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Post by CountryGuy on Feb 11, 2023 9:02:32 GMT -6
With the news of potential planet killing event looming in a year or less, seems like Walt wouldn't much be worried about his kids B&B getting set up. I'd think once the herd gets thinned by say 80-90%, there won't be much call for get away vacations or AirBNB's . No, but if transportation of goods and people is by water, that could be a handy place to be. Maybe a set-up like the latter part of Jerry D. Young's story "Scavenger". pawfiction.proboards.com/thread/166/jdy-fiction-scavenger Fair enough. With an asteroid/ meteor impact event I guess my mind was going to needing to be underground to escape the dust and smoke of an event closer to nuclear winter.
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Post by kiwibutterfly on Feb 17, 2023 13:21:37 GMT -6
Missing my daily read, hope all is well.
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Post by 223shootersc on Feb 17, 2023 13:29:28 GMT -6
Made me look! MOAR please!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 19, 2023 18:47:05 GMT -6
Sorry folks. I haven't had a lot of time to write lately. I think I've gone to more funerals in the last two months than I have in the last 50 years. About the time I start getting my head together, another one pops up. My problem is most of the people are years younger than I and it gets me to wondering what I'm still doing here. I guess it it true "The good die young." Anyway, I'll try and catch up.
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Post by CountryGuy on Feb 19, 2023 19:28:59 GMT -6
Sorry folks. I haven't had a lot of time to write lately. I think I've gone to more funerals in the last two months than I have in the last 50 years. About the time I start getting my head together, another one pops up. My problem is most of the people are years younger than I and it gets me to wondering what I'm still doing here. I guess it it true "The good die young." Anyway, I'll try and catch up. Sorry to hear about all the passing's you're dealing with. Glad to know you're doing OK.
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Post by hunter77 on Feb 19, 2023 19:33:48 GMT -6
Take all the time you need. We aren't going anywhere.Sorry for your losses. Its tough when younger ones pass.
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Post by gipsy on Feb 19, 2023 19:45:17 GMT -6
It does seem to be the trend that as we get older we go to more funerals then birthdays
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Post by feralferret on Feb 20, 2023 0:13:58 GMT -6
Do what you need. We'll be here awaiting your return.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 20, 2023 11:31:48 GMT -6
Chapter 193
Astronomical twilight found Eric out waiting for the two trucks Jeremy had warned him would be arriving with equipment and supplies. Eric heard the engines and flipped the night vision goggles up and removed the harness. Placing the head harness on the porch he went over to the tractor and again checked the pallet forks he had clamped to the bucket. Using a flashlight, he directed the trucks to an unloading area and helped the drivers open the doors on the trailer. The second truck was pulling dual trailers so the driver backed in and unhooked the second trailer and parked.
Eric had been prescient when he had told Jeremy about getting more weapons, knowing he wanted to gather more people at the Lodge. Jeremy came through because the first two pallets Eric took off the truck was weapons cases and ammo. There were more fiberglass cases that Eric wasn’t sure what they contained. Later, when Eric checked the weapons cases, he found they contained FN SCAR Mk 16 (SCAR-L) combat twenty 30 round magazines for each. There were two Cases with the Mk 16 models with the FN40GL® Mk2 grenade launcher mounted. There were a total of 20 Mk 16s and 6 Mk16s w/40mm grenade launchers. One different colored case contained two smaller cases. Each smaller case contained an FN SCAR 15P with and overall length of about 50 cm. He immediately designated one for his jet boat.
When he finished unloading the three trailers, Eric counted 14 pallets. He was surprised to see a couple of pallets of food printed with U.S. government labels. He guessed they had once been designated for some government shelter. The weapons, Eric moved into the basement and began moving the other pallets into the shipping containers.
Sandra and Margaret used the debit cards Eric had given them and thy began collecting things they may never be able to find in a couple of years to maintain their existence. Everything, to include kitchen gadgets, was worked into their everyday lives to keep things as normal as possible.
The tiny house builders came and began working. Each house would take about two weeks each to complete. Eric began looking for more space to put shipping containers in while Margaret and Sandra, in their spare time, began selecting furniture to equip the houses The containers were placed on the north side of the bluff where the terrain fell away. Walt found a used backhoe and Eric purchased it. They wouldn’t have to depend on outside contractors to do the digging now and could maintain a bit of secrecy. Eric needed more people though to feel more comfortable here. He mulled the problem over in his mind for a few days before he sent a message.
Jeremy returned four days later leading two trucks with 40 foot shipping containers on the back.
“You can keep the containers.” Jeremy told Eric.
Eric had the drivers unload the tilt bed near where he was digging the latest containers. He had logs he could use for rollers and placed them down as the containers came off. All they would have to do was winch the containers into the cutouts and cover them.
“The Drake Collins you’re looking for is not in Florida.” Jeremy said. “He is living in Recife, Brazil but he’s coming back to the States until this mess blows over. Here’s his sat number. Are you going to try to talk to him about coming here?”
“Yeah. He would be good to have around in case things go to hell.” Eric replied. “What about Perry Spencer?”
“He co-owns a HVAC supply company at the old NADC Johnsville.” Jeremy replied.
“HVAC?!”
Jeremy shrugged. “It is an investment deal and a cover. Actually they design and build overpressure and other equipment for safe rooms and bomb shelters.”
“Sounds interesting. I’ll give him a call if you have his number.” Eric said.
“Also, I would like to stage a plane here, a Maule.” Jeremy continued.
“Does it have pontoons?”
“No, this one has wheels. It will come with a pilot also. I’d like to put up a hangar down by the airfield. It will have quarters for the pilot.”
“Yeah sure, No problem.” Eric replied. “What’s in the containers?”
“Some more ammo and other stuff that might come in handy. Load list is on the inside door of container #1.” Jeremy replied.
Adam Jefferies locked the gate and got into the Suburban with his wife Sue. She turned left onto Sunset Drive and then left onto 20th Street to reach Alton Road. When they reached 195 and began crossing the causeway to connect with I-95, they began to breathe easier. Seventy-one percent of the earth was covered with water. If that thing hit the Atlantic, Florida, for all intents and purposes, would be destroyed. It was time for another adventure.
“How’s the trailer pulling?” Adam asked Sue.
“I think one of the tires on the right might be a little low on air.” Sue Replied.
“Pull into that BP station up ahead and I’ll check.” Adam said, opening the console and taking out a tire gauge.
After adding five pounds of air to one of the 2nd axle tires, They continued on up I-95. Their next stop would be Boca Raton for lunch.
“To think, all of this could be gone in another 8 months.” Sue commented.
“Yeah, everything could be swept away. We got lucky that rapper has more money than brains.” Adam replied.
“What time is the meeting?” Sue asked.
“Tomorrow at 1300. We have plenty of time. “We’ll get to the Hampton Inn this evening and get a good night’s rest. Do you want some water?” Adam replied.
“Yeah, My bottle is in my beach bag on the seat behind me.”
Adam retrieved the bottle, flipped the drinking tube up and handed it to her.
“Did you transfer the money?” Sue asked.
“I put 20% in the card account and sent the rest to Ellen at U.S. Money Reserve. Ellen verified receipt and said we can do a pickup whenever we want. We just need to set a schedule.” Adam replied.
“How much weight can the plane hold?” Sue asked.
“We can haul it all in one trip.” Adam answered.
To Eric’s surprise, a construction team arrived mid-morning two days later and began digging the foundation and setting forms for the hangar floor. Eric had them set the Hangar 50 meters north of the barn. They dug out and ran the apron right up to the runway. Plumbers showed up and roughed in the plumbing and the concrete trucks showed up that afternoon and the workers began pouring and floating the concrete.
Piney and Flat creek residents held a meeting at the Hall to see where they were at in preparation for the possible catastrophe. Matt and Mike both got up and gave status reports and their ideas of what else they needed to do. At the end they all agreed they were sitting pretty well but also decided they would conduct more security drills. People all over the country were starting to get a little crazy. And who knew how they would react once the event occurred. Hank had arranged to have a repeater installed on the forest service communications tower down the road and now the Piney and Flat Creek communities were connected not t only by the SPT lines but by radio also. Either community could reinforce the other within 10 minutes of notification. The best was 9 minutes during one of their drills. Charlie had also fabricated some surprises to be emplaced when they thought there could be a chance of unwanted visitors. Brandon was doing security upgrades to his place and continued stocking his shelter. There wasn’t a hell of a lot he could do if a rock dropped in on them but what worried him more was the overflow out of Branson in the aftermath. He managed to make sure his closest neighbors were armed and they held shooting contests at least once a month. People became more situationally aware. The neighborhood around Legion Cove became notorious to thieves as a place you didn’t mess around in. Public Service Announcements were on the TV all the time for people to be aware of and report strangers in areas they shouldn’t be. Of course, the down side was the police and Sheriff’s Department were on the run all the time. A new PSA came out cautioning people to be sure before the law enforcement were called and things died down to a dull roar. Safety associations were formed and ne'er-do-wells weren’t doing so well. Vagrancy, panhandling and homelessness basically disappeared around Branson and larger towns and cities.
Eric and the women continued to gather supplies they could use. It hit Eric one day that whiskey might be difficult to obtain so he, Sandra and Margaret took a trip down to Little Rock for a shopping trip. The women had their locations they wanted to shop at but first Eric took them to the Rock Town Distillery where he picked up several different cases of their hand crafted spirits. He visited several other smaller places where he purchased cases of the better known labels and imported whiskeys. Eric finished packing the bottom half of the trailer three cases high with purchases from the Whiskey Exchange and left the women the rest of the space. All purchases were in cash.
Adam and Sue arrived at Maule Inc. at Spence Airport southeast of Moultrie, Georgia to pick up the new plane. They both took familiarization flights and would switch off flying the route northwest. They would only travel about five hours a day, stopping to stay together in a hotel. Adam would take the first leg to Chattanooga and Sue would drive the Suburban and meet him at Chattanooga Regional. Sue would fly the plane to Millington-Memphis Airport and Adam would meet her there with the truck and trailer.
That evening Adam called the number Jeremy had given to him and talked to Eric. He gave Eric his ETA on Saturday and asked about any navigation hazards in the area. Eric told him about the antenna tower on the bluff but warned him they were expecting rain on Saturday. Eric also told him about the gap in the trees and told him he would mark it with blue strobe lights.
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Post by kiwibutterfly on Feb 20, 2023 13:47:45 GMT -6
Thankyou.
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Post by gipsy on Feb 20, 2023 14:13:31 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by feralferret on Feb 20, 2023 16:20:37 GMT -6
"Eric replied. “What about Perry Spencer?”"
You got my attention with that one. Perry Spencer is one of the names I used on air as a radio disc jockey back in the 1980s. It was on an easy listening station.
Thanks for the interesting chapter. It looks like things are really starting to move faster.
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Post by udwe on Feb 20, 2023 22:19:09 GMT -6
Wow!
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Post by prepguy on Feb 20, 2023 22:29:07 GMT -6
Really enjoying this. Thank you
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Post by imahic on Feb 24, 2023 11:51:04 GMT -6
Sorry folks. I haven't had a lot of time to write lately. I think I've gone to more funerals in the last two months than I have in the last 50 years. About the time I start getting my head together, another one pops up. My problem is most of the people are years younger than I and it gets me to wondering what I'm still doing here. I guess it it true "The good die young." Anyway, I'll try and catch up. Yes, the last couple of years it seems like I've lost way too many friends and family. I guess that's the price we pay for getting old. Hope the funerals slow down for you and the stories resume. I always enjoy them
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 24, 2023 21:14:57 GMT -6
Chapter 194
Eric went back up and checked the construction of the first tiny house. He gave Margaret and Sandra the responsibility of furnishing the cabins because they complained about the utilitarian furnishings of the cabins already on site. He didn’t care one way or another so he handed the furnishings off to them to make them happy. They had carte blanche to do whatever they wanted. Walt told them to leave his cabin alone. He liked what he had.
Adam flew over the airstrip and checked the wind. Because of its location, there were no crosswinds so he felt confident he would have no problems. The winds were coming from the south because of a system blowing up from the Gulf of Mexico, so he wouldn’t have to go through the gap in the trees. Adam had called Eric earlier and gave him his ETA and Adam saw a UTV with a man standing beside it next to a hangar so he figured it must be Eric. Adam brought the bird back around and flew back up the river and came in for a landing. He touched down 30 meters from the end of the runway and stopped in front of the hangar. Getting out, Adam walked over to Eric and shook his hand.
“You must be Eric. Adam Jefferies.”
“Jeremy said you have a wife.”
“She’s driving up. I expect her to show up in three or four hours.” Adam replied.
Together, they got the Maule into the hangar and Adam unloaded his bag into the living quarters in the hangar loft. Eric took him back to the house for lunch.
The asteroid hit on January 13, or at least pieces of it did. They heard the distant boom, probably from the Jonesboro strike and felt the tremor. Eric checked the bluffs along the river to check for any signs of slippage but found none.
Calico Rock was hardly effected at all. There were a few less items being delivered to Harp’s but other than that, nothing much changed. Tourists were even beginning to return. Eric and Adam flew down to Jonesboro to get a bird’s eye view of the crater after the air restrictions were lifted. It did remind Adam of the meteor crater in Arizona. The rim of the crater was well defined by shattered quartzite and limestone. The devastation of the town was immense, however, the loss of life was down to a few dozen die-hards who had refused to move. The calculations of the impact zone was off by 15 kilometers but that didn’t make much difference because the evacuees had been moved a minimum of 50 kilometers away. Many stayed in the Calico Rock area and assimilated there. There were no plans to rebuild Jonesboro. There was nowhere left to build. Many of the farmers outside of town had gone back to their homes. The governor came up with emergency relocation funds to get people into their own homes away from the impact zone.
“Walt’s son and his family had arrived at Calico Bluff just before Christmas and were in their new home before the Impact Event. The last tiny house was being built. Eric walked up to the site and watched as the carpenters were nailing Termite shield flashing to the sills. Continuing on, he walked up onto the bluff and sat and stared across the terrain. There was still a lot he wanted to do, there hadn’t been enough time to get everything he dreamed of doing. Still, who knows what calamity tomorrow would bring. He would continue planning. The back door of the house opened and Sandra stepped outside. She gazed around and finally saw Eric sitting above on the bluff and began making her way up to him.
“Aunt Margaret says she has only one quart of smoked trout left and you need to get busy.” Sandra said as she walked up.
“I work my butt off around here and now she wants me to go fishing?!” Eric complained.
“Well, you’re just making your butt flat sitting up here. Let’s go, I want to go fishing too.” Sandra replied.
“They walked back down and got in the UTV and rode down to the barn. Eric kept fishing tackle in the old tack room. They got in the jet boat and headed to an area Eric knew he could catch some big brown trout. Eric caught one that was 26 inches and kept it. Sandra caught a 22 incher but had to return it to the water. They couldn’t keep any browns under 24 inches. In three hours they each had their limit of five each. Eric had a brown, a brook and three large rainbows. Sandra kept a brook and four rainbows.
They cleaned the fish at the cleaning station next to the boat ramp. They hauled the boat out of the water then took the fish to the house.
“I’ll brine the fish while you get the smoker going.” Sandra said as she went into the house. Inside, she washed the fish then made the brine mixture of Kosher Salt, Brown Sugar, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder and Paprika. She liberally coated the fillets and the smaller whole fish with the dry mixture, covered the bowl with food wrap and placed them in the fridge. She would let them sit for three hours. By that time Eric would have a good bed of coals and the wood chips would be soaked. Eric went to his wood pile and started cutting up some Alder tree limbs he got from a patch by the river near the end of the airstrip. Someone must have planted seeds sometime in the past because it wasn’t a native species. He started the fire with a little oak and added some of the alder limbs. He cut up some of the smaller limbs with pruning shears and dropped them into a bucket, then filled it with water. He liked Alder wood for smoking fish but apple or pecan wood would work too.
Eric walked into the house and said, “We should have enough fish for about eight quarts. I’ll go back out first thing in the morning and catch more.”
“I’ll go with you.” Sandra said.
“Be ready to go at 0600 then.” Eric grinned. “Do you want to go Margaret?”
“I don’t have a trout stamp.”
“I can get you a stamp online this afternoon.” Eric replied.
“Then yes, I’d like to go.” Margaret said.
Eric went to his office and went to the website of the Arkansas fish and game commission and paid for a trout stamp, then printed it off. He took it back into the kitchen, handed it to Margaret then went back out to check the smoker.
Sandra followed him out a few minutes later with a travel mug filled with iced tea and a floppy hat in her hand. Eric was sitting in a folding chair looking toward the river.
“What are you doing?” Sandra asked.
“Nothing. Just sitting here alone, thinking.” Eric replied.
“Eric Chandler, you might have been alone in the past but you aren’t alone now. It is impossible for you to be alone as long as I am alive Eric. You are not uncared for, nor are you ignored or unnoticed. You are a part of me ... my reason for being. I will always be here for you. I will be here during the struggles to come. I will be here through everything, if God wills. Until we are no more or you drive me away, I will be here.”
Eric squinted at her. “Have you been in the elderberry wine?”
“Here, this is for you.” Sandra said, handing him the hat.
“What’s this?”
“It’s a Longhunter hat from Clearwater Hat Company. Men used to wear them around here in the 18th century. You remind me of the stories of the hunters from back then.” Sandra explained.
“Well, thank you. My neck was getting a little too much sun today” Eric said.
Eric’s phone rang and he answered it.
“I want to catch some trout. Jer says you’ve got a river full.”
“Who is this?” Eric asked.
“It’s Pete. How did you fair through the asteroid mess?”
“We came out fine. Speaking of trout, I went out and got my limit today, Getting ready to smoke them.”
“So, when can I come down and go fishing?” Peter asked.
“Any time you want buddy. It’s a great place here. If you can get to Branson, we can fly up and pick you up.” Eric said.
“What’s wrong with Little Rock? Isn’t that closer?” Peter asked.
“Do you really want to fly into an airport named the Bill and Hillary Clinton International Airport?” Eric asked.
“I’ll fly into Branson.” Peter replied.
“Keep me updated and I hope to see you soon.” Eric said.”
“Who was that?” Sandra asked.
“An old friend. She’s coming to go fishing.”
“SHE?!”
Eric laughed. “Just kidding. I meant HE. He and I have worked together in the past.”
“Don’t joke like that! Sandra pouted.
Eric grinned and got up, putting the hat on. They walked back down to the house together. Going inside his home office, Eric walked over and unlocked the old Herring-Hall-Marvin Safe and took out a pack of $50 bills. Eric found Sandra in the kitchen talking with Margaret.
“I’m going to have Adam fly me down to Cabot. We’ll be back in a few.” Eric stated.
“Okay, be careful.” Sandra replied.
Eric called Adam and told him what he wanted to do and Adam went to prepare the plane. When Eric got to the hangar Adam told him Sue would fly him down. Adam wanted to be there when the fuel delivery came. Eric shrugged and helped them move the plane out of the hangar.
“Where are we flying to?” Sue asked.
I’ve got it saved in the GPS as ‘Cabot-Stevens’.” Adam told Sue.
Sue did her pre-flights and Eric got in the plane.
Sue was a competent pilot so Eric had no worries. When they got to the location outside of Cabot, Sue asked, “Where do we land?”
“Right on the driveway. Just check for cars. You can pull right up to that red building near the house.” Eric replied.
Eric was going to see Garrett Stevens, master of everything amateur radio. He worked at Little Rock Air Force Base in their electronics repair. Eric had him modify a few handheld transceivers to add a specific frequency to be used to talk with the aircraft and a secure board Jeremy had sent with the radios.. Everyone at Calico Bluff would be issued one to carry.
When Sue stopped the Maule next to Garrett’s workshop, Garrett came out of the door, saw who it was and went back inside, returning quickly wheeling a handcart with three boxes on it. Eric got out and stored the boxes in the baggage hold. After shaking Garret’s hand Eric got back in the plane as Sue started the engine and taxied back around and lined up on the driveway.
When they returned to Calico Bluff Eric opened one of the cases and handed Sue two boxes containing radios and chargers.
“Start keeping a radio with you at all times.. Your callsign is ‘ACE ONE.’ Adam’s is ‘ACE TWO’.” Eric said.
He put the rest of the radios in the UTV and headed to the house.
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Post by feralferret on Feb 25, 2023 0:14:00 GMT -6
Ncsfsgm, thanks. Several interesting angles working in this chapter, especially the radio communications one.
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Post by gipsy on Feb 25, 2023 8:47:33 GMT -6
Nice Update. The Govt. got it right this time.
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Post by kaijafon on Feb 26, 2023 19:36:59 GMT -6
"The asteroid hit on January 13, or at least pieces of it did. They heard the distant boom, probably from the Jonesboro strike and felt the tremor."
a bit close to home there!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Feb 27, 2023 19:07:19 GMT -6
Chapter 195
Eric finished his run and jogged slowly past the barn and hangar and down to the river. Stripping his running clothes and shoes off, he dove into the river and swam upstream in the direction of Calico Rock. About 300 meters upriver, he turned and floated back down to his clothes. He swam back with the current, cooling off and put his clothes on and walked back to the house. He showered, dressed and went down for breakfast. Margaret was already frying bacon so he poured a cup of coffee. Hearing a knock at the kitchen door, Eric opened the door and there stood Adam and Sue.
“Is that Sue?” Margaret asked. “I invited them up for breakfast.”
Sue walked through the opened door, followed by Adam.
“I saw you this morning nekkid in the river.” Sue said, pouring a cup of coffee.
“No I wasn’t!” Eric said.
“Well, you didn’t have any clothes on!”
“I was naked. Lewis Grizzard explained it once. ‘Naked means you don’t have any clothes on. Nekkid means you don’t have any clothes on and you’re up to something.’ I was just trying to cool off!”
Adam busted out laughing. “Well Sue, as long as all you did was watch, then he was naked. If you had walked out that door to the river, then he might have been nekkid.”
“Eric, how did you end up here?” Adam asked.
“It’s relatively quiet and isolated. Propinquity to others has never been high on my list of needs up to now.
“Then why build more cabins?”
“Well, in times of relative danger, being with a group is usually safer than being alone. Safety in numbers and all that. And the fishing is good here too. We’re headed out to fish after breakfast. You like to fish?”
Mike and Jerry watched as the Shorts Skyvan touched down on the airstrip and reversed props. Charlie was ready with the tractor with pallet forks installed. When the plane came to a stop at the hangar, the ramp opened and Jeremy came down the ramp.
“I take it y'all came through the ruckus okay.” Jeremy said.
“Yeah, but we had a few rattled teeth.” Mike said, shaking Jeremy’s hand. What do you have?”
Batteries for your power systems. I’ll give you a detailed invoice. One of our nexus got his through a dealer in Des Moines and I got the info to outfit the rest of the groups. I estimated you’ll need eight pallets for the two farms so we'll have to make 3 more trips with the weight we can carry on the Shorts. The installation is easy, instructions are included. You can palletize your old batteries and we can take them to a recycler or you can keep them for whatever you want. It’s up to you.”
“How much is this going to cost me?” Mike asked.
“Nothing. They were indirectly donated by some big players with foreign accounts.” Jeremy replied.
They watched as Charlie sat the pallets inside the hangar.
“I’ll ride back with the guys and they’ll deliver the next three planeloads. Probably the last load will be tomorrow morning.” Jeremy said.
“Okay then. We appreciate it.” Mike said.
Jeremy got back on the plane and they watched as the plane took off and headed northwest.
Jerry walked over to mike and handed him a binder.
“This was on the first pallet.” Jerry said.
Mike read the spec page and whistled.
“Well, we won’t have to worry about replacing batteries for a good while. I’m going over and talk to Matt. Just leave the batteries where they are and we can start changing them out tomorrow.”
“Okay Mike.” Jerry and Charlie echoed.
Eric’s K5 Blazer was ready. He just needed to get the conversion kit installed. He called the company who was going to install the refueling station and had them come and do the installation. Sandra had done the math and the system would pay for itself in less than 5 years as long as the gas lasted in the well.
Adam and Eric flew up to Branson and picked up Perry. Perry was getting a few white hairs along his temple but he was the same guy he had spent many days with in the past. Flying back, they were constantly talking on the intercom when Adam wasn’t talking pilot stuff to someone.
“Jeremy said you had an HVAC business.” Eric stated.
“Well, kinda, sorta. I deal with overpressure systems for safe rooms and houses. Anything you need for a secure shelter I can provide. I have the only company on the east coast that does it. We provide armored doors, blast valves, NBC air filtration systems, etcetera.”
“Sounds like lot of government stuff.” Eric said.
“Some, but mostly a lot of very rich people looking to have their own bomb shelters. I tell them, but most are placed in poor locations. They’ll still be stuck in the cities where if things go haywire, they’ll be stuck for a long time. But they want the convenience of having it nearby. We did do a job for a producer up in upstate New York that has a nice setup. Actually, it was an upgrade of an old Atlas missile site that had been converted years ago. We re-did the air filtration system for him. I’ve been looking for a place myself but I want a place near a body of water. Looking at the maps, you have an abundance of it around here.” Perry said.
“There is land for sale around, and plenty of lakes. We can hook you up with a realtor and see what’s available.” Eric replied.
Adam took them over the airstrip at Calico Bluff and checked the windsock, then came back around and landed.
“Convenient.” Perry commented.
“Jeremy’s idea.” Eric replied.
Mike hauled the round bale of hay up to the pasture and dropped it into the feeder. The mules started walking over and tugging clumps of hay out of it. The mules were doing well and they had just used them to till the compost into the garden. The last four they had gotten from the Missouri Mule Company were big. Bred from Percherons they could be used to drag the logs from the forest if need be. They would be used to pull the heavier wagons and harder jobs. They’d received them the day before the meteor impact and they had spent a couple of days settling them down after the tremors. A sweet mineral block and several apples did the trick though. Soon, they were used to their new home and settled right in with the other mules.
“They had been lucky, Mike guessed. A lot of people had been displaced and suffered after the Impacts. The only thing that had changed was their security posture. They had tightened up for a while but Earl Atkinson, the Deputy Sheriff kept them appraised of the situation on the county situation so they only occasionally tightened security back up. Jerry had tied into the County Sheriff’s repeater on the Forest Service’s tower near Hank’s place and they could monitor any activity on the LEO net. Now, instead of hordes streaming out of the city, there was an occasional hijacking of transfer trucks on the major highways. This was quickly squashed when the criminals realized they could outrun the old Chevrolets but they couldn’t outrun the old 2-ways. Earl had been able to acquire sets of spike strips and the residents could quickly deploy them in a matter of minutes on MO-76 and MO-39 to support law enforcement. Everything had quieted down now and it was business as usual. Even the Sheriff stopped by once in a while when he got bored, but he usually left with a wheel of cheese too.
The only telling effect of the impacts was the partial eruption of a Mesoproterozoic A-Type caldera in eastern Missouri in the St. Francois Mountains, sometimes referred to as The St. Francois Mountains Volcanic Supergroup. The last he heard the Taum Sauk caldera still smoked a bit and the forest service did what it could to keep fires from breaking out. Yes, they had been extremely lucky. If the meteors had impacted further west, it could have reawakened many old volcanic fields around the base of the Rockies.
That wasn’t much of a problem. As usual, the main problems were stirred up by those in power. The two political parties, each a mirror vision of the other, in their quest for more and more power while dragging more and more of their constituents into their thrall both scared and disgusted Mike. Plus, the greed and power madness of the politicians was dwarfed by that of the corporate world. It seemed the pursuit of the almighty dollar justified doing anything. Morals and ethics were for weaklings, something to tie you down. Some of the better ones with morals made sure the others weren’t taking advantage of the suffering people. They needed to help the people but in a way the people kept their dignity and maintained a degree of self-worth. Instead of throwing a pile of money at the people, plans were laid out with the help of the residents, in either building new towns or resettling people where they could start over again. Several private companies stepped in and rebuilt their companies near where the people were settling and only hired from the pool of refugees. Things weren’t great, but they were getting better.
Something relearned by everyone was that if justice is swift and just, it won't take long for society to know that criminal behavior is not acceptable. Criminals looting and robbing were quickly moved to the head of the docket and taken care of. Many of the prisoners found themselves cleaning up what they had intended to steal from.
Mike drove to the chicken coop to check things out. Ellie was there refilling the feeders and waterers. Mike walked in as Ellie stared at the flock.
“This is as good as it gets.” Ellie said. “Chickens and turkeys shot full of hormones, raised in their own shit so they didn't exercise any of the precious weight off, causing cancer and heart disease and strokes, the hormones causing children to mature before they were ready while the big corporations raked in the money, both from sales and government subsidies.” These are much better.”
“Yeah, I like to know what I’m eating too.” Mike said.
“I killed a couple of guinea hens.” Ellie said. “I’m making up enough guinea and pasta for everyone.”
“I love that. Mike replied. He heard a vehicle pull up and Caoimhe got out of a Gator.
“I’ve come to help you make the pasta, Ellie.” Caoimhe said.”
“Well, let’s go. I need to boil the hens.”
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Post by gipsy on Feb 27, 2023 20:19:31 GMT -6
Thanks for the update.
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Post by ncsfsgm on Mar 2, 2023 3:46:13 GMT -6
Chapter 196
Jeremy had Adam fly down to Memphis to have an Inmarsat satellite phone system installed in the plane. Eric decided to go with him. While the system was being installed, the two had a nice BBQ lunch and Eric went through the different Inmarsat cell phones they had displayed in the sales shop. He ended up buying 7 of them with docking stations and external antennas to augment their communications. He and Adam sat down and set them up while waiting. Eric didn’t want to depend on local cell service and the satphone was relatively secure and almost impossible to be tracked unless the ground station was under unfriendly control. When the installation was complete, they flew back to Calico Bluff. Enroute to Calico Bluff, Adam called Sue and Jeremy on the plane phone, giving them the number. Eric sat in the right seat and programed the number into the other seven phones for something to do.
While they were gone, Perry was running around with a realtor looking at properties. There was one place a few miles from Calico Bluff that interested Perry. It wasn’t convenient by road but it was on a good sized creek that emptied into the White River. The property was 7 miles, by road, from Calico Rock but only 3.5 miles by water to Eric’s place. The house had geothermal heating and alternative energy. Perry had been surprised after driving dirt roads through the hills and forest to have this gem pop out in front of him. There was already a bid from a man in Little Rock on the house but Perry was determined to end up winning the bidding war. He had to have that place it was just what he wanted.
Perry had always wanted a remote place. When he was growing up in Asheville, North Carolina, his father and uncle had a getaway place up near Jonas Ridge, near the Linville Gorge. The cabin sat in a hollow backed up to the slope on the west side of the hollow. The neat part was the cave his father had connected to through a door in the cabin. They would go up once a month and stock the cabin with all kinds of things that were stored in 55 gallon drums. His dad kept a running list of items we would need to have on hand that would be difficult to get without going far and wide to scavenge. Hi uncle had spent 20 years in the Army, had been a hunter and was an avid prepper.
After his parents died, Perry sold the house in Haw Creek section of Asheville but kept the cabin. He had gone back to the cabin a few times and checked the contents of the cave and except for expired food, everything was good. Up until his uncle passed away from the effects of agent orange he had also added to the stocks at the cabin. He had replaced most of the food with LTS foods and hired a man to stop by once in a while to check the place out. This place though was ten times better. It was modern and there wasn’t a lot he needed to add. There were numerous outbuildings that Perry had ideas for.
A metal pole barn with a concrete floor had drawn Perry’s attention. It looked like it was used to store lumber.
When Perry got back to Eric’s they sat on the patio and drank a beer.
“Where did you find the K5?” Perry asked.
“I bought it from a man that owns the gun shop in town.”
“That’s what I need, an older model vehicle that doesn’t have a lot of electronics.” Perry said. “The way they want to fight wars these days, EMP is a big weakness. Hell, Even solar storms could take out the grid. I need to go talk to the gentleman to see if he has anything available.”
That was Eric’s feeling on the subject also. If there is an EMP event, all you have to do is replace the points, condenser, and maybe the spark plug wires, and all old vehicles should run.
“So how was the place you looked at this morning?” Eric asked.
“I’m buying it. I immediately liked it and I haven’t even seen everything yet. Great location, the house is rustic, but is still modern. There is plenty of storage and easy access to the river. It has a dock on the creek and only about 3.5 miles by water from here. There are fruit trees, blackberry bushes, a large garden, a hen house, and a pig pen. There are solar panels on the house and pole barn that supplies electricity along with a windmill that pumps water from the creek to irrigate the property. I think I saw the entrance to a storm shelter out by the garden. I’ll need to take a closer look at that. Right now, I need a vehicle.”
Eric drove Perry to the gunsmith, Rick Maness, and introduced them.
“What are you looking for?” The gunsmith asked.
“I’d like a pickup truck manufactured before 1977.” Perry said.
“Hang on a second.” Rick said, picking up his phone.
“Barry, can you get hold of a pre-1977 pickup?”
Rick turned to Perry. “You want a Chevy or a Ford?”
“Chevy.” Perry responded.
“Yeah, bring it up here if you would.” Rick said into the phone.
“Barry has a 1975 Chevy C30 Silverado he just got through going over. He’ll be here in 15 minutes.”
Perry and Eric began walking around looking at the guns for sale when Eric spotted a lever action rifle with tang sights.
“Rick, could I look at that Winchester with tang sights?”
“Ah yes, now that is a collector. Winchester Model 1886 Takedown in .33 WCF. You don’t see those much anymore. Good brush gun for this area but people went to the .35 when they came out. I picked that one up at an estate sale.”
Eric looked the rifle over. The action was smooth, the barrel had its original bluing although the frame bluing was a little worn.
“What are those bringing these days?” Eric asked Rick.
“I’ve seem ‘em go for as much as $3800.”
“That’s why I’m not a collector.” Eric replied.
Rick shrugged. “To each his own.”
Barry arrived with the truck and they all went out to check it out.
It was a 1975 Chevy C30 Silverado, 454 V8 engine, 4 speed transmission, 4wd, Crew Cab, Dually, A/C, and had the original owners Manuals, Build Sheet, New Tires, and looked to be in Excellent Condition. Perry went over the truck with a fine tooth comb and found nothing wrong that was noticeable.
“I changed the oil in the engine and differentials, greased it and changed out the transmission fluid.” Barry said.
Perry crawled under the truck to look for any seal leakage and found none. Perry took it for a test drive with Barry and it drove nice, No pulling, brakes were good and the 4wd worked as advertised.
“How much?” Perry asked.
“$18,500.00.” Barry responded.
“Do you have the title with you? Perry asked.
“Right here in the glove box.” Barry replied.
“They pulled back into the parking lot at Rick’s and Perry asked, “I don’t suppose you take credit cards, do you?”
Barry shrugged. “Back at my place I can.”
I can run his card here, Barry and give you cash, minus the card fee.” Rick said.
Barry nodded and they all went into the shop.
Ten minutes later, Barry and Rick went to the DMV, registered the vehicle and got new plates.
A grinning Perry dropped Barry back at his place and headed to Calico Bluff.
When he got back, Eric was looking over a topo map of the area. “Can you pick out you place on this map?” Eric asked.
Perry looked at the map and used a pencil out of the cup on the desk to pinpoint the property.
Let’s take the boat up there and see if we can get in all the way.” Eric said.
“Let’s go!” A grinning Perry said as they went out the door. Perry grabbed a small field pack out of his truck and they got in the Gator.
They put the jet boat in the water and headed downstream. When they got to the creek Eric easily maneuvered the boat into the 200 foot wide mouth of the creek and under the trestle. A half-mile up the creek and around the bend they came up on the property. Eric tied up to the dock and they began walking around.
There were several good sized garden beds edged with 8x8 timbers. A nice little orchard was laid out with eight apple trees, Eric counted four peach trees, Two damson plum trees, fig tree, two large pecan trees. There was a 30 foot greenhouse that held a lemon tree in it.
Eric checked out the 75 foot open sided shed that was similar to those Lowe’s stored wood under outside. Curious, Eric attempted to open up a door on a small log building. The logs were stacked using half-dovetail notches and it turned out to be an 8x8 smokehouse. Perry had already figured as much because of the delicious smell and the bear and raccoon claw marks around the door. Bear boards were laid out around the base of the door that helped keep them away. Eric couldn’t open the door at first until with closer examination he found a piece of #9 rebar sticking out from the side of the smokehouse. It acted as locking bar for the door. With it in place, you couldn’t push the door in nor pull it open. To open the door, you had to slide the 5 foot piece of rebar out.
There was a three car garage that stood alone and a building that looked to have been a workshop with solar panels mounted on the roof. Eric checked the windmill powered irrigation system and it was a nice setup.
“Do you have the keys to the house?” Eric asked Perry.
Perry grinned and took a lockpick kit out of his inside jacket pocket. They walked over to the patio door and Perry quickly had the door open. The house had a nice open layout with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. The country kitchen was nicely laid out and the family room was large. There was an office/library with built-in shelves They went onto the basement and Perry commented, “I didn’t notice this before.” Then walked over to a door on the right side of the room. It was unlocked and opened easily. The room was about 12x12 feet. Another door on the same side of the basement opened into a similar sized room. There were two more rooms on the south side of the basement with the same layout.
“Good storage rooms.” Eric said. “This is a nice place.”
“I’ve just got to get it outfitted. I’ll spend the rest of this year just shopping.” Perry said.
“Talk with Margaret and Sandy.” Eric said. “They can give information where to buy everything. I also recommend buying straight from Grainger for some of the things if you are going to buy in bulk. We also stock up at COSTCO and Sam’s Club.”
“Yeah, I’ll do that.” Perry said.
“On the way back, let’s take some readings on the creek depth.” Eric said.
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Post by gipsy on Mar 2, 2023 9:06:52 GMT -6
Cool digs. Thanks for the update.
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Post by feralferret on Mar 2, 2023 23:56:35 GMT -6
Another fine chapter. Thanks!
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Post by ncsfsgm on Mar 4, 2023 19:52:00 GMT -6
Chapter 197
Jeremy sent out a message for the principals from each location at Flat Creek (Mike & Matt), Legion Cove (Brandon) and Calico Bluff (Eric & Perry) meet at Flat Creek the next weekend. Of course, everyone was wondering what was going on but made sure they were there. Mike acted as ATC as each plane came in and Jerry handled parking and tie-downs. They went over to Matt’s shelter and held the meeting there. Once everyone other than the principals had cleared the bunker, Jeremy went to the front of the room.
“Gentlemen, I’ll try to be as concise as I can. Please hold your questions until the end of this briefing.”
Jeremy took a drink of water and proceeded.
“Decades ago, President Reagan began his “Star Wars” initiative. It was not only to address the threats of nuclear missiles from our adversaries but also threats from outer space. Many politicians said he was a senile idiot and fought him at every turn. He not only addressed threats from the skies, but also threats from within our own country. He formed what is now the MATAG committee that addressed leftist threats from within our own government. I was an aid at the time for one of the original members. MATAG isn’t an acronym for anything. It’s a washing machine. Our job then, as now, is to keep stuff clean. There are 15 members in the committee, each responsible for a certain area of the continental United States. Each member is responsible for establishing and outfitting groups of people to act as stay-behind forces in case this country gets invaded or is taken over by hostile forces, foreign or domestic. There are hundreds of groups like this around the country along with thousands of depots of equipment for their use. I have been equipping you from some of those depots. I’m sure you’re wondering how this is being kept secret and where all the money is coming from. Number one, it is kept secret because most politicians are stupid and only interested in their power positions and wealth. They aren’t paying attention. Once Reagan was out of office, They mostly ignored the Star Wars Initiative and never dug through the paperwork. As for the costs, you don’t really believe the government pays $200 for an adjustable wrench and $300 for a toilet seat. Also, JSOC was the first to come up with a cyber unit. They monitored targeted individuals who were on the take for one reason or the other. MATAG has some of their best operators trained by JSOC that still do information gathering for us. We track the crooks and confiscate their accounts they have been stuffing with illicit gains for years. Mostly, they are warned to cease and desist, their money confiscated and they retire from their activities. Others take their own lives, even a few of the more damaged are terminated. Anyway, we have more assets than Fort Knox to keep our operations running. Like an unconventional warfare force, only the people in this room know any adjacent units. There will never be any cross contact of operatives in other cells. New secure communications equipment will be issued to you to maintain contact within this group assembled here. Overtly, you will act as normal, if esoteric individuals. Help out your communities as much as you can and be ready to go into the unconventional mode immediately. Now, what are your questions?” Eric raised his hand, “What supplies can we request?”
“You can request anything you want. We’ll try to fulfill your request, if it’s not available then you’ll have to change your plans.” Jeremy said.
“So, we are only to take action in our own areas?” Mike asked.
“You may be called on from time to time to unite and take action in other geographical areas.” Jeremy replied. “Although, it would probably be as a quick reaction or reinforcement.”
Jeremy took another drink of water. “Let me continue a little more with the briefing, President Trump, when he became aware of the components of Star Wars still in effect, directed that a Space Force be established. That was because of the possible threat of the militarization of space and also UAPs. The government has been able to recover alien craft and indeed have reverse engineered some of their technology. Much of our advances in technology was from the studies of these spacecraft. Eric, you have some monitors installed on your radio antenna that monitors UFOs flying through that area, which is a common path for UAPs. They are considered as much a threat as the most crooked politician. DO NOT ENGAGE these beings. We don’t have a full grasp of their weapons technology. No use getting fried like an egg. We’re still studying this.”
“We are fighting crooks in the government and ALIENS?” Matt burst out.
“Pretty much so. Just be careful and stay covert.” Jeremy replied.
“Give me a few Stingers.” Brandon said.
“Stingers are ineffective.” Jeremy said. “As soon as they detect a launch, they outrun the missile. That’s why there is a big airborne laser program still being conducted.”
“Well, that’s about as much as I can give you. If you see something, say something. Send me your requests and we’ll try to fulfill them.” Jeremy said. “Go play indolent preppers and plan for possible operations.”
They mulled around for a while then everyone began departing.
“Perry, are you settling in?” Jeremy asked.
“Yeah, I’ve got a bit to do, but I should be moving in in a couple of weeks.” Perry replied.
“I’ve got some things set aside for you, so let me know what you need.” Jeremy said. “Draw off Eric if you need to.”
“Okay, thanks.”
Perry was browsing through seed packets at the local farm and garden in Calico Rock when he was bumped by an elderly lady with a walking cane.
“I’m sorry, young man, I lost my balance.” Alice Meeks said.
“And possibly your eyesight too, describing me as young.” Perry said, grinning.
“Pshaw! You are definitely younger than I am. Are you getting ready to plant?” Alice asked.
“I haven’t done this since I was a boy. I was looking through the seeds to get an idea of what to plant, picking out my favorite things.” Perry said.
“Well, don’t forget they have plants already started out under the overhang. Save you some time.” Alice suggested.
“I have to pick up some tools first. I have absolutely no gardening tools at all.” Perry said.
“Getting the cart before the horse?” Alice said and grinned.
“I guess so.”
Jeremy sat in the jump seat and watched as the pilot set the Arava up for landing on the long strip east of Bayou La Batre, Alabama. The strip was on land owned by the Ramrod Academy The school was the premiere trainer for black powder shooting but were well versed in other forms of shooting. They were also one of the nexus in Jeremy’s network.
As the plane landed and braked to a stop a 4-runner sped out and led the plane to a space next to a building. After the pilot shut the engines down, the loadmaster opened the clamshell and an all-terrain forklift began removing the pallets. A man walked out of the building to greet Jeremy.
“I really appreciate this Jeremy. ATF and the DOT are hell on moving explosives over the road with all the permits and having to set up for escorts to cross the bridge in Vicksburg.” Dave Cramer said.
“Not a problem Dave. This is only half of it. The plane will return this afternoon with the rest. Here’s the paperwork for the whole order.” Jeremy said.
“This is just in time. We have a competition starting next week and most of the shooters swear by GOEX powder. They better, since Hodgdon quit making it, there are a lot of disgruntled shooters and reenactors out there. We’ll make most of our profits off of selling black powder during the competition.”
“You can’t get the powder anywhere else?” Jeremy asked.
“The plant in Minden is the only place. This batch will give us a leg up and some breathing room to move our supplies over the road. Before today, we couldn’t get enough powder ahead to schedule deliveries in a timely manner.” Dave replied.
“Well, I can’t do a regular delivery but if you find you are falling behind, give me a call and I’ll see if we can help you out.” Jeremy said. “I’ve got the .308 and 5.56 coming at the end of the month.”
“Do you have an Easy Pass at Hawthorne, or what?” Dave asked.
Jeremy grinned. “Something like that.”
They walked back over to the plane as the clamshell was closed.
“The plane should be back here before 1600.” Jeremy said, shaking Dave’s hand.
“Thanks. If you need anything, let me know.” Dave said.
Jeremy got into the plane and Dave watched as the plane aligned to the strip and took off.
When the Arava landed at a private airstrip outside of Minden, Louisiana, a vehicle was waiting to take Jeremy to Minden airport a few miles away to board a Maule to take him back to Washita Lodge.
Perry went to the local ACE hardware and bought a tiller and a variety of garden hand tools. When he didn’t have any more room in the back of his truck, He headed over to his place and put them away.
Eric and Perry went fishing for trout the next morning. They caught six rainbow trout before noon and returned to Calico Bluff. Margaret was already putting together the makings fora trout lunch. Sandra called and asked Margaret what she was making for lunch and Margaret told her.
“Well, set two more plates.” Sandra said. “I’m bringing Naomi with me.” Naomi had asked Sandra for her help to move a patient’s hospital bed that morning.
Margaret prepared the rainbow trout and flavored them with dill, thyme, onion, and lemon on the same baking sheet with broccoli florets, mushrooms, fresh fennel, cherry tomatoes, and brussels sprouts. Perry and Eric washed up to get the fish smell off their hands and sat on the patio with a beer, enjoying the early afternoon. Sandra and Naomi drove up and went inside. They soon returned with beers for themselves and new ones for Eric and Perry.
“So, how is the new house, Perry?” Sandra asked.
“Coming along. I’m basically camping out in it right now in a sleeping bag. I’ve got to get it furnished, and I’m clueless.” Perry replied.
“Naomi and I are off tomorrow.” Sandra said. ‘do you want us to come over and give you some ideas or you can give us some ideas of what you want?” Sandra asked.
“That would be helpful. I’d appreciate it.” Perry said.
Eric lit the gas firepit and they enjoyed the Early afternoon until it was time to go help Margaret get lunch ready.
“We got lucky with the ice storm.” Perry mused.
“Yeah, the cold front didn’t reach this far. We just got some rain and the warm air from the Gulf.” Eric replied.
“I saw they had a tornado around Elm Springs.” Perry said. “That reminds me. I need to check out the storm cellar over at my place and outfit it. Not used to this stuff.”
“Right now, tornados are the least of my worries.” Eric said.
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