“Who’s Stacey?” Lloyd asked.
“She was someone I meant while getting supplies after the EMP hit,” Randall explained as he opened the door and stepped out.
“Randall, no,” Oz shouted.
“Dad, it’s okay,” Randall uttered as he walked up to her. “I know her.”
“Naomi, out of the vehicle. You cover the front and I’ll cover the rear. Nicki, be ready for a quick escape,” Oz said with a concerned voice.
Randall approached Stacey and stopped about five feet before her.
“Stacey, are you okay?” Randall asked.
“We could tell that you had food and other supplies. When you visited town, we knew. You could have simply given us some and the group wouldn’t have attacked you,” she said while continuing to look down.
Randall instantly recalled the day when he and his family were unexpectedly attacked by a group of people. Several days later the group attacked again, injuring his sister and grandfather.
“So it was your group who nearly killed my grandfather?” Randall asked in confusion. “It was your group who shot my sister. It was your group who tried to burn our house down. Is that what you’re saying?”
“My mother led the group, but I had no part of it,” Stacey replied crying. “You have to understand that they were desperate and watching everything and everyone around them being killed or destroyed. They watched as their kids starved.”
“It’s no excuse,” Randall said.
“I know and I never agreed,” she stated. “All I know is that I lost my family when she died. I have no one and nowhere to go.”
Randall looked confused, and instead of anger felt empathy for her. Stacey handed Randall the piece of paper she was looking at and he read it:
If you ever get in trouble, you’re welcome at our house, 4245 Carole Sue Drive.
Randall McTatey
“Am I still welcome?” Stacey asked.
“I’m not sure; I don’t get to make that call,” Randall admitted. “I’ll be right back.”
He turned and walked back to the Suburban.
NOT SURE OF how to feel, Randall looked at his mom and dad and said, “Her name is Stacey. I met her when I went to pick up supplies after the power went out. She was kind and very helpful, but…,”
“But what?” Oz asked.
“Her mom was part of the group that attacked our house,” Randall shared. “She says she had nothing to do with it. She told me that when her mother died, she lost everything. Her mother was the only family she had.”
Oz looked confused and asked, “Randall, what was on that paper she was holding?”
“It was our address,” Randall said nervously. “I told her if she was ever in trouble, to come to our house.”
Oz was now becoming visibly upset. But, as a father, he could tell by the way Randall was looking at him that it was compassion and empathy that made him do it. Randall’s caring demeanor was, overall, a strength, but in a world of despair and loss of hope, it could easily become a liability. Oz realized that now was not the time to scold his son. Randall already had enough stress to deal with without Oz adding to it.
“We can’t hold her accountable for her mother’s actions,” Nicki interjected.
“We can’t save the world,” Oz declared. “What kind of mother kills other people for food? Besides, how do we know she’s even telling the truth?”
“A desperate mother,” Naomi interrupted. “Her mother was desperate just like Cheyanne and I, but you saved us. You didn’t judge me when I killed the man who raped me. You even gave me the knife. We were desperate.”
Nicki looked at Oz in a perplexed manner and wasn’t sure if she wanted to know the rest of the story of why Oz would give Naomi a knife to kill another man. After all, she had her own stories and wasn’t proud of what she had done to survive.
As Nicki looked at her family crowded in the Suburban, she knew that everyone had done what they needed to do to survive, and if they had to do it again, they would. No judging.
“Helping people is a part of you; it’s who you are,” Naomi said touching Oz on the shoulder. “Don’t change now.”
Oz turned to Randall and said, “She’s your responsibility. She is not to leave your side until we trust her. And by the way, that won’t happen quickly. It will take months, maybe years.”
Randall motioned for Stacey to approach the Suburban. Without saying a word, Randall helped her climb in. Stacey only looked down; sobbing and not daring to say one word to the strangers who just took her in.
13
THE CABIN
The drive from Highway 51 to Highway 128 was slow with many obstacles to overcome. Once on Highway 128, the Tregors and BJ drove for 30 minutes before turning onto a desolate back road. They were lucky. They encountered no problems, but due to the slow nature of the trip, they had used more diesel fuel than originally planned.
The cabin the Tregors were heading to was about three-quarters of a mile off the small county road. The road leading up to the cabin was bumpy and dusty, and in desperate need of repair. The Tregors intentionally made the bug out cabin look desolate and purposely made sure it was completely void of any furniture or personal possessions. The only thing in the cabin that could be considered an appliance was an old potbelly stove that would not only keep them warm but could also be used for cooking. The run-down appearance of the cabin helped to ensure that it would not be broken into and destroyed.
The real secret of the property were the caches the Tregors placed around the cabin. They buried everything from food and ammunition to weapons and Baofeng™ radios. The location of each cache and its contents were documented in the SHTF – Elevated Threat Manual they prepared for their family.
Luke had been briefed and taught to understand the different Bug Out plans; all of which led to the cabin if circumstances were bad. Brian and Elizabeth could only hope he and his family left Indiana while they still had the opportunity.
AS BRIAN, ELIZABETH, AND BJ approached the turnoff to the cabin, they could see the road had been recently used. They saw fresh tire tracks. Not knowing who had visited the cabin or if Luke and his family were there, Brian drove the HUMVEE into the tree line and turned the motor off.
“We split up,” Brian announced. “Elizabeth, you approach the cabin from the left of the drive. BJ, you approach from the right, and I’ll approach from the tree line closest to Elizabeth. I’ll be point. We can only hope that Luke and the family are in there,” Brian said with trepidation.
“Before we approach the cabin, we should all put on vests and helmets, and, of course, keep our radios on,” BJ replied.
“Just like your dad,” Brian said smiling.
“Yes, I am,” BJ said as he placed the headset over his head and put his helmet on.
“Tango 2, radio check,” Brian said to Elizabeth.
“Tango 2, check,” Elizabeth replied.
“Zulu 3, radio check,” Brian said to BJ.
“Zulu 3, check,” BJ affirmed.
“Move like we trained and practiced,” Brian said.
As they approached the cabin, they could see the door open and movement coming from inside. Brian put the binoculars up to his eye and could see two figures; neither of whom were Luke or Jessy.
“Negative visual for Luke or Jessy,” Brian said.
Several minutes later, the three could hear screams coming from inside the cabin but were unable to see who or where the screams were coming from.
“Zulu 3, I have a visual on Luke,” BJ exclaimed. He’s at our 3 o’clock.”
Brian and Elizabeth quickly turned in the direction of BJ and saw Luke. He was sitting against a tree with his head down. His legs were straight in front of him and bound by rope. His torso was also bound with rope and secured around the tree. His hands were in front of him, resting on his legs, bound with zip ties.
Brian immediately began to stand up when he heard, “Tango 1, Tango 2,” BJ asserted. “Like we trained. We don’t r
ush in. It will get all of us killed.”
Fighting back anger, they both complied and continued scouting the area.
“Zulu 3, I have one bogie on the east side of the cabin,” BJ said.
“Tango 1, I have two,” Brian said. “Let’s take them down.”
“Stand down,” BJ said, “I have another bogie approaching from the east. That makes four. Not sure how many more are out there. I recommend we wait until dusk.”
Brian thought for a minute and knew BJ was right. It would give him and Elizabeth time for their emotions to settle down as well as allow them to use the cover of night to get closer to the cabin.
“Roger that,” Brian said. “We watch and wait until dusk.”
AS THEY CONTINUED their surveillance, they saw Jessy exit the cabin. She looked rough. Elizabeth could see that her hand was bandaged and her arm was inside of a homemade sling. However, no one was following her and she wasn’t bound in any manner. She was moving freely and unattended.
“Where’s Max and why did she walk outside the cabin and then back in?” Elizabeth asked herself while scanning the area. “Where’s my grandson?”
“Luke is moving,” Brian said relieved. “He lifted his head to look around and then put it down when he saw one of the men approach him. He may be pretending to be injured or unconscious.”
“No more movement on the east side,” BJ said.
“Tango 1, confirming we have a total of four bogies,” Brian affirmed. “Stick to the plan. We move tonight.”
THE SUN HAD set when Brian, Elizabeth, and BJ slowly approached the cabin under the cover of darkness. They could hear muffled conversations from the four men inside the cabin, but with the door closed, they were operating blindly.
“Zulu 3, I can safely get to Luke and cut him free. I’ll have to belly crawl, but I can do it,” BJ said.
“Tango 1 to Tango 2, you cover the front door while I cover Zulu 3,” Brian instructed. “Zulu 3, once you free Luke, take him back to the HUMVEE and return to your position. We still have work to do.”
“Roger that,” BJ replied.
BJ peered through the trees one last time and surveyed his surroundings before belly crawling to Luke, using the forest floor as concealment. As he approached the tree where Luke was bound BJ murmured, “Luke, it’s BJ McTatey. I’m with your mom and dad. If you can hear me, move your legs.”
BJ watched as Luke slowly moved his legs.
“Good,” BJ said. “Continue looking down. Don’t change any of your behaviors.”
BJ reached into his pocket and pulled out his Cold Steel™ pocketknife and cut the rope which was around Luke and the tree. Staying flat to the earth, he crawled to the side of Luke and cut his hands and legs free.
“If you can walk, move your head up and down,” BJ asked Luke.
Luke moved his head up and down.
“I’m going to help you back to the HUMVEE, but I need you to be as quiet as possible; even if you’re in pain,” BJ whispered before kneeling to help him to his feet. With BJ’s arms around Luke for support, they disappeared into the forest.
The walk back to the HUMVEE was slow with BJ taking frequent breaks to let Luke rest. It was easy to tell he was in physical pain, but BJ also knew he had to be an emotional wreck. Once at the HUMVEE, BJ removed the camouflage net covering the vehicle and placed Luke in the passenger’s seat. He gave him a bottle of water and a protein bar and placed the camouflage cover back over the HUMVEE.
“Thank you,” Luke whispered.
“I’ll be back,” BJ replied. “We saw Jessy but not Max. Do you know where he is?”
“He was crying,” Luke answered barely able to speak. “They made us put him in the root cellar or else they would have killed him. He’s been in there for two days. Not sure if he’s had food or water.”
“Not to worry,” BJ said. “You’ll be with him tonight.”
Ten minutes later, BJ returned to his original location. “Tango 3 secure in the HUMVEE,” BJ reported. “Max is in the root cellar. Next steps?”
Brian knew the difficult part of having to rescue Jessy and Max came next.
14
UNANTICIPATED HELP
The drive to ZP was going well when Nicki slowed the Suburban down and stopped about 200 yards before a roadblock. Before them were two dump trucks blocking the road.
“Oz,” Naomi said in a panic. “I have one armed man in each of the dump trucks. It looks like they have weapons. We’re in range of their rifles.”
Oz quickly scanned the area and realized there were only two options: go forward or go backward. The “Black Diamond” river was on either side of the road with no viable exit.
“I’m going to try and approach and talk to them,” Oz said.
“Stupid, stupid, stupid idea,” Naomi responded.
“If we go backward, they’ll easily take us out,” Oz explained. “I’m not going to risk the lives of anyone in this vehicle. If I touch my right ear, start firing at them, and Nicki, you throw the Suburban in reverse and floor it. Not that I want to, but I’ll jump into the river. We’ll eventually find each other. Standby to cover me.”
Oz placed his rifle and Glock on the floor of the Suburban and exited the vehicle. He then placed his hands on top of his head and slowly walked toward the men in the beds of the dump trucks. Five minutes later, he approached the men and heard, “Lie face down on the pavement with your arms stretched out as far as they’ll go.”
Oz complied and one of the men approached him while the other provided cover. After a quick pat down, the man told Oz to standup.
“How can we help you?” the man asked.
Oz quickly noticed that the man had to be in his eighties and barely fit in the sagging camouflage uniform he was wearing. He walked slow with one shoulder lower than the other and he had a minor limp.
As Oz looked at his feet, he noticed the man was wearing loafers and was having a hard time holding up his rifle. Oz was confident he could easily disable the man, but not knowing how good of a shot the remaining man in the dump truck was prevented him from acting. Caution was warranted.
“We’re headed to our property about two hours northwest of here. Unfortunately, we have to pass this way. We won’t be stopping,” Oz explained.
“How many of you are there?” the man yelled which indicated to Oz he was deaf or going deaf.
“Nine of us,” Oz answered. “All my family. My father has been shot and he needs medical attention quickly,” Oz said as he found himself talking louder than normal.
“We have a doctor; well, sorta. Do you have anything to trade for her services?” the man asked.
Oz took a moment to think about the proposition. If they could pass, they could continue on to ZP where, hopefully, Brian and Elizabeth would arrive to provide medical care for Lloyd or they could take this man up on his offer. Not knowing when Brian and Elizabeth would arrive and missing the part about the old man saying, ”well sorta,” Oz said, “Yes, sir. We’ll trade for medical services. We have ammunition, silver, and a little food.”
“How about fuel?” the man asked as he stared at the gas cans on the roof of the Suburban.
“We have one, five-gallon can of diesel that we can trade, but no more,” Oz said with conviction. “We’ll need it to get to our property.”
The old man thought for a moment. “Head up the road about three miles and turn right before the gas station; it’s the only gas station in town so you can’t miss it,” he said. “Once you turn right, you’ll see an urgent care center. Ask for Thelma; she’s my daughter and a doctor. I’ll radio ahead. By the way, my name is George,” he said extending his hand to Oz.
After a quick handshake, the old man signaled to the man in the back of the dump truck who then dropped his rifle and jumped down from the bed of the truck. He swung the truck door open, started the diesel engine, and moved the dump truck so the Suburban could pass. Oz waved to Nicki who slowly drove to where he was, picked him up, and they drove down the road
toward the gas station.
FIVE MINUTES LATER, they turned past the gas station, and before them was the Urgent Care. The suburban was brought to a stop as they all stared at the building in front of them.
“Be on alert,” Oz warned. “We were allowed into town but it doesn’t mean they’ll let us out. They could have snipers, or worse, more desperate people wanting what we have. Stay alert.”
“Nicki, stay with the Suburban, cover the left side of the vehicle, and hit the horn if you get in trouble,” Naomi added. “Randall, cover the right side of the vehicle. I’m going with Oz.”
Oz exited the Suburban and opened the Suburban’s rear panel doors. He helped his father to his feet and then slowly walked him into the Urgent Care building.
As they walked in, they could see several people sitting in the waiting area. A quick glance showed that they weren’t in need of immediate medical attention; unlike his father. Naomi took up a defensive position in the corner of the room when a middle-aged lady approached Oz.
“She looks dangerous,” the lady expressed.
“My dad needs medical attention, and no, she’s not dangerous,” Oz responded. “Just cautious. Can you help us?”
“Of course,” she said. “What do you have to trade?”
“We told the old man up the road we had five gallons of diesel fuel, some ammunition, and a little food,” Oz said as his voice became more desperate. “Please help him.”
“Follow me,” she instructed. “I’m Dr. Thelma. So you know, I’m not a medical doctor. I’m a veterinarian and a certified paramedic. I’m all you got,” she said.
“A doctor, ‘sorta’. It now makes sense,” Oz stated.
“What does that mean?” Thelma asked.
“The old man at the bridge said the town had a doctor but prefaced it with ‘sorta’,” Oz said with a smile.
“The old coot is my dad. Follow me,” Thelma said pointing down the hall.
Oz followed Thelma to a small room in the back of the building. Once in the room, Naomi moved toward the hallway which gave her a view of the waiting room and treatment room that Oz and Lloyd were in. She had them covered if anything went wrong.
The E.M.P. Chronicles (Book 2): A Life Without Power Page 7
