Our End Of The Lake: Surviving After The 2012 Solar Storm (Prepper Trilogy) (27 page)

“We got advantages over most folks as members of this new displaced prepper tribe in that we got most of what we need right here and don’t have to hunt for tools and have a margin of adaptation of food stores to transition with towards a new horizon and are not forced to compete with others for things that are no longer there.

“However, we need to establish a few tribal rules to insure everyone’s survival and safety and that starts with secrecy, if you break honor on that one we all fail so that can get you put out of the tribe.

“The gasoline has already stopped flowing and the shelves are wiped clean. How long will our neighbors remain civil, unless they fear the tribe that has assets and the protection to support it? I warn you of secrecy, because a bigger tribe will try to take our stuff. The saying is ‘loose lips sink ships’. From now on we are dependent on our own infrastructures for maintaining our way of life and giving away secrets for how we do it is taboo.

“As important to maintaining our way of life as automobiles have been, our very lives are dependent on the non existing trucking industry, if we try to stay here. Replenishment of that food supply drop today depends on a continuous flow of trucks from food processing centers to food distribution centers to warehouses and to grocery stores that are already looted and trashed. Trucks also deliver other essentials they need to just run themselves. Fuel delivered to metropolitan areas through pipelines is not accessible to the public until it is distributed by tanker trucks to gas stations, somebody hauling food can’t get gas or stop at a restaurant and eat. Am I getting through to you people yet? There will is no more fuel available. There will be no more food and water for purchase with worthless dollars or gold, for as long as it takes for civilization to right itself.

“You can absolutely count on a very prolonged period of great civil unrest, riots, theft and wide spread violence and that is why I want to flee as soon as possible to distance ourselves and have a chance.” I concluded my rant with.

“Well, won’t the government like they did today, be trying to help us?” Sandra said, not totally convinced, even after my long speech.

“I am not discounting some efforts, God bless those that try; but as for the military and police, you can expect high numbers of deserters trying to just help themselves or their families, placing an even greater strain on the limited resources of government or any kind of real law and order. No, expect very little.” I assured Sandra.

“Half of New Orleans worthless cops during Katrina were looting or disappeared to be with their families very first day.” Jack interjected, getting tired of me trying to nicely break the bonds of bugging in favor of bugging out.

“Look I don’t exactly know what has happened or will happen, nobody knows, even though some great minds and scientists have made dozens of studies and predictions and no one really agrees on much.” I said while rising to go get me a drink and let my rant sink in a bit. I went in the house and found my whiskey jug and was about to mix me a stiff one with some water when Sherry came in.

“I hid you a coke, hang on a second.” as she patted me on the shoulder and went to fetch it. “David, they are going to go, they just want answers I know you can’t give.” she said trying to calm me. I told her that I understood and peered out the kitchen window at the back garden. “We are going to bring that asparagus, garlic and whatever else you think might survive the trip when we go” I told Sherry, while still deliberating how in the world to organize this fiasco of ‘damned if you do and damned if you don’t’.
I was second guessing myself again, Should we stay? I wondered. If we did stay, theres no room for Mom and me over here and we don’t have a garden spot over there. It will be just a matter of time before I would have to be defending what little bit we had and then what? No modern house is made to defend from bullets coming in, be they stray shots or directed aimed fire. Fire! That is what worried me the most. With no fire department and iffy water pressure whole blocks could burn up over one night and there are plenty of fools that like fire when they get the mob mentality. People burn things as a happy mob, over some dumb ass sports game, mad mobs burn their own freaking neighborhoods down like they did in the riots in LA. How many crazy looters could I shoot before somebody shot me? I don’t like those odds and I can’t stay up every night guarding a house against what I know will be very uneven odds. Hell the junkies, the folks on mood enhancers etc. will be running out of drugs soon enough if not already and just won’t care how they get a fix of some kind.

I read somewhere that 1/3 of this over medicated nation was on some kind of mind altering substance allegedly prescribed because they were border line mental cases. Well this shit will certainly throw them over the edge with out their crutch of choice. Plus too you got that element of society that is just going to have a field day with no threat of immediate legal repercussions.
WE got to bug out come hell or high water and face the risks of the unknown over the known risks of staying I said to myself convinced I had made the right decision
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It’s not like I was thinking like some fool of a backpack prepper thinking we could somehow move to the wilderness and survive off the land long-term with just the contents of a pack. I better keep an eye out for those idiots and the Gun Preppers who only stocked ammo and weapons for this type of event when I get up around the lake. Shit they are more dangerous than the Sheeple when they get desperate are facing some grim realities.

“Sherry, we’re bugging out after the next food drop.” I said turning from the window and lowering my voice.

“I figured we were, you made a pretty convincing argument earlier. We are with you.” She said while hugging me and hiding some tears to be leaving her beloved home. We held each other for a moment and then let go and looked once again to our raised bed garden sanctuary, which was soon to be no more.

“What’s the matter Sherry?” Sandra asked as she came into the kitchen to find out what we were doing.

“David said we need to start getting ready to move out after the next food distribution.” Sherry said searching her sister’s face for any kind of show of emotion.

“Hell, I agree. Jack has been scaring the hell out of me and Betsy with thoughts of rape, killings and torture, if just a few of the known sex offenders in this city start serial killing or some shit.” She said looking relived to be going and still a bit shaken about the evils that could be occurring undetected already.

“I better go see about Jack, before he pushes too many buttons with nightmare tactics.” I said heading towards the front porch to reel him in a bit.

“We will be out in a few minutes,” Sherry said and stayed back to talk to her sister.

“Jack, be cool about telling too many war stories, it’s gloomy enough around here.” I said warningly and watching him consider and catches his self immediately and changes the subject.

“Betsy says they are having Mountain House Beef Stroganoff tonight, if we are going to be around.” He said hoping for some extra chow and feeling his still protruding, but rapidly reducing belly.

“We might, come on and help me put that moped in the shed.” I said heading down the stairs towards the front yard and the driveway.

“Jack, be careful with the gory warnings, peoples minds are fragile enough right now, without you getting them jumpier or more suspicious of everybody.” I said pushing the scooter along.

“I was just getting them more motivated to leave with us.” he said like he was offended I didn’t like his help.

“I am just saying be careful, the stress is already taking its toll and the post traumatic stress syndrome of it all doesn’t need any more encouragement.” I said unlocking the shed and allowing him to get his first glimpse at my notorious steel mule.

“Yeah, you’re right, I will be careful. That damn thing is an antique and a half, David!” he said semi admiringly.

“That thing is the Timex watch of all tractors, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking, but it eats oil like a glutton.” I said muscling the scooter over into one corner of the separate garage shed, as Jack was climbing up onto the antique tractor’s seat.

“Where can we get some more oil?” Jack said climbing back down.

“Good question, I bet that looted dollar store would have some, but I am not going around it. You got any ideas?” I said backing out of the shed and starting to close the door.

“We could drain some out of your mom’s car, if you got containers.” he offered while we walked back to the front porch.

“There is an Auto Zone on the corner, not far from here; but I don’t like taking unnecessary risks. We probably go with your idea.” I said going up the stairs to a deserted porch.

“I am thinking about going after that trailer at the muffler shops tonight Jack.” I said looking towards my partner in crime.

“What time you figure would be best?” He said obviously put off at the notion of not being back over at my Mom’s by nightfall, but seeing the wisdom of cover of darkness.

“That’s what I wanted to kick with you. I figure you got the folks that rob during daylight, because they just don’t care that are out now, the ones itching for the sun to go down; and the creepier ones that get out late night. We are in a universe of thieves and night stalkers now and I don’t want to run into anyone in a dark alley somewhere without a clue if they’re friend or foe or how many of them there might be. I am going to get another drink and you ponder on it.” I said to my abstaining friend.

I wandered back into the house and saw the girls had moved to the backyard and were engaged in deep conversation. I saw Sherry hadn’t let her guard down and nodded to myself approvingly a Maverick shotgun was in reaching distance from her. Who knows who might show up in these times, I thought, as most people by now have realized the lights were not coming back on anytime soon. With a hurricane etc. armies of utility workers would be heading in from every surrounding state; but now, hey even if they had spare parts, there were no vehicles to transport them. I took a sip from my drink and sighed and went back out front to get Jack’s take on the mission at hand.

“David, you made a good point about not wanting to be around those stores in the dead of night. Without street lights, hell you can’t see anybody going to or from them and it’s not the best idea to be broadcasting ourselves with light and sound to and fro, even if what we are after only appears to have value to us. Everyone is going to want that tractor. I say we go now and take what ever long arms you got around here with us.” He said looking for approval or a better idea.

“The only long arms we got here is a Hi Point 9mm carbine and my .22 Henry Arms survival rifle. Sherry needs to keep that 12 gauge here for protection. I say we go at dusk and get back at dark thirty and I will cut the lights if the road isn’t too bad so we can’t get followed home.’ I said considering our options.

“You talking about that cheap planet of the apes looking thing with the laser you showed me? I like that gun; I know it’s accurate as hell regardless of its price. If I shine that laser around it ought to scare the hell out of somebody.” Jack replied grinning.

“Just don’t be encouraging anyone to go back in their house and grabbing an AK or in gang banger lingo a chopper or we are toast buddy.” I said, wondering if I really wanted to entrust him with that gun now.

“No, I meant, maybe just move that red laser dot around on stop signs or reflect it on the street or something. Still it’s a good low light gun if you’re not getting out classed or need to take something out in a hurry, that doesn’t have that one shot capability. I know that the looks of that 22 is a good deterrent, but I don’t know how much good it is.” He said wincing at what I would have to back him up, if it came down to it.

“I got it loaded with Hypervelocity Stingers and 22 LR rounds that break into 3 pieces when they hit. I think folks know any bullet wound these days is deadly and will keep their heads down anyway or get the hell out of dodge or be out of the fight, if I need to cap somebody with one of those.” I said not worried about the small caliber varmint eliminator.

“That’s when you could see well and play writing your name on a target.” Jack said throwing reality in my face as nice as he could.

“I forgot to mention I am wearing that .357 hog leg, I hit pretty good with that and at a distance, too”. I said giving him my all or nothing, take the hill attitude and ‘charge the machine gun nest’ look, that nobody liked me to exhibit or think about what it meant next.

Jack got his own blood on the blade look and said “Let’s do it.”

“You got five ten round clips, three are hotter than hell loaded traveling GoldDots from Double Tap, and two mags are the hot hardball rounds that are NATO standard war rounds.” I said handing him the weapon, which he then inspected and locked and loaded the hollow points.

Jack was in the zone and I told him to lose his war face, before we went out and told the girls we wouldn’t be here for dinner and was on a trailer mission. Jack sort of objected to missing dinner, but I screwed with his head about old soldier stories of the pros and cons of eating before battle in case you got gut shot.

We nonchalantly wandered out in urban warfare gear and said we were going to the muffler shop for the trailer and were just going to take the tractor out in a bit for a bit of liberation and recovery. It didn’t work as planned, as eyes popped to see us loaded for bear and me looking like Wyatt Erp with my Ruger, but fears were calmed and I began the process of cussing and cranking the tractor and we were off.