good.

  He immediately began transmitting in a low whisper, “Zulu 3 to Tango 1, a drunk dragon does not sleep. I repeat Zulu 3 to Tango 1, a drunk dragon does not sleep.”

  To his surprise, BJ heard Brian respond, “Tango 1 to Zulu 3, unless you’re sleeping on a pile of gold. I repeat, Tango 1 to Zulu 3, unless you’re sleeping on a pile of gold,” Brian said.

  BJ looked at Scott and gave him a thumbs up. They had made contact with the Tregors but their situation would be catastrophic unless he alerted them to what he just saw.

  6

  IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME

  “Elizabeth,” Brian said as he finished talking to Oz on the shortwave radio. “They were attacked by an organized group of people. Not once but twice. Cali and Lloyd were both shot. Nicki said they’ll both survive but she’s most worried about Lloyd. They still haven’t heard from BJ.”

  Brian paused for a few seconds and then looked at Elizabeth.

  “We’ve been lucky to avoid people, including gangs, but I’m confident we’ll have escaped prisoners visiting us soon,” Brian continued. “It’s time to buckle down. We need to begin using our call signs. Do you remember what they are?”

  “Of course,” Elizabeth said as she began rambling them off. “Zulu 1 is Oz, Zulu 2 is Nicki, Zulu 3 is BJ, Zulu 4 is Cali, Zulu 5, Randall, you’re Tango 1, I’m Tango 2, Luke, Tango 3, and Jessy Tango 4.”

  “Perfect,” he said while loading magazines. “Remember, we use the call signs any time we’re on the radio or on any of our properties. Oz also mentioned that the family has been expanded by two—Naomi and Cheyanne are their names. He said he would explain later but they traveled together from Georgia to Kentucky. He trusts them with his life. He also mentioned they have a young boy whose name is Buzz. He didn’t have time to explain.”

  “The only way we’ll see them again is if we activate the Bug Out plan,” Elizabeth said. “It’s been six weeks since we lost power. We should have bugged out earlier, but not knowing where Luke is may have caused us to make a bad decision.” She was somewhat upset at herself.

  “Elizabeth, I know you’re worried that we haven’t been able to contact Luke and the family,” he said. “But Luke has the same training we do. I’m confident that they’re safe.”

  “What about BJ?” Elizabeth said.

  “He’s our responsibility, too,” Brian said with concern in his voice. “Since he’s not here, we’ll need to hit the back roads on the way to our bug out cabin. BJ knows the route. Oz included a map in his Bug Out Bag. I’m sure he didn’t deviate and when we bug out, we’ll probably cross paths.”

  “Brian,” Elizabeth said in a low tone. “It’s just you and I now. We’re both exhausted from standing guard duty around the clock. We can’t do this much longer. When do we head to ZP?”

  Over the radio headsets, and very unexpectedly, they heard, “Zulu 3 to Tango 1, a drunk dragon does not sleep. I repeat, Zulu 3 to Tango 1, a drunk dragon does not sleep.”

  Brian looked at Elizabeth in surprise and then responded, “Tango 1 to Zulu 3, Unless you’re sleeping on a pile of gold. I repeat, Tango 1 to Zulu 3, Unless you’re sleeping on a pile of gold.”

  “No time to talk,” BJ said frantically. “There is a group of eight bogies with rafts headed your way. They’re getting on the water now. Again, eight bogies with rafts headed your way. Armed with AR-15s, several SKSs, and hunting rifles. We’re east of your house in cover. I’m with my friend Scott.”

  Before they could continue their discussion, they heard
gunfire. It was close. Several seconds later, they heard it again but this time it was closer.

  “BJ, stay where you are,” Brian advised. “You’re not armed. Elizabeth and I will remedy the situation. Stand by and remain in cover until we give the all clear.”

  “YOU HEARD BJ,” Brian said. “We have gunfire coming from the front of the house and bogies in the back. Vest on, helmets on.

  “I’ll watch upstairs, you watch the basement. Tell me when they’re about 300 yards from the house.”

  “This is real!” Elizabeth exclaimed.

  “This is real,” Brian answered and kissed her before running upstairs. Brian peered out the front window and only saw his HUMVEE connected to an M1102 camouflage trailer.

  “Elizabeth,” Brian said pushing the button on his Baofeng™ headset. “What do you see?”

  “They’re about 500 yards out,” she said as her voice trembled. Her hands were shaking as she peered out the basement window facing the lake.

  Never looking away, she continued to measure their distance through the distance finder.

  “It was only a matter of time!” she spoke to herself not realizing she hit the transmit button on her radio.

  “Yes, it was only a matter of time,” Brian answered. “There’s nothing we could have done to stop this. In this new world brother will turn against brother and sister against sister.”

  Brian’s response surprised her but she in fact knew it was only a matter of time before they were placed in a life and death situation.

  “Brian, 400 yards and closing,” Elizabeth exclaimed. “Two rafts headed in our direction. I count eight bogies. What do we do?” Elizabeth said with fear in her voice.

  Brian and Elizabeth lived on a man-made reservoir with a small island about 250 yards from their house. The next closest house to them was across the reservoir and well hidden in the forest timber. There were no other neighbors.

  Although access to their house was easy enough from the front drive, this group somehow chose to approach from the water.

  “To get to the water, they had to walk through the forest while carrying two inflatable boats,” Brian thought. “Why not just approach from land and surround the house?” Something didn’t seem right.

  Brian ran down the stairs and told Elizabeth to switch places with him. When he saw the two groups of men in small inflatable rafts, he put his binoculars down and his mind immediately began planning how to repel an attack; but he had to do it quick. The men would be on his property in less than five minutes. They were now 300 yards from his house.

  “Brian!” Elizabeth said in a terrified voice. “I have five bogies walking down the drive. About 100 yards from the house. They’re inside the tree line. What do I do?”

  “What are they wearing and what type of weapons?” Brian asked.

  “Some wearing jeans and shirts, others wearing camouflage clothing,” Elizabeth said now peering through the binoculars. “Weapons range from a bat to shotguns to ARs. Brian, two of the men have MS-13 tattoos.”

  “Threat Condition Alpha, Brian immediately responded. “Threat Condition Alpha.”

  The McTateys and Tregors had created multiple security action Threat Condition (Threat Con) Plans in the event an SHTF occurred. The plans were documented and practiced when the families would drill together. This meant that regardless of where the families were, at their primary residence or at the Bug Out Location, when a plan was called, the action would be the same by all family members.

  Elizabeth opened the window, took out her Leatherman™ and cut the screen away. She brought the AR-15 up to her shoulder and peered through the Meprolight™ (Mepro) sight. She took careful aim at a bottle about 75 yards from the house. The bottle was fluorescent green and hidden behind a tree. You could only see it if you were looking at it from their house. She flipped the safety off and fired. A loud explosion was felt as the air rippled with a wave of pure energy. The noise was deafening. Elizabeth immediately dropped to the floor.

  When Brian heard the explosion, he fired at the hull of the two rafts. He fired four well placed shots into the bow of each boat. He could see the rafts quickly deflate and the men panicking as water began pouring in. The men scrambled to get to the island, dropping their weapons which quickly sank to the water’s bottom.

  “Four of the men are down,” Elizabeth said over the headset while peering through the window. “One is on the ground but moving.”

  “The men in the boats are swimming for the island,” Brian replied. “Several of them are having a hard time staying afloat. Their wet clothes are weighing them down. Not all of them will make it.”

  The whole event took only 5 seconds to happen and nine bullets; from the explosion to the sinking of the two rafts. Five seconds and nine bullets had forever changed the lives of 13 men.

  Of the eight men in the raft, five swam and were isolated on the small island 250 yards from the Tregor’s house while three drowned.

  “The back is secure,” Brian said as he ran upstairs.

  Elizabeth was in a daze when Brian grabbed her hand and peered out the window. He was amazed at what the explosion had done. As he held Elizabeth’s hand, he could feel her shaking.

  “You had to do it,” Brian said comforting her. “It was either them or us. It will always be us and our family, each and every time.”

  Elizabeth had detonated a bottle filled with Tannerite and ball bearings. It was a last stance defense mechanism that each family placed throughout their properties. It was something they never intended to use unless their livelihood or families were in danger. It was one of many security devices throughout the property.

  “I’m headed outside to check on the guy on the ground,” Brian said. “I need to learn more about them, more about their group. You stay in the house and cover me just in case there’s more.”

  Brian picked up the binoculars and scanned the property. He looked in all directions and was relieved to see nothing.

  “Zulu 3, this is Tango 1,” Brian said over the radio. “Premises clear. Repeat premises clear. Come on up to the house BJ.”

  “Roger that,” BJ responded. “Approaching the house from the east.”

  “Elizabeth, cover BJ just in case we missed something,” Brian said as he opened the front door; keeping the AR-15 at his shoulder ready to engage anyone they may have missed.

  As he walked toward the only man alive, he continually scanned the area, always staying alert. He was within fifteen feet of several dead bodies when he saw an MS-13 tattoo on one of the men. The same tattoo Elizabeth saw. He approached closer and noticed that each man had teardrops tattooed on each side of their eyes. He knew this represented the death or murder of someone.

  Now more cautious than ever, the Mepro sight on Brian’s rifle did not leave the man’s chest. Brian studied the man and saw that his body was covered with small holes. Blood was dripping onto the ground from his wounds. Brian knew it was only a matter of minutes before he died.

  As he approached, the dying man said, “You have no idea what you did.” With labored breathing, he continued, “When we don’t return tonight, you’ll be killed. El Jefe will send a dozen more men.”

  “Who are you and what are you looking for,” Brian demanded.

  “None of your business to both questions,” the man answered with a smile. Gasping for air he continued, “What I will tell you is that we know you’re a prepper. We know you have guns, food, medical supplies, and even liquor.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Brian said.

  “No need to lie, man,” the dying man replied. “Harold Lowe, you know the one who owns the gun store in town? He told us about all the repeat customers. We were able to persuade him to talk and it seems you were buying guns and ammo in large quantities several times a month.” With that, the man slowly began gurgling blood. Before he died, he said, “Me and my brothers are coming for people like you.” He closed his eyes and took his last breath.

  Brian turned
and walked back toward the house and was greeted by BJ and Scott. BJ and Brian gave each other a big hug and were soon joined by Elizabeth. She looked at BJ and began to cry. Although she cared for BJ and the McTatey family, seeing BJ only made her think of her son and family. She needed to find them.

  As the four entered the house, Brian ran downstairs and peered out the window. The men were still on the small island and Brian could see they were desperately trying to come up with a plan. They were planning to get off the island.

  He ran back upstairs and said, “Elizabeth, BJ, Scott, gather all critical supplies. We need to leave right after the sun sets.”

  7

  A FAMILY RECOVERING

  It had been six weeks since the power went permanently out and two days since the McTatey family had been in a fierce life and death battle to protect their house. It wasn’t without casualties on both sides; the attackers and the defenders.

  Oz was beginning to slowly recover from a concussion. Cali, Oz’s daughter, on the other hand, was unable to move her left arm. She was shot by an attacker with what appeared to be a .223 round. Nicki, Oz’s wife and a registered nurse, had every confidence Cali would regain full use of her shoulder, but there was still the concern of infection. Nicki kept a close eye on her making sure to frequently clean the wound and replace the bandages.

  Lloyd, Oz’s father, was much more of a concern. He had been shot three times trying to save Nicki. One of the bullets was lodged in his right leg but missed the femoral artery. Although a registered nurse, Nicki had never assisted in surgery or been on a surgical floor. Her only experience was a rotation she did as a nursing student. Nevertheless, Nicki acted and cut away tissue and muscle and was able to recover the bullet in his leg. After cleaning, suturing, and wrapping the wound, Nicki’s next concern was the loss of blood from a bullet that grazed Lloyd’s jugular vein. Nicki was able to stop the bleeding but knew Lloyd was in desperate need of a transfusion. Having never done a blood transfusion, Nicki took the risky step of performing a human-to-human transfusion. Lloyd was A-B positive and she knew it made him a universal receiver of any blood type. Thanks to Naomi, whom Oz helped rescue along his way home, and Connie, Oz’s mother, the transfusion was a success. As with Cali, Nicki would have to watch for signs of infection and make sure Lloyd took his time recovering.