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

by McTatey, Zayden (Oz)

  “Your dad and I vote ZP,” Connie said.

  “Buzz, what is your vote?” Oz said.

  With his blue eyes staring at Nicki he said, “ZP.” He then whispered, “Was that the right answer, Ms. Nicki?”

  “Yes, it was,” she said with a smile.

  “Well then, ZP it is,” Oz said knowing that it would probably be a challenge to get there.

  “We’ve made our decision,” he continued. “We leave in the early morning around 2:00 a.m. Staying here another day does us no good. In theory, we should be at ZP between 6:00 and 7:00 a.m., if all goes well.”

  Before the group separated, Naomi raised her hand and said, “I recommend we take the ammunition and guns and as much of the medical supplies as we can carry. Weapons will always be needed or can be traded and the medical supplies you have are, simply put, lifesaving. We can all carry something in our laps and it sounds as if you have plenty of food there, so it won’t be an immediate priority.”

  “True, Naomi,” Oz said. “But we’ll also need to carry four of my five-gallon Jerry cans. We’ll need the additional diesel fuel to get us there. Unfortunately, we’ll have to carry a couple of the Jerry cans in the Suburban and we’ll place as much as we can of the other stuff on the roof rack.”

  “Got it. In that case we’ll only carry the essentials,” Naomi replied.

  OZ STOPPED TO think about the vote that just took place. Even though it was a foregone conclusion that the family would Bug Out to ZP, Oz’s true purpose was to set the precedent that all future decisions, even if the answer or solution was known, would be made as a family—as a team. Regardless of what the future held, they would do everything together as a family.

  10

  THE DETAILS

  “Nicki, Naomi, Randall,” Oz said somewhat quietly.

  The three walked over to Oz, confused about why he was talking in a low voice.

  “Even though we’ll be in the Suburban, I was thinking we still need to set up a security detail,” he began. “I don’t want to alarm the family, but I don’t have high confidence it will be a straightforward drive. I recommend I drive while the three of you sit near a window. Of course, you’ll be armed and ready at all times to engage whatever we encounter.”

  “I’ll volunteer to drive,” Naomi said.

  With a look of confusion Oz said, “No, I need you to man a window and be ready for a firefight.”

  “Hold on, buster,” Naomi said frustrated. “I’ve been on active duty for over 20 years and overseas for two tours. I’ve driven more Humvees than you can shake a stick at. Driving your Suburban will be a piece of cake. Not to mention that if I drive, that will allow you to navigate and keep an extra set of eyes on the road and surrounding area. You know what you’re looking for and if we, by chance, have to drive at night, this will be important. If you drive, you might be so focused on the road ahead of you that you’ll miss a turn off and then our lives could be in peril.”

  “Time out you two,” Nicki said. “I’ll drive. Naomi will sit in the passenger seat and navigate. Oz you can sit in the passenger seat behind me. You’re left-handed; it’s the best position for you.”

  Nicki paused looking at the Suburban and then turned to Oz and Naomi and finished, “You two are the best and most accurate with the guns. At least if I drive, you’re both free to defend the vehicle.”

  Naomi and Oz looked at each other with a look of confusion and bewilderment but agreed that that was the best plan moving forward.

  Although this was a small disagreement, Oz was happy to see that it had been resolved by talking through it. Everybody presented an option and, as adults, they agreed on an outcome. This gave Oz confidence that when larger decisions had to be made, they would find a solution together. There wouldn’t be yelling or pointing fingers at one another but instead there would be ideas, negotiation, and an agreed upon solution. It gave Oz even more confidence that Naomi was fitting in with his family and adapting to the changing world.

  “DAD,” RANDALL SAID. “I assume we’ll need full gear including vests and helmets.”

  “Absolutely,” Oz replied and continued, “I’ll need you to tell everyone to place anything personal they’ll be taking in the living room. We won’t have room for everything, but we’ll take what we can. We’ll also need to get the gas cans in the truck and load the roof rack. Let Benny outside. We’ll be preoccupied and he’ll let us know if someone or something is around.”

  Now that each family member had their assignment, they split off knowing they would be leaving soon.

  “CAN THEY SHOOT through the doors?” Randall inquired.

  “What do you mean?” Oz asked.

  “You mentioned that people might try and attack us which means they’ll probably have guns; bullets go through doors and windows,” Randall said.

  Oz stopped and thought about what Randall said.

  “You’re absolutely correct,” he began. “I didn’t even think about that.” Oz was silent for a few seconds and then said, “Randall, do you know why I collected all those telephone books that we have in the shed?”

  “Of course, I know why,” Randall asserted with a smile. “You’re a crazy prepper. You know, like the ones on TV. But, at the end of the day, you’re our crazy prepper and my dad.”

  With a smile, Oz said, “I’ll take that as a compliment, but no, you’re wrong.” “For two reasons: First, the paper in those telephone books are as thin as a sheet of toilet paper.”

  “Ok, I still don’t get it,” Randall interrupted still perplexed.

  “The clue was when I told you thin as toilet paper; meaning we can use those pages for toilet paper when we run out of the real stuff,” Oz said with a laugh. “Not only that, we can use the phonebooks to trade for other stuff. Everybody needs toilet paper.”

  Randall gave a look of disgust and asked, “So, what is the second purpose?”

  “The second purpose is for defense,” Oz said in a more serious tone. “In this case, we’ll take the panels off the doors and place as many phone books in the door frames as we can. They’re thick enough that they should stop small arms fire but will only offer limited protection against rifles. We’ll use duct tape to secure them to the inside walls of the Suburban. Some protection is better than none.”

  “Clever man,” Randall said with pride.

  “Let’s get to it,” Oz said.

  AFTER ARMORING THE Suburban the best he could, Randall went in the house and gathered the family’s personal goods. There was everything from pictures to blankets; nothing too big. He placed all the items in a tote and secured it to the top of the Suburban’s roof rack.

  Oz placed two, five-gallon containers full of diesel in the back of the Suburban and handed Randall two containers to place on the roof rack. Randall secured them with ratchet straps for the bumpy trip and climbed down. Oz popped the hood, checked the oil, and then the air pressure of the tires; all was well. The Suburban was ready for the journey to ZP.

  TOGETHER, NICKI AND Oz walked through each room of the house reminiscing of the wonderful years they had. They remembered playing games on the carpet when the kids were younger. They laughed when they recalled how Cali had accidentally made a hole in the wall while twirling her baton. They cried when they saw Randall’s first grade handprint hanging on the wall. And finally, they stood silent, hand in hand, staring at the family picture on the wall above their bed.

  “We created many memories here, Oz,” Nicki said.

  “We sure did, but we’ll create many more at ZP,” Oz responded.

  “Our primary goal at ZP will be to stay alive,” Nicki began. “It’s not the same as this house. We raised our children here and watched them turn into adults. We didn’t have to worry about death and destruction. At ZP, our memories will only be how we survived to live another day.”

  “It’s true that it’s a different world, but we’re not a different family,” Oz reassured her. “We will always love, care, and protect one another.” He grab
bed and hugged her before leaving their bedroom for the last time.

  OZ WENT BACK to the Suburban and cleaned the windows before doing a final visual inspection. He knew they were ready.

  It was 5:00 a.m. when the family loaded into the Suburban. Lloyd was carefully placed in the back, and with the possibility of having to put the Suburban in four-wheel drive, Oz knew the drive would not be one of comfort. To make his dad more comfortable, they surrounded him with pillows and blankets. Connie sat by his side. Randall handed Benny to Cali and checked his AR-15 one last time before jumping in. He would sit next to the rear passenger window ready to defend his family if necessary. They were now ready for the journey and had prepared the best they could.

  11

  FAREWELLS AND BUGGING OUT

  BJ had tried to convince Scott to come with him to Kentucky and their Bug Out Location, but Scott, just like BJ, knew the importance of family. In this new world, family would be more important than ever and Scott knew his family needed him.

  Brian had shown Scott a route that would take him about two hours to get home, but the most important aspect was the route would provide cover and escape options if he got in trouble.

  BJ and Scott said their farewells and Scott turned and began his walk home.

  Before Scott got too far BJ said, “Scott, I almost forgot.” BJ reached into his Bug Out Bag and pulled out the Ziplock™ bag with the Baofeng™ radio and headset. In the baggie was a note.

  “If you get in trouble and you can travel, here are some instructions that will eventually lead you to ZP,” BJ added. “The directions seem strange and odd but follow them to a ‘T.’ If you don’t, you’ll never find us.”

  The two shared one last hug and parted ways for what was likely the last time.

  “NOW,” BRIAN SAID. “We need to review the Baba Yaga route. We all need to understand it just in case one of us gets…” Brian paused and took a deep breath, “... injured or, Lord forbid, worse. It’s only a matter of hours before whoever just attacked us realizes their gang members aren’t coming home. Once they know we killed several of them, it will be too late.”

  “It was in self-defense,” Elizabeth quickly pointed out.

  “It was,” Brian said. “But the gang won’t care. There is no such thing as self-defense in their eyes. Only death.”

  Brian peered through the binoculars again to make sure that the five men who should have been on the island were in fact still on the island. He could see them talking and by their actions could tell they were formulating a plan to get to shore. They kept pointing to the east which was about a quarter-mile swim to the shore. Several minutes later, Brian saw a tall, lean, well-built man take his shoes off followed by his clothes.

  “One is going to swim for the shore,” Brian told Elizabeth and BJ.

  Without saying another word, Brian ran out the front door and quietly walked around the house toward the backyard. He lay down in the prone position and aimed his AR-15 at a small tree on the island. He fired three rounds at the tree hitting it each time. Several of the men jumped in the water while the others dropped to the ground. The men looked at the Tregor’s house but couldn’t see Brian. He remained motionless. The man who was about to jump in the water quickly dressed and sat down. He knew better than to try and swim for the shore.

  Brian bought them a little more time, but he knew the desperate men would try it again. The last thing the Tregors and BJ needed was the challenge of repelling another attack by these men.

  Brian walked back into the house and the three of them reviewed the Baba Yaga route that they would use to depart Decatur. The route would take them south toward the town of Mt. Vernon, Illinois and then due south to Kentucky. Once at the Kentucky border, they would be at ZP in about an hour.

  Their plan tonight was to take Highway 51 to Highway 128. From there, they’d take small country roads to their Illinois bug out cabin where they hoped to find Luke and his family. Their travels from their Illinois bug out cabin to Zulu Papa, in Kentucky, would be much of the same—small back country roads and private land.

  Overall, the trip, if no problems were encountered, would be around six or seven hours, but given they had to find their son and his family, it could take considerably longer; maybe even days or weeks.

  THE TREGORS HAD purchased a small bug out cabin on five acres of land east of Mt. Vernon, Illinois. Although they rarely visited the cabin, they purchased it primarily as an alternate Bug Out Location and a waypoint for Luke and his family. Luke knew that when the Stuff Hits the Fan, he and his family could bug out to the cabin and await Brian and Elizabeth.

  The Baba Yaga route would take Elizabeth, Brian, and BJ to the cabin using low-traffic roads and, if necessary, crossing private land that the McTateys and Tregors had approval to use. Luke’s drive to the Mt. Vernon bug out cabin would only take four hours from his Indiana home. If he couldn’t drive, and with a family of three, Brian estimated it would take Luke up to a week; maybe longer.

  BJ HELPED BRIAN load the HUMVEE and trailer with critical supplies including sleeping gear, weapons, ammunition, freeze-dried food, medical supplies, communications gear, several cases of emergency water pouches, clothes, car batteries, spare parts for the HUMVEE, six five-gallon Jerry cans full of diesel fuel, various types of oil, and some personal belongings.

  “Now, we wait for the cover of darkness,” Brian said.

  AS NIGHT CLOSED in, Brian, Elizabeth, and BJ got into the HUMVEE and sadness set in. They all knew that they would most likely not be returning to Illinois. Before the EMP, the state was corrupt, nearly bankrupt, and barely recognized the Second Amendment, but it was home to Brian and Elizabeth’s family, and where BJ had grown up. Remorse set in as they shut the HUMVEE doors and gave a quick and final glance to their Illinois home.

  Brian turned the ignition handle on the HUMVEE and the glow plug light lit up. Once the light went off, he turned the handle to the right again and the HUMVEE came to life. The trio slowly drove down the drive keeping a constant eye out for anyone looking to stop them or cause harm.

  As they turned onto the road that would connect them with Highway 51, they saw it was going to be a long trip. They noticed vehicles in every direction blocking their route to the cabin. With the power of the HUMVEE and its massive bumper, Brian easily pushed the vehicles out of the way, and although it was a slow process, they had only three miles to go until they reached Highway 51.

  Once at Highway 51, travel got easier as Brian drove the HUMVEE down the emergency lane. Ironically, when the EMP hit, cars literally stopped where they were. Very few cars were able to pull into the emergency lane.

  They were on their way to the cabin, and while comfort set in, they all remained vigilant and alert.

  12

  EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

  As Nicki drove down the driveway one last time, she teared up and began to cry. She was quiet, but Oz knew she was upset. The McTateys were leaving the home they had known for years and where the kids were raised. It was the home they just defended and the home that protected them against several attacks. As the Suburban turned onto the back-country road, they all knew that the odds of them returning would be low.

  “Oz,” Nicki murmured. “What do you think will happen to our house and property?”

  Oz took a second to think about the question before answering.

  “I hate to say it but it will be ransacked and everything of value removed,” he confessed. “The shed and house are full of supplies. They’ll likely be confiscated, secured, and hoarded. The caches we have throughout the property are well hidden and extremely difficult to find. I doubt anyone will have a clue as to what we buried on the property let alone where they are. If we get desperate and need to return, we can have some confidence that at least we’ll have some supplies.”

  “We can only hope that a good family or group finds it and it serves them well,” Naomi said to Nicki. “If we stayed, we’d be exposed to more attacks. I’m sure the people who survi
ved the last assault will tell others. You made the right decision to bug out. We’ll have safety and security at ZP. I know, it’s bittersweet.”

  Nicki slowly shook her head up and down and gave Naomi a friendly smile.

  “What did you store in them? The caches, I mean,” Naomi asked.

  “Little bit of everything,” Oz replied. “Some contain weapons and ammunition. Some contain food while others are full of medical supplies. I even have a couple that have shotguns in them.”

  “You know,” Oz stated as he rolled his window down. “If we do come back, we’ll probably have to evict the tenants. I can’t imagine whoever decides to live there just walking away if we return. Squatters rights may become the new law of the land.”

  “I hate to even think about it, but Mom, there’s also the chance that it will be burned down or destroyed,” Randall added. “We’ve seen the evil in people and I wouldn’t put it past anyone to do that.”

  Nicki gave out a sigh and, not speaking to anyone in particular, asked, “Realistically, do you think we’ll ever return?”

  No one answered, and the silence within the Suburban was deafening.

  Prior to the EMP, the drive from the McTatey’s primary residence to Zulu Papa in northwest Kentucky was only three hours, but given this new world, Oz was unsure of how long it would take.

  No more farewells. It was time to focus on the journey ahead.

  OZ, NAOMI, AND RANDALL constantly looked out the Suburban windows searching for any signs of aggression.

  “Stop,” Randall yelled, immediately putting Oz, Nicki, and Naomi on alert.

  Everybody in the Suburban was both scared and confused. Adrenaline was flowing. They all looked out the window and saw a young lady walking on the side of the road. Her head was down and she kept staring at a piece of paper as she walked at a steady pace.

  “Stacey,” Randall said without realizing everyone in the Suburban heard him.