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Post by bluefox2 on Dec 14, 2021 20:46:13 GMT -6
I have a bad feeling about the ending of this story since we know Cal passed and his whole setup was a dream while he was on the operating table
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Post by gipsy on Dec 14, 2021 21:13:57 GMT -6
Thanks for a fine update.
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remembergoliad
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Post by remembergoliad on Dec 14, 2021 21:52:54 GMT -6
I have a bad feeling about the ending of this story since we know Cal passed and his whole setup was a dream while he was on the operating table You put it more eloquently than I was attempting, before I saw there was another page of posts. Another story I think I'll have to read a second time once it's finished. THAT is how good the writing is! Thank you NC!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Dec 14, 2021 22:57:10 GMT -6
I have a bad feeling about the ending of this story since we know Cal passed and his whole setup was a dream while he was on the operating table Wait for it.....wait for it.....
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Post by ncsfsgm on Dec 15, 2021 1:00:05 GMT -6
Chapter 135
"Trace, this is Ryan Craig, inventor extraordinaire. He is the genius who's grown Mesa Electric to what it is now. Ryan, if you will, take care of Trace for me. Siobhan is taking me in for a CT Scan this morning."
"Anything wrong Cal?"
"No, just a follow up to make sure I still have a few brains left. I'm fine."
Cal left the office and Trace turned to Ryan. "Does he have cancer or something?"
Ryan chuckled. "Not hardly. He's just about the luckiest S. O. B. you'll ever meet. Did you see that white streak of hair on the left side of his head just under the brim of his hat?"
Trace nodded.
"Well, about six months ago, a cartel sniper put a round through his kitchen window and that white streak is where the bullet grazed him. It would have been better if the bullet had been smaller than a 7 mm, the armored window glass would have stopped it, but the sniper used a 12.7 mm rifle and it went right through, however it was deflected just enough it didn't kill him. They had to do some operations on him and he was in a coma for ten weeks. He's not quite 100% but he got on a horse last week for the first time since before the attack."
"Did they get the sniper?" Trace asked.
"Oh yeah. There was a Homeland Security team training on aerial gunnery on the HTR range that got him. There was nothing left of him but a puddle of goo. One of those miniguns will do that to you. They traced the guy back to the brother of a man Cal had a run in with a couple of years ago. The brother has since 'disappeared.' So, tell me what you need."
Trace related what Gil wanted and the models of the UTVs and the type of trucks.
"I'm gonna need the model and year of the trucks too. The battery banks are custom built. They change the bracing and a few other things on the trucks for different years,"
"He'll probably buy a couple of trucks. I'll give him a call and find out what he's going to do."
"I'll get us a cup of coffee while you're making your call." Ryan replied.
Trace went outside and dialed Gil's cell number.
"Gil? Trace. Ryan needs to know the model and year of the trucks you want to convert in order to make sure the battery bank will fit. The UTVs won't be a problem."
"I haven't even gone vehicle shopping. Tell him I'll call back with the information in the morning."
"Okay, Looks like I can take off early and go have another Elk burger."
Gil picked up Brad and they went to a couple of used car dealers in Rogersville to look for a two trucks. The second dealer they went to had a 1990 4x4 Silverado that had a decent bed. It didn't make any difference to Gil, he was going to have it Rhino coated anyway. They also had a 1990 Chevrolet V3500 Cheyenne Crew Cab that, like the Silverado, had no body rust spots. Gil bought both of them. While the salesman was doing the paperwork, Brad went back to Bluff View to pick up Colt and Gil text Trace, giving him the specifics of trucks.
Trace met with Cal and Ryan the next morning after breakfast. He gave Ryan the information on the two pickups and Ryan nodded.
"Yeah, we've fitted these models before. Not a problem. What do you think Cal? On site?"
"Yeah, do the conversion there. Have Gil give Ryan a call when he has all the vehicles rounded up and he'll send the conversion team out. How are you getting back to Tennessee Trace?"
"I'll fly out of Grand Junction and switch planes in Chicago, then down to Knoxville. We live a little over an hour northeast of Knoxville."
""What's the county?"
"Hawkins."
Cal pulled out his phone and checked something, then dialed a number.
"Matt, I'm cleared to fly. Want to do a 1200 miler with me? Yeah, Hawkins County Airport. Northeast of Knoxville. Yeah, let's take the TBM."
Cal ended the call and looked at Trace. "Let me have Gil's number."
Trace gave him the number and Cal dialed it.
"Gil? This is Cal Coleman. Yeah, Do you have room to put me and another guy up overnight? Yeah, we're flying Trace back on a private plane. Tomorrow afternoon. I'll give you a call as we reach the Knoxville area but we'll be landing at Hawkins County Airport. Yeah, I look forward to meeting you too. Goodbye."
"Trace, we'll leave at 0700 in the morning right after breakfast."
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Post by kiwibutterfly on Dec 15, 2021 1:22:56 GMT -6
LOVE IT......
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Post by sniper69 on Dec 15, 2021 6:30:47 GMT -6
Awesome twist to this story. Many thanks for your excellent writing and stories.
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Post by phwoarchild on Dec 15, 2021 7:28:21 GMT -6
This gave me the chills...
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remembergoliad
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Posts: 158
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Post by remembergoliad on Dec 15, 2021 8:54:34 GMT -6
Ooohhh, whiplash! I love it!
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Post by gipsy on Dec 15, 2021 9:06:08 GMT -6
Want to bet that he has more twists for us before it is over. Thanks for the update.
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Post by paulk on Dec 15, 2021 12:03:33 GMT -6
Thank you! Thank you! I hated loosing Cal.
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Post by cavsgt on Dec 15, 2021 12:07:58 GMT -6
Sneaky and unexpected Thank You
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Post by iamnobody on Dec 15, 2021 13:26:53 GMT -6
Wait for it.....wait for it.....
You set the hook deep with this twist!
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Post by ydderf on Dec 15, 2021 14:23:48 GMT -6
Yes, waiting with bated breath!
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Post by accountant on Dec 15, 2021 15:43:54 GMT -6
Hey NCS,
Gotta say, I'm loving this story.
I didn't get a chance to read the one with Cal in it so I probably need to go back and catch up.
I can tell that this is fiction 'cause there wasn't anything in it about permits, or inspectors, or having to stop work due to OSHA issues. LOL
If I were to categorize this tome, I'd have to say it's in the vein of homesteader erotica with a little SHTF mixed in.
Again, enjoying it immensely.
Thanks for all your hard work.
A.
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remembergoliad
Member
if you send friend req on FB, message me too. I won't accept if I don't recognize you.
Posts: 158
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Post by remembergoliad on Dec 15, 2021 16:15:42 GMT -6
...I can tell that this is fiction 'cause there wasn't anything in it about permits, or inspectors, or having to stop work due to OSHA issues... Huh? You mean I've been leading a fictional life all along? The HORROR!
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Post by papaof2 on Dec 15, 2021 19:07:17 GMT -6
If the neighbors can see what you're doing, then maybe the permits and inspections. If not, as long as YOU feel safe sleeping there - have at it.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Dec 15, 2021 21:18:12 GMT -6
Hey NCS, Gotta say, I'm loving this story. I didn't get a chance to read the one with Cal in it so I probably need to go back and catch up. I can tell that this is fiction 'cause there wasn't anything in it about permits, or inspectors, or having to stop work due to OSHA issues. LOL If I were to categorize this tome, I'd have to say it's in the vein of homesteader erotica with a little SHTF mixed in. Again, enjoying it immensely. Thanks for all your hard work. A. I've tried to keep the mundane things that governments have us to do down to a minimum, but I can add them, if that is what makes your whistle toot.
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Post by gipsy on Dec 15, 2021 22:06:08 GMT -6
I can see a large hole in the back forty.
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Post by cavsgt on Dec 15, 2021 22:07:34 GMT -6
No need to write the mundane paperwork into the story to for me. Just keep on like you have been.
THANKS Phill
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Post by paulk on Dec 16, 2021 11:46:44 GMT -6
More please.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Dec 16, 2021 12:09:06 GMT -6
Chapter 136
Gil, or rather the Trust, closed on the Mullins place that morning and Abe presented Carl and Myrtle a certified check covering the sale minus $5,000 for "pocket moving money." Myrtle had already packed up everything she wanted and Carl was going to buy a new truck and trailer to haul their things to Birmingham. They planned to leave the following Monday. Grace invited them over for Sunday dinner as a kind of "going away" event.
Colt and Gil talked back and forth during the flight about people they knew and what they had been going on since they last saw each other.
"What is Gil like?" Cal asked.
"Well, I guess you could say he is a lot like you. He had a dream, wanted a fairly secluded lifestyle and he is definitely a prepper. Unlike you, he tries to stay low key as possible and mostly minds his own business."
Cal laughed. "Hey sometime you've got to stir the cesspool to see what is floating beneath the scum. Listen, we could make this flight in one hop but not knowing the quality of service at the county airport, we'll stop in St. Louis to refuel. We'll be at Hawkins by 1400. I'll check the weather at St. Louis and give Gil a final update of our arrival time. How far is Bluff View from the airport?"
"It's about 12 miles to the driveway, and another 2 miles on that to the house."
"Long driveway."
"Yeah, but he has a pretty good setup."
They landed in St. Louis and refueled. The weather looked good to Hawkins County so Cal called Gil and told him they would be there around 1335.
"Grace, I'll be leaving here shortly to pick up Colt and Cal."
"Okay, the guesthouse is ready. Mollie put fresh cream, snacks and drinks in the refrigerator."
"Okay, I'll be back in a while."
Gil arrived and talked to the guy at the desk about tie-down space. The man said they had one as Gil thought, You should, there's only three planes in the whole area!
Gil waited in the lounge for their arrival.
After taking off from St. Louis, Matt trimmed the plane up and set the auto pilot.
"What's the I.D.?" Matt asked
"RVN." Cal replied.
"Beacon freq?"
"329.00. Instructions say to watch for deer on the runway."
"Roger."
Fifteen minutes out Cal and Matt became more vigilant. There was no tower at RVN. The radar wasn't showing anything but it it didn't hurt to have four extra eyeballs looking too. As they neared the airfield Matt adjusted flaps and reduced his speed, coming in from the southeast on runway 7. The wheels squawked as they touched down and Matt reversed the prop, quickly slowing the plane. One of the airport personnel went out and guided the plane to its parking space. The door opened and Matt got out, followed by Colt and Cal. Gil walked over to them.
"Cal? Good to meet you." Gil said, holding out his hand.
"Cal shook Gil's hand and turned to Matt. This is Matt Ceallaigh, one of my partners in crime."
Gil shook Matt's hand and welcomed him to Tennessee.
Matt got their bags out of the plane while Cal started tying it down. When they finished, Gil led them to the Suburban.
"This is pretty country." Cal said. "Damn sight more trees that we've got out in Colorado."
Cal was quiet on the drive to Bluff View. Coming to the security gate Cal said "Nice."
As they reached the bottom of the ridge, Cal was nodding. Good setup you have here. We use outdoor furnaces for our greenhouses in Colorado too. Gil pulled up to the house and walked them over to the guesthouse.
"When you get settled, come on over to the house and we'll have drinks."
Gil went into the house and a few minutes later Cal and Matt knocked on the deck door.
"Come on in guys. We have cold mead, whiskey, wine, vodka, iced tea and spigot water."
Cal grinned. What about a shot of that whiskey and a chaser of mead?"
"Come one in and have a seat in the Great Room and I'll get the drinks."
Gil broke out the horn mugs, cold mead, shot glasses and a bottle of River Bank. After slamming the shot and taking a sip of the mead, Cal smacked his lips.
"Where did you get this whiskey? It is really smooth."
"That is homemade, so is the mead. If you like, I'll send some back with you."
"Thanks, I'd appreciate that. Looks like you are trying to be self-reliant here."
"As much as we can. Colt mentioned we were off-grid in just about everything but our vehicles. I'm hoping converting the UTVs and a couple of trucks will handle that."
"Oh, I think it will. It's sure saved us on fuel at the Ranch, and the times between charges are fantastic.."
"Colt said you were in 7th Group?"
"Yeah, initially I was in 5th, but got tired of the desert. Ironic that I ended up settling in the high desert of Colorado. After I got out, I was at loose ends and headed out to Colorado to a ranch a team buddy left me. Been there ever since."
"Kind of the same with me. I inherited this 400 acres from my grandfather and have bought a couple of adjoining properties since. We grow most of our own food and have ample stocks of long term foods and supplies also."
"We're pretty much in the same boat, but we added some steam engines and even have a steam shovel to mine natural coke."
"Well, all we have here is wood to burn, so a steam shovel would be out of our league, but a steam engine would work on a generator head."
"I'll keep my eyes and ears open." Cal said.
"Come on, I'll take you for a tour." Gil said.
Gil went in a clockwise direction and showed drove slowly, explaining what and why they had certain things there. When he got to the hangar Cal asked him what they had in there.
"We've got a couple of SuperSTOLs in there."
Cal grinned broadly. "We happen to have a few of those ourselves."
They drove on and ended back at the house.
"Cal, I have one more thing to show you but I'd appreciate it if you didn't mention this to anyone."
"Not a problem Gil."
Gil drove them on up the ridge to the shelf and Cal spotted the door immediately.
"Nice door."
Gil opened the door and the Blast door was a few paces in. Gil opened that and escorted Cal and Matt in.
Cal laughed.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Dec 16, 2021 12:12:48 GMT -6
Chapter 137
"Well, I see we think a lot alike. I too had a cave behind my first cabin. I constructed a pedestrian tunnel and buried it, thinking I could use it for storage. When excavating it deeper I ran across gold seams and not only have gotten a good bit out, but have a small town underground, completely protected from radiological and chemical hazards."
Gil frowned. Well, I haven't addressed those hazards yet. I wouldn't know how to set something like that up.
Cal nodded. "It's fairly simple. You just need to increase the air pressure in here so it keeps unfiltered air out. Positive pressure."
"I'll have to see what I can get for that." Gil said.
"You've done a lot in here."
They walked around and looked at the other two chambers and Cal saw how much they had stored.
"This is nice." Cal said. "I like the use of ram pumps to fill your tanks. You filter all your water?"
"Yeah, I run frequent tests on the stream but we still filter the water, just in case."
They walked back to the kitchen area and sat at the table.
"Looks like you are pretty well set up for the size group you have here." Cal said. "How are you set for weapons and ammunition?"
"We've got a few AR-15s, pistols and of course a few hunting guns, and a few thousand rounds of ammunition for each caliber."
Cal nodded.
Gil looked at his watch. "We should get back to the house. Grace will have dinner ready soon. They all got up from the table and Gil said "Wait!"
Going back to the storage chamber, Gil put a case of mead and a case of River Bank on a hand cart and wheeled it out to the Gator. After shutting the lights off and locking the doors, they went to the guest house and dropped the spirits off.
They all thoroughly enjoyed the Country Fried Steak dinner.
"That is one of my favorite meals, almost a staple at the Ranch. Thank you Grace."
"Did you save some room for peach cobbler?" Grace asked.
"If it kills me, I'm still going to have some." Cal grinned.
After dinner, Gil stoked the fire in the fireplace and added another log, then sat down with Cal and Matt over some River Bank on the rocks.
"Gil, there might be an acquaintance of mine stop by to see you sometime in the future. His bona fides will be mentioning something from Operation Commando Wrath. He can be trusted to the fullest."
"What's this about?" ...and how did he know I was involved with Commando Wrath? Gil thought.
"It's best he tell you everything. I might not be up on the current situation in the eastern part of the country. I will say he has been very helpful."
Matt and Cal cut their drinking off at 2000 because they were flying in the morning and wanted to get a good night's rest. Gil watched them walk back to the guesthouse, a thoughtful look on his face.
The next morning, Gil called the guesthouse and told Cal that breakfast was ready. He and Matt showed up and promptly ate a huge breakfast. Gil loaded the mead, whiskey and there travel packs into the Suburban and took them back to the airport. He hung around until they did their pre-flight and watched them take off. That was a nice plane. Driving back to Bluff View, he stopped by an auto parts dealer that did the Rhino coatings and set it up for the two truck beds done. They could have them done by the time the UTVs arrived. He could then call Ryan and have a conversion team come out.
Gil was working in the greenhouse with the girls when the FEDEX driver buzzed the gate. After checking his mobile app, Gil let the driver through and met him at the bottom of the ridge. Taking the numerous packages, Gil signed and the driver left.
Loading the packages in the back of the Gator, Gill took them up to the Chamber and sat them on the table. I'll get started on this project tomorrow. Gil thought, and returned to the greenhouse. They finished picking the strawberries and the women took them to the house to freeze some and make strawberry preserves with the rest.
Gil stopped by the lumber shed and checked his supplies and decided to go into town and get his lumber back up to his stock levels. Billy was finished with his school work for the day and went with him.
Gil and Billy culled the lumber right there in building supply and looked over some of the new products they had gotten in. Gil picked up two packs of triangular file sets of various sizes for sharpening saw blades, and extra band and scroll saw blades. They dropped off the extra lumber at the lumber shed and took the rest up to the Chamber. Stacking the lumber near the kitchen area, the turned off the lights and locked the outer doors.
The next morning, Gil got the call that his trucks were ready so he took Colt and Brad in to pick them up. When they got back they parked the trucks next to the equipment barn.
"Where are we going to store all these vehicles?" Brad said.
"I was going to wait and see where the conversion crew recommended to put the solar chargers. I've already got the plans drawn out for a shelter and the materials on hand so we can build it where ever they say to put the chargers."
"Who owned these trucks, an accountant?" Colt asked.
"I don't know, but they sure weren't hauling rocks and hog manure in them."
"Speaking of which, we need to move that manure pile up at the pasture to the compost area." Brad said.
"I'll get the dump trailer hooked up to the other tractor." Colt said.
Gil helped hitch the trailer up and watched them drive off. Turning, he got in the Gator and drove back to the house. Gil stopped in to see how the ladies were doing. The kitchen was steamy and the women were now busy filling jelly jars and preparing them for the canner.
"Grace, I'll be up at the Chamber the rest of the afternoon working on a project."
"Okay Hon. We'll be finished here in a while."
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Post by ncsfsgm on Dec 16, 2021 12:14:07 GMT -6
Chapter 138
Gil hadn't really given it much thought as to the structure he wanted. He just wanted to duplicate the radio setup he had at the house. He sat at the Chamber dining table facing the wall and tried to visualize what he wanted. He finally went to his quarters and came back with a pad of graph paper, a drafting pencil, a sharpener and a triangular scale. He sat down and started drawing out his vision of what his communications console would look like. It would probably be larger than what was really needed but what the heck, it gave them room to grow. Satisfied with his drawing, Gil began working on the materials list. A couple of ideas popped up in his head as he worked on the list and he would change over and do updates to his sketch. He ended up with basically a 6x8 foot cubicle with a work counter and shelves for the radios. The floor was a little rough in that area so he would put a double 2x4 plate and used floor leveler so a wheeled chair would roll around with no problem. The cubicle would be roofed, but would have ample ventilation, especially with the two 36x80 inch louvered PVC doors. He just needed to go down to the Lowe's in Greeneville to get the doors, Everything else he had.
Gil waited for Billy to get through with his school modules and had him hold the chalk line and snap it. After using the powder-actuated fastener to fasten the plate 2x4 to the chamber floor, they nailed the second plate down then poured the floor leveler in. They cleaned up everything and left for the day.
The UTVs arrived on a car hauler the next day. Gil, Brad and Colt unloaded and parked them at the other end of the equipment barn then secured tarps over the lot.
"Gil, think about it. They'll set the chargers where they'll get the most sun. Why not build the shed over there next to that ditch and leave enough room in back for the chargers. We could at least get the poles in and get the gravel packed down." Colt said.
Gil looked over at the area Colt was talking about. "Yeah, you're probably right. Hook the auger up and I'll get my plans."
Brad and Colt went to get the tractors ready and Gil returned to the house to get his shed plans. When he got back, Colt was ready with the stakes, marking paint and tape measure. Brad was loading a trailer with the posts. Gil and Colt measured and marked where the postholes would go along the line they had strung. As they dug the holes, Brad put posts up and stakes in for the braces. When Colt had all the holes dug, they helped Brad level the posts and nailed the braces on. They all helped load the Sakrete and poured a bag in each hole and brought water over to pour in the holes.
Gil got one his phone and ordered a dump truck load each of #2, #57 and #8 to be delivered. Putting up their tools, they called it a day.
Myrtle and Carl came over Sunday for dinner after church and spent the rest of the afternoon. Carl liked the River Bank and Gil made sure he had a couple of boxes to take with him.
"So Carl, you have everything packed up?"
"Yep, about the only thing I'm taking are my guns, fishing poles and clothes. I plan on living a sportsman's dream. Myrtle put the most of the stuff in the trailer. I'll miss the place, but then again maybe not. I'm ready to relax for the first time in years."
"I won't be homesick at all." Myrtle said. "I've been ready to go down to Alabama for a long time."
"What time are you leaving tomorrow?" Grace asked.
"We'll leave around 8:00. That'll put us in Overton mid-afternoon." Carl said. "A little over six hours." The Mullins stayed for another hour and then went home to get a good night's rest.
"Well, I guess we have some work to do next week, cleaning that house out for renovation." Grace said.
"I don't think I want to renovate it. I don't like the style and anyway, Trace wants to build his own log home." Gil said. "We just need to clean the place out. There's some wood I want out of it but the rest can be demoed. I'll get a permit for it next week."
The vehicle conversion crew rolled in on Wednesday consisting in an 18-wheeler and two motor homes. There was room for them to work in the equipment barn so they parked the big rig next to the barn and they sited the motor homes near the greenhouse to have access to water.
"Gil? I'm Al Grason. I head the conversion crew. I want to go over with you how we plan to do this."
Al laid out there normal conversion plan and what they needed from Gil. Gil had borrowed the 30Kw from Don again so they had plenty of power, which basically was all the crew needed from Gil. They took the rest of the afternoon to get their vehicles positioned and settled in They'd start the next morning on the conversions.
Gil and Billy continued on with the communications cubicle and had everything done in a couple of days. Brad and Colt pitched in and ran the antenna cables and set up the NVIS antenna for the HF and sent a packet test message to Jimmy and Steve. The CB and GMRS antennas were set up and cables run. Once everything was tested, Gil ran a 2-gauge stranded SD bare copper grounding wire through the water drain to the outside and cable connectors were connected to the grounding wire to plug the antenna cables into when the radios weren't in use.
"Why are you doing that Dad?"
"Well, if there is an electrical surge through the cables from lightning or whatever, the radios won't be damaged. The surge will go straight to ground." Gil explained.
Billy went down to the shop and came back with a gallon of primer and a gallon of white gloss enamel and painted the cubicle.
The UTV conversions were almost completed in two days. They had one more to do and then start on the two trucks. Gil, Colt and Brad continued working on the vehicle charging shed, finally getting the roof on. They used the same roofing and siding they'd used on the forge building, opaque and clear sheets to allow more natural daylight in.
Grace and the women were planning a celebratory meal for when the men finished the conversions. Steaks were thawing, potatoes were washed and salad greens were waiting to be picked and washed. They were just waiting for the word from Gil.
"Gil, we offer to take the engines away, but if you want them, we'll leave them here. All we'll do is haul them back and sell them." Al said.
"There's no use in you hauling them back to Colorado, we can sell them to the used parts place."
Al nodded an went back over to where they were pulling the engine and cooling systems.
"Al, what about the heaters?" Gil asked.
"Well, since the heaters run off the cooling system of the vehicle, a smaller tank replaces the radiator and is heated by the battery. It heats up faster than the radiator would."
When the first truck was done, Al went with Gil on a test drive.
"What's that noise? Gil asked, hearing the sound of large truck tires rolling over gravel.
"We had to put some type of noise maker in. Without it, people don't know you're coming and will walk right out in front of you. As it is, you still have to drive very defensively."
Other than the noise, the truck drove just like any other truck. The UTVs were rockets and Gil almost wanted to put governors on the engines, but then decided not to. They may need the power one day. Al and his crew got everything cleaned up and got prepared for the cook-out that evening.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Dec 16, 2021 12:17:51 GMT -6
Chapter 139
The solar chargers were easy to put in and Brad and Colt used a hole saw to cut openings in the back wall and lined them with pipe insulation to run the charging cables through. The ladies all had to take the UTVs for a spin and loved them. No more exhaust fumes!
Gil had ordered another set of Churchill's "The Second World War" from a book finder and placed them in the cubicle along with other manuals on the radios and antennas. He would run schedule radio tests every week.
Grace and the other women worked on the Mullins house and sorted things in groups of things they would keep, things they could donate to the church, and things they would sell at thrift stores. As soon as the women and sorted everything the men helped remove the sorted items and began the demo.
First, they turned the power off and removed all the switches and outlets that were usable. They demolished all non-load bearing walls and pulled all the wiring. They rapidly filled the construction dumpsters with the debris. The 8x8 wooden beams weren't part of the roof support so they pulled those. When all the fixtures were out of the house, Don and a crew came in and finished demolishing the house with an excavator and made a large pile of the debris, making a huge bonfire after obtaining a burn permit. After all the wood was burned and the ashes cooled, they dragged a magnetic nail sweeper over the ashes and around the demo site then brought the bottom plow up and turned everything under. They would plant clover there and plant crops in the future.
Trace picked out a three bedroom log home from StoneHill to be built above and behind the old Mullins home site in a clearing behind a three acre patch of trees. He was secluded, but still had views from the upper story of the house. He asked grace to help furnish it like the guest house.
Gil was working in the shop gluing some panels together when his radio squawked.
"Gil, Reverend Jim is on his way through the gate."
Gil shrugged and continued working until he heard the crunch of gravel. Taking off his gloves, Gil walked to the door of the shop. Getting out of his car, Reverend Jim saw him standing in the doorway and walked over.
"Come on in Reverend, it's chilly out here."
Gil check the firebox in the little wooden stove and added another stick of wood. Opening a cabinet, he took down two coffee mugs and poured them both a cup of coffee. The Reverend took a sip and grimaced.
"Is this what you use for paint remover?"
"Oh come on Reverend! How can you expect to stand up and smite evil with your Sword of Righteousness if you can't drink my coffee?" Gil said with a grin.
Reverend Jim chuckled. "What are you making?"
"A blanket chest. Busy work keeps me out of trouble."
"Gil, the reason I stopped by was…well, some of the church members have a desire to build a Fellowship Hall, and I've heard some speak of Church Bonds, but I have no idea of how that works."
"Well Reverend, basically it works like any other bond. People buy the bonds to build a church, or in this case a Fellowship Hall, and over a period of time the bond holders are paid back. Keeps the banking wolves off your doorstep."
"That sounds simple enough. Who would I see about something like that?"
"I assume a bonding company can handle that for you, but that is going to cost you. They don't set something up for free."
Reverend Jim stood in silence, thinking.
"I've got a better idea though. What if I loaned the Church the money, interest free, and you can pay me back monthly, or quarterly. That keeps it all in-house."
"Are you financially able to do that?"
"I think I can handle that. Why don't you put together a committee to get a sense of what the people would want and we can get it done fairly quickly, maybe before Christmas, if we use a steel building."
"Yes, yes, I'll start on that immediately!"
The Reverend shook Gil's hand, thanked him, and left quickly, but not before knocking on the Deck door and asking Mollie and Grace to be members of the Committee. Gil finished gluing the last panel, cleaned things up, checked the woodstove and went to the house.
"What's this about a Fellowship Hall committee?" Grace asked.
Alana came over and crawled into Gil's lap.
"The Reverend said some of the congregation are asking for a fellowship building and wanted information on how it could be done.. I just cut to the quick and told him I'd have it built, and they could pay me back monthly or quarterly."
"You're certainly earning your way into heaven." Mollie said, handing cookies to Alan and Alana.
"My riches won't get me there, but I hope my deeds will."
Grace dished out a bowl of turkey and bow tie soup with fresh, buttered bread and poured him a glass of iced tea.
The walkout basement was done and StoneHill was there with the logs and placing the first rows on. Gil had come from the pasture to stop and check on the work. He sat in the electric Gator, drinking water out of the Klean Kanteen bottle and watched them assemble the home. The crew were like ants, swarming around putting everything in its place then going to another task or repeating the same one. They wouldn't be long getting this place up. He started to leave when a pickup truck pulled in next to the Gator.
"Excuse me, could you tell me how to get to Gil Conner's place?"
"What do you need to see him about?"
"I have some questions for him about Jammas Nuri."
A bolt of shock ran through Gil. Jammas had been Gil's interpreter during Operation Commando Wrath and had been killed in another operation later.
"Follow me." Gil said.
Gil led him through the security gate and on to the house. They parked and Gil took him to his office and closed the door.
"My name is Bill Casey. I'm, I guess you'd say, 'quasi-government.' I work for the government but more for the Constitution that's supposed to control that government, which sometimes doesn't happen. I belong to a group of people who stand at the edge of the government bureaucracy, ready to take action if things get out of hand. Cal Coleman is part of our group."
"What do you want with me?"
"I'd like you to become part of our organization. I'm aware your group here wouldn't be much help as far as manpower is concerned, but we occasionally have supplies that need to be stockpiled for possible future use."
Gil leaned back in his chair and looked at Bill.
"How many others are involved?"
"Thousands, and all are carefully selected."
"What about the men here. Can I tell them what I'm doing, if I accept?"
"There's no danger to them, if you do, as long as they don't go advertising it. Think of it as compartmented. Your only direct contact at any time will be me. If anyone else comes to talk to you, you need to contact me immediately and we'll take care of them."
"How do I do that?"
"You'll be given a secure satellite phone to use for communications. That is the only way we'll talk except for face to face."
Gil shrugged. "Okay, I'm in. What do I need to do?"
"Go about your normal activities. I have your phone in my vehicle. The monthly code is automatically uploaded each month. There will be force protection equipment arriving in the near future for your use only. Everything after that you may use some of it but try not to use it up."
"Okay then."
Bill took Gil out to his truck and gave him the phone and its box with manuals and charger.
"You can call me anytime, 24/7, on this. Are you using any other cypher equipment?"
Gil hesitated. "Myself and a couple of friends communicate via packet radio. Our codebooks are Churchill's 'The Second World War' set."
"Excellent. I'm assuming you mean Jimmy Knight and Steve Courtney? I'll send you instructions on how to make it more secure. You can share your force protection equipment with them."
"How do you know…"
"We check you out and your most frequent contacts. I must say, you surround yourself with some good, capable men."
"Thank you….I guess."
Bill chuckled. "You'll receive the force protection equipment and authorization to have it in the near future. Thanks for your help."
Gil stood there and watched Bill as he got in his truck and drove away.
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