I've gotten my new book partly drafted, it will be a fighting survivalist book but with high technology and unlikely rescuers trying to help the survivors of a post-apocalyptic wastelands and hell-hole cities...
For now though, as a recap, I will bring you the prelude if you will, of what came before...
Mountain Hold
A strange blue light in the skies heralded what became known as The Collapse or The Fall. It mysteriously appeared in the northern hemisphere of Terra, and, after rising by day and falling again at night, civilization began to collapse.
Complex microprocessors, circuits and satellites were rendered useless. Blackouts descended, as nearly everything from power stations downwards went haywire, amid a cascade of internal failures and overloads.
In previous times, there had been great caches of food. Yet the strange wisdom of more recent governments saw an end to that safeguard as a more lucrative, mercantile mentality took hold. Shipping, aviation and modern trucking ground to a halt thus exposing the great flaw to the 'just-in-time-delivery' model now relied upon by all major cities of the world.
As the money machines went blank and the lights went out, the horror show was unleashed. Only the wisest, most prepared, luckiest and those utterly ruthless could survive each new day.
Within a few weeks the Blue Sun vanished but the world below had shifted and changed. Old governments were eclipsed by fresher, younger, more defiant and independent factions. Nevertheless there were dark forces now awakened and keen to press on with their agenda regardless.
Gelstown
Mike Oakley stood over six feet tall with beaming hazel-green eyes. In his early fifties and resembling that of the pioneer, he was akin to that of a mountain man. His face was worn with time and hard adventuring in his youth. Despite this, even in middle age he had the charisma to light up a room with his own brand of appeal and charm. Mousy-colored hair that was cropped short contrasted his full red beard.
So far his zeal had been blunted and eroded from the time spent at Gelstown. It was fair to say that he and his fifty or so companions were on the verge of either going down the broad, easy path of servitude or a new way entirely.
This day in the town did not see him take up a despondent manner brooding at the gun ports. Instead, as evening moved to night time, he had the people loyal to him gather around.
For too long now the place of Gelstown had changed. It had gone from comfortable confines, to smothering regulations and finally to a walled prison. Like a shepherd guiding his flock Oakley laid out his plan—a breakout.
“We've been treated like cattle and you all know it's going to get worse.
These meddling covenants of the magistrates are just the start,” he said and no one could disagree. The friendly welcome they'd received as refugees from their broken-down convoy did not last long before the regulations came out against them.
The leader continued.
“I didn't lead you from the lost cities and towns to be treated in this way. I thought it would get better while we rested but they wish us all to be slaves in their warped and caring way. A safe place in the mountains is what I promised all of you before this mess started. Well now's the time we honor that oath!” he spoke to them lustily.
“But what is this place you had us follow you for then Mike?” a father of two spoke with a hiss. “By going with you we ended up being stranded in the convoy. Then you led us here where we are disarmed and practically slaves! How can going up into your mountains be safer?”
“It is more than mere mountains!” Oakley responded with gritty passion. “The Mountain Hold I speak of is an ideal as well as a new home, a place safe from anything the world can throw at us. We can settle it, we keep it, we can own land without taxes and most of all...” Oakley paused to gesture to them.
“We never again let corrupt leaders control us with their slavish ways like here! Tomorrow night is when it happens. All I ask of you is to follow my lead and we can break out of this prison, then head to sanctuary and freedom.”
Oakley paused again to look upon faces of relief and anticipation. He continued on what they had to do next.
“The armory and the main gate are the two key areas. Elias, you must overpower the guard at the armory and retrieve the weapons there that were seized from us. Jerome is standing sentry—he gets on with you, lower his guard then do what needs to be done.” Oakley held his gaze on the burly Elias McKaiser for a few moments. McKaiser nodded understanding what he had to do.
The main gate though was something of a serious obstacle. With no real cover it would be risky to attempt subterfuge. Killing anyone in the town was not what Oakley wanted. Not only would the death of a Gelstown citizen mean a harsh pursuit once they were on the road to freedom, but any noisy gunfire would have the whole town up in arms. He looked upon his decoy — May Wilkinson. She was often called 'Young May' due to her alluring youthful looks. As one of the unmarried blonde beauties recently turned twenty-one; she had no shortage of suitors. May was a bit young for Oakley's bones, but the young gate sentry would be more than easily bewildered and 'appropriate' for her wiles. When Oakley's gaze fell on her a few of the wise ones chuckled inwardly, realizing what was meant for her. Oakley continued.
“For the main gate I need you Young May to distract that sentry, I've noticed him looking at you with the lust in his eye. Distract him while Athias waits to strike and you'll be our key for getting out of here.” Oakley winked with a smile, making May Wilkinson blush, for she secretly liked Oakley a little but let no other know it.
At the allotted hour Oakley's Folk gathered in the shadows. Apart from Oakley no one had been allowed to own firearms since the confiscations. Oakley buckled on his leadership 'privilege' of a revolver sidearm and loaded up the custom Ruger double-action to capacity. He had nine shots of .22LR subsonic if he had to kill. He wasn't hoping on late-night killing but the sentries were armed and they'd only get one chance at escape. If the ruse failed then storming the armory and gateway by force was the only alternative. He put a spare revolver cylinder with magnum loads into his ancient combat jackets pocket.
Although the night was balmy and calm Oakley had warm clothing packed for the high ground. He hefted his backpack and tugged at the straps until it was comfortable. It contained enough MRE rations for three days. A canteen of water, gold and silver coins for trading along other survival gear. With his muted combat jacket and a broad brimmed hat he cut quite the appearance. The others wore attire of a civilian nature for the most part; jeans, sweaters and shirts of sober colors.
“Does everyone have enough food? At least three days’ worth?” Oakley asked them all. They nodded.
The gathered folk of Oakley then waited as May Wilkinson moved up towards the gateway.
The walls adjacent there were not true ramparts but instead had firing ports and ladders here and there. There were no guards either apart from the one nearby. Most were concentrated at the magistrates’ town hall area.
Without fear May began to charm the gate sentry with seemingly innocent airs and graces that came about her. Around the beguiled man’s neck was a whistle, but any thoughts of using it were far indeed as she had the young man totally captivated. Meanwhile stealthy movements came from the right of the pair.
With determined movements Athias Drennan advanced on the guard, hugging the wall silently and totally flattened against it as he went closer.
Drennan swung at the sentry with a wooden stave of two by four. The first blow was almost a glancing one as it cracked off his skull but he swung again once more with a backhand strike across the man's temple and he went down in a slumping manner.
“Sorry about that May,” he mumbled as she recoiled at the suddenness of it all. Drennan checked the guard for a pulse and found it slowly throbbing.
“He's alive May,” he said with a low voice. “Come on, it's done now, we're free! Go to your shelter and retrieve all what you need, move quickly now!”
Oakley watched her move away and he gestured to the others that the way was clear. They all came hastily out with what belongings they had. Now only the armory remained and it was up to Barber and McKaiser to take care of business.
“How'd you manage to keep this from being fried?” Jerome asked McKaiser with a lurid look in his eye.
McKaiser tapped at his small touchscreen device showing Jerome that it still functioned properly. Most were useless paperweights and coasters after the Blue Sun had done its work. Yet here was one showing all sorts of stuff; women, blueprints and landscapes.
“You've heard of a Faraday Cage haven't you?” McKaiser said trying to angle the man away from Barber's position.
“I think so, isn't that something those crazy survivalists used to talk about?” Jerome gawped as more lurid images came on the screen.
“It sure is,” McKaiser chuckled at the irony.
Barber now snuck in fully behind Jerome with a speed and fluidity that even surprised his accomplice. Barber's chokehold took violent effect as Jerome's eyes bulged first with shock then faded to unconsciousness. The guard slumped down.
“I can see why Oakley made you his champion,” McKaiser said with Germanic humor. Like the first man at the gate, Jerome was quickly gagged and hog-tied.
His keys were seized and they waved to the shadows where ten more of their number came out and moved in to the doorway, there they waited while McKaiser and Barber headed inside.
Both had working flashlights and found their way about gingerly and discretely. The armory was split into two areas. Weapons were in the main room on three shelves that ran around the walls in full view. The only separate room in the concrete building was labeled up as the ammunition store. Focusing on the weapons first they sought out their captured arms.
A majority of their weapons were tried and true bolt-action rifles and revolvers. Yet folks like Barber, McKaiser plus a few others had the black rifle and less common types. Barber went to the ammunition room while McKaiser analyzed the long gun weapons.
“Alright, the bolt-guns are all here near enough but...” McKaiser said, his words trailing off as he made a double check of his weapons list against what he could find. “My Beretta ARX is gone, as is Danley's Mini-14 along with Athias's Benelli. Plus three AKs, two AR-15s, and Drennan’s SKS.”
Barber swore. “Those *******s sure like to make out they're the more equal in the equality scam.” He swallowed his anger and found the right key to unlock the armory's ammunition room. Inside was a trove of ammunition for the weapons. He went back to the weapons area and chose the side containing mostly pistols to search through.
“No doubt some of our weapons are in the magistrate’s compound,” McKaiser said.
“Well let's make up with what else we find here then.”
“I hear that. But let's not empty the place too much though Barb. There's plenty of other firearms and ammo cached at the Hold. As much as I despise this town it wouldn't be right to leave it defenseless,” McKaiser said sagely.
Barber said nothing but seethed morosely. His prized sidearm — a high-grade HK Mk23 was gone also, fouling his mood further. Thirty seconds of checking the racks saw him source an exotic trio of sidearms with spare magazines. A CZ-85, a Calico Liberty and a Walther PPK now sated his earlier loss.
“That lot should help make up for it,” he stoically muttered.
“Hey, I've found your FAL,” McKaiser said.
It was half-hidden in a corner and as he lifted it out he noticed Oakley's trusty .30-06 rifle. “Oakley's Remington is here too.” He passed out the battle rifle and hunting rifle to Barber. Like most of the long guns in the armory the slings were thankfully still in place making their carriage easier. The rest of their weapons were grouped then wrapped together speeding the job up.
McKaiser glanced at his mechanical wristwatch. “Three more minutes,” He called to Barber. “We don't want everyone weighed down too much. Two more loads and that's it.”
Next was the ammo. Several more bags were filled with ammo boxes, pouches and magazines were sorted together before they too were ferried out.
McKaiser saw about a third of the Gelstown arsenal back into rightful hands and soon the arsenal was distributed to those waiting at the gateway.
Then they were away, a bold one of their number managed to retrieve some luxury goods from an adjoining warehouse to the armory before he too ran pell-mell into the night with them.
Gelstown had a lone vehicle that still worked but stealing it was no option for them. There were far too many of them to escape on it and it was jealously guarded next to the magistrates’ quarters at the town hall. Yet by the same token the magistrates would not be able to hunt them down with it, for an armed group of over fifty was a fearsome prospect for one pickup carrying less than ten.
By the morning’s light when the sentries were discovered the tyrannical magistrates found Oakley and all his people had fled. With little bloodshed aside from the two guards and most of their arms remaining they did not feel compelled to chase after them. Besides which, the magistrates inwardly knew that their people were not the fighters that Oakley’s Folk were.
“Let them be gone then,” the Master Magistrate proclaimed loudly with pompous outrage to the assembled townspeople. The blue-garbed magistrates looked hard for signs of dissent from the unarmed people.
“It’s much safer here and they’ll return, begging to be let back in. And when they do they'll find things much different for them!” he sneered.
The docile, nodding heads of acceptance agreed wearily but Oakley and his folk did not turn back. The town's greedy rulers continued their suicidal intentions to those that remained and their subtle agenda of chattel slavery progressively continued.
For Oakley and his folk there was a long journey ahead of them, yet there was still hope waiting for them there. For an advanced element had been sent on ahead to the Mountain Hold several weeks before the Blue Sun arrived just as the spring snows were melting.
Before Oakley’s Folk could even reach the Hold they had nearly twenty miles of undulating flatland before the Rocky Hills started. Then after the hills they had another sixty miles of travel along the high plains before reaching the local town of Tonswater. Finally only twelve more miles after the town would see them into the citadel-like White Mountains and at the Mountain Hold itself. Even then they had to establish a mountain settlement before winter. This at least could be formed easily from the winter quarters hopefully pre-built or started on by the scouting force.
After they'd spent another two days and nights of travel on the road north, the real tiredness was setting in. Nobody looked back to Gelstown.
Copyright - Tyler Danann
Another Time to March On...
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