Vengeance: A Post-Apocalyptic, EMP-Survival Thriller (Seven Cows, Ugly and Gaunt Book 4) Page 8

  “That looks like the overpass, up ahead.” Antoine pointed down the road.

  “I think you’re right.” Danny picked up the radio. “We’re coming up on the Concord checkpoint. If you guys want to hang back until we get through, I’ll give you a call once we know everything is copacetic.”

  “Roger that.” Jack’s voice came back over the radio.

  Danny slowed down as he approached the roadblock. A military Humvee sat between two newer pickup trucks. Danny assumed the pickups had simply been rolled into their current positions and didn’t move. He figured the Humvee acted as a gate to allow traffic to pass once it was cleared. Four armed men in civilian clothing stood near the pickups, and two sheriff’s deputies walked slowly toward Danny’s truck.

  “Good afternoon.” The deputy wore hard body armor and kept his finger near the trigger of his AR-15. “How can we help you?”

  “My name is Danny Walker. I’m from Anderson. I have an appointment with Sheriff Parnell.”

  The other deputy walked around the back of the truck then up to Danny’s window. “We were under the impression you were just coming up for the day. It looks like you brought a lot of supplies.”

  “It’s a long story,” Danny said politely.

  The first deputy smiled. “And we’ve got nothing but time.”

  “Okay.” Danny recounted the events of the ambush.

  The second deputy looked up the road. “Where’s the rest of your team?”

  “They wanted to make sure your town was as friendly as we’ve been told before they join us.”

  The man nodded. “You won’t mind if we check a couple of your boxes? We operate with an abundance of caution these days.”

  “That’s understandable,” Danny replied. “We’ve only opened one case ourselves. The contents of that case were consistent with the labeling. The weight of the other boxes felt right for MREs. With that disclaimer, feel free to look through as many containers as you like. In fact, you guys could probably use a snack. Go ahead and take a couple cases for yourselves. We’re here in hopes that our community can form a relationship with you folks. Consider it a gesture of good will.”

  “That’s mighty nice of you, Danny Walker.” The deputy selected a random box and opened it up. He retrieved a single MRE pouch from the case. “And I’m sure you’d eat one if it were offered to you.”

  “Absolutely. Any one you want to give me.” Danny completely understood why the deputy would be precautious.

  The deputy handed him a pouch.

  Danny read the label. “Spaghetti.” He tore it open and began eating.

  The deputy motioned with his hand, and one of the civilians backed the Humvee out of the way. “Drive through. Dale is in the red ‘74 Chevelle. He’ll escort you to the sheriff’s office.”

  “Can I call the rest of my team to come through first?”

  “Yeah. We’ll have to inspect their vehicle before we let them pass. What are they driving?”

  “Tan Humvee.”

  “Okay, go ahead and give them a call.” The deputy motioned for Danny to drive through to the other side to wait.

  Danny pressed the talk key. “They seem like good people. We’re inside. Drive on up to the checkpoint.”

  “Roger,” Jack said.

  “And take two cases of these MREs. You guys are working hard.” Danny called out the window to the deputy.

  He walked back over to the F-150. “We appreciate it. I hope you don’t take the scrutiny personally. It’s protocol.”

  “You’re doing your job. It’s the only reason your town is still here.”

  The deputy lifted two cases of MREs out of the back and returned to his post. “Thanks again.”

  Danny waved. “My pleasure.”

  Soon, the tan Humvee cleared inspection, and Danny’s team was following the red Chevelle to the sheriff’s office.

  The convoy proceeded slowly, as the streets contained a moderate amount of bicycle and horse-drawn buggy traffic. In fact, it largely outweighed the number of old cars.

  “The stores are open!” Antoine pointed at people walking into a small shop.

  Danny’s eyes opened wide. “Wow! Look at this. Civilization.” People were out walking on the sidewalk. Several of the smaller stores had signs to inform people that they were open. Other stores had tables set up outside where they were conducting business. “They probably don’t get enough light through the windows to operate inside.”

  “Boy, this place makes the Pickens flea market look like the Wild West.” Antoine looked out the window at the people going about their day.

  “Yeah. Whether Parnell knows it or not, Schlusser won’t be content until he has control of all this.”

  Antoine nodded. “I hope he has the good sense to realize that.”

  The Chevelle pulled around to the back of the sheriff’s office. Danny followed him. “Imagine that. The sheriff’s office is actually set up inside the Sheriff’s Department Building.”

  Antoine looked up at the three-story brick building. “Big windows. They get lots of light in there.”

  “Still, I bet it’s a sweat box.” Danny looked up.

  “The bottom two floors probably aren’t so bad.”

  Danny chuckled. “Yeah, but I bet you could bake a ham on the third floor, even with the windows open.”

  The convoy, consisting of the Chevelle, Danny’s truck, and the tan Humvee, pulled through a guarded fence, which was secured behind them.

  A man wearing a white cowboy hat, Wrangler blue jeans, brown boots, and a long-sleeved plaid shirt walked out of the double doors. His upper lip was covered by a thick handlebar mustache, which was more gray than brown. He was stocky, and his belly showed that he had not missed too many meals since the EMP. A long-barreled, large-framed revolver tucked inside of a worn brown leather holster hung from the right side of his belt. The man was flanked by two uniformed deputies.

  Danny slowly exited the truck closing the door behind him. Antoine did the same.

  “You must be Daniel. I’m Sheriff Parnell.” The robust man extended his hand. “Pleased to meet you, sir. This is Antoine.”

  “Pleasure’s mine.” Parnell vigorously shook Antoine’s hand.

  “Deputy Masterson from the checkpoint radioed over. He told me about your incident heading here. How are those girls holding up?” Parnell looked concerned.

  “I think they’ve had a pretty rough time, sir.” Danny’s brows lowered.

  “Well, it’s a good thing for them that your team happened along. Might have been a divine intervention.”

  “Yes, sir.” Danny nodded. “I’m glad something good came out of it.”

  “My wife is head honcho with the ladies’ relief team at the Baptist church down the street. She’ll be over here in a while. She can take the girls to get cleaned up. It’d be a good idea for the girls to get looked at by the doctor if they’re ready for it.”

  Danny looked back toward the Humvee. “That would be great. Thank you.”

  “Is everyone else going to be joining us?” Parnell inquired.

  Danny looked at Chris who was walking over. “No. Just Gwen, Antoine, and myself. We’ve all been inside Schlusser’s compound.”

  Parnell turned to the man on his right. “Deputy Grisham can make sure the other two boys are comfortable and have anything they might need?”

  “Yes, sir.” Grisham broke off and walked over to introduce himself to Jack and Chris.

  Gwen joined Danny and Antoine. Danny introduced her to Parnell.

  “Peters is our comms guy. He’s the one that set up this get-together through your friend in Pickens. He gave me the quick version of your recent escapades. I understand that you folks were responsible for blowing up the fuel tanks at Douglas International.”

  “Yes, sir,” Danny replied.

  Parnell laughed. “That was some kind of stunt. How many was on your team?”

  Danny followed Parnell through the double doors. “Just us, sir. I infiltr
ated the airport with another man, JC. He’s the one who actually deserves most of the credit.”

  Parnell opened the door to a large conference room and signaled for Danny, Antoine, and Gwen to enter ahead of him. “If you don’t mind, why don’t you tell me the long version? I assume you have a little time.”

  Danny took a seat at the long table. “Yes, sir.” Without divulging the dreams, Danny told the sheriff everything from their first encounter with Schlusser’s men on Miss Jennie’s farm. He explained how JC had devised the plan, and how they had both been captured. He told Parnell about Jack and Chris and how much they wanted to get their father back. He revealed how his team had coordinated with the militia from Pickens to take out the Greenville outpost.”

  Parnell leaned back in his chair. “You know, we caught four men up here spying for Schlusser a couple weeks back. I’ve got ‘em locked up in the jail. Schlusser sent me an exchange offer last week. He said he had one of my spies. I haven’t sent anyone down there, but I didn’t tell him that.”

  “That’s JC!” Antoine exclaimed. “It has to be! That means Schlusser still has him alive!”

  Parnell nodded. “It could be. Schlusser doesn’t strike me as the type of man that’s usually that concerned about his employees’ health.”

  Danny smirked. “He probably just wants to get his spies back before you break them and they start giving up information.”

  “Jack is going to be so excited to hear that JC is alive!” Gwen sounded exuberant.

  Danny held his jaw tight. “It might be JC, and it might not be. We don’t even know if Schlusser is telling the truth. We’re not going to say anything to Jack or Chris until we know more. Which also means we’re not going to say anything to anyone at the compound. If we tell one person, it will be all over the farm. Understood?”

  Gwen sighed slowly, like a balloon losing its air. She lowered her gaze and crossed her arms. “Understood.”

  “My lips are sealed,” Antoine said.

  Danny turned back to Parnell. “Did the messenger happen to provide any evidence?”

  “Unless he’s got an old instant camera and film to go in the thing, a picture would be tough to produce. The last time I saw one of them old Polaroid contraptions, I had brown hair and wore size 30 jeans.”

  Danny didn’t comment, but he knew the latter attribute likely represented multiple decades into the past.

  Parnell looked at Danny. “What are you thinking?”

  “I don’t know. I was just wondering if we could set up an exchange and use it as a ruse to launch an attack. If you were willing to give up those spies, that is.”

  Parnell shaped the tips of his mustache. “I don’t have any particular qualms with handin’ them boys over. I reckon I’d press a little harder, try to squeeze all the info out of them that I can before I turn them loose. It’s the attack part that I need to think over.”

  Danny nodded. “I understand. But, you should know that Schlusser is an ambitious man. While you may be content to have peace and harmony in Cabarrus County, Schlusser isn’t wired like you. He’s a cancer. And just as it would be naive to hope a malignant tumor won’t spread to the healthy cells, it’s wishful thinking on your part to believe the regent will not eventually gain the strength he needs to overcome your security forces.

  “When Schlusser’s general, Gorbold, was questioning me, his focus was to make me tell him who else you had sent to spy on the airport, besides JC and myself. We stole a radio when we escaped the airport so we could listen to their communications while we were hiding out. Schlusser was convinced that all three of us were spies sent by you. He’s obsessed with taking Cabarrus.

  “I admire your live-and-let-live disposition, but you cannot coexist with someone who wants to kill you.”

  Parnell cleared his throat. The lines in his face deepened as he seemed to digest the gravity of what Danny was telling him. “Maybe I’ve been somewhat deluded by my own optimism. Some portion of that comes from my reluctance to put my men in harm’s way. I know a direct conflict with Schlusser will culminate in a great number of widows and broken-hearted mothers.”

  Parnell folded his hands on the table and sat forward. “It sounds like your outfit already knows all about the pain and hardships of war.”

  “Yes, sir. We’ve had our share forced upon us. So have the families in Pickens. I understand your hesitation to get involved, but you’re only postponing your losses. And the interest on that bill is piling up. With every passing day, the final cost of your inevitable encounter with Regent Schlusser is growing higher and higher. Those widows will be made, and those mothers’ hearts will be broken. The only question is, how many? Perhaps a second question is, will they still live in freedom once the smoke clears? Right now, you have a chance of prevailing in a contest against Schlusser. Once he has his forces built up to a certain level, he’ll be unbeatable.

  “I am advising you to attack him now, on your terms, and while he is still attempting to recover from our sabotage mission and subsequent raid on his Greenville outpost.”

  Parnell listened intently. “Danny, as I sit here and take in the story of your heroism, I can’t help but think what indirect and unintended value and advantage Concord has gained by the sacrifices of you and your brothers in arms. And although it was an unsolicited service, I feel as though I and the people of Cabarrus County owe you a great debt. I suppose I’m somewhat shamed by your feats of courage.”

  “That certainly isn’t my intention. I realize that your primary task is to keep law and order in your county. Everything you’ve done has been with that goal in mind. It’s very honorable, sir. But, if you want this town to survive and to continue to fulfill your mission, you’ll have to adjust your tactics. Schlusser won’t hit your defenses until he knows he can overpower you. If you feel you owe us any debt, please grant us your military support so our losses in securing freedom will not have been in vain.”

  Parnell sat up straight. He seemed to be contemplating Danny’s words. “A fight for freedom anywhere is a fight for freedom everywhere. Danny, Gwen, Antoine, on behalf of the people of Cabarrus County, I thank you for your service and the sacrifice of your friends.”

  “I’m no autocrat. Concord still has a mayor and a city council. We’ve combined them with the county board of commissioners to form a stronger government to replace what we’ve lost on the state and federal level. The city and the county essentially operate as one entity. We needed to cut the red tape between the two in order to be able to maintain some semblance of civility.

  “You have my word that I’ll do what I can to convince them of our need to address this issue sooner rather than later.”

  “Thank you,” Danny said graciously. “What will be involved in that process? Do you have any sense of which way they’ll lean?”

  “The mayor gives me carte blanche on whatever I recommend, so from the executive level, I’m sure we will have the support we need. The good news is that when we combined the city and county, we wrote up and all agreed to a simple emergency charter that is in effect for the first year following the EMP. Under that charter, security actions only require a simple majority.”

  “How many members total?”

  “Seven city council members and five county commissioners.”

  “So twelve.”

  “Thirteen. Under the emergency charter, I have a vote.” Parnell sat back and rested his hand on his holster. “I’ll do what I can to call a vote tomorrow. I’ll lay out our case in the morning, let them break for lunch then come back to vote tomorrow afternoon. Can y’all stick around in case they have questions for the three of you? I’m sure they’ll think of things that I’ve overlooked pertaining to Schlusser’s overall operation.”

  “We can stay overnight,” Danny said.

  “Good. Have you thought about how you would go about this?”

  Danny pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket. “This is a basic map of the river, the peninsula, and the airport. It gives
a general idea of how and where Schlusser had his assets laid out.”

  Danny pointed to the top right corner. “If you could bring a larger force straight down I-85 and attack the airport from the northeast, my team could use the distraction of a brute force attack to launch a stealth mission on the peninsula. Our mission would be to eliminate as much of the leadership as possible.”

  “You said something about setting up an exchange for JC,” Gwen added.

  Parnell looked the paper over. “That could go either way. If we’re making an exchange with Schlusser, he’ll be in a heightened state of awareness. That will take away the element of surprise.”

  “That’s true.” Antoine looked at the map. “Although he has lookouts positioned all along your route. I doubt you’ll be able to sneak up on him with a large force.”

  Parnell stood. “What do you say we take a quick recess, get something to eat, and then come back here? I’ll bring in a couple of my men to help us brainstorm and iron out a more cohesive plan. I’d also like to recreate a larger version of this map on a whiteboard for our presentation tomorrow.”

  “Yes, sir. That would be fine. Chris served in the Air Force and was involved in our action against the Greenville outpost. I recommend bringing him in for the battle planning session. He hasn’t been to the airport, but his experience is valuable.”

  “We can use all the help we can get.” Parnell opened the door and ushered Danny and the others out. “I’ll just let the front desk know I’m leaving. I’ll catch up with you all in a minute.”

  Danny came out the double doors and found Chris and Jack conversing with Deputy Grisham. “We’re going to eat, then come back and work on a battle plan. We could use your input, Chris.”

  Chris leaned against the front bumper of the tan Humvee. “Sure. Does that mean Sheriff Parnell is going to fight?”

  “He has to take it to a vote by the city council and county commissioners. He’s pretty confident that they will okay the action, but it could be tight. Our job is to come up with a very cohesive plan, and then help him sell it.”