Aftermath of Disaster: Book 2 Diggin in Read online

  Stewie

  Ranger John Thomas was regretting letting Stewie in the park. He’s been a menace to the peace and stirring up trouble ever since he arrived. He drove to Longmire and pitched a tent in a small grassy area across the parking lot from the buildings.

  He’s been making demands and crazy accusations about the rangers. He wants to have food delivered to him and everyone else. He thinks the rangers are hoarding emergency food for themselves.

  “If you came here looking for handouts, you’ve come to the wrong place. You should have looked for a FEMA camp” John informed him.

  “Bullshit!” Stewie replied. “I read you’re always stocked for emergencies.” A few people were backing him up.

  “I don’t know where you read that but it’s fake news. Sorry. When you come to a National Park, you eat what you bring, or you buy it at a restaurant in the park. The restaurants are out of food, so you’re down to what you brought. I tried to tell you we couldn’t take you in. You didn’t listen. That’s on you, not us.”

  “Screw you! We’re going to take your food!”

  One of the rangers released the snap covering his taser and looked at John. John reluctantly gave him a nod and a few seconds later Stewie laid on the ground writhing in pain. The rangers put him in cuffs and when he recovered, they informed him he was being arrested for disturbing the peace and inciting a riot.

  Stewie’s high-pitched voice raised a few octaves at that and he went on a tirade. He screamed about suing the rangers, the park, and John himself. John said “You’re like a Chihuahua, do you ever just shut up? Give us a minute to read you your rights.

  “Excuse me, sirs. I can shut him up,” his wife said, sidling up to the semi-conscious Stewie. She was a big woman and no doubt ran the household.

  “Shut the hell up Stewie, you’re embarrassing me again!”

  With that, John smiled and read Stewie his rights.

  “You made such a fuss about being let in, now I have to take you out of here. We don’t have a jail for you to sit in. But look on the bright side, you’re going to get that free food!” John normally behaved better, but this little guy got under his skin. It happens to the best of people. He put Stewie in the truck and told him to sit tight.

  A few of the onlookers were demanding Stewie be set free. “Free Stewie!” they yelled. All these people needed was a spark and they got one. The rangers reached for tasers again and looked at the crowd. Message received. They were told to disperse and get back to their camp sites or rooms.

  John decided to get Stewie out of there immediately and drove for the gate. He radioed ahead and asked for a state trooper to meet him in Ashford for a prisoner transfer.

  ***

  After breakfast Jack decided to give the new chicken coop a paint job before leaving. That way it would be dry when he got home, then he could start roofing. The chickens could be in their new home this evening.

  With that out of the way, he said good-bye to Diane. Before getting on his bicycle, he begged her not to shoot anyone or bring home a stray. He was only half-kidding. Ashford went from overpacked to ghost town overnight. It was crazy empty. I guess they’re all in bed or church. He zipped out of town and headed for the park gate.

  It didn’t take him too long to get there. He noticed a few people kept their roadside campgrounds. It’s dangerous when they’re all alone like that. They’re easy prey for thieves and worse.

  Maybe they’re out of gas? he thought.

  He arrived at the gate and noticed it was up, letting anyone and everyone in. A ranger popped out of the booth to greet him.

  “Hello, I’m looking for Ranger John Thomas. I’d like to thank him for his help a few days ago.”

  “He’s out of the park at the moment” the ranger replied. “He had to meet a trooper to transfer a trouble maker he arrested. He should be back soon if you’d like to wait.”

  “Sure, I’ll take a little walk around and find a seat. My name is Jack, just yell if he drives up. Thanks.”

  Jack took a small walk and admired the buildings. They’d been around as long as the park and were the oldest buildings in the park. After about ten minutes, he heard the ranger yell his name and hurried back to the gate. John had parked to the side and was waiting outside his vehicle for him.

  “Jack, good to see you again!”

  “You too John. I heard you had a trouble maker?”

  “Pfft. That’s an easy way to put it. The guy responsible for the gate getting opened couldn’t leave it at his little victory. He wanted more and was stirring up trouble and people were starting to listen to him. He had to go. One spark is all these people need to riot and we can’t stop them once they start. His wife seems like a level-headed woman. I have no idea what she sees in him.”

  “That’s too bad John. What’s the story there, how did they get in?”

  John related the story and the arrest. He explained the situation they were now in.

  “Most of these people don’t have food or water. It’ll be hard for them to die of thirst, but hunger is a beast.”

  The park has plenty of water running free in the streams. But the food, that is a problem. John feared for the wildlife in the park.

  “I can imagine hungry people will try to get the animals in their bellies. I assume most of them are unarmed though. Wanting that rabbit and catching that rabbit are very different.”

  “I fear if this lasts much longer, half these people will be dead in a month or less.

  “You trying to figure out what to do about it?”

  “Best I could do was to ask the trooper to get in touch with FEMA for us and see if they can make a delivery. But I don’t think it would be that much help. A full truckload of food wouldn’t last too long. There are thousands of people in the park.”

  “Yeah. At least we got ourselves enough food to last at our home.

  “I hate to be the bearer of bad news John, but you need to be prepared for the worst because the worst is coming. Whoever did the radiation attack are probably the ones responsible for cell phones dying. They’re certainly not done, they’re trying to give us a death by a thousand cuts. It will only work if we let them get away with it.”

  “My phone stopped working earlier today. I can’t get it to restart no matter what I try.”

  “Yes,” Jack said. “That’s what everyone else is reporting. Surprisingly, mine still works. Nobody calls me, but it works.”

  Jack smiled.

  “I think we’re in this for the long haul, John. Summer is going to be easy. Winter will kill thousands daily though. Americans just aren’t prepared for disasters. I know, I’ve been preparing all my life.”

  A look of relief fell upon Ranger John’s face.

  “You’re a good man, Jack. I’m happy to know you’ll be able to weather this storm.”

  “I wish you well, John. I’ve got to get back to the cottage and finish my chores. Thanks for all your help.”

  “Farewell Jack.”

  ***

  Nikki was an early riser and was up at 6am. Robin had arrived the previous night and they talked for about an hour, Robin giving her “lost” story again and Nikki giving the condensed version of her life story. Then Nikki showed Robin her small library, should she want to read, and her room, then went to bed.

  She trusted Jack’s diligence in vetting and his judgement. She already read Robin’s story and she retold it perfectly. The odds of her being up to no good were slim. Even so, she locked her bedroom door after she entered.

  Her bedroom was large for a single person, as was her queen-sized bed. This cabin was build for her and her husband and a lot of him was present in the construction. He never got to enjoy it, as he died of a heart attack just months after he retired from the Navy.

  Thirty years of his life given to the Navy and he only got to enjoy 4 months of retired life, Nikki thought.

  The doctors warned him about his diet, but he didn’t believe them. She tried to get him to change by not cook
ing certain foods. He would go out to eat behind her back. She’d find out by going over bank statements. Then he switched to cash. The man loved his fried food.

  Nikki learned her lesson and changed her diet radically. Fried food was a thing of the past, as were all the oils used to fry. Corn oil is a heart attack in a bottle, she would say.

  Both their children followed them into military service. Their son, Levois, went to the United States Naval College in Annapolis, Maryland. The day he was accepted was the proudest day in both parents’ lives. He was the first member of both families to go to college, and to get accepted into Annapolis was a major feat for an African American whose parents grew up poor in New York and Philadelphia.

  Their daughter, Zandra, chose to be a medic in the Army. The parents were no less proud as being a medic is a noble career. She’s 3 years younger than Levois and wanted to be different. She considered the Air Force for a while but liked the history of the Army Medic.

  Both children are doing well in their careers and Nikki believes they’ll be safe where they are. They’re certainly safer than most people and they aren’t going to starve. She has been able to contact both children since the attack and they assure her they’re fine.

  Nikki took a quick shower and went to the library to relax and finish her book. She was refreshing her memory on Washington’s edible plants and animals. When in doubt, if it has fur or feathers, you can eat it. Nobody eats vultures though, those are exceptions to the rule. Not even other vultures will eat dead vultures.

  After a while Robin woke and found her way to the library to say good morning. “Well good morning, Robin. How did you sleep?”

  “I slept okay, I woke a few times. It’s always hard sleeping in unfamiliar places. But I’m grateful to be here.”

  “Well then, let’s make some breakfast and get this day started! If you’re going to find your family, we’re going to have to toughen you up. Have you ever fired a gun?”

  “No ma’am. Never.”

  “Well your life is about to get a lot more interesting. Momma didn’t raise dependent children, honey”

  ***

  Ranger John had returned to his normal duty at Longmire, with the gate being open there was no need to deploy extra rangers at the park entrance. Things settled down in the hours after Stewie was removed from the park, but he lit just enough of a fire for the grumblings to remain. John knew it was just a matter of time and asked the State Patrol if they could find help. He’d like all part-time Rangers called up, only nobody could use their cell phones. A land line in the home was a rare sight in this day and age.

  A few people came begging for food and he gently turned them away. He implored them to find their way to a FEMA location. There was still no word on FEMA making a delivery. People were already out of food and would be getting desperate soon.

  At that thought he looked up and saw a large group of men and women heading his way. He got on the radio and called for backup. John and two other rangers stood and went out to meet the group.

  One of the men in front, an average looking guy standing about 5’11 and a husky build began the shouting.

  “We want the food you’re hiding and we want it now!”

  He must be the new leader, John thought.

  Once again John explained the situation. “We don’t stockpile food in national parks. Wherever you’re getting that information, it’s just plain wrong. We bring our own food from home to eat while we’re on duty. There is nothing to give you.”

  The leader wasn’t having any of it and started moving toward the rangers, the mob followed. Beads of sweat formed on John’s forehead and his breathing quickened. He hoped the backup would arrive soon. The rangers took a few steps back and John warned the mob to stop and not get any closer.

  Shouts began flying from the mob and soon others joined in. What started as a group of about 20 had grown to over 50 with more and more arriving. There was still no sign of help from the other rangers. John did his best to defuse the situation, but they yelled louder and demanded more.

  One man yelled “We want the food now!” and pushed his way to the front of the mob. When he broke through, John could see he was armed with a semi-automatic pistol. He yelled

  “Gun!” as he dove sideways and drew his weapon.

  The other rangers made similar moves, but one wasn’t fast enough. He was hit in the side and leg, screaming as he hit the ground.

  John and the third ranger opened fire. Bodies fell.

  Digging Deeper

  Jack returned from the park and wanted to get right to work. He greeted his three favorite women and had a bite to eat. “When I’m done roofing, you and I have some more digging to do” he told Diane. “Sounds like a load of fun, hun!” Diane said half-sarcastically. She knew she had to help and was a little excited about what they were after this time. It was like a treasure hunt!

  Jack worked fast and was done faster than he imagined possible. He even repeated Paul’s words a few times

  “If you’re going to do something, do it right.”

  That kept him from going too fast and making a mess of things.

  Next on the list was digging more holes in the ground. He grabbed the shovels and called Diane outside. She and the dogs joined him. He counted out steps for Diane and wished her “Happy digging, it’s a bigger box.” Next, he counted steps for his box and started his dig.

  They retrieved their boxes and carried them inside. Diane was excited to see the loot, but Jack wasn’t having it.

  “One more thing before that happens.”

  “What?”

  “I need you to help me move the chickens to their new home.”

  She made sad eyes and puffed out her bottom lip, then smiled.

  “Okay, but just because it’s the chickens!”

  Tomorrow Jack could work on the chicken wire so they could enter and exit as they pleased. But for now, Jack brought Diane into the shed and showed her the false bottom.

  “You never cease to amaze me, Jack.” She stood shaking her head. He asked her to help him carry the solar panels into the living room. That’s another chore for tomorrow.

  When they finished, Jack let Diane open her box to see what she worked for. Her pelican case was long and wide, a bit over 4 feet in length. She opened it up to reveal two rifles: A Savage Lady Hunter for Diane; A Browning B78 for Jack. Jack bought 30-06 calibers for both. It reduced the variety of rounds they needed and were common everywhere. Congrats, you’re first hunting rifle! But first…

  Jack popped open his SKB case, this one was much wider than Diane’s and she was very curious about it. She sat next to him as he started popping the latches open. She lost her patience and started helping. He let her open it, laughing as she looked like a kid at Christmas. She opened the case to reveal a compound bow. Her eye grew wide and her mouth hung open for a second.

  “I remember this! We bought it at Cabela’s and had it all sized for me, then I never saw it again.”

  She was looking at a Bear Cruzer, a bow made for smaller statures. Jack had her pull it out and lifted out the foam to reveal his bow – a Diamond Infinite Edge Pro.

  Let’s go bury the holes and then we can begin your first lesson. These are going to help feed us and you need to get good with yours.

  After the holes were filled in and disguised, there was only a little daylight left. Jack put a large piece of plywood against the shed and then put a 3-D deer target in front of it. He went back in the shed and came out with a box of arrows, a release, and an arm guard. He suited Diane up and put her 20 yards from the target.

  “Knock an arrow, I’m sure you remember how. Just like you did at Cabela’s. Your top pin will be the 20-yard pin, put that on the heart of the deer after you pull, and try to be quick about it. Now, pull.”

  Diane strained to pull the 55-pound bow but got it done – anything but quick. She was trying to get the sight on the heart when Jack said, “Elbow up, breathe easy.” She fired and the arrow nicked
the spine and hit the board behind the target. “Okay, what do you remember from Cabela’s? Where are we moving that pin?”

  Diane scrunched her eyebrows, twisted her lips, and shot her eyes left and right, trying to remember. It was months ago, and she hadn’t thought about it since.

  “Chase the arrow. The arrow was high, so we’re going to set the top pin higher and try again.

  Jack had Trophy Ridge sights put on both bows because of the ease of adjusting the pins. He showed her how to make the adjustment and told her to give it a try.

  “Can’t you just do it for me, you’re faster.”

  “Of course I could, but then you wouldn’t learn anything. I can do it and you learn nothing or you can do it and learn to be self-sufficient. I’m not around all the time and anything can happen at any time. You need to know how to survive when I’m not around.”

  “Fine, it looks easy anyway.”

  She made the adjustment and fired again. Jack told her again to raise her elbow. This time the arrow was a few inches lower. She made another adjustment and fired, closer. She was getting the hang of it and remembered her elbow. She made a slightly bigger adjustment and fired again, nailed it.

  “Great job!” It’s getting dark, we’ll confirm the pin tomorrow and work on 30 yards. The rest will adjust and almost set themselves. They’ll be much easier. Let’s get this stuff put away. The bow comes inside.”

  ***

  The captain and his men took over the operation in Istanbul. A prep team had arrived long before them to get everything prepared and start the process. The men took their stations and the sounds of fingers typing was heard above all else. For the past several days the men had been busy with the code and preparing the way in.

  Their teams had spent years working their way into the US electrical grid and had a few successful entries. With the information retrieved from each success, they believed they had everything they needed to shut down the entire United States electrical grid.