A long Lonely Road

By TJ Reeder

Copyrighted 6 -5-2012

The Beginning

I have a request I’d like to make to all who read this, the first part of my on going story.

I’m not an overly sensitive type person. In fact I’m pretty crude and usually say just what I mean and I respect those who do the same.

On the subject of reviews both good and bad. If you are looking for perfection then by a Clancy or a Patterson  or any other big name, pay the 25 bucks and be happy.

If you are an English professor or a journalist or even just a well schooled person and the improper use of commas, periods. or lack there of or bouncing from first person to third or no person don’t cream your Twinkie  you may want to pass on this tale.

If  you are such a person and by chance you decide to go ahead and read this tale then remember you were forewarned.

Thus the need for a nasty scathing review really isn’t needed. If you hate it so much simply request a refund.

Let others decide for themselves.

But if you are the type of person who insists on believing the entire world waits with bated breath for your wondrous opinion of how much smarter you are compared to the writer you are disparaging then of course please do so. But if you do and  you’ve ever written anything please post the title info so we can all check out your work.

Oh! And if you need chapters to read then don’t bother.

But if you enjoy a tale as told around the camp fire with a jug of “Who Shot John” passing around then pull up a stump and kick back.

If you are a person who has ever in real life fired a rifle, killed an animal for it’s meat, gutted it, skinned it out, built a camp fire to cook it. Rode a horse in the wilds of the high country, boiled coffee over the fire. Slept out in a blizzard. Or if you’re a person who always wanted to do these things, then please read on and I hope you enjoy it

This is the story of a man in his later years who finds himself a very long way from home and hearth when the SHTF. It’s a tale of the drive to get home come hell or high water.

I’m writing it about the way I myself would get home after an event. I can only hope I would do as well in real life.

I have the will and the drive and know how but maybe the ol body is low on fuel. Time will tell.

And no, I didn’t finish school, in fact I’d say I have about a 6 grade education, But I have a PHD in life.

A long Lonely Road

The Beginning

Dusk found me sitting by a small fire sheltered among an outcropping of boulders. It was out of the wind and an unlikely spot so I felt secure for the first time since the trouble started .

Well this batch of trouble. God knows there’s been trouble enough to go around several times.

I really have no choice since I’m waiting here with a bullet in my ass! And even worse the ice sickle of fear in my heart. Not for myself but for the person who has come to mean so much to me. Waiting for her to return with some badly needed supplies.

So much has happened since the event as I’ve come to call it so while I wait I’m writing it down as it happened …is happening? I’m a long ways from where the tale starts and a long way from the end.

Well maybe trouble was the wrong word . Maybe there is no right word . How do you describe the end of all you know ? The end of your country, the end of the world?

I guess the term SHTF is pretty good . Hell who knows? Maybe it’s just a bad speed bump . Or maybe it’s so much more…..

I’ve been a prepper for a long time. Meaning I believed there was going to be an event of some kind that would change the way we live, think, exist. I never had any idea just what it might be but I just knew “IT” was out there watching. lurking waiting to strike down the unknowing . The unprepared or unwilling or the plain stupid .The fools more interested in what some bimbo named Kim was last seen wearing or not wearing .

I read all the stuff on the net about EMP’s and Monetary collapse . World bankruptcy . You name it and I’ve read about it. For these reasons as well as a deep distrust of the Government. The ignorance of the fools who continue to vote in the  people who were creating the problems . I had long ago set out to be as well prepared as I could be which wasn’t to bad .

I had gone thru the Guns and Ammo stage of getting carried away . Then got into the food storage thing . I had stacks of ammo and food all in my sweet little ol concrete underground home ….. In Texas

Yes sir I had it all!! Me and mine could last a year at the minimum and we have all the tools and seeds to grow enough food for our little community of family and friends.

Yep we were prepared!! And I hope they are all safe and well fed out there in the East Texas Piney Woods!!! Yep, well prepared!!  I’d laugh but if I did I’d most likely start crying so I’ll just sit here feeling sorry for myself!

Coz I’m sitting by a small fire so tired and cold I can’t hardly think about fixing some hot tea. And my ASS HURTS! Not to mention freezing said ass off or so it seems in the high country of wherever the hell I am!

You’d think if my ass is froze it wouldn’t hurt so bad. Maybe it’s my pride, I mean if ya gotta get shot why in the ass? And since I’m riding a mule to Texas that makes a bullet hole in the ass a big pain in the ….. Ass!

When your up to the aforesaid ass in Alligators it really sucks to have to remind yourself that you voted to drain the swamp!

Not that there was any “Gators” up here in the Mountains. I digress..

As I tend to do…a lot.

Ya see, I had decided to load up my truck. Hook on to my trailer and head north for a nice time shooting prairie dogs in Wyoming with another old fart Marine .

Then head on over to MT to see friends as well as check in with the VA and see if I was still alive . I did and I am, alive I mean. For now, but that can change damn fast as I’ve learned .

I guess I was very lucky because the event or whatever it was happened at night . I had pulled over and spent the night in a BLM / USFS camp ground about a mile off the highway . Cooked some dinner ( meaning a can of chili and some cheese and crackers and washed down with some very fine…beer.

When I woke up it was full daylight and I had the place to myself since it was kinds late in the year for vacation campers and too early for the hunters so I just wondered over to the outhouse and took care of business.

After cleaning up I cooked a good breakfast . Really , I mean I cooked it. Bacon, Eggs and fried spuds, and plenty of hot coffee , I prefer using my old Coleman camp stove on a table to cooking inside and I use my old cowboy coffee pot . That’s why I didn’t notice that I had no electrical power from my 12 volt system .

As soon as I did notice it I hooked my Honda Generator and started jerking the cord…nothing, nada.. now I was getting pissed off . I still had the truck hooked to the trailer and plugged in so I got in and hit the key…dead… I could feel a cold little chill moving up my spine .

I pulled my cell phone out of the holder and yep, it was deader the last years garden!… That small chill just grew to major cold!..

They had done it . Somehow somebody had done it . An EMP or something like it had fried a lot of electrical stuff we Americans had come to depend on  and here I was just short of the state line between MT and Idaho .

Winter was coming on like a freight train . Of course I could be wrong maybe a lightning strike had fried my equipment .. Or maybe not.. I was getting worried and started thinking about all the different stories I’d read about SHTF . And that led me to my steel gun box in the truck .

In less then 5 minutes I was strapped into my 3 gun rig I use in competition which was part of my reason for being up here in the first place..

My Para P-14 in a drop holster with extra magazines in a matching drop rig on the left side and I was feeling much better . I also dug out my AR-15 rifle and loaded it .

Now I felt safe and I needed time to think. But first I needed more information then I had at the moment. So I called out to my traveling buddy. Molly the Duck killer . So named because the day I got back from MT a year ago and let her out to meet the family for the first time, She raced around a corner and scared the crap out of the 5 Snowy Mallards so lovingly raised by the Lady of the Manor.

It was bad things from that second on, the ducks took to wing and Molly, this gentle lady who had never hurt a thing in her life went airborne and snatched a duck right out of the air…

Suffice to say, a very loud SHIT!! was only the beginning of the string of cussing that turned the air blue … But it was too late the duck was done… Miz Luna was not a happy camper… nuff said..

Molly and I headed down the dirt road back to the highway to see if it was just my bad luck. It wasn’t..

There wasn’t a lot of vehicles in sight since the highways in Montana can be rather empty as a rule . The few I saw were mostly stalled out on the side of the road where they had coasted to a stop.

I saw no people at all so I walked toward the nearest car which was sitting with the doors open .

Right about then I felt a small bit of my old training kick in and I stepped into the trees and watched a bit .

Nothing but the wind in the trees and a still quiet that was rather discomforting , there should be some noise , I looked up and saw no

jet trails , nothing but the breeze.

I stepped thru the trees watching the car and wondering about the tightness in my guts .

Rifle at the ready I slowly walked up on the car and found a dead man laying in the ditch , he had been shot …a bunch .

I looked around and saw nothing at all .I slowly stepped out onto the road and walked around the car and found a blood trail moving toward the middle of the road where it ended abruptly meaning that person had gotten into a vehicle of some sort .

I finely eased over to the man and checked him , he was cold and stiff and scattered around his body was a bunch of 9mm brass and no gun .

Now I ain’t saying I’m some kind of tracker but after reading what I could from the scuffs in the dirt I decided the 9mm was his and he didn’t go down without a fight . Good for him.

There was nothing else I could see, his car had been ransacked and the fuel tank cap was laying on the ground . I checked for his wallet and found it still in his pocket , with around 300 dollars in it and his credit cards. Meaning he was most likely killed for his gas … had it already come to this? So soon?..

I knew enough about EMP’s to know I knew nothing about EMP’s except for all the internet speculation .

I noticed the mans watch and looked at it,  it stopped at 11: 21 the night before , the world as I knew it ended and I slept thru it .

I realized rather a little late that if the shooters here had driven down the road to the camp ground I’d be dead and Molly too most likely .

We were lucky because I would have just walked out into a bullet not knowing what was going on.

The fact the killers had driven off  meant some vehicles were running, most likely old ones , so now I was faced with either walking to Texas or looking for an old rig to what? Steal or kill for? That wasn’t an option ..yet .

After looking at the cars further away I decided their owners were most likely in the ditch too and I wasn’t going to expose myself to that just to see it.

I headed back thru the timber to the camp ground, Molly in the lead as always, my days of walking in the road way were over for now…

After fixing some more coffee I walked over to another camp site and sit with my back to a tree with my rifle laying beside me . Molly laid down a few feet away  and I knew I could count on her to alert me to intruders but I wanted to be away from the trailer, just being careful .

So, what did I know? Nothing except that maybe an EMP event had happened . And some man was laying dead for no good reason , meaning I needed to decide what I was gonna do..

By the way, my name is Johnny Long Walker , my mom never found out why folks smiled at my name until I was about 4 years old and from that day she called me Long . Her Family name.

It is funny that she never knew Johnny Walker was the name of some pretty good booze!! Lol… I think my ol man was still dodging stuff to the day we planted him .

Mom is living on the homestead in Texas with our friends and family all around . I’m not going to worry about them .

I have my hands full figuring out how I’m gonna get home. It’s a long ol road from here to there and it’s looking like I either look for an old truck or car that didn’t fry or start walking . 

I’m not gonna try bullshitin anybody. I’m damn near “old” and still a bit over weight, not like a year ago but still…

Walking is out at least if I try to take all my road supplies with me.. And I’m sure not looking to leave any of it..

I was shooting in matches while up here and have several weapons and a lot of ammo with me and also did some hunting which reminds me . I have a lot of meat in my ice chest packed in dry ice so I need to figure this thing out and while I’m thinking I best get to trying to smoke some jerky..

I’d never made jerky over an open fire and that thought just reminded me I have 2 full propane tanks and an oven in the trailer , neither of which needs electricity !!!

First I needed to thaw out enough meat to get the first batch going so I did that. I’ve never been one for wild meat roasts even though I’m a pretty fair hand in the kitchen . I just couldn’t seem to make one that wasn’t day as a desert breeze . But I did cut some because the ladies at home do like it so that’s what I thawed first .

I figured it would take me a few days to get it all done and that would give me time to do some recon to see just who and what is around..

First thing though I took my Swede saw and started cutting what folks up here call squaw wood. Meaning dead limbs and such that’s still attached to the tree.

It’s good dry wood and I need it to do some of the jerky making. If I wait for the trailer stove to do it I’ll be here when first snow falls which ain’t very damn far off !

After I got the wood back to camp I set about enlarging the fire pit. After that I went to the creek and cut arm loads of willows which I used to build a rack to hold the meat while it dried .

Next on my list was to scrounge thru the trailer cabinets for whatever spices I could find which turned out pretty good. I had plenty of pepper and salt ,  powdered garlic and taco and chili seasonings which I could use to fix food to eat while I was working.

One nice thing about this was that it kept my mind off just how bad things were going to get real soon. Not to mention it’s keeping my mind off the folks back home.

I waited until the roasts were thawed about half way and sliced them as thin as I could. When the meat is half froze it’s easier to slice thin . I figured about a ¼ inch is about right so I went to work on that and it worked just like it should have.

After I had sliced a bunch I got a pan and added water and salt and pepper to taste and added some ketchup and then what the hell I dashed in some honey mustard and soy sauce from take out in the little packets we all save for some damn fool reason. Now I know why.

I let the first batch soak for a couple hours and turned the oven on to 200 degrees. I laid the meat on the oven grating and shut the door.  Timing it was gonna be a bugger but I figured done was done so I won’t worry about the small stuff.

While the meat was soaking I had started the fire and keeping it small I had an area around 7 feet long and 3 feet wide , over that I would build the willow frame .

As I said earlier I’ve never done this kinda jerky making but I’ve read a hundred books describing how the old Mountain men and Indians did it and at least I knew it would be better then letting it spoil.

Not to mention when I leave this place I may not dare fire a shot for fear of attraction unwanted attention .

Although I do have the means to do so, more about that later.

I don’t feel like I ever thought I would if this happened , I guess because I’ve spent damn near 40 years thinking about it. I know what I have to do and I have a pretty good idea how to do it and I believe I’m up to the task .

It ain’t gonna be easy, but life never is as a rule but if a person just stops jumpin around screaming “ I’m so screwed “ They will find there is a lot they can do.

I’m not young , but I’m not old , I’m able to do all I can do today and then maybe a little bit more and tomorrow a bit more until it’s done, whatever it is. Right now my life just got harder but also got simpler , head South , stay alive , stay healthy , and I’ll see my people again . Simple..

Well I have to report the first batch of Jerky turned out pretty good. A bit too much pepper and maybe a bit too much time in the oven .

But Miz Molly likes it!! She eats a chunk and heads for the creek…lololol , she thinks I hate her but she won’t stop taking it. Hell I even ate some to show her it was ok. I beat her to the creek!!

It’s been 4 days since I woke up to a world where time stopped . And there is nothing to report except to say the jerky making is coming along real well .

I also had a real brain storm! I had made a lot of  deer sausage and wasn’t sure what to do with it.

Then I remembered a few years back somebody made a little machine that pressed burger into strips and folks made burger jerky or some such .

Well I tried it , and it kinda worked out ok , I used a cookie sheet and laid the little ropes of sausage out and then into the oven .

I had to dump off the fat that cooked out of the meat but I mixed it into Molly’s food and she loves me again .

When it was done it was kinda like those pepperoni sticks they used to sell in the bars because if you ate one you had to have three beers to wash it down .

What in the hell am I gonna do with all this stuff? I can’t carry it on my back and I never got a deer cart ( Note to self…a deer cart would be pretty handy!!) but I’m not beat yet!

Panic Mode!!! Heard shots last night! From the highway direction . Molly and I have been sleeping out from the camp in a spot I found that was pretty good defensively .

It took a bit of work but it ain’t like I’ve got anything better to do between changing out the jerky.

It was a low spot with a tree that had fallen across it so I shoveled it out until I could sit up under the tree and could lay down and sleep pretty good .

I had the mattress from the camper and my covers and Molly to stand guard so I was doing just great.

I used the excavated dirt to build up a ramp to fill in some of the space between the tree trunk and the ground .

I spread dead ground cover over it and tossed a few dead limbs on that then stood off and looked at it . Damn I’m good!! And having way too much fun with this .

After hearing the shots last night I never slept a wink wondering when the shooters were gonna come down the road.

I knew damn good and well they would so I needed to be ready no matter when they came.

Walking around the area I located other places where I could and did stash some weapons . My AK with 6 loaded magazines went behind a concrete outhouse with heavy brush behind it so I took my hatchet and cut a narrow pathway thru the brush in case I needed to beat feet .

I placed a Remington 870 loaded with slugs and a dump bag full of buckshot back a bit further into the camp ground since there was only one way in and if they were driving I figured the slugs just might ruin their day or at least their ride!

I carried my AR with me everywhere I went. 10 feet or 100 yards, it went along as did my Para.

In my sleeping bunker I had my ace in the hole, my Ruger 10-22 with the beautiful suppressor / can, from Elite Iron over near Potomac Montana.

It’s a dream!! And even with super sonic rounds is still quiet.

I have another few tricks up my sleeve but unless they come in force I doubt I’ll need to use them. I do have a devious mind!

My jerky making has improved greatly and the meat is about all done which is damn lucky because the dry ice is done for.

I’ve kept the ice chests out of the sun and covered with extra sleeping bags and a tarp which seems to be helping.

Soon I’m going to have to really get out and patrol, I’ll admit I’ve been hiding out of fear of what I may find or maybe what might find me .

Regardless I plan to go on an extended patrol at first light and set up an outpost where I can watch the highway for a few hours and see who’s playing Road Warrior out there and for this I’ll load for bear .

This going to bed at dusk and up at day break ain’t all that bad nor is being active all day. I know I’ve lost more weight, had to take the gun rig up a bit and the old knees seem to be better, all in what?? Damn a week? Time flies when it don’t matter coz ya ain’t got a watch nor a reason to be looking at it.

After a good nights rest and a pot of coffee with some sausage and eggs for both of us and a fast visit to the outhouse we were off. for this little trip I took along my other ace in the hole .

I’m packing my Savage heavy bbl 308 complete with it’s super neat Nam era Tiger Stripe paint job done by a friend in MT and the beauty of it is the other can from Elite Iron .

I have some sub sonic loads that will do very nicely to a point and some super good rounds by Federal that just shoot one hole groups all day long .

I figger if the shooters come around and need be I can deal with them from a ways off.

And who knows I may get a set of wheels out of the deal which means I’m almost but not quite as bad as they are.

Except they will have the opportunity to show me they are not the AssHats I believe them to be .

After making a slow stalk to the road with my lead scout out front I found a hide and settled in to observe which is about as boring as watching

Paint dry .

There was nothing to watch.  no cars and of course nothing moving except the trees swaying in the breeze which was turning pretty damn chilly I might add .

After several hours I gave up and eased out of my hide and had to wake up Miz ever alert who was not bored in the least. I could learn to hate her!

I was stiff as a board and cold and gimpy and enjoyed a childish smirk when I saw Molly kinda gimping along , guess we both got old. But we have it to do and we are gonna do it.

One thing is for sure, we will either grow stronger every day or it will kill us and we ain’t going easy. But for now the walk back to camp is not a lot of fun.

The good news is the jerky is all done! I may not be able to carry it but at least I’m trying!

I’ve been going thru my gear trying to figure out what I can’t do without and what I will have to leave, this is not an easy task.

It’s really only been about a week since “ IT” happened but seems at times like yesterday and at other times like a year ago.

I’m sure when I leave my safe little hide out I’ll not be so comfortable .

Just before dark I again heard shots from the same area and can’t understand what anybody would be shooting at. It’s only a few shots but it is becoming a common thing around this time of day.

After another good nights sleep I got dressed and grabbing the AR I legged it up the road staying real close to the woods on the side.

After I got where I could see and it was all clear I eased out toward the car with the dead man. why I have no idea but he’s the only thing around that might attract any attention .

I stayed low and belly crawled ( rolled might be more accurate ) until I could part the weeds and see down into the ditch , he was still there but he had been shot to pieces !

All around his body was 9mm brass which made me think the folks who killed him might be really pissed off at his for shooting one of them and stop once in a while and use his own pistol to remind themselves they are the top dogs.

Well I gotta say this didn’t sit too well with me and after looking at him for a while I decided I was gonna do something about it. I headed back to my camp and grabbed my shovel and a hunk of 2x6 I used as a jack pad for the trailer. I also took a magic marker.

After getting back to the body and making sure nobody was around I started digging a grave which was hard doing .

And frankly he didn’t smell good even though the week had been cool.

And the Ravens and Magpies had been at him, poor bastard.

I did the best I could for him and using the shovel I rolled him into the hole and covered him and placed some rocks over him to maybe help keep the critters off him.

Then I took the marker and wrote on the 2 x 6 in large letters  “ RIP Stranger. Murdered by low life scum. I figured this just might bring them looking and I planned to be ready for them.

I joined the Marines when I was 17 years old and that was a long time ago but as the old saying goes, Once a Marine, Always a Marine .

And along with that I had also been a City cop and a Deputy Sheriff and an active shooter all my life so I figured I could hold my own if I planned this right.

We legged it back to camp and I quickly fixed us a good meal and packed us

Food for tomorrow morning . I didn’t plan to move from the hid until late.

It turned out that the morning snack wasn’t needed, about an hour before dark I heard a vehicle coming pretty fast so Molly and I got into the bunker.

I tied her close to the log where she couldn’t do anything foolish.

I had left the fire smoldering and a candle burning in the trailer. If this worked they would be distracted enough for me to maybe get the drop on them . Well that didn’t happen, guess they never read the script!

They just drove right into the camp gate and  after seeing my rig they stopped and bailed out of their old truck.

Three of the nastiest looking trash you could ever not wanna see.

The didn’t talk at all just walked up the road, lined up and opened fire at the trailer. It wasn’t a fair fight.

Hell it wasn’t even a fight or even self defense. I guess some bleeding heart liberals would call it murder but since they never even checked to see if there was any kids or women in the trailer tuff shit!

What with all the noise they were making then never heard the not so quiet sound of the 10-22 shooting super sonic ammo thru the can. Hell they wouldn’t have heard it without the can.

Three shots in the back of the head and it was quiet , no movie type stumbling around. No nothing , just pop pop pop and they were all down.

I stayed in my hide for a few minutes waiting for some movement .

When it was clear they were down for the count I eased out of the hide and walking slowly closer while looking thru the scope I stopped at around 10 yard and shot each one in the head again. Done.

I checked their old truck and found  it was an old Chevy, around a 70 or 71 ¾ ton 4x4 and beat all to hell and full of trash but there was a full 5 gal. gas can in back and a turn of the key showed about half a tank.

I used to have a truck like this and it was a good rig. It got 11 MPG moving or sitting motor on or off 11 mpg. But it was gonna serve me for as long as the gas lasted.

I checked over the dead dickheads and found the one with the 9mm. He also had a festering bullet hole in his left side, the bullet had gone all the way, in and out but infection might have killed the turd .

I took everything they had on their bodies, their weapons weren’t all that great, 2 30-30 lever guns and a bolt action that had seen a lot better days but

It was a 30-06 and he had a lot of ammo for it. I put all the guns in the cab.

That thought made me look at the three bodies laying where they dropped and they were trashing up a nice place so I spent a bunch of hard minutes getting them in the back of my new old truck. A limp body is not an easy thing to pick up and toss around regardless of how HollyWeird makes it look.

I drove out of the camp and further away from the highway until I came to a steep bank off the side of the road, with little or no thought I simply rolled them over the edge .

I stood there looking down at them wondering what had brought us to this place and time. I really hadn’t looked at them but now I did and what I saw was a lot of jail house ink.

One had 3 black tear drops in a row down his cheek, any thoughts of regret I may have has just washed away right there. For those who don’t know the Black tear drop is prison ink. It signifies the person wearing it has a kill for each tear drop to his credit. This son of a bitch got his last tear drop and good riddance .

Now I need to explain something here and now. I’m not somebody who sits around thinking about playing Wyatt Earp. I never had day dreams about being some wild assed pistolero. I saw this as something that needed doing and I did it, just like making jerky. a job. Taking out the trash which in this case wasn’t far from wrong.

I wasn’t planning on losing sleep over it and I wasn’t gonna dwell on it, these assholes came to kill not me but anybody and they didn’t care who unless it was a woman and her fate would have been worse then a bullet.

No regrets! No remorse and no more assholes killing people for fun. Now to get moving back to the camp to get loaded and ready to roll out at first light.

After I dragged out all the stuff I just couldn’t leave it was a lot!!  3- 3 lb bags of coffee beans with a hand grinder ( thank god ) 20 lbs of sugar, same of salt and around 4 pounds of coarse ground pepper even after the jerky making.

Being a wimp and a candy ass I like my coffee strong blond and sweet! So I also had plenty of creamer packets. 4 large jars of peanut butter. Large plastic jar of strawberry jam ( again thank you lord!) almost a case of toilet paper.

This could drag on so just know when I traveled I took the whole pantry. And as usual I was loaded down with weapons and ammo but I have plans for that stuff! It just may be my ticket home.

After the truck was packed as good as I could get it I was ready to go. I poured the extra gas in the tank and looked at my beautiful Dodge 3500 Cummings and my trailer.

I hoped the trailer would shelter other folks moving thru the area. Then I remembered the 5 gal can of gas I kept for the Honda gen set. Got it and poured it into the truck.

One last check produced 3 boxes of sub sonic 22 shells, a couple of butcher knives and other odds and ends.

Molly and I spent a quiet night and slept very well and by full light we had fixed breakfast, done our morning business. I knew I’d miss that outhouse!

Without looking back I headed out to the end of the road where we scouted `the area. I did stop by the grave and told the man that he could sleep well coz the trash was carried out.

One thing I really am grateful for is the Montana Atlas I carried in the Dodge. It shows every goat trail and back road in the whole state and I had been looking at it real hard for a week so I knew just where I was going .

It was a small county road that bisected this road about 20 miles south and that’s where we went. It felt really strange to be driving along on empty roads. Only the occasional car or truck sitting where they stopped when the fire went out. I never slowed down because it was easy to see the gas raiders had been here.

I did wonder where they had stayed but not enough to waste fuel looking for it. I did fear they may have taken some women or girls and who knows where they might be. It wasn’t a good thought but I really knew I couldn’t do a thing about it no matter what I wanted. Bitter pills seldom come with water to wash them down.

The miles passed quickly and I soon found the road I was looking for and turned off the pavement and stopped at the start of the dirt road to study it for tracks which I didn’t see any new looking ones.

From here on I really needed to be sharp or I could drive right into a

Mess. By the map it was a road that cut across the state line and into Idaho.

I knew what I was looking for because I had a plan. Not the best plan but about the only one I could see that gave us a chance to make it home.

So I drove on slowly to avoid raising too much dust. I slowed down and eased over the hills until I could see the other side. I was pretty sure this was empty country with the exception of scattered ranches.

Which is just what I was looking for and I needed to find one before the fuel was gone in the truck. But the tank was close to full and I hoped the slow driving was saving fuel.

About an hour before dusk I looked for a good place to pull over for the night and found it right away, a clear water creek flowing along at a good rate over a gravel bottom wonderful !

There was a goat path trail heading off along the creek so I headed that way and got a good way off the main road. I parked in a thicket of brush and trees and got right to fixing something to eat.

After the meal was done I cleaned up the things that were dirty then I took my bed roll and the 870 shotgun and a ground cloth and headed into the woods. I circled around and found a nice spot off our back trail where I set up my night camp. No fire but it wasn’t that cold .

In the Mountains a sunset seems to last forever and then slowly turns dark. Bt the time that happened I was in the sack with my sweats on and my clothing for a pillow.

I slept in heavy wool socks in case I had to bail out and run, better then bare feet. I also slept with my 45 in hand and the 870 beside me with Molly on the foot of the bed roll. We slept the sleep of the innocent.

Once in the night Molly kinda rumbled but it wasn’t her “ Warning!! Alien Intruders” growl, more her “ Get outta here before you piss me off warning” I noted it and went back to sleep.

Next thing I knew I was listening to a squirrel bitching to the world about Alien Intruders in his world.. Noisy little bastard ! Ever wonder what a load of buckshot would do to a small furry critter? I was tempted .

But we got up got dressed and headed back to the truck, Molly in the lead to give warning which didn’t happen.

So we took time to fix a good breakfast ,well I fixed it, Molly just watched the skillet in case it tried to make a break.

We or “I” was getting to the last of the eggs I had on hand, Molly was already out!! Lol! She just didn’t know it.

After eating and cleaning up the mess I poured the old Stanley full of hot coffee and we were ready to roll. After checking the road for traffic from the night and seeing no tracks but mine we headed out .

Another day passed as before and another night except no creek but water we have so no loss .

It seems so still, like we might be the last folks on earth but I was sure out there in the population centers it was a horror show.

I could only hope and pray my people were dug in and safe from the hell going on out there around them. Thank God the Piney Woods were so thick that walking thru them was damn near impossible .

In truth I must admit that by now I wasn’t sure if it was day 6 , 9 or 99 since things came apart and in truth it don’t matter coz it is what it is and that’s a fact Jack!

After the usual morning chores of getting going we got going. I do know this is day three on the road and so far knock on Molly’s wooden head things are going better then I have any right to expect.

The fuel gauge shows I have about half a tank left but according to my map I think I’m coming up on what looks like some small town or at least a group of building.

Midday found us sitting on a hill above a small valley and what looked to be a cluster of old building, like maybe an old ranch. But I see no signs of life around the place.

At this point I was at a loss as to how to approach this place since I didn’t wanna lose the truck the same way I got it, nope not in my play book.

In the end I said to hell with it and kinda eased down the hill, about half way I stopped and let Molly out.  Kinda figuring if there was trouble and I lost at least she had a chance. I’m not a hero folks, but I’d have let her drive and I woulda walked if she had her drivers license .

Well of course Molly just trotted right into the place like she owned it and showed no signs of being alerted to anything so I drove on in. And Molly was right, there wasn’t anything stirring in this place and hadn’t for a long time.

After looking around and finding nothing and having no desire to stick around we loaded up and got on out of there.

The place had the look of a bunk house and was probably used during fall roundup which reminded me I was seeing no cattle and that place hadn’t been used in years.

This day ended in a nice little valley with another nice creek and the remains of old camp fires. Hunters most likely since there was no other reason I could think of.

We followed what had become our routine and settled in for the night. Around what I took to be midnight I heard the sound of gunfire way off in the distance.

It had the muffled sound it gets when it’s not close. Close up it would have had more of a crack then a boom or so I think.

Since there wasn’t a thing I could do otherwise I went back to sleep and surprisingly morning came. We got up and took care of business and fixed some breakfast.

I was still working off the stuff I  had in the trailer but that was gonna end sooner or later and we would be scrounging for dinner. But this morning I fixed some of the dried sausage I had rehydrated over night along with some canned pinto beans and crackers.

I am a pretty good cook and tonight I was planning to make a big pot of “Skeddy” as my Son used to call it. Which made me wonder if him and his had stayed put in Arkansas or had tried to head to our place. I’m pretty sure his old truck would make the run and if not he will make it run. For all his trials and problems he’s a damn hard worker and has no quit in him and I’m proud of him.

Nothing I can do for any of them so outside of a silent thought sent to the Big Boss I let the thoughts go. I have a different relationship with the ol boy upstairs, some folks have the need to go to church all the time. Some several times a week. I don’t see the need in that. Since He knows all , He already knows I’ve been pretty much a sinner all my life.

And I just can’t see calling on him all the time asking forgiveness for things I’m just gonna turn right around and do again. I figger if He knows everything he knows that while I’ve been a “Rounder” all my life I’ve also tried to live an honorable life ( and failing often) as best I can.

Anyway that’s how it works for me and when I feel the need to talk to Him I try to find a nice place away from people. A nice quiet meadow and a friendly boulder in the sun works better for me.

And seeing as I felt the need to have such a talk I walked out into a sunny spot and there was a boulder! Just when I needed one. See how it works?

When I need to talk a boulder will appear.

I sat down on the boulder and just sat a while, it was warm in the sun, the morning chill was starting to lose the battle with Mother Sun. I could hear the stirring of small things.

Bees doing their busy Bee things, I watched a butterfly making it’s haphazard way from wherever to wherever, they never look like they have a plan. Just kind of going along.

I finely felt a calmness come over me and I knew I wasn’t alone. I told God about the three outlaws I had killed, I explained how they tried to murder whomever may have been in the trailer. I told him I felt bad that I didn’t feel bad.

I felt Him smile at my usual way of mixing things up. I told him about the man in the ditch and how they had treated him even after taking his life for a few gallons of gas when he had no use for it at all.

I told him I later felt bad about not putting his name on the board but in truth it really didn’t matter since I figgered he was just one of millions who were gonna be laying where they fell and none with a marker.

I told him about my plan to make it home and how I knew he was busy but I’d really like it if he would check in with us once in a while. Just to see how we was doing.

I thought a while about my people down in East Texas and how I hoped they were doing ok. And my Mom who at 93 was moving pretty good! But how long would she last without her meds?

I asked God to look in on them when he could and to help them if he could but that things were pretty well set up there and there was other folks in worse shape who needed help more.

After a while I come to realize time had past and my butt was tired of the boulder and I expect the boulder was tired of my butt.

I headed back to camp where Molly being every practical was sleeping in the shade. I bet her butt wasn’t sore from sitting on a boulder. Molly’s a good buddy, she don’t ask questions and is always grateful for whatever she gets.

I took time to look at the MT Atlas some more and I saw something that caught my eye. It was a symbol that I had to look at the index to understand and surprise!

It’s was the symbol for hot springs that this area was loaded with and it wasn’t more then a mile off the road I was on and right then the thought of soaking in warm water was overpowering !

We broke a record getting loaded and on our way and sure nuff after a couple of miles I saw the USFS sign with an arrow pointing off up a real goat path.

I will admit I was worried about the old truck making the climb but I sure as hell wasn’t leaving it. So with a goodly bit of slipping and sliding off we went.

It was easy to see folks had been coming here in times past so I was a bit concerned about finding folks there now.

But nobody was there, and we found the nicest place. folks had rocked off the spring and made a hole which had steam coming off it. And right then and there I just stripped off and carrying my rifle I headed over to the pool.

I stuck my toes in the water and it was hot, not cooking hot but ease in slow hot and that’s just what I did! And lordy it was both hot and heaven. I slowly sat down and let out a big sigh.

I knew right then and there if I didn’t have people I needed to be helping I’d settle down here for a goodly while to let things settle out. But that just ain’t gonna happen so I just laid back and let the soreness ease out.

After a bit I called Molly over and while scratching her ears I just pulled her in. She was not a happy camper and it was a bit of a struggle keeping her in there. But she settled down and I think she too felt the aches and pains washing away.

I must have sat there over an hour but Molly did make her escape as soon as I let her go. Ungrateful ol bitch ! But she had a good shake and promptly rolled in the grass and went to sleep.

After I was about done I took my soap and wash cloth and I scrubbed my hide raw. Then soaked a bit more while the soap cleared out of the pool. I was in love with this spot!

After thinking about it I decided we would stay here for the day and night and just rest and soak. So I set about making a decent camp and gathered some dry wood.

About what I figured was mid afternoon I took out the camp stove and set it up on the tail gate. I filled the pot with water from the hot pool since my soap had washed away and set it on the stove to boil.

I got out a large jar of Skeddy sauce and put it in a pan, while it was heating I crumbled up a bunch of the deer sausage I had dried which turned out pretty good but I was keeping an eye on it because if it started turning I’d have to deal with that.

In about 30 minutes the feast was done, I was gonna miss the garlic bread but it is the end of the world so to speak and roughing it is a way of life now. I dished some up for Molly who promptly burned her tongue the pig.

Of course she looked at me like I had done it on purpose. I told her I damn sure wasn’t gonna blow on it for her. It was damn good! Woulda been perfect with some garlic bread.

After eating and cleaning up the mess I tool the AR and Molly for a walk. This place was in a bowl that may or may not once have been a small volcano.

Which could account for the hot spring but the water had no smell to it that I would associate with lava. Like I would know Lava smell. I figured it was akin to what you think Brimstone would smell like but since I hadn’t made it to hell yet I still had no idea and frankly who cares.

After patrolling out about a ¼ mile in a circle and seeing nothing we made it back to camp. I took another soak and had some more skeddy dug out a book and read a bit.

All designed to take my mind off my Mom and the family and friends who made up our community of mutual support. Now I know some folks use the term “MAG” meaning “Mutual Assistance Group” but that sound a little too combative.

Our thoughts were more on doing what we could to help people as much as we could but at the same time not get killed or starve from being overly generous.

We have good gardens, green houses, and 2 creeks running thru the place. My friend and neighbor Rick and his wife have a nice pond full of fish and between the phantom White Tail that flit thru the shadows of the woods and the wild Hogs not to mention everything else in those woods it makes surviving much easier.

All I can do is hope and pray they can just hold off the folks fleeing the cities and the hell in them. I know none of them could turn away a hungry child but I also hope they use some common sense about it.

Meanwhile I was back here in the mountains with dark coming on so I found a place with some protection and settled in for the night. It was one of those nights that you can see every star in the heavens and with that I went to sleep.

Sometime in the night I woke up to hear the sound of several vehicles moving along the main road about a mile away. But they kept moving so I went back to sleep.

Morning came as usual with all the usual sounds. The birds telling the world about it. Sure beats the hell out of the Roosters back home. Time to move on. but first another soak. Molly won’t come near the pool now lol She’s a fast learner.

Out and dried off and dressed in clean cloths, I didn’t bother telling about washing my filthy cloths so everything is clean and packed away.

I fired up the truck and saw from the fuel gage the tank wasn’t getting any fuller. I was disappointed but after all it is the end of the world as we know it so I guess some small blips will show up on the radar of life. Damn I’m thinking funny.

I decided to let Molly patrol the trail down to the road and I just eased along watching her. She would let me know if there was anything I needed to know.

We made the main road and I could see the tracks made by the trucks I heard passing in the night which made me stop and think. I had been damn lucky so far but I needed to start using my head.

Those folks could have come along in day light and would have seen my tracks cutting off the road, I needed to work on that, it only takes a bit of time to brush out your trail.

About mid day I saw a ranch house off in the distance with smoke coming from the chimney. So right there I pulled over thru some trees and got out my spotting scope, It was mounted on an old rifle stock with a bipod.

I watched the place for the rest of the day. I saw several people moving around working, some women in a big garden area which means they were doing that before the end came.

Takes longer then a couple of weeks to grow a big garden. This means that these folks been here a while. I could see a pile of logs across the road leading up to the gate. Nobody was gonna crash that gate.

Somebody was thinking. I also saw up on the roof of the big ol barn what looked like a deck and a wall around it. After turning the scope up to the max and adjusting the focus I could make out the heads of a couple of young boys maybe 10 years old or so.

And both were scouring the area with glass. No fooling around for them lads. Somebody was running a tight ship here. And watching the ladies working in the garden who seemed to be chating away and I could see them clear enough to see them smiling and laughing.

So they weren’t being held against their will and everybody seemed busy. I had seen some movement in and around the barn and assumed it was the men folk.

I watched a lady walk out on the porch and start clanging an old triangle the old time call to dinner or whatever. With that two adult men and a couple of taller thinner teenage boys walked out of the barn.

Chow time and my belly was rumbling. Jerky was on my menu. No fine wine to go with it, not even a warm beer. Molly was always happy to see the jerky bag come out.

I watched the place all the rest of the day before easing back and making camp in the woods. no fire tonight so it was cold pork n’ beans and crackers. I was gonna be needing to deal with my food issues in another week or so but for now I was good to go.

Another quiet night and an early morning out of the bag. I took some jerky, crackers and water and by shooting light I was back in my lookout. And no I wasn’t gonna shoot anybody. It’s just an expression. A hunter knows what I mean.

Off in the distance the Rancher and family were getting their day going. I watched one of the older teens in the lookout spot and shortly he was relieved by the other teen. Everybody seemed to have a job and knew what it was, even the kids were busy.

After a while the older lady came out and whacked the dinner gong and headed back inside. The men folk and kids all finished their chores and headed in to breakfast, wish I was!

I didn’t see any sign of a vehicle but there was out buildings aplenty so it meant nothing. Those folks don’t let grass grow I’ll tell ya for free. They was done chowing down faster then a Platoon of Boot Marines. And that’s damn fast!

I spent the day watching the place and deciding if this was where I put my plans into action. I really didn’t see any other way to go. I could try to barter for fuel but that wasn’t my plan and driving along all fat and happy was likely to get me dead.

So best just do it and stop thinking. I got my stuff ready, mapped out my plan in my head once more. And at midnight I set it into motion. I slowly and quietly drove the truck down into the valley , no head lights and no fuse for the break lights.

At the driveway into the ranch I backed into it and quietly got out keeping Molly inside. I set to work thanking the lord there was no moon since I was within ¼ mile of the house. And I had no doubts that kid in the crows nest could shoot.

When I could see the first pink in the East I shielded my match and set fire to the camp stove, I set the big coffee pot on it and let it start doing it’s thing. I put my cast iron skillet on the other burner and laid some reconstituted sausage in it.

Now I sat down and leaned back against the side of the truck and waited. The sun kept doing it’s thing and soon the roosters was doing theirs. I heard a screen door squeak but no slam so I knew it wasn’t a kid.

I heard a cough like a man will do early in the morning, like I do. I figured it was time for the next step so I lit the paper and dry grass in the kindling pile of the camp fire I’d laid.

Not because I needed the fire but a man who’s up to no good ain’t likely to build a fire out in the open for all to see.

Soon enough I heard somebody banging on something iron but not the dinner triangle and then the screen door went to banging and I was close enough to hear rounds being chambered. If this didn’t work then I’d know in a few minutes.

I just sat there and after it got a bit lighter I poured a cup of coffee and with elaborate movements I doctored it to taste. By this time the sausage was making some good smells and the breeze was blowing it right at the house, not that I planned that part.

Well it took a while longer then I thought it would but soon I saw a man walking out the road rifle in hand but not aimed at me. I wasn’t bullshitting myself one tiny bit though. I knew damn well there was at least 2 rifles on me if not more.

After a bit the man was within talking distance and stopped, looked around and after a bit said “is that real coffee I smell?”  “I said yep come on in and have a cup.”

Which he did. He was looking over my entire rig and at last asked if the dog was a man eater? I laughed out loud and said “hell she a man licker.” He gestured at the door of the truck and I nodded.

Molly shot out of there like a bullet and totally ignoring the man ran over to inspect the skillet. Then ran off to pee.

The man looked at me so I stood up slow and offered my hand and said howdy “My names Johnny Walker” which got a smile and he said “I’d kill for a taste of that right now! But I’d settle for coffee “.

He said his name was William Bremmer and this was his place and his daddy’s and grand daddy’s and his daddy’s. said they had been here since some time after the War of Northern Aggression.

Well sir now I really liked this man. I swear I could hear a tiny bit of back home in his voice. But I knew it wasn’t.

I got a cup and poured him some and sat back down pointing out the sugar and creamer, he shook his head and sipping the hot brew just kinda seemed to melt down.

We both smiled at each other because we both knew the feeling. I offered him some sausage which he took on the paper plate it was on and we both sat eating and drinking coffee. Molly was getting put out because she was watching a stranger eating her share of the meat.

The man looked at her then me and raised an eyebrow in question and I nodded and he fed Molly some of his meat. I did too and she was kinda ok but still felt she was shorted.

I explained to her that the world had ended and she had to adapt. Which got  a sad smile and a nod from the man.

We sat and talked for almost two hours , Molly explored and then did her job, she crawled under the truck and went to sleep.

Bill as he liked to be called had the first news I’d heard. He said all he knew was they woke up to a different world then they went to sleep in.

He had no idea what happened but he knew it wasn’t gonna be good so he used a pair of horses to drag the logs in front of the gate and they built the watch tower on the barn right away.

I told him about what I thought had happened meaning an EMP. He wasn’t too sure what that was so I explained as best I could and we both sat and thought about that a while.

I told him about the three outlaws and the dead man. He just shook his head and said good riddance to trash. As I said before I was liking this man.

He said come on up to the house since I ate your dogs breakfast yawl can eat with us, breakfast is waiting to see if we was gonna have a funeral first.

We both laughed at that and I fired up the old truck and headed up the road behind him, he showed me the pathway thru the logs and thru the steel gate and pointed to a place to park under a tree.

We washed in an old wash pan that looked like it came west with his great granpa twice removed. He said it had!

While we was washing the other men folk drifted in and were introduced as Bills brother Bob and their boys both called Junior. Bob said it made it easier coz they both came running when they heard the call.

Inside the ladies were setting the table with a feast for my eyes. Eggs and bacon and ham , fried spuds and a huge pile of biscuits.

I looked around and asked to be excused and ran out to the truck and came back with a 3 pound bag of coffee beans. I just knew if these folks still used a 100+ year old wash pan there was a real grinder and there was.

I thought Bob was gonna cry but he just kept smiling real big. One of the ladies which I couldn’t keep straight since they were sisters married to brothers and both looked like two peas in a pod. Anyway she started grinding beans and the smell just took over the kitchen.

We went to eating while a big ol coffee pot started bubbling and by the time we were full it was ready. Not knowing the state of their supplies I got up and went out again and returned with 5 lbs of sugar and some creamer.

One look at the wives faces I knew they were surprised by the gesture but both said thank you and we washed down that wonderful meal with coffee the first they had since just after the trouble started.

After breakfast I offered to help out with their chores and we all trooped out together while the ladies cleaned up inside.

One of the Jr’s went up and relieved the youngsters to come eat which they did after staring at me and scratching Molly’s ears .

After the morning chores were done we sat in the shade of the barn door and talked. I told them what I thought happened and it was pretty strange.

I’d had plenty of time to think and I’d come to the conclusion that the only nation on earth who could do this was…… Us.

Yep the good ol US of A. I had no proof but logic tells me it wasn’t a terrorist act. My thoughts were that with the mounting debt. The people damn near marching on Washington with guns and rope. The worthless bastards in Washington took the cowards way out.

I think they filed bankruptcy in a big way and on the entire world. Would they do such a thing ? not only yes but hell yes in a heart beat. I figure they took the cowards way out. Can’t pay your bills find a way out!

I figured they didn’t want to leave the doors open to others so they just closed everybody’s doors. I figured if anybody really knew the truth there had been big jets hauling the “Important” people out to some place safe from the great unwashed.

And now a good portion of the world would die because of them and they were living in style while small kids died from starvation or much worse. I could be wrong but I don’t think so. And if I live to make it home, I’m gonna see if I can find a way to prove it one way or the other and if they can be found then I believe it’s rope dance time.

But for now I had business to do. After the others went about their days labor I asked the brothers to have a sit. I told them about my family in Texas and that I was going home.

Bill offered what he could in fuel since their newer trucks wouldn’t run and they had lots of fuel in their underground tank. But I told him I had another plan and offered to trade the truck and whatever I didn’t need for a good saddle horse and maybe a couple of pack horses.

They looked at me like I was crazy and finely Bob said “ Johnny, no offence but ain’t you a tad bit old to be trying to ride across the whole damn country on a horse?” I had to laugh because he was right. But I had a plan and was gonna stick to it.

I agreed with him but asked him what he would do if it was his family in TX? He agreed I had no choice. And one thing they had was horses and best of all several good mules they used for packing hunters during season.

So we got down to it. And I ended up with a better deal then I ever expected. Bill brought out a big long legged line backed Buckskinned riding Mule. And two red pack mules complete with pack saddles and packs.

I gave them the truck and the weapons and ammo I got from the trash I took out . I asked if that was fair and they both said more then fair. Critters they had, wheels no. and the extra 30-06 ammo was a god sent for them as they all had one.

I asked if all of them had weapons and found they were short for the younger boys and at that I smiled and started unloading the truck.

I pulled out a 10-22 with a folding stock I had extra and a fifty cal can full of 22 LR ammo and 5 25 round Butler creek magazines. That left me my heavy bbl 10-22 I used to drop the three turds in the camp ground.

I also had a Savage 223 bolt gun with a 12 power Leopold scope on it, I gave them that and a fifty cal can of Wolf FMJ’s which held 1000 rounds.

I asked about their shotguns and they had three 12 gages but were low on buck shot, I dug out a can of slugs and one of controlled flight buckshot.

They were looking at me like I was crazy and I laughed and told them that not only was I a 3 gun competition  shooter I also had picked up stuff I had left in MT when I headed south to be close to Mom.

I had more weight then even a mule would want to pack and these were good folks and I wanted to make sure they were able to defend their place.

I kept looking thru the stuff and sitting things aside to get a count. I had way too much 45 ammo but they didn’t own one so that was out. I’d find a trade for it later I was sure.

I also had more guns then I needed but I knew I would need trading supplies down the road. Bill and Bob were talking quietly and Bob left for the

house , after a bit he returned with a sack which he said was for me.

It had coins in it , what’s called junk silver. When I looked at them they laughed and Bob said “John we may live in the boonies but we didn’t come in on the last banana boat“.

Seems they were preparing long ago but screwed up on the ammo thing, this caught them off guard and the dudes and hunters have been thin due to the economy. So we were saving each other.

We gathered all the stuff I was taking and took it into the barn where they showed me how to pack it so’s not to rub the Mules raw and to not overload one side.

These packs were the kind that looked like big sacks and could be hung on the cross bow of the pack saddle and loaded right there . After making sure I knew how to load them we headed in for lunch.

It had been a long morning. I told them I was going to rest a while and to call me if they needed any help with anything. I went into the barn and laid out my bedroll in some clean straw near the 3 mules and with Molly there I went right out.

I woke up When Bill’s wife banged the dinner gong and washed up at the porch and went in. The family were waiting for me to sit. So I did and we really put away the chow, it was wonderful.

After the meal was done Bill asked the two youngsters to head up to the crows nest to keep an eye out and for one of the JR’s to come eat.

After the lad had filled his plate Bill spoke up and asked if I was inclined to do some more trading? I asked what he had in mind. He said they were well stocked with food since they raised almost all they needed.

He was interested in trading more silver and some small gold coins for the excess stuff I had. I never even thought about it. Just said yes and we headed out the door.

This time they all walked out to see what I had still in the truck. I took a tarp and started going thru it all. When I was done I had a small mountain of goods.

I set one of the remaining 3 lb bags of coffee beans on the tarp.

Also about half the sugar I had.

All but 3 pounds of salt and half the pepper.

The case of toilet paper less 9 rolls.

I set my 10-22 HB off to the keep side and 5 of the Butler Creek 25 round magazines and all my subsonic 22 LR ammo as well as 4 bricks of ammo.

I put 6 bricks on the tarp. Along with 5 more mags for the 10-22 I gave them earlier.

I set my 308 and all the ammo I had for it on the keep pile

I pulled a long case out and opened it, looked at my sweet Savage Heavy Barrel 300 Magnum with the 12 power Leopold scope I laid that on the tarp along with 300 rounds of hand loads.

I stood there a moment weighing things in my mind and then laid my AR 15 on the tarp along with all the magazines and 2 50 cal cans of ammo. Bill started making sounds like he was out of breath and I smiled at him and opened my last gun case .

There was my beautiful made in America Arsenal Inc Milled Receiver Ak-47 with the Ultimak gas tube scope rail… with a Eotech sight on it .this was going with me.

I knew no matter how rough it got this AK would be right there at the end, still doing it’s job. That’s what these things do, they are just about bomb proof.

I had 10 mags and 1000 rounds of ammo for it. I had kept my 308, AK, 870 10-22 and my Pare 45 and maybe a few other little surprises. Oh and my old Kbar I liberated from the Marines about a 100 years ago.

All in all I had really thinned the herd but I had more then I could use really and had really lightened the load for the mules while allowing me to Pack more food which I was gonna need more then a ton of guns.

I looked at the Brothers and their families who were looking at me like I was either crazy or crazy. Bill started to say something but I stopped him . I told them that I would have had to dump most of this before I ever saw home and seeing home was first and foremost in my mind.

I told them to put their loot away and to decide between them what they could spare for it but to not go crazy as they would need everything they had plus more.

After dinner I went out to the bags I had clothing in and removed a rolled up towel and went back inside, Bills wife jumped up and said she had towels and would show me the bathroom.

I kinda laughed and unrolled the towel and set a quart of Johnny Walker on the table. Bill and Bob I swear had tear in their eyes.

We spent the evening sipping the good stuff and talking about the past, the future and what we thought would shake out after the smoke cleared.

None of us even knew what had happened and with this ranch being so far out in the middle of nowhere it was likely to be a long time before they knew.

As much as I was enjoying their company I knew come first light I’d be moving out and I expected to be wore out by days end. I hadn’t spent a day on a horse in 25 years but I knew it would come back.`

I needed to pack so I’d be ready early, the brothers came with me and we sorted thru the stuff and finely ended up with 2 pretty even loads.

These packs wouldn’t need to be unpacked unless everything got soaked in a storm or crossing a river, just take them off at night and try to use evenly from each.

I was worried about over loading the mules but the brothers assured me the load was light compared to the usual loads they packed.

I decided to dump the extra ammo into canvas feed bags they had and leave the cans.

After looking at it I could see I was over loaded with 12 gage ammo still so I cut it back to 100 rounds of each if buck and slugs.

I still had plenty of trade good since I didn’t intend to shoot my way across the country.

The Ladies announced supper which I must say was a feast, I won’t even bother describing it except to say that poor riding mule was gonna earn his keep for sure.

After supper it was back to the barn to double check the loads. They used a old fashion method by hanging a cross tree from a rafter and a pack from each side making it easy to level the loads then weight all 4 against each other and soon they were even.

Bill went in the house and returned shortly with 2 bags that contained more junk silver coins and then pulled another from his pocket which he poured into his had and it was small gold coins.

I told his it was too much but both said no it’s not even close to enough. Bob said “ John, in truth we figure you saved our lives because while we have LTS ( long term storage ) food enough for a few years we were really caught short on ammo and thanks to you we might make it now”.

We just all smiled and shook hands and pulling up a stump so to speak we passed that bottle around a bit but we all sipped sparingly. Soon enough it was dark and time for bed, it had been one long day for sure.

But a peaceful night wasn’t in the plan. Along about what felt like midnight or so I heard one of the lads on the roof say something followed soon by one of them moving down the ladder.

I whispered to him asking what was up, he whispered back that he had heard what sounded like a car door shutting out by the road. He moved quietly on to the house to pass the word.

Right about now I was thanking a sweet lady in Texas who was one of the most prepared and smartest people I know. She not only knows all about whistles and bells she also has them.

Before I headed off on this trip she had loaned me or insisted I take one of her neat toys, it was a night vision device that while not for use on a weapon could for sure help one control the night.

In truth I had forgotten about it until now. hard to believe but there it is. I dug it out and powered it up and headed up the ladder to the

crows nest where I found the other lad hunkered down looking over the wall.

I asked where and he pointed toward the road . I put the sight to my eye and turned the night to green day and sure enough there was a group of green blobs easing down the road towards the log pile.

As soon as they got there they all hunkered down behind the logs making it pretty clear their idea was to wait till morning and ambush the men and anybody else when they came out to do chores.

There was a slight sound and Bill eased up beside me, I handed him the sight and pointed he raised it up and looked thru it and then looked at me.

I could see his teeth in the dark.

He whispered in my ear that he wanted to leave the sight with the boy and he and I would ease back down the ladder for a brainstorming session.

After we were down we went to the other side of the barn behind some bales of hay and talked it over. And we came up with a plan that just might work.

Bob joined us and we told him what was going on and he agreed to the plan. Which consisted of one of them and myself heading away from the back of the house a ways and then flank them.

We would check their vehicles and see if they had left a guard behind. If so I’d take him out with the Ruger with the can. We did talk about that a bit since we really had no idea just what these folks wanted but it was real clear it wasn’t a friendly visit.

We decided to wait until about an hour before the first bit of the coming dawn when they would all be tired. We could prepare and rest up.

At full day light the brother who stayed behind would call out to these people asking what they wanted. I figured we’d get the drift real fast.

It was decided Bill would be the one to go with me and I suggested he take the Savage 223 I had traded them and I had my 308. From 300 yards away these guys were in a hurt.

I did sleep , surprisingly and woke up at 0400, I dug out a set of cammies and my soft soled boots. I was dressed when Bill came back dressed almost just like me, we smiled at each other and set to getting geared up.

I took the night sight back from the JR. up in the crows nest since we would need it. Also telling him to get down out of there as it wasn’t bullet proof. I was amazed that thru all this there hadn’t been a sound .

Then I had a thought and asked Bill why this was the first ranch I ever saw that had no dogs. He looked grim when he said their 3 cow dogs all disappeared one night a week earlier.

Now it seemed pretty clear why. Some body had been stalking this place for a while and I had a feeling when their spotter saw the load in the old truck they decided now was the time.

Well we would see about that very soon. Bill lead the way out a side door and past the house, all the time out of sight of the log pile. We walked about 300 yards away from the barn and then swung out and around the barn.

I was using the sight every few yards which was playing havoc with my right eye so I stopped using it for the moment.

After about a week of slow going we came to the road where I once again used the night viz to check out their ride.

It was an older looking truck and sure enough there was somebody sitting in the cab. We moved across the road and turned to ease up within a few yards of the truck.

I could smell something and it took a moment to realize the dumb shit was smoking a joint! I nudged Bill and he tapped me back he could smell it too he leaned over and whispered in my ear. Dope Kills!

Now I almost laughed out loud but was able to stop it. We lowered down to a prone position and I looked under the truck and there they were all laid out all comfy behind the logs.

I really owe that lady a lot when I get back to Texas! I had a feeling she had saved my life with the loan of this very expensive toy! And I had teased her a lot over some of her gear. That Crow was gonna be really hard to eat when I had to tell her about this little bump in the road home. I can hear her laughing right now!

Time passed, the earth turned, the sun started rising and hell seemed to be about to come to this peaceful place. I could see Bills face now and we both looked thru our rifle scopes and while we couldn’t see them clearly we could see their dark blobs against the lighter logs.

The pot smoker was at it again and I figured he wasn’t going to be a problem at all but I wasn’t prepared to find out. First shot and he was history.

At last it was light enough to see them, there was 4 of them behind the logs and of course the Cannabis Kid in the truck.

At last Bob’s voice was heard hollering out that he knew they were there and they should leave since they sure as hell weren’t gonna get what they were after.

One of the assholes shouted back that they wanted fuel and food and if it was given freely they would leave peacefully. If not they would take everything including the women.

Bob waited a bit like he was thinking about it and then said. well I doubt you can take us and I doubt you could be much of a threat to the ladies because they are used to real men !!!

That did it, Pandora’s box flew open and she was loose! They opened fire and the dipshit in the truck bailed out fumbling for a rifle.

I handed the Ruger to Bill who nodded his thanks and one pop and the stoner was on the ground.

Bill hit him again and then laid the 22 on the ground .

We eased forward until we were half under the truck each behind a tire and wheel. Looking thru the scope I swear I was looking at the twins of the three I dumped back at the camp ground. In my scope cranked up to 12 power I could see the jail house art from here.

Bill spoke low and said ok, you take the left side and I’ll start on the right, meet in the middle. I asked him what if some wanted to surrender. He just shook his head no.

On his count of three we both fired. They were shooting so much they never knew two were down, the next two went just as easy. And it was done.

We waited a while to see if anybody twitched but it was a waste of time. They rolled the dice and they paid the piper. Nuff said.

We stood up and waved at the house and Bob waved back and headed out to the log pile. I whistled at his and when he looked I made the fist sign for “STOP”.

He moved over behind some cover and Bill and I walked up on the bodies. When we were maybe 10 feet away one flipped over and raised a pistol but that’s all he got done. we both hit him before he was a threat.

Bob came out and looked at the pistol laying there by the mans hand and asked how I knew. I said I didn’t know but asked if he would walk up on a “dead” Grizzly? He said point made!

We started the nasty task of searching them and piling anything useful to the side. Mostly it was just their weapons and ammo.

The pistol was a 1911 Colt 45 and I smiled at the them and said well now ya got a 45 and I can lighten the load some more.

They just laughed and went to searching the pistol man, which turned up 3 more magazines. The holster and gun were not what you’d expect to find on a scum bag like this and I figured it was stolen from some other poor bastard these scum came up on.

Bill and I walked back to the truck on the road and looked in it finding some cases of canned foods and beer and boxes of candy bars and just about like they had hit a convenience store.

We left the doper where he laid after getting his weapon. Then we drove to the logs and unloaded the goodies from the back and reloaded the trash then with Bill driving we headed off down the road to a junction.

We stacked them in a pile and Bill took some plywood and spray painted 

“ Raiders’ and set it against them.

After that it was just clean up the mess, shoveling dirt over the blood and having a shot of JW even the two older boys had a drink, both looked a bit green but both had stood up well.

Surprising nobody Bills wife walked out and beat the hell out of the dinner gong! I guess it was her way of coping. We went in after washing real good and sat down to a big breakfast.

The women both sat there a moment then Bills wife took the bottle and took a small drink and passed to Bob’s wife. Then with no conversation we ate everything on the table.

By now the day was wasting away and the men both thought I should wait till morning and I agreed. I could feel the stress building real fast.

I had lived all my life pretty peacefully and while I had used my weapons while in the Marines and once as a cop the idea of shooting 5 men in less then what? 2 weeks? Three?..

So I decided that Texas was still gonna be there and I need to decompress and where safer and with better folks then here? I spent the rest of the day packing and unpacking the mules.

By days end I could almost do it in my sleep, I loaded them and got up on the Buckskin Mule and rode out a mile or so and made a circle and back to unload and do it all over again.

Bob told me that after a few days on the trail the pack mules would just follow the Buckskin without lead ropes, I looked at him like he was from another planet but Bob assured me this was so. They had raised these mules and trained them.

He also said if something spooked them it was best to not be tied to them but let them go and wait, they would come back to Buck. Nice!! I loved this part.

We spent the next three days doing this every day until it was just part of my muscle memory’s, speaking of which my ass was dragging every night and I was sleeping like a baby.

I also could tell I had lost weight even with the huge meals I was eating. But the day came that I knew I had to go. It was hard because these folks had become family, we had shared battle and bread. And JW!!

Which reminded me on the morning I was leaving I handed 3 more bottles to the brothers and watched them both smile and tear up at the same time. With hugs from the women and hand shakes from the youngsters and Both from Bob and Bill I climbed aboard Buck.

Bill was going to ride with me a ways and show me the pass I needed to go thru. He also had given me the Idaho Atlas and I gave him the Montana one I had. One of the tools I had taken from my truck was a set of fencing pliers, the handiest tools you could find in ranch country since barb wire had won the West.

Finely it was time to part company with this man who had become almost family and we had exchanged all the information we could.

I promised him that when things calmed down and vehicles were running again I’d come back to check on them. And that was a promise I intended to keep. One last hand shake and we rode away from each other. Neither of us turning to look back.

In all this time Molly had just lazed around the barn and now was wondering where the truck seat was, why was she having to walk?

Life’s rough in the new world, Suck it up buttercup!

I had taken both an Idaho and a US atlas from Bill and planned to use them a great deal. My plan such as it was. Was to simply head South and East and avoid any larger cities and towns.

I figure a small farm and ranch community might be more likely to pull together and form safe refuge for the area folks. And I sure hope I’m right.

I didn’t plan to be seen if at all possible until I wanted to be seen. I had already seen more then enough of the way things were shaping up. And frankly I was tired of having to kill people. Even really bad people who

needed killing.

I hoped to make at least 20 miles a day if at all possible but have no idea what I will actually do. This trip was uncharted territory for me. So I will just ride from can see to can’t see and when I get there I’ll be there.

It’s easy to have this attitude because there is no choice. Yes I could have kept the old Chevy and filled every thing that would hold gas and made better time.

Like maybe right into a roadblock or an ambush which besides ruining my entire day would most likely ruin my chances of making it home. Meaning we do it my way.

It’s funny when I think about anything it’s “WE” meaning Molly and me. I guess now it’s Molly, Buck and me. OH and the red mules.. Damn, we have a family!

After crossing thru the pass Bill showed me on the map he said to just follow the Southern slope as I’d be in open country which made riding easier as long as nobody saw me.

And not being seen was high on my list until I needed supplies which I hoped wouldn’t be for another 2 weeks. Time would tell and I planned to be looking for supper on the hoof so to speak. Meaning rabbits and such were fair game

I won’t shoot a deer until I have to because I will have to dry most of it and that will use up a couple of days. Which from the way my ass feels might be very welcome.

It was beautiful country I was riding thru and I wished I had somebody to share it with besides Molly but she was it and better then being alone.

Late in the afternoon we came up on a creek that had to be spring fed it was so small but the water was icy cold and it was a welcome place to stop. The day had drifted by with me just letting my mind drift.

But I was tired as hell and my butt was killing me so here we were staying. Besides it wasn’t long until dark and I needed to extra time to do the unpacking and getting the Mules settled down for the night.

Our pace had been slow and steady and Mules are great foragers so they had chomped every bush or clump we passed.

After unpacking them and watering them I tied them to the rope line I ran between two trees and brushed them down looking for rub marks on their backs and checked their feet.

These were some wonderful animals and well trained and gentle. So unlike the tales you hear about them. I put a small bait of grain in their nose bags and started on my camp chores.

I was so tired I was tempted to just crawl into my bed roll but that wouldn’t cut it so I as the saying goes Cowboy’d up and built a small fire to heat some canned beans and tossed in some of the sausage jerky which I was surprised to see was still holding it’s on.

I really wanted some coffee but had to think about it but decided if I made some tonight and saved part of it I could heat it while getting ready for the day! Good idea!! Amazing how you can find an excuse to justify what you wanna do !

My bed roll was laid out with a ground cloth under and over it, the fire was dying down and so was I. But I needed to watch the stars a bit because it amazed me that some folks refused to even think there had to be other life out there because their holy book didn’t say so

It also never mentioned the Dinosaurs but we know they were here before us. I never understood narrow minded people. God made it all, the heavens and the earth and us. Why would he stop there?.

These thoughts were so deep I never finished them I guess because the sun is up! And the Mules are stomping around wanting water. Damn ! I looked at my wrist at the band of white skin and just laughed out loud!

First things first, Fire, heat coffee, water mules and tie them out to graze a bit. Then I fixed breakfast for Molly and me. I had a can of potatoes and chopped them up in the skillet and crumbled sausage jerky over them.

After it was hot I added a small can of diced tomatoes with some kind of peppers in it.

Toss in a couple of Biscuits’ from the ladies back at the ranch and I had a feast for us.

I didn’t share the cup of coffee with Molly. I’m so bad.

After cleaning up the dishes and putting out the fire I repacked the panniers and brought the mules in one at a time, brushed them and loaded them.

When Buck was saddled and camp cleaned, trash buried and another drink for all of us we were off day two in this phase our great adventure.

I kept an eye on Molly because she wasn’t a pup anymore but she seemed to be moving better then usual, maybe fresh air and exercise was good for her too.

According to my map we would be crossing some roads today, no big ones just county roads and such but every road was possibly a trouble spot and would need watching.

Around midday we did hit a forest service road that was going in our direction so I took it. Easier on the mules and we would make some time since it winded down the mountain taking the easy route.

We crossed several streams where the animals could water and rest a bit. So far so good! It was hard to believe the world had ended or at least in a sense. Because it was a beautiful day and was just so peaceful up here in the high country.

Another day was coming to an end so I looked for a camp site which wasn’t all that hard to find in this kind of country. This was hunting country and there were spots where hunters in times past had set up camp.

I stopped at the next place where a stream ran close to the road. I moved us off the road a ways just because. And following what was to become a normal routine for a long time We set up camp.

I was just as tired as the evening before so once the chores were done I ate some jerky, shared with Molly and rolled into the bedroll and went out like a light.

I  did hear Molly grumble in the night and a mule stomped around a bit but nothing more.

Another day another dawn, funny how that works. I was slow getting ready to move out. I was feeling the effects of doing more then I was used to and admit it John, yer not a kid no more.

But get going we did and once in the saddle everything felt good so I guess my ass is getting used to it.

When I was young me and a few friends talked about riding the Continental Divide from the Canadian Border to the Mexican Border. Never happened as those things never do.

And now here I was, old as dirt with gray hair what there is of it and a beard doing just about what was planned all those many years ago. Except now I was doing it armed to the teeth and watching everything like a hawk.

Long about late afternoon I heard a sound I never thought to hear. A chain saw! Now this was interesting. It was off a goodly distance but still ahead of me so I needed to stay alert.

I debated riding on a ways but needed to find a spot for the night, which I did and simply followed what was now routine. Stock cared for, food heated, bed. Life is actually pretty simple if you throw away the watches and time clocks. Slow down and smell the coffee.

Come day light I got moving, chewed jerky in the saddle with Molly ranging out ahead as was now her custom. I think she’s getting into this stuff. Seems to be doing better by the day.

After almost an hour easing along the Forest Service road I finely heard the  sound of an ax in the distance. It’s amazing how clear sounds are up here with no traffic noise.

As I got closer to the sound I slowed even more and finely stopped in the shadows of some tall Fir trees. Nothing sounded out of place to my ears just the slow steady axe thunking into what I figured was firewood.

Well now what was I gonna do? I could ride around the area but it was pretty steep here and it would add an extra day of two just to do so. I decided to do as Bill said and loose the mules.

After that was done I started on down the road until I smelled smoke and food cooking which was smelling really good I might add! I started Buck moving again and shortly I could see smoke drifting thru the pines.

I was just about to step down off Buck when Molly growled, looking at her I saw her tail flagging and her hackles up, She was looking off the side of the road but I couldn’t see a thing.

Then I heard a voice. It said “ Well now, I ain’t seen a set of Tiger Stripes in must be Nye on to 45 years. I sat frozen in the saddle thinking what a green horn fool I was. The voice chuckled and continued, Yep he said, musta be 45 years ago, and them ol boys weren’t riding no beautiful Mule!

Finely I said  “Well if your not gonna shoot me can I un freeze“?

He said “ Well ya know, I don’t think anybody riding cross country on a mule is looking for trouble so why not just step down and we can chat a bit.

I was more then happy to do so since if need be I could at least make a go at my 45. Better then not trying at all.

Out from some brush that now looked more like it was placed there not grown there stepped a man about my age wearing woodland BDU’s carrying an AR.

We looked each other over a bit and he finely stepped closer and put out his hand. And said “ Names Harvey, Harv for short. He had a firm hand shake not one of them dead fish types.

To avoid the usual comment I told him I was Long Walker, he nodded and said “yer lucky coz ifn my daddy’s name was Walker I’da been named Johnny!” Well I had no choice , I just flat busted out laughing while he smiled at me. Then said, “got ya didn’t I?” I had to admit it was so.

He was a tall skinny ol boy with the hills of West Virginia in his voice. Long hair worn down on his shoulders and bush hat. He saw me look at the scars on his neck and left hand.

I knew what it was coz I’d seen it before, long ago. He nodded and said. Up in the Ia drang in 65. I just nodded at him, what was there to say?

I asked him about his comment on the Tiger Stripes. He said a while after he returned from the hospital his unit was pulling security at a fire base and they were told some friendly’s were moving thru about dark.

He said the people made radio contact and popped smoke, after being given the ok they filed out of the jungle.

In his words “ Well sir, them was the wildest bunch I ever did see, they was all wearin them stripes and even their faces were painted in stripes. It took us a moment to see that it was 8 Americans and about 30 little people who turned out to be hmong fighters.

“They was all carryin them AK’s even the Americans who turned out to be Marine Force Recon types. Them boys had been out in Indian country so long they even squatted like the Hmong.”

He said the unit was kept away from the other troops and after loading up on food and patching up some who were wounded they just up and walked right out disappeared like smoke in a breeze.

They were later told it was a hunter killer team who did just what their name implied, they hunted down the enemy and killed them. I just nodded at him and said yea I seen em too. Which I had, up close and personal.

Harv said come on I’ll take ya down to our place. I asked about him leaving his post but he smiled and said hell there was two of his boys out there learning to do the job.

I told him they was doing a good job since Molly never noticed them, he smiled with pride and said yea they’s gooduns. I enjoyed his dialect because I served with ol boys from his neck of the woods. It brought back memories of good men and hard times but lots of laughs too.

We walked on down the road with Molly in the lead and Buck and his buds following along with the occasional pause to rip parts of some bush to eat. I love mules for this reason. They will eat damn near anything. Easy keepers.

Walking into his ….I guess FOB ( forward operations base) is the only words to describe it , was a flash back to the land of bad things. Except there was pine and fir trees not jungle growth.

I started to think maybe Harv had spent a little too much time out in Indian country himself. He sure as hell hadn’t forgotten any lessons that were learned the hard way.

The place was shaped like a triangle with a solid earth covered log bunker at each point to allow good fire support to any other point.

There looked to be about 20 people I could see and I knew there was a bunch I didn’t see. He walked me thru the tangle foot barbed wire in the usual zig zag pattern that slows attackers down a bunch.

His tangle foot was laid out perfect, and he really did it using two layers, one too low to crawl under and the top one a bit to high to crawl over. Anybody trying was a deader.

After we were inside the walls it was laid out with the living areas built as a series of  snug above ground earth bermed bunkers would be my name for them but they were also nice living areas.

I was just flat blown away with what I saw and it must have showed cause Harv laughed and said remind you of anyplace? I said nope, we never had a thing this nice.

He took me into the biggest .. I guess bunker will have to do, and inside  it was real nice and comfortable and big enough to use as a fall back last ditch stand fighting position but was also the mess hall and entertainment center and school which was going on in a corner.

We took a seat at a picnic table and within seconds a young girl about 16 had cups on the table with another looking like a twin bearing a big coffee pot. She said “Pops Mom said she will be serving breakfast to the first wave in about uh hour and yawl gotta make do with this till then.” This was a big hunk of apple pie!

I looked around and after swallowing my first bite of the best apple pie I’d ever eat I asked just how the hell this came to be. Harv was an ol boy who loved to tell a tale I could see that.

He said well the main area here is a patented mining claim about 20 acres, the rest is just squatters rights he said with a grin.

Seems that Harv and his clan had all moved to Idaho after reading a book by a guy who was a believer in being prepared. He said they all read the book and all agreed to get the hell out of where they were. So 10 years back that’s just what they did.

The pooled everything they had after selling off about 150 years of living in the Mtns of West Virginia and headed west. But first Harv and two of his brothers came out and looked the whole state over.

Being mountain folk they didn’t cotton to the flat lands so they headed for the high country. And there they found Mining! Now one thing a West Virginia man has in his blood is mining and even though is was Silver not Coal they were happy as could be.

They all three found jobs right away and with the promise to not only return but to bring a whole bunch of men just like them they returned home and packed up lock , stock and barrel and here they were.

This mining claim was something they went to looking for right off and after digging around it they knew that with hard work they could get enough Silver out of it to start preparing for whatever came.

He said the USFS being the huge pain in a working mans ass they are tried to revoke the patented  rights to the land but weren’t able to do it so they tried gating them out, that didn’t work and pretty soon the Timber Nazi’s saw they were good stewards to the land and stopped fighting them.

All the building I could see was preplanned and they had a small dozer and had been doing what they could without pissing the Feds off. And sure nuff one days it happened.

And they just loaded up everything that wasn’t already in their mine tunnel into their older pickups and headed here. I was wordless , I had never seen such a thing in my life.   

After a super good breakfast Harv took me on a tour of the place which had so much more to it then meets the eye. Back in a small gully we followed a trail that lead to a …valley being the wrong word I’d have to say clearing that was one big garden with a small spring fed stream running thru it watering the whole area but being late in the year it was all put away in the cave and canned.

They had about a hundred hens running around scratching and bug hunting with two youngsters up in perches with a couple of old 22 single shot rifles to ward off critters looking for a chicken dinner.

And I was astounded to see a couple of milk cows and some goats. These people had it going 15 ways from the center. I’d never seen nothing like it in my life. But I was making mental notes as fast as I could so that when I got home there was gonna be some new ideas. Which made me stop and once again think of home.

After we were done touring we went back for more coffee and since breakfast was coming we settled in to wait which got some words from his wife with a smile added. I think lazy and gabby were two of them.

While waiting for breakfast I had told Harv and one of the brothers what I was doing and why I was doing it the way I was, both agreed it was best since they knew first hand as did I just what was going on out there.

They had an outpost a few miles from their compound manned 24/7 by members of the group. And the reports called in daily from the over watch point were bad.

Even decent types were in a shoot first mode and to hell with the questions. So far they had only had to turn back a few people who had somehow gotten vehicles running.

They had as yet to fire the first shot and just shook their heads in dismay at my report of my involvements with raiders. But I could see that with a lot of thought and preplanning they had beat the odds and truly were prepared far beyond what most “preppers” were able to do.

Now these ain’t the rich types you read about in most shtf stories. You know, the type who has a few million bucks and one day decided to build a fort. Nope these were working folks who all got the same bug bite at the same time and who come with a family /clan type mind set. Nope these ol boys did it the old fashion way, They Worked for it!!!

After the lunch I was offered a bed for the time I was staying which was not going to be very long. Harv and his brother asked what supplies I could use and flat refused to let me pay with the silver of which they seemed to have plenty.

Being hardheaded I asked how they were set for ammo and received a smile so that was out. It looked like I was just going to have to accept their generosity or hurt their feelings.

I explained I had been using my can goods since it was what I had plus cans didn’t break. Harv took me into the mine tunnel which was flat out awesome! They had not only braced the thing six ways from Sunday they had turned the side areas into more dorm rooms and recreation areas.

Best of all was the “cold” room which was sealed off from the main shaft by what looked like a reefer door, inside looked like a warehouse for a grocery chain.

Walter, Harvs brother said they had spent the past few years building this room and filling it. And I believed it. There was enough food in there to feed 5 times their numbers for a long time.

Harv grabbed a flat bed cart and took a case of Denny Moore stew off a stack and placed it on the flat bed, next was a case of canned butter, canned bacon  powdered eggs and milk.

I had to remind him my mules had to pack all this but he said not to worry that we would take some of everything and the rest would be added to the store room in the dinning hall.

After he had loaded all he could pile on the cart we pushed it thru another door into a room carved out of the rock and thru another door into the store room of the kitchen. I was just blown away… again.

We set out to figure where to pack it so I started unpacking when I noticed Walters eyes open wide.

He was looking at the 45 ammo. I asked if he was short and Harv said that was an understatement as they had placed a order but it never made it. So now I was off the hook for their kindness.

I had way more then I needed simply because if I went thru the rifle and shotgun ammo a 45 wasn’t gonna save me, so I took out 200 rounds and gave them the rest which made them both smile big.

I also had a lot of 7.62x39 but they had bought all Ar’s in 223 and were heavy in that. I did offer and they accepted some 12 gage buck. All in all it was a wonderful surprise to meet such people such as these.

I knew out there in the cities it was 100 percent different and I once again thanked the Big Boss for the chance to see home again.

I told them that I would stay the night but at first light I had to roll out and keep going. How easy it would have been to stay here or back at the ranch but I just couldn’t.

After a wonderful dinner and a drink or two I headed for the bed and slept the night away, Molly seemed to be happy with the place too.

Morning came and I was up and dressed and heading out to get the mules packed. Their loads were heavier but we were steadily moving down to lower elevations and I’d be lightening the load daily.

Once again I was saying good by to good people, the kind that would be needed to rebuild a nation from the ashes of stupidity.

With hand shakes from the brothers I mounted Buck and headed out of the compound and back onto the road. I had told them of my promise to return after things settled out and I’d stop and see how they had faired .

With a final wave and good-bye we rode away into the new day. Molly in the lead, the red mules following on their own and Buck stepping out like he had someplace to be.

We were heading for a trail Harv had showed me on his map which now was my map. We couldn’t follow the road because it lead out to the Interstate system which was not a good place to be.

It wasn’t bad climbing out of the canyon and up onto the open country where we headed down the spine of the range. I knew from Harv that we were in empty country for the next several days and other then crossing some old jeep roads were not likely to see anybody and more importantly not be seen.

And so it was for the next several days. Ride all day, make camp, eat, sleep and get up and do it all over again. And to a degree it was kinda boring. In fact it was real boring but I hastened to remind myself to be careful what ya wish for!

I truly ain’t got the words to describe the beauty of the high country and how it can make one feel both powerful and small and insignificant all in a moment.

I remember some words I read once. At least I think I did, hell maybe I dreamed them but no they are to eloquent to have been a by product of my brain.

Anyway it goes…

“Nothing can compare with sitting on a good horse up high because when your do so, you can see all the way to God.”

I hope sitting on a mule don’t reduce the point…

There is a clean quality to the air in the high Mountain country that can not be duplicated by anything except perhaps being far out to sea facing into the wind. Regardless they are both wonderful and I have been privileged to have experienced both many times.

I often stop in places where the sun has warmed the boulders and just sat having a drink of water, pouring some for Molly who lays at my feet to make sure I don’t sneak off on her.

The mules enjoy it too since they can graze and often I watch them staring out across the miles of empty country and the unending blue sky that inspired the name “ Big Sky Country” which of course was back in Montana but applied here as well for is it not the same sky?

This way of life is good and if my family were not needing me and I not needing them and to be there making them safer by my presents I could stay up here and let the world sort it’s self out.

But I think this and yet I know I would not because if the good people hide from evil who then will end the evil? I’m not brave nor a self righteous person but for all my faults I know right from wrong, good from bad.

And five dead men back in Montana will never hurt anybody again because I chose to become involved, what man could call himself a man and not do so?

My how things changed. It would be so easy to say it happened so fast but in truth it started a long time ago. When fools sent fools and crooks to Washington to make stupid laws and to make themselves rich.

No, it wasn’t quick but it seems so to those who had no ability to see and understand what was being done to our nation, our people and our way of life. I knew millions were dying as I sat here on this mountain yet there was nothing I could do about it today.

Had I been braver years back and had I the conviction to do what needed doing would it have helped? Should good men die in wars started by evil men desiring to bring about changes to better control others from a seat of all power?

Should a congressman ( Person? Hahaah) be removed by force if necessary to preserve all that is right about America? The answer in my heart is a resounding “YES!!” but can one man alone bring down their army of evil men?

We should have tried and it will rest hard on our souls that we did not. I’ve often asked. Could one good man with an honest conviction of right and a good rifle have prevented WW 2 ?? 

Had Hitler, dying at the hand of a good and decent man willing to die for right have accomplished an end to the hell that was coming? We will never know but 100 million people had to die before the slime bag ended his own worthless life.

But for a nail the shoe was lost, but for a bullet all was lost for many years. Damn this sitting in the sun is cooking my brain! Best be making some miles.

I feel like I’ve been on this mule all my life yet I’m broke in to it now and I’ve lost the “Deer Gut” I packed for so many years, I know Buck can tell the difference.

We had been steadily dropping down out of the high country for days now and were getting into more crowded country. I was figuring it might be wise to travel after dark, laying up during the day but it would be a lot slower and time was hounding me yet I know I have many weeks if not months to go.

After so long in the high lonesome I was quick to notice the smell of smoke and at first thought it was a camp fire but soon it was quite obvious that it was a structure burning. Or rather that had burned just from the smell of stuff like wiring and carpeting.

It was time to become cautious. The wind was quartering from the west and a bit south and I could have just ridden on past but I also couldn’t damn my nosey ways!

So I turned Buck into the breeze and road forward into what? Sometimes I hate myself! But I’d hate myself more if I thought somebody needed my help.

And in the end the only help I could give was to bury the folks I found in the yard of a burning house. A man and woman and two small boys. All shot at close range and worse yet the clothing of a woman. All had been cut from her body while she stood in the blood of her family.

I was burning with rage as I studied the tracks in the dirt of the drive way. It looked like maybe a truck and for sure a few motorcycles. I knew I was going to be too late for the girl but if I could I’d see if I could find the bastards who did this.

I got my shovel and started digging a grave big enough to hold the family. After it was dug I looked for the mans wallet and found it in his pocket.

His name was Tyler Jones, I never found anything with the family names but  I’d do the best I could for them.

After I got them buried I started tracking these scum and on a dirt road it wasn’t hard. But it was in the wrong direction for me so no matter how I felt I couldn’t spend too long on this.

We covered about 5 miles before I started to hear loud music, which surprised me. Figures, the worlds electronics are burned out as some dickhead gets heavy metal going.

I got as close as I dared before I rode Buck into the woods and behind some brush. I unsaddled and un packed the mules and left them loose in case I didn’t make it back.

I had to think a bit about what weapons I wanted and settled on the Ruger pistol with the can on it, and my Ak, Put on the Tac vest with 5 mags for it plus one in the rifle.

Molly and I started moving closer with her on a 10 ft leash. Molly hates thunder and lighting and gun fire so she was going to be kept close until the shooting started.

After that she was free to run back to the mules and wait. If I didn’t make it she was on her own and I hoped she would maybe back track to Harvs camp but had my doubts.

I got closer to the loud music and soon could see smoke thru the trees. They must have just moved this far before they couldn’t wait any longer to use the girl. It was a mistake. A bad one.

I made it within 30 yards of their camp and saw 3 dirt bikes and an old pickup and what looked like 5 losers, one of which was in a tent with the woman while the rest shouting encouragement.

I was still trying to figure out how to do this when the one in the tent let out a blood curdling scream and staggered out of the tent. Pants around his boots and both hands where his dick used to be.

Everybody stood frozen for a moment trying to understand out what was going on when the woman charged out of the tent buck naked and a bloody knife in her hand! Which she abruptly drove low right into one of the shitheads gut and ripped it straight up.

Before the others could react I shot them. The Ak was incredibly loud and seemed to echo all around the low hills forever which was about 5 seconds.

The one the woman had gutted was just standing looking at his insides becoming his outsides. Nasty! Then he dropped to his knees and fell over.

The dickless wonder was still flopping around holding his crotch while the woman watched him bleeding out all the time screaming Help me!! Help me!!

The lady walked back into the tent and came out with his missing unit and in mid scream she shoved it down his throat! This was one tough gal! who was just now beginning to understand the rest were dead.

Looking around she saw me and fear flashed in her eyes for a moment until she figured out I had killed the other three. The first one had finished choking on his own Johnson and was blue in the face.

She watched me for several minutes then looked around at the bodies and seeing that one was smaller then the others she started going thru their gear until she found his bag and found some pants and a shirt that sorta fit.

Now I have to admit I was waiting for her to collapse and start going into shock but it just never happened. I figured she had to be either the toughest woman on the planet or she was a Psycho.

I watched her finish getting dressed and waited. Finely she looked at me and quietly said thank you. I just nodded, I figured she would do as she wanted and it was her choice. Because right now she sure as hell didn’t need a strange man telling her what to do.

After a bit she went to the truck and found some bottled water and some candy bars which she wolfed down way to fast while washing them down with the water. At last she seemed to run out of steam and just sat down  and then threw up all the candy and water.

I walked over and got her some more water and told her to drink it slower and to chew another candy bar also slow. She did so. After that stayed down I asked if these 5 were the only ones? She nodded yes and looked at me and then stood up and said will you help me search their gear for stuff I can use?

We went thru their stuff and found a lot of guns in the truck but not much ammo. It looked like they had stole it all from somebody’s home. I asked her if she could use a gun which got a sad smile and a nod.

She finely picked out a 30-30 Marlin rifle and a 9mm Glock simply because they had the most ammo for them. After getting her picks into a pack we walked away and back to my animals.

She perked up when she saw the mules and really did when Molly ran to her all happy dancing. I really wanted to get away from the area in case they had friends so I packed the mules and climbed on Buck and offered her a hand and an empty stirrup. She grabbed my hand and seemed to float up on Buck like a feather.

I felt her tensing up when we got close to the burned out house but she calmed when she saw the grave. I stopped Buck and she slid off and walked over to the grave and stood for a moment.

She turned to me and said “They were good people “. She said they were her Fathers sister and her husband and she had been there only a few weeks. Since her Dad had died a month or so back.

She looked at me and said. Are you the kind of man who can be trusted with women folk ? I smiled and said well I like women but I avoid the ones that play with sharp knives! She nodded and kind of smiled . Then asked where I was heading? Texas I said to get back to my family.

She nodded again looking at me and at last said well I’ve never been to Texas and I don’t have a family anymore. I smiled and said you do now if you want it. And with that we both laughed.

She told me these folks had some horses in a nearby pasture and saddles in the barn, So that was our next step. In the barn we found everything we would need for her riding needs. Better cloths would have to wait.

We went to the pasture and the horses came at a run. I finely asked the girl her name and told her mine. She didn’t get the play on my name. her name was Sandy, she never said her last name.

She knew the horses pretty well since in the few weeks she was here she rode often. The one she picked was tall and long legged and had the look of a part Arab. If so he was going to be perfect for this trip since Arabs had been winning most endurance races for ages.

Sandy started saddling her horse, While I was looking around the barn I saw a nice pack saddle set up and now I was thinking! Looking around for the grain barrels produced enough grain to last a good while so the next step was to figure out which horse was the pack horse.

That too was easy since there was only one that the set up would fit without adjusting all the straps. He was a stout looking gelding not too tall but big in the right areas. Part of me saw Morgan in him which was a type horse I always really liked.

After getting the pack saddle on him and filling the hard style panniers on him and filled with grain he still wasn’t loaded for his size so I added a  gunny sack to the top of the load filled with more grain. And feed bags for Sandy’s horse and of course for the big guy packing the load.

And with that we got the hell out of there and headed for the highest hills around. One thing the Marines always said was take the high ground, make the bastards get tired running up hill coz it slows them down and makes em easier to kill.

I pushed hard the rest of the day and stopped for the night in a small grassy meadow with a creek running thru it. We watered the stock and set the mules loose but kept the horses on lead lines until they were far enough away from the home place to be trusted.

I had spent a lot of time with a good friend who had the most barn soured horses I ever seen. I can’t remember the times he had to use my horse to ride back down the trail to get his.

It was a funny memory and I smiled which got a look from Sandy so I told her the story. She laughed and said well he never learned so why should his horses?  True!

Before we settled down for the night we walked down stream and found a pool about 3 ft deep and I told her I was going to take a bath and she could go first which she did.

She came back after a long while and looked like a new person. At least on the outside. I knew the inside was a different story. Grabbing my gear I headed down to the pool and while it was pretty cold it was wonderful.

Shaving wasn’t an issue as I had grown my beard 40 years ago and wasn’t shaving for anybody. And I didn’t have enough hair to worry about so I just kept my head shaved but without hot water I was letting it grow. Both of them! Lol .. After washing my hair I can’t do a thing with the one on the left.

Back at camp I was surprised to find a nice small smokeless fire going and a can of Denny Moore stew cooking. But after looking again I could see it looked more like two cans. Well this lady was gonna eat me outta house and home.

I never asked her a thing about her life but I did tell her about mine and about the things since the event. She looked a bit shocked when I said the 3 I shot to save her were 6,7 and 8 since the troubles started.

She sat a minute and did the strangest thing. She got the 30-30 and taking her knife she cut 2 little notch’s on the plastic butt plate she looked at me and said I never want to forget those two bastards. I guess I could understand that.

I woke up to the fire going and the coffee pot starting to bubble. I sat up and looked around and couldn’t see Sandy or Molly for that matter, but Molly was raised by a woman and I guess she needed female companionship. Hell I understood that!

After a bit they came back to camp and I could see Sandy had soaked again. I nodded at the coffee pot and said thank you. She smiled and said no, Thank you! I’d be dead right now but for you.

We had our coffee and some jerky which was getting low and something would need to be done about that soon.

She watched me doctor my coffee and called me a wuss so I flipped her off without thinking but she laughed out loud so I guess it was ok. But then she added sugar and creamer to hers so I called her a wuss and she flipped me off. Nice…..

I will say that traveling with anybody is better then being alone and if the other is an attractive woman with a good sense of humor that’s even better.

Sharing the chores got us back on the trail quicker then usual and we headed right out. I had studied the map before dark last night and could see we pretty much needed to head more South East a bit and also there was a bunch of highways and small towns coming up.

I needed to decide what to do about that. We talked it over and decided to just pick a small place and watch it for a day or so because we needed to get her some proper fitting cloths and some good boots.

Towards late afternoon we came to a paved road and were pretty sure where we were. Turning right would take us to a closer town but it was the wrong way so rather then go out of our way we went left.

I was spooky about riding on the side of the road but Molly was ranging out about a hundred yards so I was counting on her to warn us. I had no real idea just where we were but I knew we needed to camp and see what the next day brought.

We passed the night with a dry camp but the animals had watered at a creek just before dark and we had the canteens for our needs.

We ate jerky and water and went to bed. Later that night we woke up to a volley of shots off towards where the town was and soon after a loud vehicle raced past our area.

We laid awake for a good while but finely did sleep. After getting packed up and ready to go we talked about the fact that if the town had been hit by raiders the folks there might just shoot first and last.

We decided to circle around and see what it looked like from a ways off. Which we did. We found a hill where we could see the town pretty good with the spotting scope and watched it all day, taking turns looking.

It looked to be a town of a few hundred, A main street and a side street on each side. One thing I saw and I liked was both white and black folks were moving around and working together. That was a big plus as far as I was concerned.

After talking it over I decided I’d take the pack horse and ride in with her 30-30 since that looked about as non aggressive as could be. Sandy was going to ease in close and cover me with the AK which she said she could shoot just fine thank you!

I needed to find out just who this person was and where she came from and a lot more. She had skills most adult males didn’t have and another thing she wasn’t a whiner or complainer and never waited to be told to do anything.

I put about 40 dollars face value of old junk coins in a small cloth sack, put it in my pocket and swung around the place to come in from the side away from the way the vehicle headed.

I moved slow enough to give Sandy time to get as close as she could and still be hidden and then I rode out onto the road. Ahead was a roadblock with at least 3 people behind the old trucks sitting there.

I just rode right at them and didn’t act worried about anything and kept the rifle across my thighs. I wanted to look non threatening and yet unafraid at the same time.

They let me ride up within about 25 yards so I stopped and just waited. Finely one asked what I wanted so I said I needed to buy supplies if there was any if not then I’d like to keep going.

They whispered a bit and one asked how I was gonna pay so I said silver coins. They whispered a bit more then one got on a bicycle and peddled away. I asked for news and they said it could wait.

Soon the messenger was back said the mayor said let me in so I rode around their road block and on into town.

There was a small group of folks waiting there and most weren’t armed which was kinda funny but I figured it was their town. A man separated from the crowd and walked over and stuck out his hand and said his name was George Bradley the mayor of the place.

It wasn’t big enough to have a mayor but that was fine, I told him my name and he asked what they might do for me. I told him I had some silver money and needed some dry goods and some food if they had it.

He said dry goods they had but food wasn’t something they felt they could part with. I said fine with me can I look over your goods. He lead me to a store front and I tied the horse to a street light pole and we went in. It was dim in there but good enough to see.

The owner I assumed asked me what I needed but I said I’d like to just get a cart and look for my self. Which I did with them staying close.

I had Sandy’s sizes and started picking stuff that would be tough enough for the trip. I started to get Levies but saw Carharts and went for those, they are just better and tougher.

I got 4 pair in her size and two in mine, flannel shirts for both of us in earth tones. A belt for her and plenty of socks for both of us. I noticed she didn’t have a bra size and I was puzzled so I never even looked nor was panties listed. Strange but who was I to wonder.

I got a nice thigh length Carhartt coat for her with a hood and gloves for both of us and wool watch hats , then I got me a coat like hers with hood. Cowboy hats look good and shade the head but when the cold winds blow out onto the plains a wool cap and a hood make life so much nicer.

Looking around I couldn’t see anything more we couldn’t live without so I headed for the check out. The Owner said he wasn’t sure what the new prices should be against real money.

So he and the Mayor talked it over and came up with a figure that I had no idea was good or bad but I wasn’t gonna argue.

They came up with $30.00 in coins so I counted out that much. I had a canvas tarp used in packing stuff to tie on a pack horse called a mannie and I spread it on the counter and stacked everything on it and wrapped it up and tied it real good with some rope.

I thanked them and walked out the door and headed to my horse. I tied the bundle across the back of the saddle and started to mount when a large man pushed his way thru the crowd and demanded to know what the hell was going on.

I could see he was a problem for the Mayor because he was openly scared of the man but he did stammer out that I was just passing thru and needed some stuff.

The fool wasn’t going to let it go I could see that very clear, My Para was under my vest and the rifle was in my left hand so whatever was gonna happen he had the advantage and it was for sure gonna be loud.

I hoped the Mayor could calm the fool but I could see he couldn’t or wouldn’t so I asked what his business was butting into my affairs. That got his attention real fast. He was packing some kind of hog leg six-shooter tied down and had that big man about town attitude down pat.

Well he started turning red in the face and turned to face me and said “well now mister let me set you straight right now. Nobody is gonna come in here and just walk off with “our” supplies.

I did point out that I had paid fair asking price in real money for the stuff and since the seller and I were both happy he had no place in the deal. I was watching him real close and I knew he was going to do it before he knew it.

He grabbed for that gun and died right there of heart failure ! Well a bullet thru the heart will do that.

And no I wasn’t some kind of fast draw shootest. In fact I might not have made it. But Sandy sure as hell could shoot that AK !!

One shot from it sounded like 75 to 100 yards away and the mouth was dead. The Mayor was just getting up off the ground and the crowd was still in shock. I got on that horse and swung the old lever gun around and asked if there was gonna be anymore trouble?

These folks weren’t gonna last if they reacted this way to a bully getting his ass handed to him. None had so much as moved, all were froze, Well except the Mayor who was good at getting down!

The Man who owned the store spoke up and told the crowd I had paid fair price for my stuff and that was it. I just turned and rode right out of there back the way I came.

At the road block the guys asked me what the shooting was and I said just some fellow blowing his top. Nothing to worry about. I rode around their roadblock and headed out of there.

I cut off the road and beat feet back to our camp where I found Ol Dead Eye leading the pack string riding Buck and headed where we had agreed.

We switched critters and head out at a good clip and pushed it all day thru some rough country filled with gully’s. Neither of us talked we just rode and put miles behind us.

We came across several fences that I cut and repaired after we were through. It might seem silly with the world melting down around us to worry about such a small thing but in a way it made me feel better to do something in the right and normal way.

At last we came across a stream and stopped for the night. Sandy

helped unload the mules and said she would be right backed. When she returned she said there was a deep pool down a ways and it was bath time. I told her to take “her” AK which brought a smile. She took her kit and took off.

When she came back I took off down stream and found a nice pool. I spent the better part of an hour just floating and thinking about nothing at all just being I guess.

Finely I became aware of Sandy sitting on the bank with her AK. She just shook her head and I blushed and said your right. I’ll not forget my weapon again.

She wasn’t bothered by my being naked but I was getting uncomfortable. Finely she got up and walked away and I noticed my 870 shotgun laying close to the waters edge. Now I really was embarrassed .

I got back to camp and found her dressed in her new pants and a tee shirt both of which looked way to good on her. I kept my eyes to myself because I became aware she had no bra on and I really despised being a dirty old man.

She again had fixed dinner, this time it was chili and crackers. I asked how we were doing on food and she said we were ok for a week maybe 10 days if we could supplement the canned foods with fresh meat.

She had made some coffee and poured mine all doctored the way I like it, then she dug around in the pack and came out with a bottle of JW which she poured in her coffee and passed to me.

I was clearing my throat to say something when she said “John, I’m not a child, I may look like one but I’m actually 38 years old and what happened back there wasn’t my first brush with sex. But it was my first brush with rape.

And as long as I’m telling all, none of them had got to me yet , the one in the tent was the first and he wanted me to blow him and stupidly dropped his pants with that nice sharp knife just looking at me.

Him and the one I stabbed were the ones who lead the raid and they killed my people. And come hell or high water they were gonna die before I did.

So thank you for taking out the other three and thank your for burying the family.

So John, I’m not a child, I am a woman grown who don’t have big tits and I look like I’m 12 years old. So please stop walking on egg shells around me and stop treating me like a child.

Well she had me. I was flat out blown away, I really thought she was a kid. I just sat a moment before saying ok, I’ll treat you as an adult and not a china doll.

I told her the asshat in that town had me in a bad spot and she saved my ass. Now where in the hell did you learn to use a knife and shoot an AK I asked ?

She said it was an easy shot but to her eye the rifle threw a bit left. I had to laugh out loud. And made a come on motion with my hand. While she talked she carved another notch into the 30-30 butt plate.

She told me her dad had been a career Army officer and after her mom bailed out on them she was the son he always wanted. In a nice way, shooting, riding, fighting. You name it and they did it together.

She  had earned her jump wings after being schooled by her dad and his buddy’s. She sat there a moment lost in memories and suddenly smiled and said I may have small tits but I can shoot a squirrels balls off at 30 yards with most any thing you hand me!

I was again laughing and really liking this spunky lady, or woman but to me she seemed so young, Maybe coz I thought of myself as old? I was gonna have to work on that attitude.

Maybe it was the laced coffee but whatever things changed that night. No more tension. No more feelings of having taken on a big responsibility. Now I had a partner who had a pair of brass balls bigger then bowling balls.

Now if her balls didn’t get her killed we might just make it to Texas. Morning came and once again, the coffee was on the fire and she was gone but her Ak was leaning against her saddle.

Ok fair is fair. I grabbed it and headed for the pool.

She was floating on her back, long Red hair spread out in the water and she was right, she had small tits but they were perfect ! I looked but couldn’t see her brass balls I figured as big as they had to be they should have dragged her to the bottom.

I sat down just as she had the evening before and just watched her. After a bit I saw a small smile trying to not burst out into full laughter. At last I said are you gonna prune out or get out of there? She laughed and said took ya long enough to get here Ol man.

I answered by holding up her AK. She smiled and answered by holding up her glock in her right hand. She asked me if I ever saw the video of the test firing of pistols under water?

I had but said no what about it. She said well it don’t work for shit except in the movies, but out of the water they do a good job. I nodded and said well yea but you can’t keep submerging that ammo every time you wanna swim.

Agreed she said and walked out of the water. Proving beyond a doubt she was a real for sure redhead. She was one beautiful woman now that I was past the young thing. And very aware of it! She dried off with me watching and smiled and said soon John, Soon!

I handed her the rifle and dropped my sleeping shorts and walked into the pool. She walked off laughing leaving me needing the cold water. What the hell I thought, I’m an old man. But apparently not that old.

With a good nights sleep and an early start it looked to be a good day so we were just moving at the pace the critters wanted to move at. We were up on a long ridge with some large rocks scattered out at different distances so I asked her to try a few shots at one about the size of a basket ball maybe 100 yards out.

She slid off the horse, thumbed on the sight , flipped out the bipod

and went prone in seconds.

She fired her first shot and clipped the left edge of the rock, the second shot ditto and third the same.

I tossed her a dime and she made her adjustments and fired again still a bit left of center, a couple of more clicks and she was blowing the center out of the rock.

I told her to pick one about 200 yards out and she smacked it just fine. The girl wasn’t bullshitin she could shoot! With that she closed the bipod and turned off the sight and mounted up like a pro.

Since I lost my Ak, I was down to my 308 Savage Tactical so I needed to do my fighting a ways off or rely on the 870. But with Sandy at my 6 with the Ak I wasn’t worried about it. Also at the rate I was finding asshats with guns I’d probably have my pick in a few days.

I figured we were someplace South and east of Ashton Idaho near the lower slopes of the Teton Mtns. West of the park and Jackson Hole.

I figured there just had to be a small town someplace out here to add to our food supplies.

After looking at the Idaho Atlas I spotted a small dot that said Squirrel.

Now that had to be a small town or at least a place with a few folks who were probably doing pretty good.

But not being just exactly sure where we were in relation to the town I was kinda stumped. Sandy spoke up and said well lets head for the higher ground to the East and find a spot where we can see a light if they have anything to make a light or a fire.

She’s a sharp cookie for a woman and I so can‘t believe I wrote that.!!

So that’s what we did.

And towards late afternoon we found a nice high spot that over looked the entire country to the west. I swear if my scope was bigger we could have seen the ocean!

And she was right. Just at dark we saw some flickering bits of light to the south and closer to us then I would have thought. It looked like cooking fires or some such.

With the I compass  I found north and then just looked at the degrees to the West and hoped it worked.

I know I took map reading in the Marines but that was in the last century. And maybe it was with a needle on a thread instead of a compass. I said I was old.

But I promise I plan to learn now what I didn’t listen to then. Hard to believe most of us were willing to trust our asses to some 2 LT who wasn’t shaving yet to get us where we needed to be.

I’m so surprised I’m still alive! But some days God smiles on the lame and halt. Well somebody must because stupid kills.

Since we had eaten earlier and it was damn cold up here in the high timber we sacked out early. Sometime in the night I felt a chilly body slide into my bedroll and snuggle around my back. I knew it wasn’t Molly.

Morning came and I woke up spooned around a very warm and small body and my left had was cupping a small but nice round object. So I just laid there and didn’t move.

After a bit she did move and slipped out of the bed and went behind the bushes. Then she came back, looked at me and slid off her sleeping shorts and top and wiggled back into the bedroll.

Some time later and it’s none of your business how much later we got up and using some water heated on the fire we washed up and made coffee. I guess the transition from kid to full blown woman was done in a very nice way.

After coffee and some canned bacon and crackers with canned cheese  we packed and headed out. Neither of us said a word until about mid morning when Sandy said “ Old Man my Ass” ! and we both laughed.

Suffice to say we found Squirrel Idaho. And it was a nice little place. People were working outside in gardens and wash was hanging on lines. To call it small would be wrong, tiny..? yea tiny works..

Nobody seemed at all surprised at all to see us riding in as we were. Most folks just waved and kept working.

We stopped at what looked to be a general store or what passed for one these days. And noticed right away the new hitching rack in front.

Tying the  mules and telling Molly to stay we went in. We left our rifles but both had our handguns out in the open. Sandy hung back to watch the stock.

Behind the counter was an old gent and dusting the shelves was an old woman who looked up and smiled at me and then seeing Sandy headed over to her and started fussing like only an old granny can.

The old man said we was welcome but he was only taking silver coins or ammo. I said I’d look around if it was ok and he said help yer self sonny.

Mean time Sandy was chattering up a storm with the old woman and referring to me as “ Daddy” and talking about how horrible it was “Out There” and how lucky we were to have made it this far….I swear that gal should be on a stage! Daddy my ass.

The Old woman was tisking and tasking and shaking her head a mile a minute.. After a bit I said “Sandy honey, Daddy can use some help here!! “ this was fun, if only the old gal has seen my “Daughter” a few hours ago!! Lol…

I asked the old guy how it was that he still had supplies to sell ? He said that because of the bad winters here bouts he always had a store room full and that the men in town had got some old trucks running and had hit the freeway to the west and scored on several 18 wheelers sitting loaded with most everything in the world.

And since nobody was there they just towed them to town, I had to laugh at that. I love the practical attitude of the people city folks would refer to as hicks. City folks think food grows in stores and wouldn’t think of scavenging the roadways . Hell in truth neither had I!! (Note to self, file that one away.)

One thing we had was silver coins not to mention the gold coins. But where we were going the ammo might be worth our lives so we stuck with the coins.

While we were inside several people had gathered outside and were looking the mules over but seemed to be just interested in the show so to speak. I asked Sandy to fill our wish list while I went outside to see what was so interesting.

As soon as I walked out a man spoke up and said he wanted to buy Buck! I told him me and Buck had a long road ahead of us and we liked each others company. This guy looked like he wasn’t used to taking no for an answer and I sure wasn’t gonna lose Buck to anybody.

About that time Sandy came out and got their attention , she asked me quietly for some of the silver so I handed her the bag we had prepared for this eventuality.

Turning back to the store and the folks standing there she smiled and said

We are going home to Texas to our families and we need our mules so like my daddy said, they aren’t for sale.

Well the crowd started breaking up and drifting off but the one kept looking back at me then Buck. I headed inside to move things along and the old gent said that feller is a bad un and yawl need to keep an eye on him till yer way out of town.

I asked if he was a local and the old guy said more or less, that he was born here but between jail time and who knew what he was never around too long and it wouldn’t hurt anybody’s feelings if he left for good.

I was constantly amazed at the way the rural folks were taking this whole mess, they were just going on with their lives and to hell with the daily worries !

And how decent most were remaining. Outside of a few rotten apples it was not as bad as I knew it would be in the cities.

When we had the stuff we needed which included a good pair of boots for Sandy we headed out to load the stuff into the packs.

I was tying down the load when I heard the lever of Sandy’s 30-30 working, I looked up and saw the pushy guy and two others coming at us.

Sandy was standing behind the pack horse and was so short they couldn’t really see her …or the rifle. I was turned so they couldn’t see me very well but I knew trouble when I saw it.

One thing I did real quick was to step away from the mules and over to a car that had died right where it was. This put me away from the mules, and Sandy and it also placed them with their backs to her.

I wanted any bullets to be flying away from her and the livestock. I really didn’t want any bullets flying any place. Things were bad enough without some dumb bastard pushing his luck.

Seeing no reason to pretend this was a social call I simply said “ That’s far enough boy’s” The leader of the pack just laughed and said “look I was nice and offered to buy that mule. Now I’m gonna take him” and his hand twitched.

And I shot him, twice to the chest and one to the head. Just as I’ve trained for years. The stupid bastard thought he was just gonna walk up and push the issue with a bunch of talk like high school boys.

Welcome to the new reality of life in America! Or in his case death. He thought we would talk and argue and push each other a bit before we go to it. He was wrong, dead wrong.

I never took my eyes off him from the moment he opened his mouth until he was face down, and I heard the 30-30 blast off.

I turned to that threat and saw one of the two down and the other with his hands in the air and piss running down his pants front.

I also saw that fiery redhead slid the 30-30 into the saddle scabbard and pull the AK sling off the saddle horn. all in about 3 seconds.

The one fool just stood there with his eyes closed and shaking.

The old man from the store was standing at the door with a double barrel shotgun that had to be a 10 gauge and older then him.

I looked at him and said “he just had to push it.  He nodded and said well it was gonna happen one way or the other so don’t yawl worry about it. But best get to riding coz he had a few more friends here.”

And ride we did, hard! We cleared town and headed for the high lonesome and crossed a couple of gully’s only a horse could cross, no vehicle was going to.

After a few miles of switching back and forth we were clear if anybody came after us which I didn’t expect. In fact I kinda figured the locals were cleaning out the rest of the bad apples right about now.

We covered 10 miles before we really slowed to allow the animals to ease up, they were all in good shape by now so it wasn’t like they were about to drop. We found a creek and stopped to eat something and rest out butts.

Sandy sat a while and kinda chuckled so I had to ask what?… She asked if I ever saw the old movie “ The Outlaw Josey Wales “ I said well of course about 10 times why?

She smiled and said remember the line where the man chasing him said

“ Well he ain’t gonna be hard to track! He leaves a trail of dead men everywhere he goes”.

I  had to admit I remembered the line and she said well we are gonna get to be easy to track if this keeps up!

I had to look at her and wonder why shooting that man didn’t seem to bother her. And to her credit she read my mind just that fast. She said the one she shot was going for a pistol under his coat and she wasn’t gonna lose me to some no good trash like that.

And then she teared up and ran to me and curled up in my lap and had a good cry. After a while she stopped and said promise me something? I said “sure honey, I promise to be more careful in the future“.

She leaned back and looked at me all funny and said “well shit John I know your being careful ! I want you to promise to teach me to draw a gun that fast!”

She is a joy this redheaded runt with small tits and big brass ones! I promised her and thought about it for a bit and knew she was right.

We needed to work as a team which she was doing better then some men I’ve known as was proven back there in town.

But we needed to be better. Much better. And that was gonna take time and I made up my mine right then I’d teach her all I could while we rode and then camp early and work on it.

After we had made camp I had an idea and got out the Idaho Atlas and started scouring it for that little symbol  I had seen back in MT and Lady Luck was with me.

I found several hot springs located in the area to the east of where we were at the moment and since I had a slight idea of where we were in relation to where we had just been I figured we could locate one.

I never said anything to Sandy because I didn’t wanna fail and disappoint her. That night she laid out just the one bed roll and I guess that meant she was moving in.

It’s a good thing I had made my own sleeping set up. It wasn’t simply a sleeping bag it was wider and longer then the usual, because I’m wider and longer then the usual. And I hated not having room.

And since I had made this bedroll I guess I had lost damn near 100 pounds.  Being 6’6” tall I was big to begin with but I had really gotten lazy and larded the weight on but man it was flowing off now. I could feel it in my knees and back. Never again!

I was suddenly hit with the thought that if this SHTF event didn’t kill me it might have saved my life. I had forgotten all about all the pills and crap I usually took. They were gone and I was still here. Wouldn’t that be just the strangest thing? the world dies and I get a second chance.. Too deep.

Next morning I told her I wanted to head up in the higher hills a bit. She just smiled and said I was the boss while she carved another notch into that rifle butt plate. I thought yea right, but with a smile.

The first day in the search for hot water was a loss as was the second but on the third morning I caught a whiff of the sulpher smell associated with these hot springs.

It took some looking but I found it and it was worth the effort. We rode into the clearing where it was and it was a nice pool of hot but not too hot water.

Sandy said what the ??? Then jumped down and ran to the pool stuck her hand in and let out a yell. Scared the hell out of me, I thought she cooked her hand.

Then her cloths were flying and she leaped in with a big splash! Well actually a small splash since she’s a runt.

I took time to unload the animals and leave them to graze, Sandy was trying to coax Molly to the pool but she remembered her one time before.

I took off my cloths and after laying our rifles very close to hand I quickly grabbed Molly and tossed her in!

And handed Sandy her bath kit. She was hanging onto Molly who was dragging her around the pool trying to escape so I jumped in and between us we got her soaped , scrubbed and rinsed then let her go. Poor molly, pissed off but clean!

We spent the better part of an hour in the pool, washing each others hair and other things and made love in the hot water. I finely had to get out because it was just too much, Hot water, hot woman and old man!

I got dressed and started gathering wood and decided to build a wind break near the hot pool, sort of a lean-to as a sleeping place with the warm ground it would be nice.

Sandy saw what I was doing and just went to work, this girl just takes a second to process then engage. No matter what it is, working loving or shooting.

So far she had saved my bacon twice when I was whipsawed and never blinked. He dad must have been one hell of a man and a great father! She and I are both lucky with that.

After setting up a comfy camp and gathering plenty of fire wood we took our rifles and did a patrol which we should have done first thing. I was getting too relaxed for our good.

We did a big perimeter patrol and saw nothing to worry about. We did see some deer. We decided this was the place to hunt and make jerky. Before we headed into more dangerous country where we might not have the time or safety to have a fire going all the time.

We gathered plenty of dry wood for the meat drying and I was wishing for some good Hickory which grows all over the area in Texas. That would be awesome! But we don’t so it ain’t.

Later that evening Sandy asked if I had ever seen one of those beehive ovens like they use in rural countries. I said nope but I seen a picture and I think I could build one why?

So after a nice comfy night with her sleeping next to me we are building her an “ Earth Oven”. So far it’s going pretty good. We found a nice flat stone of good size for the base.

The only problem was moving it the 2oo yards to the camp site. Finely we simply hooked a rope to it and Buck just dragged it for us after being promised a treat by the softy.

After placing the stone where she wanted it we gathered small flat rocks for the walls. We didn’t have the usual sand to build the shape to cover with clay so we just used mud and green grass as clay and used it to hold the stones in place.

Getting the round dome part was killing us until Sandy said screw it lets just find a flat stone to place on top. Nobody says it’s gotta be a round dome. it can be a flat dome.

Now I was pretty sure a dome is in fact rounded but since I never built one and besides who cares? So we looked for and found a smaller flat rock to lay on top of the rounded walls and used the same mud, grass combo as before we plastered the outside then the inside.

When it was done we built a small fire in it to bake the mud which I had doubts about but it seemed to hold ok. We then made a bigger fire and let it get so hot the outside was too hot to touch.

In the meantime Sandy had been busy with the corn meal and other stuff and soon filled the cast iron skillet with batter. After raking the coals out she placed the skillet in the oven and leaned another flat stone against the opening.

After about a half hour she opened the door and took out the skillet which had some beautiful corn bread in it. we were laughing like kids and opened a can of butter and a jar of Strawberry Jam and just pigged out.

I sat looking at this simple thing and realized it was used all over the world by people who lived daily in what to us was a SHTF life. But for them it was just their every day life.

We are a nation of soft wuss’s who have allowed our children to become couch potatoes. Give the kid a video game player and some trashy games and they don’t bother you. Well, not anymore.

I guess what one man thinks of as a SHTF day another would classify it as a pretty good day compared to the day before. It’s all in ones perceptions I guess.

As a nation we went from being a subservient group of scattered villages to the mightiest nation in all of history.  Now here we are thrilled that we could duplicate the oldest oven in history with rocks and mud. It was both sad and uplifting. I can’t explain it.

I know this trip was opening my eyes to so much that we allowed to go wrong and what was worse was that so many of us saw it happening and did nothing to stop it.

But could we? Have stopped it I mean? how? I think it truly would have taken a full blown civil war to root out the bastards we allowed to destroy our country. 

I mean the fat cat self important Senators and House members. And the people who bought and paid for them. What was the choice ? Charge the ramparts and drag them out kicking and screaming?

Take them to the nearest lamp poles and hang them for being traitors to their Oath of office? For stealing the trust of the people?

Samuel Clements supposedly said “ While hanging it’s Lawyers and politicians might not help the country as a whole, it would be a great deal of fun and would do no harm to Decent folks” 

I think he was right. Look at the crap Nancy Pelosi pulled, flying back and forth on a huge Air Force plane to Californication every week end. Costing us tax payers hundreds of millions just so her fat ass could be comfortable and not be sharing a seat with the “lower classes”.

I’ll get that rope.!!!

No in a lot of ways things are going to get better but so many will have to die before it does. As long as some son of a bitch don’t shoot off a few nukes we still have a chance.

Sandy and I decided we would stay here for a few days to rest the animals and our butts. Not to mention get some fresh meat which was on the agenda around day break.

We also spent a lot of time teaching her to draw her pistol working with the holster location until just could draw from damn near any position. Now practice , practice and then practice some more until it becomes second nature.

We spent another long time soaking and playing and slept like babies. My last thought before sleep came was I hoped Molly wasn’t sleeping to sound.

And I guess not or nothing came around because we both woke up just before day break, took a quick soak and headed out on foot.

I had the can on my 308 and Sandy had the 10-22 with the can on it. (and her AK across her back). This gal takes being prepared to heart!

We headed down stream far enough that the water was cooling enough to drink, not cold but not warm. But didn’t taste all that wonderful

We found a place with a game trail crossing the stream and settled down in some brush. And within 20 minutes two does came to the water. Both had last springs fawns with them but they were well past nursing.

I had told Sandy to put her bullet tight behind the ear and to try for 2 shots rapid fire, I sighted in on the biggest doe and whispered on 3 and counted it out 1, 2 ,3 …pop pop POP .

The 308 does good enough with super sonic rounds and even better with subsonic ammo but was still louder then the 22.

We had 2 deer down and the rest scattering a bit but then they stopped and looked back so I took one of the yearlings, that was our fresh meat. the others were jerky.

While I dressed the deer Sandy headed back to camp for one of the Mules to pack the deer back. By the time I was done she was back and we loaded the deer over the cross bow and lashed them on.

We were back in camp within 2 hours of the first shots, deer hung away from camp in the shade and I was skinning the first one when Sandy started in on one of the others.

I told her I’d do it but she just smiled and said “ John I was a Daddy’s girl, this ain’t my first rodeo“. So we worked side by side and I refrained from checking her work.

When I looked over she was further along then I was and I complimented her on her abilities, she struck a pose with her butt sticking out and her

shoulders thrown back and said “ I think you like all my abilities right”?

I had to agree with that assessment because so far I haven’t seen one place where she is lacking in abilities. She’s just the perfect one to have with me on this adventure.

Cutting the deer meat into jerky thin strips and getting the willow racks built took all morning and half the afternoon.

We dug around in the supplies looking for anything that could be used to season the meat which was mostly salt pepper and brown sugar mixed with water.

Sandy suggested we open a couple of the big tins of peaches and drain the juice into the mix so we did that. And then we sat in the shade and enjoyed some of the peaches then she added a couple of ounces of JW to the mix. Guess we would find out if it was a good thing or not.

With all the meat drying over a low Smokey fire we built a fire in the earth oven and Sandy got another batch of corn bread going after the thing was hot. She had seasoned a back strap and rolled it in some foil I had brought for some reason and placed it in with the cornbread.

We then stripped and hit the hot pool and scrubbed the sweat and deer blood off and just relaxed and enjoyed the quiet.

After we dried off and dressed in our camp sweats we had pan fried back straps, hot corn bread with butter and crushed up peaches. The roasted loin we saved for breakfast.

We made a pot of coffee and doctored it with some JW and then Sandy asked me about the family and home in Texas. I told her about the underground small home I’d built with the help of our neighbor and his clan. Who were just the best damn folks you could want as friends and neighbors.

I told her how I came to be there and how Mom came to live there also. And  about the strangers who became more family then my blood kin.

She got quiet for a bit so I asked her to spill it. She said she didn’t know anything really about me and what to expect when we got to TX. She beat around the bush a bit and finely asked if I was married! I busted out laughing and said well shit girl you’re a bit slow asking that ain’t ya???

But I told her no I wasn’t. That I had been, more then once.

I told her about my Lady who shared the name Sandy. who had died from a nasty cancer but thank god had gone fast. I guessed I just never found one who could put up with me for long.

She smiled and said “ Hell John, your easy to keep up with” and busted out laughing. It took me a moment to realize what she said and then I grabbed her. Carried her to the pool and dropped her in. Cloths and all!

She came up coughing so hard I just knew she was choking on water in her lungs so I grabbed her and pulled her to me. At which time the little witch dug her feet in and launched backward dragging me in …cloths and all.

After trying to drown each other we stripped off the wet sweats and just enjoyed the moment. Making love in hot water can cause ones heart rate to speed up. But it’s worth it!

On the morning of the 5 day we were loaded and moving at first light, we both looked back at the place that would remain in our hearts forever. It had become a home to us and the last thing Sandy did was to lay a fire in the Earth Oven and put some matches in a Band-Aid box with a note with the date and our first names. We both hoped some weary traveler might find the clearing with the pool and make use of the oven.

We both knew we would one day come back here if we lived thru this mess.

It would be a wonderful way to live after the scum bags all die of stupidity ! God knows we have been doing our share to make them an endangered species.

One thing we had worked on was Sandy’s draw with her pistol. We worked her from every angle and position I could think of. We made a game of me suddenly with no warning “ Draw” and she would draw her gun, no matter what she was doing or holding.

After she dropped her first cup of coffee one morning I agreed under threat of loss of some very important benefits to not do it when it meant dropping important things.

Once when we were making love I whispered DRAW!! And she just smiled and said “NOT now John, I’m busy” lol..

She had gotten very good and from under her coat or shirt she was damn fast, She had none of the “Tells” most folks develop such as dropping the gun shoulder a bit just as they start to make their move.

She flickered her hand and the gun was in it. After training with her Glock and my 1911 she said she wanted a 1911 but not a double stack. I asked why and she said the trigger on the single action was so much better and the double stack was just too big for her hand. Both of which were true.

So far I hadn’t encountered anybody with a 1911 since I was at the ranch and took one of a dead guy and gave it to Bob. But I promised her I’d work on it. She laughed and said well at the rate we’ve been killing the assholes we’re bound to find one sooner or later.

One thing I had was 45 ammo and 9mm was in short supply, not that there was much pistol fighting going on but when it comes it comes fast.

Sandy had asked me about my shooting abilities and I had to laugh and told her that among my friends I shot matches with I was the slow old man but among the people we had been running into so far I was a bit better.

I also told her that gun fighting is just like fist fighting. Most of us are or were civilized people and were reluctant to throw the first punch. Whereas the folks who were bad before the event were not held back by that.

And the guy I had shot in Squirrel just didn’t know that there are some people who have trained for those moments all their lives. And when it comes their muscle memory takes over. He figured he was the bad ass of the town and thought I would start trying to talk my way out of trouble.

When his hand made that little pre-commitment to drawing his gun my training just took over and from there on my muscle memory did what it was trained to do. I had not made a conscious decision to draw. It just happened.

She was thinking real hard about it and after a bit she said she understood now how it happened. I had trained all my life for that moment and he hadn’t. case closed.

We stayed in the lower foothills of the Mountains that made up the Yellowstone country and merged into the country around Jackson Hole Wyoming.

Which we would bypass by a whole Mountain range and that suited me just fine thank you! I never cared for the place. Too fake and too damn many wanna be cowboy’s strutin around.

Right now I just wanted to be making time as fast as possible south and avoid everybody we could. By staying in the foothills we were sure to pass creeks and streams so water wasn’t an issue.

Plus there was better graze for the mules and that was a major issue. Weak stock means no stock. And now that my butt has become so closely acquainted to the saddle I had no desire to introduce my feet to mother earth.

I had no idea how many miles we were making a day but I’d say 15 maybe and that was close give or take a few. We were going to avoid the little towns and communities spread out all over the place until we just had to go into one.

My biggest worry was how fast the weather was changing. The nights were getting cold and the days were chilly. The wind was starting to come out of the North which meant the real cold was headed at us. The heavy coats were gonna be real handy. I only hoped they were good enough

That night we huddled around the fire in a gully out of the wind.

The mules chomping away on whatever they took a mind to.

I had been worrying a thought all day and it was time to talk about it.

I laid it out for Sandy as best I could. About the coming winter and the fact we just couldn’t go on much longer.

We needed shelter for the winter months and I figured maybe we could hold up in a small town and offer to be security in exchange for room ad board for us and the critters. She thought that was a good idea and said she too had been worrying it around in her head too. But was leaving it up to me.

We should find a town in the next few days and look it over from a distance and see how it stacked up people wise. Were they working hard at staying alive or just sitting on their asses waiting for the Goobermint to come with trailers and debit cards to buy boob jobs with ? Oh yea that one has been done.

We huddled over the map and looked for towns small enough to be able to work together and survive yet not so big they would out eat their ability to grow enough to feed themselves.

Come morning after a good breakfast of hot cakes and maple syrup and canned butter and bacon we loaded up and headed for the first town on the list.

White rock was a dot on the road to nowhere and we found it late in the afternoon. It was easy to find from the smoke. Raiders had been there already and simply burned the place down. There were several bodies laying where they dropped.

Some were obviously raiders and several towns folks. It looked like the battle went against the good folks who held out long enough to pack up some vehicles and make a run for it.

I doubted there was ever more then 50 people living here and I counted about 10 bodies that had to be locals. My first thought was to bury them but we just weren’t equipped to do it plus we needed to get out of sight.

We rode out west and south in the general direction of the next town which was bigger then I wanted but still small enough to be on the list. I assumed the folks from white Rock had headed there. I only hoped they were taken in. Now would we be ?

It was a slow day and a half ride to Timber Line. Which had to be a joke since there was damn few trees in sight. But it wasn’t burned out and from a goodly distance away we could see people moving around and there seemed to be some effort to barricade the approaches into town.

There was a lot of folks running around and some actually trying to get something done. But they were very disorganized but that was good because it gave me an idea.

I figured the raiders must have been here and delivered some kind of ultimatum with a dead line and some were wanting to fight and others were wanting to run while some would be wanting to make a deal.

Nothing ever changes, that kind of thing went back to long before the Romans. The ones who wanted to run would be ambushed and used as hostages to get the rest to give in.

The fighters weren’t strong enough in numbers and the “Peace at any price “ bunch were gonna get them all killed. Well not the females, at least not right away.

We moved deeper into the broken ground closer to the town and settled in for the night.

We decided to pass on a fire and spent till dark on a small bit of raised ground watching the place.

I figured we were about 300 yards away and if my idea worked this could be the ticket to a place for the winter.

We spent the next two days just watching and waiting. We did build a small fire out of dry wood to make coffee and heat our food. But at night we kept it dark.

My plan was real simple. I found a good sniper hide with a good overview of the whole area .

I dug a nice hole to allow me to lay flat and have a perfect spot weld on the 308.

I picked up rocks and eased them around the front of the hole to give me a bit of cover while I was shooting. I dug into the ammo pack that had my stash of some super good ammo. Federal Gold Medal 308 with a 168 grain Match king HP bullet.

This stuff in my rifle just flat shoots and at only 300 yards I knew I’d not miss a shot if the target wasn’t moving. I screwed the Suppressor on nice and tight set the bipod just so and all I had to do was just lay down and watch my breathing.

On another small knoll about 75 yards behind my hide we set one up for Sandy.

Her and the AK were my security over watch, this allowed me to shoot and not worry about my six. All we had to do was wait and I figured the trash wouldn’t give these folks much time and they didn’t.

On the morning of the third day we could hear them coming. Most were on one form of Motor Cycle or another. From dirt bikes to three wheelers and the usual assortment of old trucks.

And there was a lot of them. Both men and women and no kids thank god! Using my 10 power binoculars I counted at least 75 and probably more.

Which had me looking away from the distraction of their arrival and there was the rest, about 20 were sneaking thru the brush on foot and another 150 yards and they would be in the back end of the small cluster of buildings that made up the town.

With no choice I moved around a bit and zeroed in on the one in back and touched the trigger, he dropped like a stone. And the next and the next. It wasn’t even like shooting fish in a barrel. Fish have some worth.

Reload and shoot.  I kept shooting until I made a bad hit and he screamed out causing the rest to freeze and turn around.

In the mean time the ones in front of the townies were yelling about killing all of the people in the town so I swung around and popped the one doing all the yelling and fist shaking. The bullet hit him right in the ear and it looked like his head just blew up. well I mean it did but like all by its self.

To their credit the town folks took that as an Oman and opened fire with a vengeance taking out a whole slew of the assholes. I couldn’t believe these fools just drove up expecting to have their way and made no attempt to take cover. It was a field day of fish in the barrel.

Looking at the one who were sneaking in the back door they seemed to be holding a debate so I fired off 5 fast rounds and dropped all five.

the rest took off for their wheels wherever they were parked.

Back in front of the town the shooting had let up a little because the dickheads had taken cover from the towns shooters. But unfortunately for them, not from me . So I reloaded and started working on the ones I could see who were alone and out of sight of their buddies.

My barrel was getting hot so I eased off and just watched as at last they got somebody with a brain and a few laid down an impressive amount of fire while the others ran for their rides and got moving .  All dust allowed the shooters to leaped into trucks as they roared away.

A lot of them didn’t. Sandy eased into place by me and reported as she put it. The “ Back door gomers” were running like the devil was after them which I guess he was. We laid there watching until a few of the townies walked out and looked around.

At last one cupped his hands and hollered out that it was ok to come out. So I slowly stood up and waited for them to make it over to me. Sandy on her own had slipped away and was in her over watch spot.

After they got up to where I stood one walked forward and offered his hand and said “ Mister I don’t know who you are but you saved a lot of good people today “and proceeded to introduce himself and his men.

His name was Jim Barttle and his brother Sam, and the other man was a brother in law named William. They insisted I come into town and meet everybody.

I told them I’d be right along as soon as I got my gear together but that they needed to check all the bodies and make sure all were dead. He asked how to do that and I said well a 22 slug behind the ear will make sure before one of you gets killed.

That got his attention and they took off at a run, I yelled out that there was more West of the out buildings he looked confused so I pointed. He looked and then waved and took off after sending his two men to check the ones I pointed out.

Sandy walked up to me and threw her arms around me and said she loved me and asked if I got killed could she have my 308! She’s a bundle of joy!

I promised her it was hers .

About an hour later after the few “ End of the road” shots were done we rode out of the gully’s into sight with Sandy riding behind me with the Ak across her right knee and her finger on the trigger. What a girl!

When we got to the edge of the town we were met by upwards of a hundred people, all smiling and yelling thank you to us. After we rode thru the barricade we headed to a small building that turned out to be a saloon which turned out to be the meeting hall so to speak.

I spent a while telling them who we were, where we came from and where we were going. One of the women who looked to be sucking lemons asked if Sandy was my daughter and Sandy said “NO I’m not!  I’m his woman” which got a gasp from lemon face.

Sandy took it from right there and said. “John saved me from rape and murder and between us we avenged the cold blooded murders of my family including 2 kids. We’ve been together ever since, And where we sleep and what we do is our business and nobody else’s !”

Well lemon face just froze until Jim spoke up and said “Mildred you’ve been told to stop trying to butt into everybody’s lives around here, one more word and I’ll see you heading out of here on foot“.

And he pointed out that she was the main pusher for accommodating the raiders who had planned a back door assault while they were all looking the wrong way.

And he pointed out that while she and her click were pissing their pants I alone took out something like 15 of the trash. It was actually a few more but he was on a roll so why mention it?

After he finished with Miz Lemon he got to it and reported that close to 50 of the raiders had bought the farm and were being dragged to an old house at the edge of town and piled inside and it would be burned with the fuel from the vehicles they left when they ran.

I waited to see where this was going and it went right where I figured it would. Jim asked if Sandy and I could be talked into staying for a while and helping them get more secure.

I sat a moment and waited like I was thinking about it and then said well I think we could help yawl for a while. But come Spring we are heading South to our family in TX.

I said if I was going to take on the job of handling their security they had to agree to let me do so with no interference from anybody and solid cooperation from all.

I told them that when Spring came I would have this town as safe as it could be and able to feed and shelter themselves and probably a lot more folks as time passed and stragglers came along.

Jim looked around and said everybody vote…For the offer from John raise your hands. It looked like almost all of them .

He said opposed and after Mildred Lemon face put her hand up around a dozen others did too.

Jim said it passes. I said no it don’t. He looked at me and I stood and looked Mildred and her group in the eye and said. It’s going to be 100 % or not at all and if the no votes can’t or won’t change their minds they need to move on or we move on.

Several people spoke up arguing about that but I held up my hand. When it was quiet I said folks you can not be secure if your not pulling 100% together. You can’t stop every 15 minutes to have a meeting to decide if the garden rows go north and South or East and West.

What Mildred and her followers here are doing is causing a disruption to everything yawl are wanting to do. Why I don’t know.

Maybe it’s just pure being difficult or maybe they just can’t stand not being in charge themselves.

So I believe yawl need to decide if your going to have a 100 % community or one that’s going to fail. Because it will fail. You can’t be secure and productive with a committee of the whole town.

Most folks just want to have a clear agenda and a job to do and don’t want to make decisions. So elect a committee to handle 90 % of the stuff needing down. And if it’s something dealing with the security of the whole town then have a town hall meeting and tell the folks what you plan and ask for input.

But the final decisions have to be made by the committee.

I finished with saying if there was a place Sandy and I could shelter the stock and ourselves and maybe clean up a bit we would leave them to it and they could let us know if we were staying or moving on.

Jims brother in law William took us down the main drag to a place with a small house and a nice size barn and other out buildings. He said it was vacant because the owners were on vacation in Mexico when the shtf and they sure weren’t gonna make it home anytime soon.

The barn was snug and had a good stock pile of hay and a tack room but no tack. William said the owners were elderly and had sold their horse before they left and he had been care taking it for them. He said it had a well as did all the houses in town and that several generators were running so getting water wasn’t a problem.

He needed to get back to the meeting so he left and we unpacked the mules and put the tack room to good use.

There was 6 stalls so each one of our animals had it’s own place. After they were settled Molly laid down in the hay and went to sleep, poor old girl was wearing out.

The house was small but very neat and clean with well used but comfortable furniture.

It was going to do just fine but we needed to pack up all the pictures and such so it wouldn’t seem full of other peoples spirits so to speak.

About an hour later William came back and said we were wanted at the meeting hall. I carried my 870 while Sandy of course had her Ak,

If I didn’t know better I’d say she slept with it.

In the Saloon / Town Hall it did seem the whole town was there. More outside then in due to the size of the place. We went to the front of the room where Jim was standing waiting for us.

After things quieted down he said the folks had elected Him as the  chairman / mayor with the deciding vote in case of a tie vote between the other four.

They were all on the same page for now concerning Sandy and I taking charge of the security of the town. I asked how the vote went and he said the usual suspects had argued hard against the whole plan.

I asked the ones who voted against the plan to move forward which they did reluctantly and of course Miz Lemon face was right in front. Looking them over it was easy to see they were the usual sheeple , heads in the sand don’t fight the rapist types.

I asked them what their plans were and of course Mildred took charge and asked what I meant so I explained it clearly. If they weren’t with the community 100% then they were out. Which caused a stir for sure.

She asked what I meant by “Out” which I was happy to explain to her.

Out meant she and her followers would be given 2 vehicles full of fuel and food for a week. And they could go wherever they thought they might find people of like ideas.

The entire room was silent for a moment then people started whispering to each other. Mildred  finely got her voice and started yelling at me calling me every kind of SOB she could think of.

When she at last ran down I asked her and the entire room if they really had any idea what was going on out there in the world. That did shut her up so I told them what Sandy and I had seen happening and what we had to do just to live long enough to get here .

How I had to kill a lot of raiders just to save people I didn’t even know. And that if it was this bad here how bad was it in the bigger towns and cities? I told them how lucky they were to be way out here in the boonies where their chances of surviving were much better.

IF they all pulled together, And all meant 100% effort by 100% of the people in town. And that anybody who could not see that would have to be sent on their way.

I could see this was sinking in at last, so I asked Mildred’s supporters how long it would take for them to get their stuff together so they could start their journey. As I watched I could see Mildred’s support group melting back into the crowd.

As for Ol Mildred she stood her ground and said she would not be run out of town by some murderous SOB. At that point Sandy stepped around me and drove a fist into Mildred’s mouth knocking her on her ass.

There was a loud collective intake of air in the whole room and outside as word spread. Sandy leaned down and said Lady, you have the right to free speech and you have the right to defend your opinion.

But you do not have the right to call my man anything your foul mouth chooses to spit out. And one more SOB and I’ll just shoot you. With that the crowd let out a yell and started clapping loudly.

After getting to her feet and wobbling a bit Mildred looked around and said I’m leaving and I hope you all burn in hell!! With that Jim nodded to William who escorted her out of the room and that was the last I ever saw of her. I figured Sandy could run for King right now and win by a landslide after that sweet jab!

I asked to speak to the committee privately and laid out my thoughts on what they needed to do. All were in agreement and the next morning we would put it into play but for now a rotating guard needed to be set and that was done.

Sleeping in a bed was strange and we both tossed and turned until I went out and got the big ol bed roll and tossed it on the floor.

We slid into it and went right to sleep with me wrapped around her.

We now had a home for the winter and some good folks who were now all pulling together and come morning I’d get busy helping these folks survive and I had a lot of ideas.

And they didn’t include just security, because security was so much more then guarding the gates. It involves every aspect of life in a SHTF world.

I would spend the winter worrying about Mom and the rest of the family and friends. But that was for tomorrow, tonight was for resting with my wonderful lady sleeping in my arms.

This ends the first part of the Long Lonely Road. I will be starting the next part just as soon as this is posted to kindle.

I hope you found it entertaining in some small way.

And thank you for your support and hopefully I’ll learn to really write before this story is done…………….. Or NOT

TJ

PS.. I really did go thru this three times and found corrections every time so if you find any please understand I am trying to get better at this.

Thank you

TJ

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A Long Lonely Road (The Beginning)