Bug Out! Part 12: RV Alliance (14 page)

“You got that right,” Gabe said. “The car’s full. I’ll pull over next to the store. Need to hit the restroom.”

“Okay, I’ll pull in back when I’m done. Maybe we can get a bite to eat.”

“Okay,” Gabe said. “I’ll find us a place to spend the night.”

Dobie finished filling up and drove to the back parking lot, then put Duchess back in the trailer. Afterwards he met Gabe in front of the store.

“Found a place,” Gabe said. “Southwest of Indianapolis. We get on Route 36 from I-70.”

“Another place you know of from the Association?” Dobie asked.

“Yeah, but I’m pretty sure the original owner of this one has been dead for years,” Gabe said. “I made reservations. The person at the desk didn’t even recognize the old owner’s name.”

“How long to get there?”

“According to the map app, less than an hour,” Gabe said. “We should wait till we get there to eat.”

“I’m good with that,” Dobie said. “This place is a little scary. Reminds me of when people were fleeing during the early attacks.”

“I know, I feel it too. Seen any UN vehicles anywhere? In the back?”

“Nope, not a one,” Dobie said. “I was thinking about that. I’ll bet they’re trying to disarm citizens around the southwest states. Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, Utah. Then they’ll link up with the Islamists and attempt to take that region over again.”

“Wouldn’t surprise me,” Gabe said. “I guess I should listen to the radio when we’re cruising.”

“I turned mine on right after you called. Not a word about the UN being here. When we get to the RV Park I’ll get on the internet message boards and see what’s going on.”

“Good, then let’s blow this joint,” Gabe said. They both walked out, and got back to their vehicles, heading onto I-70. Traffic was heavy, but it was mostly eastbound.

***

Chief Hanson had Malcolm, Ted, and Agent Williams set up in an empty office. Agents Simone and Weiss had left to get them some take out. Malcolm’s phone rang. It was Charlie.

“Hey, Charlie, what’s going on?” Malcolm asked.

“General Hogan asked me to call. There’s trouble out on the roads.”

“What roads?” Malcolm asked.

“So far, it appears to be Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona. Probably Utah also.”

“The cretins at Carlsbad Caverns?” Malcolm asked.

“No, UN peacekeepers.”

“What?” Malcolm asked, looking at the others in the room. “What are they doing here?”

“Trying to disarm people. Dragging them in with the ruse of small pox vaccinations.”

“Son of a bitch. Any of our folks in harm’s way?”

“Yeah, Frank, Jane, Jerry, and Jasmine ran into them, on the way back to get Jeb. They’re in Grand Junction right now. There’s a small battle starting.”

“Shit. You need us to high-tail it over there?”

“No, we just want you to be aware. Treat these folks like enemy.”

“Okay, we’ll watch out.”

“How’s it going with you guys?” Charlie asked.

“We found Agent Keith, Howard, and some parolee in a freezer at Scott’s house.”

“Holy shit,” Charlie said. “What are you doing now?”

“We’ve teamed up with the FBI, waiting for somebody who might be able to get into Scott’s storage locker. We’ll get back with Gabe and Dobie after this. They’re on their way to Indianapolis now.”

“Good,” Charlie said. “Watch yourselves.”

“You too,” Malcolm said. He shut off the call and put his phone in his pocket.

“Okay, what’s going on?” Agent Williams asked.

“That was somebody from our group back in Kansas,” Malcolm said. “Hear anything about the UN coming in here, throwing their weight around?”

Agent Williams got a pained look on his face, and plopped himself down on a chair. “Dammit.”

“You
do
know something,” Malcolm said.

“Scuttlebutt,” he said. “There’s still some bad people in our government. Heard that the radicals running the Health and Human Services and Homeland Security agencies are bringing in UN Peacekeepers in to administer the small pox vaccine effort.”

“Why would they do that?” Ted asked.

“Because of the UN’s extensive experience with that kind of operation in Africa,” Agent Williams said. “But it’s really a bunch of crap. The UN wanted strings attached. One of them was that the citizenry where they’d be operating had to be disarmed. Congress said no friggin way. Passed a law forbidding it. The idiot in the White House vetoed it, but it was overridden. And by the way, this was kept out of the press. Reminds me of that Iranian Nuke deal that helped start this whole mess in the first place. They’re treating the whole thing like one of those side deals.”

“Idiots,” Ted said. “If they try to disarm citizens, there’s gonna be a lot of blue helmets with holes in them.”

“Seriously,” Malcolm said. “Wonder why, after Congress acted and overrode a veto, they’re still here?”

“Last I heard, they agreed to drop the requirement for disarming,” Agent Williams said. “Like we ever should have believed them on that. They think our executive leader can operate like a king. They don’t understand our balance of powers or our Bill of Rights.”

“Well, they tried to disarm our people earlier today,” Malcolm said, “and now there’s a fire fight over this issue going on at an RV Park in Grand Junction.”

“Wonder why that’s not on the news?” Ted asked.

“We need to get on the internet message boards,” Malcolm said. “It’s the only place the establishment doesn’t control at this point. I’ll go grab my laptop. It’s in my Jeep.”

Malcolm rushed out the door. Ted looked at Agent Williams.

“You’re against this stuff, I hope,” Ted asked.

“Damn straight,” he said. “Makes this serial killer case seem like a waste of time. I need to go make some phone calls. Need to see how far up the chain in the FBI has become rotten.”

“Be discrete,” Ted said. “You’re one of the good ones. We can’t be losing you. Not at a time like this.”

Agent Williams smiled at him. “Sorry we got off to a rough start. Malcolm isn’t very well liked in certain circles.”

“You know who he’s with, right?”

“I have a sneaking suspicion it’s one of General Walker’s groups.
Say nothing about that.”

Ted nodded.

Malcolm rushed back in with his laptop as Agent Williams was leaving. He set it on the table next to the department’s PC, plugged it in, and then moved the Ethernet cable from the department’s PC to the laptop.

“We might want to drop this and go help your friends,” Ted said. “I should say
our
friends.”

“Yeah, but we need to swing by Uncle Jasper’s RV Park first,” Malcolm said. “We got a friend to save, and a scumbag to dispatch. That RV Park is in the right direction, at least.”

“Wonder where this guy from Akron is?” Ted said. “Been a while. It’s not that damn far.”

“Good question,” Malcolm said. “Bingo! The net is on fire with this UN story. People are getting back into the groups they left after the Islamist battles.”

“Good thing we beat them before the UN got here,” Ted said.

“The Islamists are still in this,” Malcolm said. “Remember the group I told you about in New Mexico?”

“Yeah, but I thought that was the last desperate stand,” Ted said.

“They might be getting ready to link up with the UN,” Malcolm said.

Agent Williams returned with a terrified look on his face.

“What’s wrong?” Malcolm asked.

“This is way worse than you guys think,” he said. He took his FBI badge out of his jacket pocket and tossed it in the trash can.

Frank and Jerry ran towards
the office as the gunfire intensified. Clint, Jane, and Jasmine were right behind them. Frank heard some commotion and looked back. There were another twenty people following, all armed. They slowed as they got to the office.

“Boys!” Clint yelled.

“Pa, they got us pinned down,” Jason yelled. “Looks like at least six more vehicles.”

“What happened to the men in the office?”

“We shot all four of them when this started,” Angus said. “Already got a few of them who just showed up too, but they’re hiding behind their vehicles now.”

“Hey, Jerry, still got the mortar in your storage compartment?” Frank asked.

Jerry got a grin on his face. “Yup, and some rounds of Willie Pete too.”

“Good, let’s get it set up.” They rushed to Jerry’s coach and got the mortar, as the others took up positions and fired at the UN vehicles.

Frank’s phone buzzed as they were leaving Jerry’s rig. A text from General Hogan.

“How many and where?”

Frank slipped the phone back into his pocket and helped Jerry rush the mortar and rounds to a position behind the office. Then he crouched and pulled the phone out again.

“6 vehicles entrance of park. First 4 UN guys shot. Setting up mortar.”

He slipped the phone back in his pocket and helped Jerry.

“Standard round first?” Jerry asked.

“Yeah, we’re running a little low on Willie Pete,” Frank said.

They made adjustments and dropped the first round in the tube. It popped, and there was an explosion.

“How close?” Jerry yelled.

“About fifty yards shy, off to the left a little,” Jason shouted.

Jerry made a quick adjustment, and then they dropped another round in. It popped, and then there was a louder explosion.

“Got the vehicles on the right side,” Angus shouted. “Get a little to the left.”

Jane and Jasmine opened up with their M-16s, hitting several UN Peacekeepers who were trying to flee.

“Damn, you ladies can shoot!” Clint said.

“Okay, we’re close enough for the Willie Pete,” Frank said. Jerry nodded and dropped one of those shells in the tube. There was a pop and a loud whoosh.

“Holy shit!” Louis shouted. “They’re all on fire.”

The men shot them as they ran, fire licking off their bodies in the breeze.

“Where the hell did you get those?” Clint asked.

“Long story,” Jasmine said. “Nasty stuff. I hate that smell.”

The guns were silent.

“Pa, should we go check?” Angus asked.

“Sit tight for a few minutes,” Clint yelled.

“Want us to hit the area again?” Jerry shouted.

“Nah, the fire engulfed all the cars,” Clint said.

Several people from the RV spaces walked to the burning vehicles, guns at the ready, eyes darting around.

“Looks like they’re all deader than a doornail, Clint,” shouted one of them.

“Good,” Clint said.

The group came out into the open and scanned for more UN fighters. Jerry and Frank walked over to Clint.

“They’ll keep hitting you guys,” Jerry said.

“Oh, I know,” Clint said. “Went through this before.”

“They weren’t able to push you out of here?” Jane asked.

“We left for a while,” Clint said. “Got too hot. We took it over again, though. Cleaned it up. You should have seen the place. They had heads on spikes.”

“Who’s heads?” Frank asked.

“Townspeople who refused to submit,” Clint said. “We recruited more people and attacked. Surprised them in the dead of night.”

“I’d like to see how many blue helmets we really have in the country,” Frank said. “Probably too much baseless speculation on the internet.”

“Think you can hack your way to some real data?” Jane asked.

“I’m gonna try,” Frank said. “I’ll talk to George, too. His contact in the agency might be able to shed some light on this.”

“The agency?”

“CIA,” Frank said. “Remember those guests I told you about?”

“Yeah, I was gonna ask you about that,” Clint said, leaning against the wall of the office building. “General Hogan passed a comment but then shut up about it.”

“Ever hear of Malcolm Davis?” Frank asked.

“Yeah, he’s that serial killer guy,” Clint said. “Put down Red Dagger, Jason Beckler, and Sadie Evans.”

“Yeah,” Frank said. “Keep this to yourself. He’s with us, along with his friend George Franklin.”

“Why?”

“Our RV Park was the former home base of the Nighthawk Road Killer. Malcolm figured that out and came to visit us.”

“Oh,” Clint said. “He joined up? In the war, that is?”

“Yeah, he and George made a big difference in two ambushes we set up, and in the big battle at Capitol Reef.”

“Do tell,” Clint said. “Maybe that’s all you should tell me about that.”

“Why?” Jerry asked.

“I remember who George is now,” Clint said. “He’s got connections in the government that are gonna be very useful to us. The less people know about him, the better.”

“Good point,” Frank said. “I’m going to go do some internet research. How’s the Wi-Fi here?”

“Good,” Clint said. “Password’s on that map I gave you.”

“Great,” Frank said. “You know where we’ll be. It safe to leave the mortar set up?”

“Sure, I’ll make sure nobody messes with it. Got many rounds left?”

“I got another twenty standard, and five more Willie Pete,” Jerry said. “We’re gonna need a new supply pretty soon.”

“There any back ways into this park?” Jasmine asked.

“There’s fencing, but they’ll get through that pretty fast,” Clint said. “We’ve got sensors and cameras. I’ll make sure it’s all turned on. I’d keep your guns close.”

Jane cringed. “I was hoping we were past this.”

“I know, sweetie,” Frank said, putting his arm around her shoulder.

***

Jeb got out of bed and headed to the bathroom. Rosie stirred, watching him hobble in the door. She smiled at him when he came back out.

“You get better and better,” she said. “How feel?”

“Ways to go, but I don’t hurt everywhere anymore,” he said. “When are the kids getting here?”

“Late tomorrow or following morning.”

“Good,” Jeb said. “Can’t wait to get home.”

Rosie’s phone rang. She answered it.

“Mom?”

“Hi, Jasmine, where you?”

“We’re in an RV Park in Grand Junction,” Jasmine said. “How’s things going there?”

“Jeb just walk,” Rosie said. “Look good. Good recovery.”

“Oh, I’m so glad to hear that, mom. Can’t wait to see you.”

“Me too, daughter,” Rosie said.

“Is Jeb awake? Jerry wants to talk to him.”