Story Market Day
- Thread starter ComCamGuy
- Start date
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
The rest of the afternoon was fractured and jumbled. The bags John had given them were actually some new kinda Swiss made pistol sized Personal Defense Weapons. They looked like big pistols with tiny stocks. Garen would play with them later when he got the time. He then asked Kara about the stuff and info she got from the ambush. Evidently there are several meth labs and drug distro point within an area of the National Forest. Those guys were there to help either a drop off or a pick up but were interrupted by the trip line going off. They had no map so they were familiar with the area. They had standard run of the mill handguns plus some other, questionable paraphernalia like construction helmets with headlamps, shovels, several sets of well-worn shackles and a five gallon can of kerosene. There was also the standard pocket litter, but no cell phones. Kara didn’t have time to do a wider sweep, but she did some quick work to throw others off their trail. When Allyson hear this, she was a bit incredulous.
“What did you do to accomplish this feat of misdirection?”
“You don’t really want to know, do you?” giving a hard look at Allyson.
Allyson was torn between wanting to know, and not wanting to admit how far things had come. In for a penny, in for a pound. She had already been there when those two were killed.
“Yeah, I think I ought to. So at least I understand.”
“Ok, I stripped the bodies, cut off their heads, carved MS-13 in their foreheads and set the heads on their chests in their own hands.” The tone Kara was using was as flat as a pond.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Kara looked Allyson right in the eyes. The ice grey was hard as flint as she softly spoke her next words.
“No, the truth of the matter is, yes I did this. They shot first, they used a lethal booby trap as a warning device, and they had been weighed and judged by their own actions. I merely used the results of their poor choices to try and steer anyone else away from it being us who did this.”
Allyson was speechless for a few moments. She didn’t really know what to do. She was out of her depth, she knew that now. But she also had a better thought to how she was thinking of this little group. It kinda reminded her of watching the dog handlers. The dog is bouncing around and playing and acting like a normal puppy playing in the yard with the handler. Later, the same happy go lucky dog looks like Cujo reincarnated when chasing a fleeing perp. It always left her wondering which was the real dog; the happy playful puppy, or the one wanting to tear a guy’s leg off.
Kara didn’t want to tell Alyson, and she really didn’t want to after she saw the look come over Allyson’s face when she did. Allyson would look at her differently from now on, she knew. Maybe it’s better though. Better Allyson realized what a truly ****ed up world existed outside the bubble of the United States for the most part until now. She hoped that just this description was the worst Allyson would have to experience. She turned back to Garen and continued.
“Garen, we need more information about what’s going on out there in too many places. Which one should we tackle first?”
Garen looked around the room at all the faces waiting for him to make decisions. Damnit! He wasn’t supposed to have to be in charge. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed a piece of paper and started laying out the problems and potential locations that needed investigated. To do everything right, he needed more bodies. He didn’t have more bodies, but they still needed to do things to stay ahead of things.
“Ok, first, I want to get back down to the truck we stopped going into Thor’s. We need to find out more about those guys. Were they the ones coming to meet up with our other problem children or do we have two groups to worry about? Second, we need to get back down to the Center. We need to confirm my suspicions and grab or secure things there or bring them back here. Third, we need to keep working on our various contingency plans, including our worst case E&E if we get overrun by the zombie hoard. Somewhere in the middle of all this, if we come across more fuel, we need to tank up on as much as we can carry and bring back.”
Bekka chimed in “So do you have a plan for any of this, or are we just failing about?”
“I have a plan. Correction, I have a part of a plan.”
Bekka glared “Is it one I’m going to like?”
“Of course not. I need you to scrape up as much data from as many places as you can about the conditions around the Center. When we go there, it will have to be with a decent sized vehicle and it would be good to have routing plotted beforehand. Also while you are doing that, monitor the comms for the other op. I’ll go down this evening on one of the little motorcycles so I’m quieter and do a midnight recce of the truck and scrape any Intel I can from it. While I do that, Kara and Allyson will be the QRF in the Hyena. Depending on what I find and what we think after I get back, the next day we reset and potentially push out to the Center. That gives you, Bekka, about two days to build as much as a route as you can. For that one, I’m thinking me and Allyson in my truck. That would leave you two,” pointing at Kara and Bekka, “as the QRF. It would be mostly roads, so at that point, Bekka’s the driver with Kara. Allyson and me will give good Intel along our route so you would know what you’re rolling through and the pavement driving wouldn’t jar you and your broken ribs as much as dirt driving. Easy, right?” Garen smiled at the rest of them.
“My ribs were the result of your last ‘easy plan’, mister” Bekka growled, “but it makes sense.”
“Great!” Garen stood up and looked around. “Boot and saddles around sundown, right after dinner?” When no one had questions, Garen walked off down the tunnel to the garage.
Bekka stopped Allyson and Kara after Garen walked out. “Guys, I know this is a jacked up situation and everything but please remember, that man,” pointing over her shoulder and where Garen went, “is going to try his best to come up with a way for all of us to come through this in the end, even if it kills him. We need to try and think how we can all pull more than our fair share. If he thought he could go do all these things by himself and keep us safe, he would. Now, Kara, there’s some boxes on the shelf just inside the tunnel marked uniform spares. In them are some basically new t-shirts. Allyson, you should be able to wear the ones marked for me, and Kara, you’re screwed. You know whatever is going to just hang on you, but there should be some compression ones in there that won’t be as baggy.”
Kara led Allyson to the boxes. They were right next to the ones they had pillaged for Allyson’s e&e kit. Both women were pretty quiet for quite some time. Finally Kara spoke.
“Allyson, I know you must think I’m some kind of monster for doing what I did, but…”
“I don’t know what I think, so how should you. You guys are just……I don’t know. You guys remind me of some of the people I had to go undercover against. You would see some drug dealer playing catch with his kid, then later, bashing some suspected snitch ‘s brains out with a baseball bat, then go back home and have a tea party with their little girl. It’s confusing, and scary, and I keep feeling like I’m trying to catch up. It’s like tuning into a movie that’s half over and you’re always trying to fill in the blanks in the plot to try and understand what’s going on. Part of me knows you guys are right in what you are doing, but the other part is scared shitless that it all makes sense.”
Kara leaned on the shelf as she thought a bit until she finally replied.
“I understand, and maybe you have hit on the way to understand and adapt. You said you did some undercover work?”
“Yeah,” Allyson replied tentatively.
“Think of it like that. When you went undercover, you had to play a part to the hilt, think like the person you were supposed to be, act like them, and be them. You had to be able to feel it to the core yet keep it separate from yourself. It’s almost like two separate personalities, two separate beings inhabiting the same body. A Jekyll and Hyde, so to speak. In this, you be who you have to be for the situation. Did I enjoy what I did? No, but I thought it was the best way I could try and protect us. They were dead. Their souls had already passed on to their final judgements. I was only hurting evidently you, and I tried to keep you separate from it, to also try and not hurt you.”
“I understand all of that and it makes a kind of sense, but it is still a rough adjustment.”
“Yes it is. Maybe it will help to think of this as your new undercover assignment, here in the Mad Max Apocalypse. Later, when things work themselves out, you can come back out of your undercover identity and return to the world.”
“Maybe, but I still have to wonder. Which one is which for you guys? Which one is your undercover identity, and which one is the real you?”
“What did you do to accomplish this feat of misdirection?”
“You don’t really want to know, do you?” giving a hard look at Allyson.
Allyson was torn between wanting to know, and not wanting to admit how far things had come. In for a penny, in for a pound. She had already been there when those two were killed.
“Yeah, I think I ought to. So at least I understand.”
“Ok, I stripped the bodies, cut off their heads, carved MS-13 in their foreheads and set the heads on their chests in their own hands.” The tone Kara was using was as flat as a pond.
“You’re kidding, right?”
Kara looked Allyson right in the eyes. The ice grey was hard as flint as she softly spoke her next words.
“No, the truth of the matter is, yes I did this. They shot first, they used a lethal booby trap as a warning device, and they had been weighed and judged by their own actions. I merely used the results of their poor choices to try and steer anyone else away from it being us who did this.”
Allyson was speechless for a few moments. She didn’t really know what to do. She was out of her depth, she knew that now. But she also had a better thought to how she was thinking of this little group. It kinda reminded her of watching the dog handlers. The dog is bouncing around and playing and acting like a normal puppy playing in the yard with the handler. Later, the same happy go lucky dog looks like Cujo reincarnated when chasing a fleeing perp. It always left her wondering which was the real dog; the happy playful puppy, or the one wanting to tear a guy’s leg off.
Kara didn’t want to tell Alyson, and she really didn’t want to after she saw the look come over Allyson’s face when she did. Allyson would look at her differently from now on, she knew. Maybe it’s better though. Better Allyson realized what a truly ****ed up world existed outside the bubble of the United States for the most part until now. She hoped that just this description was the worst Allyson would have to experience. She turned back to Garen and continued.
“Garen, we need more information about what’s going on out there in too many places. Which one should we tackle first?”
Garen looked around the room at all the faces waiting for him to make decisions. Damnit! He wasn’t supposed to have to be in charge. With a heavy sigh, he grabbed a piece of paper and started laying out the problems and potential locations that needed investigated. To do everything right, he needed more bodies. He didn’t have more bodies, but they still needed to do things to stay ahead of things.
“Ok, first, I want to get back down to the truck we stopped going into Thor’s. We need to find out more about those guys. Were they the ones coming to meet up with our other problem children or do we have two groups to worry about? Second, we need to get back down to the Center. We need to confirm my suspicions and grab or secure things there or bring them back here. Third, we need to keep working on our various contingency plans, including our worst case E&E if we get overrun by the zombie hoard. Somewhere in the middle of all this, if we come across more fuel, we need to tank up on as much as we can carry and bring back.”
Bekka chimed in “So do you have a plan for any of this, or are we just failing about?”
“I have a plan. Correction, I have a part of a plan.”
Bekka glared “Is it one I’m going to like?”
“Of course not. I need you to scrape up as much data from as many places as you can about the conditions around the Center. When we go there, it will have to be with a decent sized vehicle and it would be good to have routing plotted beforehand. Also while you are doing that, monitor the comms for the other op. I’ll go down this evening on one of the little motorcycles so I’m quieter and do a midnight recce of the truck and scrape any Intel I can from it. While I do that, Kara and Allyson will be the QRF in the Hyena. Depending on what I find and what we think after I get back, the next day we reset and potentially push out to the Center. That gives you, Bekka, about two days to build as much as a route as you can. For that one, I’m thinking me and Allyson in my truck. That would leave you two,” pointing at Kara and Bekka, “as the QRF. It would be mostly roads, so at that point, Bekka’s the driver with Kara. Allyson and me will give good Intel along our route so you would know what you’re rolling through and the pavement driving wouldn’t jar you and your broken ribs as much as dirt driving. Easy, right?” Garen smiled at the rest of them.
“My ribs were the result of your last ‘easy plan’, mister” Bekka growled, “but it makes sense.”
“Great!” Garen stood up and looked around. “Boot and saddles around sundown, right after dinner?” When no one had questions, Garen walked off down the tunnel to the garage.
Bekka stopped Allyson and Kara after Garen walked out. “Guys, I know this is a jacked up situation and everything but please remember, that man,” pointing over her shoulder and where Garen went, “is going to try his best to come up with a way for all of us to come through this in the end, even if it kills him. We need to try and think how we can all pull more than our fair share. If he thought he could go do all these things by himself and keep us safe, he would. Now, Kara, there’s some boxes on the shelf just inside the tunnel marked uniform spares. In them are some basically new t-shirts. Allyson, you should be able to wear the ones marked for me, and Kara, you’re screwed. You know whatever is going to just hang on you, but there should be some compression ones in there that won’t be as baggy.”
Kara led Allyson to the boxes. They were right next to the ones they had pillaged for Allyson’s e&e kit. Both women were pretty quiet for quite some time. Finally Kara spoke.
“Allyson, I know you must think I’m some kind of monster for doing what I did, but…”
“I don’t know what I think, so how should you. You guys are just……I don’t know. You guys remind me of some of the people I had to go undercover against. You would see some drug dealer playing catch with his kid, then later, bashing some suspected snitch ‘s brains out with a baseball bat, then go back home and have a tea party with their little girl. It’s confusing, and scary, and I keep feeling like I’m trying to catch up. It’s like tuning into a movie that’s half over and you’re always trying to fill in the blanks in the plot to try and understand what’s going on. Part of me knows you guys are right in what you are doing, but the other part is scared shitless that it all makes sense.”
Kara leaned on the shelf as she thought a bit until she finally replied.
“I understand, and maybe you have hit on the way to understand and adapt. You said you did some undercover work?”
“Yeah,” Allyson replied tentatively.
“Think of it like that. When you went undercover, you had to play a part to the hilt, think like the person you were supposed to be, act like them, and be them. You had to be able to feel it to the core yet keep it separate from yourself. It’s almost like two separate personalities, two separate beings inhabiting the same body. A Jekyll and Hyde, so to speak. In this, you be who you have to be for the situation. Did I enjoy what I did? No, but I thought it was the best way I could try and protect us. They were dead. Their souls had already passed on to their final judgements. I was only hurting evidently you, and I tried to keep you separate from it, to also try and not hurt you.”
“I understand all of that and it makes a kind of sense, but it is still a rough adjustment.”
“Yes it is. Maybe it will help to think of this as your new undercover assignment, here in the Mad Max Apocalypse. Later, when things work themselves out, you can come back out of your undercover identity and return to the world.”
“Maybe, but I still have to wonder. Which one is which for you guys? Which one is your undercover identity, and which one is the real you?”
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
I was still in the workshop and could hear the conversation between Kara and Allyson. Part of me agrees with Allyson. Kara may have gone too far. The problem was I thought Kara did the right thing. Most people would never think someone would do something like that if they were not a member of some notorious gang. The news was filled with such killings and finds in Mexico and other parts south. Not in the mainstream media, you have to look for them, or at least recognize them when they showed up. The Zetas, MS-13, and a thousand other gangs and cartels were out there, and more brutal than most could even manage. No one in their right mind would suspect a bunch of retired military people who teach for the government would be in the National Forest killing druggies.
I could hear the hurt in Kara as she talked with Allyson. She regretted telling what she did. Not that she regretted the actions she did, just the fact that she told her about it. This is one of those times where her brutal honesty worked against her. To quote one of Garen’s favorite books, ‘a beginning is a delicate thing’, and the severe change in the relationship between the three of us and Allyson is going to be difficult. I hope things flow in a positive direction. Allyson has such potential, but the transition will take a while. Unfortunately, we don’t have that long.
Kara may have hit on the tool to bridge the gap. By posing an artificial construct like an undercover mindset, Allyson may be able to suppress her reactionary anxiety and be more receptive to the changes and though processes needed for her and our survival. Allyson hasn’t stormed out or exploded yet. She may yet adapt.
Garen is still feeling guilty for, in his mind, getting me hurt. He should know better, but he is still kicking himself. I will have to keep an eye on him. He is going to try and do too much and wear himself to a frazzle. After the trip to the Center, I am going to have to ‘ground’ him for a few so he can recharge and work only small projects around here. We need to pull ourselves in a bit and get things a bit more stable.
Allyson’s comment about ‘which one is the real one’ hits too close to home for me to dwell on. It was too easy to put back on the old ways and attitudes. Am I Bekka, or Jenny Wick?
I could hear the hurt in Kara as she talked with Allyson. She regretted telling what she did. Not that she regretted the actions she did, just the fact that she told her about it. This is one of those times where her brutal honesty worked against her. To quote one of Garen’s favorite books, ‘a beginning is a delicate thing’, and the severe change in the relationship between the three of us and Allyson is going to be difficult. I hope things flow in a positive direction. Allyson has such potential, but the transition will take a while. Unfortunately, we don’t have that long.
Kara may have hit on the tool to bridge the gap. By posing an artificial construct like an undercover mindset, Allyson may be able to suppress her reactionary anxiety and be more receptive to the changes and though processes needed for her and our survival. Allyson hasn’t stormed out or exploded yet. She may yet adapt.
Garen is still feeling guilty for, in his mind, getting me hurt. He should know better, but he is still kicking himself. I will have to keep an eye on him. He is going to try and do too much and wear himself to a frazzle. After the trip to the Center, I am going to have to ‘ground’ him for a few so he can recharge and work only small projects around here. We need to pull ourselves in a bit and get things a bit more stable.
Allyson’s comment about ‘which one is the real one’ hits too close to home for me to dwell on. It was too easy to put back on the old ways and attitudes. Am I Bekka, or Jenny Wick?
Texican
Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
Am I Bekka, or Jenny Wick?
It will be the Wick family for a long time if they wish to survive.... Allyson has to get with the program so she can survive....
It is kill or be killed -- which are currently the only two options....
Thanks CCG for the chapters....
Texican....
It will be the Wick family for a long time if they wish to survive.... Allyson has to get with the program so she can survive....
It is kill or be killed -- which are currently the only two options....
Thanks CCG for the chapters....
Texican....
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Garen stood there in the garage, and just stood. Things kept swirling in his head. Johns gone. One way or another, he has left. His friend, his mentor, his boss, his tormenter, gone. Not only did he leave, he left a huge mess to clean up. With Johns 60% and his own 10%, Garen was the majority owner of the Center. This is, or was a multi-million dollar company. What did he know about running something like that? How the hell did it come to this? That would have been bad enough, since it seems that John was going to do this at the end of the year anyway, but on top of all that responsibility, now the entire West Coast is trashed, and with it maybe the entire country. He has to find a way to get a handle on things.
Ok, he had to take things step by step. There were assets at the Center he was now responsible for. He had to make sure they were secured, one way or another. Most of it could be useful in the long run, maybe. At the very least, there were things that he didn’t want others to get ahold of. He hadn’t heard from any other instructors in the area, but that wasn’t as ominous as it sounds. Many of the Instructors lived elsewhere and only came to town for particular classes for a week or two at the time. Very few were local resident Instructors, maybe seven or eight he could name; John was gone, he hadn’t heard from Logan, James or Randal and the rest were scattered all over the country and paid retainer status to be available for the teaching schedule.
Part of him really wanted to get down to the shop and take care of that, but he had a nagging feeling that he needed to know more about what was going on behind the house before running off to so far away. He had to make things safe and secure. He couldn’t afford to screw that up again. He knew Bekka would hurt for weeks with the ribs. God! He really need her healthy. Kara could only do so much. As he was thinking all of this, he looked down and realized he had gotten everything ready on the bike. In reality, he hadn’t needed to do much more than transfer the core elements he had been using on the big bike over to the smaller, faster dedicated trail bike. Food, water, fuel, ammo, NVGs, bail bag, commo. That should do it. He was supposed to only be out overnight.
He went over to an old couch they had in the garage back behind the motorcycles and sprawled. He needed a quick nap to charge up for this evening. It wasn’t even a week into the crisis and he felt weary.
Ok, he had to take things step by step. There were assets at the Center he was now responsible for. He had to make sure they were secured, one way or another. Most of it could be useful in the long run, maybe. At the very least, there were things that he didn’t want others to get ahold of. He hadn’t heard from any other instructors in the area, but that wasn’t as ominous as it sounds. Many of the Instructors lived elsewhere and only came to town for particular classes for a week or two at the time. Very few were local resident Instructors, maybe seven or eight he could name; John was gone, he hadn’t heard from Logan, James or Randal and the rest were scattered all over the country and paid retainer status to be available for the teaching schedule.
Part of him really wanted to get down to the shop and take care of that, but he had a nagging feeling that he needed to know more about what was going on behind the house before running off to so far away. He had to make things safe and secure. He couldn’t afford to screw that up again. He knew Bekka would hurt for weeks with the ribs. God! He really need her healthy. Kara could only do so much. As he was thinking all of this, he looked down and realized he had gotten everything ready on the bike. In reality, he hadn’t needed to do much more than transfer the core elements he had been using on the big bike over to the smaller, faster dedicated trail bike. Food, water, fuel, ammo, NVGs, bail bag, commo. That should do it. He was supposed to only be out overnight.
He went over to an old couch they had in the garage back behind the motorcycles and sprawled. He needed a quick nap to charge up for this evening. It wasn’t even a week into the crisis and he felt weary.
Texican
Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
His sleep was troubled. He couldn’t get fully asleep with all the lists and items whirling in his head. At least he go some rest. Things like clothes for the others, food if this goes long term as Kara was afraid it would, fuel for vehicles, advanced medical care beyond what he could provide, all of these were at the top of his priority list. Somewhere along the way he came to the realization that the Center was not a major priority other than securing elements that could be useful or he didn’t want others to have. The real value of the company was in its reputation and its training. As long as he could train and get other quality instructors to train, it would be viable. One of these days when all this shakes out, he could reconstitute the business. With this shift in attitude, he could look at the trip there as a scavenging mission to secure stuff. Whether it was temporary or permanently, that was far in the future. The most important element as far as the company goes was he had legal coverage to possess and maintain the assets. The ones he was most worried about having that legal authority was all the stuff ATF would be interested in one day.
He was disturbed by the arrival of Kara and Allyson. They were putting gear into the Hyena and making some plans. It sounded like Kara was working hard to use soft and gentle methods to try and smooth over the ruffled feathers from the earlier discussion of Kara’s actions. It was also very gear-centric, showing Allyson the controls and feature of the Hyena. Garen didn’t think there was that much to tell but Kara was getting all the way down to the minutia. One of the things Kara did was remove the windshield, telling Allyson that this was so she could lay fire forward as they moved, without having to lean out at some odd angle. They also went through the gear that was on it, and added their own. Two med rucks went into the side baskets, as well as a cooler on each side; both with fluids, one with oral and the other with IV bags. As he watched Kara work through mission prep, he couldn’t help but be proud. They had taught her so much, and here she was teaching it to Allyson. He could almost hear himself saying some of the lines she used, especially since they were lines he had used teaching her. They finished up with their prepositioning of their gear, including a comm check with Bekka and at the end, Kara raised her voice and spoke to Garen.
“Hey, did I miss anything, Garen?”
“Hell Kara, you covered a whole lot more than I would have.”
Allyson was a bit startled. She hadn’t seen Garen over behind the motorcycles. She also wasn’t sure how Kara knew he was there. She had just spent an hour and a half going over a vehicle for tonight’s maybe mission. This was quite a bit more thorough than going over a vehicle with her FTO as a rookie. Then again, this felt a whole lot like going the whole FTO process again. She guessed that, in a way, she was. That might be the best way to approach the next couple of weeks. It’s not that they didn’t think she couldn’t do something, it’s that she didn’t know how to do it their way.
Kara had known Garen was there the whole time. She kept trying to think of all the things she needed and wanted Allyson to know before they went on the mission. She couldn’t count on there being enough time to explain something if they were racing south to save Garen. She also figured if she slung enough stuff at her, it might help push aside the earlier episode. She also came to the conclusion that if there was going to be a ‘bad guy’, it was better for it to be her instead of Garen or Bekka. They could play mediator and adjust things. She didn’t like the idea of being hated any more than anyone else, but if she had to do the job, she was strong enough. As long as Allyson learned, and survived and helped, it would be worth it.
He was disturbed by the arrival of Kara and Allyson. They were putting gear into the Hyena and making some plans. It sounded like Kara was working hard to use soft and gentle methods to try and smooth over the ruffled feathers from the earlier discussion of Kara’s actions. It was also very gear-centric, showing Allyson the controls and feature of the Hyena. Garen didn’t think there was that much to tell but Kara was getting all the way down to the minutia. One of the things Kara did was remove the windshield, telling Allyson that this was so she could lay fire forward as they moved, without having to lean out at some odd angle. They also went through the gear that was on it, and added their own. Two med rucks went into the side baskets, as well as a cooler on each side; both with fluids, one with oral and the other with IV bags. As he watched Kara work through mission prep, he couldn’t help but be proud. They had taught her so much, and here she was teaching it to Allyson. He could almost hear himself saying some of the lines she used, especially since they were lines he had used teaching her. They finished up with their prepositioning of their gear, including a comm check with Bekka and at the end, Kara raised her voice and spoke to Garen.
“Hey, did I miss anything, Garen?”
“Hell Kara, you covered a whole lot more than I would have.”
Allyson was a bit startled. She hadn’t seen Garen over behind the motorcycles. She also wasn’t sure how Kara knew he was there. She had just spent an hour and a half going over a vehicle for tonight’s maybe mission. This was quite a bit more thorough than going over a vehicle with her FTO as a rookie. Then again, this felt a whole lot like going the whole FTO process again. She guessed that, in a way, she was. That might be the best way to approach the next couple of weeks. It’s not that they didn’t think she couldn’t do something, it’s that she didn’t know how to do it their way.
Kara had known Garen was there the whole time. She kept trying to think of all the things she needed and wanted Allyson to know before they went on the mission. She couldn’t count on there being enough time to explain something if they were racing south to save Garen. She also figured if she slung enough stuff at her, it might help push aside the earlier episode. She also came to the conclusion that if there was going to be a ‘bad guy’, it was better for it to be her instead of Garen or Bekka. They could play mediator and adjust things. She didn’t like the idea of being hated any more than anyone else, but if she had to do the job, she was strong enough. As long as Allyson learned, and survived and helped, it would be worth it.
Texican
Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
She had just spent an hour and a half going over a vehicle for tonight’s maybe mission. This was quite a bit more thorough than going over a vehicle with her FTO as a rookie.
Prior intense training and explanations allows for quicker and more accurate response when needed....
Garen has planned on what to do in the far future and is coming around to today and tomorrow planning....
Thanks CCG for the chapter....
Texican....
Prior intense training and explanations allows for quicker and more accurate response when needed....
Garen has planned on what to do in the far future and is coming around to today and tomorrow planning....
Thanks CCG for the chapter....
Texican....
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Dinner was a tense affair. The four of them were a bit artificially polite; Allyson because she was still the newcomer, and the others because Allyson was there. The food was good, filling, but uninspiring, having been made from a variety of stuff from the fridge that needed eaten. They finished around dusk.
Kara had Allyson follow her into what was now Allyson’s room.
“Allyson, we should give those two a few minutes of alone time. Things are still a bit stressed. Bekka doesn’t like him going out again. She wanted all of us to stay safe and sound here in our little briar patch. He won’t because he’s scared of what may show up if he doesn’t. They need to get both their heads in sync not have this friction between them when he heads out.”
“I thought it felt rather tense in there. What can we do to help?”
“We go back in there when Garen gives a shout that he is heading out. I figure, unless Bekka wants us to hang out in here, I’m going to go out to the Hyena, double check things, leave the umbilical plugged in and monitor the radio out there. There’s a couch and a recliner out on the garage behind the motorcycles. At the first hint of anything, I’ll get off my ass and get into the Hyena. If you stay in here, you better come running if anything starts. Go out the kitchen door, I’ll pull up there if we are rolling.”
“I don’t know, I think I might come out there with you so I don’t screw up and annoy Bekka. I don’t like it when she’s mad.”
“Oh, sweetie…..you haven’t even seen perturbed, much less mad.”
Allyson still had a mental picture of Bekka when they rolled up to her in the forest. If that wasn’t even perturbed, she definitely didn’t want to see mad.
Garen and Bekka sat next to one another on the couch. Their voices were soft, barely above a whisper.
“Bekka, you know it’s the right thing to do. I can’t just wait and find out those guys are headed our way by them showing up at the door. We need to fix this problem before it gets here.”
“I know that! I don’t have to like it! Get down there and get back. I don’t want you taking your sweet ass time with a drive in the countryside. That one I understand even though I don’t like it. The one I am more on the fence about is going to the Center after this trip.”
“I know, but I gotta know. Besides, there is some stuff I want to get from there, as well as stuff I don’t want anybody else to have. Some of the other guys might be there and need our help. Then again, we could get there and it’s as flat as a pancake, nothing to see or get. If so, we just press on back here and all is OK.”
“You got an idea how you want to get there? You took a several day detour to get here from there so you wouldn’t lead trouble back here. You going to backtrack that route or invent a new one?”
“I don’t know. I was thinking maybe slip out the front gate predawn and try down some surface roads. Then if need be, I can press south east and come back in via the forest again. I don’t know. That’s why I need you scoping out all the routes between here and there before Allyson and I leave. But that’s a couple days away. Let me get this one done first.”
“Ok, you be careful. If anything is hinkey, shout for the kids to come running to back you up, or play cavalry. No heroics out of you mister.”
“I know, I’ll be careful. This one is just a look see.” He turned and kissed her. “Kids, I’m heading out. I’ll give an update as I go, but you guys be ready to come running, guns blazing.”
Garen walked out the door to the garage, where he had staged all his gear for this trip. After a quick comm check, it only took him a few minutes to get set and ride out.
Kara had Allyson follow her into what was now Allyson’s room.
“Allyson, we should give those two a few minutes of alone time. Things are still a bit stressed. Bekka doesn’t like him going out again. She wanted all of us to stay safe and sound here in our little briar patch. He won’t because he’s scared of what may show up if he doesn’t. They need to get both their heads in sync not have this friction between them when he heads out.”
“I thought it felt rather tense in there. What can we do to help?”
“We go back in there when Garen gives a shout that he is heading out. I figure, unless Bekka wants us to hang out in here, I’m going to go out to the Hyena, double check things, leave the umbilical plugged in and monitor the radio out there. There’s a couch and a recliner out on the garage behind the motorcycles. At the first hint of anything, I’ll get off my ass and get into the Hyena. If you stay in here, you better come running if anything starts. Go out the kitchen door, I’ll pull up there if we are rolling.”
“I don’t know, I think I might come out there with you so I don’t screw up and annoy Bekka. I don’t like it when she’s mad.”
“Oh, sweetie…..you haven’t even seen perturbed, much less mad.”
Allyson still had a mental picture of Bekka when they rolled up to her in the forest. If that wasn’t even perturbed, she definitely didn’t want to see mad.
Garen and Bekka sat next to one another on the couch. Their voices were soft, barely above a whisper.
“Bekka, you know it’s the right thing to do. I can’t just wait and find out those guys are headed our way by them showing up at the door. We need to fix this problem before it gets here.”
“I know that! I don’t have to like it! Get down there and get back. I don’t want you taking your sweet ass time with a drive in the countryside. That one I understand even though I don’t like it. The one I am more on the fence about is going to the Center after this trip.”
“I know, but I gotta know. Besides, there is some stuff I want to get from there, as well as stuff I don’t want anybody else to have. Some of the other guys might be there and need our help. Then again, we could get there and it’s as flat as a pancake, nothing to see or get. If so, we just press on back here and all is OK.”
“You got an idea how you want to get there? You took a several day detour to get here from there so you wouldn’t lead trouble back here. You going to backtrack that route or invent a new one?”
“I don’t know. I was thinking maybe slip out the front gate predawn and try down some surface roads. Then if need be, I can press south east and come back in via the forest again. I don’t know. That’s why I need you scoping out all the routes between here and there before Allyson and I leave. But that’s a couple days away. Let me get this one done first.”
“Ok, you be careful. If anything is hinkey, shout for the kids to come running to back you up, or play cavalry. No heroics out of you mister.”
“I know, I’ll be careful. This one is just a look see.” He turned and kissed her. “Kids, I’m heading out. I’ll give an update as I go, but you guys be ready to come running, guns blazing.”
Garen walked out the door to the garage, where he had staged all his gear for this trip. After a quick comm check, it only took him a few minutes to get set and ride out.
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Texican
Live Free & Die Free.... God Freedom Country....
“I know, I’ll be careful. This one is just a look see.” He turned and kissed her. “Kids, I’m heading out. I’ll give an update as I go, but you guys be ready to come running, guns blazing.”
Bet it will be with guns blazing to take care of the riffraff....
Thanks CCG for the chapter....
Texican....
Bet it will be with guns blazing to take care of the riffraff....
Thanks CCG for the chapter....
Texican....
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Bekka didn’t want any small talk and such, so she threw them out at Kara’s suggestion. Kara and Allyson were now out in the garage. Allyson was leafing through a stack of magazines while Kara was reading a very thick book. It was evident after a short while that Allyson couldn’t concentrate on anything. Finally her fidgeting and shuffling about made Kara annoyed enough to speak.
“Allyson, just settle down. There should be nothing to worry about unless he misses his time checks or yells out on the radio.”
Allyson noticed Kara didn’t even look up from her book when she said this.
“I’m sorry, I’m always fidgety waiting. Stake outs always sucked. This is one of the reasons I never tried out for team sniper. I could make the shots no problem, but I sucked at the waiting and observing. How is it you can sit there as calm as you are?”
“I was in the military for many years. It teaches you that some things must just be endured. Shoot, here’s an example. I was on a flight from overseas, supposedly headed back to the states. Well we evidently screwed up a tire on takeoff and the nearest place to safely land an aircraft that size was Egypt. The problem was we didn’t have authorization to land in Egypt. We had to anyway. When we landed, we taxied to a remote hanger where we were offloaded and placed under armed guard. You know the type, the one where everyone faces in rather than out. We sat in that hanger on cots with nothing to see or do for somewhere between 36 and 48 hours while another aircraft was dispatched with the parts we needed to fix the plane. We couldn’t go outside, we couldn’t get anything from the plane, and we just had what was on us when we left the plane, and cots for the next couple of days, waiting”
“Holy cow! That must have sucked!”
“Did I mention that there was no air conditioner? Just celling fans. Fortunately it was December, so we only had to worry about the cold at night. Waiting for things seems to be a big part of my life. You get used to it, or you just drive yourself nuts as you wait. I learned early on to always have a book or something handy. If not, you invent stuff to keep your mind distracted.”
“Sounds like a lot of work.”
“It is sometimes. I can……….” She broke off as she heard the radio crackle.
He was keeping the speed down. He didn’t want it to sound like someone running madly through the forest with a chainsaw set to ‘Horror Movie”. In fact, he was wishing he could have instead used the electric bike so he wouldn’t make any noise, but it didn’t have the range to travel at speed for as far as he needed to go. At least it was fairly smooth sailing from the house to Thor’s Footprints. With no major hills to climb, he was able to stay in almost top gear and idol most of the way there.
As he got close, he figured to start off at his overwatch position and scope the area out for a bit to see what he could see before he made the approach closer. Eventually though, he would end up going as far as rummaging around inside the car if he found no real reason not to. They needed info, so he figured the risk was worth it unless more problems showed up.
When he pulled into the spot he had picked, he could see there had been some changes down below. He decided to check in and update the crew before he got any further. He was sure there was some heightened activity back at the house with his report. He had tried to downplay the information, but with everybody so amped up, it wouldn’t have mattered how benign he made it sound. He just hoped they wouldn’t roll out yet. He didn’t want to give away the position and capability if he didn’t have to. As much as he wanted his back up close at hand, he also wanted them in a covering position to protect the homestead and Bekka.
Looking at the SUV, he could see the hood was raised, all the doors and the rear hatch were open as well. He wasn’t sure, but he thought there was also some movement down there. He switched over to his thermal imager and low and behold, there was a human shaped blob moving around very close to the vehicle. He figured to go closer on foot to remain stealthy. But first, he figured he should report in again.
“ATC, moving in to check out a raccoon picking over the carcass. Warm up the Hyena, just in case.”
“Allyson, just settle down. There should be nothing to worry about unless he misses his time checks or yells out on the radio.”
Allyson noticed Kara didn’t even look up from her book when she said this.
“I’m sorry, I’m always fidgety waiting. Stake outs always sucked. This is one of the reasons I never tried out for team sniper. I could make the shots no problem, but I sucked at the waiting and observing. How is it you can sit there as calm as you are?”
“I was in the military for many years. It teaches you that some things must just be endured. Shoot, here’s an example. I was on a flight from overseas, supposedly headed back to the states. Well we evidently screwed up a tire on takeoff and the nearest place to safely land an aircraft that size was Egypt. The problem was we didn’t have authorization to land in Egypt. We had to anyway. When we landed, we taxied to a remote hanger where we were offloaded and placed under armed guard. You know the type, the one where everyone faces in rather than out. We sat in that hanger on cots with nothing to see or do for somewhere between 36 and 48 hours while another aircraft was dispatched with the parts we needed to fix the plane. We couldn’t go outside, we couldn’t get anything from the plane, and we just had what was on us when we left the plane, and cots for the next couple of days, waiting”
“Holy cow! That must have sucked!”
“Did I mention that there was no air conditioner? Just celling fans. Fortunately it was December, so we only had to worry about the cold at night. Waiting for things seems to be a big part of my life. You get used to it, or you just drive yourself nuts as you wait. I learned early on to always have a book or something handy. If not, you invent stuff to keep your mind distracted.”
“Sounds like a lot of work.”
“It is sometimes. I can……….” She broke off as she heard the radio crackle.
He was keeping the speed down. He didn’t want it to sound like someone running madly through the forest with a chainsaw set to ‘Horror Movie”. In fact, he was wishing he could have instead used the electric bike so he wouldn’t make any noise, but it didn’t have the range to travel at speed for as far as he needed to go. At least it was fairly smooth sailing from the house to Thor’s Footprints. With no major hills to climb, he was able to stay in almost top gear and idol most of the way there.
As he got close, he figured to start off at his overwatch position and scope the area out for a bit to see what he could see before he made the approach closer. Eventually though, he would end up going as far as rummaging around inside the car if he found no real reason not to. They needed info, so he figured the risk was worth it unless more problems showed up.
When he pulled into the spot he had picked, he could see there had been some changes down below. He decided to check in and update the crew before he got any further. He was sure there was some heightened activity back at the house with his report. He had tried to downplay the information, but with everybody so amped up, it wouldn’t have mattered how benign he made it sound. He just hoped they wouldn’t roll out yet. He didn’t want to give away the position and capability if he didn’t have to. As much as he wanted his back up close at hand, he also wanted them in a covering position to protect the homestead and Bekka.
Looking at the SUV, he could see the hood was raised, all the doors and the rear hatch were open as well. He wasn’t sure, but he thought there was also some movement down there. He switched over to his thermal imager and low and behold, there was a human shaped blob moving around very close to the vehicle. He figured to go closer on foot to remain stealthy. But first, he figured he should report in again.
“ATC, moving in to check out a raccoon picking over the carcass. Warm up the Hyena, just in case.”
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
Kara jumped up at Garen’s call. She put her book on the couch behind her when she stood up.
“Alright, Allyson, up and at it, that was our cue.” She pulled the electrical umbilical from the side of the Hyena and slid into the driver’s seat. A quick twist of the key and it purred to life. Allyson dropped into the passenger seat just as Kara started to roll. A quick word to Bekka on the radio to let her know they had heard, understood and are reacting was followed by them rolling out the gate of the house toward the trail exit.
The low revs and the quiet night meant they could converse without having to key the onboard intercom. Allyson still wasn’t sure what exactly they were doing and finally had to ask.
“So, didn’t Garen say we should just stay ready? I don’t know why we rolled out. “
“We don’t want to be hours away when he needs us to be minutes away. We aren’t going all the way there, just cutting the distance and reaction time in half. Doublecheck your stuff and be ready. If he needs us, we will be flying down the trail to get there so anything loose better be secured quick.”
“Gotcha”
“Alright, Allyson, up and at it, that was our cue.” She pulled the electrical umbilical from the side of the Hyena and slid into the driver’s seat. A quick twist of the key and it purred to life. Allyson dropped into the passenger seat just as Kara started to roll. A quick word to Bekka on the radio to let her know they had heard, understood and are reacting was followed by them rolling out the gate of the house toward the trail exit.
The low revs and the quiet night meant they could converse without having to key the onboard intercom. Allyson still wasn’t sure what exactly they were doing and finally had to ask.
“So, didn’t Garen say we should just stay ready? I don’t know why we rolled out. “
“We don’t want to be hours away when he needs us to be minutes away. We aren’t going all the way there, just cutting the distance and reaction time in half. Doublecheck your stuff and be ready. If he needs us, we will be flying down the trail to get there so anything loose better be secured quick.”
“Gotcha”
ComCamGuy
Remote Paramedical pain in the ass
She had been watching the SUV since dawn. She had gotten into the valley late the night before and was watching the valley from another pine tree perch. She was still decent on water, having filled up at several streams she passed. She was also able to get some crayfish for food. She had a couple of beer cans she was able to repurpose. One she turned into a small stove she could burn twigs and such in for heat and cooking without showing much if any visible light. She also used it mostly in the light rather than after dark where the light of a flame would stand out. The other can she would cook in, boil water, make a pine needle tea and such.
She had taken to hiding, resting, scavenging food and plotting her movements during the day and doing actual moving at night. She was laid up watching the lakes at Thor’s Footprints and the road into the small valley. She was especially interested in the SUV. It was broken down in the exact point in the road where it blocks the only way by vehicle in to the valley from the south. Around mid-day she was awakened by the sound of a vehicle coming from the south.
The SUV that arrived was familiar to her. She had watched it pull out from the convenience store from a hillside backlit by flames. The three occupants didn’t look happy. Two of them seemed to be explaining to the third what happened. The inspection didn’t take long. They looked at the hood, popped the hood open and then slammed it violently. Everybody piled back into the SUV they arrived in and sped off.
She figured to wait til dusk to check out the vehicle. She couldn’t afford to be caught by them. She knew that to do so would be to die. She figured if she was careful and was able to get more food from the lakes, she would be able to sustain herself a couple of weeks while she waited for her father. She still held out hope he had survived. She had to give him a chance to get here. Her other option was to move more to the north where her father told her there were friends, but she didn’t know who they were. She could wait.
After dark, she moved down to the SUV and began pillaging as much as she thought she would need. It was a treasure trove of useful stuff, most of which many people would consider junk. There were half a dozen empty metal screw top energy drink cans. These would work great to store water and also boil/pasteurize in them. There were tools in with the spare tire, as well as gloves. She took the rear-view mirror so she could signal her father from afar. The glovebox yielded paper for fire starting. There were extra soda straws in the center console. She also took all the seatbelts for cordage and the floor mats. She made a pile of the things that would help her situation. She had to be careful and not take too much to carry easily but she was able to make a bundle out of her take for the evening. This stuff will help her for a while.
She had taken to hiding, resting, scavenging food and plotting her movements during the day and doing actual moving at night. She was laid up watching the lakes at Thor’s Footprints and the road into the small valley. She was especially interested in the SUV. It was broken down in the exact point in the road where it blocks the only way by vehicle in to the valley from the south. Around mid-day she was awakened by the sound of a vehicle coming from the south.
The SUV that arrived was familiar to her. She had watched it pull out from the convenience store from a hillside backlit by flames. The three occupants didn’t look happy. Two of them seemed to be explaining to the third what happened. The inspection didn’t take long. They looked at the hood, popped the hood open and then slammed it violently. Everybody piled back into the SUV they arrived in and sped off.
She figured to wait til dusk to check out the vehicle. She couldn’t afford to be caught by them. She knew that to do so would be to die. She figured if she was careful and was able to get more food from the lakes, she would be able to sustain herself a couple of weeks while she waited for her father. She still held out hope he had survived. She had to give him a chance to get here. Her other option was to move more to the north where her father told her there were friends, but she didn’t know who they were. She could wait.
After dark, she moved down to the SUV and began pillaging as much as she thought she would need. It was a treasure trove of useful stuff, most of which many people would consider junk. There were half a dozen empty metal screw top energy drink cans. These would work great to store water and also boil/pasteurize in them. There were tools in with the spare tire, as well as gloves. She took the rear-view mirror so she could signal her father from afar. The glovebox yielded paper for fire starting. There were extra soda straws in the center console. She also took all the seatbelts for cordage and the floor mats. She made a pile of the things that would help her situation. She had to be careful and not take too much to carry easily but she was able to make a bundle out of her take for the evening. This stuff will help her for a while.