Bug Out! Part 6: Motorhome Mayhem in the Rockies (8 page)

“Among private citizens, you have audio nuts. They usually try to clean up bootleg recordings they’ve made at concerts and such,” Jerry said.

“Could somebody figure out how to do it by searching the net?” he asked.

“Yeah, probably,” Jerry said. “You really think these guys are this smart?”

“I don’t know,” Earl said. “I just wouldn’t underestimate them. They got a whole lot of troops moved into Utah without the army catching it, and that couldn’t have been easy.”

“He’s got a point,” Jane added.

“We shouldn’t just give up on this idea,” Charlie said.

“Yeah, I agree,” Jeb said. “But maybe rather than sending all of us over there with rifles and mortars, it ought to be just the trackers with as much dynamite as we can carry. We can dress up like hunters so we have a cover story if we get caught. Hunting rifles only….no AKs or M-16s.”

“And then what?” Jasmine asked.

“Simple. If we don’t find them, or if we sense a trap, we hi-tail it in a roundabout way so we don’t get followed back home. If we find them there as the recording suggests, then we blow up as much of their stuff as they can, and make sure a real good fire gets going.”

“How?” Frank asked.

“Well, I’ll be taking my bow,” Jeb said. “If Kurt here could do the same, we might just give them a real bad day. Jerry and Charlie and the Sheriff could cover us with their hunting rifles.”

“So you’re suggesting sending five?” Frank asked.

“Well, six, actually, because I’ll need to get you guys there,” Gabe said. “I know those roads like the back of my hand.”

“It’s enough to be successful, but not so big that we couldn’t fade into the woodwork and escape,” Jeb added.

“If Jerry goes, I go,” Jasmine said.

“Can you shoot a hunting rifle?” Jeb asked. “You can’t take that M-16. Hunting rifles kick a lot harder than what you’re used to.”

“Then I’d better start practicing,” she said.

“Wait,” Kurt said. “I think I have a solution for that. Let’s get you checked out with my varmint rifle.”

“What’s a varmint rifle?” Jasmine asked.

“It’s a small bore rifle that’s made to shoot small game. I have an old Winchester Model 54 that’s chambered for .220 Swift. The barrel is getting a little worn, but it still shoots well. It’s got a sweet scope on it, too.”

“Will it take out a human?” Frank asked.

“It’s all in the placement,” Kurt said. “At the velocity that it goes, for longer range, it can do a lot of damage. Some experts hunt deer with this round, believe it or not.”

“I used to have one of those,” Jeb said. “Wore the barrel out. They throw a fast bullet, but they hardly kick at all.”

“Exactly,” Kurt said.

“Alright, so when are we going to do this?” Frank asked.

“There’s a full moon tonight,” Gabe said. “I think we ought to go for it. There’s just enough time for me to show you guys the dynamite, and for Kurt to get Jasmine checked out on the varmint rifle.”

“I’d have a bite to eat, too you guys,” Hilda said. “To keep your strength up. This makes me pretty nervous, though.”

Charlie hugged her. “I know, but this is important, sweetheart. We’re in this fight.”

She just looked up at him and nodded.

“Alright, let’s go take a look at those explosives,” Gabe said. Frank and Jerry followed him out the door, and over to the barn. It wasn’t quite dusk yet, but it was darkening, and there was a definite chill in the air.

“I keep this stuff in the back,” Gabe said. “Hope it’s still good.”

“How old is it?” Jerry asked.

“Oh, I don’t know. Seven or eight years, probably. Could be as much as ten years.”

There was a light hanging over the back of the barn with a wide hood and a string hanging down. Gabe pulled the string and turned it on. It wasn’t quite bright enough. He walked over to a tall metal double door cabinet that was against the wall, and unlocked it. He opened both doors and pulled out a wooded box about the same size as a milk crate, bringing it over by the light and taking off the top.

“Wow, there’s a lot in there,” Frank said. Jerry pulled out his cellphone and turned on the flashlight app. It bathed the red dynamite sticks in bright light. He carefully pulled one out and held the light close to it.

“Hell, this stuff is fine,” Jerry said. “This is top quality dynamite. You probably paid top dollar.”

“Yeah, I got it from a guy who was trying to start up a boutique gold mining shop,” Gabe said, chuckling. “He sold a lot of pans and a few other gold rush do-dads, but not enough to stay in business. Glad I bought this when I did. Somebody told the Sheriff he had dynamite in the shop and the deputy came over and confiscated what he had left. I think you need a license to sell this stuff.”

“Do you have caps and wire and a plunger?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, it’s all in the same cabinet. Either of you have a backpack large enough to carry a bunch of this stuff?”

“I do,” Jerry said. “We won’t need all of this dynamite. Maybe a quarter of it. If we blow up what I hope we can, we’ll get a lot of help from secondary explosions.”

“You might want to bring along that small mortar,” Frank said. “It’s pretty light. One person could pack in the unit, and somebody else could bring a few rounds for it.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” Jerry said. “We get the attack started with the dynamite, if Jeb and Kurt can get me down there to set it up. Then we send a few mortar rounds into them to screw up any vehicles they might have. Add a little rifle fire too. Should work out pretty well, given a little luck.”

There was the sound of a rifle shot outside. The men jerked their heads around.

“Jasmine,” Jerry said. “She’s a natural shot. “She’ll pick up that varmint rifle pretty quick if it doesn’t recoil a lot.”

There were another couple of shots.

“What now?” Frank asked.

“I’m going to go get my backpack…be back here in a minute,” Jerry said. “Why don’t you go get that small mortar and a few rounds?”

“Will do,” Frank said.

“Good, let’s meet up at the clubhouse in a few minutes,” Gabe said.

There were more rifle shots, several in rapid succession this time. Frank and Jerry walked out of the barn just as Jasmine and Kurt were walking back in from the meadow.

“Hey, honey, now I know what you can get me for Christmas,” Jasmine said, grinning. “This is great. Just enough kick to be fun.”

“Your little lady is a natural,” Kurt said appreciatively. “I think she shoots this thing better than I do. Should have seen the grouping on that last three shots.”

“I know, she amazes me,” Jerry said. “She picked up that M-16 in a hurry, and shot well under pressure, too. Honey, I’m going back to the rig to get the backpack. I think all of the explosives will fit in there.”

“Good,” she said. “I’ll go with you.” They walked off towards the rig together, hand in hand.

“You think we can be successful?” Kurt asked.

“With a little luck, yes,” Frank said.

“What are you going to do while we’re gone?”

“Hold down the fort just in case, and work on that security camera system that Gabe told us about. If the hardware isn’t completely shot, I can probably get it going again.”

“Good.”

“Right now I’m going to go grab the small mortar and a few rounds for you guys. I think it will fit in a couple of backpacks.”

“Won’t that make us look like we aren’t just hunters?” Kurt asked.

“Yeah, if you see anybody, ditch that stuff fast. At least you’re there at night.”

“A mortar is a valuable thing to lose.”

“True,” Frank said, “but it’s the small one. The bigger ones will get set up here.”

“Okay, I’ll see you back at the clubhouse,” Kurt said. “Make sure nothing happens to Mary while I’m gone.”

“Of course,” Frank said.

Everybody was back in the clubhouse within ten minutes. The sun was sinking rapidly now…..dusk had set in. Frank had the mortar taken apart and laid out on a table by the door, and Jerry was stuffing dynamite into his backpack. He put the blasting caps, wire, and plunger into a second backpack.

“Everybody checked your weapons?” Charlie asked.

“Yeah,” Jeb said. He was looking at his bow. Kurt walked up and looked at it.

“Nice one,” Kurt said. “Better than mine.” He held his bow up in front of Jeb.

“That’s a good bow you have there,” Jeb said. “Simple and rugged. I’ve got to be careful with mine. If I fall on it, it probably won’t work. That one of yours would probably take a lot more abuse.”

“It’s gotten me by so far,” Kurt said. “Had to take out more than one charging boar with this sucker.”

“Gabe, where’s the security camera stuff?” Frank asked.

“It’s over there, in that cabinet in the corner. See the wires coming out of the top and going out the wall?”

Frank looked over and saw it. “Good. Can I get to it, or do you have it locked up?”

“It’s all open. Haven’t locked it up since it quit working. You going to take a look at it while we’re gone?”

“Yeah, that’s what I was thinking,” Frank said. “I might be able to fix it. Where are the cameras?”

“All in the front of the park. I didn’t see any reason to put any on the sides or the back.”

“Good,” Frank said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“I wouldn’t mess with the ones over by the creek and the meadow after dark,” Gabe said. “Easy to fall down and get hurt out there at night. I’ve seen a lot of bears out there at night over the years, too.”

“Gotcha,” Frank said.

“You know, the first two cameras are in the store and in the registration room,” Gabe said. “Why don’t you work those first? Everything is indoors on them.”

“Good, I’ll do that,” Frank said.

Jane walked up next to Frank as he was putting mortar components into three backpacks.

“Are you alright with not going on this one?” she asked.

“I’d only be in the way,” Frank said. “I’m not bad at a close in battle, but I’m no tracker, and I’m not a good sniper either. We have the best people for the job going.”

“If this is a trap, we might get hit here,” Jane whispered.

“I’ve thought about that…..I doubt they think we can mount this attack so fast, though.”

“We’ll have some good people left here, too,” Jane said. “You, and Earl, and Jackson.”

“And you. You’re a pretty good shot yourself, you know.”

“I do alright,” she said. “Maybe we should have Earl, Jackson, and Terry set up those mortars.”

“Good idea,” Frank said. “I’ll talk to them after the group leaves.”

“Alright, everybody ready to saddle up?” Gabe shouted.

Jeb, Charlie, the Sheriff, Jerry, Jasmine, and Kurt were all standing together chatting. They turned around and looked at Gabe.

“We’re just about ready,” Charlie said. “Got the mortar packed up for us, Frank?”

“Yep, just finished,” Frank said. “The only pack that’s very heavy is the one that has the rounds in it.”

“Good,” he replied.

Rosie hobbled over to the group. She looked at Jasmine.

“I proud of you, daughter,” she said, eyes misting. “Take care of self. You too, son-in-law.”

“Don’t worry,” Jerry said. “I’ll bring her back to you.”

“I know, you good man,” she said. Then she walked over to Jeb. She put her arms around his neck and kissed him on the mouth. “You better be back too.”

“I’m planning on it, sweetie,” he said, looking a little self-conscious.

“Good,” she said. “I treat you nice when you come back.”

“Mom!” Jasmine said.

“I grown woman,” Rosie said. She smiled. “Go get bad guy.”

“We will,” Jeb said. “Let’s go.”

Mary walked over to Kurt and gave him a long hug and kiss. “There’s no way I can talk you out of this, is there?”

“You know I’m doing the right thing,” Kurt said, brushing back her hair as she looked up at him. “We’ll be back before you know it, honey.”

“I hope so,” she said. “Don’t be getting yourself shot up.”

He nodded and smiled at her, and then walked back over to the group.

They walked out the door. Rosie sat down in a chair and cried softly for a moment. Jane went over and patted her shoulder, and she looked up at her.

“They’re doing the right thing,” Jane said.

“I know, I encourage, but still not easy,” Rosie said.

They heard the engine fire up in the Suburban, and the gravel sound as it backed up and drove towards the gate. Then the motor sound slowly disappeared with them down the road.

“Hope they make it back okay,
” Jane said. She was sitting at a table in the clubhouse, across from Frank.

“I’ll be nervous the whole time they’re gone. That’s one of the reasons I wanted to get set up to work the security camera system. I need something to occupy my mind. That reminds me….I need to talk to Earl and Jackson about setting up a couple of mortars.”

He got up and walked over to Earl and Jackson, who were sitting out on the veranda.

“What’s up, Frank?” Jackson asked.

“We were thinking that it would be a good idea to set up a couple of the mortars out here, pointing forward. Maybe pile some sand bags around them. What do you think?”

“Well, I’d love to have something to do,” Earl said. “I’m going crazy just sitting here. I swear that I can hear things out there.”

“I think it’s just nerves, Earl,” Jackson said.

“I’ve got a bad feeling. The feeling that we’re being watched.”

“Hell, I’ve had that feeling since the shit hit the fan,” Frank said, laughing. “Maybe I ought to bring Lucy out here. If somebody’s out there, she’ll hear them.”

“Yeah, why don’t you do that?” Jackson asked.

“Lucy!” Frank shouted. In a second she came running out, tail wagging, looking up at Frank. She sat down next to where he was standing.

“What’re you going to do, Frank?” asked Earl.

“I’m just about ready to start troubleshooting the security camera setup that Gabe has. Maybe I can fix it.”

“Hopefully it doesn’t get used for propaganda videos like the last one was,” Jackson said.

“I know, that was really sick,” Frank said. “We never even got to use the last system for self-defense, but I don’t regret putting it up. As nasty as it was, at least we saw what happened.”