Awakening

There’s No Place Like Home

The rest of the night passes without incident. I take the first aid kit and administer what I can to the man who was beaten and whipped. We get little rest although Greg and I take separate watches in order to try and recoup some of our lost sleep. At daylight, we move through the tangle of corridors until we find a way out into the sunshine.

We walk around the large prison structure until we find the loading docks. The walls cast shadows deep into the compound from the low lying sun of the morning. Several pickup trucks are parked in the loading area. There should be enough to bring everyone out but if not, we’ll scout the area and find others. Horace and the teams should be about an hour or so away if they left at daybreak. I would open the rear gate but I’m not sure these people didn’t have friends that might show up.

The sky promises another clear and brilliant blue day. That of course means another warm one. My eyes feel dry and gritty with the lack of sleep but we’ll hopefully be here only one more day. I feel so grungy but that isn’t an entirely new feeling, just one I didn’t really want to be having in my later years. During the wait, I let the ones who were held captive know about our place and that they are welcome to come with us. If they want to stay, we’ll make sure they get to where they want to go. Most take us up on our offer wanting to leave this place and the horrid recent memories. Some have family in the area and opt to stay. There are plenty of weapons inside and I offer up a team to escort them in when they arrive.

Greg radios and communicates with Horace as the sun rises to the top of the wall. They aren’t far away and arrive at the rear gate ten minutes later. We lift the big bar holding the gates shut and the teams drive in. Bri exits and runs over to give me a big hug.

“I’m so glad you made it, Dad,” she says.

“I’m glad to see you too, sweet Bri,” I reply. Robert strolls up shortly after.

“How was it?” He asks.

“It was okay,” I answer with a shrug. Yes, we do have that in common.

“Daaad,” I hear a shout and look up to see McCafferty running to the group of people gathered off to the side.

“Allie,” I hear her dad call back.

I give Horace a brief description of our encounter and the plan to take some of the others with. I ask Greg to take Echo Team in as an escort for the ones staying to gather up weapons if they want them. Some are reluctant to venture inside but he gathers a few and they disappear into the building, returning a while after. We gather the ones going with us, twenty-two in total, and start allocating pickups with drivers and riders.

“What about using one of the cargo trucks?” One of the soldiers from Blue team asks.

“That won’t work,” Robert answers. “We have to go around that one town and those cargo vehicles won’t make it through the fields.” It makes my heart proud to have him analyze this in that manner.

“Did they bother you this time through?” I ask.

“No, no sign of anyone, sir,” Horace answers.

McCafferty, the dirt on her face streaked by just wiped tears, walks over with her dad trailing just behind her.

“Sir, thank you,” she says.

“No worries at all. I’m just glad you found your dad,” I say. She continues standing looking a little uncomfortable. I tilt my head to the side inviting her to say whatever is making her uneasy.

“Sir, I know this isn’t really appropriate, but may I?” She asks with a quiver in her voice and holding her arms to the side. I’m confused by what she is asking but only for a second.

“Of course, I’m not a rabid dog,” I say shouldering my carbine.

McCafferty gives me a quick hug. “My mom didn’t make it but thank you for finding my dad, sir,” she whispers choking back a sob. I’m surprised the smell of my fatigues doesn’t make her pass out but she withdraws mostly intact. Her dad steps up. We introduce ourselves and he shakes mine and Greg’s hand.

“Thank you both so much. And thank you, Jack. For taking care of my precious Allie. I want to thank this Sergeant Connell as well when we get back. You have no idea how much this means to me,” he says.

“Sir, you have no idea how many times McCafferty here has pulled our bacon out of the fire so our making sure she’s happy and safe is more a matter of self-preservation,” I say. “You have quite the warrior here.”

We brief our order of travel and plans for the return trip. The ones staying say they can find their way so we leave them a couple of the trucks and depart. The drive back to Canon AFB is uneventful and we arrive with the sun overhead. Miguel and his group are waiting on the ramp standing around a myriad of vehicles.

The afternoon is spent searching for the ammo bunkers. We eventually find them located near the airfield itself but away from the base buildings — for obvious reasons. We transport crate after crate and load them into the AC-130. We have a lot of people and a lot of ammo to take so we opt to leave the Humvees here. The 130 can carry quite a lot of cargo but its capabilities aren’t endless. Besides, there are plenty of Humvees at Fort Lewis so they won’t be missed. The heat is no different from the other days and I’m thankful for the evening which brings cooler temperatures. We flight plan our return trip and plug the info into the flight computers. Robert will lead when we depart in the morning with me tagging along in an extended formation. I am absolutely exhausted by the time the sun touches the western horizon. I just hope we have a pleasant and uneventful flight back. I am so ready to be home. I think of Lynn and the longing becomes even more pronounced.

“I’ll be there tomorrow, hon,” I say into the sky as the sun drops below the horizon and we seal up for the night.

The night before, toward the end of the hunt, Michael felt a huge pull in the recesses of his mind. He was enjoying the thrill of being on the hunt; chasing down prey and running under the night sky. Even though that part of him was tucked away in the back of his mind, he felt a call of anguish and fear. Opening up, he searched and focused on the source of the pull.

Images of fear and frustration surfaced from a large pack, actually several packs co-located in one lair and unable to leave.

Trapped and hungry, they were close to succumbing. Michael knew he didn’t have the time to make it as they were a distance away. Instead, he sent the images of alternate food sources wrapped in the packages he’d found. He told them to hang on and he would be up the next night to help if he could. With that, he shut down and finished his hunt with the lightening of the sky chasing him back to his lair.

Tonight, Michael sets out immediately north to where the trapped packs are located. It will take some time and he may have to find another lair for the evening. It takes him over two hours to reach their location. He arrives tired from jogging this far but it’s really not much farther than what he usually travels on the nightly hunt. Finding that the large lair is encircled by a wall similar to the one at the two-legged lair, Michael sends images to the packs inside that he is there and trots around the entire circumference.

Close to the end of his trek around, he comes across one of the strange vehicles the two-legged ones use. It stretches high into the air a little away from the wall. He wants to see what is inside and scales the vehicle to get a better vantage point. On his perch, he sees over the top of the wall and looks into the compound. A large building stretches tall and covers a large area. Many of his kind are standing in the yard and in the parking lot looking in his direction.

They haven’t been able to get out and hunt. He feels their hunger; feels their fear and entrapment. He receives images of them being able to find some packages last night but those were far and few between. What they found kept them alive for another night but not much beyond that.

Michael searches the area for a way out but finds nothing that registers as a solution. One series of synapses fire and he wishes the vehicle he is on was on the other side of the wall. If it was, they might be able to leap the distance from it to the top of the wall. More synapses fire triggering a series of thoughts and ideas that flood his mind. A light flares in his brain and one of the thoughts locks into his head with an almost audible snap.

If they can build something on the other side, they might be able to scale the wall. Michael sends a flurry of images to the others in a simplistic form that they will be able to understand. The gist of which is to gather anything and everything they can find and start piling the objects against the wall; building it high enough so they can climb up and climb over. The packs turn and disappear inside. They return at intervals with chairs, tables, boxes, and a sundry of items. The pile of items quickly grows and eventually reaches the top, to the point where the packs can climb, scale over the top, and drop to the ground. They are free.

He feels the release of their fear; feels their gratitude and eagerness. He also feels the pack leaders wanting to follow him. This causes Michael to pause. He isn’t ready to lead large packs yet. This night and the revolution in his thought processes make him want to stay alone and think about things further. However, here is a large pack in front of him. Settling on a decision, he calls them together and heads south with them following on his heels. The gathering has started.

With the revelation of the night runners and their apparent ability to operate doors, we put chains on the crew doors and ramp, securing them to the fuselage. The controls are infinitely more complicated than just a plain swinging door but you never know. It’s the million monkey’s theory and they could accidentally hit on a series of maneuvers that cause the ramp or crew door to drop. Inside, the night passes quickly and, for a change, we aren’t visited by roaming packs. Perhaps the dead night runner bodies outside are keeping them away. Who knows?

The day dawns and I wake with energy because I know I’m heading home and get to see Lynn. My heart has been aching with missing her. This whole apocalypse thing has really put a damper on her homecoming. Our thoughts of just kicking back and chilling together on her return have not only been put on the back burner, they’ve been taken off the stove entirely. The aircraft are already loaded so it’s just a matter of having breakfast, doing our walk-arounds, and getting airborne. Miguel’s group brought items as well and each aircraft is packed with as much as it can hold. Robert, Craig, and Bri settle into their seats.

“Radio if you have any problem at all and stay out of the clouds. If we run into weather that precludes keeping out of them, divert and we’ll try another day,” I say.

“Okay, Dad,” Robert replies and begins going through his checks.

I settle into the AC-130. The interior of the aircraft is much different than the interior design of other 130’s. The left side of the cargo compartment is made up of the weapon systems mounted on hydraulically operated platforms. A series of racks against the fuselage on the right behind the weapons hold ammo for the guns. This particular model is an newer one with a General Dynamics 25mm Gatling gun which is an electric Gatling gun and has an amazing high rate of fire, one Bofors 40mm autocannon, and one 105mm M102 howitzer. All in all, it’s a lethal weapon platform. A Battle Management Control center occupies the center of the compartment on the right, between the autocannon/howitzer positions and the forward 25mm cannons. The capabilities include day/night radar, all light level TV, and infrared detection.

Greg will be the copilot with both Gonzalez and McCafferty filing the flight engineer role. With the back filled mostly with crates of ammo, we have very few of the passengers on board due to weight and space restrictions. I see the props begin to turn in Robert’s 130 next to us and start through my own checks. The list is different but only in minor ways. I have to basically do most of the items myself so we’re behind Robert. He has his engines fully running when our first one begins its rotation.

Soon we are ready and I follow him to the runway. I see him start down the runway and he is soon rotating into the morning sun. I pull onto the runway and am into the air shortly after, pulling into a trail position behind and to the side as we slowly climb into the bright blue of the sky. Four and a half hours. Please let the weather be kind to us, I think as we level off.

The return flight is actually a smooth one. It gets a little bumpy as we begin our descent over the Cascades but for the most part, it’s gone relatively well. I call base when we’re about a half hour out and setting up for our approach.

“Jack, it’s good to hear you’re back. Wait one and I’ll go get Lynn,” Kelly responds to my call.

“Jack, I’m glad you’re back. Everything go okay?” Lynn asks a moment later.

“Yeah, just peachy,” I respond.

“Oh great, I know what ‘just peachy’ means. I’m glad you’re back though. I missed you,” she says.

“I really missed you too! We brought extra dinner guests. Can you let Bannerman know to expect more and set some extra settings? We’ll also need some of those school busses to meet us at McChord if you wouldn’t mind,” I say.

“I’ll let him know and I’ll meet you up there. How many have you brought back? How far out are you?” She asks.

“I think our count came to eighty and we’re about a half hour out,” I answer. “It’ll be good to see you.”

“Wow, Seriously? Eighty? That’s pretty amazing. It’ll be good to see you as well, Jack. Okay, I’d better go if we’re going to meet you. See you soon,” she replies.

We land and taxi onto the ramp parking by our old HC-130 friend. Vehicles soon approach with two school busses following. I greet Lynn with a big hug and kiss. It feels good to have her in my arms again. I expect to hear something on the condition of my fatigues and her inability to breathe but she merely looks up with those beautiful blue eyes of hers and smiles. It takes a little while to make the introductions but the people and gear is off-loaded and put into vehicles.

“Nicely done,” I tell Robert with a pat on the back as we close up each aircraft after they are emptied.

“Thanks, Dad,” he beams.

“You too, Bri,” I say. She just gives me her award winning smile. I am so proud of them. We leave the ammo crates on the aircraft as there’s no need to transport them anywhere.

I’m tired and seeing Cabela’s brings a surreal feeling. I’m not sure if it’s arriving back or the past few days that feels surreal. Both seem a little weird. It was only a few days that we were gone but it feels more like it’s been years; kind of like a homecoming after an extended absence. Nothing really looks all that different though.

It’s still early afternoon and I notice a lot of the semis are missing from the lots as crews are off doing their thing. It looks as if business as usual has been going on while we’ve been away. We pull to a stop and begin offloading. Michelle runs out of the building and throws her arms around Robert. Bannerman is also there waiting for us. He introduces himself to the newcomers and takes them away to show them around, brief them, and assign them places. With the influx of people, we are close to two hundred in our group now. Before they leave, I notice McCafferty’s dad approach and thank Lynn for saving his girl.

Lynn and I find some time alone to catch up after things settle down. At first, it is hugs and kisses but then she asks about the trip. I fill her in on our little escapade. She just shakes her head as I retell our story.

“You know, this is not what I envisioned for a homecoming,” she says as I finish the story.

“I know, hon. Me neither,” I respond.

“To be honest, Jack, I’m a little pissed about it. I figured we would have all the time in the world and just relax with each other. You know, wake up and find a nice day to take the kayaks out and shit like that. I’m back and you are traipsing all over the place and I never see you,” she says.

“I know, this is…”

“Shush. I’m talking,” she says interrupting my response.

I give her a big smile. I love the way she does that. She does it in a nice way and without a trace of condemnation or anger. Just her wanting to voice her thoughts and have me listen.

“I wish you’d quit leaving me behind to worry about your sorry ass. I get why but I want there to be a point where you aren’t leaving seemingly all of the time,” she says looking at me as we sit on a curb with the sun rays bathing us. I’m listening but also enjoying the sun and the nice day as it comes without the heat of the southwest. It’s warm, but a nice warm.

“You worry about me?” I ask.

“Okay, for real?! You had these headaches and fever. You slip into a coma and awaken claiming you can talk to and hear animals. Of course I’m worried about you. And not just for those reasons. I don’t know what I’d do without you. I’m almost looking forward to the day when you can’t fly anymore. Then at least we can be together even if it is in this fucked up place,” she says. “And before you start in, I know you have to go out again for the rest of the families. I just don’t have to like it.”

“Look, I have something to tell you that you may not like even more,” I say with a sigh.

Lynn looks over with a flash of worry. I proceed to tell her everything about what is going on inside; the hearing, the night vision, the ability to not only sense night runners but understand what they are saying, that I think they can sense me and that I have the ability to hide that sensory aspect, everything.

“Who else knows?” She asks after a moment of digesting what I’ve told her.

“Gonzalez,” I answer.

“Gonzalez? You told her before me!?”

“She saw some things and put two and two together. She asked me about it and I told her some but not what I just told you,” I answer.

“Anyone else?” Lynn asks.

“No. I haven’t even told Robert or Bri. I really don’t know if I should tell the others or not. To be honest, it kinda scares me along with what their reaction might be,” I answer.

“I really don’t know how to answer that, Jack. I don’t think the others will react badly though,” she says reaching a hand up to stroke my face.

“I love you,” I say.

“I love you too,” she responds.

We sit in silence a moment longer enjoying each other’s company on this glorious day. An utmost feeling of peace fills me. This is another moment I don’t want to end. I sense Lynn feels the same way so we just sit and relax with each other. She chuckles at some thought that crosses her mind.

“What?” I ask.

“So you HALO’ed in eh? Are you seriously crazy?” She questions.

“Is this a trick question?” I reply.

“Only you would come up with an idea like that,” she says lovingly.

We spend the remainder of the afternoon in the sun acting like we are on a vacation at the beach; just kicking back and talking. It’s good to be home.

At the meeting that night, I catch everyone up on events. I then sit back and am caught up on things here.

“We have a lot of the water tower apart and will be able to begin transporting it soon,” Bannerman begins. “With the people you brought in today, we’re close to being overcrowded. We need to figure out soon what we’re going to do for living quarters. Whether that is the eventual move up to base housing or building our own here, we need to do something soon.”

“We’re okay for now though?” I ask.

“For now, yes, but we’re going to have to do meals in shifts. Not everyone will fit in the dining facility. We could have people just gather their meals and take them elsewhere or do the shift thing,” he answers.

“Well, whatever you think is the best way is fine with me,” I respond.

“Okay, I’ll think on that one. We also just about have the walls up around the maintenance facilities. We are a little slower on the base housing walls but we should be finished within a week or so,” Bannerman says.

“Awesome. Let everyone know they’re doing a great job. Hopefully we can give everyone a few days off when we finish,” I say.

“I’m sure they’ll appreciate that,” he replies.

“Now that you’re back, are we planning to hit a distribution center?” Drescoll asks.

“I’d like to do that soon,” I answer.

“Good, because we could use the supplies. Especially with you always finding strays to bring home,” Bannerman says. Just when you think he has lost his humor somewhere, he manages to locate a batch of it.

“Are we okay with crews and teams if we head up tomorrow?” I ask.

“We should be. We have the wall crews and those on the water tower, along with others who tend to the livestock, but with you returning, we should have enough,” Bannerman responds.

“Okay, let’s head up tomorrow and take a look. I’d also like to plan a time to start clearing out the night runners in the area. If the distribution center is good enough for our supplies, we should think about leveling the entire area of buildings and night runners,” I say.

“I think we should take a look at the DC before making those plans,” Lynn chimes in.

“I agree but we need to think about the night runners in the area,” I say and relate our findings about their ability to operate doors.

“Speaking of night runners, you might want to take a look at this,” Frank says setting a laptop down. “This was taken the night you left so I didn’t get a chance to show you yet.”

Frank starts a video he compiled from our security cameras posted along the walls. The video shows a night runner, and a single one at that, prowling around the walls. The night runner tries jumping to scale the heights and, failing that, tries digging under the walls. There is then a series of shots showing the night runner heading around the entire perimeter. The video has been shortened to a large degree or it would take hours to see the whole thing. The ending shows the night runner lifting its head to the sky and heading off into the night.

“That doesn’t fucking bode well but at least it couldn’t get in,” I say as the video ends.

“True, but that’s not all. We just picked this one up from one of our remote cameras,” Frank says starting a sequence of photos.

The first one shows a night runner on a street. There is more of a night runner closer to the camera and then one of its face. This startles me as it comes on screen. It’s a close up of a pale face staring out from the screen.

“Wait, is that the same night runner from the wall?” I ask.

“It certainly looks like it,” Frank answers. “And that camera was found destroyed on the ground. From the images, it seems like the camera captured the night runner, it came back to investigate, and subsequently destroyed the camera.”

“Holy fuck,” Drescoll says. “Are they getting smarter?”

“I don’t know what to make of it to be honest,” Frank says. “But some of the teams have been reporting that several of our other cameras have also been destroyed.”

We sit in a moment of silence as this news sinks in.

“And not to throw any more in, but supply teams have entered into stores and reported that some of the supplies have been scavenged with bags of chips torn and littering the ground. Dented cans have been found near walls where they’ve apparently been thrown at them. Some were broken open and others merely dented,” Franks continues.

“That could be just previous people scavenging supplies,” I say.

“Yeah, it could be,” Frank replies but without a lot of conviction.

“That wouldn’t make any sense,” Robert says. “Wouldn’t people looking for supplies just take the supplies instead of bashing cans against the wall? I mean, the stores even have can openers.

“That’s my thinking,” Franks says. “If I was to hazard a guess, and note this is just a guess, I would say the night runners have found a source of food.”

“That’s not good news at all,” I say. “Everything points to the night runners learning new tricks.”

“That’s how it seems to me,” Lynn says. “I don’t like it but things do seem to point in that direction.”

“Yeah, I don’t like it at all. If they are learning that, identifying cameras and destroying them, opening doors, what else do they know?” I say not expecting an answer.

The ramifications definitely point to our sanctuary not being much of one in the future. It will be a bad time indeed if they learn how to drive or use firearms. My mind ventures down a million paths and none of them look good or have storybook endings.

“Okay, let’s keep these in mind. If we find the distribution center meets our needs, we curtail excursions into darkened buildings. My thought is to level the area around us once our needs are met,” I say. “So, tomorrow let’s head up to look at the DC. The crews continue on as before with our priorities being the walls, the water tower, and the distribution center. We don’t have a lot of time to head out to look for families but we need to get a handle on what we are looking for in the way of supplies for the winter.”

“So, what you’re saying is we look at the DC and, if it meets our needs, we level and clear the area while the crews assigned to work details continue with them. After that, then head out to look for families?” Drescoll asks.

“That’s what I’m thinking,” I say. “Lynn, what do you think?”

“You know how I feel about you heading off again but I agree with the plan. Distribution center, clear the area, and then families,” she answers.

Black, Blue, and Red Teams — yes, again not my favorite colors for a team selection — prepare for the journey north to one of the distribution centers after the morning’s training. I think about giving the teams a day off but I feel time is running out with the coming winter. We have a month or two of nice weather as we usually have an Indian summer but we can’t count on it. We have to secure our supplies to help us through the long Northwest winter, especially with the influx of people.

The teams are outside loading our gear up as Bannerman, Lynn, and I head towards the front door ready for our trip. The interior is a chaotic movement of people. The ones who have just arrived are trying to find their way and others are preparing for their day’s tasks. Kathy catches up to us as we are about to head out of the front door.

“Jack, the guards arrived at the front gate and said you might be interested in what they found,” Kathy says.

“What did they find?” I ask.

“I don’t know. They just said to find you and see if you or Lynn could head there,” she answers.

“Okay. We’re heading that way anyway. Thanks,” I say and look at Lynn questioningly.

She shrugs and gets on the radio contacting the guards. “This is Lynn, what do you have?”

He is startled awake. The darkness is complete and he blinks to make sure his eyes are actually open. He’s not sure exactly where he is and feels disoriented. He should be lying on his couch in his living room having lain down to try and sleep his headache away. The hard surface under his back and hips is nothing like his comfortable couch. He brings his hand to his face and can only see a ghostly outline even though it’s close to his face. With his mind waking more, he becomes aware of someone breathing nearby. The more he listens, the more he notices it sounds like several. It’s like the deep breathing of sleep but it’s coming in quicker inhales and exhales than he would expect.

He feels exhausted and sits up still feeling confused and disoriented trying to make sense of his surroundings. His eyes adjust to a degree and he makes out forms lying on the ground close to him. He can also dimly see other objects in the room but can’t make out what they are. A very dim line of light is low to the floor to his left and his mind registers that it must be a door.

He becomes aware of the strong smell of body odor and realizes some of that is coming from him. It’s the kind of smell that can only come about from a number of days wearing the same clothes. This confuses him more and he draws his knees to his chest feeling his bare feet on a cold, hard surface. What the heck am I doing barefooted? He thinks still trying to comprehend what is going on.

Something stirs next to him as if rolling over and he hears a growl. He feels the need to get out into some light to orient himself. The thought goes through his mind that this is just a dream but it feels too real. He knows something has happened but hasn’t the faintest clue as to what that could be. He stands a little unsteadily feeling dizzy for a brief moment. His muscles ache and it feels as if every joint in his body pops. He hears a rustling in the dark coming from somewhere close. A growl emits from the inky blackness; not the growl of someone sleeping and rolling over but the growl of something alert and dangerous.

Adrenaline floods his system. He rushes for what he assumes is a door above the thin line of faint light. The line is only a shade lighter than the surrounding blackness. Not having any sense of depth perception, he slams into a metal object which gives with his pressure. The door opens but the light is only marginally better in the hall in which he finds himself. He instinctively knows he is in a building but that’s it. A piercing shriek fills the air behind him. He senses something large moving rapidly toward him.

Fuuuuuck! He thinks pausing and trying to analyze the best way to go. No answer readily comes to mind so he darts left down a hall. He barely registers the cold, slick feel of linoleum under his feet. Thrusting his hands out in front, in order to get some indication if he is about to plow into something, he takes off at a run only knowing he wants to get away from whatever screamed.

He drifts his hand to the side and comes into contact with what feels like a wall. Keeping his hand on the wall, his mind searches for a solution out of whatever he is in. He just knows he needs to get out and away. Other howls fill the air behind. Feet pound behind and he senses they’ve entered the same corridor from the room he just fled. These thoughts compartmentalize in his mind; that he was in a room and now a hall; that he needs to get away.

His fingers brushing the wall come up on empty space. The air is filled with shrieks and the sound of feet slapping the surface of the floor; close and getting closer. He slows just for a moment putting his foot into the empty space and not coming into contact with anything until below the level of the floor. Stairs, he thinks and turns into the empty inky space. Throwing caution to the wind with the screams almost directly in his ear, he tears off down the stairs holding one hand in front of him. A part of his mind knows that stairs end and he doesn’t want to slam into whatever is at the end. The other hand feels a wall to his left.

His hand pounds into what feels like concrete. He turns right groping on the run for another set of stairs leading down. His foot comes into open air and he feels himself falling forward.

“Noooo!” He screams.

The sense of several large things on his heels penetrates his awareness. With his heart racing and fear overwhelming his senses, his foot comes into contact with the edge of a step and slips down to the next one. Still off balance and falling forward, he thrusts his other foot out feeling it contact another step. Whatever is behind him is right behind and he knows he doesn’t have time to regain his balance. He keeps his off-balanced run down the stairs. Shrieks fill the enclosed stairwell.

He barely notices the change from concrete to linoleum once again. The sudden shift from the stairs to level floor causes him to stumble even more and he lurches forward. His outstretched hand, flailing to keep his balance, contacts something solid. There is no way to avert the collision with him being off balance so he turns his shoulder to minimize the impact. His shoulder impacts the heavy object but he feels it give. Sensing he just opened a door, he stumbles through feeling the end of fingers rake through his hair.

His fear escalates to the extent that he thinks his heart is going to either burst or stop. He screams. The light becomes more pronounced as he finds himself in a wide hall. There is light streaming from a glass doorway to his left. He turns instinctively toward the light. He can’t make out anything but the brighter light of the outside. A hand brushes against his scalp just above his left ear but slides off. The light grows beneath his feet revealing the green and cream checkered floor of an entrance lobby.

He makes for the outside. There is nothing soothing about the fact that he will be outside but it will enable him to better fight what is running and clawing after him. Sight is imperative. With the hand brushing against him twice, he knows that whatever or whomever is just behind him is faster or at least knows the interior better. A loud chorus of howls and screams causes him to lose control of his bladder. He feels the warmth but doesn’t care. The sharp pain of his feet being cut on broken glass lying on the floor also registers but doesn’t slow him one bit. He is through the broken glass door in a flash.

Finding himself in a parking lot, he turns knowing he can’t run any further with the pain coming from his cut feet. Expecting to be hit immediately by that which is directly behind him, he raises his arms to protect himself from the impact. Nothing. He lowers his arms and is confused at seeing nothing. He touches the back of his head remembering the feel of fingers and a hand expecting something to still be there. He knows he didn’t imagine it as he can still hear screaming emanating from within the tall building he is now standing in front of.

With his heart racing, he looks at the unfamiliar building. He racks his brain for a clue as to how he got here but comes up blank. There are images in his mind but none form a coherent pattern. His feet sting so he sits on the paved lot watching the door for signs of anything heading his way. He can’t go further until he stops the pain in his feet and the bleeding. Feeling along his bloody feet, he finds no embedded glass shards.

Taking a good look at himself for the first time, he notices he is covered in blood; his clothes are caked in it. Fear rises again thinking he has been greatly injured. His outer shirt is shredded, barely even on him, as are the bottoms of his jeans. He removes his outer shirt and checks himself to locate the reason for all of the blood but finds himself whole. Well, except for his feet. He presses the remains of his shirt against his feet to stop the blood flow and then wraps pieces of it around them.

He walks gingerly across the lot, keeping an eye on the building he just left, and picks a random direction. The sun is coming over the horizon and a chill fills the air as he limps along a street. In the distance, he sees a wall and heads warily in that direction. A short time later he sees a large metal gate and sits down on the pavement outside. His feet ache and he removes the strips of cloth he put around them. He isn’t comfortable just banging on the gate or shouting given his very recent experience but he just can’t walk any further.

He hears a screech of metal on the other side and the gate partially opens. Two soldiers step outside aiming weapons at him. He is too tired, sore, and scared to do anything other than continue sitting. They help him inside. They ask him about the blood on his clothes to which he has no answer. From behind, he hears, “Hands on your head and on your knees.”

“We found this guy at the front gate but something doesn’t seem right, First Sergeant. We have him under guard,” the guard replies.

“What’s not right?” Lynn asks.

“It’s hard to explain, First Sergeant. Perhaps you should just see for yourself,” the guard says.

“Okay, we’re on our way,” Lynn responds.

“What the fuck is that all about?” I ask Lynn furrowing my brows.

“I haven’t the faintest clue,” she answers.

There is a cacophony of noise in the parking lot as trucks are warmed up, gear stored in Humvees, doors slammed, and the general murmur of conversations with the occasional bark of laughter or raised voice. The teams heading north gather in several vehicles and head towards the gate with a flurry of revving engines. Approaching the gate, I see a man kneeling on the ground with his hands cupped behind his head. Two guards stand behind covering him with their M-4’s. We pull up in front and stop. Exiting, I walk over with Lynn to the man and two guards.

“What’s up?” Lynn asks one of the guards with the guy on the ground looking back.

“We found this guy outside of the gate when we arrived this morning, First Sergeant. He claims he can’t remember anything except going to sleep on a couch, waking up in a dark building the next, and being chased. He said he saw the walls and made his way to the gate after escaping. We just thought it was odd especially with him being in bare feet and his clothes covered in blood,” the guard answers.

Lynn and I turn to get a better look at the man. His dark hair, hanging to the bottom of his ear, is matted. He is indeed not wearing any shoes. His feet are dirty and covered in grime. Cuts with fresh blood can be seen on his soles. The tattered jeans and what perhaps used to be a white or yellow T-shirt are smeared in rust-colored stains. It looks like he ran through a hose spraying blood; some obviously old stains and others looking relatively fresh. The thighs of his pants are caked and to the point of being solid rather than pliable cotton.

“Escaping from what?” Lynn asks.

“He said he’s not sure who they were,” the guard answers.

“Did you search him?” Lynn asks.

“We did, First Sergeant, and didn’t find anything,” the guard replies.

“Okay, good job,” Lynn says and turns to the man. “What’s your story?”

The man gives us his story but says he can’t remember anything prior to lying down on his couch. He feels that some time has passed between then and now but can’t remember a thing. He mentions he has vague dream-like recollections of running at night and other horrible things but those are just patches of images with no association.

“Call Drescoll and have a team come up to pick him up. Clean him up but keep him under guard,” I tell one of the guards from Green Team.

“Will do, sir,” he replies.

“We’ll help you but understand we have to take precautions,” I tell the man.

“Against what?” He asks confused.

“Have Drescoll brief him as well and find out exactly what he remembers,” I add to the guard.

“If you truly don’t remember and it’s not just a knock to the head, you’ll be filled in. Just wait here and you’ll be fine shortly. Sorry but that’s the best I can do right now but prepare yourself for a pretty shocking story,” I say. The man just nods.

Lynn and I climb back into the idling Humvee. Driving past the man and guards, we exit the gate with the rest of the vehicles following.

“What do you think that was all about? Do you think he could possibly have been a night runner?” Lynn asks.

“I really don’t know but looking at the state of his clothes and lack of memory, I suppose it’s possible. We’ll have to talk to him when we get back and see if he can remember anything. If he can, that will give us an insight into the night runners,” I answer.

“You know that means you could have been right about Julie. She could have been one as well like Drescoll mentioned,” Lynn says.

“Yeah, I know. You get to ask her about it though,” I say.

“Fucking no way!” She retorts.

“Okay, well perhaps Drescoll can again but he’s already done that and came up with nothing,” I say chuckling.

We continue our drive north talking about the ramifications. Following the map, our little convoy makes several turns and we pull into a huge expanse of warehouse buildings. I stop just inside the open gate awed by the size. One extremely large warehouse sits across an equally sized paved lot. Tractor trailers line a humongous loading dock in front of rolling warehouse doors which are all closed. Many other semis are parked in the lot. The immensity of the one building is almost overwhelming. I just hope it’s not full of night runners and we don’t have to clear it.

We drive forward and pull to a stop near one end of the loading dock. A steel security door is set into the wall near the first bay. Setting up a perimeter with the teams, Lynn, Bannerman, and I walk to the door with Red Team. There is a coded security panel next to it but pulling on it, it swings open. With no power, the magnetic locks must have disengaged. Red Team enters at the ready but it is for naught as nothing greets us but mountains of pallets stacked ceiling high. The area in front of the sliding loading dock doors is clear with several fork lifts parked randomly. The inside is almost as light as the outside as the roof, almost four stories high, and is filled with skylights.

“Holy shit,” Robert says softly at my side.

It doesn’t appear anyone has touched this place since everything went down. The immensity of goods and supplies stocked within cannot be adequately described. There are mountains of items stretching far into the distance. Bannerman begins heading toward the stacks. I reach out to grab his arm.

“Wait. We still need to clear this place as I’m sure there are dark corners somewhere. There may not be night runners in here but we have to make sure we are alone before we start looking around,” I say. He nods stepping back.

“While we clear it out, think of a way to keep the doors secure when we leave,” I add. “Lynn, bring Black and Blue Teams in to clear the area. Red Team will keep an eye outside and be a response team if needed.”

“You got it,” Lynn says and calls outside to bring in the teams and organize the search.

It takes a couple of hours searching the entirety of the building, having to look between each and every stack, but we find it empty. Bannerman, along with Blue Team, begins inventorying the stacks. He even comes across a stack of blueberry flavored mini-wheats much to my delight. It takes a large part of the day and we still don’t cover the entire building. We check out the other buildings and find a tremendous amount of supplies. One building is entirely devoted to medical supplies, both over the counter and prescription medications. Another is a refrigerated warehouse that can no longer use the definition of being refrigerated. It emits an odor that reminds me of the slaughter yard down south. We close the door immediately knowing there is nothing inside that will do us any good.

“I think this will do us nicely,” Bannerman says as we prepare to depart. “I’ll have some of the drivers head up this way and begin carting supplies south. I think we can inventory all of this and leave a lot of it up here, replenishing as necessary. We’ll also have to gather more shipping containers. The only problem might be securing the place sufficiently. We can lock the rolling doors no problem but the security doors will be the problem. Anything we put on the outside can easily be cut. I suppose we could restore the generators and search the office spaces for the security codes.”

“Sounds like a plan,” I say happy we won’t have to continue going into possible night runner lairs searching of supplies.

We’ve been fairly lucky to this point but we push the odds each time we have to go inside a building. Plus, we can now clear out the area around our sanctuary without any fear of destroying supplies we need. This has been a good find. We load up and head back south. Passing by the bases, I see the sign for Madigan. The thought of our wall keeping the night runners in surfaces and I’m curious about the results. We don’t have much daylight left but make a note to visit tomorrow. Arriving back in the compound, I take Robert and Bri out for training before the sun begins to cast the last of its rays across our little space on earth.

Bannerman gives a basic rundown of our inventory at our meeting. He describes a plan for organizing crews to gather additional shipping containers, a full inventory of supplies, and provide a list of items to keep stocked on hand. He’ll take a couple of teams with him to provide security and to help search for the security codes.

“We’ll have plenty of supplies now so that just leaves the housing to work out. The walls will be up soon. When do you think we’ll be able to move into the housing?” Bannerman asks finishing up with his brief.

“I was thinking of taking Red Team up and look at the walls around Madigan tomorrow. With our supplies settled, I want to start clearing this area out and will take Craig, Robert, and Bri up to start getting them acquainted with the AC-130. I’ll gather the manuals as well and start training on the weapon systems. I was thinking about using Red Team for the crew. Anyway, my point is that we’ll look at the walls around the hospital and see what’s going on before making plans to move into the housing up there,” I answer.

“We can make do with what we have for the time being but it’s growing a touch crowded in here. It’s only a matter of time before that spills over into tempers,” Bannerman says.

“Okay, I’ll let you know what I find out. What about the man at the gate today? Did you manage to find out anything?” I ask Drescoll.

“Nothing. He doesn’t remember a thing. Only vague recollections but nothing of significance,” Drescoll answers. “I’ll keep talking with him but I don’t think we’ll get much. Julie’s memories haven’t returned yet either.”

“Alright but keep an eye on him. What turns once can turn back. I almost want to quarantine him until we can be assured. Julie seems to be okay, providing she was even one of them once. I’m still not convinced that’s what happened but we need to be safe,” I say.

“I’ll make sure someone keeps an eye on him until we’re sure,” Lynn says.

“Okay, I guess that’s all unless anyone has something else,” I say. No one does and we head to our small rooms for the night.

The next day I head north with Craig and Red Team. We’ll check out the walls and then take the AC-130 up for a quick flight so everyone can get used to the small differences. Most of the differences are in the back so we’ll pull the manuals and start studying. I’m anxious to get started clearing the area around Cabela’s now that our supply situation has been satisfied. I would just take bulldozers, copious amounts of C-4, or just use Bradley’s but I want to actually take out the night runners rather than just clearing possible hiding places for them. The AC is ideally suited for that.

Pulling up to the large steel gate, I open up and cast outward. I don’t sense anything within the immense facility but I can’t trust that. I didn’t sense any when we were getting our chutes down south but they were definitely there. I exit and, with the rest of Red Team, open up the gates. Looking to the sides with the possibility of seeing night runners where they starved to death outside, my heart stops. I mean literally stops before starting again with a heavy pound.

“You have to be fucking kidding me?” I say.

“What the hell?” Robert says at my side. “Why would anyone do that?” He says looking at a stack of chairs, tables, lamps, gurneys, pillows, and other miscellaneous stuff piled against one of the walls.

“Oh shit!” He says as the realization of what happened filters in.

“Oh shit is right,” I say feeling the icy feeling of dread sink to my stomach.

Just when things seem to be going right and we actually seem to be becoming more secure and safe. Staring at the piles of objects stacked against the wall, I now feel as if we were actually barely treading water and are now sinking. I walk over to the area and notice the grass trampled flat to the point that most of the area is bare earth. There is no doubt in my mind they scaled the wall and escaped. The sheer number of night runners it took to trample the area flat like this must have been immense. It almost makes me feel like giving up as we just can’t seem to get ahead. The walls, which we’ve spent an eternity on and relied on to provide safety, are not exactly rendered moot but they aren’t as secure as we thought.

“Base, Jack here,” I say into the radio staring at the large pile of crap still not believing what I’m seeing.

“Go ahead, Jack,” I hear.

“Get Bannerman and Lynn but clear everyone else away from the radio,” I say.

“Will do, Jack. Stand by.”

“Jack, what’s up? Why clear everyone away from the radio?” I hear Lynn ask.

“Can anyone else hear me?” I ask.

“No, Jack. You’re good. What’s going on?” Lynn says. I tell them what we just found.

There is a pause on the other end. “That’s all kinds of fucked up. Are you sure that’s what happened?” Lynn asks.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” I answer. “Is Bannerman there?”

“Yeah, I’m here, Jack,” I hear Bannerman say.

“Okay. We need to divert the wall crews now. We’re going to need an inside walled compound built with towers. Lynn, if you can still hear me, gather the other team leaders. I’m on my way back. Think about how to tell the others as well,” I say.

“I’ll call the crews now and divert them. Lynn says she’ll get the others. See you when you get here,” Bannerman says.

“Okay, let’s turn this around,” I tell Red Team.

“Sir, what does this mean?” McCafferty asks.

“It doesn’t mean we are exactly fucked right now but the doc is lubing up his gloved finger,” I answer.

“We’ve been through worse. We’ll get through this as well, sir,” Gonzalez says.

“Damn straight. We’re going to get the manuals right now and study them hard. Then we’re going to turn the Spooky (AC-130) loose,” I say.

“Hooah, sir,” Gonzalez says. I sincerely think she says that just to see me roll my eyes.

After dropping by the aircraft and picking up the manuals, we head back to Cabela’s to discuss this new development. The fact that the night runners were able to get over the walls drastically changes our plans and our measure of feeling secure. The knot that has formed in my stomach tightens even more with the thought that the night runners have the capability to penetrate the walls.

Pulling into the parking lot at what I once thought to be our secure sanctuary, I hurry inside. Lynn has gathered the team leaders that aren’t out on assignments. I quickly detail my observations at Madigan which brings a silence to the group as each ponders for themselves what this means.

“Well, it’s obvious our walls aren’t going to be able to hold the night runners out on their own,” Lynn says breaking the silence.

“So much for our move to base housing. At least I’m assuming we won’t be able to do that as the houses themselves aren’t secure,” Drescoll says.

“Yeah, I think we need to drop the idea of moving to the bases for now,” I reply.

“That still leaves us with the problem of housing then,” Bannerman says.

“True. I believe we need to think about building quarters here in the compound. I think that will be quicker than fortifying the houses up there and it will leave us with the building here as a secure fall back point. Let’s table that for now though and talk about what we need to do to beef up our security here,” I say.

“I think your idea of building another inside wall to create an inner compound is a good idea,” Robert chimes in.

“I agree,” Frank says. “I’m thinking that should be our priority.”

“We need to put up some towers along the perimeter and have them manned at night. They should be self-defensible in case the night runners scale the walls. In other words, they should be designed so they can’t be scaled and far enough away from the walls that they can’t be leapt on from the top,” Lynn adds.

“My thinking is that, if we do build the additional walls, then we need to plan it so that whatever housing we build and the storage containers with our supplies are inside of the inner compound,” Bannerman says.

“I agree with that. I think building the inner wall and towers are our priority right now. I want to make sure we have the entire inner area covered by cameras with thermal imaging and the monitors manned at night along with the towers. There should be plenty of cameras on the bases. We should think about putting an overhang on the walls like we have on the roof to make it more difficult to scale the top,” I say adding my two cents.

“What about mining the outside of the walls?” Greg asks.

“And lay claymores around the exterior of the building here?” Drescoll adds.

“All great ideas,” I say watching Bannerman madly scribble on his clipboard.

“We should seal up the shipping containers at night as well,” Bannerman says looking up from his writing momentarily.

“Shouldn’t we build the barns and stables up more too?” Bri asks. Trust my wonderful girl to be thinking of the animals. Bannerman nods in her direction and his pen dances across the paper.

“We’ve mentioned a lot here. We also have a lot of projects going on. How are those going to be affected? I guess I’m asking how we want to prioritize all of these things. We have the water tower that I think needs to be in place prior to winter. The walls around the vehicle maintenance and storage hangars will be finished in a day, well, two now that we diverted the crews. Let’s see, we also have the inventory and movement of supplies from the distribution centers. We won’t need the teams on supply runs for the time being so we have those freed up,” Bannerman says.

“Don’t forget the searches for other survivors,” Drescoll says.

“There is also the search for families which is time critical and clearing out the area,” I say.

“Well, like Bannerman mentioned, we have a lot going on. We have a lot of resources people-wise but it’s not unlimited. I think we need to prioritize what we are going to do and Bannerman can assign crews. We keep going down the list until we run out of people keeping in mind we still need security and there are our daily tasks as well,” Lynn says.

“Are we at a point where we can create additional teams?” I ask Lynn.

“No, not yet. I think we need to increase the teams at the earliest opportunity but we can’t forsake training,” she answers.

“Okay. We’ll work with what we have. I think our first priority is building the inner wall and towers. Any disagreement with that?” I ask.

“Not going to find any disagreement here,” Greg says to which the others agree.

“We have some time critical elements and need to decide if we’re going to do them or at least where they fit on the priority list; the water tower, vehicle storage facilities, and the search for families,” I say.

“I think we need to throw the idea of fortifying the animal enclosures, as Bri mentioned, up close to the top,” Frank says.

“I think clearing out the area is important as well. That will hopefully keep the night runners away, or at least diminish their numbers, and if we level the ground, we’ll at least be able to see them coming from a distance,” Robert says.

“Alright. So perhaps we keep the crews in place to finish the vehicle maintenance and storage facilities and then have them start on the wall. I was a touch hasty on diverting them. If we have the resources, we can design and start building the towers once we know where the wall will run. Keep the water tower crew on what they’re doing. Assign truck crews and a team to inventory and begin bringing supplies back making sure to secure the containers at night. We also need to find the security codes and bring the generators online up there. Along with building the towers, we can fortify the animal enclosures. Red Team and I, along with Craig, will begin learning the weapons systems and train on the AC-130. We’ll need others with us for support. Are we okay with resources to this point?” I ask.

“I’ll have to work it out in more detail but I think we should be okay at this point. There isn’t a need for a security detachment for the work inside the compound,” Bannerman says.

“Keep in mind we need at least one team on standby as a response team,” Lynn says. “And if you want to gather more cameras, mines, and claymores, we’ll need teams for that and for deploying them. We can have others dig the necessary holes but we need those knowledgeable about arming the mines to actually put them in place and mark their locations.”

“Will we have enough to put skylights in the maintenance facilities as well to deny them to night runners?” I ask.

“We’ll be stretching ourselves thin but I think we can manage that,” Bannerman answers.

“So, we finish the maintenance wall and start on the walls here, build the towers and fortify the animal enclosures, work on the water tower, put in skylights, start bringing supplies down, clear the area when we’re ready, and then search for the families afterwards. Do I have that right?” I ask.

“It’ll be tight but that sounds about right,” Lynn answers.

“What about the search for other survivors in the area?” Drescoll asks.

“We’ll have to do that as time permits,” I reply.

“I still want to talk about housing. I know we have a lot to do and I have a lot to figure out but I just want to make sure we don’t lose this in the process,” Bannerman says.

“That will be quite the undertaking depending on what we want. There are plumbing, electrical, defense, and a myriad of other things to think about and design,” Frank says.

“True. But we need to keep that in mind as we’re close to being overcrowded if not already,” Bannerman says.

“Okay. What do you say we start on what’s on our list and revisit this later? We can discuss that when we have a better idea of what resources we’re going to be using for the tasks at hand,” I say.

“How do we want to present this to the others? If at all?” Greg asks

“I think we lay it out straight up. It’s best if they know what we’re dealing with and it will provide a little motivation,” Lynn answers. “We can tell them at our nightly training session.”

“I think you’re right,” I say. “Everyone else agree?” The group nods their agreement.

“Okay, brief your teams and we’ll tell everyone else tonight,” I add.

“Sounds good. I better get started on this. With Frank’s help, it’s still going to take me all day to figure this out,” Bannerman says.

With that, we break up. I still have the cold feeling in my gut but feel better now that we have a workable plan. Any thought that we can create a totally secure area is gone though. We’ll have to be eternally vigilant as who knows what capabilities the night runners will eventually have. We need to stay one step ahead if not two. I take Red Team and we begin looking at the systems together. Tomorrow we’ll head back up and begin studying in the aircraft itself.

The next several days are a flurry of activity. Red Team, Craig, myself and five others spend the time studying and going through dry runs. The water tower is brought over in parts and starts going up. The wall crews finish with the maintenance areas and begin on the inner wall. Assigned crews start on the towers and fortifying the barns, stables, and pens. Additional cameras are located and put into place with a mass of cabling run in underground conduits. Teams locate mines and holes are dug around the wall perimeter. We place additional claymores at the entrances and loading dock, angling them outward and drilling small holes in the outer wall for the wires. I expect an attack each night and am surprised each morning when we find things the same. So far, the night runners have left us alone and, with each passing day, the knot in my gut lessens to a degree.

After considerable time studying the AC-130 weapon systems in detail and going through a lot of dry runs, I feel we have a good grasp of the systems and their workings. We are working well as a team and find the necessary coordination between flying and the deployment of weapons. It’s time for a live fire exercise. We’ll use one the Fort Lewis ranges and test all of the guns. I don’t want to use too much ammo for test firing as we don’t have an unlimited supply. It’s going to take quite a bit to clear the area around us. Fort Lewis does have a ready supply but again, it’s not unlimited.

Flying over the brown fields, we pick out a target and coordinate our circle. It’s basically setting up and turning a consistent circle around a point, either around a force you are defending or the target itself. The gunners in the battle management center identify targets or an area of suppression and place their weapons on it. The type of weapon deployed depends on the target itself. We’ll be using the 105mm howitzer for the buildings. The 40mm and 25mm will be used for targets identified as night runners. We’ll be running at night to try and catch them in the open so we’ll be using thermal imaging for the most part.

I circle over the target we picked out. Craig sits in the co-pilot seat with Bri between us at her usual flight engineer station. Robert is in the back in charge of fire control coordinating the guns and targets. I would have done that task and had Robert up in front flying but he developed a knack for coordinating while we were training. I knew he had tremendous capabilities but he has continually surprised me with the actual extent of them.

I hear Robert on the intercom coordinate for target identification and acquisition and verify the howitzer is up and armed. The heavy projectile is launched downward. A large puff of dust blows skyward as the 105mm impacts the ground and detonates. He’s right on target. I visualize the loaders in back hefting another round from the weapons rack and reloading.

We fire the howitzer at a couple of other targets with the same result. Robert coordinates and brings the 40mm online and we pick another target. The steady chunk of the autocannon begins and I see smaller puffs of dirt launch skyward around the target completely obscuring the area. We practice with the 25mm and I watch as a stream of fire reaches downward and strikes the ground. These are stationary targets and we’ll have to learn to lead any moving ones we encounter but overall, I’m pleased with the results. At least we won’t have to worry about return fire. Maybe I should change that. With regards to what we’ve learned about the increase in night runner abilities, my thinking changes to I hope we won’t have to worry about return fire.

We land and debrief our activities. There’s not much said as we succeeded in putting rounds on target and our confidence is high. I notice Robert has deep sweat marks under his arms and looks drained. I give him a pat on the shoulder and a nicely done. He just looks at me with tired eyes and nods. After commending the rest of the crew, we refill the weapon racks and refuel before heading back.

I tell the group at our meeting that night that we’re ready to begin operations to clear the area the following night. Bannerman fills us in on our status which is basically a recap of the previous days with each day showing further progress on the inner wall, watch towers, water tower, and fortifying the animal buildings. Mines have been laid around a lot of the perimeter and the claymores set around the building. The skylights on the vehicle storage buildings are mostly complete and he has started crews working on erecting an overhang on the perimeter walls. He notes that we will only be able to put the overhang around the inner compound as he doesn’t think we’ll have enough materials to cover the full four miles of wall. Lynn reports that the training for the next group in both phase one and two is coming along nicely and the groups should be finished soon.

I rest for most of the next day along with the crew of the Spooky. We plan to head out tonight. We pour over maps of the area with Frank and make plans for our route and identify buildings to level. There are a lot of strip malls in the area which will require a lot of work for the 105mm howitzer. We draw large circles around the identified gas stations as we will still draw on these for fuel. We’ll especially leave the ones close to us out of the picture as we don’t want to cause a large smoking hole in the ground so close. Also noted is the library but that is outside of the range we are looking to clear, at least for now. The earlier burns have taken care of a majority of the houses and buildings in the area but there are plenty of stores and office buildings that need to be eliminated.

Evening draws close and we ready ourselves for the drive north. We have enough fuel to stay aloft for the night and we do have the aircraft to stay in if we decide to land. I brief the crew that we’ll search for night runners on the prowl before starting on the buildings and walk toward the entrance with the others in tow. The orange glow of the late afternoon streams through the doors. That should indicate I should be walking in rather than out but it feels good to be striking back instead of reacting. Our whole time until now has been a reactionary one and scraping for our very survival. Tonight, we get to hit back. Tonight we get to be on the offensive instead of hunkering down on the defensive. It may be only for tonight but at least we get that. I see Lynn waiting by the door. I nod at the others as they pass by and stop.

“You take care of yourself tonight, fly boy,” she says.

“I will, hon,” I say giving her a long hug.

“You know, there are a lot of folks who want to go onto the roof tonight and watch,” she says after we part.

“What?! Outside at night? I don’t that’s an overly brilliant idea,” I reply.

“I actually don’t think it’s such a bad idea. We’ll be on the roof with easy access back in if something happens. Besides, I think it will help morale to see us taking action. I mean to actually see it rather than hearing about it. There are a few who have lost a lot and I think it will do them good,” she responds.

“I know. I’m sorry,” I say hugging her again.

“Wait, you said ‘we’. Does that mean you?” I ask.

“Of course. You don’t think I’d miss the show,” she says. Her blue eyes shine with her smile. When her eyes shine like that, ‘no’ is not in my vocabulary.

“Do what you think is best,” I say.

She gives me her award winning smile again. “Now get out of here and go get ‘em,” she says giving me a kiss.

We pile into several Humvees and drive the familiar route north. We pile into the aircraft with the sun poised just above the horizon. The shadows of the buildings and aircraft around stretch long across the ramp. The cockpit is cast in the orange glow of the end of the day. We plug in and begin our checks. The throaty roar of the engines echo across the forlorn ramp. I feel both tension and elation.

“Are you ready for this?” I ask over the intercom just prior to taxiing.

“Hell yes, sir,” I hear from many in various intonations.

“Alright, let’s go do this,” I say pushing the throttles up and the gunship begins to move forward. Even the aircraft seems eager.

We lift off with the sun dipping below the mountains to the west. The land becomes a darker blue as night begins to settle in. I can imagine the shrieks beginning to pervade the areas below. The intercom fills with chatter of the crews bringing systems online and our game faces come on.

Robert coordinates with the IR operator. We’ll be using thermal imaging for the night operation to a large degree. Our area of operation is close by so we’ll be ready to begin shortly. I head north to let night deepen more before turning back south. We have the capability to engage two targets simultaneously but we are still a relatively inexperienced crew so we will concentrate on one at a time. Robert has the same maps as I do and knows not to engage targets close to any gas stations. This will be our first experience with moving targets so we’ll need to account for that.

The city appears ahead. I have the display up front set on the target imagery provided from the IR console. There is the Cabela’s building off to the right with multiple white images of people on the roof. Other buildings, strip malls, and gas stations appear on the left. I hear Robert coordinating for the 25mm Gatling gun which we’ll use for the night runners. We’ll switch to the buildings after we scour the area for any night runners on the streets. Robert is coordinating with the low light TV operator and the IR operator to find and identify targets. His voice has tension in it but overall he appears calm. A little anxious but then again who isn’t? Plus, he has a lot to coordinate and I just have to fly.

“Target to the southwest. 135 degrees. Five running along the north-south road east of the strip mall. Guns armed. Ready,” he calls out to the gunner.

“Ready,” I hear the reply.

Looking down on the display, I see five white images running where Robert identified. I bank the aircraft setting up a left hand orbit around the target.

“Cleared,” I hear Robert say.

I look out the left window and watch as a solid stream of red flies out from the aircraft. The seeming river of fire impacts the ground and the red streaks upward from ricochets. I look down at the display and see the running figures fall to the ground and lie motionless.

“Target eliminated,” I hear Robert say.

That’s for Nic motherfuckers, I think watching the five white figures lying motionless on the ground below. This night is for Nic.

There is a certain amount of cheering with a “whoop” and “fuck yeah” thrown in. The night hunt has begun.

“Target identified. Southwest. 120 degrees. Nine running on the east west road north of the large structure…”

Michael has the large pack he brought from behind the walls with him. Running out into the night earlier with the many behind him, he knew he had to expand his area to find food for this many. But with this many, he also knew he could trap prey easier. There just wasn’t much left in the area he hunted on night’s prior so he headed further out to look for and track down food in greater amounts. He knew he could always go into the surrounding buildings looking for the packaging that held food but he wanted to find a good hunting ground for a pack this size.

Running down a street with the loud sound of feet echoing in the night, Michael hears a roar in the sky above. It’s the same sound he heard many nights ago. He stops and looks in the direction of the rumbling. He feels uneasy not knowing what it is in the air above. He has his senses open to the other packs and has had several smaller packs join his this night. He hasn’t sent a call out for others to join yet wanting to find a suitable hunting ground before doing so. He stares into the starry sky feeling other packs in the area. The rumble is still a distance away but its appearance makes him anxious.

A buzzing sound from the sky mixes with a throaty growl. He looks up to see a bright stream of light pour downward toward the ground; some of it rebounding back into the air. He immediately loses his sense of one of the packs hunting in the area. They weren’t close but they weren’t far either. The roar grows closer. The buzzing sound accompanies another stream of light. His sense of another pack disappears. Michael knows that whatever is up there is somehow eliminating the packs.

He sends a message far and wide. Into the buildings, he sends. Abandon your hunt and seek a lair.

He directs his pack into an enormous building ahead. They race ahead into the night with a howl. He enters the building and presses into the interior going through several doors. The inside is sizeable with several levels. A large wooden floor sits in the middle with stairs going up in several places. He recognizes the objects by the stairs as places to sit. Looking upward, he sees many more. This location has no windows in the interior and is large enough to fit a pack ten times the size he has with him. Fortune has smiled on him with this find. This will be the perfect lair.

Outside, he senses other packs vanishing from his mind. He sends an image of the fire from above and the danger. Hide, he sends. And then come.

The night’s hunt has been good even though it just started. Her pack has eaten well during the previous nights, filling up the reserves they burned getting to the area. The aches and pains from the long travel have faded with the success of the hunts. She has had a few quick glimpses of the strong one she came to this area for but she is still cautious about approaching. Her young one weighs heavily on her mind. She knows that having her own pack will allow her to provide. She doesn’t want to become just another pack member. She knows she would be treated well and have food because she is carrying a young one, but caution keeps her where she is.

The image sent comes abruptly. She has had a sense of the other strong one for most of the night but the hunt has taken precedence. Into the buildings, the image says. Abandon your hunt and seek a lair. The message startles and confuses her as she doesn’t perceive any danger. She hears a slight rumble from far away but doesn’t associate the foreign sound with the danger the message indicates.

She ‘hears’ another message. It’s one of danger from fire above. The message conveys the danger of the sound she faintly hears. Hide. And then come. The ending message says. She turns in the direction of the one she senses. She can only feel him from this distance because of his strength. She begins to run through the night in his direction. She will come.

“Three targets. East. 080 degrees. Two targets on the east-west road. One south of the warehouse building and one a half mile further east. One additional target on the north-south road a half mile south between the two groups. Target one is a group of six, target two a group of eight, target three a group of four,” Robert announces. “Engage target one.”

I see the groups he is talking about and set up an orbit on the group of six. The screen is filled with the white bodies of night runners in the area. They have been all over. I had no idea there were so many and this is definitely what they call a target rich environment. I look out to see the now familiar stream of fire exit our aircraft. Looking back to the screen, I see the tracer rounds dance among the shapes. They fall unmoving. I start toward the larger group of eight. I watch as they turn and vanish into a nearby building.

“Target two in the rectangular building. Target three also vanished into the small square building to the south,” I hear Robert say.

I look to see the scope pan out to capture a larger area. The once target rich environment has disappeared. There is only an image of one night runner vanishing into a building. What the fuck? I think. That happened all at once. I open up to see if I can sense anything but only detect a few below. We’re almost a mile up so I can’t “see” very far out. I can, however, clearly distinguish a couple farther out. There is strength in those ones. I don’t really know how to explain the feeling but that’s the impression I get. There are some still below us. Images of fear and confusion enter my mind. I shut back down to concentrate on flying.

“Switch to the 105. Take the buildings out where they went in,” I tell Robert.

“Okay, Dad,” he replies and begins another round of coordination.

We identify the buildings which erupt in white flashes on our screens. We switch to taking out the other buildings in our area but stay vigilant for signs of other night runners on the streets. We only find two more packs the entire night. Weariness sets in as the night progresses but we systematically destroy all of the targeted buildings in the area. With dawn not far away, we turn north toward McChord. There is a lot less people on the roof of Cabelas but there are a few. I transmitted the info on the night runner packs as we engaged them but stopped when we concentrated on the buildings. We land and shutdown. Weariness has taken its toll but we are all smiling. Dawn arrives and we stumble to our vehicles to head back home.

I give a quick briefing on our action before trudging off to bed. Today, I will sleep and it’s hopefully a coma-like sleep that lasts through the night. I’m exhausted. Tomorrow we will cover where we are and what needs to be done. There is also the fact that time is running out to search for the rest of the families. My mind doesn’t allow these thoughts to take hold before I drift off into a dreamless sleep.

I feel a shaking and it’s a while before I realize it’s someone trying to wake me. I am barely able to open one eye but make out Lynn standing over me.

“Jack, wake up,” she says.

“I had better be on fire,” I say hearing my voice as if at a distance.

“Come on, Jack, wake up,” she says again.

“I don’t really want to do that just now,” I answer.

“Okay, Jack, you’re on fire,” Lynn says.

“Fine, just roll me over then,” I say but my mind has now caught up to my barely open eye. “What time is it?”

“Time for you to get up. You’re going to want to hear this,” she says.

“No, I’m actually not,” I say but rise to a sitting position anyway. “Okay, what is it?”

“There’s someone calling on the radio. Seriously, shake yourself out of it and come downstairs,” Lynn says planting her hands on her hips.

I know this is her ‘I’m being serious move’ and does more to wake me than anything else. I ignored that posture once. That will never happen again.

I make my way wearily down to the radio. Squelch breaks from the speaker and I hear a voice calling, “This is the USS Santa Fe on UHF guard. Anyone read?”