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  Winter War

  Aftermath of Disaster Book 4

  Kevin Barry Maguire

  KBM Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or

  by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and

  retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only

  exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.

  ISBN: 978-1-950550-01-2

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents

  either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any

  resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely

  coincidental.

  Kevin Barry Maguire

  Visit my website at https://kevinbarrymaguire.com

  Contents

  Other books by Kevin Barry Maguire

  1. Part I Josh and Sam

  2. Josh

  3. Sam

  4. The Day After

  5. The Plan

  6. Prisoner

  7. Escapre

  8. Mercy

  9. Settling In

  10. Winter

  11. Part II The Park

  12. Winter Planning

  13. Moving In

  14. Julie and Prince

  15. Second Man

  16. The Hunter

  17. Intelligence

  18. Longmire

  19. The Scout

  20. Part III War

  21. Muster

  22. Preparation

  23. Moving Out

  24. Julie

  25. Making Plans

  26. Survivor Alliance

  27. Puyallup

  28. Getting Home

  29. Final Preparations

  30. Winter War

  31. Interrogation

  32. Debrief

  33. Want More?

  Other books by Kevin Barry Maguire

  In this series:

  Aftermath of Disaster: Book 1 It Has Begun

  Aftermath of Disaster: Book 2 Diggin’ In

  Aftermath of Disaster: Book 3 Summer’s End

  Aftermath of Disaster: Books 1, 2, and 3 Bundle

  Non-Fiction

  How to Get off the Grid and Survive

  Prepper Journal & Inventory Logbook

  Part I Josh and Sam

  Josh

  Josh Martin strolled through the Tacoma Convention Center, admiring the weapons on display. He already made a few orders for his store in Puyallup. Now he was window shopping on his way out. He knows in about 15 minutes, the show floor will be closed for lunch, and locked down for an hour. Josh decided he didn’t need to see anything else and left early for his store. Friday afternoon on Meridian Ave. is a nightmare, and he wanted to beat that traffic.

  He jumped in his Bronco and set his package on the passenger seat. He made orders for his store, and they would deliver the weapons next week. The package contained a gift for himself - a Remington 1858 New Model Army .44 caliber handgun. It was a collector’s item and would join all the others he bought to display at the store. He’ll sell them if the price is right, but most people don’t want to pay the price. That’s fine with me, he thought. I don’t want to sell them, anyway.

  This one is a beauty - as far as one can be at this age. The barrel and cylinder had more than a few scratches and dings, but the wood handle was impeccable. It still bore the original handle, and the age was clear but beautiful. He couldn’t imagine that grip had survived since the Civil War without so much as a ding. Josh knew the perfect spot to display this weapon - behind his register, high on the wall.

  Meridian Ave. was busier than normal for early afternoon, but it wasn’t a struggle yet. He cruised through a Wendy’s drive-through for a quick sack lunch before arriving at his store. He grabbed his lunch and package and went inside.

  “Hello Bruce, busy morning?”

  “No sir, just one sale and four customers. Everyone must be at the gun show.”

  “No worries, we’ll make up for it tomorrow. Go ahead and get some lunch, I got this.”

  Bruce stepped out from behind the counter and put on his jacket.

  “And stop calling me ‘sir,’ it makes me feel old.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Bruce left for lunch with a smile on his bearded face and Josh set the package down behind the counter. He’d get that on display later. His first order of business was to log his orders into the computer. As he was busy entering data, he got a message on his Apple watch:

  #poisoned.

  He knew he was to check Twitter for the hashtag and opened the app on his iPhone. He was reading posts from people all over the country complaining about being poisoned. As he was reading, he felt ill himself. He wrote it off as being a hypochondriac. Small beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and he felt nauseous. He kept telling himself he just imagined it.

  Just as he was about to get back to his data entry, another hashtag buzzed his watch:

  #radiationattack

  That got his attention. He wiped his forehead and refreshed his Twitter feed and read the search results. In every major city in the country people felt the symptoms of radiation sickness. Nobody was sure who attacked or how, but everyone was certain it was radiation. Now Josh wasn’t so certain he imagined his illness. He had been in Tacoma, after all. He knew Tacoma was a target of the attack.

  As he was trying to decide whether to get to a hospital, the last message buzzed his watch:

  SHTF.

  He no longer needed to know what to do. The hospital would have to wait. His first order of business was to remove as many weapons as he could and get them to his safe-room at home. As Josh packed a few footlockers with weapons and ammo, Bruce walked in.

  “Have you heard the news?” Josh asked.

  “No boss, what’s up?”

  “We’ve been attacked. Radiation attacks across the country, Tacoma was hit. I was in Tacoma. I’m locking the store down and taking what I can. Grab what you can and keep yourself safe. If you have somewhere in the country to go, I suggest you go.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “I’m not packing for my health.”

  Bruce looked around and grabbed an AK-47 then changed his mind and picked up an AR-15 instead.

  Josh said, “Good choice. Those parts are easier to find. Take a few handguns too. You’ll do good with a pair of night vision goggles and body armor. Don’t be shy. If this turns out OK, you can bring them back. If not, use them well and save your ammo.”

  “I’ve got an Uncle in Humptulips, I’ll get there and hunker down with him.”

  “Don’t waste time getting there and you’ll want to skip I-5. Get to Yelm on the back roads, then to Hwy 12. Get home and get your essentials, food, clothes, any other weapons you have. Think survival. And be quick about it.”

  “Yes, sir!” Bruce smiled and held his hand out to Josh. “It’s been great working for you.”

  Josh took his hand and gave a hearty shake.

  “You’re a fine young man, Bruce. I hope to see you soon.”

  Bruce left with his gifts, and Josh continued packing. His main concerns were the AR-15’s, night vision goggles, body armor, and ammo. In the spaces available, he added handguns and holsters. He didn’t forget his precious rare handguns. Those will make good trade bait. By the time he finished, he had four footlockers filled. He slapped a lock on each one and loaded them into his Bronco. Then Josh locked the door and rolled the security door down and locked it. He did the same for the windows. It won’t keep out everyone, but it will stop most people. If I’m lucky, I’ll get back to the store before that happens, he thought.

  Josh bought a house in Puyallup, near the store but out of the way. Behind his house is a grove of fir trees and behind them a “U-Cut” Christmas tree farm. It was as secluded as one could get without moving to the country. It only took him a few minutes to get there. He opened the gate and drove across the back lawn to the tree line. Hidden behind some bushes and camouflage was a door. He unlocked it and transferred the footlockers into the bunker. Then he threw up.

  He was feeling worse now. A headache had developed, and the vomit didn’t help. He got back in his Bronco and headed for Good Sam’s Hospital. His friend was a doctor there. Getting there was difficult. He gave up driving a few blocks away and found a parking spot. By the time he got to the hospital, he felt weak and dizzy. Outside the front entrance was a triage area. He thought he saw his friend and dragged himself in that direction. Josh tried to scream “Sam!” but it was almost inaudible.

  Then he heard his name, and someone sat him down.

  Sam

  The hospital had experienced a downturn in patients the past few months, but Dr. Sam Davis couldn’t tell. He had more patients than he could handle and was still making rounds when he should have been at lunch. He’d grab a quick bite after he finished the rounds, then he had surgical consultation appointments scheduled. Tomorrow would bring more surgery and more patients to make rounds with.

  “Good afternoon Mrs. Johanson,” Sam said. “How is your new kidney treating you?” She smiled when she saw him, her lines showing she spent a lot of time smiling. He looked over her charts and the nurse’s notes as she was talking. She was healthier than most women her age, healthy enough for a speedy recovery.

  “Good afternoon, doctor. I’m OK today, I only have a little pain. I feel much better than yesterday.”

  “Well, that’
s good to hear. You’re responding well, I think your body approves of its new organ.”

  As they were talking, Sam got a message on his watch but didn’t look. He wanted to give his patient his undivided attention.

  “If things keep going this good, you can be home in a few days. Do you need anything?”

  “A good IPA or a Mack & Jack’s African Amber would go down nicely right about now.” She was smiling but half serious. A girl could only drink so much water and juice.

  Jack laughed and said, “Well, if you’re going straight to alcohol, maybe we should keep you here another week.” Jack winked and continued, “In all seriousness, you’ll need to lay off the alcohol for a while still. Give your kidney time to acclimate before adding the extra duty of processing alcohol.

  “Yes doctor, I understand. It’s a good thing I didn’t ask for some whiskey,” she smiled again. “I always get a craving on a nice spring day. I’ll wait it out, I like you, but I don’t want to see you every day for the next week.”

  At that, they both laughed, and Sam said he’d check up on her again tomorrow. Then he glanced at his watch and saw the message. He still had one more patient to check on but put it off. He wanted to eat something and see what the message was about. Sam went to the cafeteria and bought a sandwich, coffee, and a bottle of water. As he found a table, his watch buzzed again, and Sam checked his phone. The first message was a moot point after seeing the second one about a radiation attack.

  As Sam was reading, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He saw Tacoma and Seattle got hit and knew they’d be getting patients soon. More than they could handle. He finished his sandwich as fast as he could and washed it down with the coffee. Then he called his wife.

  “Marie, have you heard the news? Someone has attacked us.”

  “What? No. I haven’t had a chance to turn on the TV. What’s going on?”

  He filled her in and said, “Call the kids and tell them you’re coming for them. Get them home immediately.”

  “Yes, but what about you?”

  “I’ll be needed here,” he said. “I may stay the night, it depends on the patient load. Once you’re all home, get to the safe room. Nobody knows if there will be more attacks or how much radiation was released. One thing is for certain, it was a massive dose in the cities to affect people so fast.”

  “OK, call me when you know more, I love you.”

  “I love you too. Be safe.”

  Sam picked up his bottle of water and headed for the administration office. He needed to see if they knew what happened and make a plan for the influx of patients. He stepped into the office, and the secretary was already on the phone discussing patient load. So they knew what was going on. He waved to her and walked past her to the medical director.

  “Bob, how are we handling this?” Sam said.

  “We’re still trying to determine the scope of the attack and how many people ambulances will bring here. The CDC will send potassium iodide, but we don’t know how much or if we’ll need it. We’re also calling in the whole staff.”

  Sam said, “We’ll need to set up a triage out front, I think. Everyone coming in will be contaminated. We’ll need to decontaminate them, strip them, and wash them down before letting them in the hospital. So we’ll need bins for the clothes, and a truck to dispose of the contaminated clothing.”

  Other nearby staff soon joined the two men, and they made their plan of action. Since Sam knew more about radiation treatment than the rest of the doctors, he would lead the triage team outside. It was no accident Sam knew so much, he is a prepper and has prepared for this situation.

  The first order of business was to discharge anyone they could without danger to the person. Sam went through his patient’s charts and released three of his surgical patients. Mrs. Johanson was happy to get out of the hospital early. When she heard about the attack, all she could think about was getting home to her cats. The other two patients were not so happy about leaving early.

  While deciding which patients would go home, the maintenance staff was pulling beds out of storage and lining them in the hallways. Anywhere they could fit a bed had a bed, couch, or even a table for people to lie down. It made the hallways hard to navigate, but they weren’t sure how many patients they would receive. They had to use every option to hold patients.

  After they discharged patients and extra beds were made available, Sam spent his time working on the triage area. Everyone working outside in the triage area would wear full protective gear. The doctors and nurses wouldn’t be in danger, as the victims were clean before reaching them. But Sam insisted it was better to be safe. He had maintenance bring large trash bins and stage them out front near the entrance driveway. Then they ran a hose to the area with a privacy screen. Everyone would disrobe and place their clothing in the bins. Then they would step behind the screen to get hosed down and scrubbed, then given a gown. When a clothing bin got full, a maintenance worker would pull the bag out, tie it up, and put it on a truck. Someone would drive the full truck to an incinerator.

  Then they would proceed to the triage area, where Sam and a few other doctors would triage the patients. The most serious cases would get rooms while the less severe would get beds in the hallways. The first patients arrived before the staff finished the setup. When the first group showed up, Sam said, “Strip down to your underwear and place your clothing in one of the garbage bins. Place your personal belongings in a bag and carry it with you. The staff will sanitize your items while you’re waiting for triage. Cell phones, keys, wallets, purses, etc. Wait in line in front of the privacy screen for a scrub down.” It wasn’t until they got behind the screen, they found out they would lose their underwear too. A few people objected and were told their clothes contained radiation and would continue to harm them, they reluctantly agreed. As the day wore on a few people still didn’t want to remove their underwear. Their choices were to remove their underwear and get scrubbed or turn around and go home. With their clothing already mixed in garbage bins and some taken away, those people eventually agreed to the terms.

  During a small break in the action, Sam called his wife to check on his family.

  Sam said, “Hi hon, is everyone home safe?”

  “Yes Sam, everyone is here and in the safe room. I’ll stay here until at least tomorrow. By then we have more information.”

  “It looks like I’ll be staying the night here. There is too much to do and too many patients for me to justify going home.”

  “Well, I hope you can come home at least for a little bit tomorrow so we can discuss things.”

  “If there is a way, I will be there. I need to get back to work, I love you.”

  “I love you too, honey.”

  The next group of victims came to the triage area, and everyone got back to work. They weren’t seeing too many families because the children’s hospitals were accepting adults so as not to break up families. While Sam was working on the patient, he looked up and thought he saw a friend of his. Then he heard a faint “Sam” and looked up again. Now he was sure it was his friend Josh.

  “Hey! Orderlies! Get this man to the second floor, stat!”

  Then Sam rushed over to his friend, who stumbled his way up to the triage area. Then he grabbed him and got him to the ground and asked his friend what the heck he was doing in Tacoma. He knew Josh carried and gave him a quick frisk. Being careful so nobody saw, Sam slid the holster and weapon from Josh’s back and tucked it under him. Then he called a nurse for help.

  “Nicole! Come help me get this man undressed!”

  Sam and Nicole undressed Josh and escorted him to the shower. Sam wondered why his protective suit didn’t have a pocket and turned away from the crowd and picked up the weapon. He told a fellow doctor he needed to take a minute and walked towards the parking garage. Sam removed his hood and pulled down his protective suit and stowed the weapon in the small of his back. Without wasting a second, he closed his suit and got back to the triage area so he could help Josh.