Displacement Day

CHAPTER 20 - Preparing for Battle

CHAPTER 20 – Preparing for Battle Darren, Charlie, Pastor Drummond, and Mike huddled with a couple of people Darren didn't know in one of the Sunday School classrooms. "This is the only good place left to have a private meeting." Drummond closed the curtain over the window as he said that. Moonlight filtering through curtains on the windows combined with two little LED candles to provide light. A whiteboard dominated one wall, and a bookcase shared the other wall with posters partly covered by three tall stacked chairs. "So, we need to assume the nomads are trying to take over the town don't we?" Darren looked around for signs of disagreement. "We might have all of the guns in the church compound between us, and how much ammunition?" This time Charlie looked around the room. "We do need an estimate. I have nine rounds in my single magazine. That's it." The rest of the guys did some thinking and some whispering – they had all lowered their voices. In the end, they came up with 200 to 300 rounds. Iris and some guy named Henry who Darren had never met were the only people in town who had guns and ammunition. "If they launch an attack, how can we defend this area and the public safety center?" "Don't forget the community center," said Charlie. "We can't do it can we?" Darren looked around while he mentally reviewed their assets. Pastor Drummond nodded. We just need to spread guard duties around. Put a few of us at each place." Charlie shook his head. "That's what, 12 men and women with guns and not much ammunition for all three locations. Unless we could find more folks with guns willing to help out."Darren remembered that the first militia meeting drew at least 30 more people. A few had gone off in the desert or been killed. "There are others, just not here. Who else is left from the first militia meeting, and where are they?" That led to some more whispered conversations and some nodding heads. In the end, between Mike and Charlie, they were able to establish that another 10 or 12 people were allowed and still in the fight. "So, we have maybe 24 people to defend this location and a couple more. Is it enough?" He could see a few heads shaking. Charlie grabbed his radio. "I'm checking on the guys at the Center." Darren leaned over to Pastor Drummond and whispered. "That van's still in the yard and Cat probably knows it." "Shoot." "Charlie, there is a problem." Charlie had given up on the radio. "So, I think we need to make a Ridgeway back to the center." "I need to come with you." The rest of the group didn't know what he and Charlie knew, or suspected about the van. He wasn't going to brief everyone tonight if he could help it. "Right. The yard contains a vehicle we have to protect or recover." Darren shook his head. Charlie paused long enough to look at him, then continued. "There's a nondescript gray van in the fenced parking area beside the police department offices. We think the van is critical to getting the hell out of here." He paused to look around, so Charlie took advantage. "In fact, we know what happened to us was not natural and we know the van drove into town the night before. We also know the back is packed with gear neither Charlie nor I had ever see." Pastor Drummond spoke up. "I saw the machine, whatever it is." The rest of the crowd looked nonplussed, which Darren could understand. How many of us had experience with dimensional travel, or whatever. "So, yeah, we need to secure that vehicle one way or another." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Mike and Charlie both nodding in agreement.Pastor Drummond broke the brief silence. "So, how do we do this Darren?" Charlie's radio crackled to life. "Center. What's happening?" An excited female voice responded. "We're evacuating. Another bigger attack just started. That's why no one responded a minute ago. We're covering the civilians as we head east." Gunshots punctuated a few of her words."Roger that. We're coming out to pitch in." Darren was opening the door almost before Charlie could finish that sentence.**** Darren hurried through the crowd. He wanted to speak with Chloe for a minute but she was out of sight, possibly in the kitchen or bathroom. There was no time to find her. He could hear a couple of the guys and Charlie behind him. Murmurs went through the couple dozen refugees they had to pass on their way to the door. More people would be outside, still a little vulnerable. They ran in the general direction of the Public Safety Center, to reduce the noise and to save what little fuel they had. Darren didn't like the ragged and disorganized way they jogged across roads and through yards but it was too late to train anyone. Human voices came from just ahead an instant before a few people came into view. One of them was armed. Darren thought he recognized the man. A dozen more people came out of the gloom, two limping. Another man with a hunting rifle took up the rear. They met in the middle of a road Darren couldn't remember the name of. "Is this really the whole group?"He waved the group over to the yard, where they could get some cover from trees and an abandoned car. This house also had a carport that was mostly intact.
The leader shook his head. "Several people took off on their own."Mike, Charlie, and two guys Darren didn't know went past the group to cover them all, or look for the enemy. It didn't much matter which. "How many people were at the Center, including militia?" "Maybe 80 or 90." "How many attackers?" "Too many." He couldn't see who in the group said that. The man Darren had been speaking to frowned. "Maybe only seven or eight. One got into the building by smashing out a window. It speared an old lady without a sound. It took two of us to stop the thing." He nodded at one of the limping refugees, a muscular young man. "Keep going west to the church. We're pressing on." He motioned for Charlie and Darren to follow him. "Can't you wait until the morning to power up that thing?" "I wish we could babe." "Well, I guess. What happens if the station's been occupied? What if they attack while you're there?" "Well, we have to take a chance, and we have guns." "Look, there are at least 50 people staying there, digging in. Some of them have guns. The nomads and their creatures aren't likely to have a go at us tonight." He kissed her and headed for the door. The house was only two miles from the public safety center, so he could get there, unload the generator, connect it, and fire it up in under 10 minutes. He guessed so anyway. He loaded the generator in the trunk, with a little trouble. It weighed almost 200 pounds with some fuel in it. But, he got the generator more or less settled in the trunk and left. On the short ride to the station, he heard gunshots, far on the north end of town. Someone yelled off to the west. He worried about leaving Allison, but they'd argued twice about relocating to the church. They had guns, ammo, batteries, and she was trained to use the Glock he'd left with her. She'd button up again and they'd talk about moving to the church or the community center in the morning. Darren was there in the parking area. As soon as he saw Charlie approaching with in the cruiser, he rolled the gate open. "One of the guys reported suspicious figures moving about in the CBD a few minutes ago." As if to illustrate the problem someone fired a deer rifle about a half-mile north and east of them. "Let's hurry up!" Darren helped Charlie get the generator out and set up near the van. Charlie hooked it up inside the van. "Got it." The generator operated with a pull-cord, like an old lawnmower. Like most such devices this one was reluctant to start. But it did start on the fourth pull. "You know Charlie. I didn't think of this before. How long will it take to charge this thing?" Darren shrugged because he was clueless. If there was a charge indicator like on a phone, it wasn't obvious.**** Darren and Charlie set out in Charlie's patrol car to see what had happened around the Public Safety Center and downtown. Someone had come to the church and mentioned looters or other people there. "Let's do it Charlie." Darren shuffled to the police cruiser at what he guessed was around 7 AM. The sun had just come up, and Darren felt like he'd just fallen asleep when Charlie came to get him. "And let's hope there isn't much drama. I have nine shells left for the shotgun." He was still carrying it though. "I can't imagine. If we see any worms or flying things I'm sure as hell not starting a fight." He started the engine before Darren got in the passenger's seat. They turned the last corner a minute later, and encountered three men carrying bags and boxes out of a house. Charlie turned on the siren for a few seconds. He also stopped the car about 100 feet from the group. They ignored the car, did pick up the pace and head for the space between two of the houses. The breeze carried the smell of rotting meat into the car from Darren's side. He wrinkled his nose and rolled up the power window. They drove in a circle around the Center and heading toward downtown. A few people were outside either working in their little gardens or shuffling around, almost zombie-like. One man, wearing nothing but briefs and a polar fleece vest raised his hand. Charlie kept going. They approached what passed for the central business district and slowed down. Darren realized he did not know the area well enough to be sure of what was on either side just ahead. Charlie stopped the car and killed the engine. "Let's get out shall we?" He got out without waiting for a response. Darren noted that Charlie closed the door softly and did likewise. Someone around the corner and on the left was talking. They stopped near the corner. A second person whispered something; Darren could tell the voices were quite different. He could make out a few English words, so it was locals trying to find food or whatever. Without waiting for permission, he peered around the corner. Three men and a woman were standing on the sidewalk holding candy and sodas they'd taken from a nearby store. None of them were obviously armed. Darren turned back to Charlie. "I just see four young people stealing junk food." Charlie was silent for a long moment. "Screw it then. We have real problems." A male voice around the corner exclaimed "Holy shit!" Darren looked around the corner again. The four looters were running back into the store. He couldn't see what they were running from. And then he did see it – two figures with compound bows. He couldn't tell if they saw him but one loosed an arrow at the looters a fraction of a second before the last one ducked inside. At a range of over 200 yards, he knew their weapons were useless. "Two nomads, at least. Armed with bows. One of them took a shot at the looters." Charlie came over to take a look around the corner. The arrow that one nomad fired had glanced off the wall and slid to a rest in the road not far from Charlie and Darren. The two nomads watched them for a second then turned and ran. "Should be chase them?" "Could be a trap. Probably is." Darren walked around the corner toward the store. He could hear Charlie groan n behind him. "What are you doing?" "Doing some recruiting." Darren looked inside the store. Sunlight streaming through the open door and picture window made it easy to see the jumble of stuff in the store. No people though. They'd probably already slipped out the back door. This store wasn't more than 20 feet wide and 40 feet deep. "Shit. I guess they missed their chance to join the fight."**** Charlie got together with Mike and a couple of the newest militia guys. He had wanted Darren to be there. "Well, I hate to say it but we need to step up security, and more." The small team exchanged looks. Mike may have whispered a curse. It didn't matter though. We say some of the local nomads or whatever they are about four miles north of here. This was last night. Our security guard by the oasis disappeared. Mike raised his hand. "So, we have no way to get water aside from those fog collector things?" "Yes. I mean, if we had the tools we'd be digging a well, but I don't think we have the equipment." The door opened. From Charlie's perspective he could see it was Darren, armed with the shotgun and a handgun. "Guys, we need to go on the offensive."**** Darren decided to go out on his own, and track study the situation north of town. The creatures near the CBD had run north. Many of the creatures were coming from that direction. Or, it seemed so anyway. He didn't know why this little hunting expedition was necessary, but he felt like it was. And this time, he carried the pistol he'd recovered before, along with the 1 full magazine he had. It wasn't much, he know, but then he meant to avoid a fight if he could. Heading north from the church he decided to swing toward the northeast, using peoples' yards where necessary. One house had burned down, overnight more likely because some of the wood was smoldering. He marched on. Someone had boarded up another house, but the boards had been ripped off the picture window in front. A couple of people carrying backpacks and shopping bags passed him. They were a middle-aged couple both fat and out of shape. They scowled at him when he nodded. Behind them, a few alien plants had begun to grow in a vegetable garden amid some plants Darren couldn't quite identify. He marched on. A couple of houses lay ahead on the right and on the left. All four looked like they'd been abandoned to the elements years ago. He was thankful the breeze was coming from the south for he knew what must have happened in town while it was gone. The desert was just ahead. As usual, nothing much was moving out there. A little crab-like thing scuttled into town on his right. Darren drew the pistol and switched off the safety. He scanned the area as he continued to walk. As he walked into the desert, he holstered the pistol and grabbed the shotgun. Two of the bird-like natives were wheeling about on thermals in the distant. Darren didn't care. He was looking for footprints or other signs of human-like beasts in the area. A few minutes later, he turned right, intending to go south and come back to the church by going due west into town. By now, he had a mental map of the whole area that could help him navigate. Darren proceeded with caution once, looking around and up in the air. The Hell Worms, Hell Hounds, Bird-Things, and Cat's people. Something moved, behind a dune. He crouched down and aimed in that direction. **** Darren wanted to even the odds by sharing a few tricks he'd picked up since enlisting in the army. The most important trick at the moment seemed like bomb making. It wasn't part of his regular military training, but he did learn to make Molotov cocktails and simple pipe bombs. No one was interested in learning, so he too advantage of the show day to make a few firebombs. He had everything he needed, including over a gallon of gasoline. He looked at the little can and the other supplies. This may be the largest amount of gasoline in town that isn't in someone's vehicle. He began, creating one firebomb then another and another. He ended up with four, and a trace of gasoline remaining. "No we're a little bit more ready."