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  He asked when we would be rolling out and I said 2 weeks max that there was a lot of shit that needed burning and a lot of good people who were dying right now and I couldn’t live with not dealing with them ASAP.

  I gathered up Sandy and headed off to find Sheri and she was at the barn of course. I just walked up and wrapped her up in my arms and held her a long time.

  Then she pushed me away and went to Sandy and gave her one of those hugs that only this woman could give. Then she said you poor thing stuck with him for months on end. And off they went leaving me standing in goat and chicken shit.

  My butt hurt and I was grumpy so I did what I do best I went to the trailer and took a nap. When I woke up I went looking for my woman and found her with Sheri and Chris in the communal outdoor kitchen laughing and having a good time.

  I walked right thru and grabbed a hand full of cookies and escaped with only one nasty wooden spoon crack across my arm. It was aimed at my head but thru great physical abilities and sure footedness and a lot of other bullshit I made my get away amid a lot of bad words.

  I gave Molly a cookie and Moms Bitie mutts each half of one. They still looked like Hyenas crossed with something mean. all 8 pounds of them.

  There were picnic tables scattered among the trees around the kitchen and soon they were crowded with people eating in shifts but all were fed and as dark came we all drifted off to our beds.

  Sandy and I spent the night in my cabin and while comfortable it seemed like a motel room after the camper. Strange what we can adapt to.

  The next two weeks we worked on training and conditioning in the woods around the homestead. It was easy to see that we weren’t a trained military unit. But I could see real improvement.

  We were really lucky that several of the younger guys had spent time in the Middle East and had some urban combat time and were able to teach what they had learned.

  This would be a life saver down the road we had yet to travel.

  There are a million and one things to think about when involved in a military campaign and they were piling up.

  Transport we had pretty well fixed. We had to work up

  supplies to feed our army. A rolling mess hall and shelters for everybody when in a camp.

  Medics we had since we had several trained EMT’s as well as two real Doctors and even a Vet who decided to stay here since his skills were more needed there then with us.

  Sandy came up with the idea of using the horse trailer as a rolling MASH unit so it was washed and scrubbed and washed again and bleached until the Doc’s declared it clean then we built in what they deemed to be needed for their use.

  Sandy admitted that her idea had a selfish point in that it meant we would have out rolling bed room with us! I loves me a smart woman!

  Plus with the holding tanks and water heater the docs would have clean hot water to work with. We talked about adding some steel plating to the sides of the trailer but decided to wait and see how it worked out. The thought being that the med crew wouldn’t be close to the fighting.

  We were going to have to scrounge for food and fuel while we rolled but we had the ability to pump fuel from the buried tanks in gas stations. We had mechanics. we had a tire repair crew and a rolling tire shop.

  The list grew and grew and some stuff we just had to adapt a wait and see if it could be found as we went.

  Ammo was going to be an issue there was no doubt but we did use up some on Ricks range so everybody could show their ability and to work with the ones who needed it.

  We took the best shooters and armed them with scoped rifles and made them designated marksmen. At this point I dug into my shed and broke out my stash.

  I had several rifles that hadn’t gone to Montana with me. And a goodly supply of ammo all in 223 and X39 for the AK’s and I was able to supply 45 ACP to the troops who carried one.

  I also broke out all the loading supplies and had people who knew how to use the loading equipment to start loading every empty case we had bullets for. I had always been a pack rat and a prepper and this was where my strong points were.

  I waited for somebody to show up to ask for the packet of stuff we picked up in Idaho but nobody did and I would forever wonder what the hell that intriguing mess was all about. There had to be something to it all but I figured somebody had died leaving a gap in the chain of who knew what or when or where.

  I was bothered a bit about it all since I had expected to be contacted by somebody about whatever it was. But I just filed it away as one more mystery in the whole damn mess.

  One thing that did happen that I really had not expected was people started showing up in one’s and twos looking for us. Seems word got out about what we were planning and a lot of folks wanted to be a part of it all.

  All showed up ready to go with their own weapons and gear. I was kinda blown away by it all but Willy said he had expected it since he had been talking it up everywhere he could.

  Now we just had to separate the wheat from the chaff so to speak. But for the most part they all seemed to be what we were looking for. Some were just too young and thought it was a grand adventure. Willy put them on mess duty and shortly they packed up and went home.

  The rest were put thru some tests of abilities to separate shooters from fixers. We gained a couple of real diesel mechanics!

  And another EMT and two nurses who said they could stitch wounds and shoot and proved it. The nurses were both women and both in their mid 30’s and both had seen some bad shit and lost family members and felt doing this beat the other choices they had.

  Being a woman alone in these times was not an easy nor safe thing to be. Both had used their weapons and were ready to do so again.

  I had no rules against drinking after the days work was done but getting drunk was not tolerated at all and the point was made clear that there was no second chances. Get out of control and you would be left where we were to walk to wherever you wanted to go.

  Smoking had all but disappeared since the event and most folks were fine with that. Willy said there were no smokers in the troop which I found to be great since I knew the smell of tobacco carried a long ways. It had gotten folks killed before in combat.

  We had acquired a fuel tanker and got it running and added it to the motor pool, now we just had to fill it! Which might take a while.

  All our vehicles were diesel which helped a lot. We even had a two ton truck with two big diesel generator/ welders mounted on the bed along with a big fuel tank.

  It arrived one day along with two brothers who said they could weld two pieces of water together if we wanted them to which we all took as pure Texas talk!( think BS ) But them ol boys could damn sure weld!

  Time was coming to head out and while I loved being here I wanted to get this road show on it’s way.

  So one morning in mid summer I hugged Sheri and Mom and told them I loved them and saddled up and we rolled out.

  Buck and the crew were watching us leave but didn’t seem to give a shit. Selfish bastards. But Sandy said she had talked to them before we left and explained that we were coming back and for them to help where they could.

  I looked at her and had the thought she had maybe been around Miz Sheri too long. They would be out in the moon light dancing naked if I didn’t watch it. Damn Hippy Witches .

  Leaving home again so soon after all we had gone thru to get here was a hard thing. Leaving Mom again was hard as well and Miz Sheri the anchor of our home hearth.

  But I know Mom is safe and fed and warm, as are the entire group of good people who are there working together to provide a safe haven for all.

  But for me after seeing the things I saw coming home and knowing that there are children out there being murdered, raped and in some cases eaten not to mention the women and young girls who are being treated like brood stock. Bought and sold for some sick son of a bitch’s pleasure.

  I could not sleep safe at night knowing what is going on outside the safe zones created by a few people
who for the most part are good and capable folks but who do not have the little thing that some of us have the thing that sets aside from the rest.

  I can’t walk on water nor fly but I can splash and flap my arms, I can also shoot dead some sack of shit who is doing the things I just mentioned and I can hang his ass if he surrenders. And I will.

  We are not god nor are we the actual legal law as far as it exists these days. But we are fairly good and fairly decent people who have the ability to go in harms way if need be to stop the filth who would do these things.

  Some men plow and grow and bring forth good things from the earth. Some of us weed the scum from the land and bury them so they can be of some use to the earth such as feeding the worms.

  I would rather die doing these things then grow old in the safety of our family community. I’m not brave nor some kind of Rambo. I’m just a man who see’s a job he can do and will do it willingly.

  And I’m blessed to have a good woman who walks at my side and friends like Willy who walked on my other side and the 150+ who will follow us into who knows what.

  And that’s enough of that philosophic bullshit and now as the one buzzard said to the other “ Patients my ass, I’m gonna kill something !

  We Headed right back on the route we used coming home and didn’t slow down for anything except at roadblocks to ask questions of the folks holding out and getting by.

  In Texas the big cities were smoldering burned out ruins and nobody was going in or getting out. Except the folks who could sneak out thru the gangs and those were few and far between these days.

  The good folks were just waiting the scum out knowing they would have to make a run for it sooner or later. And it was gonna be a turkey shoot.

  We made the run close to the state line easy and laid over there for the night. It was a long day and we were all tired and ready for some hot food and rest.

  The repair crews were getting some work done by flood lights and generators.

  Some vehicles had broken down but we had complete repair shops on wheels and people who could fix most anything.

  After a quiet night we were on our way and hit Clovis NM by noon. This time we didn’t by pass it but pulled in and talked to the folks there. We were after information about anybody in the area that might need a visit from us.

  It seemed they had done some house cleaning themselves since my last almost visit and solved their own problems. So with a wave we were off and planned to hit Santa Rosa for the night.

  After getting there and meeting the folks there we were visited by some people who had lived several miles out of town and who had been run out of their homes by some biker trash who came in shooting.

  Two men and a woman were killed before they run them off so the survivors packed up and headed into town much like the settlers did when the Apache of old would raid outlying ranches. I told Willy to send out a scout group and to take along a couple of these folks to show the way.

  They took off around 2100 that night and it was only 20 miles out so I figured they would be back by 0100. But it was closer to 0300 before I heard them come in so I rolled out of bed and headed to the group.

  Willy was waiting and said things were ok and they had gotten enough information to lay our raid. So I went back to bed.

  After breakfast I met with Willy and got the Big picture which was not much. He said the raiders numbered around 20 tops mostly men with a few women who seemed to be there willingly

  They had no obvious security and looked to just be hanging out and living off the spoils of the raid and in Willies opinion were going to just move on to the next soft target.

  This looked to be the perfect target for our virgins to pop their cherries with. We decided that we would let one of the platoon leaders scout it over again and plan how he would use his troops to take the place.

  Willy and I would oversee the hit but the Platoon leader would be running the show. The scout team and the PL headed out along with the squad leaders for the assault platoon.

  They were back in 3 hours and after meeting with his entire platoon of 24 shooters he came to us with his plan which was pretty simple. It was mostly just what Sandy and I did with the Navaho, If it works why change.

  A morning ambush when they came out in response to something that got their attention. I figured it worked for us there was no reason it wouldn’t here.

  Around midnight we rolled out. Sandy, Me and Willy would be in an over watch position to observe. I would observe thru my rifle scope. As would Willy.

  It was almost as boring to watch as to write about.

  About 30 minutes after it was light enough to see to shoot one of the Raiders old trucks simply started burning. No boom. Just flames.

  It still took several minutes for the fools to become aware and then it looked like ants boiling out of the ranch house. Most didn’t even have weapons with them.

  Fish in a barrel was my thought when the platoon opened fire. None made it back to the house. A body count showed several were missing. A few men and all the women.

  The door opened and a woman walked outside with her hands raised. I saw one of the troopers start to move forward but his squad leader stopped him. He dropped just as a rifle fired from the window upstairs.

  The Woman tried to run back inside but never made it. The shooter at the window was hit and dropped his rifle outside where it slid off the porch roof and clattered to the earth.

  I have to say I was surprised when I heard shooting in the house. It sounded like shotgun fire and ended pretty quick. Shortly a voice called out a password and Jackson yelled out to safe all weapons and muzzle up.

  The door opened and out walked one of our people followed by 3 prisoners and 4 more of our people. I looked at Willy who smiled and said hey you said to let Jackson work it out and he did!

  After the all clear was called we headed down to the house and met Johnson and his team. I shook his hand and said well done!! He smiled real big and pointed to his people and They ripped out a war cry!

  The prisoners were a sorry lot. All were wounded and 2 were women. The house team said all had been armed and were shooting.

  Willy took me off to the side and asked what we were going to do with the prisoners. I had no desire to hang them and decided we would turn them over to the folks in town where they could be tried.

  I think Willy was relieved as I was. That they all deserved hanging was a forgone conclusion but I felt the locals should be the ones to deal with it since in fact they hadn’t done anything about dealing with them after they raided and killed some locals.

  We arrived back in town at our camp spot and were met by the local town leaders and handed the prisoners over to them and told them to deal with them.

  I was interested in seeing how they handled it so after we had cleaned our gear and had a late breakfast we headed to the courthouse and were in time to see the three being cut down from a big tree on the courthouse lawn.

  I looked at Willy and he said well they don’t screw around do they? With that we headed back to our camp and started loading up.

  The town leaders showed up and told us to stop at the local fuel depot and fill our vehicles. I was rather surprised at the offer but we accepted willingly.

  We had picked up some locals who were tired of sitting on their asses and asked to join us. Willy told them what gear to bring along and in an hour they were all back so we had added 6 new shooters who would train as we rolled.

  They were scattered out among the squads and told after they had learned our ways they could rejoin and form their own squad if they desired. We felt this was the best way to train them.

  My goal was still to clean out Albuquerque but it was also a big nut to crack since before the event it had almost a million people.

  I knew after the EMP hit that all the major cities had riots and outright wars in the streets and I had to assume a good portion of the place had burned and the people I was after might make up a small part of the few people
left there.

  After thinking it over I decided we would be smarter to slow down and ease into the whole thing. There was plenty of trash to be hauled and a lot more experience to be gained before we risked our people.

  Willy smiled and said good thinking Boss! He too admitted he had been worried about the same issues. We headed in to talk to the town leaders and Sheriff. We met with them and asked what they had heard about any towns or areas having raider troubles.

  The Sheriff said he knew the folks in Roswell had been having some problems but wasn’t sure just what it was but some folks who had stopped off had said things were real bad there.

  We thanked him and set our new path for Roswell NM which was only a couple of hours away “if” you had a vehicle that would run.