The Shelter: Book 1, The Beginning (34 page)

Tony shakes his head, “Any particular type?”

“I’d love to have three or four 81mm tubes, I’d even be happy with a few of the small 60mm ones. In reality, I’d be happy with any mortar we can get. I’m worried that if we’re attacked by a large number of people, our numbers aren’t going to be enough to repulse a human wave attack. Not everyone is a fighter, some are going to freeze, some are not going to aim to kill and some just don’t have the fire in their belly. We need a force multiplier if we’re going to win.”

“Aren’t the full auto weapons going to be enough? I have enough trouble getting ammo, we’re paying five dollars a round for whatever we can find. Finding mortars right now is almost impossible.”

“Tony, I note you didn’t say it’s impossible, what about the contacts in the cartel?”

“John, no go, they’re trying to buy every weapon and round they can find from different National Guard armories knowing we’re going to collapse, which will cut their supply of weapons off. Where does one find mortars?”

“National Guard, Army? If you can’t find any mortar tubes, see if you can find the mortar rounds. If you can find the shells, we can make the tubes. The IRA has been doing it for over thirty years.”

“I’ll let you know what I find. What else do we need?”

“Can you find any flame throwers?”

“Why not just ask for a nuke.”

“Cool, I would have if I thought you could get one.”

“John, don’t you think untrained people using a flame thrower are more of a danger to us than to anyone attacking us?”

“Are you saying, me and my people aren’t trained?”

“You know damn well what I’m saying. If something happens to you and your crew, the farmers could roast my ass with the flamethrower as easily as anyone else’s. Can’t you make a portable flame thrower?”

“Tony, I have a good friend who’s in the Army Reserve, mind if I give him a call and see if we can broker a deal?”

“Go for it, just tell Jay or I what we need and where you want us to be, to pay for whatever deal you make.”

“Will do.”

John calls his friend in the reserves with whom he’s done business with many times. Aaron is a Master Sergeant in the Army Reserve who manages two National Guard and Reserve armories. There’s been time's equipment has been signed out of the armory, handed to John and never returned. The missing weapons were marked as damaged during training. “Aaron, how are you and the family? Have enough to eat?”

“John, we’re getting along, the Army is supplying us with MREs for our families, not great, but better than nothing. Gas is too expensive so I spend 4 days a week in the armory as do many others. We’re getting by, better than most. What can I do for you?”

“Is it possible for us to have lunch? I can arrange to have you picked up.”

“Can you have someone at the Armory at 11:30?”

“Sure, look for a white Chevy Tahoe, I’ll be in the back seat.

Arron’s picked up at the armory, he settles in next to John.

“Hi Aaron, we’re going to visit another close friend of mine. He owns a restaurant downtown.”

Aaron nods at John. They’re dropped off at the back door of Tony’s restaurant. Aaron says, “I thought all of the restaurants on this street closed a couple of weeks ago.”

John smiles responding, “They did. This one is owned by my friend. Name of Tony. He has enough supplies to provide meals for special meetings and for his very close friends.”

Walking in the back door, Aaron’s jaw drops when he meets the owner, he’s thinking,
oh crap, Tony is that Tony. I’d better be on guard. He can make me disappear.

John says, “Tony, this is Aaron, in the past Aaron has supplied me with some special goods. He might have some items you’re looking for. I thought the two of you should meet.”

Aaron shakes Tony’s hand. The three sit around a table. Tony starts talking about their specials, “Tony, you didn’t bring me all the way here to chat about food, why don’t you tell me what you’d like me to make disappear for you. I should tell you right up front. Demand is very high as are the prices.”

Smiling Tony replies, “Right down to business, I like that. I’d like to know the going price for mortars and their shells.”

Aaron stops chewing his bread and butter looking at Tony, “Mortars? Jesus Tony, they’re not easy to make disappear. Rifles and ammo are always checked out for training or security operations, but mortars are only checked out for the summer two-week training or an actual deployment. Christ, this could get me caught.”

“So the price is high?”

“High? Tony, I’m not sure it’s possible. Heavy weapons are kept in a different section of the armory, they’re under a different security system. The heavy weapons are guarded 24/7, it’s not like I can just walk in and forge an officer's signature to sign them out for a training mission. Expensive doesn’t begin to cover it. We’re talking hard time in jail if I get caught. They’ll open an investigation and check everything in the armory. I could get busted for all of the exchanges we’ve done. They’ll send the ATF after you. It’s not just me who could end up in jail.”

“I’m sure you can set it up so if an investigation happens, you’ll be able to lay the blame at someone else’s feet. You’ve done it before.”

“Tony, I’ve only gone into the heavy weapons armory four times a year to take inventory, opening it without the right codes sets off an alarm. Tony, can’t you pick something else you’d like to buy? How about a couple of nice Humvees? A case of M4s? I can get you 50,000 rounds of 5.56 ammo real cheap or how about a couple of cases of hand grenades? I can slip you fifty cases of MREs.”

“Aaron, I’ll take all of those, but I still want the mortars.”

“Tony, not easy. I have to spend some time thinking about how to get into the armory without setting off the alarm. Can you give me a few days to investigate?”

“Aaron, when can I pick up the M4s, ammo, and grenades? I’ll take the Humvees too.”

“Today’s Tuesday, how about Thursday
.
Have John arrange the transfer. He knows how to do it and get people onto the base and into the armory. John, send the same three people to drive the Humvees, make sure they’re wearing the uniforms I gave you with their ID tags, no one has ever questioned them before. We’ll do it the same way, they walk in the base, I’ll meet them at the armory, we’ll load the weapons in the Humvees, and your men drive them from the base. I’ll expect to see the payment in my Swiss account when your men leave the base.”

John asks, “Aaron, have you ever had a payment issue before?”

“Never which is why I continue to do business with you.”

Laughing Tony responds, “Aaron you’ll do business with me because I’ll make you a very rich man.”

“Tony, I’ve done okay working with John. I’ve been able to pay off two ex-wives, buy my house for cash and own two very nice sports cars. I expect you’ll follow the methods John and I have proved work with almost no risk to either party.”

Tony smiles, “Don’t worry, you’ll be paid in the usual way. Don’t cross me. You can guess what’ll happen if you screw with me. I want my mortars and while you’re at it, I want a few cases of missiles.”

“Missiles? Christ Tony, why don’t you ask for a nuke?”

“I didn’t think you stored nukes on the base or I would ask.”

“We don’t. What kind of missiles?”

“What have you got?”

“Look, I wasn’t joking, if you think sneaking mortars out is impossible, getting missiles out
is
impossible. The brass is scared a MANPAD could end up taking down a passenger plane. They are RFI chipped, if one goes through the doorway without the correct codes, it sets off an alarm shutting down the entire base. Forget missiles.”

“Can’t you get the RFI codes?”

“No, only certain officers have them. I can’t buy them off.”

“Give me his contact information, I’ll see what I can do.”

Finishing lunch Aaron leaves Tony sitting at the table. Tony’s thinking,
I might not be able to get the mortars, but additional rifles and ammo are always welcome, I’m sure we can find a use for the Humvees. Dressed in Army uniforms riding in Humvees we can pass for army soldiers, never know when this might come in handy.

@@@@@

The Nashville Music City Center has lines of hungry, scared, tired people that go around the building three times. If the lines of people were straightened out, there would be a line exceeding two miles long. None of the Country Music stars expected to see so large a number of hungry people. Alan Jackson remarked to Reba, “I’m shocked at the number of hungry, depressed people. Most of these people have no hope, no dreams, and no future. Many are going to be waiting an entire day for the chance to get something hot to eat. I hope we don’t run out of food before everyone gets something.”

“Alan, it’s hot outside, the sun is strong. I’m going to take some cases of bottled water out to them. They must be really miserable waiting in line.”

“Reba, don’t go out alone, make sure you have security with you, some of those people have no hope, they have nothing to lose. They may attack you in order to get the water.”

“I’ll be careful.”

“Reba, I thought it over, don’t go, I’m worried about your safety. The line of people rings the building three or four times, many have been standing outside all day. They are hungry and angry. When word spreads of water, they will turn into a mob fighting everyone for a bottle of water. I’m surprised they haven’t rushed us to break in here already. The only reason that may be keeping them at bay is they remember us, they enjoy our music, many hold us in a special place. If we weren’t here, I think they would rush the soup kitchen, many would be killed.”

“Alan, I don’t believe they will act like animals, they are still human, I’m sure there is good within them.”

“I pray you’re right, the supplies we’re serving are running low. When we run out of food, there is going to be a panic that’ll spread like a wildfire. I’m going to take my family and leave the city tonight.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m hoping we can make it to Canada.”

“I thought Canada closed their side of the border with us.”

“The northern border is the over 3,000 miles long, the Canadians don’t patrol all of it. Before the time of troubles started the Canadians didn’t have a large military. Since then they’ve been expanding their military. Canada’s worried about their future since China demanded payment from America and Obama went crazy. Canada worries what the Chinese or Obama may do. They don’t want to be caught in the crossfire.”

Reba says, “Alan, I think Obama was always crazy.”

“Reba, when the food runs out, Nashville’s 1.7 million are going to tear the city apart looking for food. Hungry people will do anything to feed their families. Wouldn’t you do anything to feed your family?”

Reba says, “I have some supplies hidden in the basement.”

“I wouldn’t say that out loud. Why don’t you leave when I do, I’ll make sure you get home safe and sound?”

“The shelter’s not going to stay open all night tonight?”

“Reba, it’ll stay open. However, the kitchen only has watered down soup left to serve. It’s more water than anything else. I’m going to try to slip out when the sun sets. I don’t want to be here when the people learn what the real conditions are.”

“Thanks, I’ll be happy to go with you.”

As the sun sets and the sky darkens, the people waiting in line for food and water wonder if they will ever reach the end of the serving line. Many are restless after having waited all day for something to eat. Alan and Reba trade coats with a couple of the serving staff, they slip out of the Music City Center through the basement which exited into a parking garage two blocks away. They found a car that Alan could start by twisting the ignition wires under the dash. He looked at Reba, “We have half a tank of gas, we’re going to try to slip out of the city without using headlights. If we’re lucky, we’ll be able to reach our homes without getting stopped by the crowds of people.”