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Expensive Diary,
It’s me, Jessica.
Joanne acquired sick. Some type of respiratory an infection. Had it been me, I may need been down for a couple of days after which bounced again. However at Joanne’s age, that is one thing totally different.
HAM Man went on the native nets on the 5 within the afternoon ‘group’ assembly, asking if anybody had antibiotics. A man within the metropolis HAM Man knew got here again and mentioned he may have the ability to organize a commerce with one of many native gangs. Our HAM Man mentioned he would discuss to Jack and get again to town man tomorrow on the seven within the morning HAM group assembly.
Jack put out the phrase to the neighborhood that he would take one of many remaining gang vans and go to town to see what he may discover or commerce for antibiotics. He requested for volunteers. I shouldn’t be shocked, however almost all the lads and some girls, together with Rae, volunteered. There have been so many who Jack determined to take two of the vans, fill them up from the opposite vans’ tanks, and use the remainder of the gas for commerce with another issues.
Jack picked fight vets who have been most bodily succesful. In the event that they needed to ‘hump’ it again from town, it might be a three-day ‘hump’ assuming a tough ten miles a day with their packs, water, meals, ammo, and weapons. Diary, it’s humorous to consider that. Dad used to drop me off at college after which drive to the manufacturing facility within the metropolis one other twenty-five minutes down the street. Now by foot, it’s a three-day ‘laborious hump.’
Entry 2
Expensive Diary,
It has been 4 days since Jack and his crew of 9 males left.
HAM Man reported he heard from town man, and so they had gotten to town three days in the past.
Nothing since.
Joanne has gone from unhealthy to worse. She is coughing loads. So laborious that her face typically turns purple. She has a fever. The chills. Generally, she appears delusional. We’re doing every little thing we will to maintain her snug, but it surely doesn’t appear to be working.
Kathy, one of many girls Jack and his assault crew freed, was a pharmacist earlier than the ability went out. Kathy made up some natural tea that appeared to assist some. I’m afraid it’s not sufficient. We’d like Jack and his crew to return with the antibiotics and shortly.
Dad and I have been on the Miller’s, mucking out one of many barns with Billy, Olive, and Daisy, once I requested Billy about homeschooling. He requested why, and I advised him Rae needed to start out a faculty within the neighborhood and had mentioned how necessary training was. Diary, truthfully, it by no means occurred to me the significance of training until Rae spoke about it. I at all times thought college was a drag, my associates have been extra necessary than some dumb numbers, lengthy useless guys with unhealthy hair and unhealthy poetry or performs, planets and stars thousands and thousands of miles away, issues so small we’d like a microscope to see, and how one can formulate a sentence accurately. In comparison with different languages, English is absolutely dumb. Till now, our social media connections appeared extra necessary.
Rae mentioned in her Southern accent,
“Honey, I could have been raised in a single vast, by no means attended one among them fancy universities, however I’m removed from ignorant. My grandpappy and momma made positive I studied laborious and acquired good marks, or there’d be a whipping.”
Diary, I’m not positive what a ‘whippin’ is, but it surely doesn’t sound nice.
Rae mentioned it was our accountability to make sure the following technology didn’t slide again into ignorance. Again within the Darkish Ages the place solely a small elite group was allowed to be educated and used that energy over those that weren’t. Utilizing leeches to attempt to remedy the black plague or different technique of bloodletting. Okay, I do recall leeches do have some sensible medical makes use of, I get it. However to turn into so ignorant, we expect the climate is dominated by unseen gods that require sacrifices of vestal virgins thrown right into a volcano for rain? Fortunately, we don’t have any volcanoes round right here.
Billy advised Mrs. Miller what I had mentioned, and he or she mentioned she want to meet Rae and possibly even assist Rae to determine a faculty in our neighborhood. Diary, I have no idea why, however I supplied my assist to show. Mrs. Miller smiled at me and mentioned I used to be a ‘exceptional’ younger girl, no matter which means.
The following day, Mrs. Miller and Billy confirmed up at our door. I took them to satisfy Rae. Mrs. Miller and Rae hit it off. They talked at a fast tempo about how one can arrange a faculty, what to show, how one can train it, and extra. Being principally ignored, Billy and I went for a stroll across the neighborhood. Diary, it was so unusual to be strolling with a boy, each of us with rifles slung over our shoulders, and out of the blue we have been holding fingers! It simply occurred! I didn’t look, however I may nearly really feel our neighbor’s eyes looking their home windows to see what was happening and smiling. Diary, I’m blushing even now!
When Billy and I acquired again, Mrs. Miller and Rae had a pointed define for the neighborhood college on a number of sheets of paper. They might put out phrase of the necessity for somebody within the neighborhood who had expertise in educating some topics. The draft outlined curriculum had the standard topics: studying, writing, math, sciences, and historical past, however a couple of I used to be not anticipating, like first assist, gardening, hearth beginning, and even marksmanship.
I used to be shocked to search out I used to be on the define to show studying and writing, and I used to be to be Jack’s assistant educating marksmanship! No worries, Diary. In spite of everything, I’m a ‘pure.’
Different after-school actions have been a couple of sports activities, artwork, horseback driving, and a few actually out-there ones like chess, card video games, and drama. I’d be a part of the drama membership.
Mrs. Miller and Rae assume it can take one other few weeks, possibly even months, to get the variety of lecturers per class measurement, develop a curriculum, and we will discover books!
Diary, I’m kinda excited to have the ability to train!
Entry 3
Expensive Diary,
They’re again.
However not all of them.
They usually appear to be they’ve been by hell.
However they introduced again various medical provides and ‘broad-spectrum antibiotics,’ no matter these are. Kathy gave Joeanne a ‘bolus’ of antibiotics and did the maths for the dosage Joeanne must take for at the least per week. A couple of hours later, Joeanne’s fever broke, and he or she appeared extra snug. Kathy mentioned it was ‘promising,’ however Joeanne was nonetheless not out of the ‘woods.’ Time would inform.
Among the crew went dwelling to their households. Jack requested if he and the 2 remaining guys may get some sizzling water from us to wash up and a chunk to eat, after which they’d sit down and inform us all what occurred. Here’s what he advised us
They drove to the bridge with the roadblock on the close to finish. An ‘open-air market’ had sprung up with folks coming to commerce issues. There, they met the ‘sheriff’ of the market, Andy. Jack mentioned Andy appeared cheap but additionally shifty sufficient that he didn’t belief him. Jack and his crew totally ‘kitted’ out with weapons and tactical gear may need had one thing to do with it. Andy and his deputies did what they might to maintain issues from outright lawlessness however on the identical time did what they did to maintain themselves ‘snug.’ Just like the roadblock. They appeared to haven’t any downside profiting from these to pay to move. Extra so if they might not pay, however that stream of ‘income’ appeared to have dried up when winter set in with the occasional snow and colder temperatures.
Since then, Andy had launched a ‘buying and selling’ tax on all those that traded on the ‘market.’ Andy and his ‘deputies’ would patrol the market, even double taxing these they didn’t like, which was almost everybody. Jack mentioned there was a stress within the air when Andy and his ‘deputies’ have been about.
Jack waited until twilight and drove slowly throughout the bridge with their lights out. Midway to town, they pulled off the street into the woods to make camp for the night time. At pre-dawn twilight, they’d a chilly meal, broke camp, and continued on to town slowly with lights off. After they reached town, they hid the vans in a warehouse on the sting of town.
To maneuver quicker, Jack opted for him and the crew to strip right down to the naked ‘minimal’ of substances, hiding their different gear and provisions on the far finish of the warehouse from the vans. And, after all, the issues to make use of for commerce for medical provides and antibiotics.
At seven within the morning, Jack and the crew went to a location town HAM man advised Jack to go to and used a handheld radio to speak with him.
They used predetermined phrases and names for ‘OPSEC.’ As soon as identities have been verified, the crew shaped up and went to town HAM man’s location. It was only some blocks, but it surely appeared to take endlessly.
The streets have been suffering from autos in numerous states of destruction. Some have been burned out. Others appeared to have been in violent collisions with different autos. Various had a couple of to dozens of bullet holes in them, the edges or windshields. Jack didn’t trouble to verify the gas tanks. A couple of autos that weren’t burned out, the gasoline caps have been flipped open. Seemingly, all of the tanks have been drained way back.
Almost all of the retailers, shops, and residences had been topic to some type of destruction. Home windows busted out. Indicators of looting. One constructing suffered an enormous hearth. One constructing’s whole entrance, from the bottom to the highest flooring, collapsed. Trash littered the streets like leaves within the fall.
There have been our bodies in numerous phases of decomposition as properly. A couple of wore military-like uniforms, most of which had no title tapes or rank, however one had a language and rank Jack didn’t acknowledge. That’s after they got here as much as what seemed like a tracked navy automobile on its aspect. The whole entrance finish had been blown off.
Town HAM man’s place was a small residence constructing the place the doorway and the 2 flooring above ought to have seemed like they have been hit with artillery hearth. Identical with one of many higher corners of the constructing. The concrete face was pockmarked with bullet strikes. Jack questioned if the constructing would come down at any time.
They went to the again loading dock to an enormous metal door. Jack knocked a collection of knocks in a selected order and waited. After a couple of minutes, he tried once more. This time, the door opened.
A brief, skinny, balding man with thick glasses and a hoodie greeted them with a nervous smile. As soon as in, he closed the door, and a small cube-like LED lantern illuminated what seemed just like the utility part of the residence constructing. He then secured the door with a heavy metal crossbar and two rebar rods into holes that had been drilled into the ground. He picked up the lantern and led them by the utility part to a set of darkish stairs. As they went, he defined the residence constructing was deserted aside from him. Throughout the first three days, most individuals went about as regular as they might with the ability out. When meals in fridges had gone unhealthy, bogs started to again up, no water, issues began to go unhealthy. Meals riots on the grocery shops. Armed robberies for meals and bottled water. By the second week, some have been taking the chance to enterprise out for meals and water. By the third week, between the shootings and the shortage of recent water folks have been starting to die in numbers.
Jack famous the mute stench, like a port-o-potty that wanted emptying, as they made their method towards the highest flooring. Town man talked about the scent was the worst on the bottom two flooring. Not a lot to note on the highest flooring.
Concerning the fourth week, some navy teams got here in with heavy weapons, and issues acquired even worse as they slugged it out with complete disregard for the native populace. Jack requested if he knew who they have been. He simply shook his head. He was not about to exit and ask with bullets flying and issues exploding. The HAM nets have been of no use. They have been an absolute mess, with some claiming it was the UN. Others, the Chinese language, the Russians, the North Koreans. Various mentioned it was a civil warfare. Nobody actually knew.
As soon as in his residence on the highest flooring, town HAM man mentioned he knew our HAM Man for years, a part of the identical native HAM membership. For his ‘providers,’ Jack gave him two kilos of dried beef jerky, a pound of espresso, and a bag of Halloween treats our HAM man promised. After that, town HAM man relaxed a bit. He mentioned issues had settled down fairly a bit as soon as winter set in. Those that remained extra focused on staying dwelling and heat as a lot as they might. He would use his radio to contact the gang to rearrange the assembly in the course of the HAM midday group assembly.
Town HAM man had a setup like our HAM Man: totally different radios, totally different antennas on the roof, a photo voltaic array, and several other deep-cycle batteries. He had a rain catchment system on the roof that drained instantly into water buckets in his residence, the place he would then filter the water.
Metropolis ‘HAM’ man got here up on the native nets on the midday group assembly, organized the assembly with the gang, and radioed our ‘HAM’ man of Jack and the crew’s arrival to town and that each one was properly.
Jack and the crew went instantly to the assembly place, a metropolis park a couple of blocks away.
As they made their method in ‘formation,’ they noticed a couple of folks looking from unbroken home windows on the higher flooring of some buildings that weren’t as broken, one man ranting and raving whereas he staggard down the road with a baseball bat, and a girl and little one. The folks within the home windows simply watched the crew go. The person ignored them and continued on speaking to nobody about how he tried to warn them about 5G, plastics within the water, Military lab-grown assault canines of surprising measurement, and planet X. The girl and little one, seeing Jack and his crew, ran.
Jack and two others would go to the precise assembly with the provides for commerce. The remainder would place themselves across the assembly space in ‘tactical’ positions for what Jack acknowledged was ‘most gross utility of violence,’ no matter which means. If issues seemed like they have been going unhealthy, Jack and the opposite two would drop to the bottom, and the others have been to ‘mild them up.’
The gang arrived later, seven of them in a mixture of leather-based coats, mild winter jackets or soccer crew jackets, boots and excessive tops, tactical gear, and weapons. Their chief laughed at Jack and famous he and his two males have been ‘outnumbered.’ Jack shrugged and mentioned,
“Perhaps. However you’re surrounded,” and a purple laser dot out of the blue appeared on the chief’s chest.
The chief seemed down, noticed the laser purple dot on his chest, chuckled and mentioned, “Proper. We’re right here to commerce.”
They spent the following half hour haggling backwards and forwards. What the gang chief didn’t know is Jack was buying and selling for every little thing for essentially the most he may get. Jack didn’t wish to need to haul something he introduced again. So, for gas, jerky, sweet, and occasional, they acquired quantity of medical provides and antibiotics.
When the offers have been achieved, the gang chief gave Jack an extended look after which acknowledged they weren’t from across the metropolis. Jack mentioned nothing, however the gang chief requested Jack how issues have been exterior town.
Jack was principally trustworthy with him. Lack of medical provides and antibiotics. No electrical energy or operating water. No warmth besides what they might burn. He advised him in regards to the gang attacking distant houses and farms. The captivity and abuse of ladies. To Jack’s shock, the chief mentioned, “Slavers,” in disgust and spat on the bottom. They didn’t enable that type of factor.
After an extended second, Jack supplied his hand to the gang chief and mentioned, “Maybe we may deal extra sooner or later.”
“Maybe,” the gang chief responded taking Jack’s hand and shaking as soon as. He gave Jack a smile and chuckled, and he and his gang turned and walked away.
Jack needed to get again on the street and as removed from town earlier than dusk when issues went ‘sideways.’
They picked up their different gear and provisions from the opposite web site after they went to get the vans and acquired ambushed. Within the first few seconds, two of the crew went down. The remainder took cowl. Regardless of the shut vary and factor of shock, their attackers appeared extra of the ‘spray and pray’ technique techniques than efficient hearth. Jack and the remainder of the crew returned hearth with impact, taking out at the least three attackers, and the others hid behind the vans. Sadly for them, until they have been crouched down behind the engine blocks or tires, one among Jack’s males had a rifle of a heavier caliber and sufficient punch to undergo the doorways, wounding two others. Realizing they’d restricted ammunition, Jack took out an HME, lit it, referred to as for overlaying hearth, and tossed it underneath one of many vans. It exploded and in addition set off the gas tank in an enormous fireball. The 2 explosions ended the ambush.
As soon as the mud and particles had settled, Jack and the remainder of the crew, on the ‘prepared,’ circled across the wreck and the opposite truck. There was nobody or nothing to salvage behind the truck that exploded. The opposite truck had injury to its entrance finish and was on hearth. They discovered two our bodies a number of ft from the entrance finish of the truck. Jack couldn’t inform in the event that they have been male or feminine, they have been so badly twisted and mangled from the explosions. They have been in a position to take 4 magazines off of them and two rifles. Jack was referred to as over to the rear of the truck. There a younger woman was sprawled out on the ground. The correct aspect of her physique was badly burned and smoldering. Her respiration was labored. She was crying out of her remaining eye. Jack may inform she was fairly a couple of minutes in the past. After a second of them taking a look at one another, he knelt down subsequent to her and mentioned, “I can solely finish the ache.”
She appeared to grasp and made a weak nod of her head and sobbed. He stood up, unholstered his pistol.
“I’m sorry.”
Aimed and squeezed the set off.
Jack and the remaining crew regrouped, took stock of their provides, loaded full magazines, and took a second of silence for many who had died. All of them.
None of them favored the concept of leaving their comrades in arms behind, but it surely couldn’t be helped.
Then they got down to ‘hump’ it again dwelling.
On the bridge Andy demanded half of what Jack had returned with, regardless of Jack pre-trading gas for passage again earlier than they left for town.
What Andy didn’t know was Jack left two of his crew, a ‘rear guard,’ hidden within the woods exterior the marketplace for ‘insurance coverage.’ Jack advised the ‘rear guard’ to return up on their handheld radios on the identical instances of day because the HAM guys’ group conferences and pay attention for his or her pre-designated code phrase transmissions for after they have been on the bridge and able to come again. The ‘Rear guard’ was to set themselves up for an ambush, if wanted when the crew got here throughout the bridge to the roadblock.
Andy was the one one with any fight expertise. The opposite ‘deputies’ have been males who stood round, trying massive and unhealthy of their tactical gear. Jack’s ‘rear guard’ took out half of the ‘deputies’ within the first seconds of the firefight. Jack and the others attacked from the entrance.
Andy and two different ‘deputies’ survived. Legs and arms bounded, Jack tossed them off the bridge to the river rapids 300 ft under.
The folks on the market cheered as they watched on.
Diary, I’m not positive how I really feel about that.
Wish to learn extra of this story?
Take a look at Half 1
Half 2 is right here.
About 1stMarineJarHead
1stMarineJarHead shouldn’t be solely a former Marine, but additionally a former EMT-B, Wilderness EMT (courtesy of NOLS), and volunteer firefighter.
He presently resides within the nice white (i.e. snowy) Northeast along with his spouse and canines. He raises chickens, rabbits, goats, sometimes hogs, cows and typically geese. He grows numerous veggies and has a bizarre fondness for rutabagas. He enjoys studying, writing, cooking from scratch, making charcuterie, goal taking pictures, and is presently increasing his woodworking abilities.
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