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Post by NCWEBNUT on Feb 22, 2019 13:46:38 GMT -6
Now there's a twist I didn't see coming
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Post by solo on Feb 22, 2019 14:32:01 GMT -6
I was suspicious... but had gone away from this thought. Great writing!
Solo
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Post by accountant on Feb 22, 2019 15:14:10 GMT -6
texican and solo,
If I'm getting that predictable, perhaps it's time to stop.
If you guess what I'm going to write before I write it, then where's the surprise. And really, what's the point if the reader isn't taken for a loop every once in a while.
A.
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Post by bluefox2 on Feb 22, 2019 16:21:55 GMT -6
Now there's a twist I didn't see coming Definitely a blind side twist.
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Post by texican on Feb 22, 2019 19:49:39 GMT -6
texican and solo, If I'm getting that predictable, perhaps it's time to stop. If you guess what I'm going to write before I write it, then where's the surprise. And really, what's the point if the reader isn't taken for a loop every once in a while. A. A, Don't get your panties in a bunch since your like minded readers occasionally see thru the smoke and fog and see which way the water is flowing.... Now, “I still don’t get it. Why were you laughing?”, asked Darren as they got up to the porch.
Magnum sad down on one of the chairs on the patio, motioned for Darren to sit, and pulled out two beers from a cooler between the chairs.
Darren sat down and took a beer from Magnum.
“Flower, Boomer’s gay!”, said Magnum with a chuckle.A, Now that was definitely an out of the closet surprise.... Thanks for the chapter with a really twisted ending.... Texican....
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Post by accountant on Feb 25, 2019 13:26:13 GMT -6
Chapter 12
Boomer’s Story
“I don’t get it. If he’s gay and not into Cassie, then why is he being so rough on me?”, asked Darren.
“Let me tell you a story about the big man.”, said Magnum, taking a sip from his can of beer, “You see, Boomer comes from a rich Texas oil family. He was the third son and you know what they say, ‘you need a heir and a spare”, and they really didn’t need Boomer. Anyway, his older brothers got groomed to run the business and Boomer was left to do whatever he wanted. He floated through high school and instead of going to college, he joined the Marines. After a couple three years with the Corps, Boomer was on leave when he came out to his family. Being old money, they didn’t want the stigma of having a homosexual son, so they pretty much disowned him. Boomer went back to the Marines, and a few months later the Company came calling. Boomer joined on with them. Later, he figured out that his Pa and oldest brother pulled some strings to get him in there. They must’ve figured it would get him out of their hair and if anything were to happen to him, well, it would be one less problem for ‘em. Boomer’s had a chip on his shoulder every since. He figured that he really didn’t deserve to be in the CIA and was only there ‘cause of his folks. He worked way harder than anyone else to prove to everyone he deserved to be there but mainly to try and to prove it to h’self. Anyway, one time we were pinned down in Uzbekistan, just outside Tashkent in an old farmhouse. Boomer thought that it was all over for us and wanted to go out with a clear conscience so he just told us. Right there in a middle of a firefight, he goes, “Guys, I’m gay!”. Just like that. Then Spider comes back with “We don’t give a damn! Pass me another clip! I’m out!”. Then Rattler says, “You’re out and so is he!”. Well, we all started giggling like schoolgirls at that one. Since that time, Boomer made us his adopted family. We’re his brothers and Spider’s his sister. He thinks he has to protect her from everyone and everything, although as you just saw, that girl can take care of h’self. He’s been hurt emotionally by his family, and he’ll do anything to make sure she never feels the same way. So when she talked about bringin’ you in, Boomer didn’t like it one bit, and he’s been on red alert ever since. He just needed the stuffing kicked out of him to get his head right. Now that that’s done with, he’ll be fine with you.”
Finished with his story, Magnum put his head back and took a big swig of beer.
Darren chuckled and said, “Why, he’s just a big softy at heart.”, before putting his can to his lips.
Magnum just looked at him and said, “Flower, I don’t recommend you sayin’ that to his face. He’s real protective of us. Hell, it took him forever to warm up to Clarice, and she was already married to Rattler.”
“How is he with Missy and Brian?”, asked Darren.
“I put him straight after their second meeting. He’s alright now.”, said Magnum.
“How’d you and them meet anyways? If you don’t mind me asking.”, asked Darren.
“No I don’t mind. You’re part of the team now. Anything you need to know, just ask. We ain’t got time to keep things bottled up around here. We got too much going on. So me and Missy…’bout a year or so ago, I was down here helping set things up and I needed to get some serpentine belts for the tractor. So, I went into Maryville to get the parts from Waters’ Equipment and who was behind the order desk but the most gorgeous filly I’d ever seen. I tell ya, I couldn’t keep me eyes off her. My hands were shaking and could hardly read the part number I’d written down on a scrap of paper. I swear, the girl thought I was having a seizure or something. She brought a chair to sit down in and a bottle of water to drink ‘fore I could talk. When I did speak, the first thing I said was, “Missy, I don’t know what your name is, but I’ve just got to get to know you better.” Well, she just smiled and said, “You’re right on one count. My name is Missy and if you want to get to know me better, you can meet me at the Huddle House for lunch at noon. This was at nine in the morning. I got my belts and then I sat in my truck in the Huddle House parking lot for almost three hours waiting for her. But when she came out of her car…Hooooweee, it was something else. We had lunch and that was it. I guess it was for her too ‘cause we had lunch together every day for two weeks. Some things are just meant to be, ya know what I mean, Flower?”, said Magnum with a wink and a smile.
As he was saying that, the two dogs came bounding over and began barking at Darren.
“Here, hold out your hand.”, said Magnum as he reached into the cooler and pulled out a bag of doggie treats.
Magnum put a few treats into Darren’s hand. The dogs were a little confused. They wanted the treats, but continued to bark slightly at Darren.
“Come on, then.”, said Magnum to the canines.
Apollo came rushing forward, and seeing him going for the snacks, Zeus followed quickly.
“Apollo’s the greedy one, but Zeus’ll always get his share.”, explained Magnum as the two dogs gobbled up the treats from Darren’s hand.
After eating, the two dogs flopped down beside Darren.
“That was it? That’s all I had to do?”, asked Darren.
“Well, they wouldn’t take treats from just anyone. They’re trained better’n that. But since I’m here and said you’re okay, they’re okay with you now too, Flower.” , said Magnum.
“How’d I end up with Flower? Why couldn’t I get a cool nickname.”, said Darren, slightly frustrated.
“Ya get whatya get.”, said Magnum with a smile.
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Post by sniper69 on Feb 25, 2019 16:25:20 GMT -6
Thank you for the new chapter - it is appreciated. Now to see how Flower does with his training,
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Post by texican on Feb 25, 2019 19:38:05 GMT -6
A,
Poor Flower better develop some thorns for Chad/Darren will need them....
Thanks for the chapter....
Texican....
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Post by 9idrr on Feb 25, 2019 19:52:21 GMT -6
A, Poor Flower better develop some thorns for Chad/Darren will need them.... Thanks for the chapter.... Texican.... We all know that the first thing Flower has to learn is "if you can't say something nice about somebody..."
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Post by 2t2crash on Feb 25, 2019 21:25:04 GMT -6
What Darren doesn't know is that "flower" is a nice nickname compared to what typically gets assigned by military members.
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Post by texican on Feb 25, 2019 21:44:22 GMT -6
What Darren doesn't know is that "flower" is a nice nickname compared to what typically gets assigned by military members. 2t2, Since you brought it up.... What was your nickname?.?.?.? Texican....
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Post by 2t2crash on Feb 26, 2019 5:03:42 GMT -6
What Darren doesn't know is that "flower" is a nice nickname compared to what typically gets assigned by military members. 2t2, Since you brought it up.... What was your nickname?.?.?.? Texican.... "Tassels"... As in titty tassels because even at 170lbs I had slight man boobs. LOL
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Post by accountant on Feb 27, 2019 8:43:19 GMT -6
Chapter 13
Nurse Flower
As they sat, the door to the main hall opened and Clarice walked out with Laura.
“I’ll see you later, Magnum.”, said Darren as he left the porch to meet the ladies.
“Yeah you will.”, called out Magnum.
“How is she?”, asked Darren.
“She’ll be fine. No concussion or broken bones. Just a lot of bruises, especially around her mid-section and her arms. I’ve put a compression bandage around her stomach area. Get her into a warm bath with Epsom salts. That’ll help relax the muscles, bet the blood flowing, and provide some relief. Then, she needs to rest and apply ice packs for twenty minutes every hour or so for the next few days, though. She’ll be sore so make sure she takes some Tylenol. Also soups, soft foods, and plenty of fluids for the next few days. Just make sure she rests. I know she won’t want to, but make her. That’s really the best thing.”, said Clarice.
Laura smiled and said, “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”
Darren gently put his arm around her and helped her walk.
“How’s Boomer?”, he asked.
“He definitely got the worst of it. His big head is going to swell up like a pumpkin. But, he’ll be alright too, with time.”, said Clarice as they walked.
At the porchway of their house, Clarice said, “I’ll leave her with you. I’ll take care of Boomer tonight. I’ll come back and check on her in the morning. If you need me before that, just let someone know. They’ll find me.”
“Thank you Clarice. I appreciate it.”, said Darren.
“Yes, thank you Clarice.”, echoed Laura.
“You can thank me by not getting into these tussles.”, said Clarice with a smile, before she walked away.
Darren helped Laura into the house and after kicking off his own shoes, helped Laura with hers.
“Let’s go upstairs and I’ll run you that bath.”, said Darren, softly.
They walked to the stairs and Laura moaned as she took the first step.
“Hang on.”, said Darren, as he lifted her up into his arms and carried her up the flight of stairs and into the master bedroom, where he placed her on the bed.
“Now, you stay there and I’ll run that bath. Can I assume that we have Epsom salts in the cabinet?”, said Darren as he went into the master bath.
“It’s okay. I can do it.”, said Laura from the bedroom.
“Nope, doctor’s orders. You need to rest.”, said Darren as he started the water in the tub. Once the water was ready, he went out into the master bedroom, got a robe from the closet, and put it in the bathroom by the tub.
Coming back into the bedroom, he carefully helped Laura up and into the bathroom.
“Do you…I mean should I…help you get undressed?”, he asked.
Laura looked up at him, smiled, put her hand on his face, and said, “I’ll be fine. Don’t worry. Now go.”
“You sure?”, asked Darren.
“Yes, I’m sure.”, came the reply.
“Okay, but I’ll be right outside if you need anything.”, said Darren before he walked out of the bathroom.
Darren sat on the bed and waited. He heard Laura moan as she slipped into the tub. He felt terrible about the beating Laura had taken for him. “Why did she do it”, he asked himself. He knew why, of course. He was her choice. Boomer had tested her on her choice and she had not backed down. But had she fought to protect him, or to maintain her level of authority within the group? Had Boomer truly conceded or what he just biding his time, waiting for another opportunity? Were Rattler and Magnum loyal to her or would they switch if Boomer ever got the upper hand? Then what would he and Laura do?
Darren put his head in his hands as the questions swam in his brain.
“Hey handsome.”, said Laura, standing in the doorway of the bathroom. She had put her hair up into a bun and was holding the door frame. A welt had started forming on the side of her cheek and Darren could see the bruises on her arm where the robe had slipped down.
“Hey you.”, said Darren as he stood and walked towards her.
Taking her hand, he helped her to the bed, where he flipped aside the coverings so she could lay down.
After helping her, he re-covered the bed and said, “I’ll get some Tylenol and an ice pack for you. You just rest.”
Laura giggled and said, “Where am I going to go?”
As he was about to leave the room, Darren turned around and say, “Oh yeah. Where do we keep the Tylenol and ice packs?”
Laura smiled and said, “The medicine cabinet is the furthest right top kitchen cupboard and the ice packs are in the freezer, silly.”
Darren smacked his forehead with his palm and said, “Duhh. I’m such an idiot.”
“Hey Darren, before you go, can you please get me a t-shirt and pair of sleeping shorts from the second left dresser drawer and a pair of underwear from the top left dresser drawer? I don’t feel like wearing this robe much longer.”, asked Laura.
Darren went to the dresser and got the requested items for Laura. As he was putting them on the bed, Laura took is hand and said, “I appreciate everything you are doing, but you don’t have to worry about me. I’ll be fine soon.”
Darren sat down on the edge of the bed beside her, moved a stray hair away for her face, and said, “You just pushed your way into my heart this morning. I’m not letting you out that easily. Now, let me take care of you. You’ll be back to your old self in no time.”
Darren rose from the bed, and went to bring the pain reliever, a glass of water, and the icepack, wrapped in a kitchen towel. When he returned to the master bedroom, Laura had already changed into the t-shirt and shorts.
He handed Laura two tablets and the glass of water and said, “Okay, Mrs. Smith, let’s take a look at those bruises, arms or stomach first?”
Laura took the pills with the water, pushed down the covers and raised the t-shirt to expose her stomach. Darren was shocked to see the angry red and purple blotches that had formed all over her mid-section.
“It’s not as bad as it looks.”, said Laura, “The warm bath helped with blood circulation so that’s why it looks the way it does."
Darren applied the ice pack gently to Laura’s stomach and she took in a big breath.
He pulled the ice pack away and said, “Am I hurting you?”.
Laura took his arm, helped to replace the ice pack back on her mid-section, and said, “No, the cold just tickled. I can still feel the tension in you. Take off your suit, and lie down beside me. You need to relax.”
Darren let out a deep sigh and decided to do as she said. He took off the suit, tie, and shirt and placed them on the bed. Dressed in only his undershirt and underwear, he crawled into bed with Laura.
“That’s better.”, said Laura, smiling, “Plus, your body heat will help keep me warm too.”
Darren gently put his arm around Laura and said jokingly, “I’ll do what needs to be done to keep the patient comfortable. Besides, what’ll I tell Clarice, hun?”
Laura looked at him with her sparkling eyes and said, “Hun? Is that what you’re going with?”
“I figured it’s better than babe or sweety or darlin’ or sugar mama.”, whispered Darren.
“No, hun is nice. I like it, but you’ll always be handsome to me.”, replied Laura with a smile, curling herself up into Darren.
“Say, where did you learn all those moves. You were a Tasmanian devil out there.”, asked Darren, softly.
“Did I forget to mention that I was at the top of my class in unarmed combat at the farm?”, said Laura.
“Hmm. I see. I wonder what other surprises you have in store.”, said Darren.
“Just wait ‘til I’m recuperated, then you’ll be the one whose sore.”, said Laura with a giggle.
Darren cuddled up closer and said, “You know, this wasn’t how I expected our first day as an officially married couple to go.”
“Well, at least you got me in the sack. I’d say that’s progress.”, said Laura, giving her husband a quick kiss.
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Post by texican on Feb 27, 2019 20:14:11 GMT -6
Darren cuddled up closer and said, “You know, this wasn’t how I expected our first day as an officially married couple to go.”
“Well, at least you got me in the sack. I’d say that’s progress.”, said Laura, giving her husband a quick kiss.
But not the progress that Darren was dreaming and hoping about....
Thanks A for the chapter....
Texican....
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A New Life
Feb 27, 2019 23:38:29 GMT -6
via mobile
Post by mantismula1 on Feb 27, 2019 23:38:29 GMT -6
Hooked right away. Need Moar.
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Post by accountant on Feb 28, 2019 15:20:21 GMT -6
Chapter 14
Power’s Out
The next couple of days went by fairly calmly for the newly married couple.
Darren made sure Laura stayed off her feet, bring her meals, fresh ice packs, and pain medicine. He also moved his belongings into the master bedroom, all under the watchful eye of the lady of the house.
Clarice came by twice on Monday and once on Tuesday to check on Laura’s recovery.
At 4:08 on Tuesday afternoon, an alarm began to sound in the kitchen, while Darren was preparing a cup of coffee and a snack for Laura.
He looked around but couldn’t find an clock or anything to turn off. Then, he saw Laura coming down the stairs, dressed and ready to exit the house.
“Get your boots on, we need to get down to the main hall.”, she said as she made her way to the front door.
“What’s going on?”, asked Darren as he helped her put her boots on before putting on his own.
“The main power’s gone out. We’re on generator back-up. I need to check on things in the control room.”, explained Laura as she tapped on a control panel in the closet to turn off the alarm.
As they left the house, the saw Magnum headed towards the main hall as well.
“Is this it?”, asked Darren as they walked quickly to the main building.
“Could be. I’m not sure yet.”, said Laura, distracted by her thoughts.
They followed Magnum into the main building and headed directly to the communications room where Boomer was already listening to a report on the radio.
“As previously reported, a failure originating in the Northeast has knocked out power in many parts of the continental US as well as parts of Canada. Federal authorities are reviewing the situation and hope to have the situation resolved shortly. We are being told that there is no cause for alarm but expect the power to be out for at least the next twelve hours. We will be breaking from regular programming as soon as more information is available.”
The radio then began playing a commercial for a local Cabelas.
“Boomer get on the horn and see what the HAMs are saying. Magnum, give me an update on our tanks.”, commanded Laura.
“All 12 6,000 tanks of gasoline are ready and working. The generators kicked in as expected. The individual propane tanks for the houses, barn, and this building are ready and primed. I checked them all last week. We just need to do the individual switch over when ready.”, said Magnum.
“Good. Where’s Rattler?”, asked Laura.
“I’m right here.”, said Rattler, entering the communications room.
“The kids?”, asked Laura.
“They got back from school 20 minutes ago. Clarice is watching them at the house.”, said Rattler.
“Boomer, anything?”, asked Laura.
“HAMs are saying that it’s not just an isolated incident in the Northeast. There have been simultaneous blasts at five different transformer substations across the country. The blasts kicked off a cascading failure with nuclear facilities going down per safety protocols. ”, said Boomer, grimly.
‘What’s your assessment?”, asked Laura.
“It’s not going to be twelve hours. Earliest, a week, ten days before power is restored.”, said Boomer.
“Reach out to our friends in Europe and DC. See if this is what they had been anticipating. Gentlemen, we are at risk level Charlie. Rattler, take a radio, make sure Eugene and Tara are here, then get to the LP/OP. Magnum, go get Missy and Brian. When you get back, lock up the gate and put the dogs on patrol. Once we get word from our friends, we’ll know more but for the time being, we don’t want to alarm the Wilsons and the kids. For them, this is just a power outage.”, said Laura.
“What do you want me to do?”, asked Darren.
“We’ve got things under control here, but it might be a while. If you want to help, maybe you and Clarice can get dinner ready for everyone. I know you know how to grill burgers and hot dogs. And tell her we’re at risk level Charlie. She’ll know what that means.”, said Laura as she put a set of headphones over her ears.
Not knowing what else to do, Darren walked out of the main building and went to Rattler’s house. He knocked on the door and waited.
Clarice opened the door and said, “Come in Chad. We got the alarm. What’s the update?”
Darren told her what he had heard and that he had been asked to help her with preparing dinner for the group. He also told her that they were at risk level Charlie.
“Risk level Charlie, eh?”, said Clarice, “Okay, come with me.”
Clarice led Darren to the master bedroom and into the walk in closet.
“Shut the door, please.”, she said, turning on the light.
Darren shut the door and watched as Clarice slid some hung up clothes out of the way and pressed a spot on the wall of the side of the closet. Instantly, a portion of the side wall released revealing an edge for a hand grip. Clarice pulled open the hidden door and pulled on a string, which turned on a red light in the concealed space. Inside, Darren could see, a row of six AR15s stored on the back wall of the space along with 9mm Glocks, suppressors, scopes, shoulder holsters, magazines, and boxes of ammunition.
“Here. Put this on.”, said Clarice, handing Darren a shoulder holster, as she reached for one for herself.
Darren did as directed and Clarice made the necessary adjustments to ensure the holster was secure.
She then put a Glock in the holster and made sure it was snug and secure.
“Okay, you’re smaller than Rick, but this will have to do until you get your own jacket from home. Put it on and put these three extra clips in the jacket pocket.”, said Clarice calmly.
“And why do I need to be carrying a weapon?”, asked Darren.
“Since we are at risk level Charlie, all team members are to conceal carry at all time. Everything may be normal, but if things go squirrelly, we need to be ready. If we were at Bravo, we would be open carrying the assault rifles and all civilians and children would be secured in the main building. If we go to Alpha, it means all hell has broken lose.”, said Clarice as she donned a jacket of her own.
Clarice closed up the secret compartment after turning off the red light, and let Darren out of the walk in closet.
“Do Cassie and I have one of those?”, asked Darren,
“Everyone does. The release mechanism may be different and it may be in a different location, but we all have them. Access to protection tools was built into the entire complex. Now, let’s see what we can do about getting supper ready for everyone.”, said Clarice, entering the kitchen.
“I wish I could do more than just cook dinner.”, said Darren, absentmindedly.
Clarice stopped, turned to Darren with a stern look in her eye, and said, “Oh really? Cooking dinner isn’t an important enough role for you, Chad? Let me tell you something, an army or group is only as good as its supply line. Just as a fighting force needs weapons, ammunition, gear, communications, rest, and medicines, it also needs food. Without any one of those things, they could end up dead. Dead, do you hear me? Without proper nutrition, they will make mistakes that could end up costing us all our lives. You better get it into your head that by preparing dinner, you’re playing a critical role in keeping us safe.”
“I’m sorry, I never realized the importance of cooking dinner before.”, said Darren, ashamed.
Clarice softened her tone and said, “Yes, they never show that in the movies, but it’s important. A good commander knows how to delegate tasks to the right personnel, and our Cassie is one of the best. She knows how to get the best out of every member of her team and that includes you. Okay, we’ve got some frozen hamburger patties, chicken patties, and hot dogs. You’ll find charcoal, lighter fluid, and matches in the garage. Since you’re a big, tough man, why don’t you get the charcoal grill behind the main building fired up so that we can get this meat going. In the meantime, I’ll get started on a salad and toppings for the burgers.”
Darren sheepishly exited the house and opened the garage. Sure enough, there he found the big bag of Kingsford charcoal briquettes, lighter fluid, and matches. Dragging everything out to the large grill being the main building, he soon had a fire lit and the briquettes heating up. After that, he went back to Rattler’s house, picked up a tray of meat, a couple of trays for the cooked meat, a frying pan for the bacon, a spatula, and a pair of tongs. Keeping everything balance, he was barely able to make it back to the grill without dropping everything.
Soon he had the grill filled with rows of cooking meat and he kept himself busy flipping, and turning everything ensuring that nothing got burned.
“I see you’ve got a good handle on the grill. I’ll put everything out on the picnic table over here. When I’m done, I’ll let everyone inside know that food is ready.”, said Clarice, as she rolled a large cooler out to the picnic table.
“Thanks Clarice. I appreciate it and really am sorry about before.”, said Darren as he turned the bacon.
“Oh, that’s okay. I know you’re just a man.”, said Clarice, with a chuckle.
“Hey handsome, something smells good out here.”, said Laura as she came out of the main building.
“Hey you. Dinner’s just about ready. You hungry?”, asked Darren, seeing Laura.
“Famished. Honestly, I really wasn’t looking forward to another bowl of soup for dinner. You should really have an apron that says “Kiss the cook””, said Laura.
“Let’s pretend I’m wearing one.”, said Darren as he leaned over for a kiss, which Laura happily gave him.
“Any updates yet?”, he asked.
“No, not yet. With the power out, the internet’s slow so it might take a while. Magnum’s on his way back with Missy and Brian. I’ve already told Rattler to come back down. I don’t expect anything to happen for a few days, but we’ll let the dogs out overnight so that’ll give us a little time to sleep. Oh, I see you’re wearing something else too.”, said Laura as she hugged Darren and feeling the holstered weapon.
“Yes ma’am. As required.”, replied Darren doing his best Gomer Pyle impression.
Laura giggled and said, “It’s better to be prepared just in case. I’ll grab one for myself after dinner.”
Magnum rolled up in his 1974 F-350 SuperCab just as Darren was taking off the last of the burgers from the grill.
The group invited the Wilsons down for dinner since there was enough food for everyone. The dinner cleanup was taken care of by Rattler and Magnum before chairs were brought out and a fire was lit in the fire pit. All the adults relaxed and enjoyed an after dinner drink. Magnum roasted marshmallows for the kids, and Laura and Darren snuggled up in a large Adirondack chair together.
“It seems surreal.”, said Darren softly to Laura as he stroked her back, “The country’s been attacked and here we are enjoying a leisurely cookout and bonfire.”
“I wanted to give the team one more evening of relaxation now. I’m not sure when we might have another one. On a positive note, it was an attack on the country in general and not us specifically. If nothing else happens, things should be back to normal in a week and a half. In the meantime, for all intents and purposes, we are just normal people enjoying a normal evening without power.”, said Laura, snuggling closer.
“How are you feeling, by the way?”, asked Darren.
“Much better. Getting up and around has really done wonders for me.”, said Laura.
“Good. Then maybe we can excuse ourselves and catch up on some of that newlywed stuff tonight, Mrs. Smith.”, said Darren, wiggling his eyebrows.
“Why Mr. Smith, I do believe your intentions are less than noble towards me and I approve.”, said Laura with a naughty smile.
As they were laughing, Boomer came out of the main building and motioned for Laura.
Laura stood up and taking Darren’s hand called for Magnum and Rattler to follow her into the building.
Everyone followed Boomer into the communication center where he pointed to an email. It was only one line.
All it said was “Grid PH1. PH2 HEMP. CN RU MX. GL & GS.”
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Post by texican on Feb 28, 2019 19:20:05 GMT -6
All it said was:Grid PH1: Physical attack on the grid.... PH2 HEMP: EMP attack on the nation, coming.... To be done by:
CN: China RU: Russia MX: Mexico Message Ending:
GL: Good Luck.... GS: God's Speed.... Just an educated surmise of the letter code.... And a new chapter two days running.... Thanks A for the chapters.... Texican.... ps: Chad still has not scored.... and kissing does not count....
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Post by papaof2 on Feb 28, 2019 19:25:58 GMT -6
Definitely gonna need some GL.
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Post by solo on Mar 1, 2019 12:38:35 GMT -6
All it said was:Grid PH1: Physical attack on the grid.... PH2 HEMP: EMP attack on the nation, coming.... To be done by:
CN: China RU: Russia MX: Mexico Message Ending:
GL: Good Luck.... GS: God's Speed.... Just an educated surmise of the letter code.... And a new chapter two days running.... Thanks A for the chapters.... Texican.... ps: Chad still has not scored.... and kissing does not count.... Looks like the newlywed stuff will have to wait. Again. Excellent chapter! THANK YOU!
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Post by accountant on Mar 4, 2019 13:10:13 GMT -6
Chapter 15
Stay or Go
“What does that mean?”, asked Darren.
“It means that the US is about to be shredded to pieces.”, replied Rattler.
“Is this confirmed?”, asked Laura.
“By both the Indians and the Australians. This was the second confirmation.”, said Boomer.
“What do you think, boss lady?”, asked Magnum.
“This is what I was worried about. Phase 1 was the grid going down. The second phase will be a high level EMP attack, I’m guess one on the eastern seaboard, and one on the western seaboard. That will wipe out all electronic equipment and basically anything with a circuit board in it. Everything will pretty much stop working. Since the message mentioned China, Russia, and Mexico, My thinking is that they are behind this with China being the lead. The US has racked up too much debt with China and now, with the help of Mexico and Russia, this is their plan to collect. Russia will probably want to take Alaska for the oil and control of the Northwest passage as payment. Mexico will want to take back the south from Texas to California for their help. With the grid being down, FEMA protocols will be initiated soon, likely within the next three days. Rioting will probably start in the big cities in two days and the feds will swoop in. There will be fighting in the streets and people will start killing each other over food and water. Then FEMA camps will be set up and mandatory firearm confiscations will begin. This will be done in the name of getting weapons out of the hands of criminals and giving those without food and safety a place to go. The border patrol and armed services personnel, with reduced rations and no mobility, will start deserting their posts within a week, 10 days to look after their families. Once that happens, Russia will move in from Alaska down through Canada to take over the Pacific Northwest and then move eastward, and Mexico will move its troops up from the southern border and move northward. With our military vehicles unable to move because of the EMP, it’ll be a slaughter.”, explained Laura.
“But what about NATO? Aren’t they bound by agreement to help us?”, asked Darren.
“Flower, if we know it’s the Chinese and Russians, don’t you think our allies do too? They probably don’t see any benefit of going against those two.”, said Boomer.
“The Chinese will wait until most of our population is wiped out by fighting, starvation, and disease, and come walking in, pretending to liberate what’s left of us from the evil Russians and Mexicans.”, said Laura.
“But we have nukes. Doesn’t that make a difference?”, asked Darren.
‘We do and we have the navy and armies outside of the US. The nukes and their control systems are hardened against EMPs. But guess who made the hardware and software for the upgraded guidance and detonation systems? We’ll fire off some of our nukes and the enemies may take some collateral damage from the ones that didn’t get upgraded, but the majority won’t make it. They won’t fire back at us since they don’t want to ruin the soil and growing capabilities of their newly conquered territory. They’re after that along with our natural resources, specifically lumber, water, coal, and oil, not to mention the slave labour from the survivors. Once the EMP goes off, the natural thing for the US to do is bring our armies and navy back to home base to protect the continental US. That will leave Taiwan and South Korea undefended. That will be another bonus for China. Once our navies are in the Pacific and Atlantic, the Chinese will blockade the west and Russia will blockade the east. They’ll plan to keep anything from getting through and wait us out.”, explained Laura.
“Okay, so what do we do?”, asked Darren.
“We have two options and I’m leaving it up to the group to decide. The first is to leave. We still have access to the Cayman accounts. All we need to do is get to the coast, get on a boat and sail on down there. We can live comfortably in the Caribbean or somewhere in Europe. The second option is to stay. For the first year, we’ll have to deal with refugees, raiders, lack of supplies, the winter, and the Mexicans or the Russians. After that, the Chinese will come. We don’t stand a chance on our own against them. So what do you say? Do we go or do we stay?”, asked Laura.
The group was quiet for a long time, each lost in their own thoughts.
Finally, Magnum said, “This isn’t just a question for us. It affects everyone here. We need to involve Missy, Clarice, and the Wilsons too.”
“You’re right. It affects them too. Bring them and we can read them in. They should know everything if they are going to make an informed decision.”, replied Laura.
Magnum left the communication center to get everyone and the rest moved out of the room to the main hall.
“Why don’t you do this in the board room?”, said Rattler, “I’ll keep the kids busy out here. Whatever Clarice decided is my decision too.”
The group waited for Magnum to return and together all the adults including Eugene and Tara went into the large board room. Once everyone was seated, Laura came clear about everything. She told them about the group’s past, the setup of Safehaven, and the coming attack. She also outlined the choice that had to be made.
After hearing everything, Henry Wilson said, “You may be criminals in the eyes of the CIA, but you took us in and gave us a roof over our heads when we lost ours and that’s good enough for me. I never cared much for the feds anyways.”
“If we go, what’s going to happen to the farm? I can’t leave my goats!”, exclaimed Martha.
“I’m afraid we’re going to have to leave pretty much everything here as it is. I’m sorry, Martha.”, said Laura.
“Everything we have is here. This is our home.”, said Martha, wringing her hands, “It’s all we know.”
“If everyone agrees to leave, we can get settled somewhere else. We can start new lives in safety. We’ve done it before and we can do it again.”, said Laura.
“Henry and I are staying, but take the kids. They need to be safe.”, said Martha with tears in her eyes.
“No, Mama, no! We can’t leave you!”, said Tara, starting to cry.
“There, there, my sweet Tara, my precious girl. Everything we’ve ever done was for you and your brother. It’s always been our job to keep you kids safe and that’s what we’re thinking about now. You go and lead a good life. That goes for you too, boy. You go and do right by us. That’s all we can ask of you.”, said Henry with his arm around his children.
“I need to think about Brian, too. I’m sorry, Steve, but I have to think of my son. We need to go.”, said Missy.
"It’s not that simple. You see, at least one of us has to go with them if they are going. The bank’ll want to have someone with signing authority there in person to access the funds. If someone were to go, we all need to go.”, said Laura, softly.
“I’m done running.”, said Boomer, “I’m staying.”
“Boomer, be reasonable.”, said Darren.
“I am being reasonable. I fought for this country. I spilled blood for this country and I’ll be damned it I sit on some beach with a drink in my hand and watch it burn. No, I’m not going anywhere.”, said Boomer, defiantly.
The group sat around the table in silence until Clarice said solemnly, “We have to go. I can’t see my babies live through what you say might happen. If there’s an option for them to be safe then we’re taking it.”
“Chad?”, asked Laura.
“I’m with you. If you want to go, we’ll go. If you want to stay, we’ll stay. I told you before, I’m done living in fear.”, said Darren as he took Laura’s hand.
“Magnum?”, asked Laura.
“I can’t decide. A part of me’ll follow Missy anywhere. But, another part of me just can’t leave that big idiot here. We’ve been through too much together. He’s stubborn as a mule and just as dumb, but he’s my mule. I’m sorry.”, said Magnum, looking down.
“It’s settled then.”, said Laura, “ Chad, Boomer, and I will stay here with the Wilsons. Magnum, you, and Rattler take the families and the Wilson kids to the Caymans. That’s just the way it has to be.”
Laura stood and turned away from the table. Her head was hung and her shoulders were shaking.
Darren stood and wrapped his arms around her in silence.
Taking a big breath, Laura turned to the table and said, “I think the people leaving should get their things together tonight. We’ll have the plans ready for your departure first thing in the morning.”
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Post by sniper69 on Mar 4, 2019 18:08:08 GMT -6
Thank you for another great chapter. This story is developing very nicely.
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Post by texican on Mar 4, 2019 18:46:33 GMT -6
Well A, Pretty well set it up for a complete failure.... But, not all things go the way man plans.... I for one would stay.... You can only die once for freedom but die thousands of times if you run.... Texican.... Born Free, Living Free and Will Die Free... PS: Do you not surmise that a large percentage of military vehicles have been modified to be EMP resistant if not EMP proof.... With all of the hoop ta do about the chinese hardware in our military equipment and missiles, you think that our military hasn't and isn't addressing this under emergency measures.... Bombers can deliver hell on target across china russia, mexico and the world much less launch EMP charges over all continents including the ME.... Just how many nukes and lasers and pulse weapons do we have in space over china and russia? China, Russia and Mexico will be hurt beyond belief.... Now Russia and China are not friends and when the missiles fly missiles will fly between China and Russia and the rest of the world.... The sheep will be rounded up, but the patriots will not be rounded up.... How many jack boots will bite the dust before they fall back to the camps to have some fun with the tenants/prisoners?
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Post by solo on Mar 5, 2019 10:51:08 GMT -6
Well A, Pretty well set it up for a complete failure.... But, not all things go the way man plans.... I for one would stay.... You can only die once for freedom but die thousands of times if you run.... Texican.... Born Free, Living Free and Will Die Free... PS: Do you not surmise that a large percentage of military vehicles have been modified to be EMP resistant if not EMP proof.... With all of the hoop ta do about the chinese hardware in our military equipment and missiles, you think that our military hasn't and isn't addressing this under emergency measures.... Bombers can deliver hell on target across china russia, mexico and the world much less launch EMP charges over all continents including the ME.... Just how many nukes and lasers and pulse weapons do we have in space over china and russia? China, Russia and Mexico will be hurt beyond belief.... Now Russia and China are not friends and when the missiles fly missiles will fly between China and Russia and the rest of the world.... The sheep will be rounded up, but the patriots will not be rounded up.... How many jack boots will bite the dust before they fall back to the camps to have some fun with the tenants/prisoners? I'd say that A has accomplished his mission! His writing has gotten a strong visceral reaction from his readership and he should be proud of that fact. Now, you don't see to many scenarios where the protagonists pull back to fight another day. I am betting this will not be the last we see of Magnum, Rattler or the kids. Well done, A!
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Post by freebirde on Mar 5, 2019 17:45:18 GMT -6
They might not use low altitude nukes, but who knows who has what kinetic energy weapons. The idea is not new, Heinlein used it in "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" and others have used it in stories. How much damage would a two ton titanium shaft traveling at terminal velocity from orbit do to a city or military base? Or even if it hit Yellowstone, San Andreas, New Madrid, or Mt Fuji?
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Post by texican on Mar 5, 2019 20:25:05 GMT -6
2t2, Since you brought it up.... What was your nickname?.?.?.? Texican.... "Tassels"... As in titty tassels because even at 170lbs I had slight man boobs. LOL 2T2, Had to come back to this one, just could not erase it from my mind's eye.... Titty Tassels.... and Slight Man BoobsNow the visualizations just boggle one's mind eye.... One quick question.... Did you wear the Titty Tassels to bed on your Slight Man Boobs? Trying to make some sense out of the potential mind's eye visualizations.... Texican....
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