Dark Grid (20 page)

For him, of course, only the best would do and he ended up picking a 32’ Coachman Catalina with
all
the bells and whistles.  The only thing it didn’t have was a king size bed but that didn’t really matter because he was single, 5’ 7” and didn’t move once he fell asleep.  Of course the propane and water tanks were empty, but one thing at a time.

…

“Oh for the love of,” Clint trailed off into a mutter.  It was the middle of the afternoon and they had been at the RV lot for almost three hours.  Clint had been staring at the bulk propane tank for ten minutes when it dawned on him that he didn’t have to figure out how to
use
the refilling equipment to fill the tanks for the trailers.

“Earl!  C’mere!”

It took several seconds for the bigger man to make his way over to where Clint was standing.  “What’s up, boss?”

“Grab a couple of guys with trucks, not SUVs but actual pickup trucks.”  Clint was still shaking his head.  “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before but just about all of the home improvement stores and a lot of grocery stores have self-serve propane tank exchanges now.  You guys are going to serve yourselves.”

“I’ll go check for a phone book in the office,” Earl said.  “We’ll probably need at least one actual crowbar too, instead of that flimsy thing we used this morning to snap the chain.”

“Good point.  I want to be back at the RV Park before it gets dark.  We’re all here so I want to stay together as a group.   Safety in numbers and all that, so don’t dawdle.”  Clint thought for a second and then continued, “Get more water, too, while you’re out…as much as you can carry.  You and five other trucks, I don’t want all those propane tanks inside a vehicle.”

“Gotcha, I’ll get all the full tanks in the immediate area and all the water we can carry.  We’ll be back in no time.”  ‘No time’ ended up being a little over an hour and a half but since they all had CBs at least it wasn’t a surprise.  By the time Earl and his band of hunter gatherers returned with their booty all of the chosen trailers were hitched and the six set aside for the ones sent out to get propane were lined up waiting to be connected.

“Ok, I lied,” Earl said when he got back.  “I don’t have all the full propane tanks in the area because we didn’t have enough room.  There were over fifty just at the first home improvement store we went to, it just took a long time to pry each of the doors open.  It might be worthwhile to figure out a way to bring a bulk tank like this along too, or at least find and fill larger tanks.”

“Well, you only had so much room.  How much water did you get?” Clint asked.

“That’s why we ran out of space.  They had five-gallon water cooler jugs and we grabbed a bunch; forty of them, actually.  They’ve got more, but we can go back once we drop off the trailers.”

“I was just thinking we need some
trailer
trailers.  Either way I want to get out of here, though.  We can always come back, at least for a little while.  I’m sure we aren’t the only ones who’ve thought of this and if we want anything else we’ll need to get it while the getting’s good.  You’re the last one to get hooked up, so get a move on and let’s get going.”

Chapter Twenty

“Top, I changed my mind.  Can’t I please just burn it all down…please?” Ramirez wasn’t really that tired yet, but he figured he’d better start the nagging clock early.  It was, after all, only Sunday.

“No, for the umpteenth time, using the lumber is a good idea--deal with it.” Mallory was so used to the routine she hardly gave it any thought.

“Me and my big mouth.  Being this smart is such a burden sometimes.”

“Can it, Ramirez.”

“Right.”

“Here’s the deal, though,” it was time for Mallory to throw Kyle a bone.  “For the amount of space you are going to need to prepare, you do need something bigger than a Bobcat.  There are a couple of heavy equipment rental places between here and there.  The next group is coming out this morning and they will be making a pit stop.”

Mallory could hear Kyle’s eyebrows go up.

“I sent Jackson out yesterday and had him tack a notice on the door, so if anyone is checking on the place they should see it.  He’s tagged a front-end loader, two bulldozers and two backhoes.  What ends up coming out will depend on what the drivers are comfortable with.”

“I’ll admit that will help.  Can I at least thermite the stumps?”

“Fine, you can thermite the stumps--but you have to field expedient it, nothing from the ready stores!” Mallory chuckled.  “You know, you’re worse than a nagging wife and I know, I’ve been one!”

“Well, you know…”

“Don’t say it or I swear you’ll be a Corporal before you get to the word ‘still’.”

“Right.”

Back to business, Mallory asked, “Do you have anyone with any over-the-road or wide-load experience?”

“Actually, yes, Garrett and Porter have both had summer jobs hauling, of all things, construction equipment.” Kyle said.  “They are both under Sergeant Wilson.”

“In that case, have Sergeant Wilson, Garrett and Porter rendezvous at 09:30…”

…

The roads were fairly empty, and those few vehicles that were out and about stayed out of the way of the two Humvees. 
Must be the 60s on top, go figure,
Wilson thought to himself.  On the way back towards town for the rendezvous at the heavy equipment rental facility, Wilson noticed a number of trucks at one of the weigh stations.  A quick count--very quick as they were doing about 60 MPH--looked like about three dozen rigs, including some tankers and refrigerated trucks.  Interesting.  Have to remember that.

As it was, they arrived at the heavy equipment lot just as the convoy from the Armory was pulling in.  As Sergeant Wilson got out he saw Sergeant Halstead and nodded to himself.  They’d really been pushing the egress of the Armory and he’d wondered how quickly they would be getting someone a little more senior out to the AA.

“Wilson, how are things going at Promised Land?” Halstead asked.  He’d been itching to get out there himself and was happy to be on his way.

“Good, for most definitions of good.  It’s a forest.  We’re cutting down trees, putting up tents, and eating MREs.  Good training, in other words.”  That elicited some grumbles and moans from the men around them but Halstead laughed and Wilson grinned.  They all knew what ‘Good Training’ was a euphemism for.

“Top mentioned you have some guys with heavy equipment experience, at least hauling.  Any idea which machines we should take for starters?”

…

While Garrett and Porter were getting things lined up for transport back to Promised Land he mentioned the weigh station full of semis to Halstead.  “From a purely strategic point of view it would make sense to at least attempt to make contact with the group, and if possible get them to join up with us.”

“Frankly, I don’t like the idea of running around commandeering and appropriating whatever we think we need in the name of ‘the greater good’.  I’d personally much rather have people join us and bring those things with them but that’s not up to me, or at least not entirely.  Top isn’t like that either, I know that, but like I said, I thought it was worth mentioning.”

Halstead thought for a few seconds and motioned for one of the other Sergeants to come over.  “Get the Armory on the horn; we need to talk to the First Sergeant soonest.”  To Wilson he said “I’m pretty sure I know how she’s going to want to handle it but I want to be sure.

…

“Hmm, interesting, and it could go either way for us as we know absolutely zero about these folks, over.”  Mallory said.

“True.  On the other hand, we do have CB capable radios and we can listen in and/or radio to them prior to approaching.  It isn’t like they haven’t seen us driving by this morning, over.” Halstead replied.

“Point.  I don’t want anyone going in uncovered though.  If we send someone in, I want, let’s see…” Mallory was thinking out loud, and both Wilson and Halstead knew that someone, actually a couple of some ones-- if not them specifically-- would be going to see the truckers stopped at the weigh station.

“I’ll want two Humvees, I want the 60s loaded and hot, I want the gunners in the slings, and I want you two to be the ones to approach the group.  Wilson, you noticed them so you deserve to be there, and Halstead, I need you there as you’ve got the seniority to make a command decision if someone wants to come in with you.  Keep in mind we can’t take them all right now though, over.”

“Roger.  We’ll monitor channel nineteen and be scanning the rest going in so that we know what we’re going into, obviously.  Any idea how many we could bring back with us if any decide they want to come with, over.”  Halstead was still in charge of this end of the conversation.

“Negative, and you and I both know that Ramirez is going to be absolutely giddy at the prospect of as many as three dozen trucks needing parking spaces.”  Mallory snorted.  “Serves him right, ‘Promised Land’, I’m gonna…never mind.  Over.”

“Good copy, we are officially never minding, over.”

“Oh, don’t you start too!” Mallory laughed.  “Thanks, I needed that.  Report back in once you’ve made contact with the group at the weigh station and you know their disposition.  Over.”

“Wilco, Halstead, out.”

“Well, let’s get rolling.  The bulldozer is loaded and ready to head out, we should do the same.”

Halstead took a minute to give orders to the crews that would be taking the equipment back to the AA and detail the Humvees that make the detour to the weigh station.  Once they were sorted, they let the heavy equipment roll first and the Humvees that would be stopping took up the rear.  They were capable of monitoring a half a dozen CB channels at a time so they were skipping around the dial while keeping an ear on 19.

There was a lot of chatter, which picked up as they approached the weigh station, and they knew they were being discussed specifically about a mile out.  They dropped back behind the bulldozer and heard one driver comment, “We either need to meet up with some of the other groups of drivers out there or find out where all those Army trucks are going to and from--if only for our own protection.  We can’t sit out here forever.”

Halstead and Wilson briefly discussed and then agreed that they should maintain radio silence on the CB channels so as not to tip their hand.  Less than a minute later they pulled across the median to get into the weigh station on the other side of the freeway, as all of the trucks were on the ‘outbound’ side.

Once the Humvees came to a stop, Halstead and Wilson got out and walked towards the group of drivers headed their direction.  The two gunners stayed aboard, although they pointed the M60s skyward.  They were loaded and ready for action, however, should the situation justify it.

“Mornin’ gentlemen,” one of drivers said as they got closer.

Out of habit, Wilson looked over at Halstead and then behind him and then pointed at himself and said, “You must be using a rather loose interpretation of the term if you were referring to us, and you sure as heck don’t mean the two still in the Hummers!”

“A man after my own heart…Timothy Grace,” Tim shook hands with Halstead and Wilson.  “This here’s Alan Saunders,” indicating the man to his left, “and Aaron Becker,” the man to his right.  “Now what a coincidence, we were just discussing how we needed to find another group of trucks or find out where in the world all you Army folks were headin’ and here you come to find us.  Imagine that.”  Tim had a twinkle in his eye as he made the comment.

Halstead had the good grace to blush slightly.  “As it just so happened, one of our Sergeants noticed you all gathered here this morning and it got mentioned, and then it got discussed, and then it got thought about…you know how the Army works.  And on the way in, as it just so happens--yeah, we were monitoring channel nineteen.  Always helps to be prepared.”

“Well, it’s good to know you weren’t coming in blind.  I’ll assume those things are loaded, too.  I’d invite you in for a cup of coffee but I don’t have any coffee and I don’t think you’d take me up on it either way.  What’s on your minds, then, if we might be so bold?”  So far, after brief hellos, Tim was doing all the talking.

“It occurred to us that you might not want to stick around here forever and we’re setting up, well, not here.  One of the things brought up was how many fuel and refrigerated trucks were parked here.  There’s reason to believe that the power outage is going to be a long term problem and, as such, things like diesel and unleaded fuel and refrigerated goods--while they last--would be useful and welcome, as would you folks.” Halstead said

“I know how that sounds, or at least I think I do.” Halstead continued.  “That last little bit wasn’t rehearsed because there wasn’t any time, but even if there had been, I don’t know that I’d have been any good at it anyway.  I’m not full time and I haven’t ever spent time in the sandbox ‘pacifying’ a city.  Folks, we’d love to bring you guys with us, obviously because of what you’ve got with you--fuel and food--but just because I’m not full time Army doesn’t mean that I don’t take the oath for the Army seriously.  We’re setting up where we’re setting up because, as I’m sure you know by now, it’s probably going to get bad, and we’ve got to be in a position to take care of as many people as we can.”

“We couldn’t do that from the Armory in downtown Nashville, so we’re setting up elsewhere.  We don’t want to get you guys to come with us and then kick you out once we have the diesel, that’s not what we’re doing.  I’m sure there’re groups out there wanting to do just that--and when I say I’m sure I mean I’m
actually
sure.  There’s even some moron running around calling himself ‘Peter the Great’.”

At the mention of Pete, Tim’s jaw clenched.  “Yeah, we’ve heard a little about old Pete.  I think I’d like to get into a little fender bender with his little Mustang.  It’d be a shame to utterly destroy such a fine piece of machinery but it’d be worth it to rid the world of his worthless hide.”

“I’ll just ask straight out, you folks have a group with you with a former Army fella’ named Eric?” Tim asked.

Wilson barked a laugh before he could stop himself.