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Post by 9idrr on Jul 20, 2018 20:29:01 GMT -6
Good stuff, but we seem to've gotten to the point with your stuff that we're expectin' nothin' less.
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Post by htfiremedic on Jul 20, 2018 23:17:47 GMT -6
Dang good stuff Bro!
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Post by solo on Jul 23, 2018 10:44:30 GMT -6
Happy Monday, All!
Chapter 8
7 May 2018 Kosciusko-Attala County Airfield, MS
The airfield turned out to be a small strip for General Aviation only. The road into the facility was unimproved and as they approached cautiously, they saw a mobile home sitting out front of a small number of metal buildings. There were two pickups sitting outside of one, but judging from the grass growing up around them, Ethan guessed that they hadn’t run for a while.
The pulled up and Ethan got out of the cab. “Stay close to the truck just in case.” He said back to Gina and Sara.
He, Chad and Julie began to walk past the home toward the airfield beyond. They hadn’t taken no more than a half dozen steps when a strong feminine voice called out from the direction of the home. “That’s far enough.”
The three immediately put their hands out to the side so they appeared non-threatening. “Hello. We didn’t realize anyone was here.” Ethan called out.
“So that just gives you permission to go where you want?”
“No, it doesn’t. We just left town and there didn’t seem to be anyone left around.”
“No, there isn’t. They all died of the runs.”
Ethan looked at Julie and relaxed. If what ever hit the town was respiratory based, that would have indicated an airborne threat. Dying from diarrhea indicated dirty food or water. Ethan guessed water. “We were passing through and we thinking that maybe your metal building provided protection for whatever was in there.”
“What if it did? It none of your business.”
“Hey, look. You are absolutely right. We made an assumption and we were wrong. I am sorry for that. We will just go.” Ethan offered.
“That would be the smart play, bud.”
“My name’s Ethan. This here is Chad and Julie. Gina and Sara are back in the truck. Sorry to have bothered you.” He said, then they turned to go back to the truck. He stopped and looked back toward the mobile home. “Is there anything you need? Anyway we could help?”
“Do you think I am stupid? I open that door and then your gang just swoops in and takes everything. No thank you. You’re lucky I don’t shoot you right now where you stand.”
“Again, sorry to bother you. We will be on our way.”
Ethan and Julie returned to the truck. Chad lingered a bit before getting into the back seat. They pulled out of the small dirt lot and headed back toward the Natchez Trace.
They turned north onto the Trace and traveled up the road for a couple of miles. No one said anything as they were all looking forward to seeing what was there. Ethan found what he was looking for and turned off into a cut out beside the road. He turned the truck around and eased into the late afternoon shadows of the trees.
Chad jumped out and cut a small pine limb full of future pine straw and used it to smooth out the evidence of them leaving the road. Then he went back and help Ethan finish with the netting that he had to hide the truck better. It help that it had be painted a flat neutral dark color. Then they got their ARs ready and waited.
It didn’t take long before one of the pickups that was at the airfield came rolling by. It was a slow roll as if they expected the vehicle to turn off. It continued on past where they were hidden and went around the bend.
“How many did you make out?” Chad asked.
Julie responded, “Just one.”
“You think she was by herself?” Ethan thought out loud.
Julie just shrugged her shoulders. Her ears perked up and the truck was coming back. It pulled in where they had pulled off and stopped. The lady, who seemed to be in her mid 30’s and had certain self-assured beauty to her stepped out of the truck and began walking toward them.
“How did you know we were here?” Ethan called out.
“Because it is what I would have done if I were you. Plus, I have been here my whole life, there isn’t too much that goes on within 20 miles I don’t know about. Your cover up of your tracks was good, but to me they screamed, ‘Look Here!’”
Ethan chuckled. He knew people like this and was most comfortable around them. Julie was cut from the same cloth. They were hearty, rugged and self-confident. They grew up working the farms or ranches around the area and got something that those who grew up virtually with video games never got; they learned about themselves. What their real limits were, how far they could go, and for how long. That type of self-confidence was earned through long hours working in the hot sun, doing things that actually mattered to you and to your family.
“Okay, you can take down your fancy netting. Come over and let’s parley.” She said.
“You aren’t worried that we picked up anything in Kosciusko?” Ethan asked.
“Unless you ate one of them, no.”
“Ate one of them? What?” Gina asked.
“Yeah, when they ran out of food, they started to eat each other. Only, who they were eating weren’t fresh kill. Pick you disease got spread quickly and proved to be the filter to that particular gene pool that was needed.” She explained.
“Wow. Just Wow.” The group digested this info.
They took down the netting and stowed it and then made a deliberate show of putting their long guns away. They kept their pistols. Once this was all done approached the lady who had turned the truck around to face to road and dropped the tailgate, where she sat to watch the proceedings.
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Post by texican on Jul 23, 2018 12:44:14 GMT -6
Solo,
Thanks for the chapter....
People eating dead people.... Not good...
Now poor OSPEC when you tell someone how many in your group....
Now the good looking woman is sharp....
Where will this lead?.?.?.?
Another chapter will reveal....
Texican....
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Post by 9idrr on Jul 23, 2018 18:33:06 GMT -6
And another chapter... and another chapter... Thank you.
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Post by solo on Jul 24, 2018 8:24:08 GMT -6
.....Now poor OSPEC when you tell someone how many in your group.... Texican.... Though they are bright, athletic and meet good people from time to time, our protagonist are still every man when it comes to survival... They make bone headed mistakes. Hopefully, they learn before it becomes deadly. Mike
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Post by texican on Jul 24, 2018 22:38:39 GMT -6
.....Now poor OSPEC when you tell someone how many in your group.... Texican.... Though they are bright, athletic and meet good people from time to time, our protagonist are still every man when it comes to survival... They make bone headed mistakes. Hopefully, they learn before it becomes deadly. Mike Now Solo also known as Mike.... Only another chapter will determine what happens to the group and the pretty young lady.... Me thinks the group just maybe outclassed.... Texican....
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Post by solo on Aug 2, 2018 14:33:29 GMT -6
Chapter 9
7 May 2018 Logan’s Homestead of Purvis
The door opened into the kitchen and Carmen poked her head in. “Car’s coming.” She ducked back out again.
Marc went to the dining room and looked out the front window. He saw the Sheriff’s car pulling up to the gate with the passenger side facing the gate. The younger man who was with the Sheriff last time stepped out from the driver’s side. He walked to the front of the car with his hands out to his side. He slowly moved his left hand to the shirt just below his chest and lifted it up revealing his waist band. He did a slow turn showing the whole compound that he didn’t have a weapon. He then went to the passenger side door and opened it.
With little effort, because Mark had leaned against the window before he bled out and died, Jacob tugged and pulled him out and onto the ground. “Our mutual problem has been solved. I’d like to talk to the boss of this compound.”
Marc watch the scene with interest. Then he heard a croak behind him. “You gonna hear him out?”
Marc turned to see a shirtless Dr. Tim Broadmore. There were a huge ugly purple bruise about an inch left of center mass on the doctor’s chest. “You think I will need my body armor?”
The doctor grinned, “You have to American Express it. Never leave home without it.”
Marc slipped out the door and walked down the driveway. He carried his M1A at low ready and stopped about five yards from the gate.
“Sir, are you the boss here?” Jacob asked.
Marc just stared for a few moments. Out of peripheral vision, he could see that everyone was in their positions. “What if I am? What’s it to you?”
“I just wanted you to know that I wanted no part of this. I brought this piece of crap to you to show you just that. There is no one left alive at his place save my wife and me.”
Marc just shrugged.
“I am not looking for anything, I was working my way from New Orleans when we found his place. We were able to hole up there a while, but now it is just us.”
“What happened to the rest of them?” Brian asked for the group.
“I don’t really know. Radiation I guess. There was just him and a few women when we arrive. The women left.”
“Was he holding them against their will?” Marc asked.
“Not that I could tell. They could come and go as they please. They were all stuck down in his shelter together. Near’s I could tell, it wasn’t a pleasant time.” Jacob surmised.
“Doesn’t matter now. You can load him back up and be on your way.” Marc dismissed then turned to walk away.
“Wait.”
“What? You want a medal or something for solving a problem for us?” Marc toss over his shoulder.
“No. I just want to know if we are okay.”
Marc stopped in his tracks and slowly turned. “If you think I am going to let you stay here, stop thinking it right now. You drove the get away car of the man whole shot our doctor and my friend. That will not get you any points in my book. Your reward is that I am letting you drive away from here alive. And for good. Don’t come back.”
“Sir. My wife and I are really innocent in all of this. I am sorry we made such a poor decision. We will stay at his place and try to make a go of it. I pray that you will one day be a bartering partner with us. Until then, I wish you a good day.” Jacob turned and walked to the Sheriff’s body. He struggled to get him into a seated position. It was there he began to struggle.
Marc watch with disinterest for a few moments, the looked over at Kurt and nodded. Kurt went to Brian and handed him his M1A and when to help Jacob with the body. Between the two of them they were able to stuff him back into the passenger seat. Jacob looked at Kurt and said, “I’m grateful, thanks.”
Kurt just nodded then ambled back through the gate. Carl and Carmen pushed the gate back closed and then they all stood and watched as the car drove off.
“I got a good feeling about him, Chief.” Kurt said to Marc behind him.
Marc watched for a moment longer then turned to walk up the driveway. “Yeah, probably so. Still, you can’t be too sure.”
Angela caught up with him and he asked, “Now where were we?”
“Our livestock is at an all time low level. Only a handful of the chickens, two cows and three hogs survived the fallout.”
“Any roosters?”
“Yeah, one. Three hens. They have returned to laying, but their eggs still look a little pail so I am not sure the rooster isn’t shooting blanks.”
“Well, they also get that rich orange color from what they eat too, not just when they are fertilized.” He stopped. “Have we thoroughly decontaminated their ranging pen yet?”
“One of the first things we did after the garden area.”
“Okay, let them roam as they will there. When one of the hens goes broody, stick a few of the eggs under her and let’s see what happens. Maybe we’ll get lucky and our rooster is potent. How about the cows.”
“Their milk dried up while we were sequestered. We have to get them bred before we have milk again. We were going to go out looking for any surviving bulls when you showed up and well, with getting you healthy, the warmer weather and getting the soil clean for a garden, it hasn’t been a priority.” Angela offered.
“True. How about the hogs.”
“We have two boars and a sow.”
“That’s good.”
“Not exactly, they are brother and sisters. Not breeding material. Good news is that the sow is pregnant and should give us some fall piglets.”
Marc looked around the property. “Okay, we need to add a boar to the list. Let’s isolate those two now and start fattening them up. When the weather turns cool, we will butcher them for meat.” He turned then stopped. “In the meantime, get Brian to come up with plans for a smoke house so we can cure the pork.”
“Awe man,” Angela paused. “I can remember going into my grandfather’s old smoke house and cutting off strips of perfectly smoked ham. Best eating anywhere.”
“That is true, my grandfather on my mother’s side did the same thing. Makes me wonder why anyone would pay so much for bacon from the store.”
“Car coming fast over the hill!” Kurt hissed out.
“Is that shots?” Angela asked before turning to head back to her position. Marc ran forward and jumped into a trench. He quickly took aim on the fast approaching car. It barreled down the hill and then the breaks locked up sending him into a skid, his driver’s side nearest the gate. It was Jacob and this was the sheriff’s car. He took up a position with his rifle pointed up the hill.
They didn’t have long to wait, two old pickup truck popped over the hill, both filled with five to ten people. They stopped and slung the vehicles to provide cover as all parties unloaded.
Marc’s team began to fire well aimed shots up the hill. Return fire was sporadic, but it was coming. One round passed really close to Marc’s head. When the firing died down a little, it was then that Mark hear a low rumble that was growing louder. Three Harley Dynas topped the hill followed by what looked like a long pole vaulter’s pole. It kept going up until the rest of the vehicle’s impressive body came into view.
It was a tank.
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Post by 9idrr on Aug 2, 2018 16:59:21 GMT -6
Oops.
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Post by texican on Aug 2, 2018 18:51:29 GMT -6
Solo....
A tank!!!!
The group can't get a break....
Now where is the good looking smart young woman and the embarrassed cohorts?.?.?.?
Another chapter is definitely required to see what happens....
Texican....
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Post by solo on Sept 18, 2018 8:58:32 GMT -6
Chapter 10
7 May 2018 Kosciusko-Attala County Airfield, MS
The woman reached further into the bed of her pickup and pulled a smaller cooler ice chest toward the tailgate. She opened it, reached in a pulled out a red can. After popping the top, she took a long pull from the can. “Would you like a Coke?”
Ethan lingered back but nodded to Julie and Sara. They moved forward and reached in a grabbed two sodas, one a Rootbeer and one a Sprite. Julie tossed another Rootbeer to Ethan and Chad, standing next to him raised his eyebrow.
“What?” Ethan asked.
“That’s not a Coke.”
Ethan snorted and as he was taking a drink got some up his nose, which prompted a bit of a cough/laughing fit. The Lady looked on amused and then said, “Honey, in the southern vernacular, every soft drink is a Coke. Just like in some places they are Sodas or Soda Pops, or just a Pop.”
Chad reached in and pulled out a Dr. Pepper. “Yeah, that’s right. Right now all that matters is if it is Cold or not.” He pops the top and drains it in one gulp.
“You guys are really an enigma for me.”
Ethan looked at her and said, “How so?”
The lady smiled and looked at the ground about 20 feet in front of her. It seemed like she was thinking about something, trying to make up her mind. “Well, it is like this. You made sure that you stayed back so you could keep an eye on the group… and all of you took a non-caffeinated drink. It was as if you know that drinking caffeine after months in the field without it would cause you some issues.”
Ethan just smiled. That is kind of exactly what they did, though they didn’t think about it too much. It just happened.
“That was great subtle OpSec going on there. Yet, just a little while ago, you were making one bone headed mistake after another. I don’t get it.”
Chad, who was pretty close to her smiled. He allowed that she was gentle on the eyes. The lady continued, “And I am only to assume that your lady friend, Gina was her name? Your lady friend has me in the crosshairs of some scoped weapon right now. It is if you didn’t think I’d remember something like there were five of you before and now there is only four.”
Chad began to blush. He had basically been called out because he did have a strong initial attraction to this person before him, but he also had feelings for Gina. They hadn’t really progressed anywhere, but they pretty much spent all their time together. He glance behind the woman.
The lady caught it. “Ah, so I was wrong. She is within arms reach of me now. Great move…” She turned and looked at Gina, who was standing there with her hand on the hilt of her fixed blade knife in her belt. “And thus, my slight confusion. You guys came off as a bumbling bramble of novices earlier. It may have been an act, but I don’t really think so. Now, you are all lockstep, in tune without any visible signals.”
Sara was the first to speak up, “Novices?”
“Your leader eagerly gave up the exact number of your group, complete with names and didn’t really hide his approach. I heard that big diesel three counties over.” She turned toward Chad and put her hand on his face. It was almost like her touch was fire and ignited him. He visibly flinched then took a step back.
Gina looked at him curiously but otherwise her demeanor reveal very little. Deep inside, her stomach churned. She was used to being in charge of any situation and then she found herself helpless at the moment the lights went out. And since then she found herself relying more and more on this group of wonderful people, and in particular, Chad. She didn’t really know if she loved him or not, but at that moment, the feeling in her stomach was one she had never felt before. Her gaze fell on Chad and their eyes met. She saw something there, and realized she had always seen it there. He loved her, but she had not really done anything to develop their relationship.
“A lot of crap going on there,” The lady said with a smirk. She liked the big ball player but she knew at that moment that he was spoken for. Still, she wondered how spoken for.
“Okay, let’s get back to the field and parley. That is what you really wanted to do right? And not pillage my hangers?” There was a sultry way that she said the last question while looking directly at Chad. Ethan smiled and looked at Julie who had looked at him at the same time and they gave each other a smirk. Chad had blushed and Ethan and Julie both knew he was out of his league.
The group loaded up. Chad wisely road with the rest of his group in their truck as they followed the woman back to the air field. She had offered. Gina had declined for him. Gina also rode next to him in the back keeping an eye on the road and a hand on his arm.
They pulled in and parked and all got out. “You understand if I don’t invite you in, right?”
“What is your name? Surely that isn’t classified.” Julie asked.
“Yes, I picked you to be an alpha female.”
“You don’t seem to miss much. That is for sure. Ethan, it is probably best to be on our way. We still have a ways to go.”
“I do have something to show you. And I will do it in good faith. Follow me.”
Ethan looked at Julie and nodded. She and Sara stayed back while Ethan, Chad and Gina went with the woman to check out the hanger. When they got to the door, Chad stopped about ten yards from the door and waited. He took a good 360 look around and settled in. The woman looked back as she unlocked the door. “I really am safe. You can come on in.”
Gina answered for him, “He is fine where he is.”
“Okay. Well here we go.” She opened the door and walked through. Gina followed with her AR up at the ready. She pushed in and clear to the left while Ethan, in the same manner cleared to the right.
“Clear!” Ethan called out. There was silence from the other side.
Finally Gina responded in fully awed voice. “Clear….”
Ethan turned to look at her then to look at what she was looking at. Gina was looking at a Helicopter.
“I don’t know what it is, but I do know all the lights still come on when I flip certain switches.” The lady offered.
“What is it?” Ethan breathed.
“Well, it’s a helicopter, Silly.” The lady said. “Then she looked at Gina and said, name’s Anna.”
Gina pulled her gaze away and looked at the woman and just nodded. “Do you know what you have here if it works?”
“I don’t know if it works or not. All I know is that it was in this hanger when things went south and the flare didn’t seem to affect it none.”
Before them stood a smallish helicopter painted in an orange and white pattern with US Navy plastered in large black letters on the side.
“This is a TH-57. It is a Navy training helo probably out of Whiting Field down in Florida.”
“What is it doing here then?” Ethan asked.
“From all I know, it had arrived a day or two before the flare. There was something wrong with the computer for one of the flight controls. Here, the maintenance log is there.”
Gina walked over and opened the log to the last entry. “Yes, the pitch control servo went out. It had been replaced and was supposed to be flown back 23 June last year.” She looked up at the overhead hanger and smiled. The metal building had been reinforced with rebar and in essence created a faraday cage.
“Will she fly?” Ethan asked.
“Most likely.”
“Can you fly it?”
“Wait, you are a pilot?” Anna asked.
“Yes, I am. But to answer your question, I am a fixed wing pilot. I haven’t flown a helo since flight training. But the good news is that I was a part of the Air Force class that trained with the Navy. This is my platform. Let’s roll it out.”
Sara and Julie watched as the lady walked back out and got her pick up. They watched her disappear toward the runway side of the hanger. About 20 minutes later, they heard a whine that increased in decibels in smooth manner. When it got loud and plateaued, they couldn’t handle it and walked around the side of the building. As they rounded the corner, the pitch of the sound changed and then stood gaping as an orange and white helicopter rose to a five feet hover. Looking through the nose bubble, they saw Gina in the right front seat and the lady in the left front seat. There was a look of sheer joy on Gina’s face as she finished looking at a small book and executed a text book pedal turn and began taxiing away from the hanger. Her look of joy was only equaled by the look of sheer terror on the lady’s face.
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Post by 9idrr on Sept 19, 2018 20:52:42 GMT -6
Surely do appreciate you keepin' this goin'.
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Post by texican on Sept 19, 2018 21:13:38 GMT -6
Solo,
Thanks for the chapter....
Now just what will the young ladies do with a helo?.?.?.?
Now what happened to the tank?.?.?.?
Only another chapter or is it chapters will reveal....
Texican....
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Post by cavsgt on Oct 14, 2018 15:17:33 GMT -6
Solo So glad that I have found your story. THANK YOU
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Post by solo on Oct 23, 2018 8:39:20 GMT -6
Chapter 11
7 May 2018 Logan’s Homestead of Purvis
“Why are you alls shooting at me, Friend?” A voice called out from behind one of the trucks up the hill. Once the tank had crested the hill, it had stopped and just sat there, engine idling. The shooting had all but stopped and when the Harleys shutdown and their two riders each dismounted and scooted behind the trucks, it got eerily quiet.
A Tank! Marc could not believe it. It didn’t really scare him for some reason, but still, it could take out the compound in short order. “Pass the word. Let’s ease back to the shelter. Do it slowly from the furthest to the closest. Don’t let them know what is happening.”
Brian replied, “Will do. What about that tank?”
“We can talk about it more later. I don’t know what it is or what it can do. Except for artificial reefs on the ocean floor, we don’t see too many of these in my line of work. We have enough surprises to take care of the dismounted troops, and the worst that the tank can do is take out the house. I hate that, but right now, I need to make sure we can live to fight another day.”
Brian was gone before Marc realized it. The tank looked old and battle beaten. Like it should have been in front of a museum or at an old VFW park. But that would be impossible as he was sure they were pretty much all disabled when put on display. Still, he wondered what it would take to get one going.
“Hello the house. Why you shooting at us. We only want to paaaaalayyyy.” The croaky smoker’s voice growled out. “We promise to kill you quickly and only take what we need. Of course that will be everything.”
Logan smiled. Intent was transmitted. “Mister. I have two things and two things only to say to you. The first is a hearty, truly heartfelt thank you, for letting us know that we weren’t wrong about you.”
“Oh? And what is number two, Smart###?”
“Oh, not much. Just that if you attempt to do anything to us or our place here, not one of you will walk away. We’ve dealt with much meaner and strong hombres than your pitiful bunch.” “Oooo, Big talker. Why don’t you put your money where your mouth is and let’s see how much of a Billy Bad A@# you are.”
Mark sat there for a couple of moments. There was something about that voice, but it was deep within his head. The tank came back into his mind. Then it hit him. If this was indeed an old WWII tank, there would be no munitions readily available to them. Which means they could only use it as a battering ram. Marc smiled, it was still a factor, but he was almost certain not as big of one as he once thought. If it did breech the fence, there was no way it would reach the house with all the obstacles and defenses around the house.
“I haven’t lived this long listening to ill-informed riff raff. You can just pound sand.” When Marc finished he heard two clicks over his comms. Everyone was inside. Into his mike, he quietly said, “Seal it!”
“We’ll see about that, Friend.” A minute later the tank began to roll toward the bottom of the hill. Marc smiled because it told him what he already knew. If the tank was going to fire, it would have remained on the high ground. Another thing it told him was that this gang wanted to move in, they were going to try to preserve the fence and take out the gate.
Marc moved to the attic and settled into the shooting nest that had been built previously. He picked up the M1A Loaded and began to scope out anyone who foolishly poked their head up. With the six from the Harley’s he counted only 12 people. With the two or three in the tank, he felt this was manageable. He picked out the leader as he was the one who everyone would come up to and tell him something before heading back out.
In quick succession, Marc thinned their numbers by two before they all ducked down. The noise from the tank made it almost impossible to tell where the shots came from. Marc was able to get one more before the Leader figured out he was shooting from the house and was able to muster some return fire. It wasn’t very heart felt and seemed to be a distraction.
The tank stopped short of the gate and just sat there. The engine finally shut down. “It’s getting late Friend. I tell you what I’ll do. I will give you till in the morning to vacate, give up your women and then leave. Or we will come in and kill you.”
“Till the morning, Huh.” It did leave Marc wondering what was going on. Why the delay? Reinforcements? He called down and got Kurt, Carmen and Carl to come up. He sent Kurt out to a Listening Post (LP) just inside the fence where the trucks were set up. Kurt would wait until dark and would take his time easing into place after leaving in the side tunnel.
He set up a watch rotation in the sniper’s nest. With their optics and the optics down below, they could keep an eye on the hostiles.
Early the next morning, movement from behind the truck revealed that all the attackers were awake. Minus five of their number.
“Hello the house! I see you were busy last night! I will add that to your account.” The gravelly voiced leader said.
“What is he talking about?” Angela asked Marc?
“Let’s just say that Kurt is good at what he does. He took a little OFE and took care of about five of those guys for us.”
“What’s OFE?” Brian asked.
“Outside the Fence Excursion.” Logan smiled at the tense couple. “I just made it up.”
About that time, Kurt emerged from the side tunnel. “We are still somewhat sieged, but there are five less of them now.” He smiled.
“How many are left?”
“Seven outside the Tank. I am not sure about how much inside.” Kurt said.
“Anything else?”
That tank has somewhat been neutralize. I am 80% sure that they do not have any ordinance and 100% sure that they do not have any fuel.”
“How did you do it?”
Kurt held up his Multi-tool and smiled. “That is why I only got five of them.”
Logan smiled. “Yeah, I thought that was a little low. Did they know you were there?”
“No. Also,” Kurt opened his bag and pulled out a handful of mixed wires. He dropped them on the table and then got another handful.
About that time rounds started impacting the house.
“Incoming!” Brian shouted and reached to pick up his M1A.
Marc reached out and grabbed his arm. “Hold on. They are burning ammo and there is nowhere that they can go.”
“What do you mean?”
Logan looked at the pile of wires on the table. “Those are distributor wires for both vehicles and bikes.”
Brian was still a little perplexed.
“Kurt, in one night created a reverse siege. They think they are sieging us when instead we have them under siege… We will watch all day and fire at targets of opportunity. Then we will finish them tonight.” Logan explained.
Brian looked at Kurt then at Logan, “Do you really think it will be that eas……” He was interrupted by the squelch being broken on the bank of radios behind him.
Logan quickly closed the gap and began working the knobs to bring in the message. He grabbed the headphones and closed in. “This is Deepdiver, go with transmission.”
Over both the speakers and the headphones they heard the unmistakable voice of Gina. “Deepdiver, this is Jet Jockey, do you have a positive ident on me?” Gina was asking if Logan recognized her.
“Positive Ident, Aye. Keep with novel names. How do you read me?” Logan indicated that though the names came out of the blue, he was following what she was saying.
“I read you Lima Charley (Loud and Clear), How me?”
“I got you Same-Same. What is your status?”
“Deepdiver, I am about to put a whirl in your world. I just need to know if there is a LZ that we can use? I have two friendlies with me and a new friend.”
“Copy, give me a second.” Logan paused. “Is Jet Jockey moniker currently salient?”
“Aye, Indeed. Standing by One Zero Mikes out.”
He set the handset down, “I don’t believe it!” He exhaled.
Carl was grinning.
“What?” Marsha asked.
“They have a Helicopter and are flying it here.”
“What?” Angela asked.
Logan looked and slapped Carl on the back. “So Chad’s girl brought you a present?”
Brian looked, “How do you know it is a helicopter?” “The landing zone question. No room here for fixed wing and she knows it. I verified it was a flying machine with the Call Sign. And it was genius of her to use novel names that still fit the bill. Gives us still some OPSEC.”
He turned and keyed the handset. “Jet Jockey, I have a request.”
“Say request, Deepdiver.”
Request you recon Purvis and fly south toward the compound.”
“Copy, Fly south from Purvis to compound.”
He set the hand set down.
“South?” Brian asked.
“She knows how to get to the compound. The South was a red herring. I don’t need anyone listening to know what direction we are from Purvis.” Logan said, then got quiet.
“What?” Marsha said, noticing his face.
“She said she only had three friendlies, where are the other two?”
“Well, the doc was supposed to be dropped off. So maybe….” She stopped not exactly sure what to say.
“May be payload.” Carl said. “Here let me see the mic.”
He got the mic and then pressed the talk button. “Jet Jockey, this is the Oil Flyer. Can you say what your platform is?”
“Good Morning Oil Flyer. I am not at liberty to say. I know we all need to get busy with training on this thing. The aquatic guys will love this.”
“Copy Jet-Jockey and thanks!” Carl released the key. “It is a payload issue. It only holds four or five tops.”
“What does?” Logan asked.
“It is a HT-57.”
“Okay, I’ll bite. How do you know?”
“She emphasized aquatic guys, the Navy, and training. That makes it a Navy training aircraft. It also tells us how she is able to fly it on her own. A 60 is a dual pilot aircraft. I do wish we had more firepower, though.”
“Um, Deepdiver, Oil Flyer?”
“Go Jet Jockey.”
“Part one of mission accomplished, part two…. You guys need to button up. There are at least 25 two wheeled tangos headed your way!”
“Say again?” Logan asked.
“You heard me, we are taking fire, bugging out!” There was a loud bang then the connection cut out.
“Jet Jockey, come in please!” He paused. “Come in Jet Jockey!”
He tossed the handset onto the counter. “You heard her, let’s button up.”
At that moment, there was a loud report, followed by an explosion some way away and the house shook. They all looked at each other and then scanned the cameras… There was a wisp of smoke drifting from the turret of the tank. It had just fired a round and was adjusting down.
“Hold on. That tank has ammo and it just fired on us. It will not miss again!”
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Post by papaof2 on Oct 23, 2018 11:25:20 GMT -6
Time for some serious explosives or a Molotov cocktail or some thermite to melt some holes in the tank and its engine ...
Thermite is easy when you have a place to buy chemicals.
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Post by 9idrr on Oct 23, 2018 15:10:54 GMT -6
Thanks, Solo. Nice to see more of this. And I'm sure you ain't gonna leave us hangin' too long. Are you?
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Post by texican on Oct 23, 2018 17:57:25 GMT -6
“Hold on. That tank has ammo and it just fired on us. It will not miss again!”Solo, A tank that works and 25 more bad guys coming.... Where are the explosives and IED's? How about ignition of the fuel under the tank? Molotov cocktails also work.... Thanks for the chapter.... Texican....
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Post by htfiremedic on Oct 24, 2018 20:11:36 GMT -6
Dddaannngggg
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Post by solo on Dec 13, 2018 15:25:21 GMT -6
Chapter 12 8 May 2018 Kosciusko-Attala County Airfield, MS
Ethan’s shoulders burned. He spent the night on the cold hanger floor trussed up; only recently woken, he figured it was early morning by the way the sunlight filtered into the tiny space. Shifting his head slightly, he immediately got dizzy and almost passed out. It was then that the smell assaulted his senses. It was a canvas of human decay, and human waste on a background of JP-5.
“Hey, you’re awake!” It was Julie. She was barely whispering.
Ethan tried to roll over to look at her but she stopped him. “They got you hog tied with barbed wire. I don’t know why but they hit you hard enough to knock you out for good.” She said.
He fidgeted then brought a length of wire to in front of him, this restraint was easily defeated. “They probably expected me to be next.”
“Next for what?”
“Their menu, I suspect. Did Gina get away okay? I don’t remember much after the helicopter test.”
“Yes, then we were jumped as soon as the helo was out of sight. We were supposed to be headed back to Purvis. This looks like some of the same crew from those we battled in town.”
“Did they hurt you?”
“No, they just dumped us in here and went somewhere.”
“I wander how that lady survived all this time?”
“Anna was her name. I hope I’m wrong, but I think she was with them. They mentioned her a few times, though I couldn’t put the sentences together.”
Ethan finished getting his feet undone then got up and crossed the hanger to some barrels and quickly emptied his bladder.
When he returned, Julie just smiled, “You know it is just the two of us and there isn’t much about you I don’t know already.”
Ethan smiled, “Yeah, probably so, still… How’s the truck?”
“Truck is okay, I checked on it. We seem to be alone here. Only problem is that we only have the truck. We don’t have anything else. Weapons or anything.”
“So what do you think? Just drive away?”
“I am inclined to do just that, but it will be a long trip without anything.”
Ethan stepped up to one of the windows and studied the house. Then he crossed to the other windows and finally to the hanger door spending a good bit of time at each, observing.
“Well, we have a watcher across the runway. I saw light glinting off a glass of some sort. I am thinking that I can skirt around and come up from behind…”
“And get the jump on him?”
“Yeah. I want you to give me about 30 minutes then jump and run to the truck. They didn’t take my keys,” He hands them to her. “Here, drive up to where we hid the first time. If they come back sooner, you will have to make a break for it.”
“I don’t know, I could just come with you?”
“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you got lucky last night. They could have abused you many different ways. I want you to be relatively safe and away. I will find you in that clearing.”
Julie firmly pressed her mouth. “I am well aware of the predator appetites of your mentally weaker sex, but you know as well as I do that I can move infinitely quieter through the woods than you can!”
Ethan smiled his lopsided smile and then said. “Okay, go grab the truck and go, while he is occupied on you, he will think I am still out and I can move out while he is distracted. Drive to the field and I will meet you there. Then we will go see our friend.”
Two hours later, they were kneeling behind the sniper’s hide and while Julie tried to hide her mirth, Logan was genuinely peeved. The reflecting sun happened to come from an old tossed coke bottle bottom and not a scope or binoculars.
They worked their way back to the truck and after watching it for a while approached it. Logan reached for the handle and as he touched it, he heard a twig snap behind him.
He looked back to a huge barrel of a man sporting an old mountain man’s beard. “Going somewhere?”
Ethan slowly moved his hand from the handle and held his hand out to his side, “Mister, I don’t want any trouble with you.”
“You won’t get any trouble from me; Mister Winchester will see to that.” The man waggled the end of the 12 Gauge Shotgun barrel a bit. Still Logan could see that it wasn’t pointed right at him. He was glad he had approached the truck on his own and that Julie was still hidden.
“What can I do for you?”
“I’m guessing you had a run it with some cannibals, judging by the looks of you.”
“Yes, are you one of them?”
“That’s a fair question I supposed, but you don’t stay this size living on human flesh.”
“Then who are you and what can I do for you?”
“Let’s just say that I am a very well prepared individual who just recently had an extremely unusual run of bad luck.” The man stopped and smiled. “Please tell your red headed friend that that little pine staff she has will not do me much harm.”
“How long?” Julie asked as she came out from her observation post.
“Long enough, wouldn’t you say?” The man took a step forward. “Look, you don’t know me and I don’t know you. I have a weapon and about a truckload of supplies. You don’t have to trust me, all I am asking for is a ride.”
“Where to?”
“As close as I can get to the coast. But you better decide quickly. When that cannibal bunch finds out you are gone, they will be madder than a wasps nest and mean than a mess of hornets.”
“Don’t seem to be much choice from what I can see. Let’s go.”
It took about 45 minutes to go the man’s hide in the woods and load everything up. Taking a more roundabout way, they went through the outskirts of Philadelphia and Decatur on highway 15. By early evening they had reached Laurel and decided to press on. They stopped about two miles from Marc’s compound for the night. They did not want to come in while it was dark. They learned that the man that they carried, whose name was Samuel, was very sincere, confident and appeared to be genuine as they could come. He also understood when Ethan insisted on he and Julie taking the watch that night.
The next morning they were up and moving before dawn. They came down coaltown road and smelled it before they saw it. Immediately, the stopped the truck and eased forward on foot, though Ethan and Julie wandered what they could do without a weapon.
When the peeked at the compound, they saw the still raw evidence of a decidedly pitched battle. The house looked worse for wear, but it still stood. There were a lot of bodies and a burned out tank at the gate. Some of the bodies were inside the fence so the perimeter had been breached.
“My cousin and his surprises.” Ethan said.
“Seems like my kind. I can’t wait to meet him.”
“Look up the hill.” They all looked at the sight of a lot of motorcycles all turned over and mangled in the road. Some of which still had riders.
“Hello the house!” Ethan called out. Their hand held Walkie Talkies had been taken too.
“That’s close enough! Come forward and Identify your self.”
“It’s Julie and Me, Ethan.”
“What is the word of the day?”
Looking at Julie, he mouthed, “Who is that?”
She just shrugged.
“Mister, I have you in my sights. You have 10 seconds.” A brief pause then, “10, 9, 8, 7…”
“Wait, don’t I get a Mississippi or something?”
“6, 5, 4…”
“What happens when we get to 1?” Julie asked.
“3, 2…”
“Kurt, you can stand up now.” Ethan said.
“1.” A pause, then BANG, was yelled on the loud speakers. “Kurt, did you get them?” It was Marc’s voice.
“Come on out dude… I smelled you 10 minutes ago.”
Kurt stood up and smiled, “Ethan, we were worried about you!”
“Looks like you had a little fun while we were gone.”
“It was the strangest thing. We were having a standoff with one group and another showed up late yesterday afternoon. They had it out and then that new group just disappeared. Then in the middle of the night, we came under attack from this same group, but they were inside our fence. They were inside our fence!” We are still trying to figure out how that happened.” Kurt led the others up the drive.
“Have we faced this group before? They look familiar.” Julie said.
“I don’t think so. Ah here we are, in you go.” Kurt said.
“Ethan, didn’t some of those people by the house look familiar?” Julie asked.
Ethan was watching Samuel as they entered. The bear of a man stopped in the kitchen doorway and stared as if in shock. He then raised his arm and pointed at Anna. “You need to shoot this one, now!” Samuel said emphatically. “She is a bad one!”
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Post by texican on Dec 13, 2018 18:57:59 GMT -6
Ethan was watching Samuel as they entered. He stopped in the kitchen doorway and stared. He then raised his arm and pointed at Anna. “You need to shoot this one, now!” He said emphatically. “She is a bad one!”
Seems like Anna is a female snake in the grass....
Thanks Solo for the chapter....
Not like it has been 51 days since the last feeding, but no complaints....
Now a Christmas chapter would be nice....
Texican....
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Post by htfiremedic on Dec 13, 2018 20:31:47 GMT -6
Dang bro! That was great!! Glad to see you are back!!
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Post by 9idrr on Dec 13, 2018 21:20:56 GMT -6
Nice early Xmas gift, Solo. Many thanks.
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Post by solo on Dec 14, 2018 10:23:55 GMT -6
Dang bro! That was great!! Glad to see you are back!! Thank you, Brother! It seems that the pace of life and the muse are working together again. I will try to post more frequently. This story is swimming around in my head.
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Post by solo on Dec 14, 2018 10:25:08 GMT -6
Ethan was watching Samuel as they entered. He stopped in the kitchen doorway and stared. He then raised his arm and pointed at Anna. “You need to shoot this one, now!” He said emphatically. “She is a bad one!” Seems like Anna is a female snake in the grass.... Thanks Solo for the chapter.... Not like it has been 51 days since the last feeding, but no complaints.... Now a Christmas chapter would be nice.... Texican.... Sorry about that! Thank your for having a short memory...
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