"Jill's Awakening" by brake pedal aka bill ayers

[brake pedal]

introduction of sorts...

This is a project that I have been working on for over a year now. I have had a long battle with it. It started out to be destined for here at member stories or another free that hosts a more explicit type of content, as I didn’t really know about the rules at TB2K about that type of material. I originally started typing this just to get a reading of how good I could write. Up until I started this I had written the stories out in a spiral notebook and threw them away when I finished.

But there are two friends that wanted to be written into this one and then, when they heard about publish on demand, pressed me to go that route. Admittedly, I also liked the idea of a book with my name on it. I really didn’t want to pay 4 or 5 hundred for that. As I was finishing up the revision phase, I found lulu.com that publishes absolutely free. That cinched it, I spent an entire weekend arranging covers and uploading files.

This was just one of many weekends that I spent working on this, typing away from a hand written script. I beg to note that I can’t type and have only 9.8 fingers. So it was slow, to say the least.

OK, after I got it all uploaded I ordered my proof, and then checked it when it arrived. Then I posted it on several forums as a book that I had read instead of written, including here. I hated to do it that way, and I apologize for that. But I did it because I did not want anyone buying it just because a member wrote it. Further I felt that the feedback might be biased if the reader knew that a board member wrote it. I hope that ya’all can forgive the indiscretion and understand my reason for doing so.

This book was only on the market for four days. I felt it best to pull it from sales in light of the problem at work. There’s a thread in the corkboard concerning this. Suffice it to say this book and part of its sequel almost cost me my job.

I recently did put it back up for sale as the other problem was taken care of informally. But long story short, I am through trying to sell it. It’s cost me enough already. I have a lot of time and a lot of deep worry, in the end. I wish I had placed it here to begin with. It would have been much easier and truthfully, it would have lessened the seriousness of my difficulty at work, greatly. Seems that ‘for profit’ and just piddling makes a difference.

I have learned my lesson. So from now on if I write something of this nature it will go here. Although, there may not be very much time for me to write more of the story, because during the panic, while I was thinking I’d be without a job, I enrolled at a local college. So now not only do I have a job, but also I am carrying 10 semester hours of course work. I guess I’ll finish up that criminal justice degree or possibly change to something else.

But anyway, that’s the troubles I’ve had with this. As for the story, be FOREWARNED. There is some adult content and nudity. (Streak I’ve had to fight with) I was concerned about this and pm’d Dennis to ask if it would be OK on a level of what you would find in an ordinary bookstore novel. So without quoting the PM I take it that’s its OK on that level. My friend that helped me proof read it, considers the adult content as less than a “Longarm Western”. I have never read one of those so I can’t comment. But I think it more akin to some of Ahern’s work or some of the courser of Johnstones Ashes series. I would rather tell you now than to offend you after you’ve read quite a bit into it.

I hope you enjoy it. ccf: As for the sequel, I got 18,000 words into it before the bomb fell. If I can find the time, or that one supervisor leaves, I’ll finish it up and post it here. Until then could I interest you in some nice Algebra equations?

[brake pedal]

Chapter 1


It was a muggy night for late June in Nashville. In spite of the air conditioning in the house, Jill lay naked on the bed. This was one of Jill’s normal habits. She had slept unclothed since she was a teenager. She just felt more comfortable without the binding clothes. Since being on her, own Jill had expanded the habit into lounging around the house in the same manner. Though always with the curtains drawn and the shades pulled. She still had her modesty, even to the point of appearing prudish. The clothes Jill generally wore outside of the house consisted of very classy dresses and skirts. Delicate blouses topped the skirts, always cut high at the collar. A business lady, Jill wanted her successes based on her talents rather then her body.

For the same reason, Jill made it a policy to never date anyone from the office. For that matter, she rarely dated at all. She chose instead to concentrate on her career, and her own life. Jill prided herself on being an independent person. She carefully monitored her investments, making sure that whatever happened she would always have something to fall back on. Jill had hated having to depend on her parents for money during high school and college. It seemed there had always been a string attached or some commandment of theirs to obey. Of course, she had obeyed her parent’s wishes. But she promised herself that once she got out of college, she would never put herself in a position to be dependent upon another, not even a husband.

Jill felt she had done well for herself, graduating from college a year early with a degree in business management. She landed a job in downtown Nashville at a major corporation, starting at nearly 100,000 dollars a year plus bonuses. Now at age twenty-three, she held a sizable stock portfolio and owned her own home in east Nashville. Jill was a gracious giver also. She being of liberal democratic beliefs donated heavily to the Democratic Party, national handgun control groups and major college funds for black Americans.

Jill believed in her causes, her yard was constantly adorned with signs bearing anti gun slogans, and campaign posters for democratic candidates. She had even been present in downtown Nashville as candidate Al Gore faced his sorrowful supporters, after the voting in 2000. She had wept for her hero along with everyone else in the crowd.

Jill had even purchased her home with the problem of deforestation in mind. The home built mostly of masonry construction a two-story home built several years previous. While her home was designed with a secure safe room. She had not seen a need to bar the windows and doors as nearly every other neighbor on her street had. Jill believed in humanity.

The alarm sounded at the bedside table startling Jill. Groggily, she rose to sit on the bedside, clicking the alarm on the radio off. As she stood up to walk to the bathroom, her long black hair falling across her shoulder, the slight curls caught in the breeze as she walked. Jill was in excellent physical condition at 5’6 and 115 lbs. She was lean, her tummy flat, and her behind shapely, upturned and held just enough fat to allow a slight jiggle when she walked. Jill felt fortunate to have a smaller chest. Her breasts while still firm fit loosely into a B cup. Any larger and she felt they would have been awkward.

In the bathroom, she stepped into the shower. After setting the water temperature she lingered under the spray allowing the water to flow over her body. After shampooing her hair, she rubbed the bar soap over her dark toned skin, reviving her. Before stepping out, she used the razor to run over her legs and then her pubic area. Jill disliked pubic hair on her body. It felt “dirty” to her. She enjoyed the clean fresh look.

Once out of the shower Jill dressed in her blue polyester skirt that came to just below her knee and a white ruffled blouse. Thinking the thin material would feel cooler. Slipping into a pair of blue high heel shoes she stood in front of the mirror to check everything over careful that her bra did not show through. Even as hot as it was outside Jill always wore a bra. Sometimes she chided herself for being to reserved. Before heading out the door, she threw on the usual light make up. Then, on the way out she locked the knob on the door.

Jill owned a late model Nissan Maxima but she rarely drove it to work. Jill preferred to walk down to the corner to catch the bus instead. Another of her beliefs, she did not wish to contribute to the smog problem unless she had to.

Outside, the city was beginning come alive getting ready for the day. The sounds of horns honking, the cars on the interstate behind her house drowning out the chirping of the birds. Jill studied her neighbor’s homes as she walked by her heels clicking on the sidewalk. It was a quiet little neighborhood. Jill could not understand why so many homes had bars over the windows and doors. Some even had decorative fences that served to both beautify and protect.

On the next block, Jill passed the home of her opposite. She had never met the man only saw him getting into or out of the pickup truck parked beside the garage. Jill regarded the man as a “Redneck”, the most unsophisticated sort. She hoped she never had to confront him or even a cause for conversation with him. She knew such an event would likely prove disastrous. The man’s home sported a huge ugly radio tower that often times she found a confederate flag flying from. The yard of the house sported all sorts of pro gun signs and political statements such as “Vote Freedom First“ and “Close the Border.” On the garage door, there hung several targets the type with a silhouette of a human being and each were unmercifully shot full of holes.

Around the home was a protective fence of awful chain link. The neighbors had complained to the zoning board to have the fence removed. However, the board had refused because the man had used the green vinyl coated type of fence. The zoning board felt that the fence was the proper height and the green color would blend with the grass of the lawn, the board could do nothing.

That was before the awful looking barrels appeared. Disguised as planters, the heavy concrete barrels stood in a line, just inside the fence and across the length of the front porch. She knew they were there to stop the bullets and the cars of attackers. Added to this, a pair of German shepherd dogs patrolling inside the fence, Jill had concluded the man was suffering from paranoid delusions.

Jill made the bus stop on time, then all the exchanges, on the way downtown. While riding the bus, Jill made a habit of studying the faces of the other passengers. In the two years of riding the buses, she had had a few incidents occur. Usually minor things once or twice men have grabbed a ’feel’, once a wino had tried to kiss her. However, once, after a hard day, she had accidentally fallen asleep. She awoke to feel a gruff hand massaging her labia, through the material of her hose and panties. The man had bravely reached beneath her skirt. She had slapped him so hard it left a fiery red handprint on his cheek. The force she had used surprised her, she never thought she could be prone to violence. It puzzled her. She finally chalked up the slap to a primal reaction.

However, this morning’s ride proved uneventful. Jill sat looking out the windows, her mind reviewing the latest news events. The Supreme Court had heard a case that involved the Second Amendment, another question of the interpretation. This was a case to determine if “the people” intended a collective or an individual right. The final decision was to be announced at any time, as the justices had taken the matter under advisement some week’s back.

Today the justices were hearing the final arguments on the slave reparation case. Blacks were demanding the federal and state governments, those that had the keeping of slaves, pay a regular amount to the descendants of the slaves, for compensation of the labor and suffering of their ancestors.

Jill knew both of these cases were emotionally charged cases. Many people were worried about the outcome and the reaction of the people. There had been calls by the Blacks and the Gun owners alike, for violence should the verdicts not go well for them. “Today.” Jill thought, “Might prove interesting, maybe I should have driven.”

Once at the office, Jill’s cares seemed to fade away as she allowed herself to melt into the tasks of the day. She soon forgot about the turmoil of the day. Jill seemed happiest when she were shuffling papers and crunching numbers. Her mind even drifted into making plans for the weekend.

Suddenly, Jill realized she was hungry. Checking her watch she realized why, she had worked through lunch. She picked up her purse, and made her way to the ground floor. A neat little cafeteria there served some great sandwiches.

Deciding to have a ham and cheese hoagie, a bag of chips and a coke, Jill took her meal to a booth. After sitting down, Jill looked up to see the TV tuned to a headline news channel. On the screen the Supreme Court building showed in the background, the reporter spoke rapidly, almost urgently.

Jill listened as the harried reporter tried to speak over the chanting and noise of the protesters. Apparently, the justices had ruled on the slavery issue immediately, and then released its decision on the Second Amendment case. Jill listened intently as the reporter gave a synopsis of the rulings and the reaction of the people around him.

As she listened, Jill became aware of someone speaking to her, distracting her from the TV report. Turning she saw Bob Jenkins standing by her table. She knew Bob from another agency in the building. He was a heavy, muscular man of 50 with very gray hair. A traditional businessman, he wore gray dress pants and a gray tweed jacket. “Hi Bob. Have a seat I was just watching the verdicts.” Jill said smiling.

Bob only nodded as he sank into the booth opposite Jill. Right away Jill noticed a look of grave concern on his face and asked, “What’s wrong Bob?”

Bob shook his head nervously as he unwrapped his sandwich. Jill gave him his time. Finally, Bob seemed to get disgusted, his hands flinching upwards away from the sandwich “These damn verdicts will break up the country Jill. This country is at a turning point in history.” Bob replied.

Jill smiled and said cheerily, “It can’t be that bad, Bob sure they’ll both stomp and whine for awhile but they will soon see it’s no use and accept the verdicts.”

Bob looked at her as if she was a naive child. She hated that look. He said, “No they won’t Jill there’s going to be hell to pay, you watch and see. The blacks already had that money counted and spent in their heads.” Bob paused to look at the screen a moment then looked Jill in the eyes and said “And us gun owners, we will not give up our guns.”

Jill seemed shocked “Bob? You have a gun?” Jill asked incredulously.

Bob nodded his head and took a bite of his sandwich letting that sink into Jill’s mind. Then he continued, “Jill I fought in Vietnam to protect the freedom of the constitution and the bill of rights. I killed all those communists that stood in the way of my freedom. Well guess what Jill; all those communists had guns. Now I will not be able to have guns! Does that make sense to you?”

Jill now wore a look of utter disbelief. “Bob its just guns. It is not worth a revolution for. Good grief Bob they kill people, they’re dangerous!” Jill exclaimed.

Bob stared at her face his eyes piercing. “It’s not just guns it’s a principle Jill. That our founding fathers and every person that ever fought for this country has fought to protect. Furthermore, no gun has ever killed anyone. The guns were used by someone to kill someone.” Bob stated flatly.

Jill did not reply they finished their lunches quietly and watched the TV. When they had finished, Bob stood up to leave then turned to Jill and said, “Look, things could get bad. Be careful. If you need me, you know where to find me. And if I hear anything I’ll let you know.”

Jill felt his statement seemed over dramatic but said, “Sure Bob thanks.”

Bob nodded in reply as he turned to walk away.

Jill sat at the table awhile longer, thinking. On the one hand, she felt a victory against guns. On the other, in the pit of her stomach she felt coldness, a fear of what might happen. “ I didn’t think it meant that much to them,” she thought. “It had all seemed like a harmless game, send in money, get pamphlets and a letter proclaiming ‘your’ victory.”

Shaking off the thoughts Jill got up to leave, as she turned away she heard leaders of the blacks calling for riots and retribution. “Show whitey how it feels!” the speaker, exclaimed.

Jill turned finding several black faces in the crowd of the lunchroom. Jill saw their faces contained fear, extreme anger, and denial. “Even here?” she asked herself. Jill quickly dumped her tray and walked to the elevator. An uneasy nervousness fell over Jill on the ride up. Fear crept into her. She mentally slammed the door on it. Next, she felt the guilt, “You were part of the cause,” she thought. Somehow, the guilt lingered.

Once back at her desk, Jill was able to immerse herself into her work again. The fear forgotten, the nervousness ceased. She felt secure in her work, but the guilt remained. Her mind tried to deny the guilt, to pass it off, but still it remained.

The door to her office burst open startling her. Bob was suddenly in the office with her, he was sweating, and looked wild and scared. Jill became alarmed. Bob said, “Haven’t you heard?”

Wide-eyed Jill could only shake her head “No”.

Bob caught his breath and gasped, “They shot him!”

Jill waited for Bob to continue, when he did not, she asked, “ Shot who?”

Bob looked astonished then replied “That guy Al Muhammad, the black leader, the one that was going to run for president!”

“Who shot him?” Jill asked, disbelieving.

Bob replied, “ They don’t know for sure, he was speaking in Atlanta. He was at the podium, shots were fired, nobody knows from where. But the pro-gun whites were rallying nearby.” Bob paused to catch his breath.

Jill seemed angry at the pause, anxious for more information.

Bob continued “The Black militant group, the ones that always protest with the assault weapons opened fire on the white pro-gun rally. It is mayhem there. The police, the blacks and the pro-gunners are all firing at each other. ” Bob had to catch a breath then exclaimed “My God Jill, it looks like Beirut, Dublin or Saigon.”

Jill sat down hard in her chair her eyes stared straight ahead unblinking. Bob snapped her out of it by saying, “Jill! I think we better leave now before it breaks loose here.”

Jill just stared at Bob, shaking her head then said, “ Bob are you sure it will happen here? I mean Atlanta is three hundred miles away.”

Bob excitedly said, ”Jill, there are bodies in the streets there it will only spread.”

Jill sat quietly in thought, finally she looked at her watch 4:30 PM, “Past quitting time anyway,” she thought. She sighed and said, “Well I guess it couldn’t hurt to be safe.”

Bob seemed relieved, smiled and asked, “Where are you parked?”

Jill seemed shocked for a second then replied, ”I took the bus to work.”

Bob seemed agitated and said, “Damn, me too. Look, we both live on the East Side, we had better stay together. We‘ve got the projects between here and home.” He paused waiting for Jill to respond then suddenly said, “Hey, we better get moving are you ready?”

Jill nodded her head “yes”. Then got her purse from the desk drawer on the way out.

On the street they decided to hail a cab for a direct route to save time. After a dozen cabs passed them carrying passengers. Bob muttered to Jill, ”Everyone is getting out of downtown.”

A city bus passed them it appeared to be loaded to standing room only. Bob sighed and said, “We’ll be lucky to get out of here now. Let’s start walking.”

Jill agreed, But secretly she thought, “ I won’t get far in these heels.”

They made their way through near panic crowds, as they worked their way down the hill toward the river. There was heaviness in the air, the crowds were moving about with a determination, everyone hurrying to get to their homes.

Then Bob spotted two people stepping out of a Music city cab 50 feet away. “Let’s get it before anyone else does.” He exclaimed.

They ran toward the cab like it was home base, Bob knocked one person down on the way, The man jumped to his feet screaming obscenities. Bob grabbed the door handle and yanked it open just ahead of another businessman. Bob shouted, “I got this one buddy!”

Jill came from behind running in her heels. Bob held the door for her as she slid into the seat quickly. Then Bob jumped in and slammed the door. Bob, out of breath gasped gruffly to the driver, “East Side, let’s go!”

The driver turned in his seat to face bob and stated flatly, “Can’t do it buddy, haven’t you heard the news? All hell broke loose across the river.” For the first time, Bob and Jill looked at the horizon, instead of the crowds. Through the drivers windshield they could see plumes of smoke rising above the buildings across the river.

Jill’s mouth fell open in surprise. Bob’s eyes and head darted back and forth thinking at hyper-speed. Finally Bob asked, “Can’t we get through? I’ll give you a hundred dollar bonus.”

The driver chuckled and said, “I wouldn’t live to spend it if I did try it. The Blacks across the river will kill any white they find. Besides the cop‘s have the bridge blocked to protect the capitol. The only way is south or west. ”

Bob smacked the seat disgusted. He exclaimed, “Damn!”

The cab driver suggested, “I could take you as far as Harding Place, you could rent a car. But that’s as far as I go. I need to get back to get the people out. ”

Bob glanced at Jill, who sat quietly observing. Jill said, “It’s up to you Bob.”

Bob seemed to get a determined look and said, ”Just take us to the bridge we’ll get across on foot, It can’t be that bad.”

The driver cocked his head to the side and said, “Your funeral.” Putting the car into gear he pulled away from the curb.

The traffic was so bad, it took 35 minutes to make the eight blocks. At the bridge the driver said, “No charge I just want to get gone from here.”

Bob and Jill stepped out looking at the police barricade. Jill guessed that there were 50 or more officers stationed there with rifles and shotguns. Looking across the bridge they could see a mob of blacks, she guessed there must have been thousands. The mob carried signs, with anti-racism slogans. Some were shouting angrily, some seemed to be discussing something, occasionally glancing nervously at the officers on this side of the bridge. The situation seemed very tense.

Bob said, “Lets go talk to the officer in charge, see if we can get across.”

He began walking that way without waiting for a reply from Jill. Suddenly Jill grabbed Bob’s arm yanking him to a stop. “Look!” Jill exclaimed and pointed across the bridge.

Suddenly the officers took cover aiming the weapons across the bridge. Bob looked across, saw that the mob had formed up and had begun to cross the bridge. The police supervisor screamed at Bob and Jill, “Get out of here! Take cover!”

Bob stunned that this was happening, stood frozen. Jill looked around, they were suddenly alone, no cars, no people. Thinking quickly she grabbed Bob’s arm and said, “Quick, the bushes by the bridge!”
Jill and Bob ran through the grass to the bushes that bordered the embankment that dropped down to the river. At the edge of the bushes they had to scramble on their hands and knees to move into the thickly grown underbrush. Hidden in the scrub oaks, they watched the bridge.

The marchers in the lead walked with grim determination, anger could be seen on their faces. The police maintained position. The police supervisor that had told Bob and Jill to take cover picked up a bullhorn. Putting the bullhorn to his mouth he screamed across the bridge, “Do not approach the barricades, return to the East Side.” His voice seemed to boom above the noise and confusion of downtown.

The marchers kept walking, the lead being followed by throngs of others. On the other side the mob still formed lines squeezing onto the bridge, it seemed almost as fluid draining, the bridge as the drain pipe. As the marchers approached the halfway point, the police supervisor hoisted the bullhorn, to his mouth again, “I’m warning you, do not approach the barricades. We have clearance from the governor to fire. Turn back now!”

Jill realized it was a desperate attempt to defuse the situation. “Would they actually fire?” she wondered. She began to survey her surroundings to find something to get behind in case the bullets did start flying. She saw a large chunk of long square concrete left over from building the bridge. She decided that was where she would go. From there she formulated an escape route down to the river.

Bob sat transfixed staring at the bridge, glancing from the police to the marchers and back. At the three-quarter mark Jill heard the police weapons being worked, loading live ammo. The sound of the bolts and slides slamming metal to metal carried to her. Suddenly the lead marchers dropped to the pavement on hands and knees, crossways on the bridge. The second line dropped to one knee, and produced guns that they aimed across the backs of the lead marchers, forming an instant human barricade.

Neither Bob nor Jill knew which side fired first. There was a sudden eruption of gunfire from both sides. Jill grabbed Bob by the arm again, jerking him toward her, “Follow me!” she yelled. Jill began to crawl quickly on hands and knees to the concrete, kicking away her high heel shoes as she moved. Bob came along close behind her.

Jill scrambled behind the chunk of concrete on her hands and knees. Bob came in beside her. The gunfire never stopped its constant rattle, only slowing some after it started while the empty guns were reloaded. Jill peeked above the concrete just as a stray bullet snapped through the tops of the bushes above her. All she could see was the heads of the police and the marchers above the bridge railing. A heavy cloud of gun smoke hovered above the shooters. The firing from the marchers seemed to stay steady, while the police fire seemed to steadily slow. Jill could now smell the biting gun smoke in her nose. She began to hear shouts from the police barricade. A desperate request repeated over and over, “Ammo?” Soon the supervisor screamed, “fall back!” At that Jill saw the blue uniforms scurrying for their cars, heard doors slamming and engines being revved. Fear struck her as she realized they were being left unprotected.

From the bridge, there came victorious screams and shouts of glee. Jill watched as throngs of black faces began running across the bridge. She knew the area would soon be filled by a riotous mob. She again grabbed Bob and whispered, “This way!”

Jill led Bob down a small trail toward the riverbank. She scrambled over the ground trying to avoid the cans, bottles and broken glass that littered the overgrowth. Halfway down she turned to the right, moving along the embankment toward the bridge. Being very quiet moving carefully trying not to disturb the trees, shaking the leaves would attract the attention of the marchers.

Once under the bridge Bob patted her back pointing up to where the bridge met the ground, “Up here” he said.

They climbed up the embankment over large rocks and debris, Jill being very careful where she placed her feet as she was barefooted. Once at the top where the steel bridge girders were anchored, they found a homeless persons cobbled shack.

The shack rested between two of the girders, on the concrete ledge that supported the end of the girders. Plywood wedged into the girders and covered with rags formed the front wall. An opening at one side covered by a heavy fabric curtain served as the door. Jill said, “ I wonder if anyone’s in there.”

Bob said, “We’ll soon find out. That would be a great place to hide out until things calm down and we can get across the river.”

As they approached the door, Bob reached around under his coat drawing a short-barreled revolver, pointing it toward the door as they moved closer. Jill was stunned to see the revolver appear in Bob’s hand. She had never pictured Bob, as one who would carry a gun. Still she followed close behind him. The footsteps of thousands of marchers could be heard on the concrete above them.

At the door Bob reached cautiously for the fabric door with his left hand, the revolver gripped snuggly in his right hand. He quickly grabbed the curtain, yanking it aside, looking into the shack over the barrel of the gun. “Empty!” He declared. Then told Jill, “Come on let’s get inside.”

Bob held the curtain while Jill crawled inside. Then he scrambled in on his hands and knees. Jill looked around in what little light came from the door. The bare steel girders formed the end walls, and the concrete abutment formed the back wall. The concrete floor was entirely covered with rags and trash, Four feet above, the underside of the bridge served as the ceiling. There seemed to be plenty of room for the two of them to move about. But the air inside was dank and smelled of stale sweat and urine. Jill decided it would do until they could leave.

Jill sat with her back against the concrete wall at the rear of the shack. Bob explored around the shack finding a candle, which he lit with his Zippo. The light almost made the shack feel homey and cozy. After lighting the candle, Bob sat to her right his back against the bridge girder. They occupied the back corner of the shack away from the door.

Now in the light, Jill was able to see and assess the damage to her clothing. Her hose had worn through at the feet, the fabric drawing up to stop at mid-calf. She raised her hips, shedding the ruined panty hose tossing them to the side, with a sigh. Her skirt had been torn in several places, the largest a slit up the side, and her bare thigh and part of her panties were now visible. “Nothing I can do about It.” she thought.

Then she became aware that her bra no longer felt snug, She tried refastening the snaps through the fabric of the blouse. Finally she realized the snaps had been pulled from the fabric. With a sigh she unbuttoned the two remaining buttons on her blouse, Reaching in she worked the bra off her shoulders inside her shirt. Pulling the bra free she tossed it across the shack. Then re-buttoning the two remaining bottom buttons. Looking down the blouse, she realized her chest was visible, from her neck down between her breasts almost to her abdomen. “**** it!” she exclaimed. Disgusted, Jill lay her head back against the wall.

After a few minutes Bob began to chuckle quietly. Jill asked, “What have you got to laugh about?”

Bob, still chuckling pointed his finger toward her right breast. She looked down her blouse to see a triangular rip four inches across, directly over her right breast. Her nipple stiff and pert was well visible, along with most of her smooth breast. Jill angrily crossed her arms over her chest, saying a few choice curse words. Laying her head back again she tried to ignore Bob’s chuckling.

They sat that way not talking for over an hour. The footsteps above them had stopped, they began to wonder what was happening outside and above them on the bridge. Jill raised her head quickly, cocking it to one side listening. Bob whispered, “What?”

Before she could answer, the sound of a drink can being crunched under a foot broke the silence. The little revolver appeared in Bob’s hand again. He put his finger to his lips to say, “Be quiet” to Jill. Bob crept toward the door near the girder at the far side of the shack. He sat back on his haunches, with the revolver aimed at the door. They heard more footsteps outside, and then suddenly the curtain was jerked back to reveal a large black man with a large black bladed knife.

Jill screamed loudly, Bob’s revolver boomed twice in quick succession. The booms reverberating inside the shack. The man outside was flung backwards by the shots, the man grabbing his chest as he fell. The curtain falling closed.

Jill was so terrified she was trembling. She had even wet her panties. Her head ached from the loud shots and the blood pounding in her temple. Bob held his hand out palm toward her, “Stay here!” he whispered. Then he crept toward the curtain. Reaching forward with his left hand he moved the curtain to the side, just a crack to peer out. He saw the man lying on his back, in front of the door. Even though it was nearly dark outside, he was sure there had been no one else. He turned to Jill whispering, “He’s dead, stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Jill seemed to want to leap toward him rising up, her back off the wall. She whispered urgently, ”Don’t leave me here.”

Bob calmed her by whispering, “I won’t. I promise I’ll be back.” Then taking a last good look at the nipple and smooth young breast sticking through the tear, he crawled through the curtain the gun leading the way.

To Jill, it seemed like Bob had been gone forever. She sat back against the wall, her feet pulled back against her, and her elbows on her knees, her ripped blouse now forgotten. When she heard a large splash in the river water below, she almost ran out to look. It took all she had to resist doing so.

When she heard footsteps outside the door again her heart began pounding in her chest, the trembling fear returned to her. She had to fight to keep from screaming or crying. When she heard Bob’s voice outside whisper, “It’s me” she relaxed.

The curtain opened and Bob crawled back inside. So relieved to see him, Jill began to cry. Bob crawled to her carrying something in his hand. He took her into his arms hugging her tightly; he rocked her back and forth until she had stopped crying. Jill could feel the object he held in his hand near her face. She struggled a little in his arms until he loosened his grip a little. Jill asked, “What’s that?”

Bob used both hands to pull the knife from its sheath. His right arm still around her, her head rested against his chest like a child. She saw the long black blade appear in front of her face. Bob explained, “That’s what he was going to use on us. It’s a K-Bar, a military fighting knife. I used one in ’nam.”

Jill could see the edge was razor sharp, a fearsome looking knife. Bob slid it back into the sheath. Using his left hand he laid it on the floor. Then looking back at her he explained, “I took it from him and threw him into the river, in case anyone else comes around the body won’t warn anyone that we are here.”

As he said that, Jill became aware that his right hand had found the rip in her blouse, and was now inside her blouse tightly cupping her breast. She looked up into his eyes questioningly; his lips were suddenly upon hers. Even though she had to wonder why, she opened her mouth to his tongue. It was so sudden she didn’t know what else to do, she let him do as he pleased.

Soon she felt Bob’s arms moving her away from the wall, toward the middle of the floor. “Surely he isn’t going to do this to me here, now?” Jill thought.

Bob laid her on her back on the floor his head hovering over hers. Again he lowered his lips to hers. She lay still as she felt his hands pulling up the hem of her battered skirt. “What am I going to do?” she thought. “He’s going to **** me, if I don’t do something.” Still she didn’t move. She felt his hand slipping under the waistband of her panties, sliding across the bareness of her tummy, and labia, still she did not move.

The hand retreated. The thumb hooking the waistband then began to pull down on her panties. Unconsciously, she raised her hips. The panties sprung free down her legs.

The hand gone now, her panties at her knees, his hand slipped into the open part of her blouse where the buttons were missing, began to cup and squeeze her left breast. Jill felt her vagina moistening, a tingling in her stomach, her hips involuntarily thrust upward as if searching for a penis.

Bob’s lips left her mouth, he raised to the side. She could hear the belt being unbuckled, the snaps of the pants popping the zipper ripping open. Then their came the rustle of fabric, she couldn’t look over to him, she was embarrassed. She thought, “He’s twice my age, Why?”

Then she understood, fear. Fear that if she didn’t allow it, that he would abandon her, leaving her in this dangerous situation. Even though he hadn’t said so she still feared he would leave her. He was her protector. She needed him. She would do this to keep him.

When she felt him remove her panties completely, she obediently parted her thighs for him.


Panic began to spread across the Nashville area. Workers were beginning to walk out on their jobs. Parents flooded the schools picking up their children. Traffic in the suburbs quickly became snarled as vehicles flooded the main thoroughfares as harried people rushed to get from place to place before the riots spread into their neighborhoods.

In hermitage, Hank Simmons stepped out onto the front stoop of his house. Hank wore
Camouflage BDU"s and a camouflage boonie hat. In his hands, he carried an AK-47. A 30 round magazine hung from the bottom of the rifle. He scanned up and down the street before turning to lock the door of the house.

As Hank walked across the porch to the driveway, Art Dillard his neighbor from the house on the other side of the driveway came out of his house. Art smiled and waved toward Hank before he asked, "Say Hank! What’s with the gun?"

Hank called out to Art, "We're leaving, getting out while we can." As he spoke Hank pulled a remote control box from a pocket and aimed it at the garage door.

While they waited for the door to rise, Art said, "Aw Hank you ain’t worried about all that stuff downtown are ya? They'll call in the National Guard and it'll all be over with before ya know it."

Hank watched as his wife backed the loaded Land rover out of the garage before he replied, "It won't Art, it's too big this time. Things have gone too far. It’s not just Nashville either Art, its nation wide."

Art chuckled at Hank and then said, "I'm not worried, the government will take care of things, you’ll see. I’m gonna stay right here, this is my home." Then as an after thought added, "Say hank, where are you gonna go anyway?"

Hank opened the passenger door of the rover but before sitting down he replied. "We knew this was coming, we prepared for it, we’ve got a few acres in the boonies." Sitting down, Hank glanced over his shoulder into the backseat to be sure that the children were buckled in before he slammed the door and locked it. He positioned the AK standing muzzle between his knees, before the land rover began to move.

As they backed out of the driveway, Art chuckled, waved, and promised to keep an eye on Hanks house while Hank was away.

Hank, his wife and two children made it to their cabin in the country that they had prepared for this occasion. They followed maps with routes marked that had been thoroughly researched and plotted. At the cabin, Hank’s family had stored food, ammunition, weapons and virtually anything that would be needed. They survived the collapse unharmed.

Art and his family weathered the first days of the collapse waiting on the government to intervene. That never happened. One week after the collapse Art's sixteen-year-old daughter, after arguing with her parents that the family should leave the suburbs, left with a boy she knew from school. The two of them headed for the deep woods of a wildlife area. The boy armed with a semi automatic twenty-two rifle defended them and also fed them with the rifle. They also survived.

Two weeks after the collapse, Art was killed by a group of his neighbors who had spotted him leaving a looted out grocery store with a bag of dried beans that he had luckily found where they had been kicked under a shelve. Art still unaccustomed to the ways of the post collapse society had not even bothered to secret his treasure under his coat. Two of his neighbors watched as he approached and called him over. Art naively walked over to them, where they immediately grabbed the bag of beans. Art fought to keep his treasure. The two neighbor men pummeled him to death with their fists.

Arts wife and son remained at the house for another week. They never learned of what happened to Art. Late one night the door to their house being kicked in startled them. A roving gang took both the mother and son. The son was sold to a coffee farmer in Brazil as a slave for labor. The mother was later killed as she was to old to work or employ in prostitution.

[brake pedal]

In South Nashville, a 19-year-old college co-ed dumped the contents of the backpack she normally carried her books in. Quickly she began refilling it with a change of clothes and any food she had stored in her dorm room. She worked hurriedly as other students scrambled up and down the hallway outside her door. The panic had arrived at the college. Black students and some white students were already clashing on the grounds around the old historic buildings on campus.

Jeanna zipped up the pack and worked her arms into the shoulder straps, freeing her long spiral permed light brown hair as the pack settled into place. She checked her lean body to be sure she was ready. She wore a red fleece jersey jacket over her thin blouse. Below that she wore form fitting blue jeans and hiking boots. Everything seemed to be in order.

Jeanna stepped out into the madness of the rushing hallway, almost being knocked down before she could begin to move. "I hope I haven't waited too late." she thought as she ran for the stairs. Jeanna was fourteen floors up, but she knew better than to trust the elevators. Besides she was in terrific physical condition, the stairs would be no problem. She sprinted down them measuring safety against speed. At the ground floor she went out the fire exit door onto the grounds at the side of the building.

Taking the sidewalks to the main streets, Jeanna made her way south to escape the city. She had been raised in the country, by parents that held factory jobs. Which meant she had to work her way through college and depend on grants. That also meant she had no car as her money had to be spent on tuition and food. She would have to hike out of the city now.

The streets were crowded with cars and the sidewalks were packed with panicked people. Fights were breaking out here and there for no apparent reason. She endured the stares of several unkempt looking men. Several times men followed her for a block or two. There were evens shouts of "Hey baby come here" or "need a ride honey?" Jeanna acted as though she had not heard them, but inside she was embroiled in fear. Many times she wished she had the Ruger 10/22 rifle that her father had given her for her tenth birthday. But she had been forced by the university policy to leave it hanging on the wall in her room at home two hundred miles away.

After she'd traveled about five miles the crowds had thinned down to nearly nothing. Then suddenly a four-wheel drive Chevrolet truck jumped the curb onto the sidewalk in front of her. Stunned she jumped back against the wall of a building. She glanced around her for anyone that could help her. Suddenly there was no one on the street. She had been so focused on walking as quickly as possible she had not noticed that the streets were suddenly vacant.

A large man with long stringy black hair, wearing dirty worn out jeans and a stained gray tee shirt, jumped from the open door on the pick-up before Jeanna had time to react he had her pinned to the wall. "Where you going sugar?" the man drawled in an obviously uneducated manner.

Jeanna shouted, "Leave me alone!" and attempted to break free of the mans grip.

He held her tighter and said, "You ain't going no where sweetie, I'm a gonna have me some of you right here and now!" with that he grabbed her by her red jacket and jerked her down the sidewalk toward the open door to an auto body shop. Jeanna became conscious of the revolver tucked into the front of the man’s waistband, and the fact that she was about to be raped.

The man pulled her across the garage floor to a place behind a wrecked car. There he slammed her face against the door of the car pinning her there with his body weight. As she struggled, he removed her backpack and tossed it to the floor. Next he yanked the red jacket down off her arms and tossed it away. Her blouse and bra he simply ripped away.

By now Jeanna had stopped struggling, frozen in shock she simply watched as the man turned her around to face him. His hands worked at the snaps of her jeans and then yanked panties and all to her knees. The man hands seized her and took her to the cold concrete floor on her back. As he pulled the jeans and panties off her feet Jeanna screamed at her brain, "Wake up, do something! Fight!"

By now the man had lowered his own trousers and was getting to his knees between the helpless girls legs. Jeanna’s right hand, under the wrecked car, bumped into a cold metallic tool. She grasped it and guessed at its dimensions, long, very heavy, possibly a wrench. Just as he were getting into position, she suddenly brought the tool out, with all her might she swept it across the mans head, screaming as it struck him in the temple. A long line of blood appeared from a gash on his cheek as he toppled to the floor stunned but conscious. Jeanna scrambled to her feet and grasped the tool with both hands, screaming with the force, she brought it down on the back of the mans skull. The man collapsed and was still.


Thinking quickly Jeanna dressed again as fast as she could in the jeans and red jacket. The blouse and bra in shreds she left them. Grabbing up her backpack she saw the mans revolver lying on the trunk of the wrecked car, she grabbed that up also, sliding it into place in her waistband at the small of her back.

She took a last look at the unconscious man, naked and bleeding on the floor, before turning to leave. She refused to believe she’d killed him and fought the urge bred into most people of decency to help the fallen man. "It’s a different scheme to things now" she told herself. "If you help him he'll only attempt to rape you again." she reminded herself as she walked out of the building onto the sidewalk.

On the street she found the man’s truck still on the sidewalk, idling just as he had left it. There was still no one else in sight on the street. The door was open on the truck and she could see the pump riot gun on the seat, the muzzle pointed toward the floor. Next to the stock of the shotgun lay what Jeanna recognized from the news as a Tech-9, 9mm machine pistol. It had a magazine in place and three spares lying next to it. In the rack was some kind of a rifle. Jeanna sighed and whispered to herself, "An idiot redneck can roam the streets armed to the teeth but a frail college girl has to go unarmed. It isn't fair!" Jeanna pursed her lips together determinedly as she made the decision. She climbed up into the four by four and slammed the door. She backed onto the street and geared the old manual transmission into first, gunning the four-barreled carburetor, dual exhaust engine, she sped away.

Pointing the truck south bound she checked the status of the gauges. The gas hand read full, that relieved Jeanna. Then she scanned the truck bed through the rearview mirror. She grinned brightly as she took count of all the food, water and jugs of gasoline the man had looted and stolen. That food would be hers now, if she could keep it. Jeanna's hand clutched the Tech-9, bringing it closer to her. She checked the chamber and the magazine for rounds, beaming with satisfaction when she found the weapon fully loaded and ready. She tucked the weapon close to her thigh, she felt safe, comfortable.

Jeanna made it to the safety of the family home, only after several high speed chases by men on the highways. Shots had been exchanged and by the time Jeanna had made it home, she had killed at least three more men.


Gracie Altamont sat at her desk on the eighth floor of a downtown office building and continued to work at entering data into a computer terminal. She was the secretary of a regional manager at the insurance company where she worked. She had started in the secretarial pool fresh from business school. But she had worked hard and was noticed by a young junior executive at the time. When his secretary had suddenly quit, ran off with a boyfriend, the executive had offered her the position. That was seven years ago. The executive and Gracie worked well together as a team and he’d kept her with him as he climbed the corporate ladder. Always with each new promotion he received he’d asked that Gracie be moved with him and also to receive a step up in pay. Today she was earning a salary comparable to a junior executive. Truly John had been good to her, his being white and she black never seemed to make a difference.

Gracie worked as the panic in the building increased in tempo to match that on the streets below. She had watched all the news reports and so she knew what was happening and why. Her mind had been made up long ago that she had no reason to expect anything from the white man, only respect. And so far she had received that. Her daddy had taught her as a child that respect begets respect and honor was something to be earned, then once attained, cherished and nurtured.

Those that were running amuck in the street, Gracie believed were the something for nothing crowd. The growing faction within her race that demanded not just to be equal, but to be above whites, to force whites to pay for the suffering of their ancestors. Those types always dressed flamboyantly, standing out in their gold chains and baggie clothes. Gracie cringed every time she saw someone wearing their pants below the buttocks. It wasn't decent, in her opinion.

Of the people in the disturbance below Gracie identified most with the whites. Those people she knew were fighting to keep a constitutional right that was in the process of being removed, not just from the whites themselves, but from all Americans.

Gracie kept working until she noticed the building had become eerily quiet. She paused to listen at the noiseless building. The silence unnerved her. "Everyone must have left,” she concluded. "But surely it has not gotten that bad, surely the authorities had not let it get too far out of hand."

Walking to the window to peer out, she was suddenly shocked at what she saw. In the gloom of evening light she saw fires burning everywhere she looked, cars, buildings, even trash piled in the street. She even witnessed several gunfights in progress. At once she knew she had made a mistake by staying in the building. She sighed and whispered to her self, "Well now I’ll have to wait it out."

She walked around the room to try to think of anything she needed to do, finally she gathered her purse and coat close by and went back to work. "Just work until I get tired and sleep on the couch. Everything will be OK tomorrow." she decided.

Gracie worked until almost 10 PM before she decided to lie on the couch to try to sleep. She had nearly fallen asleep when the ding of the elevator arriving at the floor sounded out loudly in the silence. Gracie came wide-awake as fear griped her.

From the hallway outside her office she heard two males voices. "Hey Jim, over here!" then footsteps on the soft carpet shuffling, coming closer in the quiet. Gracie moved as quickly and quietly as she could across the office to John's desk. There she tucked her slim figure into the recesses of the leg area sitting up, her back against the back of the desk front. She folded her legs in front of her and listened for any sound of the men. Sweat broke out on her forehead as she breathed rapidly from fear.

"In her Sam, this looks like a good place!" she heard one say. Then as the footsteps came closer, she realized they were in the room with her. She heard the men walk to the window but she could not see them as they were just around the corner from the desk.

"Oh yeah Jim, This'll be great!" she heard another voice proclaim.

The next sound she heard was the sound of glass breaking as one of the men used a chair to smash the glass from the window. The window formed the outside wall of the office, going from floor to ceiling. When he’d finished clearing all the glass from the pane he allowed the chair to tumble to the street below. Afterward there were more shuffling sounds as the men worked themselves into position on the floor. "Yeah ain't this great Sam, I tol'ya this'd be fun. Look at all of'em down there!"

Gracie realized now these men were a third faction to the melee below. That these men were not here to protest they were here simply to kill black people. She recognized the speech patterns as that of uneducated white men. Suddenly Gracies’ heart skipped a beat as she heard the slinking sound of a rifle bolt and the suppressed giggles of the men.

Suddenly there came a jarring 'Whoom!' as the rifle fired. The men’s giggles suddenly turned to howls of laughter. "Did you see that Sam I knocked him on his ass! That scope sure does bring em right up to ya." Then there was more laughter. But when it became quiet again, Gracie braced herself for another loud boom from the rifle.

When it came there was more laughter and talking, "Damn that 30-06 got some kinda power, how many you got for it" the other man replied, "'bout a hundred and fifteen. I bought five boxes last fall for me’n the boy to go deer hunting with and then I broke my leg and couldn't go. Plus I had part of a box from the year before."

Gracie knew she had to do something to stop them. She didn't think her nerves could handle that many more shots. By the fifth round she had made a plan. It wasn't the best but she felt it was all she had. On the sixth shot she slipped from under the desk. The noise masked by the reverberation of the rifle and the sick laughter. On the seventh shot she bounded to the copying machine that sat on a wheeled cart. The machine was large and very heavy, she knew, as she had had to push it around the office last week when the idiot in maintenance had returned it to the wrong office. On the eighth shot she slipped the plug in from the wall.

She waited for the laughing to subside before she gripped the cart with both hands and shoved with all her mite, aiming the cart for the two prone men. She screamed wildly as the cart picked up speed. The startled men leapt from the floor just in time for the cart to strike them at the waist. The momentum of the heavy cart knocking them back toward the emptiness of the broken window. The men desperately grabbed onto the cart in an effort to regain their balance. Gracie screaming loudly kept shoving the cart. The men screamed back across the copying machine at her.

The men’s screams changed in tone as they felt the floor disappear from under their boots. Their hands grasped desperately onto the cart as if it could save them. When Gracie felt the carts first set of wheels drop off the edge, she let go of the cart and tumbled to the floor to break her own momentum. As she sat she watched the cart disappear below the window seal and outside she could hear the men’s scream fading. It was several seconds before Gracie heard the cart and its riders crash to the sidewalk below.


Bob rolled off of her onto his back when he’d finished. Jill lay for a few minutes to catch her breath, feeling the semen oozing down the side of her hips. Grateful it wasn’t inside her, glad that she had found enough of her senses to tell him to pull out. She was on the pill. She just didn’t want his semen inside her.

Jill rolled onto her side, easing her aching groin muscles. She began to ponder why she had allowed this. Soon she heard Bob snoring lightly. “How can he sleep with all this stuff happening?” She wondered.

She asked herself again, why? Trying to reason it out, it didn’t make sense. After a long while she finally decided that she had truly done this to keep him from leaving her, she had felt she needed him to protect her. Then she vowed “ I’m not going to do that again for protection. I have always been independent. I will not screw someone for protection.” Then she began to formulate a plan.

After ten minutes of heavy thought Jill had decided her first step would be to get away from Bob. Find a way to get home, and then she would plan her strategy for the future from there.

Cautious, careful not to wake the sleeping Bob, Jill got to her knees, straightened out her skirt. Looking around the shack, careful to avoid looking at Bob, she found her purse. Then she spotted the K-Bar knife where Bob had laid it. She took it into her hand like a thing of magic. She considered taking his gun also but elected not to, as she had no idea how to use it. In the corner she spotted a dirty old backpack. The kind a child would carry books to school. She took the backpack. She knew she would need it to carry items that she found along the way.

Jill, items in hand crawled toward the door of the shack. Temptation finally got the better of her. When she turned back toward Bob, she almost gasped when she saw his penis. The thing lie across his hip like a sleeping snake still coated in their dried fluids. Suddenly she felt contempt for him, the brutal thrusting she had endured. She crawled on out the door, while she could still control her anger. Putting it behind her.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 2


Outside Jill stood listening letting her eyes adjust to the surrounding darkness. She could hear voices and in the distance the sound of sirens. There was also a helicopter circling, possibly over downtown. But she could sense no one in her immediate area. Below the river still quietly flowed down its course. The light tumbling on the ripples made it seem brighter, on this moonless night.

Jill crept away down the rocks on her bare feet. Halfway down she angled back to the right to enter the underbrush that grew along the bank. The muggy air, heavy in her lungs seemed tinged with smoke as she began to breath more heavily, once inside the underbrush Jill moved slower, being very careful of any noise. She stepped over anything that would snap or crackle, never moving a tree limb unless she absolutely had to, to eliminate any signs of movement.

Once Jill felt she had passed far enough into the underbrush that no one would find her, especially Bob if he should awaken and notice her gone. She sat down on a rock taking stock of what she had. After going through her purse she found she really didn’t have anything in there she could use. Excess weight she thought. She removed her wallet that held her I.D., money and credit cards, placing it in the backpack.

Next she picked up the knife. Pulling it from its sheath, she held it in her right hand. Rolling it in her palm. Gripping it from different angles. She was amazed at how it felt in her hand. Even though it was heavy she maneuvered it with ease. She took a moment to grip the handle and study the sturdy blade. It seemed fearsome. She pitied anyone unfortunate enough to have been stabbed by one of these. Then a dark coldness fell over her mind. “I will use this. I will stab or cut anyone that tries to hurt me,” she thought. Jill almost relished the primal anger in her thoughts.

Jill re-sheathed the knife and dropped it into the backpack. Then she realized she couldn’t get to it quickly if she needed it. She picked it back up studying the sheath; it was made to go on a belt. But she had no belt. She began to think of a solution. Finally she removed the knife from the sheath and used it to cut six inch strip of fabric from the bottom of her skirt. Jill was amazed at the sharpness and ease with which the heavy knife cut.

Jill folded the six-inch strip long ways several times, ending up with a narrow strip of fabric. She slid the fabric through the belt loop on the sheath. Pulling the strip around her waist, she tied it tightly in a square knot. Then she positioned the knife to hang at her right hip. Jill drew the knife as she would in haste to be sure it would work, the blade came up upside down. She thought it over. Then turning the knife in her palm she re-sheathed the blade. She drew it again. This time the blade came up with the sharp side down. Satisfied she re-sheathed it, pulled the backpack into place on her shoulders, and began to move down the river. The knife flopping against her thigh seemed to give her confidence. Oddly she thought, she found herself wishing it were a gun.

After walking what she thought was several blocks in the dense brush, she decided she needed to stop for a strategy session. She knelt on one knee, looking across the river. She could still see small fires here and there. “Odd.” she thought, “Those fires are too small and too far away to put this much smoke in the air.”

Jill looked up the embankment, and then decided to have a look at the downtown area. She crawled up on her hands and knees slowly until she could peer over the crest. Immediately she was awestruck, she stared blankly at what she saw. Nearly every building had some amount of fire showing. Where the state capitol dome had once been, now there was only an evil orange glow. There were mobs of people running about wildly several blocks up the hill. But there didn’t seem to be anyone near the riverfront. Which relieved Jill somewhat.

Jill looked up and down the street that ran along the river. She could not see anyone. Then she glimpsed a shoe, a portion of a tennis shoe protruded from under a piece of cardboard leaned up against a wall next to a dumpster. The sight of the destruction paled as she studied the shoe. She needed shoes. It looked like it would fit her. “But where’s the mate?” she thought.

Finally Jill decided she would try to find the mate and get the shoes. She glanced up and down the street to be sure no one was around, when she didn’t see anyone she leapt from the bushes and run across the street to the dumpster, Pausing she squatted, leaned back against the dumpster.

Peering up and down the street again Jill felt like a thief. She crept around the Dumpster toward the shoe. Just as she was about to reach for it, it disappeared, pulled back under the cardboard. Jill drew the knife on instinct. The cardboard seemed to tremble, and she heard a soft whimper from underneath. Using her left hand she pulled the cardboard back to discover a crying girl in the fetal position, on the pavement against the wall.

The girl had long blonde hair and seemed to be in her teens. She was dressed in blue jeans and a heavy blue Tee shirt. Jill crouched down beside the girl, putting the knife away, as the girl didn’t appear to be a threat. “Its O.K.” Jill said soothingly, “I’m Jill. Are you hurt?”

The girls’ blue eyes seemed to study Jill for a few moments, before the girl shook her head, “No”

Jill then held out a hand to the girl and said, “Come with me, I’ll help you but we can’t stay here its not safe.”

The girl looked Jill over again and began to slowly rise. Taking Jill’s hand seemed to give the girl more confidence. Jill looked up and down the street nervously and said, “stay low and run with me across the street over the sidewalk, and down into the trees.” then added soothingly, “don’t be scared”

The girl only nodded, not saying anything.

Jill turned and began to run across the street pulling the girl along by the hand. They jumped the curb, crossed the sidewalk and grass. Then slid down the embankment, down into the under brush. Once they were well down into the tree’s Jill stopped. Kneeling down she pulled the girl down with her. She waited and listened to see if anyone had followed them. Satisfied they were alone Jill turned to the girl saying, “ O.K. we’re safe what’s your name?”

The girl hesitantly replied in distinct Alabama drawl, “Missy Stevens”.

Jill smiled reassuringly saying, “Hey, its O.K. Missy. Do you live in Nashville?”

“ No ma’am.” the polite girl responded, “I live in Montgomery Alabama.”

Jill puzzled asked, “Where are your parents, were you here with them?”

Missy feeling more relaxed replied, “ They are in Montgomery, and I’m here on a school trip, to the museum and the Ryman auditorium. The people flooded the streets. I got lost and just ran, I was so scared”

Jill hugged the girl to her to console her. After a minute Jill asked seriously, “Did anyone hurt you? Then gulped hard and asked “Rape you?”

Missy shook her head and said, “No I hid from them”

Jill smiled and asked, “OK I’m glad. How old are you?”

Missy replied, “Sixteen, and I’m a junior in high school.”

Jill smiled again and said, “OK, don’t be scared I’ll take you home with me.”

Missy smiled for the first time and said “OK that sounds great.”

Jill frowned and looked at the river and said, “Only problem is we have to cross that and then go through all that on the other side.”

Missy seemed to frown and then appeared to be thinking. After a moment she said “Can’t we swim across it. I was on the swim team at school.”

Jill looked at her, she seemed in perfect shape, lean but well developed. Her hips shapely and her breasts were rather large for her size Jill guessed a full B cup maybe a C. Then Jill considered Missy’s clothes. Silently Jill wished she were dressed as ruggedly as Missy was. Now in rags, Jill’s clothing barely covered her. Both breasts were now visible through tears in the blouse. The skirt she knew hung in shreds. But at least it was something she thought.

They both sat watching the river. Trying to decide how to get across. Jill had already decided its width made swimming almost impossible. They would need something to support them. Looking around her, she spotted a big log on the shore. Up out of the water, it would be baked dry by the sun. “If,” she thought “We could get it into the water, we could hold to it and swim, guiding it a we go.”

Jill considered the clothing again. It would bind them, Give them weight and drag in the water. She was about to scratch the idea, but finally decided it’s the only way. “If we are ever going to get across, that’s it. I’m tired of sitting here on this side.” Jill thought.

Jill shucked out of the backpack, then turned to Missy, “I have a plan, you won’t like it but its got to be. O.K.?” Jill told her.

Missy said, “O.K. whatever it takes.”

Jill smiled and asked, “In the mood for a little skinny dipping?”

Missy looked puzzled asking Jill, “I thought you said it was too far?”

Jill smiled slyly, replied, “It is, for us to swim all the way at one time. But that big log down there will help us, allowing us to rest if we need to. One of us swims behind it pushing it, the other swims in front to guide it.” Jill explained.

“O.K.” Missy said suspiciously. Then asked “What about the skinny part, will we be naked?”

Jill explained, “Those clothes you have on will weigh a ton when they get wet. Plus they will drag in the water.” Jill paused to let that sink in, and then added, “O.K. When you swim you’ll have to fight against the heavy, water soaked clothes that will be clinging to your body, it will tire you out quickly. If we swim without them, we loose all that, even the drag as bare skin will glide through the water easily.” When Jill had finished speaking she watched Missy for her reaction. Missy still looked unsure.

Finally Missy asked, “It makes sense but how do we get the clothes across to the other side?”

Jill picked up the backpack saying; “We put them in this and strap it to the log.”

Missy smiled and said, “I’m game.”

Jill got the impression Missy had agreed too easily, she asked, “You agreed awfully quickly, I figured you would balk on the naked part.”

Missy smiled and drawled, “ I ain’t exactly a saint I have skinny dipped before.”

Jill said, “Well come on then lets get going!”

[brake pedal]

They walked down to the edge of the water, to the log. The log seemed huge. Jill walked around it looking it over. She realized it was only perched there upon the rocks. Jill believed just a stiff push would cause it to roll into the water. She looked around her seeing that they were in the open where they stood, that made Jill very uncomfortable.

Missy followed Jill’s lead pushing, against the log. It was heavier than Jill had thought. But after rocking it several times, momentum carried the log on over into the river. It floated perfectly like a pontoon. Jill looked at Missy smiling and commanded, “OK Strip and make it quick we need to get going! Someone could have heard the splash.” They both worked feverishly getting out of their clothes. Jill again started to stuff the knife into the pack but decided against it. She instead tied the belt around her bare hips, and then repositioned the knife back in place at her right side. Without looking around they waded into the water, ignoring the temperature difference they hurriedly pushed the log out into the deeper waters.

Once they got to the deeper waters they clung to the log. Jill swam behind the log, pushing the log. Missy swam against the log on the down riverside, pushing the log against the river current. It was pitch dark near the middle. Jill used the lights and fires on the other side to orient herself.

Near the middle they rested allowing the log to drift with the current. It was a much-needed break, as they were both exhausted. Clinging to the log, they laughed and talked, quietly while they rested. Jill said, “ I figured you would have your panties on at least.”

Missy said giggling, “I put them in the backpack. I saw you weren’t wearing yours so I took mine off too.”

Jill smiled, replied, “Well I would have worn them but I sort of lost them.”

Missy laughed.

Jill said, “It’s a long story, don’t ask.”

Missy giggled and said, “Oh, you’ll tell me. I’m the nosiest person you’ll ever meet.”

Jill laughed she was glad that Missy seemed to be revived. Jill found she liked the girl, the bubbling personality, and the openness. “Lets get going so we can get home and take a shower.” Jill said.

They assumed their positions. Jill paddling, Missy guiding.

Once they were past the swiftness of the middle current they began to make good time. At about a quarter of the way to shore. Jill began to get a funny feeling a sense something wasn’t right. She looked over and around the log at the lights and fire. Her eyes followed them down the river. Then back up. There she noticed it. The lights stopped, almost like something was blocking them out between them and her. Jill yelled to Missy, “Hold up. Quiet!” Missy heeded the order they sat quietly clinging to the log.

Listening intently, finally Jill heard it. The sound wasn’t very audible, just slight disturbances of the water coming from up the river. Whatever it was, it was close. She watched over the log as more of the lights were blocked out. Now the stars were being blocked out. Jill was near panic. She didn’t know what could be happening. She would swim, but didn’t know which way to go. Suddenly it appeared before them out of the darkness, a great flat rusty wall, moving rapidly down river.

By now it was too late to dodge it. Propelled by the deeper currents the barge moved swiftly. Jill yelled to Missy at the other end of the log, “Swim for it. Go around it”

It hit the log just as the words left Jill’s mouth. Abruptly they were propelled to the speed of the barge. The water splashing over the log from behind them generated by the speed of the barge. The force of the rushing water pinned them against the log. Jill found she was able to push against the front of the barge with her feet. By doing so, she was able to push enough to release her momentarily from the force of the on coming water. Still the pressure at her back and the splashing of water over her made it almost impossible to breathe. Gasping she yelled to Missy “ Push with your feet.” Missy heard her through the water splash. Kicking against the front of the barge they moved to the end of the log little by little, gasping for each precious breath.

At the end of the log they were pressed against the front of the barge. Now they could use their hands and knees against the pressure of the water to crawl sideways to the edge of the barge. Jill flung herself around, immediately the pressure of the water was released but now her body bounced and banged off of the side of the passing barge. Again she used her feet to wedge against the moving barge to propel her body out, away from the rough walls.

Jill bobbed in the water, her legs working treading water. She could feel her knees and elbows were skinned, felt generally beaten up. But now she was worried about Missy, Did she make it? Was she alive?
The long barge seemed to take forever to pass by her. There was no tug behind it Jill assumed the rioters had cut it free somewhere up river. It was a runaway.

Finally the end of the barge passed her, she saw a ladder leading up, She thought about ridding the barge down river but realized it was moving to fast for her to swim up to it. Besides she couldn’t, not yet, not until she found Missy.

As soon as the end passed her, Jill began swimming across behind the stern. Once on the other side she stopped to tread water, looking for the blonde head to bob above the water. It was still nearly pitch black. She couldn’t see far at all, She called for Missy again and again. Then listened intently but hearing nothing in return. It occurred to Jill, if they had cut one barge loose they could have cut more of them loose. She turned to look up river. It was no use she couldn’t see one unless it was right upon her. She knew she didn’t have the strength left to fight another one. She called once again, before she started swimming to shore.

This time the call was returned “Jill!” It was Missy but the voice came from near the shore. “Jill over here”, Missy yelled. Jill swam as fast as she could for the shore, when she got closer she began to look for Missy, but couldn’t spot her. Finally, when she called again Missy raised her hand out of the water. Jill was relieved to see her. She swam up to Missy saying, “Girl I was worried sick”.

Missy explained “After I got loose from the barge I treaded water for a minute then realized that bank was on my side so I swam over here to wait for you to bring the clothes”

Jill’s heart sank as she suddenly realized they were naked, and both of them in the furor of the fight had forgotten to grab the clothes.

Jill thought, then told Missy “I didn’t get them either.” Then she said, “It really doesn’t matter. We could have drowned trying to get them free of the log. Besides if a policeman sees us he’ll arrest us and take us to a warm jail cell. If the rioters catch us it won’t matter if we have clothes on or not. They’ll just shoot us or stab us through the clothes if we had them and if we had them they’d rip them off us to rape us. So I say not to worry about it, even with clothes we were going to do our best not to be seen.

“OK” Missy nervously said, “I guess that makes sense”

Jill trying to ease the girls nervousness joked “It would to you you’re a blonde.”

Missy laughed and splashed Jill with water then said, “ Sure, but you are a brunette and this was all your idea.”

Jill laughed saying, “Well we’re here aren’t we? Now lets get going we have to get home before daylight or we’ll get our tits sunburned.” Suddenly Jill seemed startled her hand went to her waist feeling there frantically. Breathing a sigh of relief, Jill said, “Its still there.”

Missy laughed at her, “Thought you lost something?” she asked

Jill smiled, “Yes, the knife I still got it!” she exclaimed joyfully. Then said, “Lets go.”

They waded to the shore, and then stood on the bank looking at each other self-consciously. Missy said, smiling, “This is going to feel weird.”

Jill said “Don’t worry we’ll stay in the bushes along the river.” Then pointing down the river said, “see that bridge, that’s the interstate I live just across the boundary fence, about six miles that way. We just stay in the bushes along the interstate. When we get to a bridge we’ll sprint across it as quick as we can, then get back in the bushes on the other side. When we get to my house we climb the fence an walk up to my back door.” Jill explained.

Missy agreed saying, “Sounds simple enough.”

Still feeling awkward they climbed up the bank into the bushes, and made their way along the riverbank. Along the way Jill found a four-foot metal pole that she picked up to use as another weapon and a walking stick.

Being without clothes made the journey a bit rougher, as they had no protection from the briars and sharp twigs. Crossing the fence onto the interstate was tedious also. Bare wire on bare feet, and then at the top having to straddle the fence. The sharp barbed wire so close to such a sensitive body part was nerve wracking.

Along the way, they had no trouble from people. Only a stray dog that Jill quickly dispatched with the pipe. They trudged through swampy areas. Mud clung to them up to their knees.

At the bridges they studied their surroundings carefully, to determine if anyone were near before sprinting across at a dead run.

It almost seemed deserted on this side of the river. Jill surmised that some of the people had gone downtown, while all others had fled, away from the city. Amazingly the interstate was clear, anyone leaving had already left. The riots had not touched the interstate. It seemed deserted, almost eerie to Jill.

At last they stood battered, muddy, sweaty, dirt clinging to their bodies, in the little patch of brush behind Jill’s house. Over the boundary fence in front of them they could see the back of the house.

Jill sat down to rest before crossing the fence for the last time. Looking at the house, the street lamps were still on, on the street that ran in front of the house. The house looked untouched. She guessed it was about three AM. After a moment she declared, “When I get in there I don’t know what I’m going to do first, eat, mix myself a drink, or take a long hot shower.” Then she sighed loudly.

Missy, who seemed to be in worse shape than Jill sat down and said, “I’ll do whatever you do.”

Jill laughed and said, “All but the shower.”

Missy sighed and said, “ Why not? I‘ve seen you naked before.” Attempting to lighten the mood.

Jill said, “ I don’t mind if you don’t, we’ll get it over with quicker that way. Then we can get in the bed.”

Missy mused, “Think that’s wise?”

Jill said jokingly, “Oh yeah, sleeping with a sixteen year old, I forgot.”

Missy looked at Jill strangely and said, “ No that’s not what I mean. I mean shouldn’t one of us be awake in case the rioters come here?”

Jill wondered about the strange look, but said “Oh no, we are both beat. We need some sleep. And you will have a bed of your own ya know.” Then Jill trudged up to the fence, grasping the barbed wire, climbing over. On the other side, she helped Missy over. Once they were both on the ground, they made one last sprint to the back porch, jumping the steps to stop in front of the door.

Jill stood stark still looking at the door. Missy looked at her and said, “Let me guess, no keys right?”

Jill without looking at Missy said sarcastically, “Nah, I’m just trying to remember which pocket they’re in.”

Missy observed, “With that deadbolt its gonna be tough.”

Jill said, “It’s not locked, only the knob”

Missy rolled her eyes and said. “Let me have the knife.”

Jill handed the knife to Missy. Then asked, “ What are you going to do?”

Missy said, “ Just watch.” She stepped to the door, inserting the tip of the knife blade between the woodwork and the jam. Once the knife was seated, Missy gave it a thump with her palm on the butt of the handle, pushed the door, the door swung open.

Jill amazed asked, “Where did you learn that?”

Missy replied, “On Cop’s”

Jill walked inside. Missy followed.

[brake pedal]

CHAPTER 3

Jill felt tremendous relief to be back inside her home. The feeling of safety and security she usually took for granted washed over her. Breathing a sigh of joyous relief, she turned to Missy and asked, “Feels good don’t it?”

Missy shrugged and replied, “It’ll feel better after a good hot shower.”

Jill could see her point. She led Missy through the kitchen into the spacious living room and then to the stairs. At the top of the stairs, Jill pointed to a door at the left, saying, “That’s where your room is.” Then pointing to the right, Jill said, “That’s my room.” Then walking straight ahead the said, “ The bathroom is in here.”

Missy nodded in return, following Jill into the bathroom. Jill untied the make shift belt and laid the K-Bar on the counter top. Then both ladies stepped wearily into the tub. Missy Drew the shower curtain while Jill adjusted the water temperature and pulled the knob to start the shower.

They took turns under the showerhead, alternately wetting down, then soaping up while the other rinsed off. The tub was cramped, as it wasn’t built for two. Elbows bumped into one another, bodies sliding together as they changed from under the showerhead. Steam filled the little bathroom, the water in the tub often running dark brown. The tub floor felt gritty under their feet. In the end, they shampooed their hair before stepping out onto the tile floor.

They had started the shower quietly. Being too weary to talk. But now that the hot water had renewed them they chatted. Jill told Missy they would try to call her parents tomorrow to let them know she is safe. Missy doubting said, “ I don’t know if the phone will work and besides, Montgomery Alabama might be in worse shape than here.”

Jill now hopeful said, “Look we just had a bad experience, OK? It’s probably not that bad and even if it were. The government will bring in the National Guard to take care of it. By tomorrow or the next day this will be old news.”

Missy frowned, disbelieving, and then she said. “I hope so”

Finally, after they felt clean and the hot water started to chill, they stepped out, drying off on Jill’s big fluffy towels. Jill out of habit lay her towel on the hamper and padded out across the tile floor, nude. Missy thought it odd that Jill hadn’t wrapped in the towel like she had always done at home. But she followed Jill’s cue dropping her towel on the hamper, Following Jill out.

Jill led her to another room around the stairway. “This was a bedroom but I converted it to a den. I like the idea of sitting up here rather then downstairs. This is where I come to relax. The living room is barely used. Just for special occasions!” she explained.

Missy nodded and replied, “Cool”

Next Jill led Missy down to the kitchen. Where she opened the freezer and began naming off different microwave dinners. After selecting one for each of them, Jill put them in the microwave, setting the timer. Next, she pulled two diet drinks from the refrigerator, handing one to Missy. Jill opened her drink then sat down at the dinning room table.

Missy, feeling a little self-consciousness sat down with her drink also, noticing the coldness of her chair on her bare bottom. Finally, Missy worked up her nerve to ask, “Jill I know we ran around naked most of the night, you seem like this is like natural?”

Jill seemed a bit embarrassed and said “Well I rarely wear clothes around the house, I feel more relaxed that way and since we’ve already seen so much of each other,” Jill grinned “I figured you wouldn’t mind. But if you would feel more comfortable, I’ll go get you something to wear, you’re a little heavier built then me but I think I could find something, and well” she added “I really don’t have anything casual.”

Missy thought about it, then said, “No, I’ll get used to it I guess.”

Jill smiled and said, “OK but I’ll get you out something to wear tomorrow. When we wake up the stores will open, we’ll go buy you a little wardrobe, after we call your parents.”

Missy wasn’t sure about the stores being open or calling her parents but replied, “OK.”

The microwave finished with a ding, Jill set the trays on the table. They ate quickly, hungrily devouring their food. When they had finished Jill led Missy upstairs to the den. Jill dismissed the idea of TV. She just wanted a stiff drink before she went to bed. Walking over to the bar she relished the feel of the plush softness of the carpet under her bare feet.

Without thinking Jill pulled two glasses from the shelf, setting them on the counter. Then poured two inches of Seagram’s seven into each, she added ice and filled the remainder with Coke from the fridge. Missy smiled widely at her, as she mixed the drinks.

Jill picked up the drinks. Then noticed Missy standing there smiling and then realized her mistake. She remembered Missy was sixteen years old. Jill stammered, “Uh, I don’t know what I was thinking, I can get you a Coke.”

Missy smiled, walked over to Jill, said, “That’s alright I’ll take one of these.”

Jill didn’t know what to do, asked “Have you ever drank before?”

Missy replied, “Not really, I’ve snuck a few beers. But this is alright I won’t say nothing.” Then she took the glass from Jill’s hand.

Jill thought about it a minute then decided, “Why not?” They walked over to sit by the coffee table on the soft carpet. Sitting cross-legged, facing each other on the same side of the table, sipping their drinks. They talked quietly with each other. When Missy’s glass held only about half, Jill could sense Missy was rapidly becoming drunk. Her speech began to slur and she giggled a lot. But mostly, her inhibitions faded and she opened up to Jill.

Missy told Jill she thought Jill was cool, living alone on her own. Missy even admitted that she now liked going without clothing in the house, “It took a little getting used to, but I kind of like it. ” Missy said, smiling slyly. Then Missy asked, “Jill can I ask you something personal?”

Jill replied, “Sure.”

Missy seemed timid now when she asked, “Are you a lesbian?”

Jill laughed, it was an odd question, but replied, “No I’m not, Missy why do you ask?”

“Oh I just wondered, you living alone, as old as you are.” Missy replied. Then said,” I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Jill said then asked, “Are you sexually active?” Thinking she sounded foolish, wording it that way.

Missy giggled and asked, “You mean am I a virgin? Well no” Missy admitted, “I have been with six guys. ” The she asked “How about you?”

Jill smiled shyly and replied, “I’ve had five.”

Missy seemed to look at her strangely, then asked, “Only five?’

Jill told Missy she had concentrated on her school and her career. Then about some of the men she had been with, ending by telling about the experience at the shack earlier.

Missy giggled and asked, “Aren’t you on the pill? Why didn‘t you let him *** in you?”

Jill admitted she had never had a man ejaculate inside her, and didn’t want him to be the first.

Next, Missy asked, “I have seen other girls that shave themselves, do you like it that way?”

Jill replied, “Yeah, I do. It feels better to me, cleaner.”

Missy ran her fingers through her blonde curls. Slurring heavily now said, “I might shave mine too then.”

Jill replied there’s cream and a razor in the medicine cabinet.”

Missy drained the glass. Jill thought she looked woozy. Her eyes were mere slits, she began to wobble sitting on the floor. Jill asked, “Are you ok?”

Missy’s reply was a string of unintelligibly slurred words. Jill moved closer to her, just as Missy began to lean over. Jill caught her in her arms, picking her up with Missy’s arm around her shoulders. Missy was heavy, but Jill managed to get her into her room and into bed.

Jill lay her onto her back on the bed. She stood beside the bed looking down at Missy stretched out there. Jill felt she had met someone very special in Missy. Jill loved her personality they got along, and worked together so well. Missy was like a sister or a new best friend in high school. Sighing, Jill covered her up, turned out the light and went to her own bed.

As Jill lie on her bed, she cold tell by the light around the blinds that the sun was coming up. She stared up at the ceiling wondering, “ Will it be over when I wake up? Just a bad memory?” As she got sleepier she wondered, “What if it isn‘t?” Then she remembered the knife and the promise she made to learn more about self-defense, to be a stronger person, get more rugged clothes for herself, to not be so reserved. She drifted of to sleep with those things floating in her mind.

Jill awoke a little past noon. She lie on her bed listening, something didn’t seem right. Then it dawned on her it was oddly quiet, no cars on the interstate. “Surely its over.” She thought. Quickly, she got up, went to the window. Pulling the blinds aside looking out, she saw a barren interstate, no cars, and no cars on any street that she could see, none that were moving anyway.

Jill hurried to the den. She peeped out of the window there. The same emptiness greeted her there. No cars, no people, nothing moved, silence. It was as if she were alone in the world. Jill began to feel fear, and then shook it off. Feeling silly, she said to no one, “Well it’ll take time to get back to normal.” Deciding then to go make breakfast.

As Jill started cooking she heard Missy’s footsteps upstairs padding into the bathroom, after a moment the commode flushing, then the shower running. Jill smiled, thinking how good it felt to have someone in the house. She realized now how lonely she had been.

Jill was placing the last plate on the table as Missy came walking into the kitchen. Her eyes were red and puffy. Jill thought she looked pale. Jill grinned to herself, she asked, “Rough night?”

Missy only smiled at her. Jill also noticed Missy’s curly blonde pubic hair was missing. She was smooth and bare like Jill now. Jill said, “ I figured we could eat, and then we could try to call your parents.”

Missy looked at her and said, “I don’t think we’ll be able to get through. Have you looked outside?”

Jill said, “we’ll get through, it’ll just take time for things to get back to normal.”

“ Jill, I looked out the window, I can see downtown from my window. It’s a disaster. Fires are still burning. I think a building or two are completely gone.” Missy informed her.

Jill stopped eating, unbelieving she asked, “ The fires are still burning?”

Missy nodded.

Jill told Missy. “ Well let’s eat, I’ll go look after we eat.”

After breakfast, Jill and Missy went to Missy’s bedroom. Jill peeked out between the blinds. What Missy had said had been true. It did look like there were two or three of the buildings missing, plus the capitol building. Some of the others looked like burned out shells. Significantly more damage than Jill could have imagined.

Jill, suddenly remembering, ran to the closet in Missy’s room. She stored all her unused items there. Digging through the boxes, Jill found the pair of binoculars she had purchased for a trip to the Rocky Mountains. She ran back to the window, throwing modesty aside, she raised the blinds. Jill peered for several minutes, panning the entire area with the binoculars. It still looked like a war zone downtown. She found herself wondering if Bob had made it out.

Jill ran to every window using the binoculars to scan the entire area around the house. It all looked like a ghost town. The only notable site she had seen was the confederate flag flying from the radio tower. Strangely, she took comfort in that. At least one thing remained of the old Nashville. Setting the binoculars on the windowsill, she told Missy, “Let’s try your parents.”

In the den Jill picked up the telephone handset placing it to her ear. She heard only a dead silence. She clicked the receiver button several times. Still, all she heard was silence. She looked at Missy who asked, “Dead huh?”

“Yeah I guess so.” was all Jill could say. Hanging up the handset, she went to the TV. Clicking it on, the screen popped on to reveal only snowy static. Jill tried every channel, nothing. She clicked the set off. Turning to Missy who wore a smile that said, “I told you so.” Jill went to a chair and sat down.

Missy walked over to stand beside her. “ I bet they got the building that houses all the equipment.” Missy guessed.

Jill still only sat in deep thought. Missy asked, “what about the radio?”

“I forgot about the radio!” Jill exclaimed. Suddenly reminded. She hurried to the stereo system. Clicking it on, the dial preset to her favorite station. The speakers came alive with a clear voice. “All residents are urged to stay in their homes. Law enforcement officials are working to solve the problem. Martial law has been declared nation wide effective immediately.” Jill and Missy sat on the soft carpet, listening intently to the voice. “This includes restrictions on travel and all purchases of alcohol, ammunition, firearms and gasoline. In addition anyone found on the street will be arrested immediately. Commercial businesses are ordered closed for as long as the emergency is in effect.” The speakers went silent. Then continuing, “ This is the Emergency Broadcast System.” The message began to repeat itself.

Jill tried every station, spinning the dial. She switched to AM, spinning that dial also. She found the same exact message, the same exact voice, on every station that broke static.

Jill stood and walked over to flop down in a chair. Her mind stunned, she remained in deep thought for several hours. Missy would come in to talk to her occasionally. Jill either ignored her, or asked her to leave her alone for a while. Missy began to get worried about her, thinking it was more than Jill’s mind could take. Finally about four o’clock Jill began to move about. Missy hugged her when she came into the kitchen where Missy was cooking supper. Missy asked her softly, “Are you OK now.”

Jill replied, “I’m sorry that I spazzed out on you. It just got to me I‘m alright now.”

Missy held her tightly for a few more seconds making sure she was indeed OK. Jill had to admit the hug was helping her to feel better. Missy walked her over to the table, where they sat down to more of the frozen entrees. Missy commented, “As long as the freezer keeps working we’ll be able to eat. You got it full of these things.”

Jill replied, “Yeah I stocked up a little, I caught them on sale.” Just then they heard the racing of car engines coming from up the interstate. Jill and Missy leaped from the table and ran up to Missy’s room. The sounds were coming closer, from up the interstate, in the direction of down town. From Missy’s window they could see three cars coming toward them at a high rate of speed. It appeared to be some kind of a chase. Jill knew the vehicles would likely run past the house, on the interstate. She ran to the den, grabbing the binoculars on the way to her room. Missy was already at the window with the blinds up watching.

At the window Jill watched the cars approaching. Two of the cars, an Olds and a Lincoln were chasing a small station wagon. Before the cars got to Jill’s house, the Lincoln came around the station wagon. The Olds then moved up along side the station wagon, blocking it in the right lane. The Lincoln then began applying its brakes, forcing the little wagon to stop, just over the fence from Jill’s house.

Jill jerked Missy back from the window allowing the blinds to drop slowly. Jill whispered, “We don’t want them to see us.” Dropping to their knees, Missy and Jill peered out under the blinds. Raising the blinds up from the windowsill only enough to see out underneath.

Outside on the interstate two large black men came from each of the two chase cars. They carried guns in their hands. Three of the men went to the little station wagon, while one stood at the trunk of the Lincoln. Jill assumed the man at the Lincoln was the leader.

At the little station wagon, one of the men yanked the door open. Another, reaching inside pulled out a young woman about Jill’s age. The woman was white, slender, had blond hair, and wore a light blue top with blue jeans. The woman screamed at the men. The men held her arms behind her back as they walked her over to stand in front of the leader. Jill and Missy couldn’t understand what they were saying. Suddenly one of the men stepped closer and slapped the woman so hard she nearly fell.

The woman regained her balance. Now with her head hung down she began to slowly unbutton her blouse. The men stood near the woman laughing and gawking as she slowly disrobed in front of them.

Finally after wiggling out of her jeans, she was naked. The leader said something to her. When the woman didn’t move, a man stepped forward grabbing her breast. The woman wailed in pain, her shoulder slumped forward, her knees nearly buckling. The man said something again. The woman shook her head rapidly up and down. The man then released her breast.

The woman walked slowly, timidly over to the leader. Going to her knees in front of him, she kneeled at his feet. Still slowly, the woman reached up with her hands and unzipped his zipper. Reaching in with her fingers, she pulled the man’s penis out of his pants. She stared at it for a moment the man said something to her, she then hurriedly took the penis into her mouth. Immediately she began to move her head back and forth franticly. The men began laughing at her loudly as she worked at the leader’s crotch.

After a few minutes the leader grabbed the woman by the hair, pulling her to her feet. He led her to the trunk of the Lincoln. When he spoke to her, the woman obediently turned to lean over the trunk of the Lincoln, her hands braced against it. The leader stepped behind her inserting himself into her.

Jill and Missy watched helplessly as each man took a turn with the woman. After the first man the woman began to cry out in pain. The last man seemed to be more painful as the woman screamed constantly during his assault. From the way the woman screamed and the way their bodies met, Jill knew the man was raping her anally.

When the last man had finished. The woman, unable to walk, was carried to the backseat of the Lincoln. The men gathered her clothes, throwing them in the seat with her. The men then drove off in all three cars.

When the cars had left, Jill let the blind fall, turning to Missy, she saw Missy was crying. Jill took Missy into her arms, holding her tightly. Missy said softly, “That could have been us.”

Jill comfortingly replied, “But it wasn’t”

Missy asked, “ Where do you think they’re taking her?”

“Probably back to their place for the rest of the gang to enjoy.” Jill replied truthfully.

Missy pulled away from Jill. “If we couldn’t stop them from doing that to her, then we can’t stop them from doing that to us. We don‘t even have a gun.” Missy said sadly.

Jill knew it was true. Again, she felt so vulnerable. The fear, the helplessness that she had felt under the bridge came back to her. The promises she had made. Jill knew she had to do something, but what? It was too late to go out to buy a gun. She looked to Missy saying softly, “ We’ll think of something, I promise.” They hugged again, seeking comfort from each other, in the closeness.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Jill said jokingly, “We’ve got to stop doing this or we’ll end up lesbians.”

Missy laughed and said, “I like it, but not that way Jill. It would be the same even if we had our clothes on. I know I’m not all alone, I guess.”

Jill smiled and said, “I like it too Missy, it’s comforting.”

Together they walked into the den, Sitting down they discussed how to make things safer. They decided reluctantly that they would start by wearing clothes around the house. They reasoned they could run better and fight better with their clothes on. After going through Jill’s entire wardrobe they were disappointed, all there was to wear was skirts and dresses. “ Damn didn’t you ever own a pair of jeans or a tee shirt?” Missy exclaimed, disgusted.

When she said that something in Jill’s mind clicked. Running back to the closet in Missy’s room, she began dragging out boxes. “I did have some I bought years back, they might still fit.” Finally, she found a box marked old clothes. Pulling back the flaps, they discovered neatly folded pairs of black denim jeans. Jill and Missy each pulled out a pair.

Holding them up, Missy observed, “At least they are jeans. But the black ones went out of style years ago.”

Jill, thinking about their situation replied, “Yeah, but I bet they’d make us nearly invisible at night.”

Missy agreed, “Yeah I’ll bet,” Then she asked, “Where did they come from?”

Jill thought back into the past and said, “Oh, I went through a phase or something in my freshman year of college.”

Digging all the clothes out they found two pairs of black jeans each and two black tee shirts each. Jill went to her room to grab some panties for them. They slipped into the panties then pulled on the jeans. Picking up a tee shirt Missy asked, “What about bra’s?”

Jill turned looking at Missy’s breasts. Smiled and asked, “Do you think yours’ will fit into one of mine?”

Missy realized her error when she looked at Jill’s much smaller breasts. Smiling she said, “No, I guess not. Sorry.”

When they had finished dressing they turned to one another. The jeans were tight, but were made of the stretchable type denim. Jill asked, “How do I look?”

Missy looked at her and asked, “Aren’t you going to wear a bra?”

Jill replied happily, “I’m turning over a new leaf in my life. I’m not going to be so reserved any more. I missed out on too much in my life, I’m going to have some fun now. So no I’m not.”

Missy smiled and said, “Ok, in that case other than a bad camel toe, you look cool!”

Jill looked puzzled. Asked, “What’s camel toe?”

Missy grinned, explaining to Jill, “That’s the outline of your pubic region showing through your jeans.”

“Oh.” Jill said feeling old and foolish. But looking down she laughed. Then looked at Missy, noticing she had camel toe also, she laughed even harder.

For shoes, they were able to round up two pairs of old tennis shoes from the closet. Jill had worn them for gym classes in college but they were still in good shape and fit snugly. “Oh yes.” Jill remarked. “Much better than running in high heels.”

Now that they had clothes Missy asked, “OK, now what about weapons?”

Jill thought for a minute then replied, “Well I’ve got the K-bar and a bunch of butcher knives.” Feeling terribly inadequate as she said it.

Missy asked, “Why don’t you own a gun?”

Jill looked down feeling regret. Replied, “I used to be against guns, Missy. I never saw a use for them. I was led to believe that only criminal’s and uneducated rednecks used guns. That only police needed guns. That the police would protect me.” Jill sighed and continued, “I’ve changed my mind, now. But I guess its too late now. I guess we‘ll have to make do without one.”

Giving up on obtaining any weapons, other than the knives. Jill and Missy discussed all the ideas of how to secure the house and what they needed to do to meet their needs.

To start with they rounded up every spare battery, flashlight, matches, and candle they could find. In preparation, in case the lights went out. They filled every bathtub, bucket and container they could find with water, in case the water stops. Jill put as many jugs of water in the freezer as she could fit. The jugs would freeze, so if the power did go out the jugs would help keep the food cold longer.

They inventoried all the food in the house. Jill remembered the terrorist attack stash of food in the garage. They brought that into the kitchen to add to what they already had. They figured they had enough for three weeks, depending on how much they ate and if the power would stay on for a few more days. They wondered about securing the windows, boarding them up somehow. In the end, Jill decided against it. “Things aren’t that bad yet.” She thought.

Jill remembered then about the safe room. She had never used it, not even for storage. The room was hidden in the right corner of the house, on the ground floor. A coat closet in the living room served as the entrance. They cleared all the boxes Jill had stacked in front of the safe room door inside the closet.

When they opened the door the hinges creaked loudly. Jill walked into the room to look around. The room smelled musty from disuse, it was also very dark. Missy brought Jill a flashlight. With the flashlight, Jill discovered the walls; floors and ceiling were poured from heavy concrete. The entrance door was painted to match with the closet wall, and was made of heavy gauge steel. A large lock was mounted to the door. Jill remembered the key hung just inside the closet door. The Real Estate agent had shown it to her and Jill had never bothered to move it. Mainly the room was bare, other than a vertical gun rack on the wall near the door.

Jill assessed the room deciding it could withstand just about any kind of punishment. Jill and Missy decided to begin sleeping in the safe room on the day bed from the living room. Only one of them at a time would sleep, the other would keep watch from the second floor windows.

Jill and Missy also decided that if worse came to worse they would both run into the safe room and lock the door. Hopefully they would not be found, or else the intruder would not bother trying to break through the heavy door. As an after thought Jill decided to move the food and other supplies into the safe room. That way in a bad situation the food would not be stolen unless they were discovered. Once everything had been moved into the safe room, they decided to go up to the den for a few drinks, and relax.

Jill didn’t make Missy’s drink as stout this time. If Missy had noticed she had not said anything. Still by the time Missy had finished her glass, her speech was starting to slur. Jill thought the slurred Alabama accent sounded funny.

They sat in the dark, only the light of the streetlight shown through the window illuminated the room. Another of their security measures, no lights. Hopefully anyone looking for trouble would by-pass the unlighted house. Jill looked up and down the street all the homes were dark. She guessed they had all run away. All but the house the redneck lived in. Twice she had spotted light in the house. Once it was a flashlight in the room but only briefly. At another time it looked like the reflection of the streetlight off of some kind of glass. Jill suspected it was someone scanning the neighborhood with binoculars.

Jill and Missy chatted and laughed, they talked about all sorts of things, basically just relieving the stress of the day. Missy heard the sound first, a surprised look coming to her face. Before she could say anything Jill jumped to her feet, whispered, “The interstate!”

The sound was a siren off in the distance. They ran in the dark to Missy’s room. Looking out the window toward downtown, they saw lights. A lot of them, and one set of blue lights. They were moving at tremendous speed on the abandoned interstate. Jill asked quietly, “Cops?”

Missy shrugged her shoulders.

Jill watched the vehicles approaching, guessed by their speed that they would by-pass her house. She whispered to Missy, “A chase!” then ran to the window in her own room. From there she could see the vehicles, as they had gotten much closer. Jill now saw that the police car was in front of the other vehicles. “They are chasing the police?” she thought incredulously. Before she could say anything to Missy, the first car behind the police car veered into the left lane. The same car then moved up along side the police car. Jill recognized the Lincoln from the rape earlier.

The Lincoln passed the police car, veering back into the right lane in front of the police car. It was the same tactic as with the station wagon. Now the woman’s station wagon appeared coming up along side of the police car, boxing it in. The Lincoln’s brake lights came on just as they neared Jill’s house. Only the officer did not brake, instead slamming hard into the rear of the Lincoln. Then the officer braked hard. The car behind slammed into the rear of the police car. The officer used this sudden burst of momentum to steer against the smaller station wagon.

The police car rammed diagonally into the station wagons front fender, the force of the impact causing the station wagon to spin sideways. The tires caught on the asphalt causing the station wagon to roll over on the interstate.

The police car now free seemed to attempt to cross the grassy median. Its speed being too great, the police car left the ground when it came back up the embankment on the other side. Sailing across the other lanes, it landed in the trees across the interstate from Jill’s house. Jill and Missy looked at each other astonished at the sight.

The other cars slowed, turning around on the interstate, going back to the car that had rolled. Once there, three men got out of the two cars ran up to the overturned car. After a few minutes they returned to their cars carrying the guns from the overturned car. Jill assumed the driver was dead.

Once back in their cars the men pulled away, driving back toward downtown. Jill was surprised the men had not checked on the officer. She was certain the men would surely return. Missy said quickly, “Let’s go help the officer.”

Jill said, “We can’t risk it, what if they come back?” Missy didn’t seem happy with that so Jill added, “Missy they’ve got guns we can’t even risk being seen.” Jill felt the helplessness return as she said it. Missy seemed to accept that. Jill thought more about it then said, “We don’t even know if there was an officer driving the car. It could have been abandoned, anyone could have been driving.”

Missy remained quiet looking out the window into the trees where the car had disappeared. Jill sighed, said, “We’ll give it thirty minutes, if no one shows back up, we’ll go take a look.”

[brake pedal]

Missy smiled at her, her blue eyes gleamed. Without saying anything, Missy turned back toward the window.

Jill watched the time on her watch, the thirty-minute mark passed and no one had returned to the scene. Missy finally turned to Jill, before Missy could speak, Jill sighed and said, “Alright let’s go.”

Missy smiled broadly. Jill stood, checking the K-Bar to be sure it was there and secure. She told Missy to get a butcher knife for herself. The knives didn’t make Jill feel as secure as they once had. She had realized a knife were no match for a gun.

Jill and Missy went out the back door, across the dark backyard to the interstate fence. Jill felt thankful for the black jeans and shirts. She knew it would be hard to spot them at night while wearing them. She cautioned Missy to be careful of the barbed wire. The jeans were too valuable to let them be ripped on the barbs.

Once across the fence, Jill stopped at the edge of the embankment. She then crawled up to the crest of the embankment to scan up and down the interstate to make sure no one was around. Not seeing anything she instructed Missy, “All at once we run across then down on the other side.”

Missy nodded in response.

Suddenly Jill leaped to her feet, breaking into a full run. Missy followed her cue. They ran across the outbound lanes, down into the median. Almost falling, loosing their balances at the sudden incline of the median. Recovering, then running up the other side of the median to the in bound lanes. Sprinting across the asphalt of the inbound lanes. Slowing at the edge to drop off the embankment on the other side.

Sliding down the embankment, they stopped halfway down, out of sight. Jill sat for a few moments assessing their situation. She then crawled back up to the crest to look behind them to make sure no one had seen them. Not seeing anyone she slid back down to Missy.

From where they sat, they could see the police car where it had skidded twenty feet into the underbrush at the bottom of the embankment. Jill surveyed the wreckage from where she sat. She could see nothing moving around the car.

Finally when Jill was satisfied they were not in any immediate danger. She led Missy down the embankment to the car. Missy followed Jill up along the drivers’ side, passing by the back bumper. Jill leaned out to try to see into the drivers’ side window, but she could not see anyone. She noticed the door appeared to be partially open, the edge of the door separated from the other metal by almost three inches. She pulled on the handle. The door came open suddenly as if it were pushed. Jill startled jumping back as a body rolled out onto the ground, the feet still in the floorboard.

It was an officer. Jill could see the shiny badges on his chest. Jill kneeled to feel for a pulse, she looked at Missy and shook her head. Jill looked the body over, noticing the badge, name tag, the gold sergeant’s strips, and the whistle. She then noticed the officers’ duty belt and a sly smile came to her face.

Jill moved the man’s arm to reveal his duty pistol still holstered in place at his hip. Jill was almost overcome with excitement. They now had a gun! Jill whispered to Missy, “Help me get his belt off.”

Missy nodded and came closer stepping over the body. Jill fumbled with the buckle until she figured out how it released. Tugging at it she found there were little leather strips around the belt, with snaps on them to hold the belt in place. With Missy’s help they rolled the officer over pulling the heavy belt from under him. Jill refastened the buckle and snaps, laying it next to the body. Missy exclaimed, “We got the gun, let’s go!”

Jill replied, “No, lets check out the car there might be another one.”

Jill crawled into the front seat where she spotted the riot shotgun in its vertical rack attached to the dash. Jill yanked at it, it seemed to be locked into the jaws of the rack. From behind her Missy moved under the dash, the gun rack began buzzing. Jill yanked the gun free of the jaws. She then looked back to Missy, asking, “What did you do?”

Missy reached under the dash, the buzzer sounded again. “There’s a secret button.” Missy explained smiling. Then added, “I saw it on Cops.”

Jill only shook her head and handed the shotgun out, butt first to Missy. “ Be careful, point it away from anything.” Jill cautioned.

Jill resumed her search of the car. In the passengers floor she found several cardboard boxes. The boxes were very heavy when she picked them up to read the labels. One read “12 gauge 00 buck 3” 250 rnds”. The other read the same except instead of “00 buck”, it read “rifled slug”. There were five smaller boxes that read “9mm 124 grain hydra-shock”. Jill didn’t understand what the writing meant. But it was obvious the boxes contained ammunition for the guns. They even had the Metro seal stamped on the boxes.

Jill felt under the passenger seat, finding nothing. She popped the glove compartment open. Inside there were four long, square, narrow things. Two of them were longer than the other two. Picking them up she could tell by the bullets sticking out the ends that they were clips for the pistol. Jill knew they were called clips from the pamphlets and literature she received from the anti-gun groups she had contributed to. On the sides there were holes she could see the bullets through. Stamped on the two short ones were the number “20”, the long ones had a “30”. Jill handed them out to Missy saying, “Keep this stuff in a pile.”

In the rack over the seat, Jill found the officers metal flashlight. It was very heavy and long too. She used the light briefly to shine into the floor around the officers’ feet. She spotted the end of a large brown belt protruding from under the seat. She pulled on it. It was very heavy. Jill crawled out onto the ground where she pulled the officers’ feet out of the car. Now she could free the belt.

When she pulled it out there was a long holster with a large revolver in it. There were also four smaller, round pouches on the belt. Jill handed that over to Missy, who put it on the growing pile.

Jill then used the flashlight to look back under the seat. She found five more boxes marked “44 mag JHP”. She assumed it was ammunition for the big revolver. She carried those over and placed them in the pile with the rest of their newfound treasure. She now felt as though she had found paradise. They now had guns and ammunition. Then her heart sank as she realized neither she nor Missy had any idea how to use them.

Suddenly Jill remembered the trunk. Going back to the driver’s door she leaned in the door and pulled the keys out of the ignition. Going around to the rear of the car, she opened the trunk lid. Inside she found a silvery looking rifle with a wooden stock. A blue banana clip protruded from the bottom of the rifle. She remembered it was called a banana clip from another pamphlet. Jill pulled out the rifle to find more cardboard boxes. Handing the rifle to Missy, Jill hoisted a heavy box out of the trunk. On the box it read “7.62 x 39 hollow point 1000 RNDS” Jill now noticed that neither this box nor the big revolvers ammunition had the metro seal stamped on it. She assumed these were the officers’ personal weapons and ammunition. She carried the heavy box over to the pile.

Returning to the trunk she found four more of the banana clips for the rifle, all of them full of bullets. There was also an empty nylon duffel bag, which Jill put the banana clips in. She handed the duffel bag to Missy telling her, “Put what you can in this.”

Next Jill pulled what looked like a huge tackle box from the trunk. She found that it contained a complete paramedics kit. Essentially an ultra equipped first aid kit. Jill smiled at this she knew there would eventually be a need for these supplies if things didn’t get better. Setting it on the ground at the bumper, she checked the last boxes. Jill found one box contained thick paperback manuals used to teach classes on gun safety and self-defense with guns. Business cards were stapled inside the covers, which gave the officers’ name with the title of, “Civilian Firearms Instructor.” Jill took two copies of the manuals. The last box contained copies of magazine articles that were stapled together like classroom handouts. The articles were an assortment of titles concerning home defense, self-defense and laws. Jill took two of the handouts. She supposed the officer had a class scheduled for the day the riots broke out. Then when things went wild he’d gone home to get his personal rifle. The big revolver she assumed was the officers range gun.

Jill moved around to check on Missy’s progress. Missy had stuffed the duffel bag with the ammunition, handguns and belts. The rifle, shotgun and 1000 RND box would not fit in the bag. Missy was smiling a huge broad smile. Jill helped her carry the stuff up to the edge of the embankment. When they had the stuff ready for the sprint back across the interstate, Jill said, “Wait here, keep a look out I’ll be right back.”

Missy looked at her puzzled saying, “OK.”

Jill ran back down to the officers’ body. Kneeling beside him she leaned down, unpinning his badge, whistle, sergeants strips and nametag. She whispered, “I wanted to say thank you. I will always remember you. I want you to know I’ll be your best student. I’ll make you proud. I promise.” with that she patted him on the chest and ran back up to Missy.

Jill only said, “I had to say thank you.” Then picked up her share of the heavy load and sprinted across the interstate. At the fence Jill climbed across. Missy handed everything across the fence to her, and then Missy crossed.

Finally back in the house, exhausted, Jill told Missy, “I’ll take the first watch, while you get some sleep.”
Missy said, “OK” and went to bed in the safe room.

Jill then carried the guns and ammunition upstairs to the den, making several trips. She then spent the next four hours reading the material, and studying the guns. By the time it was her turn to sleep she had learned quite a bit about the weapons. The most glaring discovery she found was that anti-gun literature was not the best way to learn about firearms. She felt she had been misled about a lot of things.

While Jill slept Missy studied the materials and the guns. Then when Jill woke up four hours later they both sat in the den going over the weapons, dry firing them. Jill elected to take the big revolver. She had learned it was a Smith and Wesson stainless, .44 magnum with a six-inch barrel. The grips were made of some kind of rubber and formed to fit the hand. The brown belt had to be cut and adjusted but when Jill had finished with it, it fit snug. The revolver hung in a cross draw holster at her left hip the grips rested about her belly button. The K-bar also went onto the belt to hang from her right hip. Jill felt secure and powerful with the belt around her hips. The speed loaders pouches sat in front of her right hip in front of the knife. Missy looked at her smiling and said, “You look so sexy you know.”

Missy being smaller took the officers duty pistol. They learned it was also Smith and Wesson. Made from stainless steel. But was a 9-millimeter, semi automatic model 5906 TSW. The word “TACTICAL” emblazoned on the side. Missy used one of Jill’s heavier belts from the box in the closet. The Pistol hung on her right side in the holster. The pouches for the magazines were comfortable behind her left hip, in front of those she placed the large folding lock blade Buck knife from the officers belt. Jill also thought the guns made Missy look sexy, and told her so. Missy grinned broadly when she did. Missy also felt more secure now with the guns and the knowledge of how to use them.

Jill took the 12-gauge riot gun, while Missy took the rifle. The rifle they found was a Ruger mini-30. While the “banana clips” were properly magazines that held 30 rounds. Although Jill wished they had had a chance to actually fire the weapons, they both took joy in finally loading their new weapons. The sounds of the bolts slamming home on a full chamber giving her an exhilarating rush. Jill then made a new rule. “We always keep our guns loaded and wear them during the day. When we sleep we keep them at arms reach.” Jill stated.

Afterward, her revolver belted in place, Jill fixed breakfast while Missy kept watch. They both ate in the den, reading the magazine articles while they enjoyed their food. One of the articles inspired them to arrange the living room furniture into defensive positions to repel home invasions.

After breakfast they ran drills using make believe guns. Jill felt confident they could manage. What concerned her was the noise and recoil of the weapons. As they were not able to test fire them to get a feel for the effect of actually firing them. Their skill would have to be learned in battle.

By late afternoon, Jill had sent Missy down to sleep, while Jill sat watch in the windows of the den. Watching up and down the street, she wondered what was happening in the world. She had clicked on the radio several times during the day. It was always the same message. “What could be happening?” she wondered. “Why had they not sent in the National Guard?”

After an hour or so, Jill noticed movement up the street, a pick-up truck with a camper shell moving slowly down the street. She watched as it slowed in front of houses. Finally it stopped at a house on the next block. Four men came from the truck, two from the cab, and two from the tailgate. They ran up to the house, kicked in the door and ran inside. Jill realized why they picked that house. No bars on the windows told them the owner had no protection. She also realized they would definitely be hitting her house, as she had no bars.

Jill ran down to the safe room to wake Missy. She told Missy what she had seen and that she believed they would be hit next. Missy quickly rose and belted on her pistol, taking up the rifle she went to her defensive position. Jill ran back up to the den to watch. The men were now carrying items out of the house, mostly food items and a computer.

Jill understood the food, but wondered, “Why only a computer?” Then she realized the men could only carry so much in the truck. With so many houses sitting unguarded they could afford to choose only the most expensive things.

The men again got into the truck. The truck then slowly crept down the street. Jill stood back away from the window into the shadows so the men would not see her. The truck came in front of her house slowing to a stop. Jill ran downstairs carrying the riot gun.

“They’re coming!” she whispered to Missy. Jill then quickly crouched down behind the sofa into her defensive position, ready.

From Jill’s defensive position, she could fire straight into the door, or even out of the door. Missy was behind an overstuffed chair to Jill’s right. Missy could fire down the front wall and across the door. As Jill waited, she felt something other than fear. The adrenaline pumped through her body, causing her temples to pound. The feeling she decided was anxiousness. Then they heard the footsteps on the front porch and knew this was for real, a live test of what they had learned.

Suddenly the door burst open, the men rushing in. Jill and Missy popped up from their positions. Missy the 9 MM pistol gripped in her hands. Jill raised up with the riot gun butted to her shoulder and fired first. She hit the first man in the stomach. The 00 buckshot traveling through the soft tissue, threw the man backward. The huge pellets exiting his back then punched into the second man abdomen. Missy’s 9 MM barked rapidly, the shots striking the second man in the side of the head. The first two men crumpled to the ground. As Jill recovered from the recoil, she worked the pump action chambering a fresh round.

The third man was now exposed as he ran into the room, stepping over the bodies of the first two. Jill fired. The blast slammed into his in the chest. The force of the blast jerked the man violently backward where he fell onto the other men on the floor. “But where’s the fourth man?” Jill wondered. She set the riot gun down, and then drew the .44 magnum.

Jill saw the fourth man running up her sidewalk. She aimed the big revolver out the door, supposing where the man’s head would appear in the doorway. She cocked the hammer back, and waited.

The man ran up the steps onto the porch and to the door. When his head appeared in the frame, Jill’s finger twitched on the trigger. The big revolver bucked in her hands, the boom deafening. The man was flung backward, as if he had been hit in the head with a two by four.

Jill lowered the revolver to the ready position. Cocking the hammer back, she crept toward the door to peer out. The fourth man lie on his back, on the porch, a large red splotch on his forehead. His head seemed to lay back further than Jill thought it should. On the sidewalk in front of the steps, Jill spotted a hairy bowl shaped object, the back of the man’s skull. Jill and Missy were alone, the bodies of the men on the floor not moving. Jill motioned for Missy to come out from her defensive position.

Jill lowered the hammer and holstered the big revolver, shaking the tingling from her wrist afterward. She heard Missy’s 9 MM snapping as she dropped the safety, allowing the hammer to fall. Then she slid the safety back to the fire position. Next Missy dropped the magazine, inserting a fresh one.

Now Missy stood by Jill, as they surveyed the destruction they had wrought. The men’s bodies lay entangled in a pile on the floor, other than the one on the porch. Their guns scattered around them on the floor. Jill and Missy stood, amazed at what they had done. Missy observed solemnly, “They never had a chance.”

Jill replied coldly, “Well yesterday ’we’ wouldn’t have had a chance. If we hadn’t gotten these guns we’d be on our backs, legs spread, about now.”

Jill made the realization, “These guys are white?” she said incredulously.

Missy looked down surprised that she hadn’t noticed before. In the excitement of the battle it hadn’t dawned on them. Jill said, “I guess it’s not just blacks now.”

Missy asked, “What are we going to do with the bodies?”

Jill was silent while she thought. She noticed the truck outside still idling. Jill said “You back the truck up to the door, we’ll unload it then put the bodies in the back then we’ll drive it a few blocks away and leave it.”

Missy leaned the mini 30 against the wall and trotted out to the truck. Jill began separating the weapons and ammo from the bodies. When Missy had the truck backed up to the porch. They unloaded what they could use then threw the bodies inside the covered bed.

Jill drove the truck down the street to the main highway, turning away from the interstate she traveled two blocks before pulling into a gas station. She parked the truck there leaving it she walked back taking the first street then cutting cross the lawns at the middle of the block across from the one her house sat on. Eventually coming out across the street from her house. She saw Missy in the den window, Jill waved to her then waited for Missy to wave back She didn’t want to scare the girl. Back in the house Jill inventoried the food and equipment taken from the truck. The men had been heavily armed. They all carried the same 9mm Smith as Missy had. All had the same magazine holder and holster. Jill reasoned the men had been preying on officers.

In addition to the police handguns The weapons they got from the men were 4 riot guns 6 AK 47’s, 3 SKS’s, 2 357 magnum revolvers and 2 270 Bolt action rifles that appeared to have been police SWAT team sniper rifles. Several boxes were filled with liquor bottles stolen from the bars of private homes most were full bottles, probably for display or special occasions. The ammo for the weapons 785 rounds of 12 gauge 4000 rounds of 762x39, 635 rounds of 9mm and varying amounts of the other caliber’s.

Jill knew there was no way to use that much ammo. No way they could use all those guns. But she also knew if she left the guns and ammo with the bodies that others might find them and use them against her and Missy. So Jill had stored them in her house. The food they took from the truck extended their supply for about another month. After inventorying everything Jill went up to the den and poured drinks for herself and Missy. Stiff one’s for both of them, to help calm their nerves.

Missy came in to the den just after Jill had finish mixing the drinks. She took hers, and went to a chair. Jill sat across from her in another over stuffed chair. It was the chairs they used to sit in for their watches. Jill seemed deep in thought. Missy was quite also. After several long minutes, and several swigs of the whiskey, Jill said softly, “We did good.” Hoping to give Missy some encouragement.

Missy only nodded her head up and down.

Jill continued, “It looks like we better get used to it, it doesn’t look like things are going to get any better.”

Missy said softly, “Yeah, I know. I’m just worried about my parents.”

Jill was silent for a moment then said softly, “You know I have parents too. I worry about them too. But Missy we have to worry about ourselves now, and hope for the best for our parents.”

Missy seemed to perk up a little, then asked, “Well what’s the plan?”

Jill sighed, and said, “We still have those idiots on the interstate. I think we need to take them out before they kill anyone else or worse.”

Missy, thoughtful, agreed.

Jill outlined the plan. She and Missy talked out the details. Then agreed to do it tomorrow afternoon.

They finished their drinks Missy asked for another. Jill considered the request thought; “She’s been through a lot today for a sixteen year old girl. If she can kill men that try to rape her she can drink if she wants to.” Jill made another for her. Missy sat quietly drinking it. Jill stood watch. When Missy had finished her drink, Jill told her to go on down to bed.

Jill sat in the den keeping watch up and down the street. The night was silent. Jill wondered again what was happening in the world. The message on the radio had stopped this afternoon. All there was now was static. That worried Jill, she hadn’t told Missy, yet. But she was of the opinion that something had happened to the government itself. “But what?” she wondered.

After several hours Jill went to her room to retrieve some things. She came back with scissors her best velvet blue dress, and a picture frame. Jill took the back from the frame. It was a shadow box type frame, the glass raised from the backing by an inch or more. Jill carefully cut a square of fabric from the dress and then formed the material around the cardboard back.

From her pocket she pulled the officers badge, nameplate, sergeants stripes, whistle and the Civilian Firearms Instructor plate. Carefully Jill pinned these to the velvet-covered cardboard, arranged neatly. Then replaced the backboard into the frame. Turning the frame over, Jill stared at the glass. Softly she said, “Thank you sergeant.” Jill then hung the frame on the wall by the window, returning to the chair, she resumed the watch.

Jill let Missy sleep until two AM, before she woke the girl for her watch. The tired girl carried her weapon out with her to climb the stairs in the dark. Jill went to bed now for some much needed sleep.

Missy woke her at seven like she had asked. Jill returned to watch in the den while Missy made break fast. Jill was deep in thought about the coming mission when she saw a man in camouflage pants slowly walking down the street. He was alone. The only weapon he carried was a semi automatic pistol holstered at his right hip.

Jill ran to the top of the stairs, yelled softly down to Missy, “Missy! Company coming!” Missy quickly appeared at the bottom of the stairs. Jill whispered, “ Just one so far, has a pistol.”

Missy shook her head to signal her understanding, and then went to Jill’s defensive position covering the door, while Jill watched from the den. If Missy heard Jill coming down the steps, Missy would move to her own defensive position.

Jill watched at the window, as the man walked he held his hands away from his body as if to say, “I’m not going to use my pistol.” She noticed he was white, had short blonde hair, a moustache, tall and muscular besides the camouflage pants he had on a red tee shirt and a baseball cap that had a logo on it.

When the man got closer to Jill’s house, she moved back, away from the open window. She was in the shadows, but had a clean shot with the AK-47 she carried. The big revolver and the Smith was also belted in place at her waist.

Once in front of Jill’s house the man stopped in the street, slowly turned toward Jill’s house then began to wave his arm. Jill stood still and quite, hoping he would go away. The man called, “Hello in the house!”

Jill hesitated then called back, “Yeah what do you want?” Then moved a few feet over, in case the man could sense the direction of her voice and fired at it.

The man called back, “I want to talk to you. My name is Doug Brown, I live in the house with the radio tower and the fence!”

Jill sighed rolling her eyes said silently, “What the **** does he want?” She thought it over, wondering if she could trust him. Finally, she made a plan. She yelled out to the man, “Hold on a minute.” Then she ran downstairs. Missy jumped up to run to her defensive position. Jill whispered “No.” and then she explained her plan to Missy.

Missy hid behind the chair, the 9 mm pointed into the back of the chair. Jill opened the door, called the man inside. When he got to the door, Jill directed him to sit in the chair. When he was seated Jill from the sofa asked, “So, what do we need to talk about?”

Doug took in Jill’s body with his eyes for a moment before speaking. He had never seen Jill in jeans before, only her business clothes as she walked past his house. Jill had turned on the lights in the room to see him better. The light enabled him to admire the curves of her body. Curves he never realized she had under the dresses and skirts. He noticed she wore no bra, her nipples tenting the fabric of the tee shirt. He noticed the big revolver at her waist also. A woman with a gun had always turned him on. Most of all he noticed the long black hair. The slight waves accented her pretty features. The tingling in his scrotum forced him to concentrate on the business at hand, else he knew he would soon have an erection. Doug started by saying. “I heard shots yesterday I wanted to check on you. Make sure you were OK.”

Jill had noticed the way he had looked her over. She had also been looking him over in the same manner. Her eyes took in His broad shoulders, the stocky, tall build that she liked in a man. She found herself mentally measuring the bulge in his jeans. Jill scolded herself reminding herself that he was at least fifteen years older than she was. Jill forced her thoughts back to the conversation.

Jill was suspicious of the statement. Was it an excuse or was he just trying to break the ice? Jill elected the straightforward approach. She stated, “I believe you knew we were OK. You do have your window watchers to keep an eye on things. So why are you here?”

Doug felt the sting in her words. Deciding to abandon the friendly approach he replied, “I do have a watcher, just as you do. Really the reason I am here, frankly we are bored stiff at our place we thought we might be able to work together. Socialize.” Then fearing that was the wrong choice of words said, “Look lets don’t make this any harder than it has to be. I know you don’t trust me and I don’t blame you. But I did come here to be friendly. I know we didn‘t exactly see eye to eye before, but I did see what happened here. I thought maybe we could at least help each other out.” Doug paused nervous, why he really didn’t know.

Jill sat quietly watching the man, thinking while he spoke. After a moment she said bluntly, ”You better not be here thinking you’ll get some pussy. Because we don’t work that way.” Jill let that sink in. Staring at him coldly. She asked, “So what did you have in mind?”

Doug noted the “ We don’t work that way” phrase in her statement. Mentally he felt it confirmed his suspicion that Jill liked women and not men. . Doug replied, “I don’t really care about what you and your girlfriend do together, I understand”

Jill interrupted him, “We are not lesbians we are both heterosexual. It’s simply that we do not exchange favors for anything. Let’s get that straight.” Jill said furiously.

Doug noted the anger and apologized, “I’m sorry if I misread your words and your situation. And no we are not looking for any favors.” Doug sighed, frustrated. He continued, “Look this is difficult I know with what we’ve been through. But couldn’t you entertain the notion that I came here with honest intentions?” He paused then continued, “As I have said we are bored silly, we had hoped that we could find someone we could be of some assistance and maybe help each other if there are any major attacks. Such as yesterdays situation, I could have warned you ahead of time.” he paused again. Jill still stared at him waiting for him to continue. “You did well without it, I know. But think if there had been a dozen or more.” Doug finished then waited for Jill to respond.

Jill sat thinking. She knew he was right about the attack and about extending some trust. Finally Jill asked, “How would we communicate?”

Doug reached slowly into his cargo pocket pulling out a two-way radio and a charger cord. Holding it up he said, “With these you can reach our watch post twenty-four hours a day, if you need anything. And our watch post can keep you updated too.”

Jill said, “Ok you can leave it we may contact you.” Then asked, “What else do you have?”

Doug held up empty palm, said, “We do have the best news of the situation. That big antenna is for a short-wave radio. We get news reports from around the country we can tell you up to the minute what’s happening.”

Jill knew she needed news. She wanted to know what was happening. She tried her best to maintain a poker face when she asked, “What do you want in return?”

Doug sighed and replied, “Like I said we are all bored all we want is conversation. That’s it. But of course if you expect us to help you, you should help us if we need it don’t you think?”

Jill told him bluntly, “Leave the radio, we will talk it over and let you know what we decide. You may leave now.”

Doug stood slowly, hands out again as he walked out the door. Jill followed a distance behind, locking the door behind him. Missy came out, following Jill up the stairs to the den. They watched him walk down the street out of sight.

When Doug was gone from view, Jill turned to look at Missy. Jill asked, “What do you think?”

Missy replied. “I don’t know he seems sincere. You did give him a rough go you know.”

Jill laughed and said, “I guess I did at that, tell you what let’s get ready for the mission. After we do it we’ll contact them.”

Missy nodded her head agreeing. Then walked away to get her weapons ready. Jill couldn’t help but realize she had been attracted to him. She had even checked for a wedding ring. He wasn’t wearing one. She shrugged and went to get ready herself.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 4


Jill and Missy had decided that from now on they would both carry the same weapons, With the exception of the 44. That was Jill’s special weapon. Jill now, also had a police issue Smith 9mm on her gun belt and magazine carriers just like Missy’s. They both also carried AK-47’s and spare magazines. This way they could swap magazines and ammunition.

Jill crawled under the Nissan to find the magnetic hide a key box. Pulling it free, she opened it then used the key to open the doors and start the motor. She let it idle to warm up while they loaded their weapons and went over the plan again.

Jill had also brought one of the 12 gauge pumps loaded with slugs and two extra boxes of slugs. Once everything was loaded, Jill got into the backseat laying down flat. Missy got into the drivers seat. Both of them were terrified that something would go wrong. They had tried to plan for every possible occurrence, but still the “What ifs?” kept popping into their minds.

Missy backed the car out of the garage, down the driveway into the street. Only stopping for a second to change gears, then Missy tromped the gas. The little Nissan accelerated quickly. They went by Doug’s house at 65 MPH. Missy’s window down her blonde hair flowing in the breeze.

Inside the house, Doug heard his son’s voice on the radio, “The women just left out of here, screaming down the street. Wonder what they’re are up to?” Doug’s son was on watch at the time.

Doug radioed back, “I have no clue, were both of them in the car?”

Trent replied, “Yes dad the cute blonde was driving. The lady was laying down in the back seat.”

Trent had watched through the binoculars from the second floor. From there, he could see down into the car where Jill lay. The boy also had a look at the blonde. With all the black clothes, he could not tell the shape of her body but he adored the blonde hair.

Doug radioed back “Just keep watch out if they come back, and watch their house also.” Doug let the mike key off, wondering why they had left and if they would return. Had he scared them, he hoped not.

Missy didn’t slow down at the intersections, blazing across them. Jill was feeling the bounce, as the car traveled through the intersections. The plan was to drive up the side streets 15 blocks to an on ramp to the interstate, rolling fast to avoid anyone along the way that might give them trouble. Once on the ramp Missy would get on the interstate east bound. They hoped to attract the attention of the men that chased after the officer and raped the woman.

Missy made a right that would take her to the on ramp. As she rounded the corner, she spotted the Lincoln and the Olds sitting on the bridge over the interstate. “Oh shit!” she exclaimed.

“What?” Jill asked.

Missy replied, “They’re on the bridge, getting into their cars.”

Jill commanded, “Step on it, beat them to the ramp.”

Missy floored the pedal. The Nissan transmission slipped into passing gear, accelerating quickly. Now she could see the Lincoln going for the ramp, also. It was nearly to the ramp, the Olds following behind it. Missy swung onto the ramp at the same time as the Lincoln. The two cars came side by side, Missy still accelerating. Jill’s lighter Nissan picking up its speed easier than the heavy Lincoln and pulled away rapidly.

At the bottom of the ramp, Missy was in the lead. She yelled to Jill, “ They’re right behind us! Two in the Lincoln, two in the Olds!”

Jill yelled, “Alright when I yell, you duck!”

Jill, lying back, watched through the windows for the rooftop of the Lincoln. The Lincoln’s bigger motor finally finding its speed. The smaller Nissan motor had reached its limit. The Lincoln slowly pulled along side. Jill could see the rooftop moving along the side. She drew the 44 cocking the hammer. Jill could hear the deep baritone voice screaming through the wind “Pull over bitch!” then laughing. The Lincoln’s roof began to edge past.

Jill yelled “Now” then sprang up from the back seat just as Missy leaned as far over to the passenger side as she could and still be able to see the road. The barrel of the big revolver came across the seat back, the sites falling in line with the head of the driver of the Lincoln. Jill’s finger eased back on the trigger. The boom muffled by the howling wind, the gun barrel banged against the roof from the recoil. A cloud of red mist began trailing from the other side of the Lincoln, The driver slumping over sideways.

Jill quickly took aim at the passengers’ head before he had time to react. The driverless Lincoln began to veer, with no one to guide it. Jill’s finger made the long pull on the trigger, tracking the motion of the head with her sites. The magnum bucked again. Now the windshield of the Lincoln suddenly became opaque with pinkish spray. The two shots fired in less than five seconds.

Jill let the revolver fall into the seat as she grabbed the slug loaded riot gun. The Lincoln falling away and then disappearing into the median, behind them. Jill readied herself and then sprung up, standing up through the sunroof, facing the rear of the Nissan. The wind whipped her hair that she had pony tailed before leaving the house.

Quickly Jill shouldered the chamber loaded riot gun, drawing a bead on the drivers’ chest through the windshield of the Olds. Her finger snapped back on the trigger. The gun bucked against her shoulder, almost causing her to loose her grip on the gun as the more powerful rifled slug round fired.

A small spider web appeared on the windshield in front of the driver, a large hole at its center. The drivers’ arms flew up as his body slammed back against the seat, a fearful look on his face. He looked like a person on the downhill of a roller coaster.

As the driver began to slump forward. Jill worked the slide to chamber another slug. The passenger dove across the seat to try to grab the steering wheel. Knowing the tremendous power of the slugs, Jill began firing through the windshield and into the dash. She hoped the slugs would plow through the dash, to catch the man lying across the seat.

When Jill had fired the last round in the magazine, the Olds began to veer wildly. Finally turning crossways on the interstate, it rolled repeatedly, coming to rest on its wheels.

Jill dropped back through the sunroof shouting to Missy gleefully, “I got them, turn around lets go get their guns.”

Missy braked, pulling into emergency lane. She then swung a hard U-turn, the tires squalling on the pavement as she did. Once Missy had the car straightened up in the lane going back the other way, she floored the gas pedal again. Jill said, “Easy girl, they’re not after us now!”

Missy slowed the car. When they had arrived back at the Olds, Jill got out and began checking the car for anything they could use and appraising the damage of the slugs. She found that the slugs that had hit the drivers’ chest had traveled through him, through the seat and into the rear seat. Of the slugs that she had fired into the dash, three of them had passed completely through the dash. But only one had struck the passenger.

Inside the car, Jill found another riot gun, a sawed off pump shotgun, a cheap revolver and semi- automatic pistol. There was also a small cache of ammunition.

It took a few minutes to find where the Lincoln had come to a stop, over an embankment. But in the Lincoln Jill found a Glock 9mm with several spare magazines and a Colt AR-15 with several spare magazines. These had belonged to the leader. On the other side of the car, she found a Tech-9 machine pistol, and a Ruger 9mm pistol. There were several extra magazines for these as well. Next, Jill checked the huge trunk of the older Lincoln.

In The trunk, she found a huge stash of weapons. There were four more Colt AR-15’s, three more riot guns and four more Glock 9mm’s. There were also six extra magazines for each weapon. Jill assumed this was the armory for the gang in case things went bad. There was a 1000 round case of ammunition for each of the weapon, including the ones the leader had.

In the floor of the trunk lay all sorts of rifles, shotguns and handguns, along with various boxes of ammunition. Jill assumed these were stolen from homes or were taken from those the gang caught on the interstate.

Jill had to get Missy to help carry all the weapons and ammunition up to the Nissan. When it was all loaded the loot filled the trunk and backseat of the Nissan. Once everything was loaded, Jill drove, with Missy riding in the front seat also. Jill asked Missy, smiling, “Were you on the pill before this all started?”

Missy puzzled by such an unexpected personal question replied, “ Yes, why did you want to know that?”

Jill replied, “Because I was thinking I need my pill’s refilled. Then I realized you’ve not even had yours. If you were on the pill before, then we need to find you some quick, otherwise you’d have to wait and restart them. ”

Missy asked, “Well yes but where do we get them now?”

Jill explained, “Everything’s been looted I know. But the ones that looted the drug stores wouldn’t have been looking for birth control, only the stuff that gets you high.”

Missy after thinking it over agreed.

Jill took the next exit ramp off the interstate. She knew where there was a corner where two chain drug stores stood across from each other.

Both of the stores had been ransacked. Items had been slung from the shelves onto the floor. The isles were piled full of new items being trampled by the thousands of drug addicts heading to the pharmacy looking for a fix.

Jill instructed Missy to get some boxes from the storeroom, and then search the rubble for alcohol, peroxide, bandages, batteries, and any feminine care products. Jill went to the pharmacy section to find antibiotics and their birth control pills. Jill had parked the car at the door so they could keep an eye on it while they searched for their items.

The store also had a display of electronics. The shelves were mostly empty, anything of money value already stolen. However, Jill made it a point to check for some family service type radios, like the one Doug had left at the house for them. Luckily, she found two pairs of high quality 5-mile range sets. She took those, “communications between the two of them might come in handy“. Jill thought.

At the second drug store, they were busy filling their boxes, when Jill heard two voices at the door. “I tell you Jim that car wasn’t there yesterday. And look at all that shit stuffed in the back seat. Somebody is here I tell you.”

Jill hoped Missy had heard them too. She crawled up to the oversize pharmacy counter to peer between the items that littered the top of the counter. Quietly she popped the snap on the 9mm’s holster. Sliding it free she brought it up to the ready position.

Jill could not see the men. She assumed they were near the car, outside. She was thankful she had locked it and taken the key with her. Next, she looked over to where Missy had been searching the rubble for first aid supplies. She saw Missy crouched, nervously looking up and down the isle. The 9mm in her hands held at the ready.

Jill stooped down walking carefully to the swinging, half-door that led to the sales floor. Moving through it, Jill quietly stepped down to the tile floor. Once on the floor, she put her back to the shelf along the wall, moving along it to the front of the store. When she reached the front, she looked across the front ends of the isles. Missy was peering around the end of isle 5 the gun in front of her face. Jill motioned for her to stay there.

Jill crouched waiting, thinking about how to handle this. If the men came in, they would be caught in a deadly crossfire from her and Missy. But if they found the guns in the car or took the car, Jill knew she and Missy would be in bad trouble. Walking through the streets to the house would be very dangerous.

Finally, the decision was made for her. Jill heard the sound of breaking glass. The men were breaking into the car. Jill quietly sprinted to the door, picking up a bottle of perfume along the way. When she reached the door, Missy came to a crouch on the other side of the double doorway. Jill motioned to Missy with the perfume bottle, and then chunked the bottle out the door like a grenade.

Jill heard the bottle skidding on the pavement. Then she and Missy stepped around the door jam onto the sidewalk. They spotted two white men, both looking in the direction of the skidding bottle. Jill aimed the 9mm at them and yelled, “Freeze right there.”

Both men turned to look at Jill and Missy pointing pistols at them. The taller one with long hair and baggy jeans laughed and said, “ Well its two pussies that think they’re tough.”

The other man laughed at the statement. Jill commanded, “Just turn around and walk away. Get out of here!”

The same one that spoke before said, “You won’t shoot me. If you were that tough you already would have.” He took a step toward Jill as he said it. The other moved toward Missy smiling at her.

The men had revolvers stuck in the front of their pants. But neither made a move to draw them. Jill said, “I’m trying to give you a chance. Now get gone!”

The man took another step toward Jill. Suddenly Missy’s 9mm barked once. The man in front of her trembled and fell onto his back, a hole punched into his forehead.

The man in front of Jill watched his partner fall. Then suddenly he lunged at Jill. Jill fired her shot missing as he ducked under the shot. The man was going for a low tackle on Jill. Missy’s gun barked twice more and the man fell at Jill’s feet. He rolled holding his side with one hand, groaning loudly. The man’s other hand, reaching for the revolver at his belt. Jill dropped the muzzle of the 9mm almost straight down. As soon as her sights were on line with the man’s temple, she quickly pulled the trigger. The lone shot rang out. The man’s body jerked stiffly, and then was still.

Jill told Missy, “Lets get the stuff and get out of here in case some one heard the shots.”

They took the revolvers from the men’s belts, and then ran back in, grabbing what they already had in their boxes. Then quickly they stuffed everything into the Nissan’s backseat. Jill piled behind the wheel, starting the motor. She pulled away just as Missy slammed the door. Once out of the parking lot Missy exclaimed, “That was close!

Jill replied, “Yes it was, and thanks if it hadn’t been for you he would have gotten to me. By the way why did you fire?”

“I don’t know, the look in his eyes told me he was getting ready to make a move. I just decided to beat him to it.” Missy replied flatly.

Jill said, “You did good, I’m glad you did, I shouldn’t have tried to give them a chance. I don’t know why I even tried.”

Missy commented, “We did good though, the perfume bottle thing you did was cool!”

Jill simply said, “Thanks.”

When they got back to Jill’s house they backed the car up to the door to unload everything. After it was all unloaded and the Nissan returned to the garage. Jill inventoried everything storing it all, wherever she could. Missy sat watch while Jill worked putting the things away.

[brake pedal]

Jill had Missy to help her move the large blanket chests from each bedroom, into the safe room. The safe room was beginning to get rather crowded, with all the stuff stored in there.

In one chest Jill stored all of the unused weapons. In the other, she stored all the ammunition. Jill looked at the chests and sighed, they were filled to capacity. “Going to have to find more room if this keeps up.” She thought.

Jill made dinner, while Missy finished out her shift on watch. They ate together in the den, and discussed radioing Doug to come over at the end of Missy‘s shift. This time Missy made Jill promise not to be so tough on him.

At the end of her shift Missy went down to the safe room to start her pills again and rest. Jill radioed Doug who agreed to come over in 30 minutes. Jill liked the little radio. She’d already put hers on charge. She then wondered why the electricity was still on. “It couldn’t be that bad if the electricity is still on” she thought.

Doug arrived on time like he said. Jill waved him up. When he was seated she fixed him a drink. They got comfortable sitting across from each other in the overstuffed chairs. Starting with the basic things Jill told him a few things about herself to get the conversation started. She told him that she was single never married, and about her college degree and her career.

In turn she had found out he was also single, his wife had suddenly ran away with a man she worked with about six months ago. She also learned he had a seventeen year old son living with him. “ Missy will be interested in hearing that.” She thought.

Jill told him briefly about her escape from downtown, finding Missy, the log and the barge, and about loosing their clothes. Doug laughed at that, but said that she must be a strong person to go through all that. Jill asked “How are things, what caused all this, and when will it get back to normal?”

Doug became serious, saying, “Things may never get back to normal Jill. Certainly not like they were anytime soon.”

His statement took Jill aback. “Why? The blacks didn’t cause that much damage did they?” she asked. Suddenly she was suspicious he was trying to scare her.

Doug replied, “You only saw the beginning of it all Jill. Sure the blacks were pissed at the ruling. A ruling I agreed with by the way.” he paused waiting for Jill, whom he knew to be a liberal, to respond. She didn’t disappoint him.

Jill said, “ I figured you would agree, with that confederate flag of yours.”

Doug interrupted her, speaking calmly he said, “Now wait a minute, I am not racist. Just because I fly that flag doesn’t make me so. First the reason I agree is because even if there were slaves owed compensation. It would be minimal and paid at the pay scale of the 1860’s. Then should only be paid to those that actually preformed the tasks. How much do you think farm labor was worth back then?” Doug took a drink then continued, “Besides everyone seems to think slave labor was free labor, it wasn’t. It was a burden actually. For example you and I work for cash money to provide food, shelter, clothing and medical care, for us. Right? OK who do you think provided all that to the slaves? The slave owners had to provide everything for the slave. If slavery was so profitable why didn’t the big industries in the north embrace slavery?”

Jill thought about that for a minute, she had to admit he made sense. She said, “I hadn’t thought about it that way. That does make sense.”

Doug smiled and said, “Jill there’s a lot of things that have been left out of history classes and the news media. We can talk about it later. But as long as you realize, for now that I am not a racist, we can get back to what happened.

Jill said, “Sure.”

Doug began to explain; “Sure the blacks were calling for riots and protests, over the decision. Those that were upset about the ruling were actually a small minority of the total black population. They were led to believe they were owed that money. Greed overrides good sense on many occasions.” Doug reflected. “They would have rioted, they would have destroyed some, but in a few days it would have all been over.” Doug paused to sip his drink then continued. “That’s where the terrorists came into play. They saw an opportunity to throw a little gas on the fire, so to speak. They activated sleeper cells to assassinate black leaders around the country. You probably only heard about the first one in Atlanta. That was the worst one. It turned the blacks anger on to the whites. The pro-gun rally had nothing to do with it. But the shot did come from that direction. The militant blacks opened fire on the whites, who returned fire.” Doug paused again.

Jill stepped in to ask, “The pent up racial tension suddenly burst free then?”

Doug picked up “Yes in a big way. Whites and blacks across the nation saw that play out on TV. Literally millions of whites and blacks, infuriated grabbed their guns and hit the street. It was an instant race war.”

Doug sipped his drink, beginning to feel a buzz coming on from the alcohol. He let Jill consider that for a while. Jill asked, “OK, that was the first one what about the others that were assassinated?”

Doug replied, “After it all busted loose, every black leader around came out to speak, to calm the situation, calling for peace. Even though hours earlier they had called for unrest, they knew it hand gotten out of hand. Well, as they appeared the assassins did their jobs, fueling the fire. Finally someone started a rumor that it was the government who were assassinating the black leaders. The DC area blacks stormed the capitol, every government building. From what reports from the area tell us. Washington is but a burned out shell. There is no government. But its easy enough to understand why they would do that, they were fighting back against what they perceived was a government action.”

Jill was astonished. It was unbelievable. “No government?” she thought.

Doug let her think on that, he took another swig from his drink, draining the last of it. Jill made him another right away. Returning to hand him the drink, sitting back in her chair. Adjusting her holster belt as she sat down.

Doug began again, “So the Calvary won’t be coming over the hill, unless the UN gets its act together. When we went down the world economy collapsed also. We were all that kept it up anyway. So the UN is pretty much helpless themselves.”

Jill asked about the army. Doug replied, “There is no army, no military at all. When the word spread there was chaos on every American base, every ship, worldwide. The commanders were unable to control the troops as they turned on each other. Whole battle groups, ships taken over by one race fired on ships taken over by another race.

The magnitude of destruction was unbelievable to Jill. But it answered many of her questions. Finally, Doug said, “It wasn’t the blacks fault, no one blames them. This started out with actually a core minority protesting a decision. The accidental sequence of events aided by terrorists inflamed it all. In the end whites played just as much a part as the blacks. Everyone just went crazy.” Doug concluded.

Jill sat thinking, then asked, “But where’s all the people? I mean they’re gone, it’s like a ghost town.”

Doug explained, “Most of them left, headed out to the countryside, to family. But many, many more went downtown to protect the city or to kill a few people of the other race, while they had a chance. The downtown streets are piled with bodies. It’s going to be a health hazard soon. I’d say, Probably a couple of million are dead there. Those that didn’t leave and those that eventually do crawl out of downtown are what we need to worry about right now.”

Jill asked, “ What do you mean?”

Doug explained, “As for downtown, there are some still alive, still fighting. If they stay among the bodies long enough for disease to set in, they will get sick and wander out spreading the sickness to the suburbs. The ones that are left here will soon be getting hungry. They’ll be desperate for food. So they’ll attack us if they think they can take our food.” Doug thought then asked, “By the way how are you two doing on food, ammo? Anything you need?”

Jill told him, “We could hold out forever on ammo. The food? Oh about another two months if we push it. But clothes, we have plenty of the frilly, delicate things. But we only have two pairs of jeans and two tee shirts each. But we’ll make it.”

Jill tried to seem unworried, but hearing the latest news she knew she and Missy were in trouble with their food supply. Two months was simply not enough. They needed at least a year’s worth, she guessed. Enough to reach the next harvest season, at least.

Doug thought a minute while he sipped his drink. Finally, he said, “ I may be able to help you with the clothes part. The food we need to work on, you are going to need at least a year’s worth. Plus, seed to plant for the spring.”

Jill said, “ I appreciate what you are trying to do, but I don’t want to become dependant on anyone.”

Doug replied, “I understand, but these are hard times. Plus, one of the best ways to survive anything is teaming up, helping each other. The clothes are my ex-wife’s. I never got around to throwing them out. She only took a suitcase of the frilly things. And Trent and I have a little extra food since we are only two instead of three. But if the group on the radio discovers any extra food, we’ll see about getting you some.”

Jill became uncomfortable with where this was going. Jill stood angrily, “And what am I supposed to give in return?” she asked.

Doug stood up now, said, “Look lady I’m trying to be helpful here. I don’t know what you think I’m trying to do. I am willing to give you the clothes, and donate some food should you need help. Those are my “extras”. The other stuff the group will have to give you.”

Jill asked “What group?”

Doug replied, “There are over a hundred in the group I talk to on the radio. We saw this coming we prepared for it, we stockpiled everything we’d need. We are in contact with other groups through a radio network. I do not expect anything in return for what I give you. All I ever expected from you was what we were doing a minute ago. Conversation, friendship, that’s all.”

Jill felt sheepish said “ I’m sorry Doug I had a bad experience, please forgive me, it will take some time for me to get used to accepting help.”

Doug smiled saying “I understand.”

Jill admitted, “ I have enjoyed our discussion really. Please lets sit back down.”

Doug sat back down, as did Jill. Doug spoke again, “Look you are just getting started, and you’ve got a lot to learn about survival. You have come along way so far on your own. What I’m trying to do is offer you the use of my library.”

Jill smiled she had never expected “The redneck” to have a library. “You have a library?” she asked surprised.

Doug replied, “Oh, yes indeed, a survivalist depends upon his library. I have bookcase after bookcase. Actually, it was one of my ex-wife’s biggest complaints. She complained about the space they took and having to dust them.” Doug smiled then continued. “ I have lots of fiction, the classics, along with law, and political commentary. Plus a good bit on gardening, food preservation, hand to hand combat, firearms, tactics, and” He smiled. “A few recently banned books.”

Jill commented, “ I would enjoy that, thank you.” then she asked seriously, “On your radio, can you reach anyone in Montgomery Alabama?”

Doug replied frowning, “We have heard reports from there. I suppose we could get messages into and out of there?” then he asked, “ Do you have family there?”

Jill replied, “No, but Missy’s parents live there, I wanted to see if they could be located.”

Doug told Jill the reports from there indicated that Montgomery was one of the hardest hit areas. That he suspected it was due to the long history of racial tension there. Jill gave him the address and a message explaining that Missy was OK and being cared for.

Finally, Doug got up to leave as it was getting late. On his way out he invited Jill and Missy to come over for a visit sometime, reminding her to radio ahead. Then as an after thought Doug said, “By the way we saw you two leave today. It’s really none of my business, but I just wanted to say it’s dangerous out there, looters and rapists. Be careful. I have even heard about a gang chasing and blocking people on the interstate. Robbing, killing or raping them.”

Jill smiled knowingly, “Not any more, that’s where we went today. We took them out.” She said flatly.

Doug didn’t know what to say. This lady was so full of surprises. Jill told him about the rape and the killing of the officer behind their house. That she and Missy had taken the gang out in honor of the officer whose guns they had. Doug’s mind flipped to the frame with the badge and things on the wall in the den. He’d wondered about those while talking to Jill.

After saying good-bye, Doug went out the door. Walking toward home he felt a positive feeling about the evening, and the prospect of working together with Jill.

Jill closed the door behind him, leaning there for a minute assessing the meeting. She felt it had gone well. The redneck was not as she had presumed him to be. He seemed to be well educated and knowledgeable. He was also a better person than any of the downtown people that she had met. Doug seemed to truly care about her, sincerely wanted to help her. He wasn’t the cutthroat that she had become accustomed to seeing.

Then Jill’s mind turned to the physical body. He was rugged, the blonde hair. The tallness, the long build, Jill was still mentally undressing the man when Missy walked into the room. She was still groggy, her blonde hair frizzed.

Jill asked, “ What did you think about him?”

Missy smiled and replied gruffly, “If you don’t give him some, I will.” Then smiled slyly.

Jill smiled stating, “You just hold on, besides he has a seventeen year old son.”

Missy perked up upon hearing that, her eyes twinkled. “ Really?” She asked.

Jill led Missy up to the watch post to tell her about the meeting, the son, and the offer. And anything else she could think of. Finally, she concluded by telling Missy about the message she gave him to try to get to her parents. Missy told Jill “Thanks.” Then Missy asked what they were going to do about food. Jill said she would think of something on the next watch, and then went off to bed in the safe room.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 5


Missy sat watch through the next hour, bored stiff. Nothing seemed to be moving. She stared down the street to Doug’s house. Concentrating on the second floor watch post there, trying to see into it, through the darkness. Lonely, bored, she tried to from a mental picture of Trent. Finally, Missy sighed, reached for the little two-way radio. Picking it up she keyed the mike, “Is anyone there?” she asked softly. Then she waited nervously.

The radio keyed back with the deep voice of a young male saying quietly, “Yes, is this Trent. Is everything OK?”

Missy explained everything was all right, that she was only bored. That she had thought they could talk a little. The teens keyed the mikes back and forth for the rest of their shift, getting to know one another. Then just before dawn they watched as the streetlights began going out. First, a string of lights went out along one street then another on another street. It seemed as if someone were flipping switches on a panel box.

Missy asked Trent if he were seeing it too. Trent explained they were surprised the lights had stayed on this long. Missy told Trent she had to go wake Jill.

Missy woke Jill telling her about the lights. Jill hurried upstairs to the den. An eeriness fell over her as she looked out into the total darkness. There was finality to the blackness. Jill knew it would be a long, long time before they were all back on, possibly years. The radio crackled with Doug’s voice, “Jill? Everything alright over there?”

Jill seemed to find comfort in the voice. It made her feel like everything would be all right. She radioed him, “Yes Doug we’re fine, spooky isn’t it?”

Doug responded, “Yes it is. We expected it sooner than this. We figure the normal power use dropped just slowly enough that the equipment was able to reduce power before flipping any circuit breakers. Then it was just a matter of time until some part failed.”

Jill asked Doug, “How will you power your radio?”

Doug replied, “We have generators, and solar. And can use car batteries if necessary, no problem.”

Jill keyed up to say “OK Doug we’ll talk later, thank you.”

Doug replied, “Anytime, Jill.”

She put the radio down, continuing to stare out the window into the strange blackness. Missy still sat in the watch chair. “ It will take some getting used to I guess.” Jill observed.

Missy said, “Yeah, it feels weird doesn’t it.”

Jill turned to Missy, putting her hand on Missy’s shoulder as she walked by, “Don’t worry about it, we’ll be OK.” Jill said comforting Missy, and then went back down to the safe room to sleep.

Jill lay awake thinking about where to find food, a lot of it, and how she could transport it to the house. In the quiet, she heard Missy’s soft voice talking. She wondered if Missy were talking to herself. Next, she heard a male voice. Jill sat up quickly thinking “there’s someone in the house!” Then came the subtle spurt of static, she realized then that the male voice had come from the two-way radio. Jill listened for a while, and then smiled to herself. Missy was talking to Trent the way teenagers do. She felt glad Missy had made a friend.

Missy awoke Jill at seven in the morning to stand watch. Missy made breakfast, taking the food up to the watch post. They ate together talking over the plans for the day. First on the agenda was to find a truck to haul any thing they found. Jill had decided it should be a diesel. Because everyone else used gas, so they should be able to find some diesel. She also decided it should have four-wheel drive, just in case they might need it. Jill had decided to try the dealerships in the area, to see if there might have been some on the lots.

Next, Jill told Missy to be thinking of a place that had not been looted, where they might find some food. They used the yellow pages to help them, hoping to get an idea.

Before they finished eating and planning the speaker on the radio crackled. Trent’s voice came through the speaker. The sleepy voice saying, “Have a good day Missy, I’ll talk to you tonight.“

Missy smiled, embarrassed, her blue eyes twinkling. She looked at Jill then picked up the radio telling Trent to have a good day and that she’d talk to him tonight.

Jill smiled at her, staring as if waiting for an explanation. Missy said almost giggling, “We talked last night.”

Jill smiling let it hang there going back to the yellow pages. After an hour, Jill looked to Missy. “ You ready for an adventure?” she asked.

Missy smiled, “Sure!”

By the time Jill and Missy had gotten ready, the sun was high in the sky. The heat of the June day began to build. The house grew stuffy without the air conditioning. Jill stepped out into the sun in the all black tee shirt and jeans. “This is going to get rough,” she told Missy.

Missy replied, “Yeah, I’m already sweating.”

Jill looked up the street to see Doug sitting watch at the window of his house. Jill saw he wore no shirt, remarked, “Guys have it easier they don’t have to wear a shirt.

Missy smiled slyly shrugged her shoulders said, “Why can’t we go that way? There isn’t any law anymore that says we can’t.”

Jill looked at her frowning not saying anything and walked to the garage to start the Nissan. Jill checked the gas hand; it read a half a tank. There were the six, five-gallon containers they had from the truck the other day. But Jill knew they would need more, that there wouldn’t be any more for a long time.

As they drove away, Jill thought how lucky they had been. Sure looting had been bad, but had everyone not run away, there would have been nothing left. As it was, there were things still available for them to use.

Jill did not run the air conditioning in the Nissan in order to conserve gas. It was terribly hot as they drove to several dealerships looking for a truck. The windows being down helped, but only if they were moving. Even then, the wind did not hit their skin. Jill was almost ready to take Missy up on her suggestion. Finally, they spotted a truck sitting in the showroom of a Dodge dealership.

They found the doors to the show room locked. Jill busted the glass out of the door with the tire tool from the Nissan. They stepped in side going to the truck. It was exactly what they wanted. It was even a dark green color that would disappear at night, or in the trees. Jill was surprised to find the key in the ignition. She assumed that since it was inside the locked showroom, the managers didn’t expect anyone to attempt to steal it.

Jill turned the switch, all the gauges fluttered, rising. The warning lights all came on. Turning further, the engine ground several times then came to life. Jill listened to the engine running. She enjoyed the rattling sound characteristic of diesel engines.

Jill stepped out, letting the truck idle. Looking around, she found the double glass doors on the other side of the show room. Jill took the tire iron with her to pry the doors open. Ultimately she had to break out the glass to get the frames to separate.

Missy propped the doors back while Jill ran back to the truck. It was difficult maneuvering the truck between the other vehicles in the showroom. By the time Jill finally had the truck out of the doors, she had grown tired of the stifling heat and exhaust fumes inside the showroom. Pulling out onto the hot pavement, Jill yelled to Missy, “Get in!”

After Missy had climbed up into the truck, Jill drove around to the Nissan, where they picked up the AK-47’s and other gear. Then pulling away Jill told Missy, “We’ll come back to get the Nissan on the way home. I’ve had it with this heat, in these black outfits. But we‘re not going topless, we‘re going shopping.” Jill then pulled into the parking lot of a Salvation Army thrift store.

Missy observed, “They didn’t loot this place.”

Jill said, “Yeah why would they?” then answering her own question said, “The stuff isn’t worth much, and there was expensive places in the malls.”

Jill had to bust the door glass, to gain entry. Once inside, she led Missy to the shirt racks. Finding a plaid pattern flannel long sleeve that fit her, she took it off the hanger. Missy thought it strange that she would pick a winter shirt.

Pulling out the K-Bar, Jill sliced the buttons from the front. Next, she removed the sleeves at the shoulder seams. Finally, she cut a ten-inch strip from the bottom of the shirt. By now, Missy understood what Jill was doing.

Jill shrugged out of the sticky tee shirt, feeling strange being topless in a store. Surprisingly even the heavy air in the store felt cooler on her skin. She slipped into the modified shirt, smiling she said, “Great!” The open top came almost to her belt, and was loose fitting to allow air to flow underneath, while still providing some modesty.

Missy smiled at the top. Asked Jill, “Suppose it blows open?”

Jill replied, “Then I guess someone will get a tit shot, won’t they?” then laughed.

Missy quickly grabbed one for herself. Using the folding lock blade knife she’d taken from the officers’ duty belt, she began to make herself one. While Missy worked, Jill picked up the ten-inch strip she had cut from her shirt. She cut it, and then folded it into a bandana, tying it around her head when she had finished.

Missy finished her top, and tried it on. Jill laughed a little. Missy asked, “What?”

Jill explained, “ With your bigger boobs, you’ll get more air underneath. And, you’ll have a harder time keeping it closed.”

Missy held up her hands smiling said, “Oh well!”

Jill snickered and said, “I bet Trent will love it!”

Missy blushed and retorted, “Well so will Doug!”

After they had laughed, Jill instructed Missy to take all the flannel shirts in their size, and then find some tee shirts. Jill went to get them some blue jeans. They felt as if they were on an old fashioned shopping spree. Gleefully they roamed the store, gathering much the needed items. Jill even found several pairs of heavy duty hiking boots to fit them. They gathered socks and panties, considered bras then decided only one or two for Missy, in case of a special occasion.

Once they had what they needed, they changed into the blue jeans, to be cooler. Put the rest of the clothes in the back of the truck, then climbed in to leave. Jill thought Missy looked great in the new clothes and the bandana in her golden hair. Her big smile and blue eyes set it all off.

Driving down the road with the windows down, their tops bloused open in the wind. They giggled at the site and feel of the wind on their chests. They were on their way to a grocery warehouse that Jill had discovered in the yellow pages. Jill hoped that people would have looted the stores, forgetting how the food got to the stores.

Missy asked, “ Reckon where all the people went?”

Jill replied, “Out into the country, according to what Doug said. A lot of them will eventually wander back. That’s why I wanted to get the food and clothing so quickly. When they left, they didn’t take the time to loot so much. But when they come back they will pick everything clean.”

“So we get it now, before everyone returns?” Missy asked.

Jill simply said “Yep.”

They found the building where the warehouse was located. It wasn’t very well marked only a small sign at the end of the driveway. Jill drove in, backing the truck up to a loading dock between two semi trailers to hide the truck from view.

They went to the small door at the end of the loading docks. It was locked. Missy used a brick to break the window, and then reached inside to turn the lock.

Inside the warehouse, they found the food all neatly stacked on pallets. They wondered the isles to get an idea where everything was and to determine what would be the best for long-term storage. Eventually, Jill decided they would need a bigger truck than the Dodge.

Jill went back outside studying the trucks, parked around the lot. She found a large straight truck with a twenty-four foot box body. She radioed Missy the number on the truck. Missy found the key in the key box, to take to Jill.

Once the truck was backed in at a dock Jill started a forklift. It took her twenty minutes of playing with the controls to figure out how it worked. But now she was loading pallets like a pro.

Zipping around the warehouse with the forklift, they loaded complete pallets of meal, flour, macaroni, spaghetti, egg noodles, beans, and all sorts of canned meats, vegetables, and fruits. They filled the box truck until it could hold no more.

Before leaving, Jill filled the bed of the Dodge to capacity with toilet paper. She had no idea how they were going to unload all the stuff from the truck. She had planned to store the stuff in her oversize two-car garage. Jill decided she would figure out something when she got there.

Missy drove the dodge, while Jill drove the box truck. At an intersection along the way, Jill spotted a wedge shaped object on small wheels at a trucking terminal. She stopped while she studied it for a moment. Then she realized what it was. It was designed for a forklift to go up into the back of a truck to unload the pallets. She made a mental note as to where it was located and then continued home.

Jill parked the box truck on the street in front of Doug’s house she told him over the radio as they got closer what it was and asked them to watch it until she returned.

Jill and Missy unloaded the toilet paper into the garage, and then returned to the warehouse. They loaded the forklift onto the Dodge. On the way back they hitched the wedge to the truck, pulling it home with them.

While they unloaded the food with the forklift, Doug came over to see what he could do to help. All during the conversation Doug had had to avert his eyes, nervously from the tops they wore. Fortunately, the tops never blew open. Jill and Missy were careful not to let that happen in front of him.

Jill told him about the warehouse and that they planned to make another trip that day. And that she had estimated that would be all that the garage could hold. Doug said he would like to use the truck and forklift to get some food for himself and Ray. Doug explained Ray was a retired man who lived behind Doug’s house, with Alice his wife. Jill said they could use them, and she and Missy could accompany them.

Jill, Missy and Doug made several trips to the warehouse that day. Before dark, they had filled Jill’s, Doug’s, and Ray’s garages. Food would not be a problem for them until the next year.

That afternoon, after all the food had been put away and everyone had cleaned themselves up, Jill changed into her blue jeans and a plain blue tee shirt. After buckling her pistol belt on she walked over to Doug’s house. She, Doug and Ray sat in Doug’s living room talking while Missy and Trent sat watches in their separate houses. Ray was an aged black man, in his late sixties. He was six foot tall, heavy, but seemed to be in good shape. His wife Alice sat watch at their house. All three of the watches were in radio contact. Doug began by updating Ray and Jill on the latest news of the day. The main topic was there were reports from outlying areas. The townspeople having realized that there were not going to be any aid shipments, anytime soon had began to deny food to the refugees. In some towns, the refugees reacted angrily, tearing the town to pieces. In others, the refugees were gathered around the town not moving. In some of the towns, the refugee’s lefts to go either back home or go to other towns.

“Bottom line” Doug said, “ We will start seeing more people coming our way. Desperate people, It won’t be long I don’t think until we start getting reports of refugees joining into groups and arming themselves. Then we could have some real trouble”

The news from overseas was bad also. Due to America falling to ruin the rest of the world seemed to collapse it had only been a few days. But without America to buy the products, the markets worldwide had shut down. Without American soldiers fighting forever keeping the peace, wars flared everywhere around the globe. The United Nations, terribly weakened, was in total chaos, unable to attempt to quell the violence or even to aid America. After Doug had finished his news, they all sat chatting.

Jill enjoyed talking to Ray. She felt he was a good solid man, very intelligent. Ray had not participated in the riots. He confirmed what Doug had told her earlier about there only being a small racial minority that did participate. Ray had detested what those blacks had stood for. He said “they were against racism, but were racist themselves. They took what they could and screamed for more. Because they believed whites owed it to them. That whites were always oppressing them, or picking on them for some reason.”

Ray had told Jill about a time when he had been leaving a building downtown where his accounting office had been located. A young black man, dressed shabbily in a black power tee shirt and baggy pants, worn so low that his underwear had shown above them. The man had come up to Ray. Called him an “Uncle Tom”, and asked Ray why he still slaved for the white man, why did he still allow himself to be exploited by the white man. Telling Ray the white man kept the brothers locked up and beat down. They picked on the brothers.

Ray had allowed the man to say his peace. Then had told the young man, “I do not slave for the white man. I work for my money. I am well paid for what I do, so I do not feel I am exploited. I do not break the law. So therefore I have never had an occasion to be locked up or picked on. Young man, If you think you have it rough now, I want you to think about when I grew up. There were separate bathrooms, separate everything, there were lynching’s going on. Why a young man with your attitude, would have found himself in a noose. My generation worked to change all that, to get respect for the black man. And we gave respect back.” Ray had run his hands over his business suit and said, “Young man when the white people think of a black man, I certainly hope they have a mental image of me and not of you. Otherwise we could loose the respect I and many others of my generation worked so hard to gain.” Ray had told the story tiredness evident in his voice. When he had finished, he politely excused himself to go home. Leaving Jill and Doug alone in the living room sipping their drinks.

[brake pedal]

Jill sat low on the couch, her legs stretched out in front of her, feet apart. Doug sat at a stool at the bar, almost in front of her. As they talked, she could feel his eyes on her. Finally, Doug asked about the modified shirt she had worn earlier in the day. Jill told him about seeing him without his shirt. That in the heat, they had wished they could go without a shirt to stay cooler. The modified top had been their compromise.

Doug replied smiling, “Oh yes its just that being a single man it seems to stir the emotions.”

Jill laughed at his nervousness and the words he’d chosen, “ I’m sorry.” She said, feigning pity.

Doug smiled. Asked, “Aren’t you worried it will blow open or something?”

Jill smiling, raising her eyebrows, teased, “ Sometimes it does. You have seen a woman’s breasts before so I shouldn’t think it would corrupt you. ”

Doug exasperated finally said, “ Look Jill, It’s rather tough for me. Being single, and you being the attractive person that you are.

Jill interrupted by snickering and asking, “Are you trying to say it gives you ideas?”

Doug embarrassed said “Yes it does and it’s making it worse because I know you’ll think I’m asking for favors.”

Jill became quiet for a moment, serious. She said, “I told you I had a bad experience Doug. Now I don’t see myself in that position. I have guns, I have food, and I can take care of myself. I didn’t want to feel like I needed you, that if I didn’t allow certain things that you would leave me. What I’m trying to say Doug is now I can do that without feeling like I must do it.”

Doug smiled warmly said, “I understand.”

Jill felt that he did. The moment was awkward. Jill smiled and said, “You know Missy and Trent flirt while they are on watch?”

Doug said, “ I know” Smiling proudly.

Jill asked, “ How would you feel if they got together”

Doug replied, “ It’s up to them. I try not to run too much of his life.” Then asked, “What about you, what do you think?”

Jill replied, “ You know I’m not her mother. I guess you could say I am her guardian. That said. I really don’t see anything wrong with it. I made sure she is on the pill. She’s not a virgin.”

Doug smiled and said, “Sounds like you are doing a good job of taking care of her. And she seems to handle those weapons well.”

Jill said softly, “Thanks.” then she told him about the drugstore and how Missy had shot both men. Doug was impressed, by the story. By now though, Jill was feeling too much of a buzz from the drinks, plus she was tired from the long day. She decided it was time to go home.

Doug followed her to the chain link gate. Opening the gate for her, Jill stepped through. She turned back to Doug, to say “Good night.” Tilting her head up to him, hoping Doug would take the hint to kiss her, or walk her home. When he didn‘t, she stepped toward him running her left arm around his neck, pulling him down toward her. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek, smiling when she pulled back. Then turned and walked away toward home. Smiling at her self, not believing she had just kissed “The Redneck“.

Doug watched her walking away. The kiss had surprised him, but it was definitely welcome. He felt hope and excitement as he locked the gate, going back inside.

At home, Jill went up to relieve Missy at watch. Missy was grinning wildly. “You kissed him?” she asked.

Jill asked, “ You saw us?”

Missy replied, “No, Trent told me.”

Jill admitted, “Yes. I kissed him. Now go get some sleep.”

Missy went down to the safe room smiling, leaving Jill to sit watch. Jill was also feeling a new excitement, as she sat watching the street. She realized again how lonely she had been in her life, the life past. Jill considered this as a new life, a new beginning, a new Jill. She knew she had changed a lot since the collapse. In this life Doug wasn’t a redneck, if he was then so was she. They were now survivors.

Tonight she had seen Doug in a different light. She trusted him. She knew she could count on him. Now looking back she wished there had been more than a kiss.

Suddenly Jill was startled out of her thoughts. A noise downstairs, only a creak, but it shouldn’t have been there. She rose up waiting to see if she heard it again. Out the window, Jill saw five figures begin to run from beside the house across the street. At the same instant Doug’s frantic voice came on the radio. “Jill you got company in front!” he exclaimed.

Jill keyed the mike, “ I know. I think there’s some in back too. Maybe in the house”

Missy‘s voice came from downstairs, “I‘m up Jill!”

Jill didn‘t answer. She picked up her AK-47, pushing it out the window. She sighted in on one of the figures, firing five rapid shots as she tracked the figure with her sights. The tumbling dark shape told her she had made a hit. The others began to move faster, spreading out as they approached the house.

Jill heard shots, saw muzzle flashes from Doug’s house. Another figure crumpled onto her lawn.

Missy’s AK began booming downstairs. Firing so fast Jill couldn’t count the shots. Missy screamed, “They’re in the house!”

Jill started down the steps with her AK pointing the way in the darkness. She knew this was a bad situation. She and Missy could mistake each other in the dark house, shooting each other by mistake. They had to be very careful and that carefulness could give the attackers an edge. Jill heard more gunfire outside, the radio upstairs blasted Doug’s voice, “I’m coming over Jill!” Then to Ray, “ Ray watch the back side of my house.”

Ray’s voice replied, “Will do!”

Missy’s AK sounded again, three shots. Followed by some other kind of gun firing. At the bottom of the steps, Jill could tell the AK muzzle flashes came from Missy’s defensive position outside the safe room door.

Jill switched the AK to her left hand, drawing the 9mm with her right. She then crouched low, walking behind the sofa to the kitchen doorway. As she neared the door Jill felt someone grab her around the neck pulling her backward. “Drop the guns bitch!” a male voice, said quietly. Jill slammed her right elbow backward into the man’s ribs. As she did, She heard an “humph!” There was a growl and a hard pull backward. Dropping her to the floor, on her back.

Suddenly the man was on her straddling her hips. The man now had a hard grip on her right breast through her tee shirt, holding her pinned. While his right hand backhanded her across the face. The strikes stunning her she, in a daze she brought the 9mm up to the man’s rib’s firing twice. The man’s jerking body fell onto her chest.

Jill rolled him off of her. Getting to her feet she shook off the brain fog caused by the strikes. She shouted Missy to keep them from getting past the front door. Then darted through the kitchen doorway. Someone grabbed the slide of the 9mm as she passed through, trying to wrench it from her grip. Jill kicked the person. In the dark she could not tell where. She brought the muzzle of the AK around and up under the arm holding the 9mm. She fired three times, the muzzle flashes blinding in the dark room. She felt the person’s hands release the 9mm and then she heard a body hitting the kitchen floor. From the dim moonlight, she could tell the backdoor was open and moved toward it.

“Damn the dark!” Jill thought. Then a figure appeared in the doorway. Jill aimed the 9mm, hesitated, then she whispered, “Doug?” When she did not get an answer, she fired three times. The figure fell face forward onto the tile floor.

More sporadic gunfire from outside told Jill Doug was still outside. She bent to crawl out onto the back porch. She saw two shapes coming off the interstate fence. Jill fired the 9mm until the slide locked back. The figures crouched and began to fire back. The shots seemed to fly wild, not coming close. Jill rolled off the porch on her right side. Bringing the AK to her right fist letting the 9mm fall to the ground.

Jill looked around her quickly and then crawled on her belly up to the corner of the porch. She braced the AK against the corner of the foundation to steady her aim. The shapes were now running. Jill fired her finger working the trigger, counting the shots in her mind. Finally after the eighth shot, both shapes lie on the ground.

Attempting to move to another position she began to get to her knees, when someone dove onto her back, pinning her to the ground. Grabbing her hair, yanking her head back. A mans voice rasped, “Be still girl!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Jill heard an AK stutter three times. She felt the body convulsing as the shots hit him, the force of the impacts peeling the man off of her back. The man fell to the ground. Jill looked up to see Missy on the porch, wild eyed, clutching her AK at her hip. Jill yelled, “Thanks!” and then added, “get down before some sees you!” Next, Jill felt around for the 9mm. Finding it she changed the magazines in both guns, while Missy covered her. Then Missy did the same with her guns.

There was more sporadic firing from the front yard. The moans of the wounded where heard all around the house. Jill and Missy slowly worked their way around to the front of the house. As they made their way along the wall, a single pistol shot rang out. Jill heard the whiz of the lead just before it smacked into the wall between her and Missy. Both she and Missy dove to the ground, rolling away from each other. There was quiet for a few moments as Jill scanned the area near the house next door. Suddenly a figure leaped up from the ground from under a bush. It seemed to be scrambling to run away. Jill and Missy both fired in unison at their attacker. The body twisted one way and then the other from the impacts of the rifle rounds. As the body fell forward they stopped firing. After their last shot echoed off the surrounding house’s they realized the shooting had suddenly ceased. In the quiet darkness they made their way to the front corner. Doug called to them, “Jill! Missy! Its clear in the front!”

Jill yelled back, “I think we got them all back here!” Then she led Missy around the corner to the front porch. Doug walked onto the porch from the other direction.

Doug asked, “Everyone OK?”

Jill replied, “Yeah I think so.” Then asked, “Who were they and how many were there?” Jill realized after she had asked the question there was no way Doug could know, felt silly for asking.

Doug sighed saying, “Well we won’t know for sure how many there were until we count the bodies. As for who they were, I suspect they were traffickers of females. We had been hearing about it, we knew it would start eventually.” Doug paused to gauge the ladies reaction in the dim moon light. They looked at him unbelievingly. He continued. “They must have seen you two out today and followed you back here. Then waited until they thought you were asleep.”

Jill began shaking her head, in disbelief at what she was learning.

Doug explained, “Look Jill I know you were a liberal, liberals don’t believe normal human beings are capable of this kind of thing. Jill humans are animals. The only reason most of them did not commit criminal acts was the fear of getting caught.” Doug caught his breath then said, “You considered going without a top because there was no law. That works both ways. Without the law what’s to keep me or any other male from just taking you? You and Missy, locking you up in my basement, using you or trading you for food or guns.” Doug, disgusted paced a few steps thinking. Then he began again, “That’s what these guys were doing, which’s why they were trying not to kill you. They were going to use you, use Missy, then trade you for something.”

It was horrible, but it made sense. The more Jill thought about it the more sense it made, the angrier she became.

Doug concluded by saying, “ Face it ladies what you are worth now, to some people, is what you are carrying between your legs. Men will kill quicker for it than for food. All that will stop them are men like me, and your own knowledge and skill with those weapons.”

Jill asked, “You knew about these kind of people?”

Doug replied, “We are just putting it together. Women are turning up missing. Not all of them kidnapped. Some of them knew what was happening and hid out somewhere. There are gangs like these forming all over. They specialize in the traffic of females.”

Jill was sickened. She knew about the danger of rape but had never thought that someone would actually try to hold women as sex slaves much less use them for trade like property. Coldly she said to Doug, “If you ever hear of a location on one of these groups around Nashville, promise you’ll tell me.”

Doug sensed the fierceness in her voice, said, “ OK Jill.” Then hoping to calm them down he told them that he had talked to some people in Montgomery. That had promised to check the address for him. He hoped to know something in a few days.

Missy seemed to take stock in that. Jill remained unchanged. She gritted her teeth, the facial muscles contracting and relaxing, as she thought of the men. What they had intended to do to her and other females had been barbaric. The sounds of the wounded moaning, begging for mercy, angered her more.

Doug said softly, “Look, tomorrow, I have help coming. He’s an old friend from Jackson County. They’ll be here in the morning. We’ll get rid of the bodies then we’ll get some barbed wire, some lumber and some posts. Then we’ll fix it so this won’t happen again. My friend and his wife will move into the house across the street from you, that should help too.” Doug didn’t know what else to say. He took Jill into his arms, holding her tight to his chest. Pressing her head against his chest. “Its Ok.” he whispered.

He saw Missy standing alone. He motioned her over. She came to him, embracing. All three held each other in the darkness and the moaning. Doug whispered, “It’s going to be fine as long as we stick together.”

Finally, Jill and Missy seemed to find their strength, their will. They stepped back, Missy asked softly, “How about a drink Jill?”

Doug looked at Jill surprised. Jill looked at him saying, “Doug she just fought off a gang of men trying to rape her and enslave her. She killed several of them herself at close range in the dark. If she wants a drink, I think she has a right to make that decision. Killing is an adult decision that she’s already had to make many times. Drinking is not any different.”

Doug said only, “It’s your decision, I didn’t say anything.”

Jill asked, “Do you deny Trent any adult enjoyment, then expect him to make adult decisions such as killing?”

Doug stammered, “I never looked at it that way. But you’re right.”

Finally, Jill stepped into his arms, huddling against him as if she were cold. After a long moment said, “We’re going in to get that drink, then get some sleep.”

Doug asked, “Do you want me to help you with the wounded?”

Jill replied softly, “No Doug I’ll take care of it. You go on back home. We have a long day tomorrow.” She rose up on tiptoes kissing him lightly on the lips. Then she stepped back. Doug lightly rubbed his hand on her cheek, feeling the softness, before he turned and walked away, leaving Jill and Missy standing on the porch.

At his gate, a shot from Jill’s house startled him. Steeling himself, he stood waiting for the next. Staring up to the stars, Doug heard shot after shot until the night was quiet. No more shots, also no more moans from the wounded. Doug finished opening the gate thinking, “That’s one tough lady.” He was proud of her. He knew she would make it.

Jill walked to each man, using a flashlight she assessed visually if he were alive or dead. The living and those she were not sure of received a 9mm round to the head. Then she checked the bodies for any weapons, collecting all the guns, ammunition, and anything else they might use. While she did this Missy stood watch in the yard, her AK-47 in one hand a stiff whiskey and cola in her other hand.

When the task was finished, Missy sat watch while Jill went to sleep. She knew Missy would drink and talk to Trent on the radio. And in four hours when she awoke, Jill knew Missy would stagger down stairs to the safe room to sleep it off. Missy didn’t get blasted much. But after last nights experience, Jill couldn’t blame her.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 6


Jill awoke to Missy’s rapid footsteps on the stairs. Thinking something was happening again, Jill jumped out of the bed quickly. Snatching up her AK she yelled, “ What’s up?”

Missy called out, her speech slurred, “it’s a big red Bronco pulling a trailer loaded with stuff under a tarp. It’s going down the street toward Doug’s’ house. He says it’s his friend from Jackson County.”

Jill relaxed, sat back on the bed and leaned the AK back into its place by the bed. She then caught a scent, crinkling her nose against it. She thought, “The bodies outside shouldn’t start to smell this quick.” She started up to the den and then she remembered that the clothes she had on were the same ones from the night before. She changed into a clean pair of jeans and a tee shirt in her bedroom. In the den, the smell was stronger because the window was kept open. She radioed Doug to tell him she was coming over. Her handguns already at her waist she picked up her AK on the way out.

Outside the stench of death was terrible. Jill suspected it was coming from the bodies in downtown. She noticed the breeze seemed to be coming from that way. She tried to ignore it, but still wondered if it would ever go away. She saw Doug talking to the people from the bronco. She walked up to them Doug reached out his arm to her as she approached. She instinctively walked over to stand beside him, his arm going around her shoulders. Doug introduced her to his friend. “Allan, Vicki this is Jill Johnson. Jill this is Allan Snyder and his wife Vicki.”

Jill shook hands with them saying “ Nice to meet you” Allan was of medium height, wiry fellow, with blue eyes, brown hair with a full mustache. The blue eyes seemed piercing against the tanned skin.

Vicki was shorter and wore her long blonde hair in a ponytail. She was also blue eyed, Her skin smooth and darkly tanned. Vicki was slim, and firm, Her hips curving perfectly. Jill guessed her breasts were a c cup plus. She smiled a lot showing vivid white teeth. Jill felt she liked them both. They both were wearing camouflage BDU’s, Vicki’s top three button left open to her bare chest.

Doug told Allan about the firefight last night and the plan for their day as he Doug led them inside. Jill wished Missy could come along. Then she remembered she had to get back to allow Missy to sleep.

Once inside Jill decided on another option. She went up to the watch post. Where she radioed Missy telling her to go ahead and sleep she and Trent would keep watch. Missy reluctantly said “ok.”

Doug led Allan and Vicki up to the watch post where they could all be together and talk. Jill merely sat and listened as old friends caught up on how each other had been doing. Alice and Ray also joined them. After a few minutes, Alice volunteered to make breakfast and Jill followed her down to the kitchen to help. After they had all ate breakfast; everyone left to start their day. Jill left to go back to her house.

Walking around her lawn Jill checked all of the bodies to make sure she had gotten everything, they could use. Once that was done, she sat on the back porch, thinking. She wondered about what to do with the bodies and made plans on how to secure the house from another raid. Doug had given her some good ideas.

When Missy finally woke up it was nearly noon. She came out on the back porch. She looked rough. Jill asked her “ You fell better now?”

Missy smiled “I did get a little too sloshed didn’t I?”

Jill laughed and said, “ Yeah you did. But it was a rough night. Look lets get started with this stuff, so we can get it done. I have been thinking we need to socialize more. So tonight we’ll lock up the house and go see the boys.”

Missy perked up “ Really?” she asked.

Jill smiled “ Yes it’s time for you and Trent spent some time together. Me and Doug too I think.”

Missy said “ Great!” then jumped up to go get ready.

First thing, Jill and Missy loaded all the bodies in the back of the truck. The final count was fourteen men. On the way to the lumberyard, they dropped the bodies in a pile over an embankment on the side of a side street.

At the lumberyard, they picked up enough three-quarter inch plywood to cover all the first floor windows. The rest of the list included 2x4’s, wood screws, a skill saw, a drill and screw bits. She’d also remembered to list an inverter to power the tools from the truck battery.

The next stop was a farm supply store, there they loaded fence posts, post hole diggers, post drivers, steeples, a gate and all the barbed wire they could haul.

By the end of the day with Doug and Allen helping, they had covered all the windows on the first floor and set the heavy steel brackets on both doors. The 2x4’s slid into the brackets to block the door from opening. There were too for each door. Missy and Allen worked on the inside of the house.

Doug, Trent and Jill had set the corner post for the fencing, and the gateposts. The steel posts were set at 10 feet intervals and then four strands of barbwire were stung from the corner posts.

Jill asked “But can’t they get through that?” Doug told her about rolling the wire Constantine style. And then he helped her to get a start before they quit for the evening. Explaining as he did that yes it could be gotten through but the idea was to slow the intruders down and make them fear getting tangled in the wire. Slowing them down would give Jill an edge, as the intruders would be easier to spot and also to shoot.

Doug had helped Allen and Vicki move into the house across the street while Jill and Missy and Ray disposed of the bodies and picked up the supplies. Vicki maintained watch while the others worked. Tomorrow they would finish Jill’s fence. Then start over building one for Allan and Vicki’s house. After they had finished they all took a shower. Jill wondered how long the water would last.

Doug had told her as long as the water is in the tower and water in the lines that were higher then they were. It wasn’t a definite answer but it made sense. With all the leaky facets around, she didn’t expect the water to last much longer.

Once everyone had cleaned up, they met at Doug’s house. Doug had started a large pot of stew with canned meat and canned vegetables earlier in the day. Doug had a solar panel powerful enough to supply a crock-pot. Ray and Alice were there also. Alice made cornbread for the stew in a gas oven.

Jill knew because of Ray’s age that he had not participated in the work detail. Although, Ray was good on watch, Alice unfortunately was too feeble to do much. She did well to maintain the housework at her house. But she loved to cook for people, she took pride in being able to at least do that much.

That night as they enjoyed the stew, everyone sat together talking. All except Missy and Trent they took their meals up to the watch post. Jill smiled when she saw them leave together. Missy seemed to be very happy.

Jill sat next to Doug at the table. They began their meal talking about how much food they had stored away. Doug bragged on Jill for finding the warehouse. He also told everyone about how proud he was of her learning to handle her guns.

When everyone has finished eating, they moved into the living room. Doug made them all drinks of whiskey and cola. Except Alice who only drank a cola, as she did not drink alcohol. When they began talking again Jill noticed Missy slip into the room. She made two drinks, taking them back upstairs with her. Jill smiled when she noticed Missy ‘s hair was out of place and her shirttail was now out of her pants. She wondered if Doug had noticed.

Before long Ray and Alice excused themselves, returning to their home to rest. When they had left Doug commented on what good neighbors Ray and Alice had been. He and Ray had been friends for many years.

Jill got up to make another drink for herself. She made one for Doug also. Returning she sat down on the couch beside Doug. She lay her head on his shoulder relaxing. She listened as he and Allan talked about the good ole days when they had attended a summer camp together in high school, and the years that followed.

Jill could feel the effect of the alcohol. She had purposely made the last one very strong. Her mind drifted to Missy and Trent upstairs. She wondered what they were doing.

Occasionally one of Doug’s’ stories would catch her ear. “Remember how we used to jump that old LTD in Algood, on the road beside the tracks?” Doug asked Allan, who of course did remember. Jill listened, laughing along with them. Imagining the dust filling the car’s interior as it landed. Thinking of the drunken teenagers frantically rolling down the windows to vent the dust. The story concluded with attempting to jump the car in reverse and the ensuing collision with a tree. Luckily no one was injured.

Jill dreamily laughed along as Doug recanted the story of their famous Nashville trip. Ken getting too drunk to drive on the way down and Doug taking over the wheel. Ken promptly passing out, missing the whole trip. Jill could picture Doug driving the car, with Ken passed out on one side. While Allan was in the back seat screwing Kens’ sister. All the while merrily driving down the interstate, the rear of the car going up and down as he drove. Jill’s mind returned to Missy and Trent. She wondered what they were doing.

Missy had followed Trent up to the watch post. They had started by sitting across from each other at a table near the window. Missy and Trent sat nervously eating their stew. Missy understood the nervousness. It was their first time really being alone together.

When they had finished their stew, Missy took the initiative by reaching across the table, clutching Trent’s hand. Their eyes met and Trent felt the ice breaking. He stood holding her hand he led her to an overstuffed chair that sat at another window. He sat down first pulling her onto his lap.

When she sat, he pulled her into his arms. His lips found hers, starting as small pecks then longer more sensual kisses. Missy opened her mouth to his tongue their tongues met twirling. His hand roamed through her long blonde hair. His other hand pulled at her shirt to free it from her pants. Suddenly Missy broke the kiss, asking Trent “I thought we were on watch, how are we going to watch and do this?”

Trent smiled slyly explaining, “That’s why Ray and Alice left early. Dad and I asked Ray to keep watch from the back of his house to give us all a little free time. It’s just that someone needs to be up here ready in case ray calls on the radio.”

Missy understood now. She smiled at Trent as she finished pulling her shirt free. Missy suddenly asked, “Would you like a drink?” she could tell by the talking downstairs, the party had moved to living room. She knew that meant drinking.

Trent said, “Sure.”

Missy hurried downstairs to mix the drinks then returned. She sat the drinks on the table beside the chair. She smiled as she unbelted the pistol, laying it n the floor by the chair. Then unbuttoning her jeans and sitting crossways on Trent’s lap, they took a few drinks then resumed kissing. Trent’s hand snaking under her shirt going to her left breast, Missy moaned as it griped her.

Jill sat cozily as the men laughed at the old stories. Jill found herself wishing she had been there with Doug, Allan, Ken and Eddie. It all sounded like so much fun. It was the wild days that she had missed out on in her life. Days that she now wished she could have back. But she knew she couldn’t, all she could do now was to try to make up for what she’d missed. She snuggled closer to Doug.

Before long Jill heard Allan make the excuse of being tired from the work and the drive. He and Vicki stood to leave saying their good nights. Jill was glad Doug didn’t stand to see them out as she was extremely comfortable where she was. Jill listened as Allan and Vicki walked out closing the door behind them. Suddenly it was quiet in the dimly lit room.

Trent’s lips left hers. His tongue traced a trail down her cheekbone to her neck spreading the wetness in short upward strokes. When he reached the softness of her neck he suddenly plunged to her collar. Nibbling at the base of her neck. Missy’s body tensed waiting to breathe. When he started up her neck Missy felt a shiver coming on that did not arrive until Trent’s tongue brushed her ear lobe. She moaned softly as Trent nibbled there. Missy felt his hand leave her breast sliding down her abdomen. His finger nudged under the waistband of her panties. Missy softly asked, “What about your dad?”

Trent pulled his mouth from her earlobe long enough to reply, “Its cool.”

Missy relaxed, opening her thighs as she felt his hand slip into her panties. Trent stopped, whispered softly, “Let’s go to my room.”

Missy found her voice. Asked, “What about the radio?”

Trent explained, “dad set it up with Allan and Vicki, they are on watch now. We can go to bed.”

Missy still unsure asked, “ What? Your dad won’t he get pissed if we sleep together?”

Trent smiled again saying, “No, he had a talk with Jill about you. Jill gave you your freedom of choice because of what happened. That if we were both adult enough to have to kill, we should be considered adults in everything else. Within reason of course.”

Missy smiled, kissed him then whispered to him. “Let’s go make love.”

Jill still sat on the couch with Doug, enjoying the quiet. After Allan and Vicki had left Jill had heard shuffling footsteps and a door closing, upstairs. She smiled mentally. She knew Missy and Trent were going into Trent’s room. Finally, Doug got up to go lock the front door.

Jill watched him walk over then back. Doug reached out a hand for her to help her up from the couch. She stared up to him before she took the hand. Doug pulled her up to him. She went to him, her head against his chest, Doug’s hand brushing through Jill’s long hair as he held her to him. He asked her softly, “It’s your choice Jill. Do you want to go upstairs with me?”

Jill didn’t have to think about it, she knew that she wanted him. She raised her head to whisper up to him, “Lets go, Doug.”

Doug led her upstairs. In the hallway Jill noticed the watch room empty. As they past another door Jill could hear the bedsprings squeaking softly and Missy in the room moaning quietly. She looked at Doug who smiled putting his finger to his lips, to quiet her. Jill followed him to his bedroom. She sat on the edge of the bed smiling up at him. Then she fell back across the bed.

Doug crawled onto the bed over her, kissing her lips, trailing down her cheek to her neck. She nuzzled against his cheek. She felt happy, happy to let him do this.

As he nibbled at her neck she felt him unbuckling her gun belt. When he’d finished he helped her out of it, laying it on the floor. He stood, and pulled her feet up one at a time unlacing her boots. Pulling the boots off her feet, leaving her socks on. Leaning over her he gently unbuttoned her jeans. Jill enjoyed him undressing her. He pulled the jeans down and off by the end of the pant legs. Then he undressed himself in the darkness.

Jill felt him crawling back onto the bed over her. Kissing her, tugging at her tee shirt, she raised a little off the bed. He removed it tossing it onto the floor. Now she could feel the hair of his chest against her stiff nipples.

Doug guided her up onto the bed to the pillows. Doug slipped her panties down her legs as she raised her bottom for him. She felt him moving on the bed, could not see him in the dark.




Missy excited, began striping off her clothes as soon as she was inside Trent’s room. Trent more timid than she, undressed slowly as he listened to Missy undress then crawl into the bed in the dark.

Missy lay on her back, Trent next to her on the bed. His hands roamed over her body. Missy anxious for intercourse tugged at his arm. Trent got the message, rolling on to her. Missy reached down gripping his penis. She guided the inexperienced boy into her.

Missy and Trent clutched each other while their quivering bodies calmed. Finally, Trent rolled off her pulling himself from her. They rested, holding each other.

Latter Doug lay on the bed enjoying the quiet, relaxing after his exertion. Jill lay beside him sleeping soundly. He wished there were some light, just enough to be able to see her form. He ran his hands over the sleeping woman’s body. Stopping to grasp a breast to feel the softness, or to feel the softness and form of her tummy.

He thought back to the moment when just before their coupling she had insisted on belting on her gun belt before they began the act. Doug had wondered to himself why she would want such a thing. He had then lay motionless as she had straddled his body. His hand had found her right hand clutching the butt of the 44 as she rose and fell slowly upon him. He held his hand over hers and felt her muscles as she squeezed and caressed the weapons grips. Doug assumed it had had something to do with the bad experience she had and her new found independence that the weapon represented.

Doug unbuckled the gun belt around her waist. Gently he rolled her out of it, placing it on the floor on her side of the bed. Leaving Jill on her side he curled up around her, her back to his chest. He drifted off to sleep holding her, his left arm around her ribs, clutching a breast.

Missy and Trent had rested and repeated their performance. Eventually falling asleep spooned together also.

When Jill awoke, she felt refreshed. The sun was up the light brightening the room. Doug was still beside her. The first thing, Jill made sure where her guns were. Finding them she rolled to face Doug who had awaken with her movement. She felt awkward, as she had never awoke in bed with a man before. She strained to think what does one say in this situation. Finally, she just said, “Good morning!”

Doug replied smiling, trying to sound humorously flat, “ Morning dear.”

Jill giggled, asking, “What’s up for today?”

Doug sat up thinking. While he thought, they began to hear a soft bumping sound in a slow rhythm from Trent’s room. Jill and Doug giggled quietly. Doug said, “Now there’s an idea.”

Jill smiled shaking her head said, “Oh, no I got too much of that last night. I don’t think I could stand it.”

Doug laughed as she said it the laughter spreading to her. Doug said, “Well I thought we would finish your fence. Then get started on Allan and Vicki’s fence.” Then he added, “It’s a good thing you got all that extra wire and plywood.”

Jill stated, “I have been thinking Doug, fencing is sort of tough for us girls. There’s all that food in the warehouse. If we don’t take it someone else will. I thought Missy and I would move as much of it up here as we could. We’ll stash it in the garages up and down the street starting with Allan and Vicki’s garage.”

Doug said, “That sounds like a good idea, go ahead.” Jill smiled at that. She enjoyed his compliments. Encouraged she said, “There’s something else I’m worried about. It’s the water we know it’s going to quit sometime. I was thinking about all the water that’s wasted going down the drain in the empty houses from leaky faucets. I thought we should get some huge fiberglass tanks from the farm supply store to catch as much as we can. Maybe it will make it last longer.” She concluded by saying. We could do the same with fuel.”

Doug thought about it for a few moments then said, “I think the fencing can wait the water and fuel idea sounds sound’s great. We know the people are on the way back, if we don’t get the stuff now it will be gone. Allan, Trent and I will handle that.”

Jill smiled as she liked the decision making process. She joked, “ Suppose you expect me to make breakfast.”

Doug laughed, hugging her, getting out of bed. Jill got out on her side of the bed. Walking around to his side to get her clothes she felt shy. She told herself she was only being silly. Jill wondered what would become of the relationship, would it flourish or would it end bitterly.

Doug cooked since it was his kitchen. Trent and Missy came down while breakfast was cooking. They were both sporting huge smiles. Trent and Missy took over cooking while Doug showed Jill around the house. There was a room with the radio equipment, the library that Doug had told her about. In the basement there were supplies and food, enough for years. Doug also showed her his secret. He had a fifty-yard firing range under his driveway capable of using any gun up to .223 and 7.62 x 39. Jill was impressed, she wished now that she had had a range at her home and a stash of weapons. But she knew if she had known then, that Doug had the range she would have protested it to the zoning board. She felt silly now for the way she had been.

Doug opened a steel door t show Jill his gun collection. She estimated about twenty-five different long guns and eight handguns. Jill didn’t seem impressed, Doug asked why. She chuckled and said, “Because I have way more than this at home.” Then she explained they had gotten all the guns from all the bad guys they had killed.

Doug was now impressed. Said, “Well you certainly do have me beat with the weapons and almost as much ammunition.”

Jill observed, “Well it seems like you were preparing for this for a long time.”

Doug led her up to the bedroom again. He opened the closet door and began to hand out boxes. Then sat on the bed folding the flaps back. He showed Jill full boxes of camouflage BDU tops and pants, boots, even panties and bras. Telling Jill, “they were my ex-wife‘s. I want you and Missy to have them, you two deserve them.”

Jill didn’t know what to say. She needed the clothing and Missy needed it also. She sat down on the bed next to him, kissed him and said, “Thank you.” Jill asked Doug something she had wanted to ask since they began talking. “Doug how did you know that this would happen? I always knew you were preparing but how did you know?”

Doug sighed, saying, “Jill it’s not something that we can hash out sitting down talking one time. But the gist of it is, I could tell by watching the people, the government and the news. Just putting things together.”

[brake pedal]

Chapter 7


That afternoon after all the work had been completed. Missy sat watch with Trent giving Ray and Vicki a break. Allen went home to his wife. Jill sat with Doug on his front porch resting. The day had past uneventful, everything accomplished. Doug had even wisely thought to use a backhoe to bury the fuel tanks in his backyard before filling them. Jill and Missy had emptied the warehouse, storing it in the garages up and down the street.

Jill sighed then asked Doug, “Do you think we’ll be able to hold out here. I mean suppose we end up being constantly attacked?”

Doug sighed also then replied, “You ask some hard questions Jill. I have been thinking about that myself. I don’t know what the future holds Jill. If we had more people the odds would change, our plans would change. We could spread out into a perimeter type security. I just don’t know Jill.”

Jill asked, “Is this place really that defendable or should we go someplace else?”

Doug answered by saying, “it’s certainly not the best I could hope for Jill. But its what we have to work with.” Then he asked, “Where would we go?”

Jill seemed frustrated said, “I don’t know its like we are so vulnerable here. We could be attacked from any direction, at any minute. Especially on my side, the interstate is behind me you know.”

Doug smiled he knew she were only feeling insecure, said, “Jill the interstate could be an asset to you. That would be a lot of open ground to cover for an enemy. What we need is more eyes, the sooner we see them coming the better.”

Jill sighed, realized he was right even though it didn’t make her feel any better. Said, “OK, so we need more people, how do we do that?”

Doug thought and said, “I don’t know, we just wait and see.” Then he added seriously, “Why don’t you stay here tonight, Maybe you’ll feel better.”

Jill smiled saying, “No I think I want to be in my own home. Its nothing about you I really enjoyed last night.” She admitted. We will do it again I promise, but I just need to be at home tonight.”

Doug leaned toward her taking her into his arms said, “I understand.”

Jill kissed him then left for her house, walking alone down the street. It felt strange having to go through a gate to get into her house. Missy met her at the door to unbar the 2x4’s for her.

Inside, the door re-secured, a single candle burned in the living room. One of the benefits of having boarded the windows up, now they could have a little light without worrying about anyone seeing it. The air in the house was stuffy and laden with the pine scent from the plywood.

Jill went up to the den to sit with Missy. She sat thinking in the chair across from Missy. Finally, she asked Missy, “Do you feel safe here?”

Missy thought about the question before she answered, “Yes, I mean we have friends and we have guns. We have food and things we need what could be better?”

Jill sighed saying, “I don’t know, I guess I’m worried about being overrun here.”

Missy seemed concerned saying, “Well where would we go? And we‘d be alone again.”

Jill said, “I know. I guess I’m just scared.”

Missy asked bluntly, “Are you thinking about leaving, us leaving?”

Jill replied, “I don’t know Missy. Besides you are your own person, you can stay if you like you know.” Jill smiled as she said it to soften the tone.

Missy shook her head determinedly, “No Jill I go where you go. I like Trent a lot but I will go with you if you leave.” Missy vowed then said, “I think you need some rest, maybe you’ll feel better. I’ll keep watch for you, you just rest.”

Jill smiled, standing she walked over to Missy. She leaned down hugging her, telling her, “Thank you for being here and sticking by me girl.” Jill rose up, walking away toward the safe room.

Missy called softly, “I meant it Jill we’re a team.”

Jill wearily said, “I know you did, thank you.”

Missy let Jill sleep all night long. She and Trent chatted on the radio to pass the time. Missy didn’t tell Trent about the conversation with Jill. Although it worried her, she didn’t want to leave here and didn’t want to leave Trent. But if Jill wanted to leave Missy knew she would leave with her. Jill meant too much to her, like she has a new sister.

Trent did tell Missy that Doug stayed in the radio room for several hours during the night before going to bed. Trent told her he hoped Doug was trying to get some information on her parents. Trent also said Doug seemed irritated when he left the radio room.

Missy wondered what was going on. She asked Trent, “What do you think is happening?”

Trent replied, “I don’t know but I’d say we’ll hear about it in the morning.”

When dawn came so did the smell of downtown. Doug was up early as usual. He made breakfast for himself and Trent. While they ate Doug Radioed Missy and Allan to meet at his house at 9 AM. Only saying he wanted to discuss something with them.

Missy knew it was a serious matter. She went down to wake Jill so she could be ready. Missy stayed in the den while Jill cleaned up and made breakfast for them.

Jill brought the plates up to the den. She and Missy ate talking occasionally. Missy asked, “Feeling better about things now that you’ve had a good rest?” Missy smiled as she asked the question. She was in her usual cheery mood.

Jill replied flatly, “I was feeling a little better until this meeting was called. It doesn’t sound good.”
Missy agreed, “ No it doesn’t.”

Finally, 9 AM arrived. Jill assured Missy she would be back shortly to let her know the details and let her get some sleep. Jill mussed the girls’ hair with her hand. She hoped the gesture would revive and reassure the girl.

At Doug’s house, Jill found everyone in the living room. Missy and Trent were obviously absent as they were still on watch. Jill took a seat on the sofa after saying, “hello.” to everyone. Ray and Alice sat on the sofa with Jill. Allan and Vicki sat across the room. Allan in an overstuffed chair and Vicki in a dinning room chair pulled up alongside Allan.

Doug sat at the bar on a stool before he stood up to speak. “ I’m glad you all came. I hoped no one would take offense to my calling everyone to my house, as if I were a leader. I know we operate as more of a committee. But I have serious proposal to put forth for all of you to consider.”

Everyone in the room held their attention on Doug, as they knew this was a serious moment. Doug sighed then continued. “Last night Jill and I had a conversation on the porch. It seems Jill was worried that we are not in the best defensible position here. Her concern was the interstate behind the houses on her side of the street. On the other side we have all these houses in which attackers can hide.” Doug took a nervous breath then explained. “The interstate will be a major thoroughfare again. But for the people that are coming into the area looking for food or women.” He said sadly. “We also need to worry about the diseases that will come from the bodies in downtown. Also, those carried in by the refugees. That’s going to be a factor to consider also.”

Doug seated himself back at the stool taking a drink from his glass before he resumed speaking. “Last night I disagreed with Jill, I felt the place would be very defendable, especially if we had more man power. But since then I have reevaluated the situation. I talked to other people on the radio last night, in other cities and in similar situations. Those people are either in the process of relocating or are seriously considering it.”

Doug paused again to let them digest that information. After a moment of reflection Doug finished by saying, “I want to put it to you people, let you decide. I would like you to take the day to consider it. We really don’t have much time one way or the other. We’ll probably see a growing number of refugees in here in a little over a week. I’d say we’d be swamped with them in two weeks. Lets meet back here at 9 PM. That way we can make a decision and be ready to begin working toward that goal tomorrow morning. Now here are the choices as I see them. A. We stay here. We fortify our position the best we can. Fight it out if we have to, Or, B. We select a rural, possibly abandoned farm. And move everything we can to it. You will need to decide which plan and have some ideas about how to carry it out.”

Doug then looked at Jill saying, “Jill you need to explain all this to Missy, we’ll need her opinion also. I’ll do the same with Trent. If they want to discuss it together that’s fine, I count them as a couple now,” Doug closed the meeting by saying, “That’s all I have to say. Please go home, discuss the options and be back here at 9PM. All of us need to be here even the watch posts.”

Everyone stood to leave, as they filed out of the door Doug motioned for Jill to stay. After everyone had left Doug told Jill, “I’m glad you said something last night, it really woke me up. I just wanted to know if you approve of the way I handled it.”

Jill smiled, nodded said, “You did great, you handled it like a true democrat.” she said teasing him.

Doug laughed, took her into his arms and asked seriously, “I just wanted to know how we stand Jill. Was the other night a one time thing or are we a couple?”

Jill had hoped this conversation wouldn’t come up for a while. But now that it had she had to evaluate her feelings carefully before she replied. After a moment she said, “Doug, the other night was great. I promise you it will happen again, if everything goes well. But Doug I don’t really want to commit to any one person right now. But at the same time I do not want anyone else. OK?” Jill forced a smile and added, “I hope you understand.”

Doug smiled easily, saying, “Yes Jill, I understand. I’m not angry or hurt. I just needed to know how you felt, that’s all.” Doug held her in his arms. Told her softly, “Everything’s fine.”

Jill smiled up at him, held him, told him, “I’m glad Doug. Don’t worry about us. OK?”

Doug smiled again, saying, “OK. Now you need to go talk with Missy. She needs some sleep too. I’ll see you back at 9.” Releasing her from his arms.

Jill rose up kissing him lightly on the lips, said, “ OK.” then walked away.

Jill walked back to her house where she briefed Missy on all that Doug had said. Missy’s first response was. “Like I said before Jill I’m with you whatever you want to do.”

Jill responded by saying, “Look I know you want to stay with me one way or another. But I need to know what you want to do.”

Missy admitted, “I personally think your idea is best. We need to move to a more secure place. But how do we take all the food and stuff?”

Jill told her comfortingly, “Thanks for letting me know how you feel. We’ll think of something. You get some rest, and think about it. OK? We can talk more this afternoon.”

Missy smiled getting up to leave. Jill took the seat Missy had sat in for watch. Soon she was staring out the window deep in thought. Occasionally fidgeting with the radio or her guns to break the monotony. She studied the problem of where to go and how to get the food and supplies there.

After a few hours she saw Allan and Vicki come out of their house, heavily armed. They carried their rifles and bags of what Jill assumed was spare magazines. She wondered where they were going as they got into the Bronco. They backed out of the driveway and drove away.

Jill returned to her thoughts, later in the afternoon she saw Allan and Vicki return. They didn’t look like they had run into any trouble. They simply got their stuff out of the Bronco and went in the house.

Finally Jill heard Missy waking up, coming up the stairs at about 6 PM. Jill felt relieved to have someone to talk to. Missy sat in the other chair as they discussed ideas on how to move the stuff. Missy occasionally went downstairs to check on their dinner.

By the time they had finished eating they had some ideas to offer at the meeting. It wasn’t long before the meeting so after putting away their dishes they left for Doug’s house.

Jill and Missy walked in at Doug‘s together. Again they found everyone gathered in the living room. They were talking quietly. Jill felt a little strange that there would be no one on watch posts during the meeting. But she knew for such a major decision it was only fair everyone be able to attend and voice his or her opinion. Jill sat at the bar near Doug while Missy found Trent and sat on his knee. Doug finally took the floor to begin the meeting.

He opened the meeting by saying, “OK, I guess the first order of business is to take a vote on whether to leave or stay. If anyone disagrees or has anything to add please speak up.” he stopped speaking to look around the room for anyone wishing to speak. Alice nudged Ray’s ribs. She wore a sad look on her face.

Ray stood up clearing his throat to speak, “I’d just like to say Alice and I won’t be voting because we will be staying regardless of the vote. We talked it over. We just feel we are too old to go gallivanting around in the country. But we do not want to influence your decisions in a vote that we do not intend to abide by.” Sitting back down next to Alice when he had finished.

Doug looked around the room at the shocked faces. Then looking to Ray he asked, “Why Ray? We can‘t leave you and Alice behind.”

Ray sadly replied, “Look Doug, we would just be a burden on everyone else. Hell Doug we couldn’t even manage to load our own stuff.”

Everyone in the room looked at each other. Missy’s voice sounded from the quiet, “I’ll help you Ray.” there followed a chorus of other voices calling, “Me too Ray.”

Ray smiled at all of his friends. His heart warmed by the sentiment, shook his head and began to raise a hand when Doug began to speak. “Look Ray we all care about you and Alice, we can’t leave you two behind. We need you Ray. We will help you with your stuff, I know you want to go.” He pleaded. Everyone else in the room called to him, “C’mon Ray, go with us.”

Alice smiled giving the old man another nudge. Ray finally stood to say, “OK, we’ll go. Alice and I want to thank you for all your care. We feel proud to be with such fine people.” Then he sat back down, Alice finding then holding his hand.

“Well OK, we are glad to have you with us.” Doug said then went on with the meeting. Taking a vote each person voted simply by saying, “Stay” or “Leave”. It was a unanimous decision to leave.

Next on the agenda was the discussion of where to go. Only Allan had a suggestion to offer. His idea was his old family farm at seven knobs. Doug agreed by saying he remembered the farm it was very isolated. And now that he thought about it, very defendable. The farm had plenty of open fields to see anyone approaching and to grow food. There were also the large barns to store things in.

Allan finally stood to make an announcement of his own. When he had everyone’s attention he said, “I know Doug knows me, but no one else here knows me very well. But I used to fly helicopters in the army, Desert Storm and all that. Well anyway Vicki and I drove out to the airport on Murfreesboro road. There’s a National Guard base there. We checked the hangers for helicopters we could use. We found two apache gun ships and two black hawk helicopters. And there was even an old huey. I would like to take them with us when we leave. Those could come in handy. Also there are two APC’s and two hummers. And I found the supply bunker. They were secret bunkers built under hangers and runways during the cold war. They are all stocked with heavy weapons, ammunition, food and any thing else a fighting army might need. Whether we need the stuff or not I think it would be a good idea to salvage it all to take with us.”

The discussion went on for several hours. Finally it was agreed that they leave. That they would salvage the helicopters and equipment from the guard base and anything else they could find to take with them. They decided to use tractor-trailers to carry all the things they took with them.

The only concern was if the road going into the farm would support the semi trucks, as it was a narrow and winding lane. This was settled by using the straight box truck to haul the forklift and the wedge to the main road at the entrance to the farm. By backing the straight box truck up to the rear of the semi trailers, they could transfer the pallets from one truck to the other with a pallet jack. Then at the farm they could off load with the forklift and ramp.

Next they discussed living space. The house was a three-bedroom home. It was agreed that Ray and Alice should take a room, then Doug one room and the last one for Allan and Vicki. That left Jill and missy and Trent without quarters. Allan resolved the problem by suggesting large camper trailers from an RV place near the airport. Those could be towed to the farm and set up where ever they were needed. Jill. Missy and Trent liked the idea.

By midnight the group had hammered out all the details. Tonight the watchers would alternate to give everyone at least a few hours sleep. Then tomorrow Allan, Doug and Trent would go to the guard base to ready the equipment and supplies there for transport to the farm. Jill and Missy would find some tractor-trailer trucks. Then begin to load all the food and personal items from the houses onto the semi trailers.

Before the meeting had broken up Missy disappeared with Trent for a little while. They came back before it was time to leave. Jill wondered what they did while they were gone. On the way home, walking down the street, Jill asked her. Missy said they had talked and Trent had asked her to be his girl. She’d said yes. Jill congratulated her.

The next day Jill and Missy moved semi trailers from the truck terminal to the street in front of their homes. Once they had enough trailers they began loading the food from the garages. By the end of the day, they had loaded almost all the food onto five trailers. Four trailers were left to load their things from the houses.

Doug, Trent and Allan had been busy also. By the end of their day they had moved two hummers and two military trucks with an APC chained to the trailers of each. Allan had spent his day getting the helicopters ready to move.

Ray and Vicki had sat watch post while Alice had cooked a pot of Beans and made some of her terrific cornbread.

After eating Doug had walked with Jill out to the military vehicles. Doug showed her the APC on one of the trailers. Jill had never seen one up close she was amazed at the size of them and the thickness of the steel walls.

Jill asked how many trailers of food they would need. Doug thought about it and said he thought five would be enough. Although he hated to leave food behind, he just couldn’t see being able to store any more than that.

When they were behind one of the trailers of food, Doug leaned against her, kissing her. She put her arms around him pulling him against her. She could feel the swelling in his groin against her. Doug whispered to her, “Let’s go up to your place.”

Jill nodded her head. Taking him by the hand she led him up the sidewalk not speaking. She showed him up to her room. Jill knew Missy would be sitting with Trent on watch at Doug’s so they would be left alone for a while. Jill began taking off her own clothes while Doug undressed himself. Once they were undressed Jill took him by the hand, leading him to the bed. Jill then climbed onto the bed. She lay on her back for him to mount her.

Doug stood on his knees admiring her body, he reached down to part her lips with his finger it was the first time he had actually seen her naked.

Jill moaned for him to do it. Doug crawled over inserting himself slowly.

Jill griped his hips with her hands as he thrust. She enjoyed the way he made love to her, as it never hurt. Before long they had climaxed and were lying side by side. Catching their breath allowing the breeze from the window to evaporate the sweat from their bodies.

Jill was the first to speak, “ See I promised didn’t I” she said jokingly.

Doug laughed said “Yes you did,” Do I get another promise? He asked

Jill said “Sure.”

Doug laughed again saying “Yea right promises promises”

Jill smacked him on the thigh with her hand laughing. “Would you like to go get a drink in the den” Then added, “Somebody needs to sit watch while Vicki eats”.

Doug said, “ Sure sounds good”

After making their drinks Jill sat with Doug talking. Jill liked to hear Doug talk about the events before the collapse. The things he said now she would not have taken seriously then. But now Jill could see, could make sense of what he said. His main point in which she agreed was the people were too quick to pass laws without questioning the reason or how the law would effect anyone’s freedom. Jill thought of the state lottery vote that she had been so against. She realized that by voting against the lottery she had interfered with another person’s freedom. It was the same with the gun issue. She realized now that she had no right to tell others that they could not have this or could not do that.

Jill understood the anger of the people. She would have been angry too if someone had been trying to outlaw something that she enjoyed that did no harm. Doug told her she had “woke up”. That was the term used to describe someone who suddenly realized what was going on in the country.

After several hours of talking, Missy finally came home. She came up to the den where Doug and Jill sat. Realizing it was getting late Doug excused himself to go home. Missy began her watch as Jill walked Doug to the door. She kissed him good night then went to the safe room to sleep. Missy and Jill swapped watch duty twice during the night, allowing each to get some rest.

Morning still came too soon for Jill; she hadn’t had enough sleep during the night. She wished they could complete the move as there would only need to be one person on watch at the farm as there wasn’t that much of a threat there.

Doug, Trent, Missy and Vicki were all going to the airport to ready the helicopters for transport to the farm. Jill elected to stay at the house to sit watch with Ray. She walked out onto the street to see them off. She was surprised to find Vicki wearing one of the modified tops. Vicki seemed a little shy with the top as Jill asked her about it. Vicki told Jill Missy had given her some of her tops. Jill told her she looked great.

When they left for the airport Jill went up to the den to sit watch. Occasionally when she became bored she talked with Ray on the radio. Then Jill spotted Alice walking down the street. It was rare for Alice to be out and about. Jill waved to her out of the window. Alice waved back and then turned to walk up to Jill’s house.

[brake pedal]

Jill met her at the door then led her up to the den. Sitting, Jill asked, “So what brings you out?”

Alice replied, “Oh I like to get out once in a while. I heard you talking to Ray, and I figured you could use some company.”

Jill smiled and said, “ Thanks, yes I’m glad you came.” Jill offered her something to drink. She took only a cola, as Alice didn’t believe in drinking alcohol. As they talked Jill had learned Alice had always been a housewife, and attended church regularly. Jill was also surprised to find out that Alice had been married to Ray for almost fifty years. They had married when Alice was only fifteen years old.

Eventually the talk turned to Doug. Alice had known Doug for years, known his ex-wife. Alice had not really liked Doug’s ex-wife. But she said she thought Doug was a good man. He had encouraged Ray to stock up on food and to buy a bunch of guns and ammunition. Alice had thought it crazy at first. Alice had argued the lord would protect them. But after she had thought about it she began to change her mind. “After all the lord helps those that help themselves,” she had said. Alice had come to realize that there could be many hardships befall Christians before the lord came to take his children home.

Alice asked Jill if she was in love with Doug. Jill seemed unable to decide. Alice smiled at her indecision. Jill asked why she was smiling. Alice continued smiling, “you do, but you don’t know it, or refuse to admit it.” Jill thought about that for a moment. Alice told her “Don’t rush it child, it will come to you one day. You’ll see.”

Just then Rays voice came over the radio. “Jill! We got trouble, a man and two women running down the street. A pack of dogs are after them. I don’t think they are armed.”

Jill picked up the radio quickly, replied, “I got it Ray!” She told Alice to stay inside, and then ran down the stairs and out into the street, pausing longer than she’d have liked to unbolt the door.

The people were still running, coming fast. Behind them was at least a dozen large dogs, snarling, barking as they pursued the humans. Jill ran into the center of the street, coming between the dogs and the runners. Leveling the AK from her hip at the lead dog, a large German shepherd mix. Firing as soon as the muzzle was on target, knocking the first dog sprawling onto the pavement. Then Jill began raking the rest of the pack with fire, knocking several dogs down the rest turned on their heels to run back up the street out of harms way.

When the dogs had fled around the corner at the end of the street Jill turned around, the AK still leveled. She had expected the people to be gone, but they still stood where they had stopped. They wore a look of surprise, as they stared at the wild woman with the assault rifle pointed at them. Jill looked them over before speaking. They were dirty, their clothes hung in shreds. The man stood in the center between the two women. He looked about thirty-five years old, heavy set and of medium height. The woman on his left was tall slender and black haired. Jill guessed she was about thirty-five also. The other woman, much younger appeared to be about Jill’s age. She was red headed, short and very lean.

Jill asked, “Who are you?”

After glancing nervously at the two women the man replied, “I’m Paul miller.” then motioning to the brunette he said, “This is my wife Sherry.” Finally he pointed to the red head and said, “And this is Linda West, our neighbor.”


Jill continued to look them over as he spoke trying to decide what to do with them. She asked, “Are you armed?”

Paul replied, looking and sounding embarrassed, “No.”

Jill thought to herself, “That was a silly question. Had they been armed they wouldn’t have been running from the dogs.” Jill considered turning them loose, but was afraid they might come back armed. Paul broke the silence by saying, “Look we were out trying to find some food. We have been holed up in our apartments ever since this all started. Anyway those dogs got after us. We only live five blocks from here.”

Jill asked, “Didn’t you know what happened?”

Paul answered again, “No we work third shift, and we were all asleep when it started. When we woke up the TV didn’t work. When we got ready to leave for work, we all work at the same place. The radio in the car came on with the message to stay inside. That’s when we found out about it. We stayed inside until today, we had to find food, we’ve not eaten all day. We were looking for a aide station or a Red Cross center.”

Jill laughed quietly, making Paul loose even more confidence. Jill asked, “Why didn’t you come out before now?”

Paul sheepishly shrugged his shoulders and said, “We figured the government would come and get us, bring us food or the radio would tell us what to do.”

Jill almost couldn’t believe it. If she hadn’t been so dependant on the government herself, before, she wouldn’t have believed it. Finally Jill smiled and said, “ You’ve got a lot of catching up to do, if that’s all you know about what happened.”

Paul looked embarrassed glancing at the two women, and then turned to Jill. “Really, we are hungry, and we need to know what happened. You are the first person we have been able to talk to. Please.” he pleaded.

Jill told them to sit on the curb in front of her house, to stay there and she would get them something to eat. The three of them obediently sat in a line on the curb while Jill ran in to get them all a can of beans. After passing the cans of beans to Paul through the barbed wire fence, Jill talked to Paul. He answered all her Questions while gulping down spoonfuls of beans out of the can. She found herself believing what the man said. She also felt sorry for them. They were as naive as she had been.

Jill told Paul as briefly as possible, a condensed version of what had happened. Paul was astounded. The women stopped eating to listen to Jill’s report. Their faces showed the astonishment they all felt as Jill explained it to them.

Jill brought them up to date with the condensed version. Then explained that the group was in the process of leaving in a few days Paul and the ladies appeared saddened. Jill knew in her heart that if these people did not wise up and have a measure of good luck that they would not make it. Jill made a decision, she told Paul, “Here’s an offer, if you want I will talk to everyone about you staying and moving with us. You’ll have to work hard and all of you will have to learn to use a gun. If you don’t want to do that I suggest you better get going now.”

Paul thanked Jill for the offer then went over to talk it over with the ladies. When he came back he told Jill they would like to stay and try to join the group. He also pointed out that they would need weapons and training. Jill told him that would be no problem and that if they were accepted she would take them back to their apartments to get their clothes.

As Jill talked with Paul she began to hear a helicopter far off in the distance. She was sure it was Allan even though she hadn’t expected him to fly a helicopter back. From the sound Jill could tell the chopper was coming in fast and very low. She looked in the direction of the sound, but couldn’t see it. Finally, when Jill thought the sound couldn’t get any louder, she saw it break from behind the trees across the street. It was flying very fast going toward Jill’s left. All she could see was the top as it went by on its left side. Suddenly the chopper turned, righting itself. The choppers tail sliding around until the nose pointed to Jill’s right. Coming to a hover, it then slowly descended onto the street. Jill holding her top together against the down draft, recognized it as a military Blackhawk, painted Army green.

Allan was piloting it from the right seat. He wore a green flight suit and helmet with a black visor. Vicki sat in the left seat, dressed in the same fashion. Missy stood in the rear doorway, behind a machine gun mounted there. She also wore a green fight suit and helmet. Missy also wore a harness to keep her from falling out. The straps went around her hips, between her thighs and around her tummy and chest. The tight straps accented her figure. Missy’s smile beamed under the visor. From under the helmet her blonde hair flowed in the wind. Jill smiled to her as the wheels touched the ground, the helicopter sinking, settling on its wheels, the rotors already turning slower.

Jill ran over to the chopper, walking around it looking it over. She had never seen one up close. Looking in the window, all the dials, buttons, switches and levers seemed perplexing. Allan and Vicki unfastened their seat belts, checking the panels as the rotors stopped moving.

At the rear door Missy was busy unbuckling the harness from around her. Smiling proudly she exclaimed, “I did it Jill! I flew in a helicopter!” then Missy bounced to the pavement to hug Jill.

Missy then began to show Jill the machine gun, explaining it was a thirty caliber and how to fire it. Then she showed Jill how to unlatch the gun from the mount to carry it with you. Jill noticed a lot of shell casings and links lying scattered on the floor from where Missy had been practicing.

The door popped open, Allan leaned out of the pilots’ seat to ask, “Well how do you like it?”

Jill smiling also said, “It’s great but why did you bring it here?”

Allan said, “Because Doug thought it would be a good idea to keep one here in case we needed it. In the worse case we could evacuate to the farm quickly in an emergency.” Then Allan pointed to the people on the sidewalk and asked, “Who are they?”

Jill told him about the dogs and some of what they had told her about themselves. Allan stood nodding his head as she told them about he offer to Paul and the ladies. Jill concluded by saying “I think we need some extra hands, we’ve got a lot of work to do to get moved.

When Jill had finished Allan agreed by saying, “I think you are right Jill, I just hope we can trust them. By the way Doug wants to make a run to the farm tomorrow.” the he added, “I wonder if any of them can handle a truck.”

Jill said, “I don’t know but without any traffic, it’s not that hard. Just gearing, plus there’s not any tight places along the way, from what you’ve said it’s all good roads.”

Allan nodded then walked over to where Paul, Sherry and Linda sat. Paul stood as he approached. Allan reached out a hand to Paul and introduced himself as they shook hands. Jill and Missy talked with Linda and Sherry while the men talked.

While they were talking Doug and Trent pulled up in their pickup truck. Jill went to meet Doug while Trent went over to Missy. “Who are those people?” Doug asked as Jill approached.

Jill quickly explained what had happened and her offer to them. She concluded by saying, “We agreed we needed more people, and they seem like good people.”

Doug said, “Well let me talk to them.”

When Doug went over to talk with Allan and Paul, Jill went back in to sit with Alice on watch. Jill explained to her all about Paul, Sherry, and Linda. Alice was also surprised that the group had had no idea about what had happened.

On the street the knot of people moved slowly down the street going into Doug’s house. Jill and Alice agreed that that was a good sign. Alice decided she should go home to fix Ray some dinner, leaving Jill alone in the den. Jill looked around the room remembering the time before, comparing it to the present. The people in her life made the difference. She was glad she had Missy now. But she had a feeling that sooner or later Missy would move out to be with Trent or another boy.

Then there was Doug, “ How the tables have turned on that,” she mused. She wondered if Doug loved her and wondered if she indeed did love him. She was considering what Alice had said when she saw Allan and Vicki leave Doug’s house. They walked down the street to their house, carrying their rifles. It no longer seemed strange to see people walk down the street with a belted pistol or carrying a rifle.

From the radio came Doug’s voice, “Jill would you like to come and eat. Allan’s is taking watch now.”

Jill picked up the radio keying the mike, “Sure Doug, be there in a minute.” she stood to leave picking up her own rifle out of reflex. She looked at the rifle another reminder of how things had changed. She slung the rifle thinking, “It will never be the same again, not after this. Gun control will not ever be considered again if we ever do get things put back.” Then she vowed, “ If I’m around I won’t let it.”

When she got to Doug’s she met Paul, Sherry and Linda at the gate. Missy and Trent were taking them to the house across the street from Doug’s. Doug had loaned them one of his rifles and a pistol to take for the night. They were all smiling like they had found a home. Doug called down to Jill from the watch post to fix a plate and bring it up to the watch post to eat with him.

Jill found the food on the stove and made herself a plate. Taking it upstairs, Doug greeted her with a smile. She put her plate on the small table and sat across from him. After she settled in and began to eat Doug said, “I think Paul and the ladies will work out, they seem to be relieved that they found us and we really needed them too.”

Jill read something in his voice in that last statement, a hint of urgency. She asked between bites of food, “I know we needed more people Doug but you sound as if they are a god-send. What’s up?”

Doug explained “ We need to move quicker than we first thought Jill, for a few reasons. I have heard reports of sickness, possibly the plague coming from those near downtown. It’s not bad right now, but it could get worse. And if that weren’t bad enough do you remember me saying the Mexicans were flooding across the border?”

Jill thought it odd he would be so concerned about Mexican’s. “Yes”

Doug hesitated then said, “It seems when they crossed the border, they formed into groups. Also it appears each group has a set destination.”

Jill chuckled lightly, asked disbelievingly “A set destination, how would you know that?”

Doug explained, “Because these groups move in a determined manner. They have moved through town after town without slowing down. They don’t stop to rob or loot for food. In fact other Mexicans that have been here for years are meeting them. They bring the groups food and fuel.” after a pause he added dryly, “And weapons and ammunition.”

Jill sat looking at Doug, dumbfounded. Finally she said, “ OK, if it’s real Doug then why what’s the point? And why would these Mexicans be giving them so much stuff.”

Doug sighed, “OK. I’ll just come right out and say it Jill. It’s an invasion at least the forward teams.”

Jill smiled disbelievingly and said, “An invasion, come on Doug, by the Mexicans. Why?”

Doug explained calmly, “Here’s the best we can figure. The Mexicans that are supplying them were sent month’s maybe years ago. Their purpose was to gather supplies and store them for a future invasion. Tactically speaking, it makes sense Jill. Supply for an army is a terrible burden, especially for a fast moving army. This way that’s all taken care of, the supplies are already here.” Doug paused then said, “As for why, who knows? The theory is they are being sent forward to secure airports and sea ports for another as yet unseen force.”

Jill still disbelievingly said, “This must be some mistake, some paranoid delusion.”

Doug showing irritation raised his voice slightly, “Jill it’s real. Think about it, the world is in collapse, but how many other countries would love to take us over while we’re weak. Damn it Jill we’ve been running around the globe for years sticking our nose in everyone else’s business. We’ve been taking sides in every little war, telling other countries how they are to operate. Hell Jill they may not want our land, or us. They may just want to make sure the beast is not resurrected. I can’t say who they are. I don’t think anyone can use the satellites anymore. But we are betting there are shiploads of troops headed this way. After the ships get here then the planes will come. And who is going to stop them?”

Jill sat quietly looking down at the floor now, Her thoughts a jumble. Doug realized she was having a hard time accepting it. He went to her, kneeled at the chair holing her. “I’m sorry.” he said, “But I had to get you to understand, force you to face it.”

Jill was crying, “Who will stop them?” She asked through her tears.

Doug comfortingly said, “We will, the people of America. Jill we fight for our freedom, we have a chance for a free country like it was intended and we aren’t going to let anyone take that away.”
Jill sniffed back her tears, turning to Doug she said, “Doug I really don’t know what that means, I didn’t study the constitution like you did. I thought we had freedom.”

Doug moved back to his chair, after a moment he explained, “Not really Jill, not the way it was intended. If it were for example I would have been able to own any weapon I wished without interference from the government, including military weapons. Basically anything I could afford. But that’s just one example. For heavens sake Jill citizens in lots of third world countries owned fully automatic weapons. We in the land of the free were not allowed that, were not trusted with them. And we also had to fight to be able to keep the guns we were allowed.”

Jill responded by asking, “Why would you need military weapons Doug, fully automatic, grenades, missile launchers?”

Doug explained, “It doesn’t matter why I need them Jill. It’s not supposed to be any bodies business why. We were guaranteed that right for a reason Jill.”

Jill asked what reason could there be for owning such weapons. Doug replied, “If you knew what the founding fathers went through during the revolution, you would understand. Jill there was terrible shortages of arms and powder to fight with. The founding fathers learned from that experience. They saw a need for every person to store powder and arms. This was also to be able to put down the government should it become tyrannical. So if we’re expected to be able to fight the government wouldn’t we need arms such as the military has?”

Jill nodded her head, “Yes I suppose, it makes sense.”

Doug said, “Of course it does one of the failures of this country was people would not learn about the roots of their country. We always knew that if Americans actually sat down and learned about their history and constitution, there would be an uprising. But right now we need to be talking about what we’re going to do, making plans. Are you OK now?”

Jill said, “Yes. So we are going to make a trip to the farm tomorrow?”

Doug told her, “Trent and I will drive the military trucks with the APC’s. Paul, Sherry and Linda will drive the food trucks. Allan and Missy will be in the chopper. You will drive the short truck with the forklift and loading ramp. We will leave Ray and Vicki on watch. They will be in radio contact with the chopper. Allan and Missy can be here in minutes to back up them up if they are attacked. I know we are stretching it thin but we need to be gone as quickly as possible.”

Jill asked, “Suppose we meet people on the interstate that try to stop us?”

Doug explained, “that shouldn’t happen by surprise, Allan will see any danger far enough ahead to warn us. We can decide then what to do. If nothing else we’ll roll off the APC’s and take care of whatever it is that’s a threat.”

Jill nodded, “OK. So we roll first thing in the morning?”

Doug nodding said, “Yes and we’ll have a long day, we go down there unload then return.”

Jill looked at her watch seeing that it was late said, “Well we better get a rush on.” They finished eating quickly, Jill leaving for her house when they had finished. She and Missy would sleep. Ray and Vicki would begin alternating watches and sleeping. One always on watch while the other slept.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 8


The next morning Jill and Missy awoke early. Getting dressed in their BDU’s they belted on their pistols. It was a cool morning daylight just breaking as they walked out onto the porch. The others were beginning to come out also. Jill went to start the short truck to get it warmed up for the trip. She loaded the forklift into the truck. Then drove the truck around to the other end of the load ramp where the trailer hitch was located. Doug helped her attach it to the truck. She warned Doug, “I don’t think this thing was meant to be towed on the highway. We will need to take it easy.”

Doug agreed. Jill turned the truck around on the street and they were ready to go. Allan and Missy climbed into the Blackhawk. Allan began flipping switches and checking gauges as soon as his harness was buckled in place. Then came the loud whine as the engine started. While the helicopter warmed up Allan sat sipping coffee and Missy worked getting buckled into her harness. Allan had refueled the chopper last night from a portable fuel tank Doug had brought in his truck yesterday.

Jill saw Allan speak into the mike on his helmet and Missy said something in reply. Jill assumed he had asked if she were ready, because as soon as Missy replied Allan’s hands went to the controls and the rotors began to speed up. In a moment there was wind from the downdraft as the rotors bit into the air. Jill watched as the pressure was lifted from the tires and the helicopter rose, gaining altitude quickly.

Everyone began getting into their vehicles, doors slammed and engines revved. Doug in the lead began to roll down the street, Jill behind him. Paul was next, then Linda, then Sherry, then Trent in the rear. Surprisingly there were no problems along the way. Even though they saw people along the way, no one made any move against them. Jill assumed the low flying helicopter and the sight of the APC on the first truck must have deterred them.

At the farm it was a tedious process to move all the pallets from the semi trucks to the straight truck, then off load them into the barn. It took them almost six hours just to off load.

Allan had landed the chopper at the farm, near the long commercial chicken house. He and Missy readied the chopper for storage while everyone else worked with the food. The last thing before leaving, Jill used the forklift to tow the blackhawk into the chicken house, parking it well to the rear inside of the building. Allan and Missy would ride back in the empty semi trucks.

Doug and Trent unlashed the APC’s from the military trucks, rolled them off and drove their trailers to the farm. The little single lane winding road to the farm ran a mile and a half from the main road. Once there the APC’s were parked in the chicken house along side the chopper.

Once everything was unloaded and put away everyone boarded the trucks for the ride back. Missy rode with Trent. Allan decided to ride with Jill, as the military truck Doug drove wasn‘t a very comfortable ride. She and Allan got to know one another better on the way back. They talked a lot about Doug, and Jill also told Allan she would like a chance to ride in one of the helicopters to see downtown one last time. Allan promised her he would try to do that, maybe this afternoon if there was enough light, as he had to pick up another chopper to take home.

They arrived at the guard station at the airport at 3 PM. Doug lined up the three semis, backed up to the hanger door. Then unloading the forklift, he used it to pry the door up from the sealed underground warehouse beneath the hangers’ floor. Jill watched the forklift strain to pick up the heavy door. Once it became vertical Doug allowed it to fall back with a loud bang. Looking down into the dark hole, Jill saw a ramp leading down. Doug drove the forklift down into the hole, flicking on the lights on the forklift on the way down. Jill and the others walked down behind the forklift. Once on the flat surface of the floor they could see pallet after pallet of shrink-wrapped cardboard boxes and wooden crates. Some of the crates were huge.

After a moment Doug gathered everyone around to talk to them. “This is a cold war era supply depot. Not very many people knew these existed. I mean think of how the public would have reacted had they known that there was this much explosives, weapons and munitions stored under a civilian airport. This one was meant as an emergency airlift depot to airlift supplies to a heavy infantry brigade. There’s everything in here the brigade might need, all packaged and ready to go. If the unit had been activated during a cold war emergency they would have loaded all this on the big transport planes outside and gotten airborne to await orders. There’s also ammunition and missiles for the helicopters and APC’s. And a huge supply of shoulder fired surface to air missiles. If there is an invasion this stuff will come in handy.

Everyone in the group understood now and agreed, it would have been a great plan. Paul and Sherry found two more forklifts to use to help load with. The heavy wooden crates were placed on the lowboy military trailers and strapped into place. The other three semis were filled to capacity. Some of the last pallets were loaded onto Jill’s short truck.

Allan and Missy had gone to another Hanger to get another helicopter ready for flight. This time Allan wanted to take the old Huey. They armed the chopper with door guns and more than a dozen cans of ammunition.

Jill watched the forklifts come and go from the hole reading the stenciled labels on the side of the boxes. There were crates of grenades, land mines, law rocket launchers, shoulder fired missiles, M16’s, M-50 and M-60 machine guns Mortars and M-9 pistols, then pallet after pallet of ammunition for the weapons. She had to wonder what they were going to do with all this stuff. Doug had talked of fighting off an invasion force. She wondered how their little group could do that. How could citizens hold off an army? Finally she decided to walk over to see how Missy and Allan were doing.

Allan was topping off the fuel tank on the Huey as Missy finished loading the ammunition. Jill walked up to Allan asked, “Think I’ll be able to get that ride today?”

Allan responded by asking, “Are they almost finished loading up the stuff?”

Jill nodded, said, “They are on the last truck now.”

Allan asked, “Is Missy going to drive your truck back for you?”

Jill looked at Missy who had finished and was standing by Allan as he said it. Missy smiled and nodded.

Allan said “OK. Get Missy to show you how to work the guns in case I need you. Then I’ll do a pre-flight. After that we’ll be ready.”

Jill smiled and said, “Thanks.” Then she and Missy climbed in the open sliding door of the Huey. Missy gave her the run down on the helmet, the radio, and the harness and then finally the controls of the machine gun. By that time everyone was ready to roll.

Jill rode in the open bay of the Huey behind the right cockpit seat. She sat on one of the seats mounted to the wall. Through the helmet she heard Allan ask, “You ready?”

Jill replied nervously, “Ready when you are.”

With that she heard the engine starter kick in, felt the torque in the airframe. The engine finally catching, firing to life, the rotors began to turn. Jill began to get a nervous feeling as she had only flown in large passenger jets. This would be a new experience for her. When the rotors reached a certain speed, Allan allowed them to spin at that rate for a while to warm up the engine. Then, without warning, the rotors sped up. Jill felt the floor quiver. Looking out of the door, the ground seemed to drop from under the helicopter.

Jill felt a tug in her stomach then swallowed hard to help calm her nerves. Out the door the ground began to spin as Allan aimed the helicopter in the direction of downtown. Jill grabbed for the seat as she felt the helicopters nose dip down then surge forward. Allan looked over his shoulder at her, as she gripped the seat, her body stiff, and her face turning pale. Allan laughed at her reaction. “You alright back there?” he asked into the microphone.

Jill after a moment dryly replied, “Yeah, I’m OK.”

Allan attempting to calm her said, “You’ll get used to it. Then asked, “Are you ready for that spin around downtown?”

Jill, feeling better replied, “Don’t say spin please. But yeah, let’s go.”

Allan only laughed.

In a few minutes they were circling above downtown. Jill sat in awe of the destruction. The State capitol building was a pile of stone rubble. After a few passes Jill led Allan to the building she used to work in. She counted the floors up until she found the office she used to work in. The windows were blown out of the building. Jill could see her desk, pock marked with bullet holes. It had been turned on its side like a barrier. Behind it were two bodies. Jill had no idea who they were or who had killed them. She scrunched her eyes closed tightly against the site. Then told Allan softly, “Let’s do another circle then go home.”

Allan lifted then turned gently away from the building, knowing his passenger wasn’t used to this type of aircraft. On the next pass Jill saw the bridge that she and Bob had hidden under. On impulse she asked Allan, “Can you set it down on the bridge, on the downtown side? I want to check something.”

Allan said, “Sure.” Then began bringing the chopper around in a slow circle as he descended onto the bridge, the skids touching softly on the pavement. Jill unfastened her seat belt and hopped down from the door. She left her helmet on the edge of the floor.

Jill didn’t understand why she had to do this other than maybe for closure. She ran across the grass into the bushes, and then followed the trail she and Bob had taken. She passed her high-heeled shoes that she had abandoned that day. She made her way down, under the bridge and then scrambled up the rocky embankment. Finally, she stood at the curtain door to the homeless persons shack, the memories began to flood her mind. She pulled the curtain back, looking inside. She inhaled deeply in surprise. In the sunlight of the doorway she saw Bob, still naked. His chest had been torn open by a shotgun blast. He still clinched the little revolver in his hand. Jill assumed the coolness under the bridge had preserved the body. From the doorway she looked around the inside of the shack. She spotted her forgotten panties just where they had been.

Jill knew that Bob had not lived long after she had left, maybe only minutes. Reaching in she pulled the little revolver from his stiff fingers. Jill couldn’t decide what to say. She wanted to say “good-bye”, but a part of her wanted to say, “serves you right for doing that to me.” Before she could decide the loudspeaker on the chopper blasted Allan’s voice. “Jill! Get up here fast! The convoys being attacked!”

Jill pocketed the revolver then ran as fast as she could back to the chopper. Once inside she slid the helmet on, Allan told her to strap into the harness. When she had it all buckled on her, she called out into the microphone, “Ready!” Just as she said it the helicopter rose violently. Jill fought the queasiness.

Allan spoke to her calmly as he spun the helicopter, the nose dipping as he started the chopper forward. “Six cars are firing on them to get them to stop the convoy. Jill we have to get there in a hurry, and then fight when we get there. I’ve been easy with you so far, but now it gets rough. Hang with me OK?”

Jill weakly said, “OK.” then she felt the chopper dive; it’s speed increasing dramatically. Finally, leveling off just above the buildings. She tried not to watch as rooftops flew by under her feet like a violently rolling television screen. She held on to the seat with one hand and used the other to hold against her churning stomach.

Allan spoke to comfort her, “Jill, I am probably going to do some strange maneuvers, tilting onto the side, quick turns, whatever. You just hang on to that harness and be ready to fire the gun. If you need to puke do it quick because I need you firing, OK?”

Jill breathing heavily into the microphone said, “OK Allan, I think I can handle it.”

Just then the helicopter suddenly swung up onto its side. Out the door, Jill could only see straight down. The helicopter felt as if it were skidding to a stop in the air. Suddenly righting, the nose dove down. The helicopter began plummeting toward the ground. Finally it leveled off four feet above the pavement of a four-lane street. Jill likened it to being in a car running down the street at incredible speed. Allan again instructed her, “Jill, we’ll come up from behind them they’ll be on your side. We’ll pass them quick, you need to be ready to fire into the cars. Give each car a burst into the drivers’ windows. Watch the tracers to see where they go. OK?”

Jill simply said, “I got it!”

A few seconds later Allan called, “Here they are! Coming up from behind them maybe we can surprise them and get some good shots all the way up the line!”

As he spoke, Jill leaned out, her eyes tearing from the wind of the slipstream. She saw the convoy coming up in the right lane, the cars in the left lane. Allan was flying the helicopter in the oncoming lane. She readied herself, swinging the muzzle online with the last vehicle. When she touched the trigger she was surprised there was no recoil, only a heavy vibration. She watched as the tracers ate into the drivers’ side mirror. She quickly adjusted her aim, compensating for their speed. The drivers’ side window burst inward, the tracers eating into the inside of the windshield, slamming into the driver as she raked the fire back into the rear seat. The car careened toward the helicopter startling Jill, until she watched it fall away behind them. Allan exclaimed, “Good going girl! Now be ready for the next one!”

Jill focused on firing and aiming, raking the vehicles as they past. The lead two cars must have seen or heard the helicopter, as they began speeding up to try to get away. Allan gained altitude and speed to catch up to the cars. As they flew over the cars, Jill raked the roofs of the cars with machinegun fire. Which only caused the cars to begin to veer wildly, which threw her aim off. Once past them Allan explained what he was about to do. Jill steeled herself for the maneuver.

The helicopter suddenly veered sharply left. Rose up. Then tilted onto its side. Jill feeling the skidding sensation again, she could only see the pavement and the lines on the street flying by the door. The pavement slowed, the helicopter righting itself, coming to a hover. Jill now found herself standing slightly above the street, looking down the traffic lanes at the two cars speeding toward them.

Jill aimed the muzzle by instinct at the windshield of the lead car. Pressing the trigger, she let the gun hammer. The tracers flying into the windshield like angry bees. The car swerved, glanced off the guardrail. It careened across the lanes and then crashed into an embankment on the other side.

Jill did the same with the last car, only instead of swerving, it came straight at them. Jill knew there was no way anyone could have survived the hail of bullets. But still it headed straight at her. She let the gun fall on its mount as she instinctively scrambled backward to get away. Struggling against the harness she screamed, “Allan!”

Suddenly she felt as if she were being yanked violently upward. The harness strap suspending her from the ceiling suddenly pulled taunt as her feet slipped from under her. She heard Allan laughing loudly in her helmet. Allan asked, “Did I scare ya?”

Jill knew it had been close, too close. For the second time in her adult life she had wet herself. She screamed into the mike, “Allan you son of a bitch you scared the piss out of me!”

Allan kept laughing loudly, saying “Yeah! But don’t it feel good!” Then he let out a long, loud “waa-hoo! As he nosed the chopper straight up. After they had suddenly gained several hundred feet of altitude, the helicopter abruptly stopped its climb, then rolled it onto its side. Jill felt almost weightless for a few seconds. Then the chopper started to dive once again toward the earth, the nose down, racing toward the ground. Jill found herself laughing hysterically as the chopper leveled off at incredible speed, thirty feet above the ground.

Jill laughingly screamed, “Allan you are a crazy son of a bitch!” Strangely she wasn’t mad any longer. She felt free, happy, almost drunk as she laughed loudly with Allan. She had to admit she was having the time of her life.

In five minutes they were slowly descending to the street in front of Jill’s house. She had already shed the harness by the time skids touched the pavement. She jumped down, wiping the tears from her eyes. She had been laughing so hard her eyes had begun to tear. She knew when Doug pulled in she would snag him to the side, after the ride she had just had she could not think of a better way to top it than a good romp in the sack.

Allan held the door open with his foot while he finished shutting the Huey down. When the rotors finally stopped, Jill ran over giddily and exclaimed, “Allan that was wonderful I loved it!”

Allan laughing at her happiness asked, “Oh really, what’s that dark stain running down your thighs?”

Jill shrugged smiling, “**** it! It was great!” then turning toward the sound of the semi’s coming up the street, she waited until they had all parked. Missy came running over to her smiling, said “that was great! I bet it was fun!”

Jill laughed and replied, “You wouldn’t believe it!” then seeing Doug she ran over to him and threw her arms around him.

Doug held her tight saying, “You did terrific girl.”

Jill pulled him down to whisper into his ear. Doug only grinned and nodded his head.

The next morning everyone awoke for another day of traveling. The trip went off without any interference from anyone. On the way back they stopped at the guard post to finish loading everything from the underground warehouse. Then they scoured the base for anything else they could use. Finally they had decided they had taken everything they could. What they took went on the lowboy trailers the three other semi trailers would be backed into the houses to load their personal things into. Allan flew the other Black hawk back to the street in front of the houses for the next run to the farm.

All the next day everyone packed everything they wanted to take to the farm. Doug and Trent had the most to pack, all of his stored food and equipment took up his entire trailer. Paul and Sherry helped them since they had almost nothing to take, just their suitcases and the guns that Jill had given them. Jill, Missy, Vicki and Linda took turns helping Ray and Alice pack their things. Allan and Vicki loaded their things onto the trailer behind the Bronco. Doug and Trent took one trailer and luckily everyone else was able to get all their things onto one trailer. In the end only two trailers were needed to move everyone.

After everything had been packed away, Doug sat with Jill on the porch at Doug’s house. They were both exhausted, everyone was. Doug sighed, “I wish we were already there.”

Jill sat leaned against him. “Yeah me too. Just a few more runs and we’ll be settled. I‘ll feel safer though, won‘t you?” she asked.

Doug replied, “Yeah I will. But the fighting is only about to begin.”

“How are you going to do it, I mean it’s just us?” she asked.

Doug answered, “It’s just us and a lot of other Americans Jill. When it’s over Jill we’ll have a better country.”

Jill looked up at him and said, “I thought that was what we were working for before. We worked to pass laws to make things better, safer.”

Doug smiled at her. His face had that look, as if she were a naive child, which she hated. “We had a difference of opinion on that didn’t we?” he stated more than asked. Then he explained, “Myself and a lot of others felt that there were too many laws and passing more wouldn’t help. A simple example is the seat belt law. Really whose business is it whether I wore a seat belt or not?” He went on without waiting for an answer, “Another would be the lottery issue we voted on a few years back. Groups campaigned hard to get people to vote it down. I voted for it myself, even though I do not gamble. I felt it was not my place to tell another person that he or she could not gamble. Had I voted against it I would have been voting against another persons freedom.”

Jill hated the way Doug always made sense of things. Jill reminisced, “I was very different back then wasn’t I?”

Doug chuckled, “Yes you were. But you were doing what you thought was right, like a lot of others did. But they did not check the facts or really consider the problem before forming an opinion. They just believed what the news media and the literature from the special interest groups told them, never looking at the other side of the issue. But yes Jill I think you have changed a lot. I think you’ve seen how you were misled.”

Jill admitted, “Yes I have Doug. I’ve learned a lot since all this started. She patted her big revolver and added; “Now I know how you guy’s felt about your guns. I couldn’t see it then, what the big deal was. To me it was simply just another article, although a dangerous article. But I know now it’s not. It’s security, the feeling of knowing you can fight back to protect yourself if you need to. Plus it’s fun to just shoot at targets.”

Doug leaned over to kiss her and said, “We better get some sleep, we have a long day tomorrow.” Jill stood leaning down to kiss him, and then she said, “good night.” Doug followed her to the gate to let her through. Another kiss and she was gone, walking down the street to her house.

The next morning they awoke to the same routine as the mornings before. Everyone woke up. Then after they ate the vehicle engines were fired up. They pulled out as soon as Allan and Missy were airborne in the black hawk. Doug and Trent drove the low boys. Paul and Sherry drove the semi’s carrying their things, while Jill drove the short truck.

As usual the people scurried into the woods along the interstate until the convoy had passed. For some reason the people were terribly fearful of the helicopter and the semis. This trip saw more people than usual all headed back to Nashville. Jill wondered what the people would do once they got to Nashville and at the same time she was glad they were almost moved.

This was a tedious run in that they had put all the personal items they could on pallets, but some things simply would not go on pallets. It took a lot of time to transfer everything from the semis to the barn, taking up most of the day. When they left Doug saw no sense in taking the semis back. They left the trailers and the low boys in the parking lot of a market, and then took only the tractors back to Nashville.

Doug, Trent and Allan took the Hummer, while Jill and the others took the two semi tractors. Dark was coming, they didn’t want to be out after dark so they rushed to get back. Even electing to skip stopping off at the guard base to ready a chopper.

Once at home everyone was tired and ready for bed. There was also a somber feeling as this was to be their last night in their own homes. Jill and Missy walked through the house remembering things that had happened to them in that house since they had met. Jill sat watch for a few hours to give Ray and Vicki a break. Missy went to sleep in the safe room.

Jill found herself wishing Doug was in the house. She shook off that thought, forcing herself to concentrate on the future. Who was behind the mysterious movements of the Mexicans, she pondered. Doug had been too busy to get an update from the radio and the radio and tower was now in the barn at the farm waiting to be reassembled. Jill made it a point to remember to urge Doug to get it up and running as quick as possible. They needed to know what was happening.

Finally about midnight, Vicki radioed that she was on post and Jill could get some sleep. Jill thanked her and went to bed in her own room. It was tough to believe that this would be the last night in her home.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 9

The next morning everyone ate a cold breakfast before meeting in the street carrying what little was left of their belonging. It was a sad occasion for those that had lived on that street, even Missy was sad to leave her new home. Doug finally worked up the nerve to say, “Well that’s it we better get going.” and climbed into the hummer. Everyone slowly responded to his cue. Trent took Doug’s pick up while Jill drove her pickup. Paul and Linda drove the two semi tractors while Sherry drove the other hummer. Vicki and Allan drove their Bronco. Doug led the way as they pulled out down the street, away from their homes.

The first stop was the tanker truck terminal where gasoline tanker trucks were kept. Paul and Linda took two of the empty tank trailers from there to the airport. While Paul and Linda filled the tanker trailers from the pumps for the jet fuel reservoir, Allan readied an Apache gunship for the flight to the farm. This flight would have to be solo, as Missy would be driving the airport fuel truck. Having the truck would make it much easier to fuel the aircraft as it had the ability to pump the fuel.

Jill, Trent, Doug and Sherry went to the RV sales center where they picked out four of the largest camper trailers. Jill picked out one for herself and Missy to share. Once everyone had chosen a camper, they hitched the campers up to the vehicles. They then found the racks of propane bottles, beating the lock off they loaded all of the tanks. They also took all of the heavy-duty 12-volt batteries. Once everyone was loaded, Jill led the way to the airport.

After turning at Murfreesboro pike Jill spotted a small blue car on the side of the road with the hood raised. She radioed to the others to hold back while she checked it out. Jill was cautious; making sure it was not a trap of some sort. There were abandoned cars here and there, but Jill knew this one had not been here yesterday.

Jill drew the .44 as she allowed her truck to creep up to the car. When Jill’s Dodge was nearly along side the car, a tall man stepped out from in front of the car, the raised hood had hidden him. Jill tapped the brakes, pulling the parking brake as soon as the wheels stopped. She quickly climbed out on her side. The man didn’t look to be armed. In fact he seemed surprised to see the truck when he stepped out.

Jill leveled the .44 across the hood of the Dodge. The man instantly froze, raising his hands. Then Jill noticed the woman, shorter and much younger, still in front of the car. The woman had a look of sheer terror when she saw the muzzle of Jill’s .44. Jill yelled, “Get over there with him!” The woman fearfully obeyed slowly walking over to stand beside the man. The man put his arm around the woman’s shoulder protectively. Jill noticed, assumed they were possibly husband and wife, although the woman was unusually shorter than her husband was. Jill asked the man, “Are you alone?”

The man called back, “It’s just us. Our car broke down.”

Jill looked the man over; he wore wire-rimmed glasses, and black hair. He also seemed unusually fit for his age. Jill asked, “Are you from Nashville?”

The man replied, “No. We are from Crossville. We were in Louisville Kentucky when this all happened. We have been trying to make it home for two days now.”

Jill considered what he had said as she looked over the young woman. She wasn’t but a year or two older than Jill, although she looked to be less than five feet tall. She also seemed unusually fit, very lean, but large breasted. She had long straight strawberry blonde hair. Her body made compact but shapely, her jeans forming to her curves. Finally, Jill asked, “OK, who are you.”

The man answered, “I’m Ronnie Copeland and this is my wife Lora.”

Jill considered his responses. He seemed truthful, almost naive in his replies. Jill elected to trust him. She brought the .44 down off the hood and stepped around the front of the truck. Ronnie and Lora breathed a sigh of relief when Jill lowered the weapon. Jill asked, “What’s wrong with your car Ronnie?”

Ronnie seemed to relax, shook his head saying, “Some guys got after us on sixty-five coming into Nashville. They were shooting at us, I think a bullet hit the motor or else I blew it up trying to get away from them.”

Jill asked, “Aren’t you armed?”

Ronnie replied, “No, I left them all at home.”

Jill was curious, “How did you get away from them if you didn‘t have a gun?”

Lora chuckled at the question. Ronnie glanced at her, smiled and said, “I knew this thing couldn’t out run them flat out. So when I came to some cloverleaf ramps I ducked off, hitting the ramps as fast as I could. Sometimes we were skidding sideways but their big car couldn’t take curves. They ended up beating their car into the barriers until their radiator busted.”

Jill admired the man’s ingenuity in the situation. She decided to offer them a ride at least as far as the exit they would take to the farm. Ronnie took a last look at his car and said, “Well I guess the car is screwed, we better take you up on it.”

Jill radioed the others that everything was OK and that she would have two riders. While she did this Ronnie and Lora moved their things from the car to the bed of the truck. Jill noticed that besides the suitcases, they had loaded a net type duffel bag with a lot of red things that looked like foam pads. Then Ronnie placed what looked like several Japanese swords of various lengths in the back of the truck. Jill made a mental note to ask about those after they got on the interstate.

When Ronnie was seated in the truck with Jill, Lora sat on Ronnie’s lap. Jill noticed Lora’s small frame looked almost childlike seated that way. Jill found she liked the couple especially Lora who seemed to be all smiles, a very cheery person.

Doug and the others were already at the rendezvous point waiting when Jill‘s team arrived. Ronnie and Lora’s attention was drawn to the Apache gunship circling low and fast around them. Jill radioed Doug that everything was all right, and that she had picked up a man and a woman. She also told him that they would be riding with them as far as the exit ramps to the farm. Doug radioed that he understood, and began to pull away. Jill’s convoy fell in behind the tanker trucks. Once they had cleared the ramp onto the interstate Ronnie asked, “Is that helicopter from the Army?”

Jill replied, “Well sort of we took it from them.” Then Jill introduced her self and told Ronnie and Lora who was driving each vehicle and about how they had all gotten together. Then she told them about the move to the farm.

Ronnie asked, “So the government isn’t going to do anything?”

Jill realized the couple didn’t know the full impact of the collapse, so she brought them up to date. Even up to the last information they had received about the Mexicans and the possible invasion from overseas. They were overwhelmed. Jill in an effort to lighten the mood asked about the swords and the foam pads.

Ronnie explained that they were both into martial arts. He mainly worked with the swords, as they were a passion of his. While Lora had achieved a second-degree black belt in tae kwon do. Ronnie boasted that she fought in a lot of tournaments. Her small stature and speed overwhelmed her opponents. Jill smiled as she pictured little Lora in the ring moving so quickly. Landing strikes so quickly an opponent had no chance to defend himself.

Jill asked, “So you left all of your guns at home?”

Ronnie sighed embarrassingly, “Yeah, wouldn’t you know it. I didn’t think I would need them.”

Jill continued by asking, “So you both know how to use guns?”

Ronnie nodded and said, “Sure we target practice a lot and I have some training on them. I just can’t wait to get home to get them.”

Jill told him she didn’t think he would need them as long as he was with the convoy. Then asked, “What are you going to do about food when you get home, do you have any stocked away?”

Ronnie sighed, “I know that’s going to be a sore point. We’ve probably got a little. Maybe a week’s worth. I guess I could hunt some large game. That’s all I could hunt because all I have is an AK-47, a Smith .44 and a Glock 9mm, so small game is out. But I guess we’ll find someway.”

Jill asked, “How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

“Lora’s family gave us enough food for three meals, we ate our last one this morning.” Ronnie explained.

Jill rode along quietly for a few miles as she contemplated Ronnie and Lora’s situation. Finally she decided the couple would be a definite plus to the group. The hand-to-hand combat tips Lora could give and the edged weapons combat help that Ronnie could supply would help all the others as well. Plus the extra hands would come in handy. She made them the offer by saying, “Look it’s a long way to Crossville and your probably hungry already. We have plenty of food to spare, would you like to come to the farm with us. You could have dinner and spend the night, I’m sure we could find a bed for you. I also want you to be thinking about something. We need people like you two. If there really is an invasion coming, we are going to fight it. You don’t seem to have food to eat, while we do. So here’s the deal, you two come stay the night with us and talk it over. In the morning after breakfast we have to make another run to Nashville. If you decide not to stay we’ll give you a ride back to the interstate. If you decide you want to stay we’ll pick up another camper trailer for you two to live in while we are in Nashville.”

Ronnie didn’t look too sure. But when he looked to Lora who was smiling and nodding her head he sighed and agreed, “OK, we’ll stay the night and talk it over.”

Jill happy at the response radioed Doug to tell him she wouldn’t be stopping at the exit and there would be two more for dinner. Doug answered. “OK Jill sounds good.”

Before arriving at the farm the tanker trucks were pulled off the road into a field at another farm. Doug’s team used rolled hay bales to hide the tankers from view. While Doug’s team done that, Jill led everyone else to the farm.

The arrangement of the trailers had been discussed and decided upon days before with security in mind. Jill and Missy’s would be placed on one side of the chicken house to guard that building. Paul and Sherry’s trailer would be set up by the barn to guard it. Linda’s trailer and Trent’s trailer would be put behind the main house.

When they finally pulled into the farm everyone pulled their trailers to the allotted places. So tired, they didn’t even bother unhitching them. They simply unloaded the propane tanks and batteries, and then went inside to make their beds. Alice had made a dinner the night before and packed it away for the next evening. So thanks to Alice’s forethought, a warm meal was served and quickly eaten by the tired group. Discussion at the table was light, as everyone wanted to get to their beds for some much needed rest.

Ronnie and Lora stayed with Jill. Missy gave them her bed. She volunteered to stay the night with Trent. Jill smiled at the girl as she happily walked toward Trent’s trailer.

Jill, Ronnie and Lora sat up talking for a while longer, getting to know each other. Jill told them more about the group and the things they had been through. But she remembered to excuse herself earlier than usual to give them time to talk things over and decide whether they wanted to stay or to go home.

Jill had picked the room at the back of the trailer. Once in her room she opened all the windows, as it was hot in the room from the heat of the road. Luckily there was a slight breeze which Jill breathed deeply of. It was not laced with the scent of death as it was in Nashville. This was good clean mountain air. Just the smell of it seemed to relax her.

Fortunately the trailer had been equipped with curtains and bed linen already in place. Jill was tempted to shed her clothes to be more comfortable, but elected to keep them on in case of a problem.

Jill lie trying to sleep, but the heat was too much to do so. She had heard Ronnie and Lora talking softly for a few minutes, and then it was quiet. Jill began to wonder what decision they had reached. After a few more minutes Jill heard Lora’s faint giggling, afterward Jill felt the trailer begin a slight rocking on its tires. Jill recognized the pattern right away. She lie on her back, watching the curtains swaying lightly, hearing soft whimpers coming from the other room. Jill almost began snickering at times. After ten minutes she heard low moaning, felt the trailer quiver and then it became still.

Now it was quiet in the trailer. So quiet Jill could hear the crickets and the katydids in a chorus. Now and then she heard a croaking bullfrog in the lake. It all seemed to be tuned to the whippoorwill that sang with the other creatures. Jill found it a relaxing cacophony, listening to it made her sleepy. She was used to the buzz of the city, had gotten used to the dead silence afterward. But this, she enjoyed more than any of the others. She felt safe and relaxed as she drifted toward sleep.

Just before sleep took her she smiled as she had a feeling she would be pulling home another camper tomorrow. Ronnie and Lora would be staying she could feel it. She was glad to have more people. The group was growing in strength. Still, listening to them make love made her feel lonely. She had never really felt that way as she had always been wound up in her work. But now, she felt a need to be with someone. She missed Doug.

The next day she towed back another RV trailer. Allan flew back the other Apache gunship. Doug, Paul, and Trent also went to Nashville to retrieve another tanker truck of gasoline and another of diesel. Trent brought back a tanker truck full of aviation fuel for the helicopters. Allan decided it would be better to have three tankers as the helicopters burned so much fuel.

Ronnie and Lora settled into their new trailer, setting it up on the other side of the chicken house. This was to help insure the supplies in the chicken house would be guarded at all times. While in Nashville Ronnie and Lora picked out a brand new Jeep from a dealership. They would need transportation and also to charge the RV batteries.

Jill enjoyed talking to Ronnie and Lora. They were a very dynamic couple. She also enjoyed watching them practice their martial arts. Lora moved slowly and gracefully as she practiced her kata‘s on the soft grass. Turning, blocking, kicking, and striking an invisible opponent, it fascinated Jill to watch her. Lora seemed oblivious to the world around her as she concentrated on the moves. She had explained to Jill that she moved slowly to train her muscles thoroughly. Stating that if you trained the muscles well, they would respond well in a fight, even at great speed.

Ronnie trained in much the same way as Lora, slowly maneuvering his sword through a series of moves. His movements were just as animated as Lora’s, even employing kicks and hand strikes. But occasionally Ronnie would go through his movements at top speed. The blade sang through the air, his hands a blur of motion. The leggings of his karate uniform made loud snapping sounds as he kicked at his invisible opponent. Jill imagined, in their forms of combat they would be devastating.

But Jill also knew they would need guns, so she went through her things stored in the chicken house, to find the two blanket chests. When she found them, she picked out two of the colt AR-15’s and six magazines for each. For handguns she picked two of the Glock 9mm pistols, and several spare magazines. Because she had so many of them she also took out two of the 12-gauge riot guns. Opening the other blanket case she selected a generous amount of ammunition for their weapons.

When Jill presented the weapons to Ronnie and Lora, they both gratefully thanked Jill for the gifts. Jill instructed them to be sparing with the ammunition and if they were ever in a firefight to never drop a magazine. And when it’s over to search the bodies and take anything useful.

After Jill had given them the weapons she noticed they began to wear the pistols constantly and there was always a long gun near by. Jill also found out that soon after getting them Ronnie had talked to Doug to get permission to do some target practice. She was pleased with them and knew they would be a bonus to the team.

It took everyone over a week to get set up and fall into a routine. Jobs were given to everyone, as there was a lot to be done. Ray and Alice became cooks for everyone. The living room of the house was converted into a large dinning room. The food was cooked in the carport on a large wood fueled cook stove that Allan’s parents had stored in the barn, years back. Linda helped Doug set up the radio tower and the radio room in the old utility room of the house.

Paul and Ronnie worked out a watch post schedule. There would only need to be one person on watch unless there was a threat of some kind. For a watch post they had gone to a salvage yard where they found a full size extension van with windows down the sides.

The van was towed to a small hill beyond the barn. Paul and Ronnie replaced the bench seats with one of the large air-ride seats from one of the semi-tractors. High backed, with armrests, it swiveled and rode on an air pillow making it perfect for long hours on watch. They even installed a portable air tank to adjust the seat height. Finally they enclosed the van in a blanket of rolled barbed wire for extra security.

One day Jill and Doug decided that since there were some people living in the area they should make an effort to meet a few of them. Hopefully a relationship could be formed with some of them. They started out by visiting the farmhouses along the main road. Several times they were greeted with a warning shot before they had turned into the driveway. In those cases of course they kept going. A few times though they were allowed to turn into the driveway and were met by nervous men in overalls pointing shotguns at them. It was always an abrupt, “state your business” type of contact. But even those always ended with an abrupt “OK, thanks for stopping by.” Jill and Doug knew that meant it was time to leave. But at least it was a beginning.

Then Jill and Doug came upon a large, white, house with black shutters. It was a very old home but perfectly cared for. Situated under lots of very large Oak trees, the house had a front porch that ran the full length of the house. The lawn was covered with a thick, lush covering of grass. Blooming flowers were spaced around the yard. An old horse plow sat in one of the beds. At the end of the driveway stood a life size concrete pig, painted pink. In blue lettering, “ The Garfield’s” was emblazoned across it. “Nice place.” Doug commented with a grin.

Jill smiling said, “I love the pig!”

As Doug and Jill stopped the truck at the sidewalk, the storm door opened. A large smiling man stepped out onto the porch from the storm door. He wore a pistol on his belt looped through his blue jeans. He tugged at his gray tee shirt to be sure it wasn’t in the way of drawing the pistol. Then he said loudly in a southern accent, “Howdy neighbor!”

This was a welcome change from all the others Jill and Doug had met that day. Finally finding a friendly person. Doug yelled back, “Howdy neighbor, we’re out visiting neighbors to see if everyone was alright or needed anything.”

The man began to look Jill and Doug over suspiciously now. They stood on the driveway still as he studied them from the porch. Finally, raising his eyebrows he said, “Neighbor? Son I been preaching round here for better’n twenty-five years, I don’t recall ever see’n either one of you.”

Doug explained, “We came here from Nashville, there’s thirteen of us. We moved onto the old Snyder farm.”

The man smiled again, his thick black moustache spread upward. “I’ll bet you’re a friend of that Snyder boy, Allan.”

Doug smiled, “Yes sir we are. He’s with us.”

The man crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back. Still smiling said, “I been knowing Allan since he was in high school. He was wild as a buck. He used to keep my church parking lot ringed in donuts from the time he got his license till he went into the Army.”

Doug looked embarrassed, smiled sheepishly and said, “I was with him many times when he did that. And I’ve gotta own up to a few of them myself preacher. All that gravel was hard to resist.”

The man laughed at hearing Doug’s confession. Wiping the sweat from his forehead then brushed his other hand back through his hair. When he finished laughing he said, “ Confessions are good for the soul son, glad to know you’re honest. My names John Garfield, you can call me John.”

Doug chuckled and introduced him self and then Jill. John stepped off the front porch motioning Doug and Jill forward. He stuck his hand out to shake hands as they approached. Doug took it, then Jill. Then he led them up onto the porch to sit in the chairs there. When they were seated he said, “My wife Elizabeth will be out in a minute.” Then as he grinned he admitted, “She had you sighted in with a rifle until I rubbed my hand through my hair. Had I pulled at my shorts you’d both be dead right now.” After a chuckle John continued, “Now she knows you’re friendly. Would you care for some coffee or something to drink?”

Doug and Jill shook their heads telling John they were fine. John started the conversation by saying, “So you were one of Allan’s buddies? I said he was wild as a buck but he was a good boy. I never knowed of him gettin into any bad trouble anyway. How’s he doing now?”

Doug replied, “He’s doing fine. Like I said he’s with our group. He is our helicopter pilot.”

John exclaimed, “So that explains it! We’ve been a hearing helicopter’s coming in but couldn’t figure out what was going on. So you people have helicopters?”

Doug said, “Yes we do among other things.”

John asked seriously, “So them tanker trucks hidden in old man Hall’s hay, them’s your’s?”

Doug frowned, asked, “You know about those?”

“Yes we do” John replied. Doug noticed the ‘we’ in his answer and was curious. Then John explained, “We still have church services ever Sunday. We had to give up our Wednesday evening. But all of us still meet for Sunday. Anyway we keep a pretty good eye on things. Reason we couldn’t figure out the helicopters was because they were so low we never seen’em. And the old Snyder farm is so far from anywhere.”

Doug nodded as the storm door opened. A tall slender woman with black hair appeared on the porch from the doorway. She carried a tray of glasses filled with iced tea. John smiled as she approached, “This is my wife Elizabeth. Elizabeth this is Doug and Jill, They’re friends of Allan Snyder.” Elizabeth looked puzzled. Then John added, “Used to do donuts in the church parking lot.”

Elizabeth smiled knowingly, “Oh now I remember.” she said as she presented the tray of glasses to Jill and Doug. They each took a glass from the tray, smiled and thanked their hostess. Elizabeth sat beside her husband after putting the empty tray on the table. John began again once she was seated. “Anyway we keep an eye out and exchange information at church. So we all know what’s going on, around here anyway. It‘s what’s going on in the country or around the world that we don‘t know.”

Doug told John about the radio he had. Then explained all he could about what was happening up until he had taken the radio down to transport it to the farm. Even though he and Linda had been working on it, it still wasn’t working yet. John was amazed at the wealth of knowledge Doug had imparted to him. When he had finished John exclaimed, “Boy are we gonna have a lot to talk about this Sunday!” Then as an afterthought he invited Doug to come to speak to his congregation on Sunday, as he didn’t believe he could remember it all. Doug said he would be happy to.

Finally Doug asked how the situation was with his congregation, was everyone healthy, did they have food. John explained everyone was doing fine for their ages. There was plenty of food to go around, as they were all old farmers. Even though they no longer farmed, they did make gardens and grow their own food. John’s face grew stern as he said, “There is one problem. Doug these people are old, many of the men are veterans of Korea and even WW II. The only young person we have among us is a son that was in visiting his parents when it all happened.” John sighed. Elizabeth patted him on the arm. Then he continued, “There’s some young punks that have come here from Nashville. They drive them low-rider cars with them silly looking wheels. They come around every few days to get food from the people. They tell the old people that since there is no law that they will ‘protect’ them for the food.”

Doug’s face reddened with anger, he asked, “And if they refuse to pay?”

John answered, “Well actually it’s just started, but there have already been a few beatings.”

Doug sighed and asked, “I know the people have guns. Why don’t they use them?”

John replied, “Doug there are so many punks, twenty maybe thirty of them. They have those semi-automatic rifles with the thirty round magazines. These farmers are old and all they have for guns are single shot shotguns and old, world war two surplus bolt-action rifles. That’s not a good match for them fancy rifles.”

Doug shook his head and said, “No I guess not.” Then he asked, “What about the punks where do they come from?”

John sighed and said, “Jim Tompkins says they all live in an old farm house on the other side of the main highway.”

Doug thought for a moment then asked, “Can Jim show me, guide me to it?”

John frowned, “He’s pretty old eighty-two if I remember correctly. But he still gets around good. I’ll ask him.”

Doug stern now, unsmiling asked, “Have you got a CB radio.”

John thought for a moment then replied. “Yes I believe I do. If I don’t I know somebody that does. Why?”

Doug said, “Get one and hook it up, in the house.” We will do the same with our guard post. That way you can get to us 24 hours a day if you need us. By the way what kind of vehicle do you drive so I can let everyone know it’s you if you drive out to the farm.” John told him it was an old blue Cadillac.

Doug and John made arrangements to meet at John’s house the next morning at seven. But John would drive over to Jim Tompkins house this afternoon and tell him about the meeting. John said Jim would definitely be there. John said he knew Jim well enough to know he would show Doug the House. After the plans were made Doug and Jill drove back to the farm.

Doug was so angry he didn’t speak. Which didn’t matter to Jill as she was seething in her own anger. She thought to herself, “Even in the country people can’t even live in peace.”

Back at the farm Doug asked Linda to install a CB, from his things, into the watch post. While she did that Doug began to get the radio into operation. But everyone he saw he told them to be at dinner that evening and to tell others that there would be a meeting.

Before dinner Doug met with Allan to discuss the conversation he’d had with John. Allan first smiled and exclaimed, “You met brother G!” Allan had always called him by that.

When Doug had finished explaining what was happening to the old farmers Allan said sadly, “Those are the parents of the people I grew up with Doug, we can’t allow that happen to them”

Doug said, “I know.” Then he explained about the meeting in the morning with Jim Tompkins. Allan had known Jims’ son very well in school. Doug told Allan that he would pick a team at dinner tonight. But he and Jill would meet with Tompkins and go to the house in the morning. “After that, I’ll decide what to do.” Doug said,

That afternoon at dinner, after everyone had finished eating, Doug stood and outlined everything that had taken place that day. Then he asked for volunteers to help take out the punks the next day. Everyone but Alice raised their hands. Doug told Ray he appreciated his volunteering, but that he would rather Ray work watch posts at the farm while the others were out. In the end he picked as teams Jill and himself, Paul and Sherry, Ronnie and Lora and Missy and Trent. In that order to work in teams of two, the rest would stay behind to maintain security at the farm. Doug and Jill would meet Jim at the preacher’s house and follow him to where the punk’s stayed. Then they would return with a plan of attack and lead the teams in that afternoon.

After the discussion, Doug spent the rest of the evening in the radio room. Everyone else went to get their gear ready for the mission and relax. The team members were excused from watch post until after the mission so they would be well rested.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 10


Jill and Doug left early the next morning for the meeting. At John’s house, John and Jim Tompkins were on the porch sipping their coffee and enjoying the fresh morning air while waiting for them to arrive. Jim was a tall, lanky man that appeared to be in good shape for his age. He wore bib overalls and a cap that advertised a feed store. Jill noticed his skin appeared tanned and weathered from many summers in the fields. Across Jim’s knees lay an old Enfield rifle. Jill asked to see it and was amazed to see it was date stamped as being manufactured in 1918. She popped the magazine out to see the large 303 rounds clipped into place. Jim told her it held ten in the magazine. She was also amazed to learn that the old man had ordered it in the sixties from the Spiegel catalog. “Wasn’t any problem back then. You just sent in an order blank and the mailman brought it. No proof, no I.D, no government forms, nothing. Damn liberals!” he swore before spitting a long stream of tobacco juice onto the lawn.

Even though Jill had to smile at the old man’s words, deep down she felt terribly guilty. Doug began to speak to the old man, as Jill handed back the rifle. Doug asked about the gang and where they were staying. Finally Doug asked, “Can you get us there through the timber so they don’t know we’re there?”

The old man smiled and said, “I been running through these hills since I was a barefooted boy, I reckon I can.”

Doug chuckled at the old man’s response then said, “Let’s go for it then.”

Doug drove them in Jill’s truck across the state highway. The old man began directing them down one-lane gravel roads, to stop at a pull off no more than a wide spot in the road. This was a remote area covered with wooded hillsides. When they got out of the truck Jim pointed a crooked finger up the hill at the side of the road. “Just over that hill, you’ll see it when we get up to the top.”

Jill looked up the side of the hill thinking, “That’s steep and a little more than a hill!” Jill and Doug let the old man lead the way up the hill. Surprisingly the old man plodded along with no trouble, while Jill and Doug were panting before long. She and Doug had dressed in camouflage BDU’s for the mission but now Jill wished she had worn one of the lighter tops as the day was going to be very hot.

Once at the crest of the hill, the house was visible through the green leaves. It was an old farmhouse that sat on the side of a gravel road. The wooded hillside ran all the down to the side of the gravel road. There the terrain flattened into open fields around the farmhouse. There were fence lines around the house that were overgrown with bushes.

The house itself was a two story asphalt sided affair common in the area. It was very old probably built during the depression. Jill and Doug sat watching it through binoculars. Jill suspected most of the punks were off somewhere as there weren’t very many vehicles parked at the house. They saw several girls walking about, skimpily clad, they wore tattoos and multi colored hair. Most of them had a chain style dog collar around their neck. Jill felt disgust for them.

Doug was sure they were well hidden from view of the house so they sat watching for several hours while Doug assembled a plan of attack in his mind. Jim sat with his back leaned against a tree, occasionally drifting off to sleep while they watched.

After two hours the rest of the punks came back. The low rider pickups carried boxes of fresh garden produce. Jill gritted her teeth in anger as she watched. She knew the punks had carried out a raid somewhere. To add insult the punks were laughing and celebrating as they carried the boxes into the house.

The punks were dressed in typical punk fashion, large baggy clothes that hung down. The pants worn with the waistband below the hips with metal braid dog collars looped through the loops and hanging down the legs. Nearly all of them had some sort of tattoo, and all had multicolored hair, that was styled grotesquely. Jill was sickened even further. Tonight she would have her vengeance.

After another two hours Doug was satisfied with his plan. The three of them quietly made their way back to the truck. Doug offered to take Jim home, but Jim refused saying he needed the walk and trudged off down the road from the preacher’s house.

Doug and Jill only stopped at John’s house long enough to tell him there might be something happen tonight, and to try and let his people know to stay clear. John thanked him and promised he’d be praying for Doug and his people.

At the farm, the teams met to go over the plan of attack. Everyone agreed it sounded like the best way. Filled with disgust for the punks, he concluded the meeting by saying, “I know it’s dirty, but I do not want any of you injured fighting these scumbags.”

He looked around the room after he had said it to see somber faces all nodding in agreement. Then he told everyone to be ready to move out at ten.

The teams went to their trailers to make their final preparations. At ten, all the teams were boarding the truck. In the truck bed Doug had placed four packs, one for each team. Doug and Jill rode in the cab together. The others lined the bed of the truck. Once everyone was in place Doug started the truck and drove away.

At preacher Garfield’s they found Jim waiting beside the pig. Jill scooted over next to Doug to give Jim a seat in the cab. Jim seated himself with the old 303 between his knees. He was still dressed in his overalls and feed store cap. But Jill could feel the extra box of shells in his pocket, against her thigh. Jim commented, “I haven’t felt like this since 1940. I feel I’m doing something to protect the people tonight.” He summed it up by saying, “It feels good.”

Jill patted the old man on the knee. Then she leaned against Doug’s shoulder for the ride to the drop off point. To make herself angry, her mind flashed images of the punks, joyful and celebrating the robbing of the people. She was mentally preparing herself for what she had to do.

At the drop off point the teams quietly dismounted from the truck. The night was dark, only a half moon. The stars twinkled and the insects sang in the woods. Doug instructed everyone to turn on their radios and check them to be sure that they were working. Then he went over the signals with them again to be sure they knew what to do. After Doug had finished each team picked up a pack and fell in line behind the old man. “At least there is a little moon light to see by.” Jill thought thankfully.

When they reached the spot where they had observed the house earlier, Doug halted the teams. The teams automatically spread out among the brush for concealment. The house was still slightly visible in the moon lit valley. Doug pointed out to each of the teams, their routes and positions. Once everything was understood the teams broke off, quietly moving down the hill. Jill and Doug was the last to move out. Before they left they turned to ask Jim, “Aren’t you coming?”

Jim was busy moving himself to a spot behind a tree. He sat with his left foot pulled back under his right thigh, his right knee pulled up. The inside of his knee snug against the side of an oak tree. “I won’t need to be down there, I can do what I need to do from here,” he said with a grin. Then he pulled his glasses case from the bib of his overalls. Putting on his glasses he began inspecting the elevation setting on the rear sight of the old Enfield through his bifocals. Finally, he shouldered the rifle and said with a grin, “Go on now, I’ll do fine.”

Jill and Doug smiled and began to move down the hill. As they walked away, they heard the bolt being worked on the old rifle, chambering a round. When they stopped for a rest Jill whispered incredulously to Doug, “Do you know how old that rifle is?”

Doug smiled and said, “Yes I do. It was built like a sledge hammer though.” pausing he added, “They just don’t make them like that anymore. There’s no telling how many German soldiers that gun killed. Probably some Japanese and maybe some Korean’s also.”

Jill hadn’t thought of that, she had to admire the old gun and the old man that carried it.

Jill and Doug reached their position in the low bushes across the road from the house. They sat catching their breath as the clicks began coming in on the radio. One click then two clicks, team one was in position. Two clicks and two clicks, team two was in position. Then three clicks then two clicks, team three was in position. Doug acknowledged them with four clicks then two clicks.

Hearing the acknowledgement, the teams opened their pouches containing a one-gallon jug of jet fuel and a strip of cloth. After assembling the cocktails, the designated delivery person readied themselves with a Zippo in one hand and the cocktail in the other. Gradually each team clicked once, the ready signal. When the last click came in, Doug paused a moment. Then gave the two click ‘GO!’ signal.

Jill sprinted from the bushes at the front with her cocktail, Missy from the fence line on the right, Lora from the fence line at the rear, And Sherry from the fence line on the left side of the house. Each ran up to the house to crouch under a window. Once the rags were lit, the cocktails were slung through the open windows. After delivery the team members ran back to their positions at the fence line.

Flames were already blazing in the house as the runners took cover with their teammates. Rifles were quickly being thrown into position to fire on the house. Soon screams could be heard from inside the house as panicked punks began to flee the sudden inferno. On the right side, a quick thinking punk jumped through the flames, crashing through the window. Trent fired his AK as soon as the silhouette appeared in the window frame. Firing a three round burst, Trent watched as the body fell to the ground outside. Another punk ran to the same window, Missy stitched him with her AK, fingering off four shots into the unsuspecting punk as soon as he appeared. The other punks hearing the shots realized they were under attack and ran into the interior rooms of the house.

The left side of the house was much the same. After Paul and Sherry nailed three punks trying to escape out of the windows, the punks on that side fled to the interior of the house. The flames following them, as the old house was going up quick.

Suddenly the rear door was flung open, harried punks began to spill out onto the old wooden porch. Lora and Ronnie opened up, rapid fire. Their AR-15‘s firing more than a dozen rounds into the knot of punks. Eight of the punks fell onto the porch screaming from their wounds. The rest scrambled back inside the burning house, slamming the door.

In a last vain effort the remaining punks ran to the front door. This time instead of everyone charging out, they slowly opened the door. Pushing it open with a broom handle until it was standing wide open. Two of the male punks looked at each other as if asking, “What do we do now?” Finally, one of the males grabbed a purple haired female. She was still naked, as there wasn’t time to dress. Crying, she was shoved through the door. “Go for it Bitch!” urged the rest of the punk’s.

Doug and Jill looked at each other as they watched the terrified girl walk slowly off the porch onto the grass. Holding their fire, they realized the girl was only a guinea pig to draw their fire. When the girl had walked about thirty feet, the other punks began to appear in the doorway behind her. Suddenly a loud rolling boom, which sounded almost like an artillery shot, echoed off the surrounding hills, Startling Jill. The first punk in the doorway was suddenly lifted off his feet and thrown back against the punks gathered behind him. The door was then slammed shut as if it could stop the gunfire.

Doug grinned at Jill and exclaimed, “That old man’s good!”

Jill nodded her head then looked back over her shoulder. She marveled at the long distance and accuracy of the shot. She realized that even in the day light, no one would be able to locate him much less hit him with an AK or an AR at that distance. She also saw the terror potential a sniper could wreak. Mentally she made a note to get those police sniper rifles out and practice with them.

The burning house was quiet now. The punks huddled inside trying to decide what to do. Hysteria was beginning to set in, as they knew their time was rapidly running out. The fire was consuming the house viciously now.

On the lawn the naked girl lay crying, too terrified to move from where she had dived when the old man had fired. The light of the flames reflected off her buttocks. Jill wondered what they were going to do with her. As far as Jill could tell the male punks did the raiding while the females stayed to protect the house. But she had eaten of the stolen food and had stayed with the gang knowing what they were doing was wrong.

Just then another of the punks appeared in the window to the left of the front door. The glass shattered as he threw a chair through the panes. The punk hastily threw a leg over the sill preparing to jump, a hideous smile on his face. Just as Doug and Jill were just shouldering their weapons to fire when the old mans rifle boomed again from the hillside. The punk was suddenly flung back inside the building. Doug turned to Jill and asked smilingly, “Wonder what kind of reading glasses that old man uses.”

Jill snickered and then turned back to watch the house and the girl. There was no more movement in the house now. Jill guessed all of the punks were dead now from gunshot wounds, smoke or heat. She asked Doug, “What are we going to do with her?” nodding toward the girl.

Doug shrugged his shoulders, “I don’t know I guess we’ll have to talk to her first then decide.”

After another minute Doug and Jill were sure there were no survivors in the house. They stepped out onto the roadway in front of the house. Doug called to the other teams and the old man on the radio “We’re coming out in the front. Let’s see whet we’ve got.” Just in case Doug stepped into the open and waved up to where Jim was perched.

Jill walked up to the girl still lying in the grass crying. She grabbed the girl under the arm, lifting. Commanded, “Get up!”

The girl got to her feet still sniffling. Jill turned her to face the firelight so she could see her better. Jill took in the purple hair with a cringe, and then surveyed the rest of the girls’ body. The girl‘s body had a piercing at every imaginable place. Her eyebrows, tongue, lips, nipples, and several hung from her shaven vaginal lips. Jill was sickened, “Isn’t this taking rebellion a little too far?”

The girl whimpered, “Hey they’re cool and besides it’s my right, my freedom of speech.”

Doug chuckled at her response, “Oh, the first amendment makes this right. OK, tell me what message does this convey?”

The girl only looked at him blankly.

Doug explained, “The freedom of speech is guaranteed in the first amendment. For it to be speech it must convey some sort of intended message. All I can glean from it is it says the wearer is trash!”

The girl only stared at the ground. Doug walked off in disgust.

Jill asked, “What’s your name?”

The girl replied softly, “Andrea Davis.”

Jill asked, “Did you know your friends were taking food from the old people’s gardens?”

Andrea stiffened her back and said, “We had to eat.”

Jill felt like slapping the girl. But instead said, “I bet you come from a upper class family. Your parents gave you everything you needed, but you thought they were too controlling. Am I right?”

Andrea nodded her head with a vague look on her face, asked, “What’s that got to do with anything?”

Jill explained, “I’m saying you are used to having everything handed to you for free and still you resented the hand that gave it to you.”

Andrea only shrugged.

Jill told her, “We have been wondering what to do with you. If your friends hadn’t used you to attract bullets you would have died with the rest. But I will make you a deal. At our place we have an old couple that could use some help with their chores. You’ll assist them doing house work, washing dishes and cooking.”

Andrea said, “OK so I’ll be a slave now, huh”

Jill fought to hold her patience said, “No, you will be working for your food, clothes and a place to stay.”

Andrea defiantly said, “Oh yeah same thing.”

Jill, angry now, stated, “No its not. If you do not work how do you expect to eat? We could leave you standing here you know.”

Andrea appeared shocked. “But I don’t have any clothes, how would I eat?”

Jill knew she was getting through to the girl. “That’s up to you, we offered you a job. That’s up to you also.”
Andrea said, “All right, I see your point. I’ll do it.”

Jill smiled, “OK, there’ll be some rules. The first is, if we catch you even looking at a gun, we’ll take you to the interstate and drop you off, just the way we found you.” motioning to her naked body as she said it.

Andrea nodded her acceptance.

Jill continued, “Now unlatch every one of the ear rings and pitch them.”

Andrea stuck her chin out and replied, “You can’t make me do that, I have a right, like he said my first amendment right.”

Jill smiled, retorted, “That you do, and that may have worked with your parents. But on this job I’m the boss. You are on my dollar and if I say you can’t wear them, that’s my right as long as you are on my dollar. So either pitch them or we leave you standing here. By the way, tomorrow you are getting all that purple hair cut off also.”

Andrea mumbled as she began unlatching the earrings, “Sounds like my parents.”

Jill only smiled, and then walked a few paces away to stand with Doug. Doug said, “It’s a good idea Jill, whether it’ll work or not, I don’t know.”

“I think it’s worth a try. At least she doesn’t have any tattoo’s.” Jill frowned and added, “I don’t think I would have made the offer if she had.”

By now the house had collapsed, the flames leaping skyward. Everyone had begun gathering for the return hike back to the truck. Along the way Andrea plodded along whining about being naked and barefooted. She continued this until they met Jim on the hillside. Jim looked her over with a flashlight and began laughing huge belly laughs. After that Andrea didn’t speak anymore.

At the farm Jill and Missy took Andrea to their trailer. Jill folded down the dining table to make her a bed there. “If you decide to leave or do anything else, someone will shoot you. So you best stay where you are.” Jill warned her. “If you decide you want to leave just say so and someone will take you to the interstate. Understand?”

Andrea nodded that she did.

The next morning, Jill used a pair of scissors to cut Andreas hair down to the blonde color where the purple stopped. That only left her with an inch of hair on her head. When she looked in the mirror she looked as if she were about to cry. Jill had kept a few dresses from her wardrobe. She gave one of the rather plain ones to Andrea to wear. Andrea didn’t seem to like it, frowning when she held it up to look at it. The girl being shorter than Jill at five foot two inches, the dress fell much to low. Andrea asked about a bra and panties. Jill told her she would have to earn those by doing a good job.

Next Jill took her in to meet Alice, who put her to work right away washing the breakfast dishes. Jill told Alice that if she gave her any problem to let her know. For the time being Andrea would sleep on the sofa that remained in the living room. Finally Jill told Alice, “If she works out, we’ll see about getting her a trailer of her own. But I just thought you needed some help and I wanted to give her a chance.”

Alice smiled and thanked Jill. The stress of cooking for everyone was beginning to wear on her, even with Ray’s help.

Most everyone spent the day doing laundry or cleaning guns. Doug spent most of his day in the radio room. At the dinner table that night Doug had an update for everyone. When everyone had finished eating, he stood to speak. “I have some news.” he began. “The Mexicans have entered El Paso, Galveston, Houston, San Antonio, Tucson, Phoenix, and Dallas-Ft. Worth. In Galveston they hold the airport and the harbor. This only confirms our suspicion of an invasion of some sort.”

Doug paused to let them mentally digest that information before continuing. “It is logical to assume that the invading force would need the ports to land troops and material. Also, the airports would be needed to disperse them on the mainland. Of course now that we know what is coming we can prepare to resist the invasion. Groups all over the country are changing from a survival posture to that of a guerilla group. There is a plan in the works that will hopefully stop all this. Some groups are in the process of putting this into action, although I cannot say what it is, as I do not know. It’s all rather secretive, I’m sure you’ll agree it has to be.”

Doug paused there to sip from a glass. “We cannot sit around and wait to see if the plan works, we need to begin to prepare now. I think our first attempt at resistance should be to destroy the runways at the Nashville airport before they get too close. I know there are hundreds of smaller airports where they could land small planes. But Nashville would be the only one that could handle the large military cargo jets. Destroying those runways would at least cripple them in this area.”

When Doug had finished everyone sat deep in thought, wondering how one would destroy something like a runway. When no one spoke, Doug continued, “Does anyone have any ideas on how to destroy a runway without heavy explosives or just simply digging it up with heavy equipment?”

Allan finally spoke offering a suggestion. Everyone agreed that it was the best idea. Even if it didn’t completely destroy the runways, it would hinder the enemy. Allan picked a team to take with him to Nashville the next morning and they left to go over the mission.

Afterward, Jill made a suggestion to Doug. “I think we should get Preacher Garfield to ask for volunteers from the veterans. I’m sure there are some who would be willing to help us. So when we are planning something like this the volunteers could offer us lots of advice and guidance.”

Doug agreed, “ That’s a great idea. They could also train us. I mean their experience would be very valuable. After the teams leave on the mission I’ll talk to the preacher.”

[brake pedal]

The next morning Doug and Jill watched as Allan and a team of four lifted off in a Blackhawk to go to the Nashville airport. Allan’s plan was to tow all of the aircraft onto the runways, line them up and burn them. This would deprive the enemy of the aircraft and hopefully the heat from the burning aircraft would disintegrate the tarmac of the runways. If nothing else it would keep the enemy busy just cleaning it all up.

After the helicopter had faded from site, Jill and Doug went into the house for some coffee. Alice sat at a table with them, talking with them while they sipped their coffee. Jill asked Alice how Andrea was doing. Alice replied she was working out good and that she and Andrea had even begun to have some conversations while they worked.

After coffee Doug and Jill left to meet with Preacher Garfield to explain their plan. The preacher seemed thrilled, “It’ll be a fine way for the boy’s to help out!” he said. Taking the preachers’ car they visited the ones that the preacher recommended. Each of the old veterans they talked to was glad to be of help and agreed to meet at the farm the next morning to begin teaching classes.

Once back at the farm, Jill went to her trailer to clean up. There was a knock at the door and Jill opened it to find Andrea on the steps. Jill noticed she seemed different and invited her in. She motioned for Andrea to have a seat and waited for the girl to speak.

“Jill” Andrea began, staring at the floor as she spoke. “I just wanted to say thank you for offering me this. I realize what a brat I have been. I’m sorry you didn’t deserve the way I treated you, if it weren’t for you I’d be in sad shape by now.”

Jill smiled and said, “Yes, I suppose you would have. You really are very lucky to be alive.”

Andrea agreed, “I know I was lucky.”

Jill asked, “How old are you Andrea?”

“Seventeen.” Andrea replied softly.

Jill solemnly said. “ You’ve got a lot to learn about life and it’s getting tougher all the time. You heard what Doug said last night.”

Andrea nodded her head in reply.

Jill thought for a moment then told Andrea, “If you want to consider me your friend, that would be great. You are welcome in this trailer if you want to come and visit, or if you want to hang around with me that’s fine too.”

Andrea smiled and said, “Thank you.”

Jill got up and said, “Stay right there.” When Jill returned from her room she gave Andrea a change of clothes, jeans, tee shirt and panties.

Andrea smiled brightly and said, “Thank you, now I’ll feel like a real person.” Then she asked sheepishly, “Don’t you have any bra’s, I mean I’m not complaining, I was just wondering.”

Jill smiled and admitted, “Most of us quit wearing them after the collapse. I think only Alice still wears one. So don’t worry about it.” Then she looked at Andrea’s chest and said humorously, “As big as yours are you better not get your shirt wet or you’ll have guys following you around.”

Andrea giggled at her remark. Then changed into the new clothes in Jill’s trailer. The jeans fit perfectly. She looked like a totally different person from what she was when they found her. After they talked some Andrea left to help Alice get dinner ready. Jill went out to the barn to find her old blanket chests.

Finding the blanket chests in all the jumbled stacks took a little time. The others had moved things around so much while hunting for their thing. But when Jill found them she took out more ammunition for her and Missy’s guns. She also took out two of the .270 police sniper rifles and all of the .270 ammunition she could find. Counting all of the boxes Jill figured there were five hundred and twenty rounds for the two rifles. Jill had been so impressed with the long range shooting of Jim Tompkins that tomorrow she planned to get him to give her some instruction, on the basics of long-range fire.

That afternoon the helicopter arrived back at the farm. The teams were tired, sweaty and smelled of burning fuel. The mission had been a success. It had taken so long because there were so many people in the area. Two of the team members had to stand guard while the others worked. The guards had to fire several warning shots to move people back that attempted to approach the helicopter or the teams that were working. In the end they left the runways littered with burning aircraft. Allan and Missy boasted there would be days of clean up, with heavy equipment before anything could land. Even then the burned asphalt would begin to crumble quickly.

After dinner Jill invited Doug to her trailer, where they enjoyed their first union since moving to the farm. It had been a long torrid tryst that had left them both tired and sweaty. Afterward, Jill took the opportunity to tell Doug about the conversation with Andrea. Doug had also noticed the change in her, but was amazed at the way she had spoken with Jill. Jill told Doug that she thought it would be a good idea if Andrea attended the training sessions with the veterans. “Even if she never goes on a mission,” Jill argued, “that training could come in handy if the farm were ever attacked.”

Doug considered what Jill had said for a few moments before he agreed. But told Jill. “I don’t trust her with a gun just now, I would be more comfortable if we waited on that part. But the training would be good for her.”

Jill agreed.

Doug apologized and said, “I hate to leave but I need to monitor the radio. We need to keep updated, it seems every night there’s something new.”

Jill told him she understood. Doug got dressed and left Jill in the bed. After he left she felt so alone.

After breakfast the following morning, the old veterans began to appear. Most were walking but some rode horses or mules, only one had spared the gasoline to drive. Even the son that was caught here visiting his parents when the collapse happened came for some instruction from the veteran’s. He joined a training group and teamed up with Linda. He and Linda appeared to work together very well. Jill learned his name was Dusty.

When everyone had arrived, Doug had everyone gather under the trees behind the house. All of the group members were present except Ray and Alice. Jill had brought Andrea who was thrilled to be included and followed Jill around everywhere she went.

As there were no chairs everyone sat cross-legged on the grass. It was shady and cool under the big oaks. Jill suspected that was why Doug had chosen this spot. Once everyone had time to settle, Doug stood to begin his speech. Jill was now accustomed to his “speeches”. The speeches seemed unnecessary at first but now Jill saw it lent an air of ceremony and served to boost moral. “Ladies and gentleman, the enemy has arrived.” Doug paused as he looked around the room at the shocked faces in the crowd, and then he continued. “Yesterday several eastern port cities experienced a fly over. The aircraft have been identified as Russian. Other reports have come in that say, from the tall buildings in Newark, ships can be seen through telescopes. But the origin of the ships cannot as yet be determined. But they do appear to be war ships. Evidently there are at least a few aircraft carriers.”

Paul raised his hand to ask, “What are they doing, why don’t they just come in?”

Doug answered by saying, “It is our guess that they are waiting on troop carriers, which are much slower than the warships. Once those troop carriers arrive those troops will secure the port cities. Then other troops can be flown into the airports in those cities. And from those airports the troops can be flown to the airports the Mexicans hold, spreading across the country very rapidly.”

Many of the faces in the room were down cast, some fearful. But the old veterans stared straightforward, determined looks on their faces. One old man in a plaid shirt with suspenders holding up faded jeans said, “Well we knew it was coming years back. I hate to say this, but I will fight for my country only if it will be put back like it was intended to be, free, strong and by the constitution. But if it were going to be put back like it was before the collapse, I’d rather not bother fighting. America had gotten as communist as the old Soviet Union I‘ll not fight for that.” when the old man had finished speaking there was a soft chorus of, “Me neither.”

Doug responded by saying, “It will either be put back like it was intended by the constitution or we will divide it. Constitutionalists taking one part of the country and the liberal left taking the other, that’s the plan. I think it was headed that way before the collapse anyway. But as for the liberal left, it is the general consensus that there is not that many of those people left. During and after the collapse those people either converted, hid out somewhere or fell victim to those that preyed upon the weak.”

Doug cleared his throat and moved on, “But right now we’ve got to take care of the enemy off our shore. There are thousands of groups like ours across the country. Hundreds of thousands of people willing to fight to protect our country and to set up a new government that is truly by the people. We will be the new patriots, the new minutemen. But we will be labeled as terrorists, if the invaders get a foothold. The Russians or whoever they are, think this will be an easy thing, it won’t. Not only will we, good upstanding people, be fighting them, there will be many more that will flock to the invaders expecting free food and medical care. Those people will be doing as much damage to the enemy as we do.”

Doug paused before he said,” They will drain their supplies and bog them down.” Doug paused again for a rest. After a moment he continued, “Lets train hard people. We are in a good location to do the enemy some real damage. We can harass them in Nashville and there are a good many ambush sites along I-40. Let’s get started making history.”

Jill thought the speech was a little dramatic, but it did evoke the emotions and was truthfully spoken. Doug took a seat as the veterans stood to introduce themselves, and the specialty each would instruct. After the veteran’s spoke, the group broke up into smaller groups for instruction. The farm soon began to resemble a training camp. Classes could be seen attending lectures here or practicing hand to hand combat over there. Weapons could be heard firing every day. Two whole days were spent in the woods practicing camouflage techniques. Classes were taught in sentry removal, setting and other uses for landmines, the use of hand grenades, and the disabling of tanks and helicopters.

Jill coaxed Jim Tompkins into giving Missy and herself sniper lessons on the .270 rifles. With Jim’s help she and Missy were soon accurately hitting targets out to six hundred yards. That kind of range amazed Missy and Jill.

Jim worked with Jill and Missy all day on their long-range rifles. He taught them about calculating distance and factoring in for bullet drop and wind drift. He worked with them showing Jill and Missy how to choose a ‘sniper’s’ nest, picking their fields of fire, how to camouflage themselves in, and how to set up an escape route. Jim had also covered the proper use of a rifle rest.

Jill realized there was a lot to be learned about this type of shooting. Anyone could learn to use a gun at short distance, especially with a semi automatic type of gun. But to get really accurate at the distances that Jim had them working with would take practice, possibly years of it.

As the day had progressed Jill had become more intrigued by the old man. She wanted to find out how he’d learned to shoot like he did. So after the training session she led him over to a nearby large Oak tree where the three of them could sit in the shade and talk. Jim in his constant outfit of overalls and a cap with some sort of feed store label on it, ambled over to sit on the grass. He leaned his back against the tree and waited for Jill to speak.

Jill and Missy sat cross-legged in front of him on the grass. They had worn their full BDU’s and their pistols for this training as they wanted it to be as realistic as possible. Jill began by asking Jim. “Did the army teach you to shoot like that, Jim?”

Jim thought for a moment, leaning his head back against the tree. Finally he inhaled deeply through his nose and then he looked at Jill and replied. “No. But I reckon they did help me to refine it a little. Until I was in the Army I never really considered how far I was shooting, I just did it.”

Jill frowned, confused.

Jim explained, “You younger people don’t understand how your grand parents, were raised or the world we grew up in. You see my daddy put a gun in my hand when I was just a little feller. He’s the one that taught me, he worked with me to teach my to hit what I was aiming at. I was shooting a 22 rifle on my own by the time I was six. But so was every other boy my age. And by the time I was eight I had my own gun and kept it in my room with me”

Jill was astonished as she couldn’t have imagined children that young having touched a gun, much less be allowed to keep one in his room, unsupervised. Jim watched her reaction to his words as he spoke. He realized she was hearing these things for the first time and finding it hard to believe. But he continued, as he knew what he was saying was having an impact. People like Jill needed to hear these things and know how different things were when he was growing up.

“All them people was upset about guns in the schools,” he said. “Where I went to school there was a coat room. When you went in there the coats were hung on a nail. They hung lopsided because of the box of shells every boy had in his pocket. And under each boys coat stood a rifle or a shotgun. We carried them to school and back because we hunted along the way. And there was the occasional snake or the possibility of a rabid animal.”

Jim plucked a blade of grass, fiddled with it between his fingers for a moment while he thought back. Then he put the rounded end in his mouth. He bit down on it and said. “If we brought in a fat rabbit in the afternoon for mamma to stew we were hero’s.” he smiled at some long forgotten memory and explained. “Mamma and daddy would be so proud of us and make a fuss about what good boys we were. It made us proud of ourselves.”

Jill imagined the scene in her head for a moment before Jim began again. “That’s one thing that was missing in the world, reason kids was goin bad. Their mamma’s and daddies both had to work to keep up. The parents were to busy either just trying to make ends meet or else they were just plain tryin to have the best of everything. Meanwhile the kids was left alone, they had no guidance. No one to show them the things they needed to know. Discipline was non existent, parents didn’t have time or didn’t care. And the ones that did were afraid to do it right. Afraid they would be locked up for child abuse.”

Jim stared hard at Jill waiting to see if she would object. She only peered at the ground. Jim couldn’t decide if she were thinking about what he’d said or if she were feeling guilty. Jim had figured out in his mind that she were once a liberal. When she did not say anything he turned to Missy to ask, “Sweetheart, you’re awful young and pretty. When you were in high school did you ever have boys make sexual comments? Put his hands on you where they didn’t belong?”

Missy had a look of sadness as she nodded her head slightly replied softly “Yes.”

Jim watched her reply and then shook his. “That’s a shame, disrespectful. In my day honey if a boy had touched you the wrong way or made a awful comment to you the other boys would have give’em a shellac’n. We didn’t stand for it. Then your daddy would have either whooped his ass or told his daddy and he'd have done it. It just wasn’t proper. And that all comes down to respect. Kids today don’t understand respect, not for themselves or anyone else.”

Jill decided to bring the conversation back to the topic by asking, “Were you a sniper during the war?”

Jim seemed surprised by the question but replied, “No. I was regular infantry. But in them days we regularly fired over long distances at each other. Trench to trench or foxhole to foxhole. Yon might say I had to learn it on my own.” Jim gazed up at the evening sky thinking back to a time long ago. “We was in France, a bombed out village between Paris and Germany. We’d fought for almost a month to take the village. But then one night the Nazi’s attacked us. We were overrun in minutes. It was chaos. We all got separated from our platoons. A bunch of us was killed, but a lot of us made it out. But I got cut off and couldn’t get out. I did the only thing I could think of. I found a cellar under a building and dug a hole in the dirt floor. I crawled in that hole and pulled a quilt over me. Then I reached out and pulled some debris over that plus the shelf that was standing by a wall.”

Jim sighed heavily and scuffed the ground with the heel of his work boot, the said, “I stayed in that hole for two days. The Nazi’s searched the cellar but with all the crap on the floor they didn’t bother with it too much. That first night allied planes made a bombing run over the village. When that happened the German boys hid out in the cellar where I was. I could feel them sitting on the shelf on top of me. When it was over they all left and never knew I was there right under them”

“ I waited as long as I could. I could still hear them talking out on the street once in a while. But I was out of food and water. I had to do something. So on the second night I slipped out from under the quilt and went up the steps to the door. It was about one in the morning and pitch black outside. The only thing moving out side was a few sentries here and there.”

“ That night I snuck around until I found one I could take. He’d stopped to take a leak against the stone wall of a building. I crept up from behind him and slit his throat with the bayonet from my rifle. I caught his rifle before it fell. I didn’t want it make any noise. I dragged the body back to the cellar and after I took any thing I could use off the body I threw him in the hole I had dug for myself.”

“After that I went back out hunting. Before that night was over I had five more piled in that cellar. I hid the bodies hoping their officers would think they had run off or gotten lost. I got to where I made a habit of it, for the next few nights anyway. I had several cellars I dumped the bodies in and then I hid all the weapons and food I took from them in different places.”

Jill and Missy sat spell bound listening to the old man’s story. It was exciting to listen to him, better than a movie because this was real. Jill could picture it all in her mind as if it were being played out before her eyes.

The old man must have sensed it was getting late as he began to condense the story some. “On about the sixth day, I was hid out in the attic of a house when I heard a voice call ‘American boy! I want to talk to ya.’ It was coming from downstairs but I knew it wasn’t a kraut because of the accent. I told him to come on up. Anyway he had another American with him and we all teamed up. The next day we found two more Americans to team with. We decided that we’d not be able to get back to our own lines and that sooner or latter we’d be found or else they’d discover all the bodies we’d hidden in the cellars. So we decided to do as much damage as we could while we were alive.”

Over the next eighteen days the four of us killed 433 of them Nazi’s and destroyed 14 tanks, 15 trucks, 5 staff cars and blew up their ammunition dump.” The old man snickered at the memory “ Boy did we have fun, we even blew the Commandants shithouse to smithereens”

Jill, Missy and the old man enjoyed a good hearty laugh before the Jim man continued his story. “On our first night together we hit the Kraut barracks. It was an old school building they used to sleep in. we took out the guards with our bayonets and slipped inside. All them boys were laid out asleep in nice pretty rows. We moved into position and open up with the 9mm machine guns we’d captured off the guards. We each burned a full magazine and tossed one grenade and run like hell.”

“Of course now the krauts knew we was there so we had to lay low. That where the sniping came in. we hid out separately in lofts, attic’s, steeples, wherever we could get up off the ground. We picked our targets as far off as possible to create more confusion. Sometimes when one of us would fire another’n or two would fire at the same time just to mask the direction of the shot.”

“Sometimes Tanks or trucks would roll by right underneath us. In that case we dropped grenades out from where we were and run. They knew better than to chase us as we already had an escape route layed out ahead of time. We set up our route with trip wires and we’d always run by where one of us was hidden. That kept them off our tails.”

Jill interrupted to ask, “What happened on the eighteenth day?”

Jim replied, “That’s the day the Allies finally pushed back the front lines and came into the village. Of course by then the krauts were getting pretty sparse. We had killed them down to where there wasn’t but maybe twenty or so left. We wondered why there wasn’t any replacements brought in. we found out the Allies had been maintaining the pressure at the front. They just didn’t have the manpower to spare. And in fact we were credited because the ones we killed or wounded were supposed to be replacements for the front. So with out our actions the Allies might not have been able to push the Nazi’s back.”

The old man laughed and summed it up by saying, “We all got us a Silver Star for having the time of our lives”

Jill found herself even more in awe of the old man. She wished she could sit and listen to more of the man’s stories but it was now starting to get dark and she knew Jim would refuse a ride home, preferring to walk.

At the end of the week of training, Jill gave each of the veterans an AK or an AR with magazines and ammunition in appreciation for their help. The veterans were very grateful to receive the new rifles. Now they had the firepower to defend themselves and their community.

On the evening of the last day of classes, Doug and Jill met in Jill’s trailer to celebrate their training. As they drank whiskey and Cokes, they discussed the group. Doug commended Jill on how well she had learned the art of sniper combat. “I’m glad you and Missy found the rifles and learned how to use them.” He said.

He also complimented Jill on her work with Andrea and Andrea for her improvement. Then Doug approached Jill with an idea. “I think we should form squads around everyone’s specialty. I want you and Missy to be our sniper team, with Andrea and Trent as your assistants. You will lead the squad.”

Jill thought it strange that she and Doug wouldn’t be a team. “I thought we were a team?” she complained.

Doug sighed and said, Jill I want to be in a combat role with you, but it seems we have changed as a group. I feel my responsibility lay in intelligence, command and coordination. If needed I won’t hesitate to join the battle. But some one needs to manage, and coordinate our actions with other groups.” he summed it up by adding, “Someone needs to be the leader.”

Jill thought about what he had said for a minute as she sipped her drink. Doug allowed her time to consider what he’d said. Then he told her, “Look, I’m not setting myself up as some sort of king. The other groups are getting organized along these same lines, everywhere in the nation.” Doug paused, waited for her to speak. When she didn’t he explained, “Jill it’s bigger than you think, meetings are being scheduled.”

Jill looked at him inquisitively. Doug continued. “You will be the military leader here, but I want you to accompany me to the Tennessee assembly meeting. Leaders from every known group in Tennessee are going to meet south of Nashville to get to know one another and to pick representatives from this state to meet at the national convention in two weeks. We are patterning the whole thing as close as possible to the old meetings of the founding fathers in the 1770’s. We’ll organize a government of sorts, patterned from the constitution as it was intended. Then we’ll organize the groups into a military structure, assigning rank and commands.”

Jill sat dumbfounded at the planning and orchestrating that would be involved in such a monstrous task. Finally she said, “We have an enemy off our shores and chaos in the country and you people want to talk at hold meetings?” Jill said amazed.

Doug explained, “That’s why I want you to come along. I want you to see what we are working toward. Jill there has to be some kind of structure, some sort of goal. If we try to fight the enemy as unorganized individual groups we will end up fighting forever and may loose in the end. Think about all those age-old wars that you used to see on the TV news, those that had been fought for decades. Do you want to still be fighting twenty years from now?”

Jill replied, “Of course not, I guess you are right. But this will all be new to me, I was never into the history of the constitutional convention.”

Doug smiled and said, “Well now you will be, you’ll get to see it happen again right before your eyes.”

Jill smiled. Doug took her into his arms, holding her, kissed her.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 11


Doug spent the night with Jill. When they awoke, Jill groggily asked, “OK when is this meeting?”

Doug replied, “Tomorrow.”

Jill surprised, asked. “That soon?”

Doug timidly replied, “Yes, well, I have known about it for about a week now. I have just been mulling it over. At first I didn’t think much of it, and I didn’t want to lead this group in with a bunch of flakes. But it’s taken shape, it’s real.”

Jill wasn’t sure if the command position were real, or how much autonomy Doug would give her. She decided to test it and see how Doug reacted. She said, “OK, if I’m to be the commander of this groups military, I of course need Allan as my second in command. I‘ll leave him in charge while I‘m gone. I need to give them some instructions to carry out also.”

Doug only smiled and asked, “What kind of instructions?”

Jill explained, “If we are planning on a battle, we need equipment and supplies, if for no other reason than to deprive the enemy of its use. There are lots of things just sitting around the neighboring areas that need to be retrieved.”

Doug agreed, “Good thinking.” Then asked, “But where are you going to put the stuff?”

“I thought preacher Garfield’s congregation could help with that. They’re farmers, they must have plenty of barns.” Jill replied Quickly.

“That’s a good Idea.” Doug commended her.

Later, Doug went to make arrangements with preacher Garfield and his congregation to store the supplies. While he did that, Jill talked to everyone about the meeting and the new structure the group would be taking on. She also told them what she wanted the group to be doing while she and Doug attended the meeting.

Jill explained to the group she wanted the group to find every National Guard armory and any other place where supplies and equipment might be stored. And then move all of the equipment and supplies and store it in the farmer’s barns.

While Jill talked to the group, Doug and Preacher Garfield made the drive to visit all of the old farmers in the congregation. Each one willingly volunteered the use of the buildings on their property, and any other help they could give. Doug suggested to each of them that they make plans to plant the fields in the spring. He explained that the new army would need food, but would be too busy fighting to grow it themselves. The suggestion was met with a sense of duty. Everyone agreed and stated they would be ready to plant come spring.

By noon Jill and Doug were packing their gear for the trip. They had been told to bring enough supplies to last a week. The meeting would actually be held south of Nashville on the grounds of a large church. The meetings were to be held in the sanctuary of the church, while the participants would camp on the property around the church. They decided to take Jill’s truck since it was newer, and use the camper top from Doug’s truck, using two mattresses from the trailers to sleep on. Finally they were ready to leave.

After dinner in the house with everyone from the group, they left for the assembly. Jill drove while Doug rode in the passenger seat with an M-16 fully loaded and ready should they encounter any problem. Jill had an M-16 of her own as well as the .44 and 9mm on her belt.

Jill wasn’t worried as much about trouble as she was about sleeping with Doug for a whole week. Along the way they made small talk to pass the time. On the interstate, they found people were still roaming the interstate, although no one seemed to pay them much attention. The people were refugee’s, some of them showing signs of starvation. They simply moved up and down the interstate aimlessly. Jill wondered how many had just wandered around until they died of starvation. That’s where the topic of conversation turned when Jill voiced her thoughts.

Doug explained the theory that he and others had worked out. “Well first, we have left our agricultural roots. Many of those people have no idea of how to grow food or even what food looks like before it’s packaged. They have no idea what is edible unless there was a label for them to read. Even if they knew how to grow food, many of them were apartment dwellers. Where would they grow a garden? Even if they were able to grow food, most of them do not own or know how to use a gun to protect it from looters.”

Jill objected, “Hey, I didn’t know any of that stuff either but I made it fine!”

Doug responded, “Yes Jill you did, but you are different. You are intelligent. You think things out. You learn to solve problems. For the most part it was all these people could do to perform the job they had and to maintain their life at home. They never bothered to learn anymore than that. Anymore than that was wasted knowledge, they knew all they needed to get by. And they thought that if anything bad happened to them that the government would be there to help them. You know as well as I, that people became too dependent on the government before the collapse. But that won’t happen with the new government.”

Jill frowned and asked, “So this new government will not have any programs to help people?”

Doug explained, “Oh yes, people won’t starve, working people that is. It would be set up like the old unemployment benefits. It will be something to give you time to adjust, either find a new job or find a way to make money. After the benefit is exhausted that’s it.”

Jill asked, “How long will the benefit last?”

Doug replied, “It would depend on how long you worked prior to drawing it and how much you contributed to the fund.”

Jill suspiciously asked, “Ok suppose I can’t work. I am disabled?”

“Anyone claiming total disability will be screened thoroughly. If in fact they are found to be disabled they will be given food and shelter and money enough to be modestly comfortable.” Then he added, “I think it’s better than some of the programs we had before the collapse. Some of those programs forced the mentally disabled to work for private companies. They were bused to the work area and forced to sit there all day whether they were able to work or not. Some of those people sat there dazed they didn’t have a clue as to where they were or why they were there. People like that will be given a safe comfortable place and given peace. We‘re not animals Jill and I think in most cases we are more compassionate than the old form.” Doug showing his agitation stated, “Jill I worked hard for my tax dollars, I didn’t want them wasted. But we could afford to give the truly disabled persons a better life than that. It was the wasted money on alcoholics, drug addicts, illegal immigrants and those that flat refused to work that we were angry about.”

Jill prodded him, even though she knew he was becoming irritated, “So you don’t believe in helping drug addicts or alcoholics get rehab treatment? And what about those disabled people that want a family I suppose those people are welfare whores?”

Doug’s anger peaked, he knew Jill should know better, but he tried to remember her background to help quell his anger. He began to explain, “With the rehab centers I could live with one free trip. I really shouldn’t have to pay that. You knew the dangers when you started your habit. You should accept the responsibility. After one chance I say ‘you’re on your own’. I have known of people going through those programs numerous times. Those programs are very expensive you know. It’s my money that pay’s for it too, my tax money or my money through higher insurance premiums. As for those that want a family, if they are able to take care of a child then fine. But you will have to support it on what we give you, no increases just because you want a baby. If they want a baby that’s their choice, just like it was my choice. But when I chose to start a family my boss didn’t give me a raise. I had to support the baby on what I made. Besides it takes two to make a baby.” Doug inhaled deeply then went on, “That’s another thing if a disabled person marries a working person the disabled persons benefits will not be reduced. That was bull, a disable person is still entitled to those benefits as an American citizen whether they are married to a rich person makes no difference.”

Jill had to admit to her self that it did appear to be a good system. She knew that Doug and millions of other people had studied these topics for many years. They had studied them for what they were worth while she and most of the rest of the people simply let their hearts and the news media rule their minds. Jill knew now why people like Doug had been so angry.

After a long pause to cool off Doug said, “A lot of things will be different Jill. The people will be more responsible for their own actions. If they screw up, they will suffer the consequences. Responsibility will be given back to the people.”

Jill asked, “What do you mean by that?”

Doug explained, “For example say prescription drugs. Why should I need a prescription from a doctor to purchase them? When you go to a doctor you usually already know what’s wrong with you don’t you?” He glanced over to see Jill nodding her head. “Why shouldn’t you be able to just go get what you need, without paying for a doctors visit? Even pain killers. If you end up abusing them, then it’s your own fault. The only drugs I see that need a little regulation are some antibiotics. But that would only be to help keep some forms of bacteria from becoming antibiotic resistant.”

Jill found she was learning a lot from Doug in this conversation. She wondered how he felt about homosexuals. She asked him how they would fit into the new America.

Doug sighed and said, “That’s one of the areas that will have to be hammered out. One faction would like to see it made grounds for committal into a mental institution, the way it used to be.”

Jill interrupted him to ask, “Like it used to be? You mean like back in the dark ages?”

Doug chuckled at her question and then explained, “In the early seventies, homosexuality was considered a mental illness. Homosexuals were held in mental institutions and treated for it.”

Jill was amazed that it was not that long ago, then asked, “What happened to change things?”

Doug explained, “It is my theory and that of many others, that the economic problems of the seventies caused the budgets of the mental institutions to be cut drastically. That caused a lack of bed space. In fact, during those years a great many mental hospitals simply closed. Anyway the board of psychiatric doctors convened and ruled homosexuality a non-disorder. We think this was a move to create bed space for the more violently insane.”

Jill amazed said, “I never knew that, that’s astounding.”

Doug reminded her it was just a theory, adding that he had some old psychology books that described the treatment. Then he continued, “Any way there is another faction that simple says, ‘it’s none of our business’. Meaning as long as it’s not seen we won’t worry about it. Actually Jill before the collapse, things had gotten way out of hand with it. Millions like me simply quit watching TV it had gotten to the point where about every show had a gay character or was aimed at the gay community. It seemed it was done to legitimize the gay community.” Doug paused to glance over to Jill then said, “It was about to get worse, and there was the beginnings of a new movement to legitimize pedophiles, much the same way. Many of us theorized that in another twenty years we would be debating on whether a forty year old man could marry a six year old boy.”

Jill was sickened by the thought she exclaimed, “That’s sick Doug! No way would the people go for that!”

Doug smiled and said, “That’s exactly the same thing that was said when people started living together out of wedlock and when homosexuals started coming out of the closet. Jill I believe it would have happened if it had kept going the way that it was. Did you know pedophiles had their own magazine? Or that some Doctors were writing articles that claimed children needed that type of bonding with adults?”

Jill looked at him strangely, and then admitted, “No Doug I didn’t know.” Jill found herself saying that a lot. She sat driving, thinking about the discussion. She felt so naïve. But she now understood a lot more than she had before. She understood now why so many people were so angry.

[brake pedal]

Doug began to give her instructions from the map, until they pulled into the parking lot of the church. At the street two black men stood guard. They were dressed in tiger stripe BDU’s and black berets. Their boots were polished to a glossy sheen. Jill thought they looked very impressive, professional and capable. AK-47’s hung crisply from their shoulders and Glock pistols were belted onto their hips. One of the men approached with a clipboard in his hand, “Good afternoon, your name please.” he said curtly.

Jill gave him their names. The guard checked his list from the clipboard and then waved them through. “Thank you and have a pleasant day.” he said with a crisp salute.

Jill was very impressed. Doug told her, “That was one of Everet Harris’s Memphis Black Garrison. Those men are very well trained and very professional. Everet volunteered a detail to provide security for the meeting.”

It had been a long trip and a tiring day. Jill and Doug found a spot to camp under some large Oak trees. After they had gotten out and began to start setting up camp, others who had arrived earlier came by to visit and to welcome them. Some even began helping to get everything ready. Jill noticed a few looking her over. Even more admired the big revolver in front of her left hip. Jill relished the feel of the grips as they scuffed the skin just below her bellybutton. The cross draw holster that it rested in was lighting fast to draw from.

Some of the men and women Doug recognized from talking to them on the radio. Some he had met at events and gun shows. Doug introduced her to all the people he knew. Finally by dusk they sat before a small campfire, just out from the tailgate of the truck. She and Doug sat on one side of the fire while Larry McBee sat on the other side.

Jill found herself, again listening to Doug and a friend talk about old times. Jill made herself a whiskey and cola and then made herself comfortable. She sat on the ground between Doug’s knee’s and leaned back against him, gazing into the flames, allowing the warmth of the fire and the whiskey to wash over her as she listened to the two men talk. Doug occasionally patted the top of her head or ran his fingers through her hair. Quite often she noticed a squad of two men of the Memphis Black Garrison march past on their guard patrols.

Jill studied the guards as they passed. She was still amazed at their crisp uniforms, their professionalism. Even the cadence of their step matched. Jill realized those men had been training together for years. The thought of ever having to meet them in battle gave Jill a cold fear.

The men’s talk turned to the meeting the next day and all the work that lay ahead. Both men agreed the organizational effort alone would be a massive task, nation wide. Then communications would be the next big problem. Communications between the units would be a tough enough problem. Communicating with the citizens that survived would be the major problem. Finally the men agreed to hash it all out at the meeting and decided to get some rest as it was getting late.

Larry and Doug stood shaking hands before Larry walked away to his campsite. Doug looked down to Jill. He could see she was fairly looped. Her eyes were glazed over. He helped her stagger to her feet and led her to the truck and the mattress that waited in the truck bed. Doug helped her up onto the tailgate where she sat while he pulled off her boots and socks. She smiled a silly drunken smile as he did so. She enjoyed his undressing her. After placing the boots inside the truck, he took her into his arms, his lips pressing against her full wet lips. Jill moaned and then giggled as Doug pushed her back onto the mattress. Standing between her knees he unbuckled her brown leather gun belt, Jill smiling crawled up the mattress on her back. Doug put the gun belt inside the tailgate and then followed her into the truck.

Crawling inside, Doug closed the tailgate and camper hatch from the inside. The curtains drawn over the windows, Doug undressed himself, and then finished removing the rest of Jill’s’ clothing. Doug crawled onto the softly giggling Jill, making love to her in the cool summer air. Doug had to admit, even drunk, she was the best lover he’d ever experienced.

At sunrise Doug and Jill were awakened by the sound of revelee being sounded by one of the guards of the Memphis Garrison. Jill had to admit it was a stirring way to wake up. She found herself wrapped in Doug’s arms making her feel secure. Grudgingly they arose and dressed in the dim light of the morning, their muscles stiff from the exertion of the night before.

Doug rekindled the fire enough to make some coffee and cook breakfast. After breakfast he and Jill walked to the church to join the others. At the entrance door two of the Memphis garrison stood at rigid attention one on each side of the doors. Their weapons held at port arms across their chest. Inside, the church sanctuary was filled with men and women, all dressed in some form of BDU’s. Behind the pulpit hung a large American flag, beneath the flag, two more of the Memphis garrison stood at attention, with their weapons at port arms.

Doug and Jill roamed through the crowd meeting as many of the delegates as possible before the meeting began. Finally, after about twenty minutes a member of the Memphis garrison stepped to the pulpit to announce cordially, “Ladies and Gentlemen, the meeting will begin shortly. Please take your seats.

When everyone had found a seat an older gray haired man walked to the pulpit. He was the only one at the meeting that Jill had seen, not wearing BDU’s. Instead he dressed in a gray business suit and carried not a weapon but a gavel. The wiry older man pounded the gavel on the pulpit to gain everyone’s attention. When everyone had focused they’re attention on him he said, “Ladies and gentlemen. Let’s call the assembly to order. I think it appropriate that we begin with a bible reading and the pledge of allegiance to the flag. For the bible reading I feel compelled to use the same text used by the founding fathers to open their meeting in Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia. “Let us stand and bow our heads for the reading of Gods word.” After a pause he began to read the entire text of the thirty-fifth Psalm from a King James Bible. Jill considered the words and the message they conveyed. It seemed appropriate for the Founding Fathers.

At the conclusion of the prayer the speaker paused to look around the room, giving everyone a chance to adjust before moving on to the pledge of allegiance. “That was a very stirring passage. I often relate the Psalmists enemy with the old government. The tactics always seemed similar.” He said solemnly. Everyone respectfully stood looking up to the flag as the pledge was recited aloud. Once everyone was again seated the speaker began his speech by introducing himself. “My name is Albert Taylor. I am not your governor or leader. You will elect one though before the conclusion of this conference. I am more of a consultant. I taught university level American history. My specialty was the Revolutionary War era. I have in depth knowledge of the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, on through the war years and the forging of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We will rebuild the country in the exact way and form our founding fathers intended it to be. I will not be a voting member of your delegation you will send to the national meeting, but I will accompany them there. Myself and other consultants with similar credentials will oversee the process to make certain it stays true to form. We the consultants feel this is the only way to approach this task without starting from scratch.”

Mr. Taylor paused to step to the side of the pulpit, leaning on the pulpit with an elbow. He looked out at the gathering, and then began to speak again. “OK, now that you know who I am, we need to know a little about who you are. On the table at the back of the room are some forms to fill out. It essentially looks like a job application. Please take one and fill it out so we can get a better idea of who you are. We need to know your skills, talents and how to get in contact with you or your group. There is also a form to list the names and skills of your team members. Also basically we need to know the structure of your group.” at that there was some low grumbling in the sanctuary. Mr. Taylor held out his hand to quiet the gathering. “I know what you are thinking. I was a member of the Militia movement for many years. We had to maintain secrecy and protect our identities to keep the government from harassing us”

Jill was shocked. She glanced around the room to see if anyone were laughing as if it were a joke. No one laughed. She thought, “My government, my free government harassed people for their beliefs?” The more Jill learned about the old government, the more enraged she became. She felt lied to and misled. She also was angry with herself for not seeing it happening.

“Let me assure you people, the old government is dead. These forms will remain in the office of the governor you elect. The information will be used only in planning and assignments of tasks and missions. Should the governors office fall under attack every effort will be made to either move or destroy the files.” after a pause Mr. Taylor began to pace behind the pulpit as he talked. “OK, as long as we are on the subject of the old government and getting to know you. I have this to say, and folks I mean what I say when it comes to this.” Everyone remained focused. The seriousness had been conveyed. “In the days before the collapse, the movement had problems. That’s why we could never get together to turn the tide. Had we ever been able to lay our differences aside, we could have organized well enough to be a voice, a loud voice on the political scene. Instead we bickered. We argued. We couldn’t focus on the same things. Some of us were chasing UFO’s. Some of us chased airplanes supposedly spraying chemicals on us to keep us calm. We researched HARP weapons and radar blemishes. Whatever it was it was not ‘how to regain control of the government. Conspiracy theories abounded, the internment camps, the Oklahoma City bombing, and the trade centers. I had only one conspiracy theory myself, but I’ll get to that in a moment.”

“Even the groups we did form were filled with strife. Everyone demanded the members only wear this uniform or carry that type of rifle, certain pistols and only certain types or brand of ammunition. I have this to say about that, in the revolutionary war the patriots would have loved to have, had the best musket, the best powder and the best ball. Hell they would have loved to have, had the best uniforms. Most of those boys had been in rags and make do shoes. They scrounged for powder and shot. They used whatever rifle they had on hand. But still they went up against the army with the best of everything and they won.”

“They won because they were focused, united in the cause of winning their freedom. They were not concerned with anything but winning. So here’s the point I want to make, if any of you came here today with UFO’s or airplanes or any other such things on your minds. Or if you are here to insist on certain uniforms or equipment, then I ask you to get up and leave at this moment, you are not needed here.” Taylor’s face wore a scowl as he scanned the room with piercing eyes.

When no one got up to leave Taylor began again. “Fine then but heed this, if any one of you speaks of such from here on out, I or any of the consultants nation wide will cast you from the lot.” Taylor again scanned the silent room. “Now, for my conspiracy theory. I believe the agents that infiltrated our ranks concocted all those various theories and much of the strife. Why? Well one reason would be to keep us from being focused as a group. Another reason would be to discredit the movement in the eyes of the public. Believe it or not those things crippled the movement. We looked like a bunch of UFO chasing, quarrelsome paranoids to the media and the public. We had some good people that believed in the true militia cause. But refused to join because of the public image. We lost a lot of good recruits because of all that malarkey.”

Taylor moved behind the pulpit once again, “Thank you all for coming here, that’s all I have for this session.”

The next speaker to take the pulpit was another older man who was dressed in BDU’s. The man appeared lean and muscular for his age, conducting himself in a military fashion. Only the wrinkles and the salt and pepper hair betrayed his age. This man also began his speech by introducing himself. “Good morning. I am John Fuller,” he said with a strong raspy voice. “I was a colonel in the U.S. Air Force until five years ago. I resigned my commission after I took a course in American history. Up until then I had not read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights or even thought much about our rights as American citizens. After reading and studying those documents, really studying them. I did some serious thinking as to the state of the country and our rights as citizens. I compared them to the government of that day. What I saw sickened me enough that I resigned my commission. I could not be apart of the fraud any longer. I joined the armed forces to protect the freedom we so deeply cherished, but when I looked around I realized that we no longer enjoyed the freedoms that we were guaranteed by these documents. That’s the simple version of my history.

Now the reason I am here today is to brief you on the situation with the Mexican invaders, the ships off our coast and an operation my group has been conducting in the west. Let me begin by saying that when I was in the Air Force my responsibilities at one time included the operation of nuclear missile silos in the Dakotas. Needless to say I know quiet a lot about the operation of the silo’s, but unfortunately not everything. Now here is why I mention this.

When I heard about the possibility of an invasion, I knew we needed some kind of a deterrent, a bargaining chip if you will. Ultimately in the end a defensive weapon.” Jill’ stomach twitched at the mention of the nuclear missile’s. But now it seemed a solid chuck of ice sat in her belly, as she waited breathless for the information to flow to her ears. “My god, not that. Please don’t say what I think your going to say.” she thought.

Fuller continued his explanation. “I led my group to the missile fields in the Dakota’s to secure the missiles for our use. Today we have six silos active and operational. That doesn’t sound like much until you consider that with those six missiles, we could take out at least six large targets and take the lives of countless millions of human beings. But will it be enough to change the minds of the leaders of those invading us?” Fuller paused to take a drink of water. Jill finally remembered to breathe. This whole plan seemed absurd to her. Jill’s mind was working at fast speed to fit the puzzle together, to make sense of it.

Fuller replaced his glass on the pulpit and continued, “I can’t answer that of course, we do not know how determined those people are. But we are working around the clock to bring more silos on line. But you should understand it is a difficult process. These silos are one of the most secure things ever built, just getting inside the silo requires a major effort. Once inside, electricity must be supplied, computer security functions must be breached and targeting data uploaded to the missile itself. Once on line there are routine maintenance procedures that must be preformed daily. Hopefully by the time the national meeting elects a representative, we will have six more silos on line, for a total of twelve. The representative will then have a bargaining chip when he opens negotiations with the countries sending the troops. Hopefully it will be enough to convince them to withdraw their forces. That is just one phase of our defense strategy.” Fuller paused to look around the room, his voice took on a cold sternness as he resumed speaking. “You should be well advised, we will attempt to negotiate. But we will not play around with these people. The fate of our country is at stake. We will fire those missiles on orders, from the representative that you elect, should negotiations not appear worthwhile. The other phase in the plan will be to organize you people into some sort of defensive force. Whomever you elect to the posts at the national conference will be the civilian leader, a governor. That person will set up the defensive forces along with the state commander you elect during this conference. Those of you here whose groups have elected to participate will elect a group commander, when you return to your groups. If and when the threat of invasion is over, your groups will be used to organize and protect the citizens, Sort of a modern day cavalry if you will. You will be their protectors and their link to the new government. As of now and until we can be assured that the invasion has been turned back, your groups should be preparing for an all out war. Gather anything and everything you will need to fight with, food included. Secure your areas of operation. Rid it of thugs and gangs. Recruit and train as many new people as possible.”

Fuller fell silent for a few moments to allow all the audience to absorb and consider what he’d said, before he began again. “Ladies and gentlemen I wish I could tell you to go on back home and be comfortable and not worry. But I cannot. If this fight takes place it will be a long, bloody one. It could last for years upon years. Naturally the more missiles we can get on line before it starts will better our odds and perhaps shorten the war. But if in the worst case we, that fight, will become the insurgents, the terrorists of the future.”

Standing fully upright fuller toyed with a pen as if considering his next thought. Finally he spoke gravely. “If we do launch we expect retaliatory measures for the enemy. What those measures will ultimately be is anyone’s guess. It would depend on they’re reaction, they may only attack the sites we launched from, or there could be an all out nuclear response nation wide to weaken us. If they should choose the later, we expect that to be light in nature as the enemy will not want to damage the county so bad that it would be a nightmare to clean up.”

Sighing, he said softly, “All I can tell you is to be, be ready for what ever response we receive”

Fuller paused for a moment as if trying to think of anything he’d forgotten to say, then said, “I believe that’s all I wanted to say today. I wish I could stay for the entire conference but I must be getting back to the silo operations. Thank you and good luck.”

As Fuller left the pulpit, Taylor walked out to announce a fifteen-minute break before the next speaker. Jill and Doug walked out onto the church lawn to get some fresh air and talk with the other delegates. There was an air or somberness on the lawn as the delegates discussed the news of the missiles being brought back on line. Although the delegates were wary of the consequences of such a development, most were glad to hear that the nation had them at their disposal. One delegate remarked, “We need them to keep the rest of the world off our backs while we rebuild.”

The rest of the conference proceeded much like a business conference. By the end of the week they had elected their first governor and military commander. After the elections the meeting changed into an organizational work session. Those elected set forth the structure of their staff and priorities were set.

The military commander led a session in which equipment and manpower was tallied. Then rank was assigned. By the end of the week the first Tennessee Volunteer army had been established. It had a commanding general and a regional general for each of the three divisions, east, middle and west Tennessee. A communication system was also set up. Finally a meeting of the military commanders was set for one month away to brief everyone on the progress.

Also by the end of the week Jill had gotten very used to sleeping with Doug. She had to admit to herself that when they returned to camp she would miss him in her bed. Doug on the last morning asked her to move in with him. Being careful not to hurt his feelings she politely refused the offer, as she still did not want to commit herself to anyone just yet. Doug seemed saddened but said he understood. Ironically, Jill also felt a pang of sadness, but she knew it would be a mistake to give in to her emotions. The world had changed so much in the last few months. She felt she shouldn’t rush into anything. After all, a few months ago he was her ideological enemy.

Doug drove them home that afternoon. He and Jill were both anxious to get back home to see how the others were doing and tell them about the meeting. Jill was strangely quiet during the trip back. She seemed to be deep in thought as she sat with her head on Doug’s shoulder. Doug wondered to himself what was on her mind.

Once back at the farm, the biggest topic of conversation was all the equipment and supplies the gang had recovered and stashed in the farmers barns. Also Doug and Jill were surprised to find the group had grown by twelve. A group of stragglers had been found on the second day of the raids. After Doug and Jill spoke with them they were admitted to the group. Several of the veterans were already scheduled to begin training the new people.

At the dinner table Doug and Jill briefed everyone on the meeting, passing on all the information they could. The group was well pleased and felt it a great step toward rebuilding the country.

Jill had a surprise in store for her after dinner. After dinner Missy led her to their trailer. In the bedroom, on her bed, there sat a huge gun. Nearly as long as the bed, supported by a bi-pod, a magazine hung from the bottom of the weapon that appeared huge. The scope mounted to the top seemed as big as a juice can. Beside it on the bed lay several spare magazines and several spare barrels. There was also some sort of electronic device. On the floor were several large ammo cans. Jill stood for a moment staring at the weapon before she asked, “What the **** is that thing?”

Missy giggled and replied, “A factory outside of Nashville made these. Allan knew about it, we took a chance and raided it. We found this one and another one just like it in the plant managers’ office. These are top of the line demonstrator models. The sales people used them to convince governments to buy rifles like these.” Missy paused to gauge Jill’s reaction. Then added, “Jill these are accurate at over a mile away.”

Jill appeared astonished at that fact, asked, “How many did you guy’s get?”

Missy answered, “We got three pallets of about thirty-six of them. It looked like the company was about to fill an order when we the collapse came. The pallets were all lined up in the shipping area. We also picked up lots of spare parts.”

Jill was astonished at the workmanship of the rifles. She picked up the brochures Missy had placed on the bed next to the weapon and began to read over them. Missy sat in a chair next to her and began asking questions about the meeting. Missy seemed concerned about the troops off the coast. Jill tried to allay her fears by saying, “They probably won’t ever land on shore.”

Missy seemed frightened asking, “Jill, they won’t actually launch those things will they?”

Jill looked into two worried sixteen year old blue eyes, knew she had to reassure her and said, “No, we’re are just going to use them to bluff the Russians, Chinese and Mexicans into withdrawing the troops. Then we‘ll open negotiations to be recognized as a government again.” Jill did not like not telling her the truth, but she didn’t want her to worry. Changing the subject quickly she added, “But until then it looks like we’ll be busy cleaning out the riffraff and reforming the government.”

Missy seemed at ease now and after a moment asked, “It’ll never be the same will it?”

Jill finished a page, turned it then sighed and said, “No Missy it won’t, it will be a totally different country. It won’t be like what I envisioned before all this happened, that’s for sure.”

Missy frowned asked, “Why? What will be different?”

Jill turned the page on the brochure, thinking for a moment before she answered. “Well Missy, you know before all that happened I was someone totally different. I had been brainwashed by the media and the special interest groups. Brainwashed I guess isn’t the best term for it. I guess in reality, I didn’t think for myself. I let those people tell me what to think.” Jill sighed and continued. “That won’t happen again. I have learned a lot, and I have done a lot of thinking, my own thinking. I guess I’ve opened my eyes. Doug calls it awakened. But I opened my eyes to the past. I know what happened, what went wrong. There were too many people like me that let others do their thinking for them.”

Jill turned another page absent mindedly, before continuing. “This new government we create with the old plans, will be the freest society on earth. We will go strictly by the constitution and the bill of rights, the simplest common translation. Any questions about the wording, now or in the future will be resolved in favor of freedom. The government will be so limited in its affairs that it will be miniscule compared to what it was before. That’s not just the federal either that’s all government. Ninety percent of the old laws, probably more than that will be repealed. I think I’m going to like it.” Jill said in summary.

Missy thought it over for a few moments while Jill read and then asked, “Well now what are our plans? Go home?”

Jill smiled and said, “No, not quite, we’ll have a lot of work to do for a while. Our group will become a part of the first Tennessee militia, which will evolve into the new armed forces. But there will always be a militia from now on, just as the second amendment provides. There’s even talk that once we get back on our feet, that the militia will receive funding in the form of grants. Also, there will be a requirement for every household to keep a fully automatic military rifle and a stock of ammo in the home.”

Missy interrupted to say, “Wow that is different. They were doing their best to disarm us before.”

Jill hung her head as the guilt washed over her once again. Then she looked at Missy and explained. “Well a lot of people like me were wrong. We were so taken in by the rhetoric and propaganda that we didn’t stop to think, like I said earlier. I guess I was part of the cause of what happened.”

Missy saw that Jill was deeply hurt, full of self-blame. Before Missy could respond, Jill sighed to throw off the guilt and vowed, “I will not let that happen again. I wish I would’ve wised up before this happened.”

To help Jill move past it, Missy asked, “What about the people that cannot afford a rifle and ammo or the young people?”

Jill smiled at her for changing the subject. “Well the rifles will be discounted greatly, plus prices will drop drastically because there won’t be so much regulation, red tape and record keeping. There will also be incentives, if one cannot afford the discounted price. The person could sign up for military basic training. The training will be free of charge to the public, without a commitment to serve in the armed forces. When the training is completed, the person would receive a rifle, five magazines and a case of ammo. Students that complete the training will also get a break on tuition for college. Age won’t be a problem either. Guns will not be regulated at all, so if the gun dealer feels the person is mature enough to have a gun then he can sell that person a gun.”

Missy smiled and said, “Sounds great.”

Jill went back to the brochure she was reading, replied, “Yes it does, but we have to build It.” then said, “I can’t wait to try these things.”

Missy agreed happily.

Finally, Jill decided it was time to get some sleep. Missy left her alone to get ready for bed. Very tired, Jill was glad to be back in her own soft bed again. Even though she missed Doug being there, she knew she wasn’t ready for that. In fact she sensed she and Doug were moving in different directions. He would be taking on the political role. While she would be out there, fighting anyone who stood in the way of the new society.

Jill realized now that she thought about it, she missed the excitement and danger of fighting. In a way it disturbed her to think that she craved the fighting. The more she thought about it the more she realized she was restless. Finally she began to make a plan to get back into the fight. It was time she felt, for a mission.

[brake pedal]

Chapter 12





Jill awoke early, quietly dressing in her camouflage BDU’s and a tee shirt. Buckling on her belt, she checked the 44 revolver and the Smith 9mm to be sure that they were loaded before she holstered the weapons. After pony tailing her long straight black hair, she went to breakfast, following Doug to the radio room afterward. Already the group had begun to call it the operations center.

Jill took a seat while Doug sat at the table looking over notes from the past week. Doug asked, “What’s on your mind Jill?”

Jill began by telling Doug, “I have done some thinking Doug. I am restless, I want to get back into the fight.” Doug listened quietly as Jill explained her plans of returning to Nashville with Missy, Andrea, Trent, Ronnie and Lora, and Paul and Sherry. Their goal would be to monitor the airport and Nashville Area. At the same time they would spread the word about the reforming government. Adding that hopefully they could gain more recruits and assist the survivors.

When she had finished Doug said. “I like the idea Jill, but that will mean us being separated and you know I’ll worry about you.”

Jill had expected this and already knew what she was going to say. She hoped Doug would understand. “Doug it’s something I have to do. Don’t worry about me I’m a lot stronger and wiser now. I guess I need to prove it to myself that I can. Maybe I am just tired of sitting here not doing anything.”

Doug replied sadly, “I know that, and I know I can’t stop you.” Sighing he said “So take what you need and if you need anything or any help, radio back here. I’ll tell Allan to be ready to fly a team down to help you if you need it.”

Jill smiled she felt as if she’d been set free. “OK.” she said smiling then stood, walked over and kissed Doug to reassure him. Then she went out to gather her team and the supplies they would need. She planned on being in Nashville long before dark.

By one in the afternoon Jill and her team were ready to roll. She and Andrea rode in the Dodge truck. Trent drove a Hummer with Missy on the passenger side under the 30 caliber machine gun turret. Ronnie and Lora rode in the back seat of the Hummer. Paul and Sherry rode in the back of Jill’s truck.

Jill sighed heavily as they pulled onto the main road, she felt free again as she let the big Dodge open up. She smiled over to Andrea who sat dressed in BDU pants and one of the modified tops Jill had given her. Her blonde hair had already started growing back. She wore a knife and one of the Smith 5906 tactical pistols on her belt. Between her legs she held her AK-47, barrel up. She was smiling also. Jill asked, “Feels good don’t it?”

Andrea only nodded her had vigorously. In the short time Jill had known Andrea she had gotten to know her very well. She and Andrea had become close friends, like she and Missy were before Trent came along. Missy was now spending much more time with Trent and Jill felt Missy would be moving in with Trent very soon.

Andrea asked, “Where are we going to stay tonight?”

Jill smiled, thinking of home, replied. “I think we’ll stay at my old house to begin with.”

Andrea simply said, “Cool!”

Jill and Andrea talked along the way and watched for the stragglers on the roads. Once they got on the interstate Jill let the Dodge open up. The Hummer having trouble keeping up at times forced Jill to slow her speed. Although she had to watch out for other people walking on the interstate and objects left in the lanes, she had to admit it felt good not to have to worry about a cop pulling her over. If she spotted any danger, Jill would slow to let the Hummer lead. Missy and her Machine gun would take care of any problem.

Although Jill had been through Nashville only the day before, she had not been off the interstate. Now once off the interstate, Jill could see the destruction that had occurred since the group had left Nashville. Evidently those that had left on the day of the riots had returned en mass. Every business had been looted, their glass store fronts lay in shattered pieces. Homes too. Their windows absent of glass, doors broken and hanging by a hinge or entirely missing. Even a few of the city blocks where businesses had been butted against each other, were now only burned out hulks.

Jill was saddened at the destruction. “It was all intact a few weeks ago.” she thought. Andrea said softly, “Gee, What happened?”

Jill drove slowly by a burned out building that still smoldered. When she finally answered Andrea She said only, “Looks like the people came back.”

Jill turned the truck down the street that led to her house, steeling herself against what she might find as she slowly drove toward home. She eased the truck to a stop at the curb, amid busted up and burned hulks of cars that sat askew on the street the fence had been ripped away. There were cars in the drive way and on the lawn. One of the burned cars she recognized as her own Maxima that she’d left in the garage. She also saw that the house was also occupied. Jill got out telling Andrea to stay with the truck. Andrea heard the anger in Jill’s voice, and saw it in her face.

Jill walked around the back of the truck. The Hummer rolled to a stop behind the truck. Missy popping up behind the machine gun. Before she could speak, Jill told her to stay there. The familiar feel of the driveway under her boots angered her even more. “My driveway.” She thought. When she neared the house she could hear the turret on the Hummer swinging the gun toward the house. Jill didn’t look back, kept walking, fist’s clenched in anger.

Stepping off the driveway onto the sidewalk, the scent of an open sewer assailed her nose. Now Jill could hear footsteps inside the house, the sound of someone running out the back door. She took a few more steps then she saw a barefooted man of about twenty step out onto the porch. He held a cheap looking revolver in his hand, pointed at the ground between himself and Jill. The man was filthy, his clothes unbelievably dirty and ripped in many places. He was white with blonde hair that had not seen a comb or washing in weeks. Jill noted the glazed over slit like eyes and slow speech as he commanded, “Don‘t come any closer bitch!” Suddenly there was the sound of the machine gun bolt slamming forward. The man glanced toward the sound then turned back to Jill.

Jill stood with her thumbs hooked into the front of her belt. “What are you doing in MY house?” Jill shouted angrily.

The obviously drugged man smiled and said, “It ain’t your house now bitch, we got it now. And if you don’t get the **** out of here we’ll have you too!” Snickering strangely after he said it.

Jill started to say something but just as she began to form the words Missy’s machine gun yammered a short burst. Jill could hear the empty casings tinkling on the concrete surface of the driveway after the burst. Jill did not take her eyes off the man on the porch. She suspected the person Missy had fired on was the person that had ran out the back door. The person must have been attempting to sneak up behind Jill to catch her off guard.

Just as the firing ended, the man on the porch began to raise the revolver. Jill sidestepped quickly, grabbing and drawing the 44 Smith as she did. A bullet from the man’s gun passed just where she had been standing. The muzzle of the 44 rose up, Jill thumbed back the hammer. As the Muzzle passed over the man’s chest the trigger snapped free under her fingertip, the magnum bucking in her hand. The man’s body forced backward, falling. The cheap revolver discharged another round into the roof of the porch as he fell.

Jill felt the exhilaration of the anger releasing as she thumbed back the hammer and brought the muzzle back up to the ready position. When the sound of the man’s body falling onto the porch had ceased, Jill could hear more shuffling inside the house. Thinking quickly she ran around to the left side of the porch and then crawled to the edge of the door. Crouching on her feet Jill remembered how she and Missy had defended the front door, “Would they do the same?” she wondered. She peeked around the doorframe quickly then pulled her head back. The couch was still in the same place.

Jill considered it then decided to take the chance. She swung the magnum around the doorframe firing the last five shots, fanning the shots across the front of the couch. Jill depending on the power of the magnum to punch through the couch and connect with anyone behind it. She was quickly rewarded with a loud “ugh” and the muffled thud’s of a body hitting the floor. She also heard another voice in the room whisper loudly, “Holy shit!” Jill could tell it came from the corner Missy had always fired from. She smiled as she quickly reloaded the magnum with a speed loader from the pouch on her belt. She readied herself as she closed the cylinder and jacked the hammer back.

Suddenly, Jill flung the upper half of her body through the open doorway, onto her side on the floor. The muzzle of the magnum fell on target with the chair in the corner. She touched off the first round. Then fired two more rounds double-action into the front of the chair. Only stopping when she heard a body slam against the wall and saw the chair being kicked forward. Satisfied the person behind the chair was down she swept the room with the muzzle. Finding no one else she rolled back out the door to stand and reholster the magnum and draw the 9mm. Checking that the safety was off she thumbed back the hammer and stepped into the room. She moved quickly about the room, always careful to keep her back to a wall and watch for anyone to come from any of the other doorways or the stairway. She checked the one behind the couch first. He was still alive but unconscious, only a belly wound. She picked up the man’s shotgun and shoved it into the couch behind the cushions. She found the one behind the chair dead of a head wound. She took the Smith and Wesson 357 revolver from the dead mans hand, stuffing it into her waistband behind her back.

Stepping into the safe room, Jill felt her stomach turn. They had used it as a crude latrine. Fecal matter lay piled around the walls. There were scraps of newspaper lying on the piles. Jill almost ready to vomit left the room quickly, her anger again boiling.

Moving around to the kitchen doorway, she stepped around the doorframe. The Smith auto in front of her at the ready. Her eyes followed the muzzle as it panned around the room. She noticed that the backdoor was missing. The muzzle stopped on three sleeping forms that lay on blankets on the floor. “How could they sleep through all the gun shots?” she wondered. “Not sleeping, passed out.” she realized. Moving closer to check the bodies, she could see their chests rising and falling as they breathed. They were also as filthy as the others had been.

Jill scanned the counter tops. Besides all the empty cans sitting around or littering the floor, there were several animals in various stages of being dressed for food. A large tub of innards and skins sat on the floor by the cabinets. From the smell, some were quite old. She walked over to get a closer look, and then realized the animals were cats and dogs. Feeling her stomach begin to turn again she staggered out of the kitchen.

Back in the living room, Jill paused at the bottom of the stairs. Jill knew stairs were a trap in these situations. Looking around she picked up an empty vegetable can, tossing it nearly to the top of the stairs. When the can bounced a topless female jumped out from behind the doorframe at the top of the stairs. The woman gripped a small, cheap looking automatic pistol in her hand. Jill triggered a 9mm shot purposely aimed at the woman’s knee. When Jill triggered off the shot, a bright red splotch suddenly appeared just above the woman’s right knee. The woman’s leg collapsed under her weight. Falling forward, she tumbled down the steps to land on her back at Jill’s feet. Jill scooped up the little automatic pistol from the floor. Pausing as she did to snicker at the chain the woman wore that ran from one nipple to the other. The woman also had wore several tattoos over her body. Jill turned her back on the screaming and cursing woman to duck behind the end of the couch.

The woman thinking Jill had left began calling for help. “Jesus it hurts Sammy help me!”

“So there is another one upstairs.” Jill thought as she waited, letting the woman call out in agony. Jill hoped ‘Sammy’ would give in and come down to help the woman.

Outside in the vehicles everyone sat fidgeting. Ronnie finally loosing patience asked, “Isn’t anyone going to help her?”

Missy looked at him solemnly and said, “It’s her house and she’s pissed. She wouldn’t want us to. She’ll be alright, we’ll just keep watch out here.”

Ronnie sat back hard, agitated. He wanted to go help Jill.

Back inside, Sammy called down. “Jenny? Are you bad?”

Jenny screamed back angrily. “Yeah god damn it. It hurts. The bitch kneecapped me. She’s got my gun!”

After some hesitation Sammy asked weakly, “Where’s the bitch at now?”

Jenny screamed loudly. “I don’t know god damn it. She left. Help me you chicken shit!”

Jill heard shuffling upstairs and smiled. After a moment she heard the steps creaking. She counted off the steps as they creaked. When she estimated Sammy was near the bottom Jill popped up to face Sammy. Sammy was three steps up from the bottom of the stairs, and filled the stairwell with his girth. Jill guessed he weighed over four hundred and fifty pounds. He wore short brown hair, his skin pasty white. Rolls of fat hung from his bare chest. The chest flab hung over his enormous gut. His only clothing was a pair of black leather briefs that disappeared under his over hanging gut. The small revolver seemed miniscule in his grasp.

Jill triggered the 9mm automatic time after time. The shots only seemed to be absorbed by the thick fat. The man desperately tried to raise his arms to aim the revolver. She wished now that she had used the more powerful 44. Finally, on the seventh shot Sammy stiffened, his eyes rolled back into his head as he toppled forward, falling like a huge tree. Jill felt the floor bounce under her feet as he fell onto Jenny, silencing her screams forever.

Jill walked over to the mound of flesh at the bottom of the stairs. Jenny’s head was all that was visible of her under Sammy. Jenny’s eyes were open, bugged out and glazed over in death. A trickle of blood rolled from her mouth, down her cheek.

Jill peered up the stairwell from the doorway again. She wasn’t sure there wasn’t another person up there. She reloaded the 44 and then reholstered it. Drawing the 9mm again she fired the remaining eight rounds into the door jam at the top of the steps, four into each side. Then quickly reholstering the 9mm and she drew the 44. Hauling back the hammer, as she stepped over Sammy to run up the steps two at a time. Crouching at the top she swept the room with the muzzle. Finding no one else, she turned to the bedroom doors. Both bedroom doors were closed with a fresh padlock mounted on each door. The bathroom door stood open, the room was empty.

Jill went to her bedroom door, lifted the shiny pad lock, wondered what they had stored in the room that needed a pad lock for protection. Finally Jill stepped back and kicked the door with all her might. The door cracked loudly and flew open. Splinters flew from where the lock had been bolted to the jam. A loud scream erupted from within the room. Jill leveled the 44 at the doorway and stepped forward into the room.

At the back of the room were eight people, three slender women, two slight men, two little girls and a boy. They were naked and huddled together in fear. On the bed was a blonde woman, her limbs strapped to each post of the bed, spread-eagled. She was also naked and gagged. Her labia appeared swollen, ravaged. Obviously these people were being held as sexual slaves. Disgust for the people that would do this to these people washed over Jill. “It’s all right. I won’t hurt you.” she announced.

At that one of the men broke away from the group to lunge at Jill. She swatted him away with the barrel of the 44, hitting him across the side of his head. The man hit the floor addled and then scrambled back to the others. Jill saw blood streaming from a cut on his cheekbone in the ‘C’ shape of the end of the 44’s cylinder.

Finally a woman of about twenty, a look of confusion on her face, stepped to the front of the crowd to ask, “Are you with the Police or the National Guard”.

Jill couldn’t believe the naivete of the woman. “Neither.” Jill replied. “But I am here to help. Are they’re others in the other bedroom?”

The woman stared at Jill’s 44 with fear. She did not reply only stated, “You shouldn’t have a gun, guns are bad.”

Jill loosing her patience with the woman raised her voice, shouted, “It just saved your bacon lady! Now answer me!”

The woman skulked, defiantly retreating back to the group. Jill, angry, turned to walk to the other bedroom, kicking in the door as she had done before. She found roughly the same scene in this as in the other. But in this room a slender woman of about twenty eight with long black hair and a full tuft of black pubic hair, obviously of Spanish decent, stood defiantly. There were several bruises about her body and cuts on her face. Blood had dried to her olive skin in places. As soon as Jill stepped into the room the woman demanded, “Who the hell are you.” The voice was shrill and tinged with anger. The Spanish accent very loud and prominent.

Jill said calmly, “I’m here to help.”

The woman stood fully erect and proudly said, “Thank you, I am Maria Sanchez”

Jill looked over the others in the room and said to Maria, “I’m Jill. What about them?” Referring to the others in the room.

Maria spoke fiercely, the fire evident in her dark eyes. “Them? They are dogs! They obeyed those bastards all day, they’re worse than dogs. I try to get them to fight but they only cower in fear. They told them bastards on me every time I try to figure a way out. They tell them to get food. They won’t fight for themselves. Me, I fight, I fight all of them. Look at me they beat me, but they never ****ed me because I would not let them.” Maria finished by turning to spit on one of the people huddled in the back of the room. “Them sorry shit heads gave it to them to live. I die before they take it from me.”

Jill admired Maria for her courage and fierceness. Her shapely body bore the marks of her struggle. Jill lowered the 44, walked over to Maria and stuck out her hand. Maria shook hands with her. Then Jill turned to the others and commanded, “You’re free, get out of here and don’t come back.” The adults looked at one another confused. One lady stepped away from the others to ask, “Did you bring us food? How will we eat?”

Jill disgusted and angry was about to respond when Maria stepped toward the woman. Maria’s temper flaring, she shouted. “Get out of my sight you sacks of shit, you disgust me! Cowards! You’ll all be back in this same mess before dark!”

Jill just watched Maria’s outburst. When she had finished, Maria turned back to Jill as the group slowly began to walk out of the room, mumbling to themselves about barbarians with guns. Jill asked Maria if she needed anything. Food? Clothes? Maria replied, “I fight the bastards naked, I no care, but since I no **** they no feed me. I haven’t ate since I got here four days ago.”

Jill smiled and said, “Well you wouldn’t have wanted what they were feeding anyway.” Then pulling her radio from her pocket Jill told her team outside about the ones coming out. “They are not to receive any help.” Jill commanded. Then she turned back to Maria who now looked puzzled.

“What were they feeding? It smelled disgusting at first then as I got more hungry it smelled delicious.” She asked.

Jill replied simply, “Dogs and Cats.” To which Maria mumbled something in rapid Spanish and spat on the floor. Jill chuckled at Maria’s reaction as she walked toward the door. Maria followed her. At the other bedroom, Jill told the others to leave. Evidently they had over heard the conversation in the other room, as they simply untied the one on the bed and shuffled out.

At the bottom of the steps Jill remembered the three that were passed out in the kitchen and went to where they lay. Maria stood beside her. Jill asked, “What do you think we should do with them?”

Maria replied without hesitation. “Kill dem.”

Jill mused, “Yeah well I could but it wouldn’t feel right to just walk up and shoot them while they slept.”

Maria, the fire in her eyes glowing, said. “No but I could do it, these three tried the hardest to rape me and that one he likes little girls.” Maria paused, looked at Jill and asked, “es dat knife sharp?”

Jill saw the look in her eyes grow serious and more fierce. “Yes.”

“Could I barrow it?”

Jill unsheathed the K-Bar, handing it to Maria handle first. Then turning to walk away said, “I’ll be outside.”

Out on the porch the sun was going down. Jill found the others of her group milling around the vehicles looking puzzled. Jill walked up to them just as a man’s blood curdling scream erupted from inside the house, followed by curses in English and rapid Spanish from Maria. Jill began telling the others what she had found inside and how far man had sunk, keeping sex slaves, and eating dogs and cats. Three more horrified screams erupted at different times as she spoke. Finally they saw Maria emerge from the house walking toward them proudly, defiantly, even though she was naked. She carried Jill’s knife handle down and presented it to Jill handle first, “Gracias!”

Jill looked at her somberly and asked; “Did you kill them?”

Maria grinned a bright toothy grin and replied, “No, but they will no longer rape anyone. They will have to pack their peckers in a jar.” The others began to giggle when they heard her.

Jill realizing what she had said, also realized Maria was a cold and ruthless person. But Jill felt she was a good person. “Let me get you some of my clothes.” Jill offered as she guessed Maria was about the same size only shorter.

Maria still obviously very angry loudly proclaimed, “I don’t need no ****ing clothes. I fight the bastards without them for what they did to me! ****’em, let’em look, de get to close I kill dem!”

Jill smiled, said, “Ok have it your way. At least let me get you some shoes. I have a spare set of tennis shoes.”

Maria looked at her feet on the pavement, sighed and said, “I guess it would be better. I cannot fight with my feet ****ed up.”

Jill looked at the others and told them to search the house for guns and ammunition or anything that could be used. “See what humans have reverted to.” she added.

After the others had walked away Jill retrieved the tennis shoes from her gear bag handing them to Maria with a pair of socks. Maria sighed softly as she took them, her muscles seeming to relax as she sat on the tailgate. Jill sat with her on the tailgate of the dodge while Maria put the socks and shoes on. Jill, hoping to calm Maria. Attempting to reassure her, Jill said softly, “I know you’ve been through hell and your angry at the world but you should calm down now. You are safe now with us.”

Maria, her anger rekindled for the moment, tugged at the socks and slammed her heel into the shoes angrily. “I will try Jill, But it was muy rough in there. Disgusting people. I’m sorry.”

Jill pleaded with her, “OK, Maria. I understand, but the others may not. I wish you would wear some clothes.”

Maria sighed, softened, “Jill it isn’t just the anger. I have pride also. I do not wish to take handouts. I will find my own clothes. The shoes and food I am grateful for. I will repay you for them. It cannot be helped.” She sighed again and softly added, “Just give me some time Jill.”

Jill could hear the anger ebbing and figured she would gradually come around soon enough. Jill hopped off the tailgate to stand in front of Maria. Looking her in the eyes she said, “Maria its not charity. I want you to become part of our team, if you want to be. I will share what I have with you.”

Maria shook her hair out looking up at the dusky sky then back to Jill. “Please Jill I like you very much, I maybe join your team. But give me time OK.”

Maria was stubborn. Jill said, “Fine.” Then she and Maria stood talking at the tailgate. Jill asking her questions about her capture and what the captors had said. Maria told Jill the captors were waiting for tomorrow, that they would get rid of her tomorrow. She had found out that a truck would come by to pick up all the captives. As Jill sat listening she considered attacking the truck and freeing the hostages it carried. But she was unsure whether it was worth the risk. Other than Maria, the rest of the people she had rescued today would be consumed by the world again before long if they did not wise up. Finally Jill decided that if there were one other such as Maria on board the truck then it would be worth it. After discussing it with Maria she agreed.

The rest of the group had finished searching the house and had carried out all the items they had found. Now on the lawn there was quite a pile of hunting rifles, a shotgun or two and a few handguns. The handguns were mostly cheap junk or un-cared for rust buckets. Jill pulled the 357 from her belt and looked it over. It was a Smith and Wesson Model 19. It seemed to be in good shape and loaded. She smiled and handed it to Maria, butt first. Maria looked surprised, hesitated to reach for it. Jill asked, “You do know how to use one, don’t you?”

Maria smiled and stammered, “Oh yes, I was just thinking whether I should.” Maria let the sentence trail off.

Jill assured her. “Do it, it’s not mine so it’s not like charity. Then go through the pile and find More ammo and some sort of a long gun for you to use.”

Maria took the grips of the gun slowly and said softly, “Gracias.” then she turned toward the pile and began to search lustily for her weapons.

Missy called to her, “There’s a good K-Bar in there, it just has a few nicks in the blade.”

While Maria searched through the weapons pile, Jill briefed the others about the truck coming the next day. She told them, hopefully they could rescue a few more like Maria, and then maybe find out where the main compound of the traffickers was located. Everyone agreed it was something they had to do. Jill then outlined her plan of attack.

Jill explained that they needed the advantage of surprise, to do that they would need to make the exchange look as normal as possible until the last second. “In short,” Jill began. “Everyone who would be posing as prisoners would need to be naked. Two of the men would be dressed and pose as guards.”

Right away several began shaking their heads. Lora voiced her opposition loudest. Jill finally agreed that Lora would be the ’fail safe’, she would remain on the second floor of the house with the thirty-caliber machine gun on a tri-pod at the bathroom window, the only window that had not been boarded up. Lora agreed. Then Maria joined them with her new weapons. Now they hammered out the details of the plan together.

[brake pedal]

Finally near noon the radio keyed up with Ronnie’s voice. “Truck coming from the east in the west bound lane. A small black car in front of it, nothing behind it.”

Jill acknowledged the message and quickly began to strip off her clothes.

Nervous sighs and the sounds of harried movements filled the room as the ladies removed their clothing. The men seemed to enjoy the sight, even grinning at them. Sherry playfully threw her pants at Paul said, “Next time it’ll be the guys turn.” Trent’s boyish face reddened even deeper as he shook his head, embarrassed.

As soon as the clothes were off, the ladies gathered around the coffee table taping the pistols into place on each other’s bare back. Each one made sure the pistol was within easy reach horizontally at the small of their backs. As they were getting ready, Jill nervously voiced more instructions to the other ladies. “Remember, act shy but not too shy and look down. Act beaten and weak.”

Once the pistols were in place and checked, they gathered in the kitchen to wait on the truck. Paul and Trent stood behind them with their rifles. Jill reminded them, “Point the guns at us, make it look real. But keep your fingers off the triggers.” When they heard the trucks brakes hiss as it stopped, Jill whispered, “Wait, see if they give a signal.”

Finally the air horn honked twice. Jill hissed, “Not yet! Wait.” After almost a minute the air horn sounded again. Jill whispered, “OK, now.”

Jill in the lead stepped across the threshold, slowly padding across the porch. Stepping down onto the grass she felt the warm sun on her skin. Jill fought to make her self keep looking down. Maria behind stayed to the side as planned. Jill wanted the drivers to see Maria’s bruises for effect. Andrea and Missy followed Maria, placed there so their blonde hair, young age and beauty would distract the drivers. Sherry walked behind Missy and Andrea. Finally Paul and Trent brought up the rear, with their hair dirty and mussed, and wearing dirtied and heavily soiled clothing they had found in the house. Jill was confident the group would look like what the drivers expected to see.

The men were out of their vehicles, smiling at the sight of the ladies. They appeared to be buying the ruse. The men were all black men. The two men from the truck appeared ragged and dirty. The two from the car, neat, clean and carried small machine pistols that looked like a Mac-10. The two from the truck wore holstered handguns and one held a rifle of some sort.

A man from the car was the first to speak, shouting loudly, “Only five?” as he shook his head disapprovingly then added, “But damn they are some sweet meat, two young ****s too. I hope they didn’t **** up that spic’s little titties.” the man smiled broadly as the others laughed. Maria’ had to grit her teeth to hold her anger. Trent and Paul did not reply, only grinned and nodded.

Jill felt everything was going good and prayed nothing would go wrong. A stumble, a tape giving way, or allowing a gun to be seen would be all it would take to blow the plan. They moved down the embankment toward the interstate, then across the ditch line.

Starting up the little rise to the pavement, Jill knew it had to be now, if they turned toward the rear of the truck their guns would be visible to the drivers. Jill suddenly gasped loudly. Grasping her stomach she sounded a loud moan, feigning great pain. She bent forward slightly her arms lapped over her stomach. One of the drivers shouted, “What’s wrong Bitch.”

Suddenly Jill sprang up, the auto coming from behind her right hip. The startled men scrambled to move. A shot rang out from behind Jill. One of the drivers doubled over, falling forward. Jill’s muzzle found the other truck driver. She fired twice. The man’s body twisted one way then another under the torso impacts. Another rifle shot came from behind Jill. The bullet struck one of the car drivers in the head. The skull exploding, blowing bone fragments and brain matter out the back of the mans skull.

Jill then heard Paul shout, “Halt!” Then there was another rifle shot, possibly a miss, a warning shot maybe. The man stopped running and dropped his sub-gun on the ground. “Don’t shoot. Please!” the man pleaded.

Jill kept her gun aimed at the man while she padded through the grass to where he stood. “Get down on the ground face down!” Jill commanded as she nudged the sub-gun to the side with her bare foot. Missy came up beside her and scooped it up.

The man hesitated, still standing he pleaded, “My suit, I don’t want to get my suit stained.”

Maria whisked Trent’s K-Bar knife from its belt sheath and rapidly approached the man. “Let the ****er stand, I cut his dick off like I did the others!”

The man’s eyes widened wildly when he saw Maria. He was suddenly near tears. He went to his knees quickly, pleading. “No! No! Please!” he stammered as he went face down in the grass. From the ground he shouted, “You crazy Bitch! You know that?”

Maria only grinned. Handing the knife back to Trent, she walked over to kneel by the man. Yanking his head back by the braided hair she said softly, “You like my tit’s do you? Hmm? You know I will get my turn with you and when I do I will get to hear you scream and beg me to cut it off to stop the pain. I’ll cut it away in little strips while you scream.” The man stared into Maria’s wild eyes, straining to not soil his garments. She laughed crazily at the fear in his eyes as she stood, stepping away from the man.

Jill told Paul to watch the man on the ground and then told Missy, Maria and Andrea to search the car. While the car was being searched, Jill, Sherry and Trent searched the cab of the truck.

Inside the vehicles they found a small arsenal of weapons. Again they piled all the weapons on the ground in one pile and all the ammunition in another pile. After they had piled everything out on the ground Jill said to Maria, “You get first pick girl.”

Maria pilfered through the pile to pick out a Beretta 9mm and 6 spare magazines. She also chose a Mac-10 and six spare magazines. Finally she took an AK-47 and six spare magazines. Then she found a small Tanto knife she took that also. She put all her loot in a pile on the embankment away from the others. When she had finished, Jill announced, “let’s see what we’ve got in the trailer.”

Paul stayed with the man on the grass while the others walked to the back of the semi. By now, in all the excitement, the ladies had forgotten their nudity. No longer feeling self-conscious. Jill directed everyone to have their guns ready in case a guard was waiting in the back. Gripping the door handles, she and Missy yanked the doors wide open. Inside the trailer they found approximately a hundred nude captives huddled together and sitting along the walls or laying on the floor. Luckily there were no guards. Jill climbed up to the trailer floor to walk down the length surveying their condition.

Very few people dared to look up at the fearsome nude woman with a gun. Jill heard one indignant soul mumble, “Should have had those damn guns confiscated years ago!” Jill looked around to see who had said it, but no one dared to meet her gaze.

Jill now angered, spoke with venom. “So there’s and anti-gunner brave enough to whine behind my back, but too chicken shit to own up to it.” She paused to scan the group for some reaction. Still no one looked up or spoke. The anger welled up within Jill at the cowardice, the stupidity. Sure if they had been misled like she had been before, fine. But to not see their error now and still not pick up a gun to defend themselves was only ignorance or cowardice. “Being against guns is what got you here, abused and cowering as slaves!” She announced it harshly.

“Those men’s gun’s put you here. This gun released you.” she continued as she held up the Smith and Wesson auto. “Guns themselves are neither good nor bad. The possession of the guns could have been reversed. I could have carried those men’s guns and they carried mine. It would not have made a difference. But you having a gun and knowing how to use it would have. You wouldn’t be in this situation.”

Someone, another person mumbled. “Just what we need an NRA lecture.”

At that three men and two women stood up among the people on the floor. One of the men shouted, “Shut the **** up! She’s right. Because of all you anti-gunner idiot’s I sold all my guns. Now look at me, a slave, my wife and me sexually abused, my kid gone, my home looted and burned. If I could get my freaking hands on another gun, I’d kill them son of bitches. But if one of you say’s another word here I’ll kill you instead, with my bare hands!” Jill could feel the anger in the mans voice. A chorus of “Yeah. That‘s right!” broke out among those standing and a few on the floor. Several more men and women began to stand and join those already on their feet.

Jill asked, “What’s your name?”

The man looked at her, startled that she had asked. “I’m Conrad Cole.” He replied.

Jill looked the man over; he had dark brown hair and seemed well muscled, good shape physically. He looked to be 35 to 40 years old. After a moment Jill said, “I’m Jill Johnson. We are part of the 1st Tennessee Militia. That’s my team outside.” Then she added smilingly, “We don’t have uniforms yet.” referring to their nakedness. At that Conrad’s angry face melted and he began to chuckle. Several in the group began to snicker. Jill then said, “Seriously though, We had to pose as captives to get the jump on the drivers.”

Conrad chuckling replied, “I must say you do look good enough without a uniform.” At that a woman on the floor playfully slapped the back of his calf. Jill assumed the woman was Conrad’s wife

Jill serious now asked, “Do you really want a gun? Do you really want to kill those responsible for this operation?”

Conrad, now serious also, replied, “I would.”

Jill thought the answer was simple enough and then asked, “Anyone else feel the same way?”

All of the seven standing raised their hand. On the floor four more men and three women raised their hands, plus Conrad’s wife.

Jill said, “Fine. Conrad you are in charge of those that have raised their hands. We have guns and some ammunition outside for you and your people. I don’t know what we’ll do about clothes. For now just get outside, get acquainted and pick out your weapons, you’ll be part of the attack. The rest of you people wait here until Conrad and his people leave. Then you people get out of my sight and don’t come back.”

Jill turned to leave as Conrad gathered his people to go out. A man’s pleading voice rose from the group. “Aren’t you going to take us with you? Give us food and medical care?”

Hearing this caused Jill’s ire to break again. She turned back in the direction of the voice, “Hell no! I am not! You worthless piece’s of shit have to do it yourself now. I highly suggest you get some backbone or you’ll be back in this same situation or worse. The only reason we even tried to stop this is for those like Conrad. He and his people will make it. But the rest of you idiots are worthless. The world would be better off without you!” After she said it, she abruptly turned and walked out of the trailer before another wise ass spoke up. Jill wasn’t sure she wouldn’t shoot the son of a bitch, and thought it better that she leave now.

Conrad’s people filed out, off the back of the trailer. Missy led them over to the pile of guns, which they quickly swarmed over like starving people at a buffet table. The group busily picked up the weapon’s, swapping them back and forth. Finally deciding, then standing together in the grass checking them over. This group definitely appeared different. Even though both the men and the women showed signs of rape, they were all badly bruised and beaten. The remainder of the captives in the back of the truck also showed signs of rape, but none showed any sign of resistance. They had simply ‘taken it’.

Those waiting in the trailer were herded out onto the pavement and told to leave. Most were visibly angry at being turned away without any food or anyone to protect them and clothe them. In a quivering huddle, they slowly walked over to the other side of the interstate to watch as Jill armed and fed Conrad’s fighters.

Trent and Paul watched the prisoner and the ex-captives while Jill and the other ladies led Conrad and his group back to Jill’s house. Where she told them they could search the house for clothes. As they passed through the kitchen Conrad’s people stared wide-eyed at the animal corpses on the counter tops and the three piles of blankets with large pools of dried blood on them. They were even more amazed at the bodies of Sammy and Jenny still lying at the foot of the steps.

Jill, Missy, Sherry and Andrea began dressing into their BDU’s. Andrea giggled and said, “This was fun, I really hate to get dressed. I wish we could go like this all the time.” Missy quickly seconded the idea. Surprisingly Sherry, blushing shyly, said, “Yeah, it was exhilarating. I felt free out there.” Then she began to giggle also.

Jill secretly felt the same way, but knew the clothes were too important for camouflage and skin protection. Finally she said, “I think it best if we kept our clothes on. The modified tops are bad enough.”

There was a chorus of disappointed “awwww‘s” Then Jill added, “For this attack I want you fully dressed, it could get rough.”

Maria stood, not dressing and smiling at them as they talked.

Missy asked, “What about her?”

Jill explained, “She’s got a part to play in this attack that demands that she be unclothed.”

Reminded that there was a dangerous mission ahead, the others became serious again. No one spoke as they quickly dressed. Conrad’s group found a mismatch of clothing in the duffel bags and drawers around the house. Mostly filthy dirty and torn, but would serve their purpose until they could find better. Eventually the group was all clothed in odd sized clothing that seemed too small or too large. A few lucky ones even found shoes to wear.

Once they were all dressed Jill went up to the bathroom where Lora still sat watch. She told Lora to sit watch to protect the house and the vehicles from the ex-slaves until the got back. She also said she would send Ronnie up from his position on the interstate to help her. Then Jill took the machine gun and the spare cans of ammunition, leaving Lora with her side arm and AR-15.

Jill carried the Machine gun downstairs to where the others were waiting, “OK, lets go!” she announced. Everyone checked their weapons and filed into line flowing through the back door, walking down to the waiting truck and car.

Some of Conrad’s group went to the dead drivers to remove the shoes from the bodies. Now three more had shoes to wear for the battle. Jill gathered them all around to outline the plan for the attack. Conrad volunteered to drive the semi. Jill decided he would be best for the job. She hoped that either the guard at the compound wouldn’t notice he was white or that there were white drivers among the slave traders.

Jill watched as Conrad’s group and her team climbed up into the semi trailer. Then she closed and latched the doors. Before going up to the cab, she called Ronnie to join Lora at the house. When she saw Ronnie begin to move she ran to the cab of the semi, and climbed up into the passenger side across from Conrad. She and Conrad watched as Maria got into the passenger side of the car. The prisoner at the wheel would drive while Maria guarded him.

Maria opened the door and sat down, the crushed velour upholstery tickled her bare bottom. She slammed the door and turned crossways in the seat to face the driver. The Mac-10 she tucked between her side and the seat back. Smiling wildly at the driver she brought the freshly honed blade of the K-Bar up between them, enjoying the drivers’ nervousness. She said, “If chu want to keep that black snake between your legs, chu won’t **** up! Remember tell them I am riding with chu because chu liked my ass and that I been giving chu blow jobs along the way. K?”

The driver nodded vigorously, his forehead coated with nervous sweat. Maria continued by instructing him, “OK, start the car and drive and don’t get lost now.”

The driver started the car, put it into gear and slowly pulled out. The gears of the semi could be heard grinding behind them as Conrad put it into gear. The semi’s engine roared as they pulled out behind the car.

Once they were up to speed the driver finally spoke. “You people really going to let me go if I get you in?”

Maria now serious, reassured him, “Like we said, when it comes time to bail out and fight, if you hit the ground running we will be very careful not to hit chu.” Then Maria smiled and added, “But if you turn or pick up a gun we will shoot chu.”

The driver nodded his understanding. Then after a moment, Maria asked, “What’s your name?”

Without turning to her he replied, “Dwike. Dwike Simpson.”

“Well Dwike how did chu get involved in this shit?” Maria asked casually.

Dwike shrugged one shoulder, sighed and then began to explain. “I went downtown on the day it all happened. It was fun. Man we partied. We ripped into everything. Smashing. Destroying. It was a blast. Then the good ole white boy’s began to pour in. It turned into a battleground. Suddenly it was like one of them third world countries.” Dwike paused, grimacing at the memory. After a long moment he continued, “Them white Boys showed up with their hunting rifles and assault rifles. All we had were our Tech-9’s, Glocks, and a few cheap pistols. Well there were a few AK-47’s and SKS’s, very few, and the ones that had brought those didn’t have much ammo.” Sighing he said, “It was a slaughter until we happened to find the capitol police armory. By then it was, might as well say, too late. We had two dozen fully automatic M-16’s, ammunition and a dozen sniper rifles. There were pistols and shotguns, but those were useless really. Them white boys were six or seven floors up and picking off the brothers from a long ways off.” Dwike sighed then said, “The M-16’s and sniper rifles had the range, but the white boys been shootin since they was kids. We was raised in the city what did we know, we didn’t even get to practice with the guns we carried around on the street. It was hell. But we managed to fight to a draw only because we changed our methods.”

“Some of us would try to keep the whites pinned down, while the rest of us would sneak into the building and set it on fire. That’s why all them buildings downtown be burned out.” Dwike swallowed hard and took a few breaths, pressing his eyes shut hard against the memory. “I was lucky I survived, I walked out four days latter. There were bodies in piles everywhere downtown. I made it out to the East Side projects, but they were vacant. Everybody was dead or gone. I kept walking, I was hungry and broke into a few places along the way, to get food. I was on further east when I met up with another group, mostly college kids. I just sorta fell in walking with them.”

“One night we was camped out and I went looking for food. A car stopped on the street; there was two brothers and two whites in the car. We talked for awhile and they said they were going to start a business. They were going to kidnap people and sell them to the drug bosses for food and drugs. Seemed like a good plan, said we’d get plenty of pussy and then trade them in. Then the bosses would ship them to other countries for slave labor. They said if I wanted in on it to pick up a few stragglers and be at a place at a certain time.”

“I walked around and thought about it for a while. But I eventually went back to where we were camped and picked out the prettiest white girls. While they slept I put a gun, that I had kept hidden, to their heads. I made them be quiet and go stand together. It really amazed me how easy it was, they just quietly obeyed me. I guess because I had a gun. I marched them right out of there, no problem, It was like they had been taught to not resist. I met the dudes the next day with the girls. The guys were impressed with the ones I brought them.”

“Anyway I got to eat and I got all the pussy and dope I wanted. It’s been good, but I only took white girls, never a black or any other minority. We got to stick together.” Dwike watched Maria’s face for any reaction as he said the last part. He also seemed more relaxed now as he turned off the interstate and drove down the ramp and turned toward an area of warehouses and factories.

Making the turn and feeling more confident, Dwike asked, “How about you? Why are you helping these honkies? You were a minority too. Didn’t you see how they were oppressing you? Using you?”

Maria’s anger returned, her eyes filled with it. She said, “Listen bastard, I only do what I think is right. I come to dis country when I was sixteen. Sure I had to work and work hard, at below minimum wage, for long hours, for rich white people. I could have earned more on my back, but I didn’t. Look man whether you are a slave or not depends on what you do with the money. Me, I used mine for school tuition. But I paid full price. I refused to accept that affirmative action shit. To me that’s admitting you are a poor stupid minority and that chu needed special help. **** dat! I have my pride. I held my head up and paid full price. I paid high tuition because the college had to make up for their losses because they gave breaks to minorities that was willing to admit they needed special help. I got a job as a waitress at a truck stop, after I made the manager promise I was not a ‘quota hire’. I earned my money to go to school. It was hard work and sometimes humiliating. The stupid sons of bitches thought since I was a minority that I would put out for their money. I was about to graduate when everything blew up. And that was partially because minorities kept begging for more and more. If it hadn’t been for them I would have graduated. So don’t give me that bullshit. Chu can sucker up to that whiney minority shit if it makes chu feel better but look what it’s gotten you.” Maria finished, angrily. Staring at him icily.

Dwike glanced over toward her several times. Inside he knew she was right. He’d never looked at it that way. He’d always been told and believed that whitey owed him just because he’d been born black.

Before he could think on it long they arrived at the gate to a warehouse near the river. He checked himself to be sure he looked as he should, although he knew the guards at the gate would likely be so high they would not notice anything amiss.

Maria slipped into her down trodden, beaten look. Her right hand griped the Mac-10, out of sight where she had tucked it earlier, The knife now hidden under her right thigh. She warned Dwike once more before they pulled up to the gate. “Just be cool Dwike.” Maria cooed .

[brake pedal]

The semi began gearing down as the car slowed for the gate. Jill hid in the sleeper compartment and Conrad fought to calm his nerves. His AR-15 stood between the seat and the drivers’ door, the barrel resting against the back of the cab. He wore a Glock 9mm on his hip with several magazines for both were tucked behind his belt.

Dwike casually stopped the car at the gate, his finger activating the power window. Two guards ambled over, seemingly light on their feet. Smiling, their eyes were mere slits. The first guard spoke loudly, “Hey Dwikey! Waaaasup?”

Dwike grinned back. “Hey brother! We did good today. We got a whole load of cracker bitches and a few good dudes too.”

The same guard replied, “Well dats aw’right. Whats with this bitch? Looks like she been through some kinda shit.” referring to Maria and her badly bruised body.

Dwike glanced over and grinned, said. “Well I had to break her in. I brought her up with me, she got some kinda ass on her. She’s mine look at them titties, ain’t they something! Just right not too big not too small.”

The guard began to reach his hand in to heft one of Maria’s breasts. Dwike almost lost it, pushing the man’s hand away abruptly. His voice cracked almost showing his nervousness. “She’s mine, don’t be touching my bitch!”

The guard, startled, pulled his arm back. “Right Dwikey. Sorry man.” The guard then stepped back and waved at the other guard to open the gate.

When the gate had swung fully open, Dwike hit the button to put the window up and slowly drove the car through. Maria said. “You did good Dwike.” Maria sighed and said softly, “And thanks for not letting him feel me up.”

Dwike sensed the softness in her words, her gratitude. Silently he wished the situation were different. He cleared his throat and said, “It’s all right Maria. You are some kind of woman really, I respect you.”

Maria smiled at Dwike with sincerity for the first time. “Thanks Dwike. Now take us to where you normally drop off the captives. And Dwike, if you make it out of this alive, think about doing right for a change. Get some real respect for yourself.”

Dwike only nodded as he guided the car between the buildings, the semi trailing a little behind the car. Finally Dwike looked at Maria and said softly, “Be ready.”

Seconds after he said it, Maria felt the car ease to a stop. She kept her head down, but stole glances out the windows at her surroundings. They were in an alley between two huge metal buildings. The alley itself maybe twenty feet wide with pallets strewn about and dumpsters spaced long the walls. Men were coming out of doors on both sides of the alley. Soon more than a dozen men, both black and white filled the alleyway, ambling up to the vehicles. Some of the men were obviously high, some staggered as if drunk. A few carried rifles, but they all wore handguns at their hips. Maria’s heart began to pound in her chest, she had not expected so many men.

Maria slowly turned around in the seat, keeping the Mac-10 low under the dashboard. Her left hand went to the door handle. Two of the men noticed her movement and stopped suddenly. Dwike glanced at her quickly and hissed, “Go!”

Maria flung the door open as she screamed loudly. When her feet hit the pavement she sprang up and brought the Mac-10 across the doorframe. She squeezed a quick burst, raking the group of men before they could react. Four men went down with the first burst. Maria thought, “Damn it’s full auto! I wonder where they got it.” Turning she grabbed up the knife just as Dwike floored the accelerator on the car. The sound of tires squalling filled the alleyway as the men began to grope for their pistols and run out of the way of the car.

At the sound of the first shots Jill bailed out of the small sleeper compartment door on the drivers side of the semi. The AK in her left hand firing rapid shots before her feet hit the ground. Once on the ground she let a few more shots go until Conrad swung the drivers side door open, bailing out with his AR-15. Conrad firing as fast as he could, his finger working the trigger with skill, to cover Jill. With Conrad now covering the front, Jill turned to run to the rear of the truck to release the others.

Maria realized Dwike was leaving and the cover from the car door would soon be gone. She flung herself to the pavement to get low, scraping her shins, her breasts flattened against the harsh surface. Once on the ground she saw Dwike knock down two men and run over the bodies of the others as he fled. “That’s Brotherhood.” She thought to herself and then she fired a short burst and got to her feet, running back to the passenger fender of the truck for cover. Firing another quick burst she moved back and yanked open the passenger side door of the semi. Reaching inside she grabbed the bag of spare magazines she had stashed there. Pulling the bag open she grabbed a fresh magazine for the Mac-10. Buttoned out the spent one and slammed the fresh one up the well. She slung the bag across her shoulder and returned to the fender of the semi to level the sub-gun across it as more men came from the doors of the buildings.

Conrad stitched the door on his side of the alleyway with his AR-15. Large pockmarks, streaking upward, blossomed in the steel of the door. Maria did the same on her side also. The men at the doors scrambled back inside slamming the door closed against the fierce fire.

Jill had nearly made it to the rear of the semi when men began to appear around the corners of the buildings at the end of the alley. She leveled the AK and triggered several shots into the first ones that had rounded the corner and then dove under the trailer, crawling up behind the trailer tires. Leaning out she fired another burst, the bullets pinging into the metal at the corner of the building. The bolt locking back on the AK after three shots, empty. The burst sent the men running for the cover of the corner of the building.

As Jill changed magazines she tried to remember which trailer door could be opened singly. By the time she had let the bolt slam closed on a fresh round she was sure it was the door on the right side. She drew a deep breath and rolled on her sides out from behind the trailer tires. Coming to her knees she fired three rounds at the corner and then got to her feet. Firing three more quick shots she ran around the trailers end. The AK extended out firing randomly, she grasped the door handle as she went by. Quickly shoving the handle upward and flinging the handle back against the other door, freeing those inside.

Without stopping Jill ran around the end of the trailer. The AK firing out as she dove behind the trailer tires on the other side. Under the trailer she put her back against the tires as she closed her eyes and caught a few quick breaths before changing the AK’s empty magazine. Fishing around in her carry bag she found a full magazine and jammed it into the belly of the weapon. Hearing the trailer door being kicked open she rolled across under the trailer to a firing position behind the driver’s side wheels.

Missy had placed the machine gun on its pod just inside the door before they arrived. Now she lay prone behind it. Andrea crouched on Missy’s left, near the trailer wall. Her AK butted against her shoulder. The rest of the group lined up to Missy’s right and left ready to jump free of the trailer and find a firing position outside. When Missy heard the door break free, she waited, giving Jill time to clear the door, then shouted, “Now!”

Sherry, the first in line, kicked the door open and then crouched inside the door out of the way. Missy let the trigger back on the machine gun to give a long yammering burst down the alleyway. When Missy let the trigger up to stop the burst she yelled, “Go!” On cue Andrea and Sherry jumped to the pavement and rolled away from the truck on each side. Getting to their feet, they ran to the cover of dumpsters along each wall. When Sherry and Andrea were in position, Missy fired another burst and again yelled, “Go!”

The next two in line jumped to the pavement while Sherry and Andrea advanced down the alleyway to the next Dumpster or stack of pallets that they could use for cover. Firing short bursts from their AK’s as they ran. Those jumping from the truck behind them rolled to the positions that Sherry and Andrea had just vacated. Missy began firing again. The process continuing until everyone was out of the trailer. Sherry and Andrea advancing and firing to cover those that were advancing behind them.

Jill seeing that those in the trailer were free and advancing down the alley ran to the cab of the truck where Maria was crouched firing at men hiding behind dumpsters. Jill began to figure a plan to dislodge the men from their positions behind the dumpsters.

At the rear of the trailer, after everyone had jumped from the trailer, Missy released the machine gun from its pod. Hoisting it up, she threw the belts of ammo across her shoulder and jumped down to the pavement. Once on the ground she ran to the cab to come up behind Conrad.

Jill made her plan and ran back behind the tractor to roll across under the trailer, coming up on Conrad’s side. She yelled to Conrad over the din of gunfire. “Get in the cab and let it creep forward. Missy, Maria and me will get under the trailer behind the rear tractor tires, use those for cover.”

Conrad realized what the plan was and nodded his head, backing away to climb into the cab. Jill fired a burst down the alleyway to cover him, fanning fire across the Dumpster. To Missy, Jill yelled, “Get under the trailer!” Missy ran back as Jill fired another burst and then followed her.

Jill dove under the trailer, rolling back across, coming up to shout to Maria, “Maria! Get back here!”

Maria fired a quick burst and then ran back as the semi began to creep forward. She ducked under rather than roll to preserve some skin. “I wished I had listened to chu about dem clothes!” she said as she came to Jill.

Jill quickly explained the plan as they duck walked behind the wheels. Maria changing magazines while she had the opportunity. Bullets were pinging off the truck rims and thumping off the side of the tires, as the semi rolled slowly forward.

Jill leaned out from the rolling wheels to trigger three shots from her AK into the corner of the nearest Dumpster on the passenger side. The rounds whined off the side but held the man in position. When the man peeked out from behind the Dumpster, Jill held her fire. The man took the opportunity to break from cover to run back to the next Dumpster. Jill then stitched that Dumpster with three more rounds.

The others seeing the truck rolling forward and Jill and Maria firing from the rolling cover broke cover to run down the alleyway to the corner of the buildings. Jill, Missy and Maria all fired into the knot of running men, hosing them down. Only one of the men made the corner. The truck continued to slowly roll toward the corner, encountering the bodies of the first men that were killed. The truck wheels powered over the bodies. Sounds of bones breaking came to the ladies under the trailer. The bodies jerked as the steering tires rolled over them. Jill watched as the rear tractor wheels rolled over the head of one of the downed men. She cringed as she heard the skull ‘pop’, with the sound of a coconut being crushed, and saw blood and clear fluids splashed onto the side of a dumpster. When the truck rolled past the doors to the buildings, Maria stayed behind to cover both of the doors.

Sherry and Andrea finally made it up to the corners at the other end of the alleyway. The next team to arrive was Trent and a member of Conrad’s group. Sherry and Andrea told them to stay and guard the corners and then they ran to the next team back, instructing them to go up to assist Trent at the corners. The rest of the team, they took back down the alleyway with them. Dividing the group, Sherry and her team went to one door, Andrea and another team to the door on the opposite side. Maria stood in the center of the alleyway to cover the teams. Sherry stood with her back to the wall next to the door. The team on the other side stepped clear of the door. She turned the knob and pulled the door open a few inches. Releasing the knob she let it close. “No Shots.” she thought. Grabbing the knob again she yanked it open and swung her AK around the door jam, still no one fired at her. The warehouse was dimly lit with skylights. The interior of the building held hundreds of naked captives contained in a makeshift fence around the center of the floor. A terrible odor of sweat and slop pots hung in the air inside the building. The people sat leaned against the fence or each other, some lying down on the hard floor.

Jill left Missy and Conrad to guard the corners and ran back to Maria and the open door. “Go help Missy and Conrad!” she shouted to Maria as she walked toward the open door. Maria responded quickly running down the alleyway. With saddened eyes, Sherry nodded for Jill to enter. She stepped inside the door, the odors assailing her nose. Jill looked the scene over and knew this was the reason she had left the safety of the farm. She could not sit idly by, safe at the farm, while people were suffering like this. True, she knew most of these still would not fight to protect themselves, even after this. But she knew that among the hundreds here, there would be scores that would pick up a gun to join the fight.

Jill turned around to tell Conrad’s wife, Lisa and another woman from Conrad’s group to stay at the door. Jill, Sherry and three others walked inside.

Once inside, Jill and a man from Conrad’s group approached the fence. Sherry and the others spread out around the inside of the building to search for any hidden gang members. As they moved about the building, sporadic gunfire could be heard outside.

As Jill approached the fence someone from inside the fence mumbled, “Oh great, here we go again, another bunch with guns that think they are kings because they have guns.”

Jill let the comment slide by and announced to the captives, “We are the first Tennessee Volunteer militia, we are here to rescue you!” At that, many of the people stood and began milling about anxiously.

Jill shouted again, “Lets get organized. Those of you that want to fight, that will pick up a gun and kill anyone that tries to do this to you again. I want all those people front and center here at the gate! The rest of you remain where you are, we’ll come to get you when it’s safe!”

Jill watched as people began to move about. From the crowd she heard someone say, “I ain’t touching no gun!” Jill remained silent as she watched the gathering at the gate. After nearly a minute there were about fifty men and women standing at the gate. She instructed them by saying, “I do not have guns or clothes to give you. There are guns on the ground in the alleyway from the dead men, get those and check the bodies for ammunition. Then I want you to divide up into teams, one gun per team. I want the teams to go hunt down the people that did this to you. As you kill them, arm yourselves and at least take their shoes. Then when you’ve killed them all, meet back here at the semi in the alley if you want to join us.”

The volunteers all nodded to signify their understanding. Some shouted joyously, “All right!” Jill swung the gate open and the people ran for the door. After the volunteers had all left Jill closed the gate on the non-combatants and announced, “The rest of you I will release before we leave.” turning to walk away she heard more asinine jeers. Secretly she wished she could just leave those people locked in the fence. Walking toward the door Jill shouted for Sherry and the others to follow her.

Outside in the alleyway, those that had been released were busy grabbing up any gun they could find and striping the dead men of their shoes and any clothing worth the trouble. Tallying their numbers at 46 they broke up into 11 groups of five or six. The groups then split up. Half of the groups went one way down the alley the rest the other way. Jill watched them split again at the end of the alleyway. She guessed the gang members defending the corners had seen the captives come out and fled, knowing the fight was over.

After the groups disappeared around the corner, Jill stepped across the alleyway to the other door. Andrea and her team stood on either side of the pock marked door. Jill stood to the side and nodded her head. Andrea seeing the signal, reached for the door knob. Pressing her back to the wall she turned the knob and pulled the door open slightly and then let it close. Nothing happened, no shots came from the other side of the doorway. She then gripped the knob again and quickly yanked it open. The door flung wide and there came a deafening roar, followed by Lisa slamming backward into the metal wall behind her.

Lisa’s body seemed pinned to the wall for an instant and then slid down the wall to the pavement. The wall behind her smeared with blood. The pattern of buckshot from a shotgun, dimpled into the wall where she had stood.

Jill’s heart sank as Lisa died on the ground, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it. No more shots were fired, only the one. As a few people ran over to check Lisa, Jill turned back to the door. Stepping closer to Andrea she knelt at Andrea’s feet and said, “Open it slowly. I’ll get low and look inside.”

Drawing the 44, Jill lay on her side on the pavement. Nodding up to Andrea when she was in position. Andrea turned the knob again, slowly pulling the door open, expecting another shotgun blast at any second. Once the door was open far enough, Jill whispered to Andrea, “Hold it there.”

Jill peered through the crack to see a small chair standing six feet inside the door, a shotgun was duct taped across the top of the chairs back. A piece of heavy twine ran from the trigger to the sling ring on its buttstock and then to the doorknob. There was enough slack left in the twine that the shotgun would not fire until the door had been pulled halfway open.

Jill holstered her 44 and drew her knife. Andrea gave her a puzzled look, not saying anything. Jill whispered, “Booby trap.” Jill opened the door further, watching the tension in the twine. She couldn’t tell if the shotgun were a semi-automatic or if it needed to be reloaded manually, the duct tape covering much of the forearm of the weapon. When there was enough room, she reached in with the knife and drew the blade across the twine cutting it cleanly. “It’s safe!” she whispered to Andrea as she got to her feet.

Picking up her AK Jill stepped through the door. Surveying the inside of the building, she found it was much the same set up as in the other warehouse. But it seemed there were somewhat fewer people here. Jill repeated the same announcements and procedure as she had used before, even enduring the same snide comments as before. This time there was what she estimated at thirty people to step forward to fight. Jill sent them to the alleyway, telling them to stay near the semi and closed the gate on the non- combatant captives. Telling those inside the fence that she’d be back for them when it was safe and then she jogged back out into the alleyway.

Outside she told the others to stay near the rear of the semi and then ran down the alley to where she’d left Conrad and Maria. She came up behind Conrad and asked, “How’s it going?” Jill knew she had to tell him about his wife, and knew she was stalling. The coldness in her stomach seeming unbearable.

Conrad replied, “Great! Those that we turned loose really cleaned them out.”

Jill, torn inside, wondered how to tell him. Finally she put her hand on his shoulder and simply said, “Conrad, Lisa got hit. She’s dead.”

The man’s shoulders slumped. His head fell. Jill could feel the great heaving sobs under his rolling shoulders as he silently wailed. Jill patted his shoulder and said, “Go, I’ll stand guard here.” at that Conrad stood and turned to Jill, she saw his sad eyes and his tear streaked face. He softly said, “Thanks Jill” and ran back down the alley to where his wife lay.

Kneeling by his wife he scooped her body up into his arms. Holding her tight to his chest he began to sob. The others in the alley moved away or turned their backs to give the man his dignity. One of the older captives, just released, walked over to kneel beside him. Putting his arm around Conrad’s back he said, “Lord be with you son.” Then man comforted Conrad for a few moments and together they began a prayer.

After another ten minutes, Jill noticed the sounds of gunfire in the area had dwindled to near nothing. Looking over to Maria, she said, “I think it’s over let’s get loaded up, the others will be back soon.”

Maria nodded, getting up and following Jill back down the alley to the truck. Jill had Maria stand watch at the front of the truck while she went to the knot of people at the rear. Jill announced it was time to get on board the trailer. As they loaded into the trailer, Jill called to Trent and the others at the end of the alley to get aboard. Jill guarded the rear while everyone climbed up into the trailer. The teams of captives began to return and get aboard also.

Conrad carried Lisa to the trailer in his arms, the man, still there comforting him, helped him place her body gently on the floor of the trailer. Then he helped Conrad climb up inside where he kneeled near her holding her bloodied hand.

Finally when everyone was on board, Jill closed the door and latched it. Calling to Maria, Jill commanded, “Get into the passenger seat, I’ll be there in a minute.”

Seeing that Maria understood, Jill went into each warehouse and swung the gates open for the captives, telling them, “’Your free this time. If you do not pick up a gun and fight, you’ll be back in this spot again very soon. I or someone like me may not be there to set you free next time.”

With that accomplished Jill ran out ahead of the captives, back to the cab of the truck. At the truck she climbed into the drivers seat, slammed the door and gave several short blasts on the air horn in case anyone was still out there. Revving the engine she pushed in the brake knobs. Pushing the stick into gear, she smiled over to Maria and let the clutch out slowly. The truck began to surge forward.

For a moment Jill allowed the high of victorious combat to wash over her. She looked over to Maria as she let the semi slowly roll down the alley. Maria, in addition to the bruises, now had rough, bleeding abrasions on her knees, hips, elbows, shoulders and even a couple on her breasts. Jill grinned at her and said, “You look like hell girl!”

Maria grinned back broadly and said, “Yeah, but I fought like hell. Didn’t I!”

Jill agreed. “Yeah! That you did! Then she asked, “Where did you learn to fight like that?”

Maria smiled and replied, “I had an uncle down in Mexico that was an outlaw he hung out in the bars all of his life. He was a tough old man. He wanted me to grow up to be a strong woman. So he spent a lot of time teaching me how to fight and use de knife.” She paused for a moment then she said softly “I also knew a man in Odessa that was on the police department. He taught me how to shoot guns.” She paused again and then added sadly, “He was killed by a street gang.”

Jill sensed the sadness in her voice and asked, “You must have been very close?”

Maria smiled, but her eyes still held the sadness. “He treated me like I was a real person Jill. We were engaged.” She admitted.

They rode along in silence for a minute, the big diesel engine and the sound of the tires was all that could be heard. Finally Jill spoke to say, “I’m proud of you, you are a good fighter and when we get back I’m going to get you some BDU’s from my things.”

Maria started to object, Jill cut her off, “Girl you are one great fighter. You’d do better with clothes on. I understand about your pride and being pissed off about what they done. But we killed them for what they did, get over it. Today you earned your keep. You earned the BDU’s. I want you to wear them and I want you on my team, you are good!”

Maria sighed and said, “OK, Jill. You’re right and thank you.”

Jill swung the truck to go out the gates which had been curiously run through, busted outward. Jill was puzzled as to how that had happened until Maria began snickering. “Dwike must have been scared shitless!”

Jill realized also that it had been Dwike and began laughing too. Secretly she wondered what Maria had done or said to the man to make him that scared.

It didn’t take long to get back to Jill’s house. She parked the rig on the street just down from her house. After opening the trailer doors and letting everyone jump down to form a group, Jill announced for the captives to stick with their teams and find a house to occupy for the night on this end of the street. She told them that tomorrow they would decide on clothing, if they could not find any in the houses. Then she added, “After we get settled in we’ll divide up what food we have and eat dinner. Then in the morning we’ll try to have food flown in.” When she’d finished everyone nodded and began moving away in their groups.

Jill turned back to the truck where Conrad sat with his wife. The man that had been hovering close by consoling Conrad came to her. “I’m Reverend James Lawson ma’am. I’ll help him bury his wife and tend to things here.”

Jill replied sadly, “Thank you Reverend. If you need any help with the grave, you ask someone that’s not busy. If they refuse you let me know who they were.”

The reverend nodded solemnly and walked back to Conrad.

Maria had waited for Jill by the cab of the truck to walk with her up to the house. The rest of Jill’s team had already went on to the house and began cleaning up the house. As Maria and Jill approached the driveway they saw several naked bodies sprawled on the ground around the vehicles. Jill counted seven, all dead from bullet wounds. One, she recognized as the person from the truck that she suspected of making the snide comments, while she had walked among them in the trailer. It was obvious they had tried to take the vehicles and either Ronnie or Lora or maybe both had fired on them to stop them. Maria shook her head and said softly, “Some people never learn.”

Jill went to her truck, found her gear bag and began to rifle through it. Finally she found what she was looking for, turning she handed Maria a stack of folded BDU’s with two pair of socks and two pairs of panties resting on top. “Gracias!” Maria said smiling at the gift.

She took them to the grass, sat down and began unlacing the shoes Jill had given her earlier. Jill turned back to the truck, unlashing and pulling out a five-gallon plastic jug of water. With her other hand she snagged a bar of soap from her gear bag. Carrying them over to where Maria sat, she handed the soap to Maria. “Better get cleaned up before you put those on.” Jill suggested.

Maria smiled again and continued to unlace the shoes. Jill though puzzled that she had continued to unlace her shoes walked back to her pick-up. She started the motor, letting it idle to power the military radio while she called the farm. When Doug replied to her call she briefed him on what had taken place the last two days.

While she talked, she watched Maria stand and uncap the jug of water and then hoist it above her head. As the water poured through her long black hair, Maria closed her eyes and smiled under the water. Her teeth appearing bright white as the water cascaded over her dark skinned body, the sun sparkling off the flowing water. Jill shook her head in disbelief that she would bath there on the lawn.

Jill continued to talk with Doug, giving him a list of supplies she needed Allan to bring by helicopter the next morning. Food and ammunition topped the list. Maria sat the jug down and picked up the bar of soap. She lathered it into her hair and then began rubbing it over her trim body. Her breasts jiggled as she rubbed, vigorously scrubbing the grim from her body. Then rolling under her hands as she scrubbed them with the soap. As she moved down her body to the pubic hair to lather the thick tuft, Jill looked around the area. Some of the male captives had stopped what they were doing to watch Maria. All of the observers were smiling broadly.

Turning back to the radio Jill told Doug she would send the captives back to the farm in the semi tomorrow afternoon. Doug radioed that he would try to have them places to sleep and have the veterans get ready for some new recruits. Then he asked how many there were. Jill estimated seventy-five. Doug seemed overwhelmed as he said that would put our full strength at around a hundred once we get them trained.

Jill asked how things were going at the farm as Maria again hoisted the jug to rinse herself off. Jill set the microphone down to retrieve a towel for Maria from her gear bag. Doug spoke about the farmers and veterans putting in a late crop to help feed the militia, and their wives sewing new clothes as quickly as possible and also helping Alice cook for everyone. Jill sat listening and watching Maria toweling off. Rubbing the towel over her head energetically, allowing her breasts to jiggle seductively at the men. Jill had a feeling Maria was enjoying toying with the men. Next she moped the water from skin of her taunt tummy. Jill looked around to see the men still standing, watching as Maria began to dress.

Jill picked up the microphone again to say that it would be good to see Allan again and that maybe she could get the chance to come to the farm herself in a few days. Doug said, “I’ll be looking forward to it Jill, I miss you sweetheart.”

Jill replied, “I will to Doug, I miss you too.” then she signed off by telling him she’d talk to him tomorrow.

Maria had finished dressing, she looked sharp in her crisp BDU’s. The camo color’s set off her dark skin, black hair and brown eyes. She smiled at Jill and said, “That felt terrorifico.” then she smiled slyly and added, “It was more fun with an audience” nodding as she said it, at the men that were now going back to what they were doing.

Jill chuckled and remarked, “You do like to tease them, don’t you.”

Maria still beaming simply said “Si!”

Jill was next to bathe and put on fresh BDU’s. But a quiet sponge bath in the privacy of her old bathroom was more Jill’s style.

After bathing and eating, Maria, Jill and her team gathered in the backyard of the house next door to Jill’s, where they lined up around a hastily dug grave. Lisa, wrapped in blankets lay in the grass beside the hole in the ground. Reverend Lawson stood at his place at the head of the grave in his scavenged clothes, a large confiscated revolver hung from his belt. He held a scavenged bible, open in his hands as he read a few selected verses from the book of Luke chapter 22. The final verse he quoted stood out as the reason he had selected the text. “…Verse 36 carries advice that is a message to us in this day, ‘then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his script: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.’ ”

Jill stood by Conrad who still wept terribly. She held her arm around his back, pulling him to her to console him. Maria stood at his other side with Andrea. Trent and Missy held hands at the other side of Andrea, their heads bowed. At the foot of the grave and completing the circle were Paul and Sherry and Ronnie and Lora, each couple holding hands. The couples were solemn, heads bowed. Jill imagined the couples around the grave were harboring the same thought that this could happen to them one day.

When the Reverend finished his message, Jill stepped to the head of the grave to speak. “As commander of this unit, I feel obligated to say a few words. Lisa wasn’t with us for very long, but she was a fighter, a soldier in this fight to bring our great country back to its greatness. Lisa was the first of our unit to give her life for that cause. Even though we all know it could happen to any of us at anytime, we pray there won’t be any more deaths. We will always remember Lisa. She will also be remembered in the history of our country as a hero that gave up life so that others may enjoy freedom and safety.”

Conrad sobbed loudly as Jill finished speaking. She moved back to stand beside Conrad. She and reverend Lawson stood close to him while Paul and Trent silently stepped forward and began to gently lay Lisa into her grave. And then Jill and Reverend Lawson led Conrad away. Ronnie, Paul and Trent stayed behind to cover the grave. Maria, Missy, Sherry and Lora walked along behind them.

Jill walked with Conrad and the Reverend to the back porch at Jill’s house. Reverend Lawson assured her he would stay and take care of Conrad and Jill left them there to go inside to find the other ladies.

Maria, Missy, Sherry and Lora were in the den on the second floor talking. Jill joined them there. They began in sadness, slowly discussing the day’s events. Soon life again began to flow into them. A bottle of whiskey was produced from a pack and soon they were chatting away getting to know Maria. Everyone enjoyed listening to her talk about crossing the border as a teen and the experiences she endured after the fall of society. Then Jill related the story of how she and Missy had escaped downtown. Maria chuckled loudly at the telling of the barge and of loosing their clothes. “I can just see de look on your faces standing on the bank all naked and wet!” she cackled, slapping the side of her thigh through the crisp BDU’s.

After an hour, Reverend James motioned to Jill from the top of the steps. The shadow of death fell on the room reminding them of the loss. Jill stepped over, he asked to speak with her in private. She followed the Reverend downstairs onto the back porch. He motioned toward Conrad who was now sitting on the back porch of the other house. “He won’t talk to me anymore Jill. He just sits there. Sometimes he has bouts of wailing, sobbing. Other times he sits silent, not crying, only staring coldly out over the grave. Jill, I’m worried about him, I don’t think he’s dealing with it well at all.”

Jill thought for several moments, she’d had basic psychology courses in college, but those were of little help. Finally she decided that at this point there really wasn’t much she or the group could do. She asked, “I don’t know what to do for him, do you have any suggestions?”

The Reverend only shook his head and replied, “No, before the collapse I would have notified the crisis center and took him there. I think all we can do is pray.”

“I’m sure that will help reverend.” Jill said respectfully then sighed and added. “Maybe he will work it out, Maybe this is just his way of dealing with it.”

The Reverend agreed, “I was at the same conclusion myself, Jill. But I wanted to let you know as unit commander.”

“Ok, thank you Reverend, you’ve been a blessing to us today. Really.”

The Reverend nodded and turned to go back inside. Jill took one more look at Conrad who was now wailing miserably. She wished there were something, anything that she could do. Finally she knew there was nothing else to do but to turn and go back up to the den with the others.

In the den, Jill found that Trent, Ronnie and Paul had joined the ladies and were all now passing two bottles of whiskey around as they talked. Spirits began to lift and as the night wore on everyone began to get a little silly. Missy’ speech began to slur, but not as bad as Lora’s. Maria soon began to speak more in Spanish than in English, lapsing into bouts of Spanish without realizing she had. She laughed along with everyone else at her speech. Jill was having such a good time that she allowed herself to drink much more than she had planned. The death of Lisa and the agony of Conrad weighed heavy on her mind. The drinking didn’t even seem to blot it out.

Finally she called an end to the evening, sending everyone off to bed, noticing how much her own speech slurred as she did. Missy, Trent, Ronnie and Lora left for Doug’s house. Paul and Sherry took Missy’s old room, Maria slept on the couch in the den. And since the Reverend had been too busy with Conrad to find a place to sleep Jill suggested he sleep on the living room couch. Before going to bed Jill picked up the radio to check in with the captives in the other houses that were posted as watch posts. They all answered and said all was well.

Jill satisfied that the new recruits were doing what they should, went to bed in her old room. She had bleached the mattress earlier and even flipped it over. She took off all her clothing like she had always done before the collapse. It felt good to be in her own bed again, even if she had to sleep in a sleeping bag.

Sliding into the bag she relished the slickness of the material against her body instead of the lumpiness of clothing. She was sound asleep in minutes. The alcohol in her system and being comfortable in her own bed allowed her to slip into a deep sleep.

Jill dreamt of Doug and being with him, the times before the collapse, of being in her office the secretary bringing her coffee while she done her paperwork, and then of Bob and the lunches they had shared in the cafe.

Suddenly Jill felt a hand fall across her mouth, gripping her jaw so tightly it was nearly impossible to breathe. Then the cold slick metal at her throat registered in her mind. Jill awoke with a start, but dared not move for fear the blade at her throat would be slashed into her neck. Her eyes fluttered open, as she fought to awaken. Her mind was too hazy from the alcohol and the sleep to think clearly. There was a dim light in the room, a flashlight. As her eyes adjusted she looked up into the wild detached eyes, and frightening smirking smile on the face of Conrad.

She realized even in the alcoholic haze of her mind that poor Conrad had lost his. “It must have been too much for him.” she realized sadly. “Was he going to kill her? Had he already killed the others in the house?” she wondered.

Then Conrad finally spoke. In a raspy strained voice, he said, “Now I have you sweetheart.” and then he leaned down to plant a kiss on her forehead. Jill noticed the possessive emphasis he placed on the ’you’, as if she now belonged to him. “You rescued us,” he continued. “You led us to that place. You are the reason she is dead.” He paused as a tear ran down his cheek, swiping it on his shoulder he continued. “It’s your fault she’s dead. So now to make up for it, you are going to be my wife.” He chuckled strangely and said, “I have wanted to **** you. Ever since I saw you climb up into that truck, naked. Now you’ll be mine forever.” Jill struggled to breathe under his hand. He admonished her; “You will be my wife and do as I say. When I let go of your mouth, don’t scream or I’ll kill you. Don’t make me have to do that, loosing two wives in one day wouldn’t be very good.”

Jill, thinking fast, realized that if she did scream, that not only would he kill her, but also if the others were alive and heard the scream they would come to help her and he would kill them also. She had to stop him herself if she got the chance.

Conrad released her mouth and she remained quiet, looking for any opportunity to take him. “Just one slip up and I’ll have him.” she told herself.

Conrad leaned back, smiled. “Get up!” he hissed. "Get ready, we’re leaving honey.”

[brake pedal]

THE END

well of the first book anyway. like i said i have 18,000 words typed in a rough draft that i will work on, if the algebra and comp II teachers will cut me some slack.
but if i look into my crystal ball that sits on top of my word processor. i see a beautiful waterfall in a far away place.

thanks for toughing out my first real venture. i apprieciate any helpful feed back.
and yes you will find some mistakes. i have been over this thing til i was sick of looking at it and a friend proof read it and pointed out all he could find. but still they are there.

I Hope you enjoyed it and thanks Dennis for the oppurtunity to display it.

[sssarawolf]

Looking forward to reading this, just read a bit & i know i will Such talent

[GREYGHOSTt]

just found it; great read and story line

not nice to end with a clif hanger!!!!!

[big_sarge]

Wonderful story!!!! I really enjoyed reading it. If you ever have more please do share....especially about Jill and her goings on....and if you need help editing...it's what I do for a living.

Thanks again for the great work!

[medic38572]

Good Job Billy You have done good,I'm impressed!How have you been I havent seen you in about 20 years! I figured you would have had that degree by now!Are you still with the S.O. or what?

[brake pedal]

thanks medic for the read and review. i sent you a P.M. both here and at CT but i guess you are like me and never check them. LOL. I Was hopeing that since you know who I am, maybe you could decloak and we could talk about old times. you got my curiousity blazing.

anyway thanks for the read and i hope you enjoy the next one when i finally get it ready.

[ANVIL]

I bought the book and read it with a great deal of enjoyment. I do hope you post the second book hear. I would loike to follow the story. You did a fine job with your first effort.
Thank You

Anvil

[Urban Hillbilly]

i too bought and read your book Bill. id saw one of your posts about a book youd read on a forum, and said wtf? looked at lulu.com, and ordered it. MONEY WELL SPENT!!! awesome book!! great read!! and to be honest i WANT a frickin sequel IN PRINT!!

really, i WILL PAY to get the sequel, i think your story is that good!! youve alot of talent, and i sincerly hope you pursue your writing.

for what its worth,
Urban Hillbilly

p.s. any chance of an autographed copy?

p.p.s. im GLAD you posted about your book, even as if youd read it, had you not, id have NEVER known about it, and would have missed a great read!

[Hammer]

What happened to Jeanna and Gracie from Chapter 2? I thought they would come back in at some point. Why even talk about them?

Hammer

[brake pedal]

thanks for your comments UH, i tried to PM you. but thank you for taking the time to read my work and to let me know how you liked it.


Hammer: i put that section in as well as other sections, such as when "Dwike" tells of his experiences during the fall to broaden the scope of the story. i felt that consentrating to heavily on the main characters would grow tiresome. the same with "Jim Tompkins" relating his experience during the war.

actually after writting the "Jeanna" section i was intrigued with her character and her story. i think it would make for a great spin-off story. Maybe someday i will have the time to continue my writting, it is something i enjoy.

[Ebb]

brake pedal you arent going to leave Jill with a knife to her throat are you? That just wouldnt be right. Ebb

[larry_minn]

Just found this story in my favorites that I bookmarked a couple yrs ago. The poor gal is NAKED with a crazy man who has a knife to her.
We need to know more. Does she get dressed?

[Randy in Arizona]

Poor Jill is in a even worse spot than Sweet Sue!

I plopped down in my easy chair and turned on Channel 2
A bad gunslinger called Salty Sam was chasin' poor Sweet Sue
He trapped her in the old sawmill and said with an evil laugh,
"If you don't give me the deed to your ranch
I'll saw you all in half!"
And then he grabbed her (and then)
He tied her up (and then)
He turned on the bandsaw (and then, and then...!)

(chorus):
And then along came Jones
Tall thin Jones
Slow-walkin' Jones
Slow-talkin' Jones
Along came long, lean, lanky Jones

Commercial came on, so I got up to get myself a snack
You should've seen what was goin' on by the time that I got back
Down in the old abandoned mine, Sweet Sue was havin' fits
That villain said, "Give me the deed to your ranch
Or I'll blow you all to bits!"
And then he grabbed her (and then)
He tied her up (and then)
He lit the fuse to the dynamite (and then, and then...!)

(chorus)

I got so bugged I turned it off and turned on another show
But there was the same old shoot-'em-up and the same old rodeo
Salty Sam was tryin' to stuff Sweet Sue in a burlap sack
He said, "If you don't give me the deed to your ranch
I'm gonna throw you on the railroad tracks!"
And then he grabbed her (and then)
He tied her up (and then)
He threw her on the railroad tracks (and then)
A train started comin' (and then, and then...!)

(chorus)

Along Came Jones by RAY STEVENS

I hope I am not But I keep hoping the story will get finished.

[kittyluvr]

Brake Pedal, Thank you for sharing your story.

[nancy98]

Wow! Talk about waking the dead. LOL

[stjwelding]

This was one great story, dose anyone know if there was ever a second book and if it is hear or is available to read some ware else, any information would be greatly appreciated.
Wayne

[brake pedal]

Thanks for the Comments, I am proud of the story, I however did not get to complete the second book. life changes etc. Would love to be able to write but have to pay the bills. Glad you enjoyed it!