“Nate, you are a US ARMY Ranger, my training is nothing compared to yours. We need help with planning and strategy. We have some stranded joint chiefs in the Gulf; they were there during the attacks with a carrier fleet for a show when this occurred. They haven’t left, so our tail is covered down there. They run on Nuke power; they are careful about their flights and fuel consumptions. What I need up here is for you to look at the map and tell me where you think future problems might come through for us. I won’t ask for anything else right now. I know when the time comes I won’t have to ask.” Nate smiled at his cousin. He then turned his attention to the map before him. Nate studied the major corridors and asked where they had their troops and volunteers. Randal pointed at the obvious points of entry. Nate advised him on others and explained about using the natural terrain more to help catch people in the crossfire if needed. He went over many more military tactics, spending two hours with him helping implement several different objectives and methods to ensure not only the safety of the troops but the ones genuinely trying to seek refuge. The adage women and children first came to mind but to also evaluate the abilities and trades those working to be in Texas.
Randal seemed to understand and was already making adjustments to the way they stopped people. Nate told Randal that for the most part, he had not seen many people on the roads anymore. He explained everything to him from the time he left until the point he arrived over a good black cup of coffee. Nate theorized to Randal that most of what they were doing now may be for nothing because the travel now was mostly by foot or few with moving vehicles, fuel was the determining factor, and it wasn’t easy to find anymore. Nate walked outside with Randal and stood at Nate’s truck.
“Well, Nate, I guess you will be heading home now?” Randy asked.
“Yep, so close Randy, so close now. I can’t tell you how glad I was to see you here and knowing you and your men are working to keep us safe.”
“It’s a good thing, you taking on that boy, Nate. It suits you,” Randy said as he saw Ben round the corner of the tent with the escort following behind him. Samson was walking right next to Ben, in step.
“You think so? I will admit, it has been a learning experience so far, but I think I like being a father. He is a good kid.” Nate replied.
“Well Nate, I know you have to get down to Harry and Betty, tell them I said I love them. I will be down that way soon enough. I have to get to my wife and kids at home too.” Randy lived outside Lake Tangle wood, south of Amarillo. Randal explained they had not even left yet for vacation when he was called out into action because of the collapse. His wife was a strong woman with many other family members very close to falling back on for security. Nate wasn’t sure but believed them all to be of the prepping community.
“Ben, you ready?” Nate asked. Ben nodded his head and had already opened the door for Samson to sit up front with them. Ben saw that the console was up, but the AK was still in the seat. Nate reached in and handed the weapon to Randal.
“Hey, what's this a going away present?” Randy’s eyes bugged out at the sight of the weapon.
“I know you love that Russian stuff Randy; you keep it. Hope you have some mags, and ammo, I don’t” Nate said laughing as he handed him the short rifle.
Randy waved his arms around at the camp.
“Nate we are all Texans here. How many of these good ole boys you think don’t have some mags for this?” he said laughing. Nate was laughing harder than he had done in a long time. Maybe it was the air or maybe the coffee, but nothing was like being in Texas. Nate and Randy said their goodbyes as they all loaded up in the Tundra.
“Nate, you should have a good straight drive home from here. Keep safe, cousin and get prepared as best as you know how. This crap isn’t over, I’m certain.” he said. The warning in his voice was real, and Nate knew he was right.
Chapter 20
The Last Leg
Randal offered Nate an escort south to his parents, but Nate made it all this way. He’d make it without an escort. Ben was not sitting still as Nate drove the Tundra south now into the small town of Stratford. Nate could see smoldering and knew where it was coming. The Valero right off the road coming into town was torched recently. As he drove by, Nate saw the windows were gone and smashed up products lay everywhere. Some individuals were starting to approach the fast moving truck but changed their minds as they saw Nate wave them off with his Glock in hand. Not today boys, Nate thought to himself. The small, once quiet town was torn all up, Nate thought. Some bad people had come through here, he hoped headed north right into Randal’s waiting arms, but he hadn’t seen anyone. This made Nate drive faster south. It was hard to tell how old the devastation was. Maybe weeks, but he wasn’t sure anymore what day it was or how long he’d been traveling. It wasn’t like him to lose track of time or the date. He had thought about everything from the time he left Montana and figured it had been right about three weeks, but he really couldn’t be certain.
Nate made a good time to Dumas, Texas. He was concerned about this small town. It was far denser and would require him to drive through many streets of businesses and homes. He wished now that maybe he had taken the escort. Being back in Texas was great, and he wasn’t far now from home, but he also knew many people like himself had guns. It didn’t matter where you went in the US during times like these; there would always be criminal elements at play. Nate was tired. Tired of being on the road, tired of sleeping in a truck but realized it was better than still being on foot or hopping trains. The fortunes that did bless him along the way were many. He made new friends from northern Wyoming, all the way down. He hoped someday to be able to see all of them again. He wondered how they were all doing and prayed God would continue to watch over each one of them. Now Dumas was before his eyes.
Almost from the time he entered, he was dodging hundreds of abandoned cars and trucks. People had shocked and lost looks on their faces. Many slowly approached his truck staggering like zombies. So far in his travels, he hadn’t seen this kind of societal collapse. The intense look of desperation each person carried in their face was spellbinding, but Nate had to focus. He knew he couldn’t help any of them and make it home or make it back alive.
“Ben, crawled over the seat, get under that big blanket with Samson and stay low until I tell you to come up.” Ben didn’t need to be told twice; he was over the seat in a flash just as a small rock glanced off his side window. Nate removed his Glock from his holster and placed it down between the middle seat and his seat. Then he reached back where he had mounted the shotgun he had recovered in Black Hawk Colorado. He cocked it and laid it across the front passenger’s seat just in case he needed some quick firepower. He picked up speed swerving people as he went along. He didn’t want to run anyone over, but if they had a weapon and got in his way, he would have no choice. He was going too slow and was starting to think he was making himself a target. He knew which way to go to make it out of town, but maybe that was the problem. He felt like he was driving into a trap. He realized then that nearly everyone traveled through Dumas to head south. This route and whoever might be setting a trap waiting for him to get further inside. It was time to change the odds. Nate stopped, backed up fast and headed down a different route that would take him parallel to the path he was on. The road he was on was the main drag through town. He hadn’t made it this far by taking main streets through densely populated towns and cities. The homes he went by now all looked different like he had crossed into a section of the city that was perhaps just a little nicer. He did see people, but they sat in chairs in their yards just waving. Some did have guns but never stood or moved. Nate came upon Dumas Junior High School. A few kids were on the back lot playing basketball while some others had gathered together in the field and played tackle football. That’s when Nate noticed several adults watching them all. Parents, he thought to himself. Well, if this turmoil did one thing it made kids get back outside and off the gaming systems. He was coming to the end of the street
he was on and headed north to get back on the main road out of Dumas. Nothing happened. Apparently just being a little paranoid wasn’t a bad thing and he would never know if he was driving into a trap. Regardless, the downtown area seemed like a future indication of things to come. He couldn’t imagine how major cities looked in comparison.
Nate was driving in the wide open, expansive land; he knew this area like the back of his hand. He could get out and walk home or jog with no problem; that’s how close he was now.
“Ben, you can come on up here if you want to. We are almost home.” Ben uncovered, and Samson stood with his paws on the middle console blocking Ben.
“Come on Samson, move over the boy,” Ben said. Nate was glad that the two seemed to hit it off. Samson was always by his side and just as gentle as could be. It was almost like the dog knew Ben was unique; not in a bad way but in a way that needed just a little more attention at times. Finally, Ben flopped over the seat and buckled up as Nate took a turn off the road and onto a very long and bumpy ride.
“Ben, this road leads to my parent's place, and not much past that is my place. The sun casts a beautiful red hue on the small rolling hillsides of the high flat plains he was driving on. Fritch, Texas was still further south, and the town was a bedroom community. In other words, most who lived there worked in Borger or Amarillo. The main attraction in Fritch was the beautiful lake, Meredith. Nate hoped soon to take Ben fishing at the lake. Nate was watching the road as he drove along, he hadn’t seen any signs of vehicle tracks. He hoped his parents had just stayed home while this nation was undergoing the changes. He turned a corner, coming out of the small canyon he was in and headed down a long flat road with one ranch style cabin looking homecoming in sight.
Nate knew his father well. He knew he would be watching for any strangers coming towards the house. Nate could see his parent's vehicles parked close to the sides of their home. It looked as though they parked them closer than usual. Smart move, Nate thought.
“Ok, Ben I will need to stop before I get any closer. My dad is a former Sniper in the Marines. We don’t want to get shot before we even get there.” Nate said smiling. Ben slowly smiled back.
Nate pulled off the side of the road and turned the truck off. Samson acted like he wanted to get out but Nate had Ben restrain him. Nate left his Glock in the truck and removed his long sleeve shirt and his hat. He walked up the road wearing boots jeans and a white t-shirt. He wanted his father to be able to see him clearly.
“Harry, I tell you I heard a car. It sounded deeper though like maybe a truck” Betty insisted to Harry who was just waking up from his nap. Betty had been opening a few canned jars of tomatoes for homemade spaghetti sauce. Betty walked over to the window and looked out. She could see someone walking up to the main gate, but he was still a distance away.
“Harry, we have company. Someone is out there.” Betty said, waving him to the window still holding the curtain back. Harry put his boots on and stood up from the large sofa.
“I’m sure it’s another drifter wanting food and water,” Harry replied peeking out the window. He watched the man approach for a few seconds. His facial expression seemed to change. His breathing increased like he was getting more excited by the second.
“Get my binoculars, hurry,” he said as Betty ran to the kitchen shelf where he kept them. She rushed back, and he snatched them fast. He focused them in and yelled out.
“DEAR LORD THANK YOU!” he said loudly.
Betty nearly fell back from his thunderous words.
“Harry?” she asked praying it was Nate.
“It’s our son Betty; he is home.”
Betty fell to her knees, crying and thanking God. Harry opened the door, and they both headed out the front porch and off to get Nate. They were both walking very fast.
Nate saw both of his parents now coming out of the house. They came quickly, and Nate ran to the gate and leaped over it to rush to them. In seconds, he was in their arms, everyone crying.
Nate’s mother was sobbing and couldn’t speak. Harry stepped back and looked Nate up and down.
“Well minus that beard you got going, you look well, but what happened to that arm?” His mother now saw the small bandage on the back side of the left bicep.
“No worries, the bullet passed through safe. Ben and I took care of it” Nate replied realizing they hadn’t met Ben yet. His parents looked at one another in concern.
“You got shot? Who is Ben?” Nate smiled and led them up to the gate and down the road to the truck.
Nate told them how he got shot as they walked up to the truck. He kept assuring them, primarily his mother, that he was indeed ok. Then he discussed with them the way he found Ben. Nate wanted to talk with them before they got to the truck just like this about Ben. He wanted them to know not just how he found him but what briefly had transpired along the way.
“Son, so you are this young man’s father now. I mean, he has no other family?” Harry asked as they sauntered to the truck.
“None that I’m aware, His grandmother said she was the only living relative.” Nate informed. Betty spoke up.
“Did this grandmother discuss with Ben all of this? You said she told you he has autism. How much does he understand?” she asked.
“Mom, he is high functioning autistic, he can fully understand quite a bit. He is smart and to me seems reasonable. I honestly can’t tell any difference and don’t care. He and I have been through a lot together.” Nate replied. He could see Ben in the truck with the dog moving around barking as they grew closer.
“Nate, don’t think that I am at all opposed to Ben, I just wanted to know that you are ok with it because it sounds like it was placed on your plate and didn’t have a choice,” Betty said.
“I had a choice, we all have one. I could have ignored the transmission and nearly did thinking it was a trap. I made a choice every step I took to get back. Ben also made a choice. I think you will be very shocked with this kid. Oh, that barking is Samson, I found him right before I came across the border in Oklahoma. I think he might be a trained dog.” Nate said.
“Son, as long as you are happy, we are happy. Let’s go meet our new grandson” Harry said, smiling at Betty as he put his arm around her and Nate walking up to the truck.
“Ben come on out and bring Sam,” Nate said standing next to his parents. Ben jumped down from the truck and opened the rear door. Sam jumped down and ran to Nate. He was licking away and turned to Harry to do the same. Finally, he approached Betty doing the same. Ben walked up to the three of them.
“Ben, this is my parents, Harry and Betty. But from now on you can call them Grandpa and Grandma. OK?” Nate said. His parents looked at one another both with tears in their eyes. They wanted to be grandparents but never imagined it would be this soon.
“Hello, I’m glad to have a grandmother again. I barely remember my grandfather, but I’m very glad to meet you both” Ben replied. Betty stepped forward and placed her arm around Ben.
“Well Ben, we are glad to have you here with us,” Harry said as he also shook Bens hand like a man. Ben was starting to tear up some.
“Betty, how about you take Ben and Sam to the house, I will ride back with Nate and help him with all this stuff. Where did you get this new truck, Nate?” Harry said.
“I will tell you about it later, but everything I have now was due to some good people,” Nate replied. Both walked to the truck and climbed inside.
“Your mother had nearly given up hope Nate. It was starting to become difficult to keep her spirits up. We have been listening to the shortwave radio, and things are dangerous especially on the east and west coast.” Harry said as Nate drove down the road passing Ben, his dog, and mom but went around a different way to the rear of their home.
“The info I have gathered from those in law enforcement was not good either. Plus with what Randal told me at the border, things will likely get far worse dad.” Nate said, coming to a stop.
“Well, for now, we
are doing well. We have enough long-term food for three years ourselves, and I know you have the same at your place.” Harry said.
“Home. I can’t wait to be in my bed, Dad. But more than that, I’m looking forward to giving Ben his room.” Nate replied.
“Nate I am so glad you are home. I don’t know how well I do; you are a Ranger, those skills got you home.” Harry said.
“Dad I had to kill many people to get here. I didn’t have a choice in any of the scenarios. Oh, I forgot to tell you, I am a Law enforcement officer now!” Nate said laughing.
“A cop, how did you do that?” Harry asked. Nate walked around the back of the truck and lowered the tailgate. He grabbed his pack and Bens, and his father grabbed Nate’s lever action rifle from the back seat. Harry saw the shotgun mounted to the rear driver’s seat.
“Son, that’s an excellent shotgun,” Harry said, walking back to the rear. They both headed to the large covered patio. Nate looked around the house. His parent’s garden looked exquisite. They looked ready to pick. Especially the tomatoes
“Dad, what day is it? I lost track a long time ago.” Harry looked at Nate with a smile.
“Son today is your birthday” Nate stopped.
“Happy Birthday Son, it’s the best day for us having you home” Harry added.
“How can that be? I left the cabin in Montana on May 28th. Have I been doing this that long?”
Today’s date was August 4th.
Harry smiled.
“Nate, it’s not uncommon under certain conditions to lose track of the days, especially during stressful times. You may have been trekking so long and slept for two days and not even know it. When your body needs rest, it will take it whether you allow it or not. I would guess along the way this happened a lot.” Nate knew his father was right, he of all people would know. He had served in Vietnam and once had to make it back through 100 miles of jungle to the FOB with a few others. His chopper was shot down and left for dead. After many weeks they emerged in friendly territories.
Trekking Home Page 19
